--71 1PPIFF

NalW11

Friday, May 21, 1971-15

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Boris Smolar's

'Between You
and Me'

...

Editor-in-Chief Emeritus, JTA
(Copyright 1971, JTA Inc.)

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY: The American Jewish Committee is
celebrating its 65th year of existence. It feels proud of its record and
has the reasons to feel so.
_there are few Jewish groups in the United States today that can
ast of 65 years of existence and show as much vigor in their activ-
,ties as the American Jewish Committee does. The AJCommittee is one
of the oldest Jewish organizations in the world standing guard to secure
equality of economic, social and educational opportunity through civic
action, not to speak of the other fields of activities concerning Jews
in which the AJCommittee is engaged.
Age did not affect the vigor with which the American Jewish
Committee is conducting its work. On the contrary, the technique of
this remarkable organization has greatly improved during the years
and the programs have expanded. Today, the American Jewish Com-
mittee is actually 65 years young rather than 65 years old. It responds
with great energy to every Jewish problem that the march Of time
brings forth. It is today as alert as it was when founded in 1906 by a
small group which included Louis Marshall, Jacob Schiff, Felix War-
,burg and Julius Rosenwald. These Jewish personalities were con-
sidered at that time, by the Jewish immigrant population, as "Yahu-
dim," meaning Jews who are not of East-European origin.
From a small group of individuals, the American Jewish Com-
mittee grew to become an organization with a large national member-
ship, with more than 80 chapters throughout the United States, with
offices in Israel, Europe and Latin America. It is no longer an agency
merely protecting Jewish rights and combatting anti-Semitism. It is
today engaged actively also in strengthening Jewish identity among
American-born Jews. It takes an interest in promoting Jewish education.

*

*

THE "GOLDEN YEARS": The American Jewish Committee today
watches very closely the changing pattern of American life and to
what extent these changes affect American Jewry.
The average American Jew, satisfied more or less with his eco-
nomic situation, does not notice the changes that concern him. He is too
much absorbed in his daily routine and has, therefore, no perspective.
It is organizations like the American Jewish Committee that keep
vigil for him.
Jewish life today is not the same as it was in the years immedi-
ately after World War II, when all doors were opened to Jews in high
government services to a point where the Secretary of the Treasury
was a Jew. Today there is not even a Jewish justice in the U.S. Su-
preme Court where there had been Jewish judges continuously for a
period of about 50 years. There is, of course, no discrimination against
Jews in Washington, but the acceptance of Jews into the government
system has diminished during the last years.
Jews have, during the "golden years" of the post-war period,
reached great heights in American cultural life. Some have become
presidents of colleges and universities. Thousands of them have be-
come professors. Jewish authors have played a predominant role in
America's postwar literature. About 90 per cent Jewish youths of col-
lege age have been absorbed in American schools of higher educa-
tion. The trend now seems to be reversing slowly but surely. Jewish
teachers in the American school system—in public schools and in high
schools—are being challenged by elements seeking to bring in more
teachers of other minorities into the educational system. Jewish stu-
dents may not find it as easy to enter American colleges which are
now being opened to Negro youths on an open enrollment basis, and
for whom place must be made in colleges and universities which have
no funds to expand their classes.
On the inter-religious front, one could have heard in the years
immediately after the war, a lot of talk about "Judaeo-Christian" rela-
tionship. The Judaeo-Christian theory, as propounded- by leaders of
the Catholic and Protestant Church in this country, has done much
to weaken anti-Jewish prejudice among church-goers. However, since
to Six-Day War in 1967 there is not as much talk about this. It is no
secret that since the Six-Day War much of the friendly feelings toward
Israel in the ranks of the Catholic and Protestant clergy has eva-
porated. The Christian church would like to see Jerusalem interna-
tionalized and not a part of Israel.

*

Jews Prevented From Emigrating
Given Israel Citizenship in Absentia

Supporters of the measure said
it was designed to provide solace
to persons prevented from emig-
rating, would assure them that
their aspiration was a legitimate
one and give them the feeling that
they "belonged."

Underground
Sprinkler
Systems .

JERUSALEM (JTA)—The Knes-
set adopted Monday an amend-
ment to the citizenship law which
grants Israeli citizenship in absen-
tia to any Jew abroad who re-
- installed and
quests it but is prevented by cir-
Serviced
.
cumstances beyond his control
from coming to Israel.
Free Estimates
•
The amendment is intended
Once you have missed the first
primarily for Jews in the Soviet
buttonhole you'll never manage to
Union. It passed its second and
third readings by a vote of 854. button up. —Goethe
The pro-Moscow New Com-
munist (Rakach) faction was op-
posed. Uri Avneri of Haolam
Hazeh abstained.
Several government ministers
had reservations about the mea-
sure before it was introduced.
They felt that the granting of
extra-territorial citizenship was
superfluous. But the government
agreed to present the bill to the
Knesset under pressure from
Soviet Jews in Israel.
The measure authorizes the
minister of interior, at his discre-
tion, to grant citizenship under the
_
Law of Return to a person who
Metro Passbook from
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*

INDEPENDENCE AND QUALITY: There are also other changes
now taking place on the American scene affecting the Jewish commu-
nity. There are Negro-Jewish relations, the Left Wing anti-Jewish
sentiments, and the moods against Liberalism among young Jews and
non-Jews who seek a more aggressive policy against the war in Viet-
nam and in the fight against poverty. There are additional factors
in the pattern of American life which did not exist in the postwar
years. The American Jewish Committee is watching all these devel-
opments.
On the internal Jewish front the American Jewish Committee
studies the problems of the Jewish youth; is aware of the need for
Jewish day schools which were opposed only a few years ago by
many Americanized Jews; has set up a task force to look into the
future of the Jewish community in America; and is working in the
direction of securing a strong Jewish continuity within the frame-
work of the multiple goals of our American society. It operates to a
great degree with other Jewish agencies as part of a total Jewish
community system within an open American society, but it strives,
at the same time, to maintain its own uniqueness, individuality, inde-
pendence, and special quality of work.
On the 65th anniversary of this important organization for Ameri-
can and world Jewries, one can only congratulate its leaders with
the traditional Jewish saying of "Hazak Ve'emotz"—May You Go From
Strength to Strength!

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