THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS The underlying assump- tion of prayer is not , that things may be had for the asking, but that there are Political Scientist; Socio-Economic Changes Caused Divisiveness Among American Jews • _Prescription Optical Co. . By BEN GALLOB (Copyright 1977, JTA, Inc.) NEW YORK—A Brandeis University political scientist contends that massive socio-economic changes in the United States in recent years, rather than any "waning commitment" to social justice, is responsible for growing divisions among American Jews on crucial public issues. Prof. Lawrence H. Fuchs argued that American Jews today are just as committed in the past to justice for but that the issues have come too complex for Jews to rely on the once accepted formula of the conservative-liberal litmus test. Prof. Fuchs cited a "liber- alism scale" for meastiring Jewish and non-Jewish responses on such issues, developed in 1953 for use in his book, "The Political Behavior of American Jews." Declaring that typi- cal standard issues of the period were used, he listed them as including civil lib- erties, civil rights, regu- lation of business, support for welfare programs and for the United Nations: He reported on his findings in a recent issue of "The Ameri- can Jewish Historical Quarterly." He commented that the liberalism scale was devel- oped and applied before the "landmark" decisions of the Warren Court, the domestic "legislative triumphs of the Johnson Administration" and the "packing" of the UN with "petty dictatorships." He said that the scale and its use also came before the sexual revolution; the increase in divorce; mas- sive juvenile crime; family disorganization and other symptoms of social malaise; before the women's liberation move- ment; the Vietnam War or Angola. Even without these com- plications, he asserted, the older issues of the early 1950s "have become more complex and less suscep- tible to a liberalism-con- servatism test." Rapid decolonization, admission of Communist China to the UN, the start of detente with Russia, and the decline of American willingness `-lo use as well as abuse power overseas"' similarly have made international issues far more complex. These changes, the politi- cal scientists declared, have created a situation in which "a commitment to social justice, whether Jewishly inspired or not, does not provide clear answers." Rampant pornography, to cite another example, has made the issue of censor- ship, on which Jews have generally lined up on the side of freedom of expres- sion, too complicated for such automatic support. He suggested the older issues are no less upsetting be free here and abroad from Soviet military pressure." He predicted that for a long time there will con- tinue to be "visceral attach- ments to the political sym- bols and associations" of the past, which he said was one way Americans have of "identifying themselves." to established Jewish responses when placed in the context of changes pro- duced by the new socio-eco- nomic developments. He cited the example of the issue of protecting the rights of the accused, which Jews once could be expected to solidly support, which now is being posed as versus protection of defenseless citizens against street crime. 101 /2 Mile Board of Opticianry • Eye Doctors Piescriptions Filled • Destgner Frames 543-.3343 • Glasses Repaired 1 Day Oak Park SALES and EXPERT SERVICE ART MORAN PONTIAC 29300 TELEGRAPH JUST NORTH OF TEL TWELVE MALL „op A „eft, eoiog starring CLIVE BALDWIN Presented By The Detroit Businessmen's Group "CALIFORNIA HERE I COME" "ROCK-A-BYE YOUR BABY". "4+144 414f CITY of IFICIPE 0 4, 41. °Vel 00° Z r - 'at its 0 0 Annual Dinner-Dance SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1977 0 MICHIGAN INN b b so ° . ps•vi‘ r- 4 s 0‘) 0 4‘ 0 E > co 0 Only If You Have Not Received Your-Invitation To The Year's Most Glamorous and Entertaining Affair, Call The City of Hope Office 569-4422 or 569-6262 "He brings back the joy of • an era lost but not forgotten - Sam Hirsch. Miami 'Music By Hal Gordon and His Orchestra The great `Jazz Singer' lives again! Max Sosin, president ... Harry N. Brodsky, dinner-dance chairman 411..07111,4•04.0 1MG0.11MWOL.AP.,11,04-112C(...i icsaG,111,:%.1111004 > 0 0 - r CI3 > > xx° 5:30 p.m. 7:00 p.m. Black Tie _9nvitation Certitied American CoOlidge AL STEINBERG ustoolof,l ooll ■ Cocktails Dinner Dress B. Pat Benton 26001 Coolidge Similarly, Jewish support for steps to compensate members of some minority groups for past discrimina- tion is reconsidered when such steps take the form of "affirmative action," which raises the counter-claim of the right to protection against quotas which dis- criminate against other groups, notably Jews. Prof. Fuchs also listed • support for labor unions Versus protection for work- ing people against abuses of power by 'authoritarian labor leaders"; integration of public schools versus pro- tecting the influence par- ents should have in educat- ing their children, "including the choice of schools for them to attend"; support • for welfare pro- grams versus the damage to working middle-class tax- payers "demoralized" and "threatened" by the forced cuts in municipal services; and the reduction of expenditures for military strength versus "the pro- tection of those aspiring to Friday, September 23, 1977 19 levels of life which cannot be reached save through su- perhuman communion. —Stephen S. Wise "many a singer does im- pressions or impersonations of "Jolson," but Baldwin doesn't have to do im- pressions or impersonations. HE SOUNDS JUST LIKE AL JOLSON." "JOLIE comes alive in Clive.".. Earl Wilson, New York RIP 'I R• '