CJFWF Affirms Solidarity With Israel, Continuity of Home - Front Duties
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per cent of the people are
now backing Israel and are
ready to cooperate in con-
serving energy and thereby
fighting the Arab threats.
"Self-sufficiency is what is
needed," Eban said, and he
urged adherence to the poli-
cies enunciated by President
Nixon in his proposals to
solve the energy crisis.
Eban's presentation of the
facts relating to the cease
fire at the CJFWF conven-
tion dinner Saturday was fol-
lowed Sunday morning by an
expression of hope, at a press
conference, that the agree-
ment by then already reached
between Israel and Egypt
may lead to peace agree-
ments. "Negotiations will not
be short," he declared, but
he said he was confident
there will be direct talks.
"That's in the Kissinger pro-
gram," Eban said, "that ne-
gotiations should be not
through intermediaries alone
but by Israeli and Egyptian
spokesmen sitting together.
The only anticipation is di-
rect negotiations," he state&.
Eban expressed confidence
that a road to peace also will
lead to a solution of the Pal-
estinian Arabs' problem.
Eban's speech climaxed a
compressed series of general
assembly sessions at which
the American program of ac-
tion for Israel was linked
with the many needs on the
home front to be adhered to
without interruption. At ear-
lier sessions, Israel Ambassa-
dor Simha Dinitz and Moshe
Rivlin, director general of
the Jewish Agency in Israel,
supplemented Eban's analys-
es of the occurrences during
and since the Yom Kippur
War, while American spokes-
men, CJFWF President Ray-
mond Epstein, Max M. Fish-
er, world chairman of the
Jewish Agency international
executive committee, a n d
Paul Zuckerman, g e n e r al
chairman of the United Jew-
ish Appeal, added emphasis
to the American Jewish obli-
gations.
"Israel's ambivalence is its
sense of victory, marked also
by a sense of grief," Eban
said, pointing to the great
losses sustained in the war.
He asked for an understand-
ing of what it would mean to
the United States to lose
140,000 men in a 10-day war
period — that figure being
comparable population—as to
Israel's 1,851 dead in that
short period.
A question relating to tour-
ism, posed to Eban at the
press conference, elicited a
strong appeal for American
Jews to visit the Jewish state.
He was asked when tourism
can be expected to start
anew, and his answer was:
"As of last week." And he
added: "Come to Israel to
testify your solidarity by
your presence."
Apparently, whatever nego-
tiations will be conducted in
the hope for a peace agree-
ment will not start until after
the national Israel elections.
Eban said he anticipated suc-
cess for his party—Labor Ma-
Mapai—and he felt that what-
ever talks are conducted
should he by a democratical-
ly chosen delegation to be se-
lected by the government to
be elected Dec. 31.
"If Egypt keeps the pres-
ent agreements," Eban said,
there will then be hope for a
'asting peace. He reiterated
the need for secure bounda-
ries, pointing to the dangers
48 — Friday, Nov. 16, 1973
that were marked by Ameri-
can interest in the Middle
East crisis, supplementing
the appeal by Dinitz, told of
the concern shown by the
Nixon administration in the
dangers that stemmed from
Russian involvements. He
made a three-fold appeal to
the American Jewish corn-
munity:
Speedy, unstinting support,
with vastly increased gifts to
the Israel Emergency Fund;
action in defense and in be-
half of Soviet Jewry and sup-
port for the administration's
position in Washington. "Give
your fullest support to the
administration and ask Con-
gress to retain its deep inter-
est in the cause of Israel's
protection," he asked the
representative gathering of
American Jewish leaders.
Moshe Rivlin, director-gen-
eral of the Jewish Agency for
Israel, gave a grim account
of the costs of the war, of the
billions spent to provide for
Israel's defense.
"In spite of the dangers and
difficulties. immigrants kept
coming, Jews in the thou-
sands are arriving in Israel
and the work of settling the
Soviet Jews continues unin-
terrupted," Rivlin said.
Describing the heroism as
well as the suffering entailed
in what had occurred, Rivlin
pointed to the Arab reactions
within Israel, with not a sin-
gle incident occurring to hin-
der the unity of all the cit-
izens. "Jews and Arabs can
live together, and they do,"
Rivlin said.
"If Israel is strong, you can
talk about peace," he added.
"You can not talk out of a
position of weakness. Fur-
thermore, if a cease fire
were to mean cease giving,
it could not be a better gift
to Sadat."
Paul Zuckerman, giving an
account of the results in the
advance efforts for the 1974
campaign for the United Jew-
ish Appeal, pleaded for
speedy action to attain the
$900,000,000 g o a 1 — $750,-
000,000 for Israel's needs and
$150,000,000 to fulfill the local
and national obligations—by
the time the annual UJA con-
ference opens on Dec. 7.
"We must act as one peo-
ple," Zuckerman asserted. He
told of the 40 gifts of $1,-
000,000 and over, the $350,-
000,000 already pledged for
1974, and urged an immedi-
ate response from the Amer-
ican Jewish community to
meet the urgent obligations.
The continuity that marks
the uninterruption of normal
communal functions while Is-
rael's support receives great-
est emphasis was apparent
in the resolutions adopted at
the general assembly.
