THE JEWISH NEWS USPS 275 520 , Incorporating The Detroit Jewish Chronicle commencing with the issue of July 20, 1951 Copyright c, The Jewish News Publistung Co. Member of American Association of English-Jewish Newspapers, National Editorial Association and • National Newspaper Association and its Capital Club. Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publishing Co., 17515 W. Nihe Mile, Suite 865, Southfield, Mich. 48075 Postmaster Send address changes to The Jewish News, 17515 W. Nine Mile, Suite 865, Southfield, Mich. 48075 Second-Class Postage Paid at Southfield, Michigan and Additional Mailing Offices. Subscription $15 a year. CARMI M SLOMOVITZ PHILIP SLOMOVITZ Editor and Publisher ALAN HITSKY News Editor Business Manager HEIDI PRESS Associate News Editor DREW LIEBERWITZ Advertising Manager Sabbath Scriptural Selections This Sabbath. the fifth day of Tishri. 5742, the following scriptural selections will be read in our synagogues: Pentateuchal portion, Deuteronomy 31:1-30. Prophetical portion. Hosea 14:2-10; Micah 7:18-20; Joel 2:15-27. Thursday, Yom Kippur Pentateuchal portion. morning, Leviticus 16.1-34, Numbers 29:7-11. Afternoon. Leviticus 18:130. Prophetical portion. Isaiah 57:14-58;14; Jonah 1:1-4; Micah 7:18-20. Candle lighting, Friday, October 2, 6:53 p.m. VOL. LXXX, No. 5 Page Four Friday, October, 2, 1981 TONGUE-IN-CHEEK HATRED Civic protective movements in recent weeks adopted an optimistic attitude of rejoicing over a claimed decline in anti-Semitism. The deeper studies of the existing conditions begin to justify the branding of such claims as sheer baloney. In the first place, the many desecrations of synagogues and Jewish public buildings, in some cases of cemeteries, indicate that such conclusions are exaggerations. If the viewpoint of a decline in anti-Semitism were true, why did it become necessary for the state of New Jersey to adopt the most stringent law on record in any state in the Union? New Jersey set penalties of up to five years in prison for anyone convicted of attempting to incite fear by burning crosses, painting swastikas or defac- ing buildings or property with threatening slo- gans or symbols. Such threats continue to be heard, and legis- lators who take them into account should be commended. They not only seek to punish of- fenders. They also warn of the existence of bigotries and anti-Semitism. Why become overly complacent? Frederick M. Schweitzer, associate professor of history at Manhattan College, New York, is to be counted among those who refuse to be complacent and indifferent to realities. In a letter to the New York Times, which the editors entitled "Anti- Semitism in America: The Good News and the Bad," Prof. Schweitzer wrote: "I take much encouragement from William G. Blair's article of July 29 reporting the decline of anti-Semitism in the United States since 1964. My subjective impression had been that any trend was in the opposite direction. "Over the last dozen years or so I have often felt disheartened by the slow and unsteady pro- gress of my own and many others' efforts in teaching, writing, lecturing, etc., trying to dis- pel anti-Semitism. In desponding moments I like to recall the remark of that doyen of Chris- tian combatants of anti-Semitism, James Parkes. When asked in 1934 how long it would take to root out that noxious weed, he replied 300 years. "I cannot help thinking — or hoping — that the explanation of the decline since 1964 is con- nected with the Catholic Church's "Declaration on the Church and Non-Christian Religions," ("Nostra Aetate") promulgated by Pope Paul VI on Oct. 28, 1965. "In the light of two millennia of the Jewish- Christian encounter, that document is a 'mira- cle,' although it did not resolutely condemn_ anti-Semitism in its Christian and other guises, acknowledge Judaism as an authentic, self- contained religion in its own right or consider the possibility that Israel has some theological significance for Catholics. "But the hopes partly dashed in 1965 have been redeemed in good measure by the various national and diocesan guidelines for imple- menting 'Nostra Aetate.' They have greatly ex- tended it in both the letter and the spirit. "Implementation is a slow, tortuous affair. Precious few sermons reflecting 'Nostra Aetate' have been preached, with the result that the older generation of Catholics has not been reached and, as the Yankelovich survey shows, remains steadfastly anti-Semitic. "But the young have been reached, and they provide the most hopeful part of the report. "My own history of the Jews was commis- sioned by the New York Archdiocese's Office of Education and inspired by 'Nostra Aetate's' im- perative that we Catholics set our theological tablets straight and overcome our abysmal ignorance of Jewish history, from the Apostles and the Destruction of the Temple to Auschwitz and Israel reborn. One of the most critical fronts for this work is the curriculum of the seminaries for the priesthood; some significant changes have been effected, but not uniformly and possi- bly not irreversibly. The Yankelovich report is ominous in the sharp increase of the number of those who as- sert that the Jews are too powerful and more loyal to Israel than to America (two of the most venerable calumnies in the annals of anti- Semitism): Worse, one-third