ELUL 5727 I SEPTEMBER 1967 . .H··.·.· ·... .E·· ··.·. 'EW Is H... .·· . ... VOLUME 4, NUMBER 6 · · .r ...... FIFTY CENTS . BSERVER········

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.. . . THE JEWISH QBSERVER

An anonymous donor has endowed this issue:

nJJ\!ll 1.JT) In this issue ... N1TV )NllJ\!I LIGHT FROM DARKNESS, Reflections on the Six-Day War ...... 4

1J.1N1 1"J. SILENCE: WHEN ISRAEL WAS THREATENED-PROTEST: WHEN ISRAEL PREVAILED, a look at world response to Israel in the crisis period-before, during, and following the six-day war_. with son1e of the implications for ecumenism, and the words of one Jett 1ish ecumenist whose 1nind was changed by the real- ity of church apathy ...... 8

YERUSHALAYIM TRIUMPHANT, an eye-witness account of the THE JEWISH OBSERVER is published three .fateful days of fi11hting in the Holy City, CHAIM Dov monthly, except July and August, by the Agudath Israel of America, ALTUSKY ...... 12 5 Beekman Street, New York, N. Y. 10038. Second class TORAH AND RELEVANCE, a reaction to the cry that Judaism postage paid at New York, N. Y. Subscription: $5.00 per year~ 1nust be made relevant to the issues of the day, if we are to single copy: 50¢. Printed in the keep our youth loyal to their faith-a Torah perspective on U.S.A. 'relevance,' LEO LEVI 14

Editorial Board R' AVROHOM YEHOSHUA HESCHEL, ~~,~' v'i3 i~T ...... 18 DR. ERNST L. BODENHEIMER Chair1nan "HE WHO SAVES A SOUL IN )SRAEL .. . "-An account of the RABBI NATHAN BULMAN heroic rescue work of the late Michael G. Tress, by GERSHON RABBI JOSEPH ELIAS KRANZLER ...... JOSEPH FRIEDENSON 19 RABBI MOSHE SHERER Advertising Manager THE MONTH OF ELUL, extracts from a translation of Eliyahu RABBI SYSHE HESCHEL Kirov's SEPER HA'TODA'A, soon to be released by "A" Pub­ lishers. The translation is by RABBI NATHAN BULMAN 23 Managing Editor RABBI Y AAKOV JACOBS SECOND LOOKS AT THE JEWISH SCENE; Accepting .4 ntisemitic Cliche,\' 26 THE JEWISH OBSERVER does not assume responsibility for the "A Jewish Happening" ...... 27 Kashrus of any product or service advertised in its pages. "The Bugaboo of Coercion" ...... 29

PICTURE CREDITS: Photographs on the cover, pp. 3 and 6. were taken during SEPT. VoL. IV, No. 6 1967 the war and were made available by the Kullel Meir Ba'a/ Haness. Photo­ graphs on pp. 9 and 11 from the Israel Office of Information in New York City. 1 IJ v ) 1 i 1 ii 1 1 n J. v , 1 n , l J. ~ 1 > J J. 1 N , 1

And His Children saw His Might-they praised Him and gave thanks.

