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June 28, 1974 - Image 48

Resource type:
Text
Publication:
The Detroit Jewish News, 1974-06-28

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Zeitlin's Definition of 'Who Is Jew' Urges Orthodox to Recognize Judaism as Living Religion

Prof. Solomon Zeitlin, the
acknowledged outstand-
ing world authority on the
Second Commonwealth and
its historic events, continues
to enrich Jewish literature
with his current writings and
in the compilations of his
works, including his impor-
tant essays that appeared in
Jewish Quarterly Review
which he edited for mare
than 25 years.
The second volume of his
"Studies in the Early History
of Ancient Judaism," just is-
sued by Ktav, contains the
wealth of material that is cer-
tain to guide future genera-
tions of Jewish scholars. They
are therefore of immense im-
portance to students and
teachers today.
The timeliness of the cur-
rent volume is evident - in
many of the essays. Thus, in
describing the roles of the
Sadducees and Pharisees, re-
viewing the development of
Halakha, Dr. Zeitlin throws
light on a subject that
emerges so often in current
theological discussions, espe-
cially in relation to religious
matters in Israel.
Adding to the importance
Of the subject as it is tackled
by Dr. Zeitlin is another of
his essays in this 600-page
book, "Who's a Jew? — A
Halakhic - Historical Study."
They relate to debates that
have caused havoc and need
, defining.
Every aspect of Jewish
Halakhic law is reviewed by
Dr. Zeitlin who does not al-
ways agree with some of the
rulings in Israel which have
affected recognition of those
desiring to ;become and re-
main Jews and to accept
Jewish regulations. His es-
say on "Who's a Jew" repro-
duced in the new volume
adds much to what has been
considered in recent years.

The eminent scholar takes
into consideration all of the
experiences of recent years,
in • the conflicts that occurred
in Israel. He warns that a
mere Levantine state may
prove a tragedy and will
have no effect or influence
upon Judaism.
Dr. Zeitlin is critical of
the approaches of the ex-
treme elements in Israel, but
he urges the civil authorities
to avoid clashes with the re-
ligious whose ideals inspired
the rebirth of Israel. Then
he states:
"Unfortunately, the religi-
ous leaders in Israel have
the psychology and mentality
which developed among them
in the ghettos of Poland,
Lithuania and Romania. They
seek to preserve the Judaism
and the religious practices
which were in vogue in Eu-
rope without recognizing the
fact that these religious laws
were once enacted as a safe-
guard for Judaism to survive
in the ghettos, and some
were used as a prevention
from assimilation with other
people. These laws have out
lived their purpose in the
free state of Israel. Religious
life in Israel is indeed in a
chaotic state. There is not
only a wide gulf but a feeling
of hostility prevails between
the secularists and the re-
ligionists. The religionists,
who are a minority of the
population, want to enforce
the religious rites of Eastern
Europe on the young genera-
tion of the land. The religious
leaders of today should seek
to bring religion into conson-
ance with life, emulating the
wisdom of the sages of the
Second Jewish C o m m o n-
wealth who did so. Although
the Pentateuch was the basis
of the Jewish law - and was
the constitution of the peo-
ple, the sages did not hesi-

Torah Dedicated in German

In Berchtesgaden, Germany, where a Torah Convocation
for Jewish military personnel was held, this Torah was
dedicated in memory of the 11 Israeli athletes who were
killed in Munich in summer 1972. Shown are, from left, first
row, Rabbi Emanuel Rackman, chairman, JWB commis-
sion on Jewish chaplaincy; Chaplain (LTC) Richard E.
Dryer, Torah convocation coordinator, and Chaplain (CPT)
Joel Iskowitz; second row, Chaplains Melvin Hecht, Barry
Schneider, Nathan Landman, E. David Lapp and Selwyn
Geller. Torah convocations, conducted in cooperation with
JWB's commission on Jewish chaplaincy, are part of the
U.S. armed forces program. to provide "spiritual uplift"
for military personnel. The Torah was presented to the
USAREUR Religious Retreat House through JWB's Women's
Organizations' Services by the Peninsula Section, Council
of Jewish Women.

