OTHER VIEWS GALE from page 37 Similarly, we in America cannot sustain vibrant Jewish life if we close ourselves off from our surroundings, refusing to let in the best of what American society and culture has to offer. Yet, being Jewish in America requires a little sechel (common sense). As Jews in America, we engage in a careful and constant balancing of out- side influences with those of our own tradition. Abraham Joshua Heschel put it well when he said that Judaism sur- vives and adapts best when it adopts some of the elements from the sur- rounding culture — but is not assimilat- ed into it. As American Jews, we embrace our country's values. We participate in Amerids cultural and technological achievements, and we are grateful for the opportunities offered by this blessed land. Yet like our ancestors in ancient Judea, we must retain our sense of ju ment and balance — sechel, if you will. Living in this great country, we must be ever watchful that the "outside" influ- ences and values we bring to our lives serve ultimately to nurture and enhance our Judaism and Jewish identity — not undermine and weaken them. And perhaps that is what Jim Morrison and The Doors can teach us this Chanukah season: That like our musical ancestors, while we keep our ears and our hearts open to that which is of value in the world around us — not every new tune for "Adon Olam" is a "keeper." New York s the United States prepares to put deposed Iraqi President Saddam Hussein on trial, it may find it useful to examine Israel's experience in bringing a notorious war criminal to court. In May 1960, Israeli agents cap- tured Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann in Argentina and flew him to Israel to face trial for his senior role in the genocide of 6 million European Jews. Israel immediately faced a torrent of international criti- cism. The United Nations Security Council voted unanimously — with U.S. support — to condemn Israel for "endanger[ing] international peace and security." The Washington Post asserted that Israel's capture and planned prosecution of Eichmann were "tainted by lawlessness," and that Israel had no right to act in the name of Holocaust victims or the Jewish people as a whole, which the Post called an "imaginary Jewish eth- nic entity." Time magazine accused Israel's leaders of "inverse racism" for their position that Israel could speak for the Jewish people. The New York Times rejected the Israeli claims that Eichmann's role in the Nazi genocide justified Israel's intrusion into Argentina on the grounds that "no immoral or illegal act justifies another." The Times also denounced the idea of trying Eichmann in Israel. It preferred that he be brought before an international tribunal since "it was not against Israel but against humanity that his crimes were committed." This position echoed the Times' policy during the Holocaust of delib- erately obscuring the Jewish identity of Hitler's victims. Times Publisher Arthur Hays Sulzberger believed that American Jews should keep their Jewishness as hidden as possible, and made it clear to Times editors that their coverage of Nazi atrocities should likewise play down the Jewish angle. They faithfully complied. Some U.S. church publications were particularly bitter in their attacks on Israel's prosecution of Eichmann. An article in the Unitarian Register compared "the Jew-pursuing Nazi and the Nazi-pur- suing Jew." The Catholic newspaper _ the Tablet said the Eichmann trial was a reminder "that there are still some influential people around who — like Shylock of old — demand their pound of flesh." Dr. Medoff is director of the David Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies, which focuses on issues'related -to America' response to the Holocaust. His e-mail address is rafaelmedoff@aol.com Some leaders might have wavered under such withering attacks. President Bush may start to have sec- ond thoughts if he faces strong criti- cism for his handling of Saddam. But Israeli Prime Minister David York Times asserted, Ben-Gurion was unbending. "Eichmann's crimes are so "American journalists, who enormous" that "hanging have not suffered from the becomes meaningless." Nazi atrocities, may be 'objec- Novelist Pearl Buck urged tive' and deny Israel's right to that Eichmann be kept alive try one of the greatest of the so that he might be studied. Nazi murderers," Ben-Gurion The Central Conference of rebuffed his challengers. "But DR. RAFAEL American (Reform) Rabbis the calamity that the Nazis declared its opposition to all inflicted on the Jewish people MEDOFF capital punishment as a mat- is a specific and unparalleled Special act — an act designed for the Commentary ter of principle. Martin Buber and a group of fellow- utter extermination of the entire Jewish people... Historic justice Hebrew University professors argued that some young Germans had and the honor of the Jewish people recently shown humanistic tenden- demand that this should be done cies, and executing Eichmann would only by an Israeli court in the sover- retard" the flowering of their eign Jewish state." humanism. Digging In The New York Times' final editorial on the subject, published following As the opening of the Eichmann trial Eichmann'sexecution, went so far as approached, the critics took aim to argue that while Eichmann was again. State Department officials guilty, others-were also guilty of "deplored" the prosecution of "murderous hatred" — citing the Eichmann because, they claimed, the Soviet Union, France, Spain and even trial was making some Western our own country, where the power democracies "less responsive to the of the federal government has had to Berlin crisis than desired." An edito- be invoked to secure equal justice for rial in the Times of London warned a racial minority." that while the trial might be fair, it Not many pundits today will com- was tainted because it "springs from pare the United States to Saddam an admittedly illegal act — the Hussein as the New York Times com- abduction of Eichmann from pared the U.S. to the Nazis in 1962. Argentina."The Times warned omi- But President Bush will surely find nously that the trial would have "pro- himself challenged for having found effects [on Israel's] relations Saddam prosecuted and punished. with the rest of the world [and they] What remains to be seen is whether will not necessarily be good." he will follow Ben-Gurion's example Yet another round of criticism and stand fast, or bend to the pres- erupted after Eichmann was convict- sure of his critics. ❑ ed and sentenced to death. The New ments from their non-Jewish musical surroundings into their t011ot (prayers) • and gave these melodies a particularly "Jewish" meaning. Even the Maccabees, as they fought against the tyrant Antiochus, recognized that Greek civilization had much to offer Judaism. They fought against only those influences that were inconsistent with the Judaism's values, and against the inclination by some Jews toward complete assimilation into Greek society and the abandonment of Judaism. Balancing Act Daniel Gale is cantor of Temple Israel in Bay City. U Jim Morrison: singer, teacher ❑ Saddam On Trial A Jig 12/19 2003 38 Ben-Gurion's Influence C C "