2 Friday, March 4, 1983 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Purely Commentary Recalling a Nobel Winner's Reversal on Zionist Movement A brief human interest news item revives recollections about a Nobel Peace Prize-winner of half-a-century ago who began in prominence as an advocate of Zionism and later became a bitter antagonist of the Jewish libertarian movement. It was made known last week that the Nobel Peace Prize Medal awarded to the late Sir Norman Angell was sold for $12,000. The prize-winner gave the medal to his secretary and she has now disposed of it. An excerpt from Purely Commentary (Oct. 13, 1967) serves as the best introduction to the reminder of Sir Nor- man's "flip-flop" on Zionism and the Jewish people. (He died in London, Oct. 8, 1967, at the age of 94.) This Com- mentator's reference to him in this column five days later was: Sir Norman Angell, the 1933 winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, in the early 1930s, was socially minded. He was a friend of Jewry and appeared numerous times on Zionist platforms. He was considered among the leading Christian Zionists in the world. In October of 1938 Sir Norman was a speaker, together with Dr. Chaim Weizmann, the Labor leader Herbert Morrison, Prof. S. Brodetsky, Chief Rabbi Dr. Joseph H. Hertz, Lord Rothschild, R. D. Denman and Commander 0. Locker-Lampson, at a public meeting at Friends' House in London, in protest against restrictions by the British government on immigration of Jews in Palestine. In that speech Sir Norman called restrictions on Jewish immigration "mor- ally unjustified" and said in part: "For something over a thousand years we Christians, including we English, persecuted, tor- tured, kicked and insulted an unarmed and de- fenseless people, for the single crime of belonging to the race that gave us Jesus Christ, His Mother, His Apostles and about the only religious litera- ture that has given to the West its religion and its moral law. Today, that people suffer, perhaps worse than ever before. "Over much of Christendom they are robbed, tortured, imprisoned, starved, driven out. Yet everywhere the doors close against them, one after another, inexorably. And now we, too, pro- pose to close doors that we had solemnly prom- ised should be kept open as a shelter and a sanctuary for persecuted people whom Chris- t,endom has so deeply injured; close them at the time that shelter is most needed." In 1939 this Commentator interviewed this in- teresting and brilliant man who was as great in spirit as he was short in stature. He gave views that were as thoroughly pro-Zionist, he was so dedicated to the Jewish liberation movement, that he was counted among the truly great . friends. Then something happened and soon he be- came an enemy. He began to propagate against Zionism. He joined ranks akin to the Council for Judaism. From friend he turned to foe. It was as unexplainable _as the about-face of Dorothy Thompson and a few others like her. Let's re- member Sir Norman Angell for the good years during which his hope for a better world did not exclude Jews. The Norman Angell change-of-heart raises puzzling questions: Why do such good friends turn against Zionism? Why did Vincent Sheehan, who went to Palestine as an emisssary of the Zionist Organization of America, under tutelage of Meyer Weisgal, become an "enemy" of the movement? In the years of the British Mandatory rule in Palestine it was common knowledge that Jews were resented while Arabs were coddled. The explanation was that Jews were adamant in their demands that the Balfour Declaration be adhered to and never learned "courtesy." The "heart changes" are deplorable. There is comfort in the knowledge that friends remained friends, that Josiah Wedgwood and Orde Wingate were firm and immovable and were the accusers — as Sir Norman Angell was in Friends' House, London, in October 1938, and in the inter- view with this reporter in 1939. The friends at this time also remain adamant, as evidenced by Dr. Carl Hermann Voss, the eminent Christian theologian Dr. Franklin Lit- tell, whose columns in this newspaper and other periodicals are an inspiration to Christians as well as Jews; Sister Carol Rittner of Mercy College, Rev. James R. Lyons of the Ecumenical Institute for Jewish-Christian Studies in Southfield, Alice and Roy Eckardt and many more like them. Nevertheless, when a friend is lost, it is cause for mourning. In Norman Angell's case, 'the Nobel Peace Prize Medal became symbol of a cause abandoned. When Friendships Are Abandoned: A Reminiscence About a Nobel Peace Prize-Winner's 'Flip-Flop' and Comfort of Many Friends in the Ranks of Christian Pro-Zionists Conforming to Modern Needs An editorial in the Feb. 21 New York Times (A Law to Curb Blindness), in addition to its expression of concern regarding an important human need, has a, reference to a condition which has affected interpretations of Jewish tra- ditional regulations involving autopsies. The editorial states: A quirk in state law keeps some New Yorkers blind when they could be cured by the implanta- tion of corneal tissue from a dead donor. There's no easier way to cure some people's blindness than to amend the law. Many persons sign cards dedicating their eyes to help others, and their wish is duly hon- ored. But where an autopsy is otherwise required, state law forbids medical examiners to act on the pledge until they also obtain permission from the next of kin. All too often, these kin can't be found during the few hours in which the tissue remains useful. The amendment sought by agencies for the blind and hospital associations — and approved by leaders of the three major faiths — would per- init medical examiners to honor donor cards. It would also allow them to remove the small tissue unless there is objection from next of kin or evi- dence of the dead person's unwillingness to do- nate. Some religious groups, particularly among Orthodox Jews, object to autopsies. Their objec- tions, however, should be irrelevant to amending the law, which affects only situations where au- topsies must be performed for other reasons. The removal of tiny fragments of eye tissue to restore the sight of living people hardly infringes on the sanctity of a body already subjected to a post- mortem examination. By Philip Slomovitz The amendment would go . a long way to re- lieve the chronic shortage of such tissue. It would restore the blessing of sight to hundreds of New _ Yorkers, as it does in other states that have ad- justed their legislation. On numerous occasions, the autopsies problems was cause for dispute and bitterness. In the Hadassah and Shaare Zedek hospitals in Israel serious efforts are always made to resolve that issue. The NYTimes editorial, in its commendable brevity, suggests that whatever the con- troversy, it can be resolved. Differing views may be anticipated, yet the obligation to assure the application of the best efforts to assure health protection must be adhered to. The Legacy Left by Sam Rich for Devotion to Technion and Israel Sam Rich left a rich heritage rooted in devotion to the cause of a fully-protected Israel and the advancement of the Jewish state's technologically-creative accomplishments. He gained a place of merit in American Jewish leader- ship with his many years' activities for causes related to Israel and his chairmanship of the Israel Bonds movement in Michigan. Primarily, he earned deep appreciation for having in- stituted interest in and support for the Technion; the Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa. It was due to the labors like his that the great engineering and aeronautical school in Israel became a vital factor in Israel's technological skills. Contributions and leadership like his was part of the process that televated Technion into the leading technol- ogy center in the Middle East and among the most impor- tant in the world. It was due to such devotions that Techn-' ion of Haifa became known as the MIT of the Middle East. Indeed, the legacies for which Sam Rich labored earned his name an indelible memory. Rashi Described in Club's Bulletin Medal PARIS — The Club Fran- cais de la Medaille in Paris publishes an annual bulle- tin describing the history and background of scenes and individuals onmedals it offers to the public. The September 1978 bulletin gives an interest- ing article on the famous French Jewish Biblical and Talmudic scholar and philosopher, Rashi: * * * Rashi occupies a place apart in rabbinic literature. He is neither an original thinker, nor a philosopher, nor the founder of a particu- lar school, but an incompar- able yulgarisateur (one who has talent to diffuse scien- tific knowledge among the people). He is the author of two commentaries, one on the Torah and the other on the Talmud. Both became classics. Rashi (abbreviation of Rabbi Solomon beh Isaac) was born in Troyes in Champagne about 1040. He had for a teacher, among others, his father. Next he attended the famous tal- mudic schools bordering the Rhine, Mayence and Worms in particular. His studies terminated, Rashi returned to Troyes. Regardless of his young age, he was 25 years old, he was recognized as the religious chief of the community:- He founded a school there that many disciples attended. His knowledge was only equaled by his modesty. In accordance with the custom of the time, a rabbi did not receive any fee. Rashi lived from the revenue of a vine- yard he had inherited from his parents. His teaching was dis- tinguished by clarity and distinctness, plainness, neatness, cleanness. He finished by writing the explications which he had customarily given to his students. It is in this clear Hebrew which The Christian leaders, Rashi drafted both of notably Nicholas of Lyre, commentaries. To compose the first he were inspired by the was inspired by all the past work of Rashi. They had rabbinic literature. He immense success in in- made a synthesis of them by terpreting the Bible choosing the most appropri- thanks to his clear com- ate texts which were either mentaries. Rashi's commentary on in a rational-literal sense (Pschat) or more allegorical the Talmud is indispensi- mystical. Conscious of the ble. Without Rashi it would fundamental difference have become too esoteric. which separates these two The Talmud in effect has styles, he wanted to be more never been really reworded. of an interpreter than a It is a compilation of notes preacher. He rejected the taken by disciples of mas- Therefore, there aren't literal or grammatical sense for certain allegorical any editions of the Talmud explanations. which aren't accompanied Rashi often referred to with the commentary of the Targum, the Aramean Rashi. The reputation of the translation of the Pen- master was so great that people from all over used to tateuch. The difficult or rare terms consult him. of the Bible, he translated During the Crusades into the French of his time people would consult him to (Latin), but in Hebrew know if a Jew who was bap- characters. More than 3,000 tized in order to save him- words of the Romanesque self could, after all the per- language, for the most part secutions, come back to technical, were thus saved Judaism. Rashi responded from being forgotten. affirmatively.