6
Friday, December 7, 1984
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
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Having said all of this, it does
not mean that one who recognizes
the dangerous road the Sandinis-
tas have taken has to agree with
the Reagan Administration's
policies which are helping to
further miitarize the conflicts in
Central America. My visit con-
vinced me that a demilitarization
of the region is the only hope for
peace, justice and reconciliation
there. Neither the Sandinistas
nor the Reagan Administration
seem interested in this solution.
I think that certain American
Jews, like Prof. Shor, who visit
Nicaragua, see only what they are
shown and see what they want to
see, and therefore can expect little
credibility when they come back
as apologists for the Sandinistas.
They often cannot speak in
Spanish, or meet in a private set-
ting with ordinary Nicaraguans,
have not lived under a Marxist
regime and have had no personal
experence of revolutionary re-
pression.
Prof. Shor claims that the San-
dinista movement is not quite as
dogmatic as Marxism. But the
issue is not one of dogma, but one
of action. How do they vote in in-
ternational forums, how do they
approach political opposition,
what efforts are they making for
national reconciliation, what
freedoms do they allow in the
country? I am sorry to say, I saw
nothing encouraging on these
matters and I cannot share Prof.
Shor's faith that Sandinista
policies will work, and certainly
as a Jew, I would not apologize for
those who have consistently given
unstinting support to the enemies
of Israel.
George P. Mann
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Continued from preceding page
Eban's 'Heritage'
series defended
their tradition and culture were
quite poignant. Tradition, we all
know, is important in maintain-
ing continuity from one genera-
tion to the other. Nevertheless,
the staunchest of traditions will
gradually succumb to change over
long periods of time. This is why I
feel it is more important to be con-
cerned with trying to maintain
those traditions which are closest
to the core of the Jewish elan and
culture rather than to be overly-
concerned with the minutia of
formalities.
Dr. Lou Citarel
Legacy of the shtetl:
different perceptions
I take exception to your promo-
tion of the new book The Paper
Shtetl. You suggested that the
shtetl has become a symbolic term
of Jewish nostalgia. I am taking
this opportunity to remind the
readers that the shtetl was a place
without democratic values as we
know them. • The shtetl was a
theocratic dictatorship governed
by narrow-minded rabbis and a
few rich Jews. (Remember
Tevye's song, "If I were a rich
man.")
The shtetl was a community
where class differences were
maintained particularly by the
tyranny of the observant pious
and the learned. The community
was governed by sexist values re-
jected by today's conservatives.
The shtetl was a community
where individual freedoms were
not only limited by the external
(gentile) environment but also by
the kehilah.
Why should we glorify a past
full of Jewish bigotry, sexism,
elitism and rabbinical tyranny?
What values are we teaching
American Jewish children by
glorifying the shtetl?
When will we start to teach
American Jewish children about
our heritage?
It is time we drop the shtetl and
pay homage to American Jewish
pioneers.
After reading Arnold Ages'
comments (The Jewish News,
Nov. 16) concerning Abba Eban's
"Heritage" series, I feel obliged to
make the following observations:
I agree that Eban's presenta-
tion and superb command of
Joseph Lapides
English were outstanding and de-
Ann Arbor
picts him as the scholar he truly
Editor's note: One would im-
is. I also agree that nine one-hour
agine from such generalizing
segments is certainly not enough
to do justice to so broad a subject. judgernent that there isn't an iota
of decency left in mankind. The
But television programming,
shtetl was symbolic of mankind. It
being what it is, leaves few alter-
had its sinners and sex deviates.
natives. Even if you could com-
Its predominant spirituality over-
press something into a one-hour
balanced whatever was negative.
show, isn't this preferable to no
It was a ghetto that defied de-
show at all?
Ages' comments concerning pravity and depression and the
Eban's prediliction toward secu- genius that was nourished there
left much for world and historic
lar theories about Jewish origin
Jewry to be proud of.
and his "lapse" in mentioning the
Hebrew word for God are, I feel,
—P.S.
hyper-critical. This program ap-
peared to be directed to the tastes
Disagreeing over
of a general, but not necessarily
Rabbi Meir Kahane
Jewish audience, and non-Jews
would not be expected to be famil-
I would have to strongly dis-
iar with' the nuances of secular
agree with Irving Greenburg's ar-
Jewish customs. Eban's running
ticle (The Jewish News, Nov. 30 )
commentary in this vein, I found,
about Meir Kahane. I believe
were quite helpful and I think of
what Rabbi Kahane is saying . is
considerable interest to both
that, with the Arab population
Jewish and non-Jewish viewers.
growing faster than the Jewish
I also felt that toward the end of
population (in 40 years it will be
the series and especially in the
aobut one Jew to every six Arabs),
last episode, questions raised by
Israel will no longer be a Jewish
Mr. Eban concerning the future of
state but an Arab one with a small
Jews world-wide with respect to