48 Friday, June 28, 1974



THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

DR. SOLOMON ZEMAN

tate to interpret and amend
the pentateuchal laws.
"If the religious leaders of
Israel would have the fore-
sight, wisdom and courage
to make Judaism a living
religion it would have great
influence on the entire Jew-

ry. They should follow the
principles of the sages of the
Second Je wish Common-
wealth who interpreted and
modified the laws in order to
make religion a vital force.
The religious leaders - should
strive to adjust the halakhot

by interpretation to the re-
ligious and social needs of
the Jewish people."
"Some may be apprehen-
sive that the modification of
the' laws through new inter-
pretations will arouse great
opposition from the ultra-
Orthodox. Undoubtedly it will
do so; this is to be expected.
The sages during the Second
Commonwealth were also
confronted with great opposi-
tion from the Sadducees who
were the ultra-orthodox of
that time.
"To sum up: The answer to
the question Who is a Jew?"
is that anyone who is born of
a Jewish mother or one who
has embraced Judaism re-
gardless of whether he ob-
serves or does not observe
the precepts, is a Jew. Juda-
ism is a universal religion
and no one can exclude him-
self. The religious authorities
have not the right to exclude
any Jew. This definition is
the verdict of Jewish his-
tory."
Dr. Zeitlin's newly collected
works contain explanations of
many subjects that the
volume assumes an encyclo-

pedic aspect. Ecumenism,
Messianism, Apocryphan li-
terature and the rights of
Jews to Eretz Yisrael are
among the subjects under
review.
On the rights to Eretz
Yisra el (Palestine), Prof.
Zeitlin wrote extensive refu-
tations of the attacks upon
Zionism and Jewry by Prof.
Arnold Toynbee. This ion
is in itself of such rri,_ .,m-
portance that it earns com-
mendation for a book empha-
sizing the defense of the
Jewish position.
An exchange of Toynbee-.
Zeldin correspondence is in-
cluded in this debate.
Thus, "Studies in the Early
History of Judaism" gains a
role of great value in the lit-
erature devoted both to eval-
uating past Jewish history,
Jewish traditions and their
effects on modern Jewish life
that necessitate defensive
argumentation. Dr. Zeitlin
tackles all these subjects and
fulfills the basic needs of
defining • history and tradi-
tions and defending the Jew-
ish aspirations for continuity
based on prophecy.

Noted Author Guenther Grass's Admonition:
`Not Reason but Fear Reigns in the Middle East'

By GUENTHER GRASS

Editor's N o t e: Guenther
Grass, after Nobel prize win-
ner Heinrich Boell perhaps
the foremost and best -icnown
contemporary German author,
is a politically involved
writer. He supports the So-
cial Democrat Party, al-
though he is often critical of
it. Below are some extracts
from his "Reflections after
a Year of Good Will with a
Bad End."

I visited Israel three times;
I have never traveled to
Arab countries. None of my
books was light or frivolous
enough to evade the destruc-
tion of 6,000,000 Jews, a
crime attaching to the Ger-
mans to this very day. I
refer here to the Germans
of the Federal Republic who
reluctantly endeavored not
to forget; I refer to the Ger-
mans in Austria who, politi-
cally favored, tried to stand
aside and I also refer to
those in the German Demo-
cratic Republic who have
been prevented by their state
from sharing the common
German guilt.
In Israel I spoke with
friends and acquaintances
and heard contradictory
things: how they (as a people
that had been persecuted for
centuries) suffered by being
_compelled to be an occupy-
ing power; how, confirmed
by successes in war, one'
answered every critical
question by referring to mili-
tary security; how the dream
of a Greater Israel—coupled
with the issue of security
began to gain ground; how
inconsistent the political logic
of Israel (comparable to that
of Western Europe) is with
the Arab way of thinking
which somewhat rashly we
call irrational.
Friends in Israel do not
understand me. They miss
some direct, partisan word.
They feel abandoned, be-
trayed. In their disappoint-

