PURELY COMMENTARY
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Editor Emeritus
Testing The Generation: Never Ending
C
onstantly recurring
prejudicial outbursts
against Jews in many
parts of the world have
aspects of such normality — if
hatred can be granted such
terminology — that
preparedness to confront
them should also be viewed as
a normality. In the present
decade, it seems to have
grown to such extremes that
what is needed is more than
mere preparedness for defen-
sive actions. There is need to
reactivate the communities
into the awareness of the
menacing situations akin to
one of the bitterest in our
history. The lessons of the
earlier decades need
relearning.
Jewish leadership — call it
establishment if you wish —
may be in a quandary over
the reactions of our youth to
the attitudes that plague us.
Anti-Semitism is the total
substance of the many reports
about increasing an-
imosities. It is almost a com-
mon denominator when
Jewish students have to face
up to prejudices on college
campuses, when synagogues
and cemetery desecrations
are reported from many lands
and are frequent occurrences
in this country.
The actions of the United
Nations are representative of
the international an-
tagonisms when dealing with
Israel. Seldom has a so-called
democratic country in the UN
voted with the United States
favorably toward Israel.
Pressures from the Arab
There is need to
reactivate the
communities into
the awareness of
the menacing
situations.
camps threaten to reduce the
U.S. friendship. There is little
if anything to be expected in
Israel's support from the na-
tions we consider in the
civilized ranks. Therefore,
there is compulsion for
Jewish leadership to think
anew on the basis of
established experience to
have a renewed form of
mobilization in our pleading
for an assurance of interna-
tional fairness.
Turning back the pages of
recorded history we find
reminders of periods of grow-
ing anti-Semitism when it
was necessary to mobilize for
retorts to spreading libels,
when we were compelled to be
vigilantly prepared to
challenge the venomous.
In many instances, as in the
present, there is the necessi-
ty to appeal to fellow Jews not
to provide comfort to Israel's
antagonists.
In a summary of very
unpleasant occurences more
than two decades ago, an ap-
peal for justice to fellow
citizens was accompanied by
an urgent call for Jewish
solidarity. It was in a "Pure-
ly Commentary" column in
The Jewish News of October
1974 that there was the
reminder of the events. The
article was in a special
chapter in my book Without
Malice published in 1978.
Because the appeal relates to
the present, it bears
repetition.
Need For Increased
Concern With Public
Relations On
Israel's Behalf
A period of serious
testing of the merits of
Jewish leadership is ap-
proaching. Israel may be
ruled out of the upcoming
examination. The embattl-
ed little state is a case all its
own. Her diplomatic force,
her government, will have
their battlefronts on the in-
ternational arena. But
world Jewry will be
especially tried and tested,
and American Jewry will
be the chief object in an ex-
amination of strength and
willpower in the process of
handling unavoidably
challenging issues.
It is the 1920s and 1940s
all over again. Once again
the anti-Semite is on the
scene, and the barricades
against Jewish national
redemption are in sight
again, being erected by
enemies who would
destroy what has been
built with the sweat and
blood of the pioneers who
adhered to prophecy and
the survivors of Auschwitz
and Treblinka and Dachau
who found refuge from
holocaustian brutalities.
Now the obstructionists
are from many lands. They
would destroy the
redeemers of Zion. They
come from the oil-rich Ara-
bian bloc and from the
Western countries which
are listed in the democratic
and civilized column .. .
How is this costly attain-
ed right to a minute
measure of sovereignty to
be protected for little
Israel? Is world Jewry able
to raise a strong enough
voice in defense of justice
in Eretz Israel? There were
occasions when American
Jews were compelled to
make demands upon hesi-
tant administrations and
antagonistic State Depart-
ment officials, when
British Jews were equally
courageous in their pro-
tests against their govern-
ment's Foreign Office. If
justice is losing its stance
in the process of interna-
Continued on Page 52
Contempt For Informers In Jewish Experience
I reformers are traditionally
treated with contempt in
Jewish experience. The
informer is even mentioned in
daily prayers as the Malshin.
He invites severest
punishment.
This becomes a serious
reminder in two instances of
informers that have plagued
Israel and have caused anger
and anxiety among Jews
everywhere. One occurrence
involved Israel's nuclear
knowledge. The newest is the
accusation that Mossad,
Israel Intelligence, failed to
warn the U.S. about the bom-
bing that killed 240
American soldiers in Beirut
in 1983.
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2
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1990
Notoriety gained by both
accusations — the first in the
London Sunday Times, the
current one in an American
published book — keeps in-
viting resentment. The
charge regarding the Beirut
tragedy is especially to be
assailed as outrageously bad
reporting, bordering on
falsehood.
Such occurrences serve well
in judging of informers in
recorded Jewish religious and
ethical teachings.
Informers are dealt with in
the daily prayers in the
shemona esrei, the eighteen
benedictions, as slanderers.
In commentaries they are
mostly the non-Jewish
enemies and apostates. In the
current Israeli experiences,
they are Jews.
The twelfth benediction in
the weekday prayers
specifically asserts:
And for slanderers let
there be no hope, and let
all wickedness perish as in
a moment; let all thine
enemies be speedily cut off,
and the dominion of ar-
rogance do thou uproot
and crush; cast down and
humble speedily in our
days. Blessed art thou, 0
Lord, who breakest the
enemies and humblest the
arrogant.
This benediction, which is
included in the thrice daily
synagogue services —
shachrit, mincha, ma'ariv —
is defined in the Siddur com-
mentaries of Dr. Joseph Hertz
who was Chief Rabbi of Great
Britain at the turn of the cen-
tury. Dr. Hertz's detailed com-
mentary explains it in these
terms:
Twelfth Benediction:
Against slanderers, in-
formers and traitors: This
petition is an addition to
the "eighteen benedic-
tions," which by it became
nineteen. It is directed
against Jewish sectaries.
They wrought division and
havoc in the religious
camp of Israel. Especially
detestable were their
fratricidal activities in the
political field. They played
the informers for the
Roman authorities, and
brought many of their
brethren to a painful
death. The wording of this
Benediction has under-
gone manifold modifica-
tions. In its present form it
has a universal and
timeless application. The
statement that in this
prayer Jews of today utter
an imprecation against
those of another Faith is a
baseless calumnny.
slanderers. This term
covers both the disloyal
Jews in ancient times as
well as those apostates in
the Middle Ages, who in-
stigated persecutions
against their former
brethren.
wickedness. Not the
wicked, but wickedness;
with the cessation of sin,
In commentaries,
informers are
mostly non-Jewish
enemies and
apostates. In the
current Israeli
experiences, they
are Jews.
sinners would be no more.
speedily cut off. All the
internal enemies against
whom this prayer seems
originally to have been
directed, did speedily
perish. Within a few
generations they disap-
peared from the Jewish
body.
Such is the denunciation
that is therefore included in
Jewish judgements against
slanderers and wicked-
minded who can be
designated as informers.
The lesson from experience,
including the current, is ap-
parent. The condemnation
also demands erasing the
damage done and designating
the guilt to the vilest ranks of
enemies of the Jewish people.
The presently accused have
an opportunity to atone for
harm done with some form of
firm denial and atonement.
Who and how many will do
the judging? ❑
No Embalming Us
In A Museum
W
riting under the
headline "If Only
The Jews . . . Would
Go Back To Being Victims,"
New York Times Op-Ed page
(Oct 18), Meir Rosenne,
former Israel Ambassador to
the United States and France,
commenced with the
following:
The trouble with Israel is
that it's a Jewish state. Like
the Jews, it's a pain in the
neck, and the world would
Continued on Page 52