DURING THESE great and awesome days we were ers in the military forces who defended our Holy privileged to see with our own eyes miracles of Land. May He who dwells in Zion-He Who has G-d-overt manifestations of the Supernatural. chosen Yerushalayim-bestow His blessing upon Many nations joined to blot our our name, but lhem. G-d in His great mercy and benevolence granted DEAR BROTHERS, People of G-d: We have been us a complete and speedy victory, humbling our privileged to see that the Lord our G-d walks enemies and widening our borders to encompass amoncr us to shield us from our enemies and to the Holy Places. delive~ them into our hands. It has again been Jn these glorious days let us rejoice in G-d's demonstrated to us that we can rely on G-d alone. benevolence and as one unified people: "Let us Let us then joyously accept His Sovereignty and give praise to G-d. for His kindness is everlasting." His Torah, to fulfill all that G-d demands of us. In the midst of our joy, we remember the blood Let these days be a time of introspection and shed by our sainted brothers who gave their Jives awakening. As in the days of Mordechai and Al Kiddush Hashem, on our behalf, and in de­ Esther our forefathers accepted then what they fense of the cities of G-d. We pray that their souls had received before-because of the enormity of sha11 rise on High, there to be joined in the 'bond the miracle of their redemption-let us too-in of life' with the souls of the Kedoshim of all the face of the enormous miracle of our redemp­ generations. tion-arise together as one man with one heart Let us remember their sons, their families-to to accept our Torah willingly and lovingly. Then assist them, to comfort them, and to see after their those who arc distant from Torah will see and well-being in the future. hear and will come closer to our G-d. We pray that the Almighty will quickly heal May we be worthy of living in our Holy Land lhe wounded-that they may enjoy long life and in peace and tranquilty; see the glorious return the fruits of the Land. of G-d to Zion in our Total Redemption: and We record our heart-felt gratitude to our broth- witness the rebuilding of our Beis Hamikdosh.

-Adapted from a statelll('/l/ by tl1e Vaad Harrabonim of Agudath Israel. Yerusha/ayim Reflections on the Six-Day War LIGHT FROM DARKNESS

THE OVERWHEL11ING impact of radiant brightness is It will be many months, perhaps years, before a felt most strongly when we confront it as we emerge complete picture emerges of the miracle which broke from d2rkness-and the deeper the darkness, the through the hester ponim of our golus existence to greater the impact of the light. Our Sages speak of the give us an awareness of the intimacy of the Almighty's morning's light bursting forth from the blackest dark­ relationship to the Jewish people-an awareness so ness of the night, and they do not only mean this in the overpowering that it swept into the hearts of all Jews: literal sense but also as a description of the deliverance The Jewish Observer and Middle East Review (the of Israel from its suffering. They refer, in the first place organ of British Zionism) said on June 9: and in the fullest sense, to the ultimate redemption by Seven days ago we wrote that the Jewish people the coming of the Moshiach; but to a lesser degree, cannot rely on miracles. But what has happened every individual and the community as a whole, on since then cannot be adequately cotnprehended occasion live through traumatic experiences of this in any other tern1s. nature. But the events we witnessed have taught us not only How could we better describe the critical period about G-d's relationship to our people-they have which Kial Yisroel lived through a mere three months taught us 1nuch about our people itself. In the weeks ago? There was the gathering storm, the threats, the of crisis we experienced Jewish unity-in a manner murderous scheming of the enemies, the amassing of that had eluded us in the past. What was the essence troops, the shameful withdrawal of the "peacekeeping of this unity? It was not the 'Jewish unity' of the slog­ forces," the closing of the lifelines, a rain of steel and aneers; not a 'Jewish unity' that turned its back on fire about to fall upon a tiny country, with its friends the Jewish past; not a synthetic 'Jewish unity' which looking on in passive unconcern. Small wonder that a ignored the sanctities of our sacred heritage. It was parulyzing sense of impending doom threatened to a unity forged by the words of the prophet, brought engulf those of our people living in Israel, as well as to life by the prayers of the psalmist which were on the the rest of us, impotent observers from afar! lips of every Jew. It was unity based on Torah and tradition, made possible by the spark of true Jewish­ And then-G-d's help in the blinking of an eye! ness that dwells, however submerged, in the heart of The breath-catching fear at the outbreak of hostilities every Jew. th2t Monday 1norning gave place. without any transi­ tion whatsoever, to the awareness of utter succour, This spark, liberated by the his'orarus, the over­ beyond the expectations and calculations of any hu1nan whelming experience of G-d's loving care for His mind. And where before, even the most G-d conscious people, bound us all together. Jew was tempted to give in to helpless despair, now When the troops reached the Kosel Ma'aravi, there even the most this-worldly and secular Jew felt was no dickering about clericalism. Whether it was a touched by the breath of Divine Providence-revealed steel helmet or a shtreimel, a yarmulka or a hastily­ in the immenseness of total victory no less than in the improvised head-covering, they ... we stood at the many individual episodes that made up the total picture. foot of the Wall and prayed to the same G-d. Somehow, in some mystical way, without the need THE TOTALLY UNEXPECTED conquest of our most hal­ for persuasion; without polemics, without talk-as lowed sanctuaries was at one and the same time, the if drawn by a powerful magnetic field, Jews streamed most glaring embodiment of the victory and the op­ to the Kosel Ma'aravi. Not only those who live in the portunity for the victors to express their awareness of Holy Lmd, but every Jew everywhere, during those Divine help-for it was no abstract theological concept magic days, was drawn to the Wall-to the sanctity of a Supreme Being to which they felt drawn to do of Yerushalayim Ir Hakodesh, to the sanctity of Jew­ homage, but the G-d of Israel, speaking to us in the ishness, to the sanctity of Torah-every Jew was Torah and revealed to us ever anew in our history. drawn to his G-d. A people only weeks before torn by