While dealing with peace in
the Middle East, the United
Jewish Appeal, the needs of
Russian Jewry, the plight of
Syrian Jewry, the assembly
adopted a platform calling
for stress on Jewish educa-
tional needs, including sup-
pert for the day schools and
cultural programs on the uni-
versity campuses.
Resolutions also were
needs of the elderly, urban
adopted dealing with the
concerns, public welfare and
other communal obligations.
Concern was given to tax
legislation affecting philan-
thropy, and a lengthy and
evaluative resolution on the
subject declared:
"Existing t a x provisions
which enable generous char-
itable giving should be con-
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS tinued and extended. These
Israel would have faced if it
did not have the hundreds of
miles gained in the June 1967
war which separated Israel
from a devastating force that
could otherwise have de-
stroyed the country.
Russia's destructive role,
t h e misleading statements
which led the United States
to doubt the possibility of a
war on Oct. 6, was exposed
by Eban who challenged the
claims to detente. He said
Russia needs detente more
than the U. S., yet Russia
was ready to inundate Israel.
"If this is detente," he said.
"then I do not understand
French."
He spoke with deep appre-
ciation of America's role.
"Never has so much been
done by the U. S. to assist in
our people's survival," he de-
clared. In his appreciation
for President Nixon's efforts,
he said that "the highest of
tests" was met when, on Oct.
21, the alert was ordered as
a warning against Russia's in-
undating Israel with massive
troops who could have de-
stroyed Israel. He recalled
that on Oct. 4, when he met
with Secretary of State Henry
A. Kissinger, there was a
feeling of confidence that
there would not be an immi-
nent attack on Israel. Then
came the betrayal with Rus-
sia's collaboration.
Yet, he added, "how bi-
zarre is the reluctance on the
part of the western world to
accept Jewish survival."
Eban was accompanied at
the press conference by Is-
rael Consul Ehud Lador, for-
mer head of the public infor-
mation department of the Is-
rael consulate in Chicago.
At the general assembly
dinner meeting Saturday,
there was a warm expres-
sion of kinship with Amer-
ican Jewry by a spokesman
for the French community,
Mme. Nicole Goldmann.
Speaking for British Jewry,
Clarence De Wolfe conceded
that the British acted ad-
versely in the international
deliberations, but he empha-
sized that "there is an enor-
mous fund of good will for
Israel on the part of the peo-
ple of Great Britain."
Ambassador Dinitz de-
scribed the result of the Yom
Kippur War as the costliest
to Israel but also as the
greatest of all victories. He
recounted t h e contending
forces — 1,080,000 Arabs
massed against "a handful of
boys who were caught un-
aware of what was happen-
ing and unprepared to resist
and overwhelming enemy."
He deplored the attitude of
"a cynical world that does
not only acknowledge injus-
tice but is not interested in
it."
Like the other speakers
who analyzed the results of
the terrible war, Dinitz paid
high tribute to President
Nixon and acknowledged the
debt to world Jewry. Para-
phrasing Winston Churchill,
he said: "You gave us the
tools, we did the job."
His major plea was: "We
must. be strong. We can't
negotiate from a position of
weakness. We must make
our case understood. We
must mobilize our energy to
tell the American people that
blackmail and surrender will
not solve our problems. I call
upon you not only to help us
be strong but also to be un-
derstood."
Max M. Fisher, in an ana-
lytical address of the events
measures are rooted in the
historic American principles
of making possible the dis-
charge of voluntary respon-
sibility for human needs. Leg-
islation which would reduce
or prejudice philanthropic
support of welfare, education,
and health services, would
be self-defeating for it would
necessarily shift burdens to
government, which is pres-
ently spared the financial
burden carried by voluntary
contributions.
"Tax reform can be at-
tained without diminishing
tax deductibility which en-
courages generous charitable
giving. A tax system which
erodes the provisions for
charitable deductions would
be inequitable since the bene-
ficiaries of service would be
injured. It would also discour-
age volunteer service which
is often tied to and inspired
by financial gifts to these
persons."
A special session of the as-
sembly was devoted to dis-
cussion of the intermarriage
problem. Based on the study
conducted as part of the
CJFWF National Jewish Pop-
ulation Study—a summary of
which was published in The
Jewish News on Oct. 5—the
developing situations received
thorough analysis and
aroused wide discussion.
Rabbi Irwin Groner, who
represented the Detroit rab-
binate at the assembly, an-
nually delegated by the Jew-
ish Welfare Federation, was
a major discussant at the
session on intermarriage.
Dealing with the implica-
tions of the problem, he de-
clared that "if the rate of
intermarriage continues un-
abated . . . it may well be
that we are witnessing the
beginning of the end of Jew-
ish life in America."
Analyzing the developing
factor in the increasing prob-
lem, Rabbi Groner said that
"parental ties are weakening
and parental authority is di-
minished," that "religious
ties are weakening," that:
"Jewish survival is threat-
ened in North America not
by Gentile hostility, but by
Jewish indifference."
