Annummummummuummommormwommm- 2 Friday, May 16, 1980 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Purely Commentary The John Anderson 'Christ Crusade': Noteworthy Frankness In his speech to the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, last week, Congressman John Anderson, independent candidate for President, men- tioned his sponsorship, in the 1960s, of a Constitutional amendment to recognize Jesus Christ as an inspiration for the American government. He called it "ill-advised, wrong, a mistake on my part." It is to the credit of the candidate who is gaining so much attention that he introduced the matter himself, without permitting it to become a subject for challenge. Much has already been said regarding his resolu- tion and it is proper to let it be more thoroughly analyzed. The best coverage on it, letting it be known that Congressman Ander- son offered his resolution three times, was by Stewart Ain in the Long Island Jewish World. The writer had gone into such detail and had made contacts of spokesmen of prominence, thereby completely cover- ing what might be a cam- paign issue. Therefore, Ain JOHN ANDERSON is worth quoting. One of the men interterviewed by Ain was Abe Foxman of the ADL who told him that although he did not believe other candidates for President would make an issue of the matter, it is reported that Carter campaigners are already circulating copies of the Anderson amendment. Here is the story as unveiled by Ain in the Long Island Jewish World: Foxman pointed out that the proposed amend- ment was changed each year it was submitted. The first time, it only called for Christianity to be considered the national religion. But the third time it was proposed it carried two other pro- visions. One stated that the amendment was not to be constrded as abridging anyone's freedom of religion, the press or assembly. And the second gave Congress the right to allow those with differ- ent religious beliefs to swear qualified allegiance to the law of the land, and not to a state religion. Those changes, Foxman said, indicated that Anderson was changing his position on the issue. He also said that Anderson later voted against school prayer in public schools, an indication that he had "really changed his mind" on the is- sue. But Hyman Bookbinder, the Washington repre- sentative of the American Jewish Committee, told the Long Island Jewish World that he disagrees. In an interview from his Washington office, Bookbinder said he finds the whole thing "really quite distressing. "For a political leader even to toy with the idea that this is appropriate legislation for the Con- stitution of the United States is mind boggling," Bookbinder said. "I am glad that he has re- pudiated it. It is gratifying that he is man enough to say that he made a mistake, but certain mis- takes remain disturbing. It's a bad mistake." Adding that the language of the proposed amendment was "just plain horrible," Bookbin- der read the following portion of Anderson's pro- posal: "This nation devoutly recognizes the authority and law of Jesus Christ, Savior and Ruler of nations, through whom are bestowed the blessings of Almighty God." Had that proposal been included in the Con- stitution, Bookbinder said, it would have explicitly identified those Americans who could not accept it as being a minority, and a group that couldn't swear allegiance to the Constitution. "It is very difficult to forgive him for this mis- take. This was done in the year 1965. It was not the period of McCarthyism. It's absolutely shocking." Many related issues are certain to be introduced in campaign rhetoric. The commendable Anderson position is his frankness. That reduces much of the criticism that could be leveled at him. But his views will nevertheless be subjected to scrutiny on religious matters, and that's of his own making. Honors for Emma Schaver Recall Role of Lamed Vav Tsadikim The announcement just issued by the Hebrew Univer- sity in Jerusalem that its Harry S Truman Research Insti- tute for the Advancement of Peace is embarking on a pro- gram of promoting peace in the Middle East lends special significance to the activities in this area to be expanded at the leadership conference this week-end. There is a reminder of the commencement of this proj- By Philip The John Anderson Background as a Propagator of Religious Assignations for This Country ... When Muskie Was a 'Salesman' for Israel Bonds ect when 36 American Jews combined their efforts in behalf of this peace project to honor the late President Truman. Mr. Truman personally welcomed the establishment of the Truman Center for Peace when he welcomed the 36 contributors of $100,000 each in his home, and included in the gathering was Emma Lazaroff Schaver and the late Al Borman, the two Detroiters who helped engineer the movement. The 36 became known as the modern Lamed Vavnicks, Lamed Vav being the Hebrew equivalent for the numerals 36. In "A Book of Jewish Concepts," Dr. Philip Birnbaum provided the definition for the traditional Lamed Vav Tsadikim, the 36 Righteous, thus: LAMED-VAV TSADIKIM The 36 hidden saints (1:171 1",), described by legend as being extremely modest and upright, concealing their identity behind a mask of ignor- ance and poverty and earning their livelihood by the sweat of their brow, are generally referred to as lamedvovniks. This widely-held belief among pious Jews is based on a talmudic statement to the effect that there are in the world no fewer than 36 righteous men in every generation who "greet the Shekhinah," the Divine Presence (Sanhedrin 97b; 'Din Intux Sukkah 45b). The biblical verse (Isaiah 30:18), meaning "blessed are all those who wait for him," is used as proof-text alluding to this idea, since the numerical value of the word 1`, is 36. The lamed-vav tsadikim are also called nistarim (concealed). In the folk tales, they emerge from their self-imposed concealment and, by the mystic powers which they possess they succeed in avert- ing the threatened disasters from a people perse- cuted by surrounding enemies. They return to their anonymity as soon as their task is accom- plished, "concealing" themselves in a Jewish community where they are unknown. The lamed- vovniks, scattered as they are throughout the Diaspora, have no acquaintance with one an- other. On very rare occasions is one of them "dis- covered" by accident, in