Author Potok Sparks Traditional Debate at AJCongress U.S.-Israel Dialogue
JERUSALEM ( J T A ) — thetic forms. He cited the
Chaim Potok, noted author, books of Ruth, Jonah and I
touched off an animated de- Amos as artistic as well as
bate at the American-Israel prophetic.
Potok conceded that aes-
dialogue, an annual event
sponsored by the American thetics were not absent
Jewish Congress where U.S. totally but maintained that
Jewish and Israeli intellec- they were "not central - to
tuals meet, when he asserted Jewish sacred texts.
that works of the aesthetic
A leading Israeli writer.
imagination were " alien" to Aharon Megged, also disputed
the Jewish tradition.
Potok's view.
Hugh Nissenson, the Amer-
"The true artists of the
Jewish past," he said, "were ican short story writer, said
the halakhists and lawmak- the central conflict lay in
ers. Their material or clay "the Orthodox Jewish belief
was the Jewish people. Their that God creates and the
product was the Jewish way artist's belief that man—as
of life." artists — create."
AJC President Rabbi Ar-
His remarks drew lively
response from the 50 partici- thur Hertzberg agreed with
pants in the dialogue, the this approach, adding: "The
theme of which is "The classical Jewish view has
Sources of Jewish Crea- been that to dethrone God
tivity." and become creator yourself-
Potok told of his own con- create a tower of l3bel. In
flict as an Orthodox Jew Jewish tradition man cannot
between " t h e immutable be the center of things. In
values I was trained to ac- modernity, man is. Thus there
cept and the new areas of is ultimately no harmony be-
experience and new aesthetic tween Judaism and the mod-
forms I sought to use as a ern temper."
Rabbi Hertzberk declared
novelist."
Potok is the author of "The earlier that "The Jewish ts,a
Chosen," "My Name Is Asher dition can evaporate even in
Lev" and many other books Israel in an atmopshere of
rejection of the Jewish past."
on American Jewish life.
R
Rabbi
Hertzberg attacked
Rabbi Arthur J. Lelyveld ,
past president of the AJC, what he termed "the pernici-
disputed Potok's view that ous notion that the Jew must
Jewish tradition lacked aes- be a marginal man to achieve
great art or great ideas.
Spinoza, Freud and Marx —
men who saw their Jewish
particularity as a kind of
disease that had to be de-
Art As I
Aug. 2—To Mr. and Mrs.
Ron Singerman (Irene
Sachs), former Detroiters of
Valencia, Calif., a daughter,
Beth Ann.
* *
Aug. 2—To Rabbi and Mrs.
Joseph Litowich (Yvonne Se-
lig), former Detroiters of
Pompano Beach, Fla., a
daughter, Ann Beth.
*
*
July 29—To Mr. and Mrs.
Lawrence Schiff (Sibyl Cha-
yet), 20345 Westpointe, South-
field, a son, Jason Daryl.
* • *
July 22—To Dr. and Mrs.
Michael Weisenfeld (Susan
Dovitz), 31028 Verona, Farm-
ington, a daughter, Stacey
Lynn.
* * *
To Mr. and Mrs. Allan
Lovinger (Karen Isaacs),
25426 Leestock, Farmington,
a daughter, Alyssa Rani.
Army Foils 4
in Sinai Heist
JERUSALEM (JTA)—Three
young Israeli men and a wo-
man were foiled Monday in
their attempt to rob weapons
from a Sinai military camp
and to kidnap two soldiers.
According to accounts, the
four arrived Sunday after-
noon at the Santa Caterina
youth hostel in the middle of
the Sinai Peninsula and
caused tourists staying at
the hotel to become suspic-
ious when they discovered
that some of their personal
effects disappeared shortly
after the arrival of the quar-
tet.
Several tourists called the
nearest police station in Op-
hira in Sharm el Sheikh and
told the police what had hap-
pened.
A police jeep with one po-
liceman and three soldiers
REV: SIDNEY
rushed to the Santa Caterina
desert oasis. and the four
were detained in a nearby
army camp.
Mohel
Two reserve soldiers were
358-1426 or 357-5544
guarding them during the
night but before dawn the
four managed to overcome
Rev.