of us are still anti-Semitic; that may translate as one-third of us being blatantly anti-Semitic, two-thirds la- tently so. The 'sleeping giant' can awaken. If domestic supply runs low, anti-Semitism can be im- ported; it is the most readily importable/ exportable item in the international ideology market. I conclude that Parkes's term of 300 years is not excessive, and that no one should be surprised if in another 70 years we have a report entitled, like that of 1964, 'The Tenacity of Prejudice.' " There is much more to the study of anti- Semitism than these basic facts. Prof. Schweitzer, the Christian, deals with the very obvious facts. There also are the hidden factors, the attempts to hide under the cloak of respec- tability. These are the evidences of a tongue- in-cheek anti-Semitism which is more obnoxi- ous and could be even more dangerous than the direct and immediately evident. The diabolic haters are those who strike knives in the back of Israel, condemn Jews who are critical of the enemies of the Jewish state and of those who would protect the embattled and always threatened Israelis, and then turn to them and say: "Just because we criticize you, don't call us anti-Semites." They hide under the cloak of condemning Zionism and therefore they feel free to strike at Israel and Jewry but wish to be commended and shout Hallelujah. These are the warnings of the new age of an unhalting anti-Semitism. It exists. It persists. It has a strong opposition in Christian ranks as evideiaced by Prof. Schweitzer, as reiterated by notables like Prof. Franklin Littell, Robert St.- John, Dr. Carl Voss and many others who know and reject the outright haters who seek Jewry's and Israel's destruction. Once again it must be emphasized that the vigilant must recognize all elements in the bi- goted ranks, acclaiming that they will never be sanctioned. 40:1 Holy Land Books Chronicle Protestants' Deep Interest Under the heading "Holy Land Series," informative works deal- 1 „' ing with Israel, the Middle East and the Zionist movement, provide the definitive data necessary for an understanding of the situations affecting the Jewish state. The background factual data, the current problems, the policy-making are all tackled in the series co-published as a joint project of the Institute of Contemporary Jewry at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and the American Jewish Historical t. Society. Master-minded by the project director, Dr. Moshe Davis, the ,t series commenced with "Guide to America — Holy Land Studies,"; edited by Nathan M. Kaganoff, librarian and editor of the American Jewish Historical Society. Commanding unusual interest in its treatment of the Christian concerns in pre-Israel history, the second volume in the series, "The Holy Land in American Protestant Life, 1800-1948," edited by Prof. Robert T. Handy of Union Theological Seminary, is a handbook for -, scholars and an inspiration to students of Zionist developments. Edited by Dr. Moshe Davis, "Zionism in Transition" is a combina- tion of historical evolutions in the movement, discussions of current applications to the movement and analyses of the existing problems and confrontations. Dr. Handy's "The Holy Land in American Protestant Life" in- cludes a series of essays by one of the most distinguished Christian • scholars. Indicative of the eminence of the participating scholars is the discussion by William Folcwell Albright, a pioneer in archeological tasks in Jerusalem in the first decade of this century. Archeology and the Bible are the subjects selected for this volume from the writings of ;r. Prof. Albright. The launching of the American Board of Commissioners of Foreign Missions, with stations in Jerusalem, Syria and Lebanon, invites special attention. Authoritative articles by William A., Thompson, author of "The Land and the Book," and Kenneth Scott Latourette, 19th Century author of "A History of the Eipansion Christianity," have special merit for Christian scholars, and share in*; importance as valuable background material for the Jewish readers. The extensive interests aroused by this volume are indicated it the titles of the five sections of the book, "The Bible and thi Land,T• "The Missionary Venture," "Pilgrirris and Travelers," "Americant Protestant Residents in the Holy Land" and "Restoration Pro anct: Con." Clergymen, teachers, business folk, visitors in the Holy Land an a variety of other participants indicate the extent of interest fostere by this work. It is a revealing collection of experiences affirming th Protestant interest in the Holy Land. The interest built up in the 1940s in Protestant ranks in suppo of the Zionist dream gives the volume the contemporary emphasis Such well-known names as John Haynes Holmes, Charles Russell, Harry Emerson Fosdick, Henry A. Atkinson, Adolph A. Berl and others are amongthose who could be delineated as having taken deep interest in the emergence of Israel. It is not all pro-Israel, but in the instances of Albright, Atkinson, Holmes and others, the d larations are those of the friends and supporters who can be coun among the Christians who gave encouragement to the builders Zion. The entire series is significant, and the editorship of Dr. Da gives it the authoritativeness that makes all of these works his ca I ly significant.