Purely Commentary
By Philip
The Great Compulsion of the Festival
of Freedom : to Reject All Fearfulness
Slomovitz
Many Panicky-Inflated Ideas to Be Rejected by Freedom-Lovers on Passover
Remember the FDR admonition that we have nothing to fear but
fear itself? It is applicable to freedom and should be utilized as a Passover
lesson
In evidence in recent months in the Jewish community has been a
fear that stemmed from sensational movements that have arisen in many
spheres, in Israel as well as in this country.
We have become frightened by the fears that mixed marriages
will decimate Jewish ranks. One national leader (Dr. Joachim Prinz) went
so far as to state in an address in Miami Beach: "There are many discern-
ible and definable phenomena which point to a possible disappearance of
American Jewry within the next two generations."
Another Jewish representative (Dr. Arthur Hertzberg, American
Jewish Congress' national president) spoke deploringly about the status
of Jewish education and the minimal support for it by Jewish communities.
In Israel, there is a cry of despair over a reported increase in
proselytizing through the "Jews for Jesus" movement.
Many American Jews have become panicky over the "Key 73"
tactics and the fears of conversions have spread like a disease.
These are fears that negate the very essence of the traditional
confidence in Jewish survival.
For a number of years now, many writers have speculated about
the vanishing Jew, and while common sense was fighting the anti-Semite
who sought the Jew's destruction, panic-stricken irrationalism gave cred-
ence to speculations that are mere absurdities.
Let's deal first with the Israeli fears over the proselytizers:
First, let's look at the record. It is a fact that missionaries have
been extant in the Holy Land long before any one even dreamed that
the reality of Israel's statehood would develop in our time. In the years
when Henrietta Szold was conducting the educational department of the
Yishuv in Palestine in Jerusalem, that danger was far more acute. There
was great poverty in Jewish ranks, and missionaries had the means with
which to tempt those who needed food and clothing. For a pair of shoes,
impoverished Jews went to a mission house and bartered their souls.
That's when Miss Szold issued an appeal to Diaspora Jews for gifts
to implement needed funds to provide for the needy so that succor would
come from Jewish rather than proselytizing sources. She then asked for
the save-Jewish-souls campaign at $25 a person and many of us assisted
her in her campaign.
It is possible that a similar condition has erupted and missionaries
are resorting to the materialistic temptations to capture Jewish souls.
Even in Henrietta Szold's time, the need was to provide for a minimal
number. To save even one Jew it was necessary to fight against the mis-
sionary menace. But it was not a mass danger.
It isn't a mass danger now. Level-headed Israelis will not permit
the stoning of missionaries. Perhaps they'll succeed with a handful, but
to yield to the panic of believing that there is a national menace from mis-
sionary forces is to abandon faith in our own postion and in the resistance
to the forces who aim at converting Jews.
This is applicable to American and other Jewries. The "Key 73"
and "Jews for Jesus" movements are so exaggerated that we are resorting
to self-ridicule by dignifying the absurdities.
This is one fear to be abandoned and to be rejected.
Then there is the Prinz-created panic of our becoming extinct.
True: there is an increase of intermarriage. But we can't accept the Prinz
figure that half of the Jewish marriages now are mixed into other faiths.
Our numbers may be drastically reduced during the next two genera-
tions, but we are not dying! We'll be at sedorim, throughout the world
Monday and Tuesday evening, families will be united and reunited, there
will be an affirmation of faith, and Israel will show life. We'll need more
vigor—true! Jews are not alone in striving for greater vitality. Bu'
say we are a vanishing people is to utter self-ridicule and to succuml,
banalities.
Self-criticism should be encouraged. But when we are told that
there is a lack of interest in Jewish education, that there is communal in-
difference, also is resort to unjustified panic. If we are to judge by our
own community, there must be an admission that we do give priority to
our cultural needs.
On a national scale, there is a similar response.
If Rabbi Hertzberg gets better results from his congregants and a
more effective response from students in his own congregation, let him
share the methods with us. But criticisms should be tempered with facts.
We have compiled lessons for Passover—the major lesson being
abandonment of fear in order to assure the reality of the freedoms we
acclaim.
It is in a spirit of confidence that we defy the frightened and reject
their panic. Holding fast to the faith that the Jewish will to live super-
seded all other factors in our existence, we say to those who are soon to
join in the observance of the Festival of Freedom: hold on to faith! With
the proper will, there will never again be a Holocaust and extinction will
never find a place in our vocabulary.
There is, of course, cause for concern over the indifference that
sets in and the unconcern especially by our youth, toward Jewish needs.
This, too, is not a new experience. Nevertheless, it can not be ignored.
But it certainly can not be overcome if it is approached fearfully.
Faithfully and willfully, we share in Happy Passover greetings now
being exchanged by Jewish communities everywhere on earth.
Katchalski (Now Katzir) Will Be Next Israeli President
JERUSALEM (JTA)—Prof.
Ephraim Katchalski, a 57-
year old Weizmann Institute
biophysicist, won a first-bal-
lot victory in the Knesset
Tuesday morning to become
Israel's fourth president in
25 years.
Dr. Katchalski, the candi-
date of the Labor Party, was
elected by a vote of 66-41
with nine abstentions on a
secret ballot to defeat the
National Religious Party's
candidate, Prof. Ephraim
Uhrbach. The new president
will take the oath of office
May 24.
Immediately after the elec-
tion, Knesset Speaker Yisrael
Yeshayahu informed the
chamber that the new presi-
dent had told him that if
elected he would Hebraize
his name, changing it to Kat-
zir, the name of his late bro-
ther, Prof. Aharon Katzir,
who was killed in the Lod
Airport massacre last May
30.
