4Cssintilation, Assumed
Cultural Decline of U.S.
Jewry Argued at WZC
JEW' SH NEWS
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0 I T
A Weekly Review
INA I I-1143A NI
f Jewish Events
sLomovrrz
BY PHILIP
JERUSALEM—For the Jewish people, ideologically, the Holy
City has become the center of evaluative, judging of positions relating
to basics in survival. With 26 countries represented at the 28th World
Zionist Congress, Israel assumed with certainty the leading role in
creating policy-making positions affecting all Jews.
This is not to say that Israel can or dares to dictate attitudes to
the rest af Jewry. Bu there is centrality here that accounts for the
basis for action in surveying Jewish positions everywhere.
Thus, at the sessions here in which representatives of so many
Jewries, participated, the religious, and the secular issues were aired,
the needs of communities everywhere were analyzed, the cultural
positions were subjected to scrutiny.
There are revolutionary approaches to the Jewish position. Golda
Meir -certainly does represent a -religious community. A leader who
had been considered not only nonreligious but often even anti-clerical,
the Israeli prime minister has emerged the realist in a position of
statesmanship that cements the loyalties of her people. -
She has the respect of her citizenry in the manner in which
she has recognized the historicity of religious principles, and from
the ranks of the religious party came acclaim when she spoke of
nationaliim and religion among Jews as being in-
separable. She even rinsed the question whether
the -Jewish people could have survived without the
faith that distifiguishes it.
-Yet, the. French Jewish writer Albert Menurni
could use the- Zinnist platform to challenge reli-
gious domination, He was the secularist par
excellence in his -approach.
- GoIcia Meir,, viewing the Diaspora conditions
with--dismajf when she spoke about intermarriage,
' warned against it as a danger. Memmi challenged
Orthodox Jesary-ort_the_question and asked if they
would excommunicate the mixed 'in marriage. Slonsovitz
That's bow the debates developed—every faction having a word,
Menahem Begin, leader of Herut, speaking freely for the extreme
right, Yaakov Haws the revered Mapam leader, adopting an oppo-
- site extreme. Hann has withstood heckling on many'occasions, and
his reply.lo a- mild demonstration was that on the Zionist Congress
stage he and Begin could meet in mutual accord for Israel.
This really summarized a notable condition that was evident
here through the 10 days of parliamentary sessions: the unity that
defied all controversies was wrought in loyalties to the historic ideal
embodied in Zionist ideology.
•
•
•
There have been deplorable party differences prior to the con-
gress. They may well be merged into a unity marked by the need not
to break ranks when Israel needs defense.
Many are the demands that will stem from this 28th WZCongress:
and there will be -many controversial issues evolving from Jerusalem.
For the Diaspora Jew there is a very vital and challenging situa-
tion emerging from here. Not only Prime Minister Golda Meir, Jew-
__ish Agency Chairman Louis Aryeh Pincus and many of their asso-
ciatel;"-but the-rank and file of Israelis keep asking what future there
is for Jews outside lirael.`
The American Jew is especially qnizzed on -the question. It is
almost like a taunt: ate you being totally assimilated? Pincus especial-
ly keeps deploring what he considers a great cultural decline in
American Jewish ranks. Golda Melt challenged: Is it so difficult
for Jews to learn another language—their own, Hebrew—as a means
of assuring strength to Jewish survival everywhere?
' Is American Jewry in a.precarious position? Are we in danger
of a great decline because of assimilatory trends and growing inter-
marriage? (Mein Kahane of the Jewish Defense League, who was
denied a platform by a 2-1 vote of the WZCongress delegates, was
to have warned of an impending holocaust that will destroy American
Jewry, who, he urges, must emigrate to Israel immediately.)
American delegates will return to their homes, as usual, 'ether-
(Continued on Page 14)
VOL LX. NO, 20
17515 W. 9 Mile Rd., Southfield, Mich.
January 28, 1972
Sadat Shatters Hopes
of Diplomatic Talks to
uiet Student Rebels
NEW YORK (JTA)—According to reports from Cairo reaching here Wednesday
afternoon, President Anwar Sadat said that Egypt has broken off all talks with the
United States on a diplomatic solution to the Middle East crisis and that talks with the
Soviet Union are in progress.
Sadat made this announcement at an emergency meeting called to answer stu-
dents' demands that Egypt launch a war against Israel.
In Jerusalem last weekend, Deputy Premier Yigal Allon had said that Israel may
be witnessing "the rebirth of political realism" on the part of its Arab neighbors and
that he believed Israelis desire for defensible boundaries and the Arabs' legitimate poli-
tical demands could be realized through constructive negotiations.
Allon had kind words for 'President Anwar Sadat of Egypt.
Recalling that the Egyptian leader had recently claimed he was prepared to sacri-
fice a million Egyptian lives in a new war with Israel, Allon contrasted that statement
with Sadat's recent decision not to resume shooting.
"His latest decision to refrain from opening fire was that of a courageous leader
concerned with the destiny of his country and people," Allon said.
The deputy premier delivered the keynote address at a festive session of the 28th
(Continued on Page 20)
Did Israelis, Arabs Sit at Same Table in '70?