4 The Jewish Observer / Septen1ber, 1967 EXTRACTS FROM A PERSONAL LETTER WRITTEN BY RABBI MENACHEM POROSH, M.K.

On that Tuesday when Hussein and pleading for Divine Mercy. were it not for the super-1111- flew to Nasser, the atmosphere And the war began. man bravery of the men of the in the Knesset was that of Israel Defense Force, their Tisha B'Av-without exagger­ The center of the Land, Tel demonstrations of bravery ation. Aviv and its environs, were and strength, their indescrib­ most exposed to the danger of Military experts felt that given able self-sacrifice. Soldiers air attack; from time to time the mobilization of Egypt's gave their lives, knowing that the sirens wailed and people forces, and those of the other they were saving many others. rushed to the shelters. Many Arab states-particularly their There is no parallel to the mir­ places were badly ht't . ... air strength, the outbreak of acle, and to the wondrous Fierce ball/es were going on war could CHOLILA, destroy achievements of our Air Force, in the Negev and Sinai. 180 us. ... in destroying the Egyptian Air tanks were in direct conjron­ Force in the early hours of the The preparations in the hos­ tation for 36 consecutive campaign. Israeli planes evad­ pitals were dreadful-the sick hours. War correspondents were removed to make place ed enemy radar and were un­ who had covered great wars ietected as they approached for the war casualties. Hun­ agreed that they had never dreds of graves were dug ... enemy air-fields ... thus being seen such fierce face-to-!ace able to destroy their planes The streets were emptied of fighting . ... men of military age-they had and remove the threat of mas­ all been called up. ... Yerushalayim stood embattled sive air-attacks. This com­ The Bnei Yeshivas donated face-to-face with the enemy, pletely upset Egypt's battle blood-they gathered the surrounded on all sides by plan which was geared to de­ crops, they worked in the hos­ Jordanian forces ... We were stroying the major cities and pitals . . . and when troops under a rai'n of shells and hor­ only then pitting into battle marched by the schuls and rible explosions. Many fell the infantry and armour. ... yeshivas they called out: wounded-many fell dead. These were great days-awe­ PRAY FOR US. The hits were devastating­ some davs. For generations fa­ Day and night groups said they were calculated to strike thers will tell their sons of the Tehilim-the cries tore the at sensitive areas. Yerusha­ Mighty Acts. But ... 'Who 1eart. Women stood alongside layim was under the threat­ can ex/Jress the .f!'"eatness of every Aron Hakodesh, crying G-d forbid-of destruction, G-d, who can tell His praise ...'

