VIEWS

NATION

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from page 28

is absolutely evil. It is important to
note what Hitler did, because nuclear
war, if it comes, will be preceded by a
popular hysteria. Public opinion will
be manipulated and simplified by the
use of myths.
Jews are ideal candidates for m
fication. Were Jews such as Albert Ein-
stein and J. Robert Oppenheimer
responsible for the Bomb? Did they
) let "the genie out of the bottle?" If
there were a nuclear war, could not
the Jews become the scapegoats of
those who survive? We should be cho-
sen not to be the exception but to be
the example.
Third, the continuing buildup of
nuclear weapons requires a broad
struggle against the promotion of hys-
teria between or by possible antago-
nists. There should be a verbal
response against the willful exaggera-
tion of threats to national security.
There is a crying need for balanced
understanding of the complexities and
ambiguities in our society as well as
the societies of potential antagonists.
Jews should play an important part
in this educational process.
Last, American Jews have an
tional duty. We should maintain the -
morals and morale of the American
people.
Who better than the Jew can help a
people regain its wholeness through
the linking of three questions and
answers: Who are we? (Jews) What is
our task? (Torah) And why may we
hope? (God)
In spite of the turbulence present in
a world of possible nuclear buildup and
confrontation, a world of brokenness,
the Jew affirms that our moral behavior
should reflect a world view of confi-
dence in God's power and love and of
meaning and purpose to our lives.
The Jew should be mindful of the
obligation accepted by our ancestors
on Mt. Sinai "to be a light unto the
nations."
As Rabbi Jacob Agus once pointed
out, "When any society loses its mind,
the Jews within it are likely to lose
their lives." Our minds should be
directed to keep the mind set of
Americans directed to clear thinking
and to life-affirming actions.
We must preserve life. Judaism
begins with a commitment to be a
blessing to all mankind. Perhaps we
can sensitize others to our common
danger. As Jews, our experiences and
our tradition will help us to be educa-
tors regarding the menace hovering
over the heads not only of Indians and
Pakistani but of all of us. ❑

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31

