Fridsy, Now. 3, I972-E

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

The Moral Issue

As the Prophets Would View the Election

By Rabbi Abraham J. Heschel, the greatest Jewish
philosopher and talmudic scholar of our time

The views concerning the position of Jews
in the Presidential election expressed by two
former students of mine (New York Times, Oct.
9) depressed me deeply by the absence of any
reference to the war in Vietnam, by the highly
exaggerated claim of "pressure the Israelis have
put on U.S. Jewry," and above all, by the lack
of any reference to the fundamental commit-
ments that characterize Jewishness.

If the prophets Isaiah and Amos were to ap-
pear in our midst, would they accept the corrup-
tion in high places, the indifferent way in which
the sick, the poor, and the old are treated? Would
they condone the indifference to gun control
legislation that has allowed some of the finest
of our national leaders to be shot dead? Would
they not be standing amidst those who protest
against the violence of the war in Vietnam, the
decay of our cities, the hypocrisy and falsehood
that surround our present Administration, even
at the highest level?

The Jewish people does not recognize gov-
ernments of men as sanctified; it is God's law
that demands of each of us the compassion to
regard our fellow men as our brothers. Only if

Abraham J. Heschel

we are prepared to criticize, condemn and cor-
rect the wrongs we commit against each other
will society be perfected.
Surely it is the duty of any religious leader
to seek to raise the moral standards of America,
to help change a society that tolerates a rising
level of violence and crime; that ignores our
common humanity; that calmly accepts civilian
slaughter in far-off lands; that glorifies killing
on movie and TV screens and calls it entertain-
ment that makes it easy for men of all shades of
sanity to acquire whatever weapons and 1111111111-
nition they desire. George MeGoN ern's call for a
revival of our national values echoes the de-
mands of Israel's ancient prophets.
By word and by deed, Senator McGovern is
committed to the idea that "setting the moral
tone of this nation is the most serious respon-
sibility of the President.1' Regrettably, the same
cannot be said of Mr. Nixon.
We must elect George McGovern to the Pres-
idency of the United States because the needs of
America and the values of our Jewish heritage
demand it. — Abraham Joshua Heschel,
The Jewish Theological Seminary
of America,
New York, Oct. 15, 1972.

Vote McGovern-Shriver on Nov. 7

Authorized and paid for by:

345 - 3800
Michigan for McGovern for President, 18647 Livernois, Detroit, Michigan 48221 —

Sander M. Levin, Finance Chairman

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