strife, stood in awe before the wonders that Hakodosh entists, the psychologists, the economists, which only Baruch Hu had wrought for them. And they believed, describe what is happening, actually explain it. Sud­ and they prayed, and they sang songs of thanksgiving denly, by the grace of G-d, an event of such immense and joy, and they knew that David Melech Yisroel impuct that all human rationalizations, all speculations Chay V'kayom. about cause and effect, are swept aside by our sudden awareness: ''Hashem Huh Ho'Elokim"-G-d is the THREE TIMES each day, we declare in our prayers our supreme power who manifests Himself in all facets of thankfulness "for Your miracles which are with us our world. Even those that are blind to His daily each day." For the truly understanding, G-d's hand miracles, arc drawn to bow their he::ids in humility be­ is visible in the quiet and uneventful processes of na­ fore this blinding revelation. ture, and in the humdrum give-and-take of human By the grace of G-d, we have been granted such an society; but most people have become so conditioned experience-an occasion when light emerged from to think of the 'laws of nature' and the 'patterns of darkness, when victory sprang from utter desolation, human life' that they fail to perceive behind them the when (above all else) a deep aw2reness of our G-d deeper reality of Divine guidance and providence. shattered our usual blindness. We stand in humility They have come to believe that the theories of the sci- and gratitude-but we must also realize that an im-

Tl1e Jewish Observer / September, 1967 5 Fortunate is the people in North and to the South. This caution Jews not to enter the this circumstance; fortunate is we dared not even hope for. site till the coming of Moshi­ the people whose G-d is Ha­ We did not dream-it occured ach. The Har Habayis in Jew­ shem .... to no one at all, that we would ish hands-it still see1ns un­ One could talk for a thousand yet merit the freeing of the believable. nights and not do justice to the Holy Places: the Kosel Ma' - Who can record our feelings n1iracles and wonders we aravi, the Me'oras Hamachpe­ as we entered the gates of saw .. .. lah, the Tomb of Rachel. Har Yerushalayim, standing op­ Those who were optimistic Hazaisim, the graves of Yosef posite the Har HabayL" and about the outcome of the war, Hatzadik, Shmuel Hanavi, approaching the Kosel Ma'ara­ felt they would be fortunate if Shimon Hatzadik. Who could vi; or as we entered Me'oras they ren1ained alive. 1'hey have thought that the Har Hamachpelah, which a Jew could not forsee that we would Habayis, the site of the Beis was forbidden to enter for the enlarge our boundaries West­ Hamikdosh would be in our last 800 years. ward and Eastlvard, to the hands-that lve would have to

Clearing rubble fron1 the Kosel Ma'aravi site after it was taken by Israeli forces.

6 The Jewish Observer I Septen1ber, 1967 I heard the following from a Elchanan Wasserman. A short Holy, (the vov followed by a most reliable person who was time be.fore the passing of the verb in the past tense converts close to the great Goan, R' Gaon and Tzadik, the Chafetz the verb to the future tense) /sser Zalman Meltzer l":~H. Chaim, the Tzadik sighed and IT WJLI, BE HOLY. "During the seige of Y erusha­ said that he saw black clouds 'Having told this, R' lsser Zal­ layim, in the War of Libera­ in the Jewish skies. When he man continued: "Think of the tion, I was with the Gaon as was asked 'WHAT WILL BE THE mercies of G-d-our young shells rained down around his END?' he answered, 'AND HAR brothers have, to our great house. When he heard me ZION WILL BE A PLACE OF misfortune, become so re­ sigh, he turned to me and REFUGE.' When R' Elchanan moved from the ways of To­ said: 'Don't worry - Hako­ asked, 'But there is in Eretz rah. But Hakodosh-Baruch­ dosh - Baruch - Hu hasn't Yisroel a spirit of rebellion Hu has shown compassion for brought us here for destruc­ against the Kingdom of Heav­ them and has granted them tion.' He told me then what he en', the Tzadik replied: 'It is the mitzvoh of giving of them­ had heard from the Gaon, R' written V' HAYA KODESH, It was selves for saving Jewish lives."