Special to Jewish News
TEL AVIV—A revealing story comes from London—to the effect that in December 1970 Israel
Prime Minister Abba Eban met in a hotel in a side street in London with King Hussein of Jordan,
Egypt's Foreign Minister Mahmoud Riad and a group of other Arab emissaries, including the Egyp-
tian ambassador to Great 'Britain, Ahmed Hassan El-Feld.
It is revealed by E. H. Cookridge, a former U. S. Central Intelligence Agency official, that the
meeting was inspired by President Nixon and that American representatives were active in organizing it.
This revealing report is, a reminder of an earlier effort that was made for a meeting between
Eban and Riad. Eban-had told the Middle East expert of Le Figaro of Paris, in an interview in Octo-
ber last year:
"I almost met Mi. Riad in Cyprus during the summer of 1968. I had gone to Nicosia at the invi-
tation of Dr. Jarring, the United Nations mediator, and a meeting with my opposite number had been
. arranged. Riad changed his mind at the very last moment."
leolumuist Edwin Roth, reporting in the Detroit News on the secret diplomacy operation of De-
cember 1970, said the meeting had immensely important results.
' (Roth said he was told by his- source-that the conference came off successfully due to a ruse.
Eban and Hussein made sure that their movements prior to the conference were widely publicized. By
the time they were ready to meet secretly, the press had grown tired of following them.
(The meeting, writes Roth. was held in a quiet hotel near the clinic where King Hussein was
staying for a medical checkup. The secret service of the United States, Britain, Israel and Jordan guard-
ed the movements of Eban, Hussein and Riad, for were the meeting to become public, the Arabs would
pull out.
(Roth said the result was peace in the Middle East throughout 1971—"and perhaps for longer.
It also was a breakthrough and showed that one day the Arabs and Israelis could meet openly for an
official, direct peace conference.")
AJC Funds Earmarked; Local Agencies to Tighten Belts?
By far the major share of funds
to be raised in the 1972 Allied Jew-
ish Campaign-Israel Emergency
Funfl will be distributed for over-
teas and Israel causes, according
to Alan E. Schwartz, president of
the Jewish Welfare Federation.-
His announcement followed final
action by Federation's board of
governors Tuesday in adopting a
pre-campaign budget formula for
eventual apportionment of • this
year's Allied Jecirish Campaign
proceeds.
Receipts in the Israel Emergency
Fund will continue to be transmit-
- ted in _full to the United Jewish
Appeal for its Israel and overseas
beneficiaries, Schwartz said.
Accortlinirt6-;:the new formula,
$3,540,000 .will be reserved for the
operationsT.,and capital needs of
Jewish agencies in Detroit, and
• for national -Iewish organizations
- ::beadqUartered mostly in New York
and Washington.
lin equal amotmt from the regu-
lar campaign - is designated to as- Unchanged from 1971 is the allow-
sist needy Jews on a worldwide ance of a 5 per cent "shrinking re-
basis, through support of UJA and
other overseas agencies.
All money in excess of $8,000,000
pledged to the 1972 regular appeal
will be used to increase Israel -
Emergency Fund results.
Schwartz pointed to last year's
campaign total of $13,150,000, of
which the overseas beneficiaries
of the Detroit effort received 74
per cent with the balance going
for Detroit and -national services.
A similar- distribution is possible
this year, he said, because of
the ceiling established on the
regular campaign. The larger
the actual total achievement in
1972, the greater will be the
share for the overseas category,
Louis A. Pincus of Jerusalem,
he added.
chairman of the Jewish Agency
The budget formula, provides for for Israel, will be special guest
an anticipated increase in the cost at the pre-campaign dinner of
of campaign and collections, al- the 1972 Allied Jewish Campaign-
though the proportion to the total Israel Emergency Fund Feb. 16
at Cong. Shaarey Zedek.
raised will remain at 3.5 per cent.
serve" in the normal Allied Jew-
ish Campaign to provide for uncol-
lectible pledges due to death, re-
moval from the city and other
causes.
Schwartz said the domestic cate-
gory will have available- an in-
crease of almost 10 per cent be-
yond allocations made in 1971. He
pointed out that this limitation will
confront Federation's budget and
planning divisions with serious dif-
ficulties when they review agency
requests for financing next spring
at the conclusion of the campaign.
Requests from local agencies at
the December meeting totaled sub-
stantially in excess of the funds
built into the new formula.
The situation will be further
complicated, he said, in the fact
that 1972 Torch Drive appropria-
tions to some agencies through
the United Community Services
represent practically no change
from the allocations given in the
last two years.
A Federation spokesman pointed
out that the formula adopted by
the board reflects the thinking at
the community conference held in
December, wi—n discussions took
place on the riety of needs to-
ward which the organized Jewish
community has accepted respon-
sibility, including the increase in
number of Russian Jewish immi-
grants to be absorbed into Israel.
Schwartz noted that early fund-
rasing events indicate a general
increase in the level of contribu-
tions, averaging over 20 per cent
beyond the 1971 gifts. A report in-
cluding such preliminary informa-
tion. was presented to the Federa-
tion -board by Paul Handleman, a
co-chairman of the 1972 Allied
Jewish Campaign - Israel Emer-
gency Fund.
"It is only through such a re-
sponse can we possibly approach
our communal obligations and
Jewish duty. This is a holy task
and we are up to it," Handleman
said.