F' -~ . .. ·· . ( . · .-· · .. .•. ; .· .· , - . ; ·· · . .. .·· ...... ... ··" . .. .. ..· _.. ... - •· .-.· ... ..··· ;· ..· . : .··. ... · . .. ,. .. -· ....H .· , 'E --·_.:··.: . :E.. .·· w·· ··:·_· ._:·:"·1· ·s ··-.H. ·· .._._. · · :_-.·:-. _. ·. ". -. : .: ~~~J~''/ :U~~~~ - ~967 -·::-:.:< ·· · ~- . ·, .. -' .. · FIFTY CENTS · . · · ·- . .. .· . .. ·•· . ... .· .. .. ..· .·.·· .. , .. .. -. .. .·· .· .. ... .- . .. ' . .... ·' . , · . .. - . .. .. .. .. ·" - . -- . .•· . , - . ,, . - ·.... -. - . - .. · · -_-: :. ·.· ">- - -.··.--. : ·" A priest proposed·..• further revisions . : .· · . · · .> . ·~- :: -._ _..··· .-. -->. .. : . · . .. ..· ...- · .· .. · :": .. ~to eliminate Scriptural readings that · _. _ . ...: . ~- . ·: :· . · - . .. hurt the Jews ... he was not advocating . -· .. -· .· .... .·· ..· . .· ·· . " .. · . a deletion of passages.~ .It is simply : _ . _ . ... .. .· .-·· ·· .... -· ... a matter of ... choosing better passages:~." · ?: . ,. .: . -· - ·· ' . .. .· --.. Adocumentary survey of the growing "dialogue" threat -: .- ~ .- ... -·· -.~-~ ·· ~.- .··:.. ·. ... / . · - .. · ·- .· . .. .· _· .· ._ ... : .- ..... ..: . .. · - . ... .. ... · . .. .. .. · :: . - - . .· .. ' . ' - . ~ . ... .. -· .. .: . ·· _,. .. .. - ..· ..· ·· ,· . .. .. .... ~- . - - .. _,. : _.. _.· ·.. ...- .... ..'. .· .. -· -- .· . · ... .· .· · THE JEWISH QBSERVER In this issue ... "CHOOSING BETTER PASSAGES'' ..• A documentary survey of the growing "dialogue" threat. We believe that this survey should be read by thinking Jews far beyond the circle of our own readers, in order to alert them to the dangers to Jewish integrity and survival. We feel it is urgent to distribute thou­ sands of reprints throughout America and the English-speak­ ing world. If you lvant to participate in this action, send your contribution nott' to the REPRINT FUND, c/o THE JEWISH OBSERVER ................................................................................................................... 3 THE JEWISH OBSERVER is published Two BooKs ... recent tt'orks that offer deep insights into two monthly, except July and August, by the Agudath Israel of America, 1najor areas of Jewish concern ... 5 Beekman Street, New York, N. Y. 10038. Second class JOURNEY THROUGH A HAUNTED LAND l 1 postage paid at New York, N. Y. Subscription: $5.00 per year; single copy: 50¢. Printed in the THE JEWS OF SILENCE ................ .. 12 U.S.A. PROGRAMMED ]NSTRUCTION-lTS POTENTIAL FDR TORAH. so1ne proposals for utilizing new educational techniques to Editorial Board teach Torah to children and adults, Lams Nm.MAN .................. 14 DR. ERNST L. BODENHEIMER Chainnan RABBI NATHAN BULMAN AGNON AND THE NOBEL PRIZE ... so1ne co1nments on s. Y. RABBI JOSEPH ELIAS AGNON, and significant excerpts fro1n his acceptance address JOSEPH FRIEDENSON to the Swedish Academy ................................... l 7 RABBI MOSHE SHERER Advertising Manager RABBI SYSHE HESCHEL ISRAEL DIGEST ... reports on issues facing Jews in Israel, from military security as viewed by religious Jewry to pro­ Managing Editor posals for election reform and how they would affect the RABBI Y AAKOV JACOBS religious parties, by MENACHEM GREENBERG ................................. 19 THE JEWISH OBSERVER does not SECOND LOOKS AT THE JEWISH SCENE: assume responsibility for the Kashrus of any product or service Thanksgiving 1884 advertised in its pages. Image The Council for Judaism is 'Getting Religion' ........ 22 MARCH 1967 VoL. IV, No. 2 .....@) LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ... readers coniment on the Syna- gogue Council and Orthodoxy, and other issues .............................. 27 . .. .' .. ~ .. .. ' u choosin·g ·better .passages" Adocumentary survey of the growing "dialogue" threat We have had much to say* in the three years of our ing than anything we · could write-which offer some existence on the subject of ecumenism and "dialogue." indication of the scope of the problem as we see it Torah scholars have unanimously agreed that the ex­ through the mass of releases, pamphlets and books tension. of a purely Christian movement to encompass which reach our office. The problem will soon be com- Jews, will weaken the commitment to Judaism of masses pounded many times over by the use of television (see of Jews, and ease the way to sHMAD (conversion). On page 10) which a leading Jewish "dialoguer" reg«rds as February 20th, a front-page story in The New York "the secret weapon of ecumenism," and will bring Times (excerpts appear on page 8) detailed the growing "dialogue" into millions of Jewish homes. proportions of Christian-Jewish "dialogue" and re­ The documents also point up the confusions and con­ ported the opening of a "new phase" in which the tradictions of the Jewish sponsors of "dialogue" (who Synagogue Council of America would take part in incidentally an paying a good part of the /Jill) and the theological "dialogue," which their Orthodox consti­ determination of Church groups to continue their "mis­ tuents had until now restrained them from doing.** sion to the Jews" while adopting a new set of terms to What follows is a series of documentary citations from describe it. We welcome comments from our readers. Jewish and non-Jewish sources-they are more reveal- Y.J. .- *Second Looks, Oct. 63; Nov. 63; Jan. 64; Rome and Cin­ ** A disclaimer appeared several days later in the Yiddish­ cinnati, May 64; The Vatican Council and the Jew, Nov. 64; language Day Morning-Journal. In answer to our inquiries we Second Looks, Dec. 64; Rav Amnon's Dialogue, Jan. 65; Sec­ · were told that a similar disclaimer would appear in The Times. ond Looks, Apr. 65: Emphasis ... Ours. Oct. 65; The Declara­ When no such disclaimer appeared after a week. we called tion on the Jews and The New Theology,' Jan. 66; Second Edward Fiske of The Times' staff, who wrote the story. and Looks, Jan. 66. he denied that any correspondence had been received from SCA. .. : .-- . 0 between Christianity and Judaism. In its strictest tech­ .· lnter-religious Relationships" nical sense, the term ecumenical applies only to rela­ An Ecumenical. Inter-Religious Concert tionships among Christians-Le., Catholic, Protestants, • and Eastern Orthodox-and the ground of ecumenism This FIRST will be held . is the shared Christology which is peculiar to Christen­ at Music Hall, Cincinnati . .. <lorn. It is a misnomer and a misapplication of the term to apply it to relations between Christians and Jews . the three religious groups involved are launching One can apply it, of course, to Christian-Jewish rela­ an ongoing program which wiU produce other ecumen­ tions in its broadest, most generic sense but in its authen­ ical programs of the sacred and liturgical music of the tic, theological meaning, it is a term specifically applica­ faiths. Musicians from Cincinnati churches and syna­ ble only to relations within Christendom. In this applica- gogues will be asked to take part in future concerts. tion, it deals with the activities of Cardinal Bea's sec­ -from a circular distributed in Cincinnati, upon which retariat relating to the reunion of the "separated breth­ appeared a crucifix superimposed on the Tablet~- ren." Yet having said that, at the same time one cannot really explore nor exhaust the full meaning of what ~' . The Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn and the Anti­ ecumenism means in its ultimate reaches without its Defamation League of B'nai Brith today (Dec. 15, ·· application to relations between Christian and Jews, 1966) announced joint sponsorship of a standing com­ since the Hebrew Bible is the foundation of all mono­ mittee on Catholic-Jewish relations, believed to be the theism. For reasons of clarity, however, it is probably first of its kind in the nation . wise and prudent that we use the term "inter-religious -from an AOL press release. relationships" to describe the relations between Chris­ tianity and Judaism and between Christians and the It should be said at the very outset that there is· con-' Jewish people. siderable confusion in the use of the term "ecumenical" -Marc Tanenbaum in: Vatican ll: An Interfaith Ap­ ·~onfusion both within Christendom and confusion praisal I University of Notre Dame Press, 1966 The Jewish Observer / March, 1967 3 ,,· ..· .. ..... .~ . .. ~ .. Some Recent Releases NE\'.V YORK. A "how-to" Guide he firmly believes that they will disagree fo11owing primary rules are observed: to lnterreligious Dialogue, slated for in a more informal way and can then 1) Clarify your own beliefs practical use in the burgeoning area of pursue the controversy on a reasonable 2) Keep a completely open mind ... interfaith discussion, has been launched plane.... -AJC release by the American Jewish Committee. To encourage intergroup activity, the Reviewing the dramatic growth and manual includes a list of provocative WASHJNGTON .... Jn an event be­ popularity of the dialogue movement in topics for discussion as well as a prac­ lieved to be unprecedented in the history American life, Rabbi Marc H. Tanen· tical working plan which explains how of America's religious con1munities, all baum. Director of the Committee's Inter· to set up a dialogue, where to hold it five of the American Roman Catholic religious Affairs Depa1iment, stresses the and how to attract participants. In Cardinals and about 40 Archbishops and fact that the dialogue is not a debate addition to local church and synagogue Bishops will join in a ceremony with where points are scored and the oppof!ite groups, the pamphlet suggests that local Jewish leaders at a luncheon reception side