mense challenge is posed to us. At a most crucial turn out truly to have been the signal of a new day­ moment in our history, following the destruction of break for our people-for mankind and the world. If such a large part of Kial Yisroel, including its spiritual we fail, G-d forbid ... darkness may close in on us leadership, and the emergence of an independent Jew­ again-doubly blinding because it will follow the light! ish state in Eretz Yisroel, we are challenged to map Let us take one concrete ex

The Jewish Observer I September, 1967 1 Silence: when Israel was threatened - Protest: when Israel prevailed

THE PROBLEM OF ARAB intentions India) the government of India saw to destroy Israel, and the resolution fit to condemn Jsrael's own efforts of that problem in the six-day war, The failure of to avoid destruction. captured the interest of the entire The present Pope of Rome has world, yet it was essentially a Jew­ also identified himself with the cause ish experience. In spite of the broad ecumenism - of peace and has expressed a will­ implications of any war in today's ingness to do anything in his power world, and the involvement of great An ecumenist to aid the cause of peace. And yet powers in diplomatic efforts for both when Israel was confronted with sides, the Jewish people stood alone recants publicly proclaimed pronounce­ throughout the entire period. ments of its immenent destruction, The Jew has become accustomed and military acts for their imple­ to the double standard applied by mentation, the booming silence of the nations of the world to Jews, and tions of censure before the United Rome could be heard around the all things Jewish. Many of us recall Nations Security Council and Gen­ world. It was only when it became the obstacles created by bureaucracy eral Assembly. clear that Israel, by the grace of and red-tape when opportunities We do not here refer to the posi­ G-d, had staved off its destruction, arose during World War II to rescue tion of the Soviet Union which held that Rome broke its prudent silence Jews from certain death. We recall Israel to be an aggressor, and urging first, that Yerushalayin1 be the boat-load of Jews who found shamelessly made comparisons to declared an open city, lest religious their way to the shores of the United Nazi Germany. We do refer to the relics be damaged. Should Israel States, who were sent back to cer­ posture of France, said to have been have accepted such an absurd pro­ tain death because of their failure Israel's closest ally, when they chose posal, the Arab record of integrity to have "the proper papers." Even to label as aggression Israel's de­ makes it certain that they would those who did manage to escape fense of its peoples lives We refer have seized such an opportunity for were often met by their new neigh­ to India, a nation which has pro­ further attacks on Israeli territory. bors with coldness, if not outright jected the image of a neutralist in When the fighting was over, hostility. We also recall the special world aff2irs, ready to do all in its Rorne imn1ediately spoke up agdin, efforts made on behalf of Hungarian power for peace and justice. In a this time to criticize Israel for an­ refugees-many were bitterly anti­ letter to The New York Times nexing the Old City, and to insist sen1itic-after their unsuccessful (7114167) the press attachc of the that Yerushalayim be made an in­ revolution; the hero's reception Embassy of India in Washington re­ ternational city to assure access to which greets any East Berliner who acted to criticistn of his government all of its religious cites. It is almost manages to break into the West; by an An1erican congressman. In his tiresome to note that Rome was lit­ and the mobilization of government­ attempt to clarify, among others, the tle perturbed by Jordan's refusal to al agencies to receive the inffux of Indian attitude toward Israel he permit Jews to visit the Old City­ Cuban refugees into this country. wrote: in violation of the armistice agree­

Nevertheless, the reaction of 1 ment. Rome had nothing to say ·- ••• however we may disagree many nations, and religious groups when Jordan descecrated the Mount with certain of her actions, we to Israel's defense against prolonged of Olives and plowed up Jewish recognize Israel as a state, we Arab agression was shocking, if it burial areas. When Israeli troops fully respect her sovereignty was not surprising. For any people occupied the Old City, using primi­ and are firmly opposed to her to fight off a powerful aggressor, tive military techniques to avoid destruction.'' supported by even more powerful damage to holy places, they found a11ies, would be viewed as a heroic In spite of being "firmly opposed the most horrible desecrations-not u.chieven1ent. Such a nation would to her [Israel's] destruction" (we are a single schul was spared. Army certainly not be the subject of mo- firmly opposed to the destruction of units occupying Hebron found 15

