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2 April 2, 1976
Purely Commentary
Christian-Jewish Collaboration
Rejects Threatened Isolationism
An International Catholic-Jewish Committee meeting
held in Jerusalem last month was the fifth of its kind and
it concluded with a rejection of the anti-Semitic trends at
the United Nations and with an emphasis on condemnation
of efforts to defame Israel and the Jewish people.
Bar-Ilan University Chancellor Joseph Lookstein and
other Orthodox leaders were among the participants in the
discussions which contributed to good relations between
Jews and Christians.
Why, then, did such distinguished authorities on Ha-
lakha as Rabbis Joseph Soloveichik and Moshe Feinstein
find it necessary to assail a dialogue with the Vatican when
there .is a traditional craving to work in harmony with non-
Jewish spokesmen?
Threatened Isolation from Good Will Tasks and the
Realism of Christian-Jewish and Inter-Faith Relations
... Recalling Local Non-Jewish Zionist Devotions
the Synagoguge Council of America in which the Orthodox
are enrolled with the Conservative and Reform Jews. If
there is to be repudiation and rejection of idolatry it is in
the attempt to isolate the Jewish communities from their
neighbors.
Deviations Among Christians
Negated by Positive Actions
In recent years there have been negations in non-Jew-
ish ranks which necessitated complaints about the indiffer-
ence to Jewish needs and to Israel's plight among Chris-
tians. Nevertheless there are improvements in inter-faith
relations. The National Conference of Christians and Jews
and its local arm, the Round Table of Christians and Jews,
have played positive roles in Israel's defense and in repudia-
tion of anti-Zionist accusations.
By Philip
Slomovitz
tee — George Pierrot, Clara (Mrs. Howell) Van Aiken and
others — are the friends and supporters of the cause of jus-
tice for Israel.
Reproduced on this page is an historic photograph of
participants in the movement that was conducted here in
support of the Zionist cause by Detroit Christians in the era
just before the emergence of the state of Israel.
It is well to recall these tasks and not to forget the gen-
uineness of good will. There has been much to question in
"good will." But the better roles are unforgettable.
Isolation therefore is unacceptable and the good fruits
of cooperation in advancing best relations and laboring for
highest human values must never be abandoned.
* * *
The Erosions and the Duties
to Assure Inter-Faith Collaboration
This is not to be interpreted as overconfidence in the
libertarianism of the age. Of course there are erosions. Is-
rael faces many obstacles from the very nations with which
she has diplomatic relations. There is an escalation of anti-
Semitism and an evident trend points to anger over military
and economic assistance given by this country to Israel. All
the more reason for pressing the need to establish friend-
The Detroit Chapter of the American Christian Pales- ships and to retain the good will of Americans.
tine Committee was an effective factor in tasks in support
It's a battle for justice and the energies spent on creat-
of the Zionist movement. The late Judge Frank Picard was
The Soloveichik-Feinstein position is difficult to under- its first chairman and he was followed in leadership by U.S. ing good relations must always be considered desirable and
. stand. The meeting in Jerusalem had the endorsement of Senator Philip Hart. Many of the members of that commit- of the utmost necessity.
The Jewish aspiration is to be in harmony rather than
in conflict with neighbors and with spokesmen of other
faiths. We keep urging the communities to appeal to heads
of governments to protect the Jewish position in Israel and
to labor together with world Jewry against the spread of
anti-Semitism. Haw can anyone justify isolation? Is it idol-
tary and a "hilul hashem" to collaborate with non - Jews,
to seek common ground with them on human issues?
For many years the American Christian Palestine
Committee was constructive in its support of the Zionist
ideal. The names of men like Carl Hermann Voss, Robert
St. John and others are unforgettable,.
Intransigence by Whom? Religious Freedom for Whom?
A lower court justice in Jerusalem had ruled that Jews had as much right to hold
religious services on the Temple Mount as non-Jews. It was politically unwise and the
judge was overruled by the Supreme Court. Yet the Detroit Free Press, in a shockingly
unfair editorial, accused Jews of altering the religious status of the Jerusalem Holy
Places.
Is it too much to ask that an editorial writer should ascertain facts before accusing
Jews of being abrasive? What was the religious status of Jerusalem before Israel assumed
an administrative role? The Christians were battling one another, the Moslems were capi-
talizing on their advantages, Jews were hounded and molested. For the first time there
is order under Israeli rule. What's this business of creating an Israeli scapegoat by calling
the people of that harrassed land abrasive and destroyers of religious freedom?
And what's this business of accusing Israel of intransigence? Who is intransigent? Is
it the defender of life and liberty or the massive forces of 20 Arab nations — threatening
three million Israelis — who are intransigent in refusing to, make peace with the endan-
gered Israelis? Editorial writers owe their readers the truth. Last Saturday's Detroit Free
Press editorial was unfair and a deviation from truth. It isn't pleasant to challenge a
confrere, but the situation is too grave in Israel-American relations and the peace of the
Middle East to permit untruth to march on - unchallenged.
The Free Press was not alone in blundering regarding the statusof Jewish religious
policies in Israel. In an advice-giving editorial on Monday the Detroit News resorted to a -
distortion by stating:
The Security Council was called to debate the disturbances in the occupied terri-
tory of the West Bank and in Jerusalem — disturbances caused by the irresponsible
and provocative actions of Israeli activists who went to the Temple Mount to pray
and invaded a Moslem sanctuary.
There is nothing in the Middle East so guaranteed to inflame the passions as
religious issues and attacks on religious shrines. Arabs rebelled at what they deemed
an incursion by those of the Hebrew religion. The Israeli army put down their protest
demonstrations and the message out of the UN is that they were too vigorous in their
methods.
Extremists among Orthodox Jews may have on occasion spoken about divine powers
that will some day restore the Temple area to Jews. But in practice there is not an in-
stance of Israelis having "invaded" sanctuaries of other religions or of having interfered
with the religious freedoms that have become acts of respect for others and self-respect
for Jews. Any form of distortion in this respect is an injustice to the Jewish people.
How unfortunate that there should be such an anxiety on the part of the sanctimon-
ious, in the press and elsewhere, to be advice-providers for Israel and Jewry. Chaim Weiz-
mann once told this commentator, referring to the swivel-chair experts who were judging
Zionism and the Zionists, that "I can't live on advice." This applies to Israel today: she
can't live on advice; she must have the means for self-protection.
During 1940s
Jewish State Given
Christians' Support
Members of the Michigan chapter of the
American Christian Palestine Committee
reaffirmed their stand in favor of the estab-
lishment of a Jewish state in Palestine after
hearing the moving story of the "Exodus
1947," presented in a stirring address at a
luncheon meeting at the Hotel Leland by the
Rev. John Stanley Grauel, who was a mem-
ber of the Exodus crew.
(Shown in this late-1940s photograph
are, left to right, seated: The Rev. Edgar M.
Wehlberg; Vincent Giuliano; the Rev. Wal-
ton E. Cole, who presided; Julien Bryan,
world famous lecturer and documentary film
photographer; the Rev. Grauel; Mrs. Jose-
phine Gomon; the Rev. Rufus Jones; Howell
Van Aiken. Standing: Dean Arthur F. Neef
of Wayne University Law School; Morris
Jacobs, president of the Zionist Organization
of Detroit; the Rev. George Drew; George F.
Pierrot; R. Van Zanen; the Rev. Merrill
Bates; John Paris, of the American Federa-
tion of Labor; Benjamin M. Laikin, president
of the Zionist Council of Detroit, and Sidney
Shevitz, local Labor Zionist leader.)