1
their guards, took three sub-
HERSHL ROTH
machine guns with them and
Certified Mohel
the two guards as hostages,
and the group disappeared in
557-0888 the
jeep.
Office
,
The army set road blocks
557-8210
and the group was discov-
ered in the early afternoon
in a wadi near the eastern
RABBI LEO
shore of the Sinai peninsula.
The general commander of
the southern region, Shmuel
Gorodish. arrived at the
Ex p ert Mohel
scene and convinced the kid-
Serving Hospitals and Homes
napers to surrender.
LI 1-9769
LI 2-4444
They were held at an army
camp in Beersheba for ques-
RABBI S. ZACHARIASH tioning.
Police identified them as
Specialized
Haim Mielstein, 18, of Bat
MOHEL
Yam; Michael Tisdil, 18, of
Tel Aviv; and David Dahan,
In Home or Hospital
22, and Miriam Huber, 20,
557-9666
both of Rishon le Zion.
Mielstein is known to have
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS a criminal record. The oth-
36—Friday, August 10, 1973 ers do not.
.....]
RUBE
GOLDMAN
I
certain marginality" in the the premier the Jackson
creation of a specific Jewish Amendment "since it was
entirely a Jewish-American
culture.
•
Rabbi Hertzberg said that internal matter." He said
he s a w a danger of Mrs. Meir told him in He-
"estrangement" between brew, "Al tishkakh (don't for-
American Jews and Israel get) to tell them in the
because the common lan- States to continue the battle
guage and common experi- for Russian Jewry."
He said he told the premier
ences of the past were dis-
that it was his view Ameri-
appearing.
To bridge the gap, he said, can Jews should not take
"we must find and identify sides with either President or
the needs and aspirations we Senator Henry M. Jackson,
share as members of the to avoid a situation of losing
— as the artist does — is to
Jewish people."
Fisch told the JTA that Hertzberg, Golda Discuss
both the White House and
one of the Jewish inmates Zionist Organization Future the Congress. "We need a
received reading material
JERUSALEM (JTA)—The balanced policy which some-
which included some of the executive committee of the times shries gevald, yells
writings of the JDL leader I American Jewish Congress " H e 1p , ' and sometimes
and became "very enthusi- ended Monday a two-week doesn't."
Concerning the internal F .
astic" about Rabbi Kahane. study tour in Israel. The 26
When he was indicted in leaders of various American uation in Israel, Rabbi Hei
Israel, the inmate became communities spent their time berg said he was impressed
very disturbed, Fisch said, meeting leading Israeli per- that Israel was now more
and asked the JDL office sonalities on current social, concerned about its relations
what he could do. Fisch said economic and political condi- with the Diaspora than in the
past, and with problems of
it was suggested to the in tions in the country.
The climax was the meet- the social gap in Israel.
mate that he prepare and
circulate a petition, which ing between Rabbi Arthur
the prisoner did to both Jew- Hertzberg, president of the
ish and non-Jewish inmates, AJC, with Premier Gold a
and then sent it to the JDL Meir. Among the subjects dis-
office here. cussed were future plans for
Bar Mitzva
The petition, signed by the World Zionist Organiza-
Weddings - Etc.
eight Jews, including a re- tion in the aftermath of the
•• • •• • • •• • • • • • • • • • • •
death Louis
of its A.
executive
habilitation counselor, which man,
Pincus. chair-
Greeting Cards
the petition noted was "pro-
Innovations
According to Rabbi Hertz
•
us by Hillel Founda- berg, Mrs. Meir is deeply
tion," declared that reading interested about the work
Rabbi Kahane's words "has American Jewish leaders are
Large Selection
given us hope, as we sit here doing for Soviet Jewry.
in prison and hope for a new
Call
Lee or Hilda
Rabbi Hertzberg stressed
life."
557-8340 557-4486
The petition also said that that he did not discuss with
stroyed if they were to real- lish. Those who seek to be-
ize themselves — have no transcending and abandoning
Jewish children," he said, the Jewish past will speed
adding that Isaiah attacked the day when Jewishness dis-
the Jewish community of his appears whether they live
day but affirmed its con- and work in Israel or Amer-
tinuity. ica," Rabbi Hertzberg said.