8 The Jewish ()bserver / Septen1ber, 1967 pounds of high explosives, wired as the very objective proclaimed ation from honored and loved Jew­ a booby trap, over the Tomb of by Nasser and his allies which ish friends and associates," Van The Patriarchs in the Cave of had drawn support to Israel. Dusen concludes, Christians have Machpelah. Again Rome demon­ "Moreover," Dr. Van Dusen remained silent and "it is, perhaps, strated its nimbleness with the continued, "as U Thant, breaking better that it be declared by one douhle stnndard by a return to its a five-year silence felt compelled to who no longer holds Christian office prudent silence. It is easy to antici­ remind the General Assembly, Is­ than by those, many of whom are pate that had Israeli troops, in re­ rael has consistently refused collab­ expressing similar views privately, sponse to Jordan's vicious shelling oration with the U.N. in maintain­ whose responsibilities in the 'Chris­ of Yerushalayim directed primarily ing peace." He goes on to predict tian establishment' estop them from at sensitive civilian targets, done that because of "Israel's callous forthright public speech." some damage to Christian holy indifference to the more than a mil­ Dr. Willard G. Oxtoby of Yale pfaces, Rome would have been most lion displaced Arabs ... Our grand­ University's department of religion critical. children, if not we, may witness an wrote an article in the Christian ln this country, the National even more murderous and tragic Century titled: OUTRIGHT DISA­ Council of Churches (which has holocaust." Rather than risk "alien- GREEMENT WITH ISRAEL'S WELL long been woowed by Jewish ecu­ menists), had this to say: With due consideration for the right of nations to defend themselves, the National Council of Churches cannot condone by silence territorial expansion by armed forces. Israel's unilareral retention of the lands she has occupied since June 5 will only deepen the divisions and antagonisms which seperate her from (her) neighbors." The Nee further urged an "inter­ national presence" in Yerushalayim to "preserve the peace and integrity of the city, foster the welfare of its inhabitants, and protect its holy shrines with full rights of access to all." In response to Jewish criticism of the failure of Christian leaders to speak out for Israel, a past presi­ den of the Union Theological Sem­ inary wrote a letter to The New York Times (717 /67) in which he interpreted the silence of Christian leaders as being based on their fear of appearing to be pro-Arab, since they were all: aghast at Israel's onslaught, the most violent, ruthless (and successful) aggression since Hitler's blitzkrieg across Western Europe in the sum­ mer of 1940, amung not at victory but at annihilation- Jewish cemetery on Mt. of Olives desecrated by Jordanians.