which case the secret must not be disclosed. The continued existence of the world depends on their righteousness, it was popularly believed. There will be a communal recollection of the services rendered by the 36 Righteous who included Emma Schaver when she receives the Hebrew University's Scopus Award at a luncheon Sunday sponsored by the Michigan Chap- ter of American Friends of the Hebrew University. The Truman Project and its initiators merit recognition. The honor for Emma Schaver is rendered especially im- pressive because of her role in that objective. The Lamed Vavnicks were traditionally men. Now a share in academic glories is accorded a woman of many qualities, the honoree Emma Schaver. Drinan Goes Back to Church; Recalling Wise and Holmes On orders from the Pope, Robert F. Drinan, one of the most courageous liberals in the U.S. House of Representa- tives, is abandoning a career in politics. Drinan will not be a candidate for re-election to the U.S. House of Representa- tives, the Vatican having ruled that church and state are not to intermingle and that priests are not to be involved in politics. Drinan's absence from Congress will be a loss for the people he now represents and for the country at large. He is a fearless man. He is among those who speak out in Israel's defense and he wrote a book on the subject. The Drinan experience is a reminder of earlier years when the right of a man of the cloth to be active in politics was questioned. - Now, also, there are frequent challenges to rabbis and priests to speak out often on political matters and to be fearless in tackling political as well as social problems. Stephen S. Wise and John Haynes Holmes are the names to recall in the early pulpits in this country who never hesitated to demand justice for the oppressed, to condemn indecency in public life. Dr. Carl Hermann Voss' "Rabbi and Minister" recounts many of these experiences. Drinan's withdrawal from political life encourages re- newed interest in the Wise-Holmes record when rabbi and minister fought courageously for decency in politics. Recalling Role of Moshe Pijade, Marshal Tito's Right-Hand Man The death of Yugoslavia's President Josip Broz Tito recalls the role of his Jewish right-hand man for many years, Moshe Pijade (1883-1955), an artist and a journalist of note. In "The Jews of Yugoslavia" by Harriet Pass Freiden- reich, published by the Jewish Publication Society this month, the following reference is made to Pijade: The most important and best known Jewish representative in the history of Yugoslav Com- SIOMOVitZ munism was Moshe Pijade, who was born in Bel- grade's Dorcol. An artist and a journalist, he be- came the chief ideologist of the movement, trans- lating Marx into Serbo-Croatian while spending most of the interwar years in prison. During and after the war, Pijade was Tito's right-hand man. Designated a National Hero, the highest possible honor granted by the socialist state, he served as vice president of Yugoslavia until his death in 1955. Apparently Pijade had abandoned all interest in Jewish life, but the Freidenreich history points out that a Moshe Pijade Choir was formed by the Jewish community of Zagreb. - In the latter years of his life, Pijade played a po role in his country. Pijade may have been influentia n assuring the just rights the Jewish community enjoyed under Tito. Secretary of State Muskie as an Israel Bonds Salesman Secretary of State Edmund Muskie made it clear at his swearing-in ceremony for the leading diplomatic post that he is not an expert on foreign affairs but that he speaks his mind freely. The new Secretary of State is among the tried and proven friends of Israel. He appeared on Zionist platforms and supported the Israel Bonds programs. On Dec. 13, 1970, in Kan- sas City, Mo., he made this statement: How fruitful the in- vestment in peace could be, compared to the price of war. Amidst the constant hazard of battle, Israel has continued work- ing to fulfill a dream of redemption. Your support— both moral and financial through the sale of Isarel Bonds — has been indispensable to the survival of that EDMUND MUSKIE dream. The record is factual. Muskie speaks his mind. As head of the State Department it'll be interesting to observe how emphatically he affirms the friendship for Israel. Based on the obstructive that was in evidence, especially at the UN, over whose U.S. delegate he has the power of control, how he guides their actions will be watched. The blessings that greeted his appointment in Israeli quarters proves the effi- cacy of diplomacy and protocol. U. of Minnesota Research Many Holocaust Survivors Well-Adjusted: New Study MINNEAPOLIS — Many Holocaust survivors and children of survivors have not experienced the serious psychological problems commonly associated with those who underwent the tragic ordeal, according to a new study by the psychol- ogy department at the Uni- versity of Minnesota. The study, which was presented by Gloria Leon, a professor of psychology at the university during a re- cent conference in San Di- ego, differs from previous research in that it takes into account those survivors who have not sought psychiatric help as well as those who have. The survivors we studied are without significant psychological disturbance," Prof. Leon said. She studied a group of 144 European Jews and their children, and found the survivors of the Holocaust to be quite similar psychologically to a control group. Of the total group of 144 Jews and their' children studied by Prof. Leon, 33 were survivors of the camps, 38 were children of this group, 19 were German Jews who hid from the Nazis, and nine were children of this group. Some 29 German and other European Jews of the same age who came to the United States before World War II and 16 of their chil- dren were used as a com- parison group, matched in cultural background l other factors to the vivors. The survivors and the comparison group v given the Minnesota tiphasic Personality Inven- tory exam (MMPI) and two psychological question- naires designed by Prof. Leon. The MMPI is an ex- tensive psychological test that has been given to groups throughout the world since the early 1940s. "These people underwent unspeakable, unimaginable stress over a very long period of time," Prof. Leon said. "Yet they overcame it and are leading productive lives with healthy chil- dren."