What can be done? He sug-
gested strengthening the Jew-
ish family; deepening Jewish
consciousness: "Synagogues
and temples must begin
transplanting congregational
affiliation with personal com-
mitment:" Jewish education
is a factor; Hillel Founda-
tions on the campuses should
have greater impact; more
Jewish content should be en-
couraged in Jewish Centers;
there are special responsibil-
ities for rabbis. On the latter
score he said:
"Every time a rabbi offici-
ates at a mixed marriage, he
destroys what little is left of
Jewish unity in this country
and he produces rabbinic an-
archy in the most vital and
sensitive of all areas of Jew-
ish identity. He contributes to
a climate of disrespect for
Jewish integrity."
Rabbi Groner urged the ap-
pointment of a commission to
study the trends and to se-
cure more data on the sub-
ject.
Raymond Epstein of Chica-
go was re-elected president
of the Council of Jewish Fed-
erations and Welfare Funds.
ALAN D. KANDEL
Announcement was made
at the general assembly that
Alan D. Kandel, director of
social planning of the De-
troit Jewish Welfare Federa-
tion, was among those who
were honored as quarter-cen-
tury members of the Associa-
tion of Jewish Community
Organizations Personnel.
El Al Role Stressed
as Link With Israel
Israel Foreign Minister
Abba Eban's plea for con-
tinued tourism to Israel finds
added emphasis in the role
Israel El Al Airlines plays
presently.
El Al alone was able to
maintain the link of commu-
nication between the United
States and Israel. It was able
to fly back to Israel, on a
priority basis, persons vital-
ly needed for the war effort,
who found themselves far
from home at the moment of
the outbreak of hostilities.
No other airline was w.
ing to continue service in.
Israel, although at no time
was Lod International Air-
port considered a war zone.
Although close to 50 per
cent of Al El's manpower
was mobilized into the army,
the airline continued to func-
tion in an orderly fashion and
perform its scheduled flights
as required.
El Al provided the only
means whereby volunteers
such as doctors, nurses, farm
workers, etc., were able to
reach Israel without delay.
Benjamin Hershkovitz, Is-
rael El Al's local manager,
states: "Only an airline
which is healthy and strong,
economically, in peace time,
can perform all of the above
tasks in a national emer-
gency. The continued support
of El Al helps to guarantee
Israel a lifeline to the out-
side world, whenever it be-
comes necessary to assure
its existence.
"El Al has been able to
rise to the task of providing
instant and continuous ser-
vice between the United
States and Israel. This abil-
ity is the result of the pat-
ronage of El Al by the Amer-
ican Jewish community, en-
abling El Al to buy and fly
the most modern equipment,
build up a world-wide net-
work of offices and route
structures and the best year-
round service linking Jewish
communities of Israel, the
United States and Europe."
Rabbi Eisendrath, President
of UMW, Dead; Scheduled
Speech Critical of Nixon
NEW YORK (JTA)—Only
a few hours before he was
scheduled to address the cen-
tennial-biennial convention of
the Union of American He-
brew Congregations, Rabbi
Maurice N. Eisendrath, who
led the organization of Re-
form Judaism in the United
States for 30 years, died Nov.
9 of a heart attack in his
hotel room.
Rabbi Eisendrath, who was
executive director of UAHC
from 1943 to 1950 and presi-
dent since then, was 71.
More than 2,500 mourners
attended the funeral service
in Central Synagogue. Rabbi
Roland B. Gittelsohn of Tem-
ple Israel, Boston, a close
friend of Rabbi Eisendrath
and former president of the
Central Conference of Amer-
ican Rabbis, delivered the
eulogy.
The service was conducted
by Rabbi B. T. Rubinstein of
Westport, Conn. Burial was
Monday in Holy Blossom
Temple cemetery in Toronto.
Rabbi Eisendrath served as
the temple's spiritual leader
from 1929 to 1943.
The announcement of his
RABBI EISENDRATH
death was read to the shocked
delegates by Rabbi Alexan-
der M. Schindler, scheduled
to become UAHC president
next year. Some 3,500 per-
sons had gathered in the Hil-
ton Hotel for a joint worship
service with the UAHC and
its women's affiliate, the Na-
tional Federation of Temple
Sisterhoods.
The address, which was to
have been Rabbi Eisen-
drath's valedictory remarks,
was sharply critical of the
Nixon administration and
those Jews in America who,
he charged, condoned the
crimes of Watergate because
of administration support of
Israel.
In the face of betrayal,
Rabbi Eisendrath asked,
"Are we still prepared •"
assert that religion has no
ing to do with politics? L_-
less we Jews, conversant
with the moral commands of
our faith, resume our respon-
sibilities, we will have for-
feited for all time our use-
fulness and our reason for
surviving as a people."
Rabbi Eisendrath was born
in Chicago and attended
schools in Cincinnati. He re-
ceived a BA degree in 1925
from the University of Cin-
cinnati, where he majored
in philosophy. After studies
at the Hebrew Union College
in Cincinnati he was ordained
in 1926.
Rabbi Eisendrath was al-
ways involved with UAHC.
When he became executive
director in 1943, the organi-
zation had only a few hun-
dred Reform congregations.