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Inday, March 16, 1984
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Purely Commentary
When An American Issue Develops Into a Major
`Religious War,' It Is Time for All Americans
to Become Aware of Dangers in Legislating Prayer
In a Political Year:
When Candidates Must Also
Resort to Diplomacy
An American Jihad? .. .
A Negative in Prayer War
Emerges to Frighten All
Especially in a Presidential campaign there are many
puzzles in the candidates' approaches to issues. Many a
citizen must be wondering why candidates avoid comment-
ing on disputable issues. Presently, the voter is probably
puzzled why the several candidates are not responding to
the Republican standard-bearer's advocacy of an amend-
ment to the Constitution introducing prayers in schools
and thereby shattering the Separation principle which is so
basic to America's democratic spirit.
Only George McGovern has thus far made a critical
comment of the President's sanctimony.
(On the McGovern score it could be pointed out that
only he and Jesse Jackson among the candidates have
proposed dealing with the Palestinians. But conferring
with Palestinians as such is • not necessarily negotiating
with PLO and terrorists. It is unrelated to the McGovern
approach to religiosity.)
The very interesting comment on President Reagan's
call for action to save a place for God in the schools and the
attitude of the candidates, presented in James Reston's
NYTimes Op-Ed Page article (March 7) entitled "On Lent
and the Senate," in a sense provided an answer to this posed
question.
The Reston essay has special merit as a reminder for
Detroiters of the genius of the late Dr. Reinhold Niebuhr,
who was one of the most inspiring religious leaders in the
1920s and 1930s. Quoting Reston:
Walter Mondale is a minister's son who hasn't
forgotten his old man's teaching. Gary Hart
started at the Yale Divinity School, and had the
bad judgment to switch to law. John and Annie
Glenn came out of the Presbyterian schools in
Ohio; George McGovern out of Willa Cather coun-
try in the Middle West, where religion was the
only refuge from poverty and the wind. And Jesse
Jackson is the first black preacher to run for the
Presidency and has the rhythms of the Bible on
his tongue.
So why a political argument now about
prayer in the public schools, led by the President
at the beginning of an election, when his oppo-
nents believe in the importance of religion?
It is not only that he believes in prayer in the
schools -- no doubt about that — but that he
thinks it's a good political issue and is pushing it
hard.
But it is the spirit of the prayer issue and not
the disciple that counts. We may differ with one
another, religion from religion, but agree in some
moral principles.
The final wisdom of life, Reinhold Niebuhr
suggested, requires not the annulment of dif-
ference or incongruity, but the achievement of
serenity within and above it.
"Nothing that is worth doing," Niebuhr wrote
during another Presidential election, "can be
achieved in our lifetime. Therefore, we must be
saved by hope.
"Nothing," he added, "which is true or beauti-
ful or good makes complete sense in any im-
mediate context of history. Therefore, we must be
saved by faith.
"Nothing we do, however virtuous," he added
finally, can be accomplished alone; therefore we
must be saved by love. No virtuous act is quite as
virtuous from the standpoint of our friend or foe
as it is from our own standpoint. Therefore, we
must be saved by the final form of love, which is
forgiveness."
This is the missing element in the Senate de-
bate on prayer — the fundamental element of reli-
gious charity — and it is also missing from the
Presidential election campaign, despite the reli-
gious background of all the candidates.
They are fighting for position and power, as
usual, but one day during Lent, somebody may
take the chance of thinking about the true mean-
ing of prayer, and appeal to the longing of the
people for something honest. But don't bet that
anybody will take the risk.
It has come to pass that an issue has been placed on the
American agenda sufficient to cause fright in all American
homes.
The debate over the proposal to legitimize praying in
schools is now called a religious war. The mere designa-
tion is terrorizing. In the Middle East there is frequent talk
about one Jihad or another, one threat after another of a
holy war against those who differ with the fundamental
ideas of the dominant powers. When a dispute in this land
of the free and the home of the brave is described as a
religious war it is enough to inject fright in every heart that
cherishes the established American principles of religious
freedom that makes the home free, the church and
synagogue and mosque unfettered by legislation.
In the list of freedoms also is the liberty enjoyed when
balloting is privileged without sanctimonious oppressive-
ness.
In his very enlightening column "On Lent and the
Senate," James Reston took into account the "religious
war" and commented:
While they pretend to be fighting in the name
of religion, they are really fighting for land and
political domination.
The religious wars of the past were quite
different. At least they thought the issue was the
achievement of eternal life. The Protestants
thought there was only one road to Heaven, and
were sure it didn't run through Rome.
These tragic religious wars of the past were at
The lesson here is for theologians as well as for politi-
cians. It is for the Reagan constituents who may thereby
better understand Jefferson and Madison.
It is the commentary by Reston, and similar views
expressed editorially and in the Senate in the current de-
bate, that may strike the necessary blow at the puzzling
emphasis on religion in a political issue. Once again it is
worth referring to Senator Lowell Weicker's concern lest
religion should become a deciding issue in a crucial politi-
c al campaign.
By Philip
Slomovitz
least fought for generations by believers. But the
modern wars are fought mainly by unbelievers
directed by politicians in the name of religion.
Why the United States of all nations, the ref-
uge of all religious sects, would want to get into a
constitutional argument over prayer in the public
schools is a mystery.
