Purely Commentary
Orthodox Issues . . . Girls Out of Uniform . . . Autopsies and Pathology Terror'
Satmar Hasidim—about 100 of them—carried placards and menacingly came very close to Israel
Ralph J. Bunche, the Peace Maker
Dr. Ralph J. Bunche, the native Detroiter who rose to one of the
highest ranks in diplomacy and as a directorial leader in the United
Nations, was a grandson of slaves.
His sense of justice, his passion for freedom, his social instincts.
led him up the ladder of success.
He became the mediator between
Israel and the Arab states on the Island
of Rhodes in 1948, 1949; and as the suc-
cessful initiator of the cease fire that
ended that war, at least until the
renewal of warfare in 1958, he gained
such wide recognition that he was
awarded the Noble Peace Prize, in 1950.
Jewish leaders in all walks of life,
Israelis, Americans, British, Canadians,
have paid their respects to Dr. Bunche's
memory, and there is imbedded in the
encomia a deep feeling of gratitude for
the labors he had performed in the inter-
est of peace.
It had been hoped that he would
play a major role again in the quest for
peace in the Middle East. Perhaps he
Dr. Bunche
would have been more successful had
he received that assignment.
He was a great defender of the black people, and he had a
credo which he called his "bias." In it he stated:
"I have a number of very strong biases. I have a deep.seated
bias against hate and intolerance. I have a bias against, racial and
religious bigotry. I have a bias against war, a bias for peace. I
have a bias which leads me to believe in the essential goodness of
my fellow man, which leads me to believe that no problem in human
relations is ever insoluble. And I have a strong bias in favor of the
United Nations and its ability to maintain a peaceful world."
It had been our hope that such a bias could be applied interna-
tionally. If it had been given reality, it could be a guide toward making
the UN a truly great place for the enforcement of peace and for the
establishment of good will. Unfortunately, this bias is still a dream.
Else. how could the nations of the world gang up on Israel, as they
did again on Monday—with the United States in a not-too-respectful
position of being an abstainer rather than a supporter of justice for
Israel.
From the credo of Dr. Bunche we learn a great deal. For his
labors for peace we jcin with the heads of so many Jewish organiza-
tion-, in paying him honor as a man who rose to great heights as a
distinguished American and as a citizen of a world whose turmoil he
tried so hard to tranquilize and to quiet.
By Philip
Slomovitz
Deplorable Factor in Zionist Congress
.
Elections: Unnecessary Name-Calling
Bunche, Samoff Tributes
Centrism of ZOA
Prime
Minister Golda Meir on Sunday evening at the Israel Bond function in New York. The protesters are part of
what we believe is a very small group, in this country and in Israel, that is interfering with medical
progress with the opposition to autopsies, and now has introduced another issue: that of service to
Israel by Orthodox girls.
Let's deal with the last first. A 20-year-old law in Israel permits Orthodox girls to claim exemp-
tion from active , military service but provides for substitute services in hospitals, health centers and
public offices. There is an effort, out of the great need for womanpower complementary to manpower,
to enforce the provisions for work by girls in public services. The dissidents are causing trouble in
that score. So—they picketed Golda, inserted advertisements in the New York Times with challenges
to Israel's prime minister on the day she was meeting with President Nixon, and they molested her at
the Israel Bond dinner. The police and security men were more numerous but the shouts of the Satmarer
were louder.
Then there is the pathology problem. Religious fanatics are charged with having instituted a
"war of terror" against Israel's pathologists, and doctors in several hospitals have already declared
strikes against the tactics of those who object to autopsies and interfere with established medical prac-
tices. Yeshiva students in Mea Sharim have been arrested. Doctors have been attacked.
The most recent Israel government action was taken last week when Health Minister Victor
Sheintov announced his ministry's standing "firmly behind" the pathologists. As part of an educational
campaign, pamphlets will be published to explain to the Israel public the pathology needs and post-
mortems.
