12 Friday, October 25, 1985; THE. DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
PURELY COMMENTARY
The Road To Jewish Unity
Continued from Page 2
•
the religious establishment of Is-
rael understand that by being
firm in its position, and yeilding ,
nothing to the non-observant, it
will not contribute to peace in
this country. We are convinced
that unless we learn how to
communicate with each other
and find ways of solving prob-
lems, the State of Israel can be
destroyed.
The right approach for those
in opposition to the establish-
ment is not to undermine it, but
rather to help the establishment
see that the future of the State of
Israel depends upon there being •
respectful relationships between
all segments of the population.
By the same token those in favor
of the establishment must realize
that a little bit of -flexibility in
many areas will also contribute
to the propagation of the faith
among those who do not believe.
This is something that.Bar-Ilan is
trying to do.
- •
We will be criticized for some
of these things. We expect the
- criticism, but certainly our
Heavenly Father knows that
what we are doing we are doing
for His sake, and for the sake of
the survival of the Jewish people
and our heritage.
Any wonder that under such
courageous leadership as Dr. Rackman's,
Bar-Ilan University rose not only to na- •
tional Israel Leadership but also to
worldwide academic fame?
Hopefully, Dr. Rackman's guidance
will contribute immensely to the
strengthening of the tasks of achieving
Jewish unity. It isn't easy, but as the
scholarly Bar-Ilan president indicates, it
is attainable. To do so, it must have the .
positive adherence of all Jewish ele-
ments.
Israel As 'Patient':
Multiple Scalpels
In Unsteady Hands
Israel is in the limelight and some
in our midst are annoyed. Because some
of the diagnoses of conditions in the
Jewish state are massively treated, com-
bining the threats with the evils, there
is a sensitivity that often develops into
anger.
Once again, therefore, there is need
to admonish the concerned that studies
of situations affecting an entire nation
are almost always repetitive, that there
is always the better element to overcome
the destructive, that where there is life
based on cherished traditions and a
never-abandoned hope there is less to
fear than appears on the surface.
The aggravating about the treat-
ments of Israel in the • media are re-
Ininiscent of olden times, during the
Nazi era, in two respects:
About the negatives: it will be re-
called that a German Jew seen reading
Streicher's filthy Beobachter was asked
why he even touched such a product of
the gutter that was dripping with anti-
Semitism. His reply was: "Why not? He
tells me Jews have all the money, they
control the preas, they boss our univer-
sities ... I'd rather read this than all the
German propaganda that calls for my
destruction ... ' •
The second: During the beginnings of the
tragic Nazi era, Jews began to appear on
the front pages. Without anticipating the
'need to expose Nazism, some , Jews pro-
tested the attention given their people in there would never be the need to panic
the'-headlines.. There came one impres- • over a series of articles. Perhaps there
should be appreciation that the media
ation of the trend: "Jews ARE
sive explan
present the facts as seen by the report-
There is no denying: Israel is impor- ing professionals. Where they err, :there
should be correction; where they ad-
tant news, and Jews help make it so. -
Inicifar as reading both the evil and monish, there must be actions to treat the
horrifying seriously. A Kahane expose is
the good, the lessons of the past should
not new. It is taken seriously. The re-
be more impressive than some collected
grettable is that such an obnoxious
reports and essays about Israelis and
character is given a platform. Otherwise,
their problems. There is the positive that
there is an Israeli-Jewish ethical code
defies all •that is menacing:
that views- him with contempt.
Israel is often treated as a "patient"
The solution and response: the duty
with Many illnesses and the would-be
to assure security for Israel, dignity for
physicians in the media are diagnosing,
the Israelis, respect for an obligation
often recommending surgery, using scal-
never to step on the toes of an ailing fac-
pels that cause pain, especially when the
tor in life. The obligation is to cure and
sharp edges are twisted. It is nokall that
to provide -strength. Israel will surely
> threatening. Not all analysts are evil-
survive all of the anthologies of illnesses.
minded. Many are convinced they are
Don't panic!
presenting a picture of a ,threatened na-
tion that should be made a matter °ire-
cord.
This is surely the case with the Positive About Israel:
lengthy series by a reputable writer in a
very reputable newspaper. Steven Photographic Record
Franklin in the Detroit Free Press Portrays Achievement
painted a rather gloomy picture of exist-
ing conditions. Even in the army, where
The appeal and hope that the posit-
Jews representing all elements in the
state are no longer fully oriented into a ive about Israel will be given emphasis
solid unity, there are failures to assure keeps gaining repetition. There is so
much that is remarkable about the re-
patriotism. A hatemong'er with a rab-
demption that it should not be ignored.
binic title is causing untold trouble. The
It demands continuing attention.
economic situation is appalling.
photographic record of life in Is-
There is little if anything that is rael, A condensed
into a single day's activi-
klin series. His compila- ties, just published,
new in the Fran
draws special atten-
tion is good juirnalism. It does •not re-
tion
to
the
positive.
veal anything new. Piecemeal, in the
In The Israelis: Photolraphs of a
New York Times, Thomas Friedman has
-published jointly by Harry
been telling the story constantly. Collec- Day in May,
tively, all the comments by Arabs, by N. Abrams in New York and Keter Pub-
Jews who become embittered, by a rabbi lishing House in Jerusalem, so much is
presented that this large volume of more
who is a menace- to mankind, become an
250 'pages of pictures provides
anthology -`,'exposing" Israel's ailing con- than
pride, admiration, appreciation for such
dition as a "patient." -
Readers must not become angered a remarkably collected effort.