And why, of all times, should the President of
the United States insist on making this an issue at
the beginning of a Presidential election? It's not
as if he were up against a gang of atheists or even '
agnostic unbelievers in this election.
There have even been threats against the libertarians ,
in the disputed issue and a democratic setting has become a
battleground.
While the supporters of the school prayer amendment
are reportedly overwhelming in numbers, hopefully the
basic ideal of religious freedom unhampered by restrictive
legislation again will meet its doom.
Whatever the result, most deplorable is the introduc-
tion of this issue in an important political campaign. This is
impermissible.
Tribute to Niemoeller
The passing of the German religious hero, the Rev.
Martin Niemoeller, revives recollections of courage that
bordered on martyrdom.
Niemoeller was tested as a fighter for religious and
human freedoms.
He belonged to a minority among theologians. who
spoke firmly without cringing as protesting leaders against
Nazism. For such services to the civilized in his country, he
will be remembered with reverence.
Additional Purims in Jewry
By DR. DAVID GEFFEN
World Zionist Press Service
JERUSALEM — The annual observance of Purim
with all its festivities marks the escape from destruction of
the Jewish community in Persia. The description of that
event in the history of our people is well known to us
through the annual recitation of The Book of Esther. Each
of the personalities in that story plays a unique role, be it
Esther the Queen, Mordecai her relative, King Ahasuerus,
or the evil Haman.
Each year the entire Jewish people highlights Purim
with feasting and celebration. However, our annual Purim
is not the only Purim in the calendar. The Encyclopedia
Judaica alone lists 110 special Purims which are observed
by communities and families at the appropriate time dur-
ing the year. Why are these special Purims observed and
how did they come into existence?
The Talmud indicates that it is appropriate to return to
a place from which one was miraculously saved and offer a
special benediction. While the prayer of thanksgiving was
considered appropriate, it was felt that more should be done
to mark such occasions. Hence, there developed on the part
of communities and families the ritual of making the com-
munal date of the escape a time of reciting special prayers,
having a communal meal and retelling the story of the
event. Thus the celebration took on a Purim-like atmos-
phere and the personal closeness to the situation made it a
unique event in one's calendar.
While some of these Purims are no longer observed,
they are still recalled because they mark events of rescue in
the history of our people.
Turning for a moment to Israel itself there are two
famous Purims which have been chronicled. In 1741, the
plight of the Jews in Hebron was dire. The small commu-
nity was constantly under attack from bandits and other
renegades who were given full rein by the Ottomon
authorities. One of the noted figures in Hebron at this
period was Rabbi Haim Yitzhak Carigal who regularly
traveled out of the country to raise funds for the poor Jews
of the town.
In early January 1741, the local authorities ruled that
the Jews in Hebron had to pay a special tax by the 14th of
Tevet or else they would be executed. The rabbis were
besides themselves. Members of the community could not
raise the sum required — it was just too large. All appeared
lost.
The night before the edict was to come into effect the
entire Jewish community gathered together for prayers in
which they poured out their hearts. According to the tradi-
tion, as the light of dawn broke the next day, the morning of
the 14th of Tevet, a young boy saw a bag on the windowsill
of the synagogue, picked it up and found it filled with
enough money to rescue the Jews of Hebron. From then on
the Jews of Hebron annually celebrated what they called
Purim Tabka — "window Purim."
Another fascinating rescue is one which has come to be
known as Gunpowder Purim. It is linked to the Danzig
family of Vilna. One of the better known codifications of
Jewish law which is still used extensively is known as the
Hayyei Adam and was written by Abraham Danzig.
.
Contemporary Purim Graggers crafted by Jerusalem
artist Catriel Sugarman.
In December 1804, the 15th of Kislev, the city of Vilna
was rocked by tremendous explosions when the magnesium
at the gunpowder factories was accidentally ignited. There
was tremendous loss of life in particular among the Jewish
community located near the gunpowder factories. Miracul-
ously, the members of the Danzig family were saved from
death. Ever since, their descendants have observed on the
15th of-Kislev their own Gunpowder Purim, highlighted by
prayers of thanksgiving and the lighting of fireworks.
An annual Purim marked in Tunisia has its roots in
the natural elements. In January 1891 a blinding
snowstorm was raging in Tunis and many died from the
cold. One of the synagogues in the city became a distribu-
tion center for food and for providing shelter for those
whose homes had been destroyed. With each passing day
the weather got worse and then finally the snow ceased.
The people began to return to their homes. The night after
the synagogue was cleared the roof fell in from all the snow,
but fortunately no one was hurt. The Jews of Tunis an-
nually observe the 24th of Tevet as Purim Sheleg, Snow
Purim, to mark their rescue.
A recent Purim was instituted by the Frimer family in
the United States. Some years ago the Bnai Brith building
in Washington, D.C. was taken over by a radical group. One
of those caught in the building was Rabbi Norman Frimer,
then national director of Hillel. When, after several har-
rowing days, he was finally released unharmed from his
captors, he decided to mark the event by a special Purim for
his family. Ever since, the Frimer family annually gets
together to mark Rabbi Frimer's deliverance.
Tens of other special Purims are recorded in the annals
of our people. They indicate how the Purim festival is de-
eply rooted in the historical consciousness of communities
widely separated in place and time.