The Hebrew University has taken a strong stand against the harassment of pathologists in Israel,
and 800 students and staff members last week demonstrated in protest against such actions. White-coated
- professor" from the college of medicine, pathologists who are faculty members, deans and senior members
of the teaching staff participated and President Avraham Harman of the Hebrew University, calling it a
solidarity rally, said the pathologists represented the positive values in. life. He said: -
"Every human being owes his existence to the contribution of pathologists toward the advancement
of medical science." He said that the university's faculty and students identify with pathologists, that
"We do not believe in meeting violence with violence, but have chosen this peaceful assembly to make our
views unmistakably known." •
A report from Jerusalem on other speeches delivered at that demonstration states:
Rector Jacob Katz, who is an
observant Jew, gave a reasoned
called awn religious leaders to
opinion from breaking the com-
account of the compatibility of
speak up and lend their authority
mon framework which unites us
performance of post-mortems
to permitting autopsies which
all."
with halakhic law (Jewish legal
medical' practitioners deem
Prof. Katz turned against the
tradition). Prof. Katz termed a
necessary.
"pseudo - religious propaganda
post-mortem, conducted to save
Prof. Hats ended his address
which is poisoning the atmos-
life, a mitzva (meritorious deed)
on an admonishing note:
phere." He said that it is man-
and warned against "the efforts
"Today it is the pathologists who
datory that the matter be ex-
of a minority to force their will
are in the frontline. Tomorrow
plained to the public, and speci-
on the majority." Prof. Katz said
another profession may be the
fically that this should be done
"to our sorrow, the harassment of
target."
by religious leaders. Prof Katz
pathologists is not the only ex-
Speaking on behalf of the stu-
added that medical and acade-
ample of this; we protest every
dents, acting student union chair-
mic people should have no il-
use of violence and threat of
man Dror Zeigerman stressed
lusions as to whether their voices
violence to whatever end. It is
the necessity that police bring to
would penetrate to those circles
necessary to find a modus
Justice those responsible.
where explanation is needed. He
vivendi to prevent differences of
-
Divisiveness in Zionism Harmful to Jewish Life Everywhere
There is reason to believe, as we have indicated, that those who are interfering with progress and
There is an element of tragedy in the current Zionist controversy. creating difficulties for Israel represent a very small fraction in Israel. The noisy group gives the wrong
It is true that constituents of all Zionist parties must abide by deci- impression and its placards do not lend dignity to the Jewish position.
sions of the World Zionist Congress, and that body operated on demo-
It is• doubtful whether responsible people will give any encouragement to the backwardness of a
cratic assumptions, with an aim at electing delegates to the major view that could undermine a nation's solidarity, as in the case of girls expected to render social and
Jewish international ballot by popular vote. Then the procedure was medical services; and in the case of pathology, interference with which could equate medicine with me-
altered to a vote-by-mail—hardly a democratic way of conducting dievalism.
an election. An Israeli tribunal decided in favor of such methods of
choosing delegates. There were other contested rules, but these could
be interpreted as involving party aspirations and could be ignored
if the constituent bodies were to concern themselves primarily with the
election. Instead, there is rancor, we now have a name-calling cam-
paign. and the situation is hardly deserving of much respect.
The inter-party conflict could have been avoided, possibly a million
dollars in incurred expenses might have been saved, it is conceivable
that the same delegations would be at the Zionist Congress in Jeru-
salem—these are the ifs that have been negated by buts resulting
from personality struggles that could well undermine the dignity of the
great libertarian Zionist idea.
Voters will read the advertisements, they will match up the
charges and some may plague both houses, while others will be disil-
lusioned by what is happening.
A development deeply to be regretted is the position in which the
Zionist Organization of American has been placed. ZOA is centrist. It
represents a certain policy and a definite mood. It is activist. It differs
from other parties in the same fashion as the elements that make
up Jewish society generally and the Israeli contrasts in particular.
But all parties, including the women's, have certain preferences that
direct their interests.
In the long run, the American Zionist complex is marked by very
harmless differences. Each group has its values,. all should be encour-
aged to carry on. But internecine strifes do not contribute toward
survival. The abusive tones that are being employed do not lend credit
to Zionist fraternization.
The harsh tones in the Hadassah statements are not palatable,
and if the harm that could be done to the General Zionist movement
were to take root, all of Zionism will suffer a setback. What is hap-
pening is right up the alley of Israel's enemies—those that stem from
Elmer Berger's "Jewish Alternatives to Zionism" (the former Pontiac
and Flint rabbi could not even tolerate the Council for Judaism—so
extreme is his violent opposition to Israel and Zionism—and he there-
fore formed a new hate-Zion movement) as well as from the American
Council for Judaism.