Amos Elon, noted author and Israeli
over Enanklin in the Free Press. He has
commentator, supervised this
gathered material, on- his own, in his , political
task. He produced the work together
own way, to tell the story. What he told,
with 55 photographers:
and what Friedman related previously,
They all spent a single day gather- •
must he viewed as guidelines to prevent
ing the cast of characters.-A summary of
danger to Israel, and there need be no
this remarkable book in the Harry N.
panic over it.
Granted, therefore: the Israeli , Abrams catalogue describes the book so
patient is sick! How are the concerned , well that it merits the unusual — its
being reprinted even though it has a
Jews who are angered by the anthologies
commercial aspect. The Abrams formal
of social - economic - politicaLdiseases to
'treat the reports? . Is anger desirable? comment on the Elon-55 photographers-
produced volume follows:
Should the reaction be a series of pro-
Beginning with the deep pur-
testing. letters?
ple sunrise over the Sea of
There is another way, the realistic,
Galilee, every. unfolding moment
the Jewish, the Israeli. Israel's rebirth
of Thursday, May 10, 1984, was
was, remains, the miracle of historical
special in Israel. An otherwise
experience._The road .was never an easy
ordinary 'day, it, was monitored
one, that leading toward strengthening
the reborn state. In every instance, every
b y 55 photographers,
worked around the clock to catch
threat called for, firm action. _
more than 40,000 images in the
It is regrettable that too much that
24-hour period. Their cameras ,
is recorded newswise is so distressing.
found the spontaneous, avoided
There is so much that is positive — the
the cliched. The 'astonishing <'
modernity of Israel, the emphasis on the
album that is The Israelis presents-
highly moral and thematic, the scientific
318 Of their best photographs,-in,
research, the fame of the nation's uni
eluding 287 in lavish color': ' '
versifies!
A portrait of Israel's people,
(The interpretative :about Bar-Ilan
The Israelis ranges , over &Naafi
University in the earlier item in this
column, quoting the - distinguished
Orthodox nuns, Talniudic schol-f
scholar Dr. Emanuel Racimati, is defini
ars, Moslems in prayer. It locates
shepherds in Judea, a
tive on the latter score); • '
Every inkling of difficulty must,
philosopher at the Hebrew Uni-
therefore, be confronted not by panic, but
versity. Ethiopian immigrants in
by the determined will of the entire
Or Akiva -- all for a unique
mosaic of telling sights and
Jewish people to assert that the -Miracle
of Israel will never be permitted -ste be
scenes, faces and moods. By
mid-day, at a cheder in
sunk into oblivion, that the responsibil-
ity toward fellow Jews will not be ig-
Jerusalem, young scholars are
nored, that the duty to Israel in the
having lunch, while elsewhere in
human fashion, of -pro6cting a menaced
the country, in the kibbutz Sde
Boker, where David Ben- Gurion
people, will be adhered to. ,
is ` buried, a shepherd tends his
If this were the road to he follaived;
,
..-
iITZT
sheep. Meanwhile, in Jaffa, busi-
ness booms at a flea market.
This is the Israel:-behind the
headlines, the Israel that 405,000
Americans. visited in •1984. Now
they -can retuin for whether
readers meet twilight in
Jerusalem, near-the Valley of the'
Cross, or wind down at a Be-
douin' cafe near Holit, they too
will be part of this day in May.
, The Elon-produced volume, the pub-
lished Abrams=Keter text, is so . impres-
sive, it tells Israel's story much better
than a dozen journalists' writings com-
bined. Those who get frightened by a
aeries in the Free Press, by reports in the
New York Times and elsewhere,\ will do
themselves a better service by procuring
and looking at the collected photographs
in a remarkable book. Let this be the
message for the week about Israel "the
patient."
,
Curiosity Over
Social Aspects
Of Palm Beach
The "populace" is always intrigued
by social aspects of neighbors and those
in the limelight. Social climbers may be
embarrassed; their observers will be
amused. The less-affluent always wish to
peek into lives and activities of those
"better off." Therefore the social and gos-
sip columns of newspapers always have
an interested readership.
of
Therefore, when a novel's,
guing
characters are the rich, the inri
events often lead to best-seller status.
Such is the case for Palm Beach,
Fla. Events there and about its pos-
season of winter homes and vacation i sts
: attract readership.
More Jewish Nobelists
In The Sciences g
And Economks
An astounding record- gained new
momentum in the past-weeks. Jews have
such an impressive role -among Nobel
Prize winners that the few_ who reached
that goal in the past weeks add to glory
unmatched.
Walter L. Field, the writer of poetry
and prose on Bible themes, who is espe-
cially drawn to the Scriptural and the
Torah, has one other hobby: he is work-
ing on an analysis of Jews as Nobellists;
he maintains it is in the,genes. When he
completes his studies,' the latest de-
velopments will surely add interest to
the subject of the Nobel Prize winners.
• It is worth recording the names of
the Jews who won Nobel prizes in the
most recent few clays., 'hey include:
Joseph Goldstein _ling Michael Brown
liTaio ( loity ),!Franco Mod-
(medicine
cinee
( coa nn 9d nu p cs
Especially notable in the new list is
the 'name of Franco___Modigliani. He car-
ries a famous name. An. Italian Jew who
was-among the escapees from Mussolini's
Fascist threats, his life story is a thril-
' - ling tale of success. Ile has gained fame
'worldwide and his economic views are
widely acclaimed.
He has a prominent predecessor in
the Modigliani family. The predecessor
was described on this page in The
Jewish News issue of Nov. 30, 1984. It
relates so well to the -latest in Nobelism
that it merits a link with newly-famed
,_Nobellist Economist Modigliani. Its text: