2 Friday, November 21, 1980 THE 'D'Ef611' 'JEWISH NEWS Purely Commentary Deplorable Negation of Justice for Israel by Christians National Jewish organizations are understandably deploring the action of the National Council of Churches in its endorsement of the PLO. A statement favoring Israel's existence is a tongue-in- cheek declaration when, at the same time, those who seek Israel's destruction are elevated to a state of legitimacy. In spite of the rejection of the PLO by all U.S. political parties, the encouragement that is given the would-be de- stroyers of Israel undermines every approach to peace in the Middle East. It is to be hoped that Christians will take the lead in rejecting the PLO stance in Christian ranks. Claims to U.S. as a Christian Country Refuted by a Christian This column was not alone as a challenger of the pro- position that this is a Christian country. The NYTimes Op-Ed article by Gary Potter setting claim to "A Christian America" (rejected in JN Purely Commentary, Oct. 31) found a disclaimer in Richard Armstrong of Old Tappan, N.J., whose refutation, published in the NYTimes, Oct. 28, stated: "Who is more likely to secure their entitlement," he asks, "Than Christians, those who recognize they are God's children?" I wish it were so. I hope it would happen. But personal experience and history lead me to conclude that Christians ha- ven't done any better — and sometimes have done far worse — in securing those rights proclaimed in our Declaration of Independence. I have much to be ashamed of as a Christian and as an Ameri- can. Mr. Potter claims that good morals depend on religion (only the Christian religion?). He says that our laws, policies and public ceremonies used to reflect the values, beliefs and principles of Christianity — and they should again. This is nos- talgia for a Golden Age that never existed . . . My reading of the Bible shows Jesus and the prophets harshest in their denunciations of "reli- gious people" who said "Lord, Lord," and the temple of the Lord" but oppressed their neighbor. Triumphalism is not a virtue. Mr. Potter and his "Christian political activists" had better set their own house in order. I for one do not want to add to our nation's problems by polarizing out society between those who hold religious beliefs and those who don't. Why can't we work together on those things on which we share agreement, most of which are the stuff of politics? Rather than a Christian nation or an atheistic nation, I thought our experiment in liberty was an attempt to establish a pluralistic nation. If reli- gious and non-religious persons must compete, let's make it a race to see who can do the best job of "feeding the hungry, clothing the naked and visiting those in prison." Whoever succeeds, we all stand to gain. It is important that such disclaimers should be made by Christians, just as the rebuke to the sponsors of the Jews for Jesus" corruption was by a Christian. A refutation by a single dispassionate defender of the basic principles inherent in a free society that recognizes the rights of all peoples and their equality in attaining such freedom does not end the unfortunate injection of divisive- ness in the American society. There will always be a claim to dominating privilege for the majority religion. This does not eliminate loyalty to the great tradition for equality in this country. An Armstrong echoes the views of those who made equality the root of American idealism. This root will sufelY be protected by the rational who cherish the heritage of justice and equality. - Shund: A Tantalizing Term That Speaks Volumes Urging Dignified Communal Programming Six decades ago, the vexing problem for American Jews was the ridicule to which Jews were subjected in the form of the "Stage Jew." It was to combat it that the Bnai Brith formed the Anti-Defamation League. ADL now tack- les very serious problems affecting Jews in many spheres, on many fronts. Anti-Semitism is combatted with vigor, whether it is from neo-Nazis or the PLO. But the "Stage Jew" was so irritating in the early part of this century that ADL's role became a necessity. In more recent years. on a high level in the culturally- functioning Jewish communities in this country, a craving has developed for dignified entertainment and high standards in sponsoring cultural events. Jewish entertainers who resorted to low-level humor irritated An Appeal to Christians to Lead in Repudiation of Inhumanities Aimed at Israel's Destruction . . . Rejection of the 'Christian America' Canard Jewish spokesmen, and organizations sponsoring entertaining programs were urged not to sink to low levels. They were urged not to burlesque Jewish life with undig- nified entertainment. The late Rabbi Morris Adler was among those who often resented sponsorship of indignity. This is the time of the year where organizations plan their programs, and the appeals for high standards in community planning must be renewed. The "Stage Jew" has disappeared, yet the craving for a Yiddish word, for Jewish "jokes," often provides a platform for the unaccept- able. The many Jewish entertainers on the circuit should be encouraged to be on the highest level, when telling jokes to study up on the treasuries of Jewish humor — and there are many of them. Especially commendable are the collected tales from all ages by Nathan Ausubel. His classic "A Treasury of Jewish Folklore" has just been re-issued, after many print- ings since 1948, in a paperback by Bantam Books. It is urgent that "Shund" should be avoided. After a recent publicly-sponsored entertainment, this commentator had the impulse to call it "Shund." One Yid- dish dictionary didn't even translate it. Another called it "literary trash." But it is more than that and it required an expert to define it. Truly, there is , just a handful of culturally- inspired Yiddishists in the community. Moshe and Sarah Friedman are among them. Perhaps the most authoritative is Wolf Snyder. A former principal of a Yiddish high school, a stu- dent of the Talmud and the Yiddish classics, he is cur- rently attracting wide at- tention with his serialized biography of Moses Hess in Unser Eigen Vort, a Yid- dish quarterly. Snyder ranks high as a Jewish WOLF SNYDER scholar with a knowledge of languages and the literatures of the world. Here is how he has defined Shund: The word Shund is of German extraction mean- ing trash, refuse, bad merchandise. In Yiddish literature the word is used to denote or describe any literary work (in whatever form) of lower grade and designed to cater to people of lower taste. In Yiddish literature, one writer, Shomer (Scheikewitch), was a very prolific writer of stories, novels, playlets and plays of low grade and taste. His "dramas" permeated the stage of several Yiddish theaters, except the artistic theaters like the one of Morris Schwartz and a very few others. The flooding of Shomer's so-called literary products caused a lot of indignation and criti- cism, lead by our great classicists. Sholom Aleichem was a leading figure in_ this criticsm. The names Shomer, "Shomerish," By Philip Slomovitz "Shomerism" became synonymous with trash lit erature, drama, etc. Generally, there is a craving for the Yiddish word, for Yiddish stories. Those making them available should st- rive to provide the most dignified, cultural programs with high standards. Let the warning against "Shund" be their guide. — Advice — for Israelis and That Nation's Right to Map Own Destiny When Dr. Chaim Weizmann trekked from meetin meeting, from chicken dinner to chicken dinner, to plead for help for the Zionist cause in the years preceding Israel's rebirth thanks to the Zionist idealism, he was bombarded with advice. He often replied: "With `Eitzes' ("advice") I can't build Palestine." This is what is recurring today: the swivel-chair philosophers have lots of advice. Like the advertisement in the last issue of this paper, there are the advisers who would have Israel make concessions on Jerusalem, aban- don settlements, yield, yield, yield! As if not enough was yielded until now in the agreement with Sadat and Carter at Camp David! To be remembered is Israel's right to be master of her own destiny. True: Diaspora Jewry should be listened to, practical and constructive advice is often valuable. But there should be caution to avoid the destructive that gives weapons to Israel's enemies. Like the local chap who pleaded the PLO cause through the media. One doesn't have to be a non-Jew ap- parently to be destructive to Israel's needs. All the negations stem from panic. Those who are frightened every time Israel expresses a sentiment em- phasizing the people's right to master their destiny are the guilty in the negations. The courageous do not frighten. Technion's Role, Planned Dormitory Meriting Cooper a tion Emphasis given by the media to the problems and crises in Israel cause concern among Israel's supporters. If the creative in the Jewish state were observed-they would outmatch by far the negatives. Ranking as a -leader in Israel's creative accom- plishments is the Israel Institute of Technology, known worldwide as the Haifa Technion. It is the acknowledged leader in scientific ranks in the entire Middle East and it shares in the high standards of the leading technological institutions in the world. It is generally referred to as "the MP' of the Middle East." The campaign for a dormitory for students at the Technion to be established in the name of Michigan Jewry should be welcomed even amidst the larger drives for funds. It should not be judged as competitive. It must be given the support it earns, even as a mere gesture to Technion that its great role in Jewish ranks merits unhesitant support. - The Technion dinner on Nov. 30 will be the occasion for concerned Detroiters to participate in the important project being introduced for the dormitory at the great technologi- cal institution. Support for Technion and its latest project merits most generous support and impressive participation in the functions of the-great Israeli scientific university. New British Leader Was Mandate Critic By MAURICE SAMUELSON LONDON (JTA) — Michael Foot, the new head of the British Labor Party, has a long tradition of friendship for Israel. Foot is the keeper of the party's Socialist conscience and its finest orator. As a minister, he has had very little to do with foreign pol- icy and he is therefore some- thing of an enigma for other countries.- He is one of a group of very gifted brothers, who include Lord Caradon, Brit- ain's former United Nations Ambassador and who was an official in Palestine dur- ing the British Mandate. Foot, himself, was an outstanding pro-Zionist and a bitter critic of Er- nest Bevin during the fi- nal, bloody years of the Mandate. When Bevin ordered the arrest of Moshe Sharett and other leaders of the Jewish Agency in 1946, in an at- tempt to smash- the Hagana, Foot electrified the House of Commons by declaring: "If I were in Palestine today I would be a member of the Hagana." At that time Foot sup- ported the Zionist fight against Britain in the leftw- ing weekly, "Tribune," of which he was the editor. One of his closest Par- liamentary colleagues since those days is the Jewish member of Parliament, Ian Mikardo, still one of Labor's most valiant supporters of Israel. Since those early days, Foot has been reticent about Middle East issues, espe- cially since the 1956 Suez affair, which may have influenced his views on Is- rael. Even so, his underly- ing sympathy is probably intact. When he unsuc- cessfully tried to succeed Wilson as Labor leader four years ago, he told some of his potential Zionist sup- porters that they could rely on his continued friendship for Israel. Foot's win, however, could enhance the prospects of a third MP of eventually becoming Labor's leader and a possible future British Prime Minister. If the trade unions and the party's local branches gain a major say, this would give Labor's crown to Tony Benn, the darling of the left. Benn's links with Zionism are even deeper. An avid student of the works of Jewish philosopher Martin Buber, Benn - has visited Israel many times. His closest links there are with Mapam. He is a sponsor of Mapam's "New Outlook" magazine and is associated with study center at Gi Haviva. Benn's pro-Zionism is in- spired by the love of the Old Testament and land and people of Israel taught him by his parents. Both were outstanding friends of Zionism-during the Man- date years. His father, the late Lord Stansgate, espoused the Zionist cause while he was the member of Parliament for Whitechapel, the old Jewish district in London's East End. Benn's mother, Lady Stansgate, who is still alive, has taught herself modern Hebrew and has long sup- ported Israeli causes.