ment they make inexact com.
parisons. However, the mis-
takes and failures of both
parties do not permit me to
take sides unequivocally. Not
only the Arabs, also the state
of Israel (government. and
opposition alike) have made
mistakes because of their
need for security (after all
this is a terribly normal
thing and like any other
country Israel is entitled to
being entangled in political
mistakes).
If on the one hand the Arab
states did not, after the Six-
Day-War, give a sign of any
intention to enter into peace
negotiations with Israel and
therefore were not ready to
recognize the very existence
of Israel, or at the best offer
negotiations under unaccept-
able preconditions — the
evacuation of all occupied
territories — Israel, on the
other hand had frittered
away its reputation because
it was increasingly installing
itself in the occupied terri-
tories as if they had already
been annexed.
Just as Egypt, by massing
troops in the border regions
of the Sinai Peninsula, had
furnished Israel in 1967 with
an excuse to start the Six-
Day-War by a pre-emptive
strike, Israel has now by the
creeping annexation of the
occupied territories given the
Arab states a pretext for
their assault.
Nobody should any longer
talk credulously about the
"Free West" if it has become
clear that its policy is being
determined by giant indus-
trial concerns.
After these experiences,
what do I stand for now? Am
I content with a shilly-shally-
ing "on the one hand," "on
the other hand"? If I am
coming back to Willy Brandt's
formula of "only a peace
treaty can secure Israel's
right to exist" — and this
formula is reasonable and
there is no alternative —

then I am in favor of Is-
rael's releasing the 'occupied
territories after the conclu-
sion of a peace treaty. How-
ever, what would happen if
—as Israel is right in fear-
ing — the evacuated terri-
tories are used for massing
troops against Israel again—
since there is little to indi-
cate that the Arab states
will reliquish their aims of
a reconquest of Palestine
and the destruction of the
Jewish State? Therefore, if
a peace treaty is to guaran-
tee Israel's existence, the
relinquished territories are to
be demilitarized. But here a
strong objection may be
raised: what if, in spite or
the demilitarized b u f f e r-
zones (Golan Heights, Sinai
etc.) Israel remains menaced
by a sudden crippling strike,
for example by middle range
rockets, a strike that would
call forth no reaction from
the world but verbal protests
and a vague resolution by
the_ United Nations which
might even condemn the vic-
tim instead of the aggressor?
This apprehension can be- re-
futed and invalidated in only
one way: the Super Powers
and also the countries of
Western Europe have to com-
mit themselves in the peace
treaty to the military protec-
tion of the newly drawn
frontiers.
Quite deliberately I say:
also the Federal Republic of
Germany should do this.
After all, without German
guilt the State of Israel would
not have come into existence.
And if we confirm that our
relations with Israel have
meanwhile become normal
but owing to historic develop-
ments are nevertheless of a
special nature, the Federal
Republic and its Government
must not shirk and dodge a
clear commitment to Israel's
security at the forthcoming
peace negotiations.
I am of the opinion that
unless a peace treaty with
military guarantees is con-

eluded, the danger of Is-
rael's destruction is more
real than ever. In this case
everybody in Germany is
burdened with a crime reach-
ing from Aschwitz down to
our times. My apprehensions
are bonne out by the fact
that the Arab states are not
willing to put an end to the
merciless murders commit-
ted by the Arab terrorists.
We — and I don't exclude
myself here — have become
susceptible to small daily
worries: our economic
growth is menaced; unem-
ployment is looming large;
the rate of inflation, the ris-
ing prices, the oil boycott
with. its incalculable results
are seducing us to demand of
Israel to be obliging to s
degree that could virtually
put into jeopardy its very
existence. However, a neu-
trality which towards Israel
is confining itself to mere
words of reassurance and on --
the other hand yields to Arab
blackmail, is mendacious and
base.
Permit me the cynical
question : Down to how many
degrees of room-temp—ture
in the winter and ups: , hat
rate of price increases and -
unemployment do we pre-
cariously stand by Israel am.:
for an efficacious guarantee
of her existence? When will
we become unprincipled vic-
tims of what is a "growth-
policy" of our own volition,
unable to live up to our re-
sponsibilities, dedicated to
nothing but the political
superstition that charity be-
gins at home? We are al-
ready examining whether. a
balanced word in favor of
Israel might spell danger or
even terror, for the individual
and for us all. Not reason
but fear is reigning supreme.
I am afraid that we are no
longer aware that reasonable
maneuvering — or maneuv-
ering that seems to us to be
reasonable — has become
absurd and leads to irra-
tional results.

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