"The marginal man cannot A different view was voiced
create Jewish art whether he by Prof. Shmaryahou Tal-
writes in Hebrew or in Eng- mon, who saw a role for "a
Mo. Inmates Petition for Release
of Rabbi Meir Kahane in Israel
NEW YORK (JTA) — The
Jewish Defense League said
that seven Jewish and 33
non-Jewish inmates of the
Missouri State Penitentiary
had signed petitions appeal-
ing to Jews "to exert what-
ever influence possible to
win the freedom of Rabbi
Meir Kahane," now awaiting
trial in Israel on conspiracy
charges.
David Fisch, JDL execu-
tive director, said that the
prisoners, reacting "to the
harassment of a man whose
words have brought many of
them a new outlook on life
since their incarceration, ex-
pressed grief over Rabbi
Kahane's unjust treatment in
Israel."
10-50% Discounf
People
Make News
ROBERT E. KASS, son of
Dr. and Mrs. Arnold Kass of
Oneida Ave., Oak Park, has
begun to practice interna-
tional law in Brussels. A
graduate of the University
of Michigan Law School, he
spent the past year as a Ful-
bright scholar at the Grad-
uate Institute of Interna-
tional Studies in Geneva, re-
searching legal aspects of
East-West trade.
* * *
HAROLD FRIEDMAN of
New York has been appoint-
ed chairman of the Council
of Jewish Federations and
Welfare Funds' overseas
services committee. He suc-
ceeds Raymond Epstein of
Chicago, who has become
president of the council.
PROF. Y. H. RITCHIE of
Los Angeles, • former chief
physician of the department
of pediatrics at the Hadassah
University Hospital and lec-
turer at the Hebrew Univer-
sity's medical school, has
been appointed medical di-
rector of the Lanaido Hos-
pital in Kiryat Sanz, Na-
tanya, Israel.
Israel Stock Report
NEW YORK (JTA)—The
following quotations from the
Tel Aviv Stock Exchange are
provided to the Jewish Tele-
graphic Agency by Leumi
Securities, 18 E. 48 St., New
York, N.Y. 10017. This is a
selected list of the most ac-
tive stocks.
Closing Prices
7/30
8/6
$ 6.95
$ 6.86
11.90
11.90
.30 ex div .29
.75
.74
Africa Israel
Alliance 'B'
ATA 'C'
Bank Leumi
Bank Leumi
Investment
Delek
Discount Bank
Investment
Electra
Electric Wire &
Cable
General Mortgage
Bank
Hassneh Insurance
Mehadrin Citrus
Shemen
Taal Plywood
INVITATIONS
25% Discount
.53
.48
.52
.47
3.18
2.92
3.12
2.85
1.26
1.26
2.86
6.12
.53
1.39
1.42
2.84
6.06
.50
L37
1.46
for Rabbi Kahane "to be
harassed" in Israel and
"treated as a criminal is not
only a shame to Israel but
to the Jewish people."
Rabbi Kahane was indicted
last month on charges of
conspiracy to commit mur-
der, kidnaping and other al-
leged crimes in the United
States to damage U.S.-Israeli
relations in connection with
the June visit to the United
States of Soviet Communist
Party Secretary Leonid I.
Brezhnev. Rabbi Kahane was
released on IL 100,000
($25,000) bail.
They Made
The Grade
STEFFEN FULLER, son
of Mr. and Mrs. Henry J.
Fuller of Alderly Way, West
Bloomfield, has been chosen
to be featured in "Who's
Who Among American High
School Students," for his
leadership in academics,
athletics, activities and com-
munity service. He is a
graduate of West Bloomfield
High School.
Buenos Aires Opens
Graduate Yeshiva
BUENOS AIRES—The first
graduate school for higher
Torah scholarship (Kollel) in
Latin America opened here,
as part of an expanded Torah
education complex estab-
lished by Agudath Israel of
Argentina, with the coopera-
tion of the American Agu-
dath Israel organization.
Included in this new Jewish
education project, is the
opening of the first dormitory
to house yeshiva students
from Latin American coun-
ties who seek to develop their
knowledge of Torah to a high
degree.
Conversation is the labor-
Difference of opinion is no atory and workshop of the
problem to people who know student.—Ralph Waldo Em-
enough to split the difference. erson.
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