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PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

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CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ

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Sabbath Scriptural Selections
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Page Four

June 9, 1972

Pessimism in Store for Religious Revival

Prof. Nathan Goldberg, for 27 years a those who have a seder at Passover, but who
member of the faculty of Yeshiva University, really do not know why. Others charter planes
emerges as a pessimist over prospects for to Israel for their son's bar mitzva, or express
revival of "religious Judaism.•' Ile was shar- themselves through "membership" or "con-
ing his projections with alumni of Yeshiva tributions." Meanwhile, the catering business
College, and he undertook to judge the future in the U.S. for Jews "runs into astronomical
for a period of four decades. The prospects, figures."
he emphasized, are "not too promising." He
As far as actual learning, he said, "the
defined Judaism as a culture and for it to
status is such that there is not even reliable
survive, he declared. "Judaism had to be data on the number of children attending
learned and transmitted "
Jewish schools, or on what they are learning
Because he undertook to touch upon the in those schools." He also argued that few
problem he was tackling practically, objec- Jewish youth receive any Jewish learning
tively, Dr. Goldberg's views must be taken after reaching 14 years of age.
seriously by all religious groups. His conten- Prof. Goldberg thus had dug deep to
tion is that there- is a general diminution of locate the root of the problem. He pointed
interest in religion. Insofar as the Jewish to Boston where 36 per cent of youths aged
responsibility of "transmitting Jewish cul- 9 to 13 were not enrolled in a Jewish school
tural values is concerned, he recognized the according to a recent survey, and 85 per
difficulties for Jews in the Diaspora because cent of those in the 14 to 18 age group were
What an impressive story and 'how well the Israelis are depicted
of the influence of "outside educational and not getting any Jewish education. He pointed in "The Faces of Israel," a most attractive book published by Thomas
cultural" forces, especially because of the to Providence, where 93 per cent of Jewish Yoseloff.
extremely high educational gains made by children were shown in a survey to have
Joan Abramson wrote the story and had as collaborator her
Jews.
reached the highest level of enrollment at father, Roman Freulich, who provided the 201 photographs descriptive
Noteworthy in the study is the survey age 10-71 per cent at age 13 and 10 per of the Israelis.
that was taken in the Paterson and Fairlawn cent over the age of 15.
Not only the photographs and, the explanatory text—the accom-
areas in New Jersey where, among Jewish
Dr. Goldberg does well to ask for a study panying quotations from Ecclesiastes, each applied to a photograph.
men of the ages of 30 to 39, 39 per cent of situations in other cities. He may boast of add meritoriously to this magnificent work.
were college graduates, 14 per cent had doe- a few courses in universities, but what's hap-
The Kohelet--Ecclesiastesquotations appear in the Hebrew
toral degrees and 21 per cent had their pening to our communal Jewish school sys-
original and in English and French translations. Their applicabil-
master's degrees. None of the colleges they terns? And if the congregational schools are
ity is noteworthy and the volume is as much a pictorial record
attended. Prof. Goldberg states, "was for takiug over, how successful are they?
of Israelis as it is a lesson in Ecclesiastes. An introductory essay
the promotion or enrichment of Judaism."
by Rabbi Schenkerman is the definitive addendum on Ecclesiastes.
The pessimism of the Yeshiva University
Because. in his latter comment, he had professor is over "religious survival," but it
Rabbi Schenkerman lends sttance to the application of the
touched upon a very vital fac' - in the dis- also has relevance to the cultural dangers
Ecclesiastes selections to the many photographs by quoting from
cussion, it is important thr issue he generally as they affect Jewish life.
Kohelet: ". . . A time there is For every purpose and for every
had raised should be viewed very objectively We have urged thorough study of condi- work . . "
and as thoroughly as possible. The Yeshiva tions as they affect our own community. We
A magnificent fate of an elderly sage commences the pictorial
University professor emphasized that among hold fast to the view that proper analyses of presentations with the first lines from Kohelet: "1 Kohelet have
Jews over 60 educational standards are our status, as it must affect our needs, is been king over Israel in Jerusalerd. And I applied my heart to seek
equally high, that 29 per cent of them had yet to be made. At the moment the constant and to search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done
college degrees. Among women, too, there emphasis on priority for educational activ- under heaven . . .
are high cultural standards. 48 per cent of
ities assumes a farcical role and the outlook
Joan Abramson's lengthy essay attests to the knowledgeability
those of age 30 to 39 have attained a college
for us is as pessimistic as that outlined by of the author of this work. She, too, deals at length with Kohelet