A Knesset delegation went
to Dr. Katchalski's home on
the Weizmann Institute cam-
pus in Rehovot Tuesday
morning to inform him offi-
cially of the election results.
Prof. Katchalski's nomina-
tion for the presidency by the
Labor Party's central com-
mittee March 22 surprised
most Israelis. Many of the
Party's leaders and rank and
file had favored Deputy Knes-
set Speaker Yitzhak Navon,
who was also popular in the
Knesset. Katchalski w a s
clearly a dark horse. A dedi-
cated scientist, he had never
been in politics and although
2—Fridah lir:U.13,3333
the recipient of international he is an outstanding scholar, that "he will not represent science in Israel and the Mid- mann Institute say the pro-
accolades for his scientific but he may turn out to be any departure from these dle East. "Once we have essor is an informal man who
work, was relatively un- Israel's most active president three except in terms of peace, our scientific leader- is known to everyone as Eph-
known.
politically, sources close to age." Dr. Katchalski is Is- ship will give us a real mis- raim. They said he is inclined
rael's youngest president.
sion to raise the economic to listen to his students more
His nomination engendered him indicated.
Like
Israel's
first
president,
The
day
after
his
nomina-
and technological level of our often than to offer his own
considerable bitterness, par-
ticularly in the Labor Party's the late Dr. Chaim Weiz- tion in March, he said he entire region. It can be a views.
mann, Dr. Katchalski's field hoped to be more than a sym- challenge in which Jews and
Israel's new president has
Rafi wing, of which Navon
is
the physical sciences. His bolic leader and possibly Arabs can work together, two children and two grand-
was a member. The 'anger
other two predecessors, Pres-
children. His son, Meir, who
was directed not at Dr. ident Zalman Shazar and the even a force behind Middle Prof. Katchalski said.
Friends of Dr. Katchalski is married, is a mathematics
Katchalski but against the late President Yitzhak Ben East peace developments. He
alleged high-handed methods Zvi, were immersed in other said he was convinced that as noted that his wife, Nina, an student at the Hebrew Uni-
employed by the party lea- fields of scholarship. Associ- a scientist he could play a English teacher, had a strong versity. His daughter, Irit, is
dership to defeat Navon. The ates of Dr. Katchalski said major role in focusing local interest in social work and in the army. Another child
energy in the application of was likely to make that a was killed in 1965 in a home
NRP, which was prepared to
accept Navon, balked at Dr.
focal point of her activties accident.
Katchalski and nominated
'and that of the president.
On his return from a lec-
Prof. Uhrbach, an Orthodox
ture tour in the U. S. in which
Dr. Katchalski was the he was engaged at the time
Jew and talmudic scholar on
first scientist to synthesize a of his nomination last month,
the Hebrew University fac-
complex protein-like mole- Dr. Katchalski said he be-
ulty.
cule, polyly sin e, which is lieved the task of Israel's
There was also a large res-
used in immunology re- president was to unite the
idue of popular sentiment for
search. He will continue his people and "to restore Israeli
Navon, a leader of the Seph-
research on a part-time basis society to the greatness which
ardic community, which
while serving as president, is the legacy of the JewF.
made the usually cut-and-
just as Dr. Weizmann did to foster Torah, wisdom;,
dried presidential campaign
during his tenure.
ence and literature . . . to
the liveliest in Israel's his-
Dr. Katchalski was the fight against social inequality
tory.
first chief scientist of the de- and to help the government
Dr. Katchalski rode to easy
fense minister, a post he took in power in its quest for
victory on 54 Labor Party
in 1966. Friends 'at the Weiz- peace."
ballots, four from the Inde-
pendent Liberals and four
from the Labor Alignment-
affiliated Arab and Druze fac-
JERUSALEM (JTA)—Pres- tion Torah education depart-
tions. He picked up unexpect-
ident Zalman Shazar Monday ment.
ed votes from the two Com-
wrote the final two letters' in
All the children in Jewish
munist factions and from In-
a Torah scroll presented by schools who participated in
depedent MK Meir Avizohar
200,000 Jewish children from the program were required
to win by a 'margin of five
25 countries, in what he de- to study material on the Sefer
votes more than the 61 neces-
scribed as "the final cere- Torah and the Israeli presi-
sary for a first ballot victory.
mony of my presidency and dent's functions. They then
Dr. Katchalski will serve a
Reunion with their families ranks high on the agenda the start of a new period of each sent a "power of attor-
five-year term with the op- of Asian refugees from Uganda who have found haven
in public activity."
ney" to the scribe in Jerus-
tion of seeking a second term the United States. Mr. and Mrs. Bahadurali Jaffer, left, were
The scroll was presented to alem, who filled in one letter
in 1978.
fortunate: they were able to come to the United States the president, who steps down for each with the mandatory
WHO IS KATCHALSKI' together. The wife and three children of Sadrudin Ebrahim, next month after 10 years in goose quill. There are a total
He follows in the footsteps right, were evacuated to Great Britain. Here he thanks ofice, as a parting gift from of 304,805 letters.
Participants included Jew-
of his predecessors in that Philip Soskis, executive director of NYANA, the New York children of the Diaspora un-
_
Association for New Americans, for his advice and assist- der a program arranged by ish children in Japan, Niger-
__ .11if D.ETROIL JEWISH_ NM_ ance_in_bringing -the fainil*-to the-United-States-to-join- him.---tho-World Zionist- Or ganiza-:,`Nepal' add the'
Hias Reunites Uganda Families
To Shazar With Love
V 4 '4