The problems could have and should have been solved internally.
An electoral assembly could have saved a million dollars in expenses
now being incurred and surely would have resolved some of the dif-
ferences, leaving policies to the 'World Zionist Congress. But the
gazlonim. The
search for power is, at its worst, a normal human factor. But when
venom sets in, when there is an internecine war, when there are
invectives—heaven protect us. Without waiting the heavenly, let's hope
that voters will use common sense and will not encourage the invectives.
matter very much. MoSt of the delegates are not such
Center Rolls Hit
All-Time High
NEW YORK—Activities in Jew-
centers and YM-YWHAs have
an aggregate total of
attracted
The Remarkable David Samoff
34,506,000
participanti, reflecting
David Sarnoff's name will be written indelibly in history as "the
father of American television." To his contemporaries, who had labored the fact that centers have "expand-
deepened
their role of
with him in numerous causes, he became a vital figure in humanitarian ed and
serving the general community,"
causes.
ish
,
For many years he was an active leader
' in the good will movements through the
National Conference of Christians and Jews.
He had also taken a deep interest in the Weiz-
mann Institute of Science in Israel, the Jewish
Theological Seminary of America ; Dropsie
University and many other educational
agencies.
The Rabbinical Assembly honored him
with a special award, and the tributes
accorded him had been innumerable.
He had begun as an office boy for the
Brig. Gen. Sarnoff Marconi Wireless Telegraph Co. in 1906, and
at the time of the Titanic tragedy when the ship that was considered
"unsinkable" struck an iceberg in 1912, he stayed at the telegraph
key for 72 hours. His telegraphic labors at the time represented the
only link between the Carpathia, the rescue ship that save many lives,
and the world that was aghast at what was occurring.
He was the communications genius who organized NBC, later
going to RCA, the great corporation from which he retired in 1970,
having created jobs in both firms for literally hundreds of thousands
of people.
His life's story reads like a romance. He was a mere youngster
when be left school, upon the death of-his father, to help support his
family, but he managed to educate himself, to befriend Giuglielmo
Marconi; the pioneer in radio, and 'he worked with him to develop
politicians moved in a different direction, the women (who were.origi- the industry, later to make a realization of his prophecy that there
-.ally the distaff of the ZOA) are fighting mad and the name-calling would be television.
zI't help a bit.
Presidents—Franklin Roosevelt to the present occupant of the
':ince the return envelopes are postage prepaid, ther. will no doubt White House—became his friends, and with nearly all of them he had
wavy vote. We are paying through the nose for a procedure. labored for common American causes. He was born in Russia and rose
onists should not be misled by name-calling.
to great heights as an American. He became a brigadier general in
le pity is that the results of the vote-by-mail election .won't World War I.
David Sarnoff was one of the giants of our time, and he will be
December 17, 1971
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS remembered in history as a great and a creative
it is reported by Emanuel Ber-
latsky in Volume 20 of the National
Jewish Welfare Board Year Book.
Memberkhip in Jewish centers
reached a record high of more
than 782,000 persons of all ages,
BerlatskY, a member of JWB's
executive staff, reports in the Year
Book's lead article. As a result of
increased services and mouting in-
flation, budgets- prepared for the
centers' 1971 operations indicate
total expenditures of $58,265,000.
an increase of 8.3 per cent over
expenditures of ;53,800,000 for 1970.
• "Of particular significance in
the growth of participation was
the increase in services to youth,
includhig teen-agers and young
adults, as well as services to
neighborhoods which developed
sh
Jewi sh
rec ent
jew
on," 'Iteria
attky
asoLtes
ePeninte°ncentr
In their expanded role of serving
the general community during the
period reviewed in the year book,
centers "engaged in helping the
community deal with housing, rec-
reation, intergroup relations and
the management of social prob-
lems
lem s such as- drugs and poverty."
a reStilt.of increased costs of
operation and new and intensified
services, the trend analysis shows
that ha 1969 least.40 per cent
of the ceVets_lac,reased member-
--