education, with their rate of college attain- Dr. Goldberg for all of American Jewry dur- who: " . . . can advocate a life of honest labor and honest enjoyment
merit growing faster than among men.
of the fruits of labor. H.2 can still advise the young man to rejoice
ing the forthcoming crucial four decades.
in his youth and the bridegroom to enjoy life with his chosen bride.
A survey in Baltimore showed that Jew-
lie can still admonish men to apprbach the house of God with rever-
ish men 25 to 44 numbered 20 per cent with
ence and to seek out wisdom."
some sort of college education, 27 per cent
were college graduates, 16 per cent had ad-
In putting her book together, the author linked the wisdom
of Ecclesiastes with the brilliance of her - father's works as a
Hope is being offered by American Jew-
vanced degrees. Similar figures were shown
photographer, and what she had done is a great tribute by a
ish Committee activists in the area of job
for other communities — all survey results
daughter to a collaborating father.
procurements that the bans that had previ-
utilized to show that they were of a "univer-
ously been placed on Jews seeking affiliation
sal nature," like the sciences which have
In her tribute to her father, Roman Freulich, Joan Abramson is
nothing to do with perpetuating Judaism. To - with utilities, banks, automobile and other ecstatic. She exclaims:
industries have been considerably eased.
quote Dr. Golberg: "H-2-0 is the same .formu-
"So, my father, I no longer presume to question why it is
la for water in France, China and Israel."
that certain faces caught your eye; why one world•weary old
While is is now said that some of the
man
might have captured your attention while another man, per•
most discriminating firms are abandoning
Where do we go from here to solve a
haps sitting across a chess board from the first, was not of
their prejudiced attitudes, there have -been
distressing problem? Prof. Goldberg does not
Interest. Like Kohelet, you view the world of your people in
ignore the fact that there is a new develop-
exceptions to the rule. At the Ford Motor
random fashion, (That randomness, in fact, has been the source
ment in the introduction of Jewish sudies in
Co., even in the era of the company founder's
of some personal confusion for me. For while your camera Is
anti-Semitic career, many Jews were em-
American universities. But he questioned
keen and accurate, there are times when your notebook is not.
ployed; and under the administration of the
their contents. He pointed out that those who
There is, I believe, a generic truth in my plate notes because
present generation of liberal members of
go to Israel for aliya "are not going for religi-
they attempt to supplement your marvelous photographs by citing
ous considerations."
the Ford family there are Jews in high posts.
some of the diverse backgrounds of people who lived in Israel or
who settled there during that remarkable neriod of ingathering.
He said Israel might provide "an 'Israel'
But, in the main, the restrictions were
But on occasion, for specific matching of faces and background,
or Jewish consciousness," but money "si-
drastic. They still are. It is true that job-find-
I have had to trust to instinct !) Your eye skips through a crowd
phoned off to Israel" was being used as an
ing is difficult now for all university grad-
and finds the one group or individual you must photograph. And,
"excuse for not contributing to local Jewish
uates, and perhaps only the most meritorious
like Kohelet, you emerge with a complete and puling picture
schools. For Jews to exist as a cultural entity
are able to get into high places. But the fact
of your people."
—for survival—a sufficient amount of money
is that many industries have iron-clad ob-
Indeed, Freulich caught face and expressions that tell tales
and manpower is necessary. One area for
jections on the basis of religion and race.
about builders, creators, redeemers of Israel.
this expenditure is education. If Jewish edu-
In the main, it is the liberalization of
cation is neglected, Jewish culture will dis-
There is a photograph with Da ,l•id Ben-Gurion in the front center,
our laws, the illegality of discrimination on
appear."
account of race, creed or sex, that makes it and the quotation from Kohelet reads:
Prof. Goldberg said that in past centuries
easier for those who have been discriminated
"Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpreta-
Jews were highly active in transmitting Juda-
tion of a thing? A wise man's Wisdom maketh his face to shine."
against to find easier paths to economic op-
ism, and that until the 20th Century Jews
portunities. But if it had not been for the
And B - G's countenance shines in this expressive picture
believed in "cultural continuity through as- struggles that were conducted against the
appended section to this book contains annotations about
piratinn, inspiration and perspiration." Now, executive suite bias, removal of re is-. 4 u_a A long, photographs,
indicatAg. vOeze they were taken , the people
he said, the emphasis is on "jewisliti-dentifil - TiZii -s - WiitirdTha‘;elbee'n -iiral'e'71747f Are-drift" ir7rude whence they caliie'tb-laCrte
'the eot'i FrA irte 'Israel. This
catioaft withoSudaiscriClaeitAreiklAi4AM Ory49ficitti! ■4

tws.
Magnificent 'Faces of Israel'
With Koheleth is Commentary

Executive Suite Bias

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