The Jewish Ob~erver I Septemher, 1967 9 PLANNED CONQUEST OF JUNE J 967 ed their continuing hostility to the Does Tanenbaum seriously think IS REQUIRED OF CHRISTIANS," and eternity of the Jewish spirit which that what he so politely calls "the repeated the charge that Christians is manifest in the Holy City. Is it profound disparity in . . . response in this country favorable to the indeed their concern for "free ac­ to the plight of Israel ... [when] Arabs have been cowed into silence. cess" to all people which they Israel ... was threatened with ex­ He urged that "outright disagree­ failed to demonstrate when Jews tinction" was simply due to lack of ment with Israel's carefully planned were barred from the Old City, knowledge and understanding? conquest . . . is required of us. or is it their refusal to live with a To relieve this "burden of ten­ Christians must defy pressure on Jewish Jerusalem, which appears sions" Tanenbaum insists that in them to sit by silently, muzzled by to annoy them even more than a future 'dialogues' Christians will the fear of being called anti-Semitic. Jewish state? have to confront the ~'profound his­ ... Besides caring for the hundreds torical, religious, cultural, and lit­ of blamelessly suffering Palestinian lN SPITE OF THE church's avowal urgical meaning of the land of Is­ A rahs . . . the churches must look of the double-standard, and com­ rael and of Jerusalem to the Jewish towards the preservation of free parison of Israel's defense of its people." It is precisely this fact that speech in our nation in fact as well borders to Nazi aggression, the Christians have refused to confront as in law ... For a tinie, virtually American Jewish Committee, which over the centuries, and Tanen­ the only place in North America has spearheaded 'ecumenical' re1a­ baum's insistence that they confront where the Arabs could be heard tionships with the churches, found it now will only aggravate the "un­ was the U.N." in "a survey compiled by the In­ precedented burden of tensions." America, the sophisticated Jesuit terreligious Affairs Department of weekly (7/8/67) joined the double­ AT LEAST ONE Jewish ecumenist has the An1erican Jewish Committee publictly recanted-to his credit­ standard chorus. (released on June 7) "widespread his previous position. Jacob Neus­ No single one of the world's Christian support for Israel's posi­ ner, professor of re1igion at Dart­ great religions has a rnonopoly tion" which they attributed to "the mouth College, frequently com­ of interest in the Holy Land. growth of understanding that has ments on Jewish affairs in the Jew­ Jews have no deeper love for developed through interfaith dia­ ish press and was severely critical of Jerusalem than Christians or logues in the years since Vatican Orthodox opposition to 'dialogue'. Muslims. Council." They managed to scrape In an artic1e in the Boston Jewish On the basis of this observation, together isolated instances of Chris­ Advocate (7120/67) Neusner doc­ they trot out the Vatican's call for tian clergy making statements in uments the results of 'dialogue' the internationalization of the Holy support of Israel, but closed their during the period of May 15 and City, which, they say, "Given the eyes to the silence of the Vatican. June 5. international character of Jerusalem One month later (717/67) Marc ... American Jews who have . . . is perhaps the most logical Tanenbaum, who con1piled the sur­ not only defended the import­ solution ..." But in the end, their vey, told a group of religious writers ance of inter-religious dia­ liberalism gets the better of them: in a convention in New York City ogues upon religious and the­ On the other hand, Israel's of the "unprecedented burden of ological questions, but also record over the last 20 years tensions" that Jewish-Christian re­ participated in them despite in providing free access to its lations have faced because of the much criticism fron1 segments Christian shrines has been recent Middle-East crisis. Allowing of the Jewish cotn1nunity ... commendable. If free access son1e disappointn1ent to come turned to their Christian is the issue, then we cannot through, Tanenbaum said that in friends. They sought some ex­ help wondering if the case for spite of "substantial progress" in pression of concern, not so the internationalization of overcoming "1nythologies and much of political support for Jerusale1n is as urgent today stereotypes" that Jews and Chris­ the State of Israel, as for ef­ as it appeared to be in 1947." tians hold about each other . . . forts to keep the peace there. "the profound disparity in the re­ ... When the civilian popula­ NOTE THE WORDS: "If free access spective responses of Jews and tion of Jerusalem was subject­ is the issue ...". Is it indeed? Or Christians to the plight of Israel ed to bon1bardn1ent . . . it is it that just as Jews far from during the days in which that Jew­ would have sufficed for Yiddishkeit have sensed the im­ ish community was threatened with church organizations to pro­ portance of Y erushalayim to the extinction reveals that Christians test, as they have with refer­ integrity t.n the Jewish people, so and Jews are still separated by a ence to Vietnatn, the n1aking too-in a negative sense-have the great abyss of mutual knowledge of war against civilian popula­ nations, and the churches, manifest- and understanding." tions.

lO The Jewish Observer / Septen1ber, 1967 Neusner goes on to list other military operation, but the Kosel which can only create greater ten­ opportunities for the church to have Ma'aravi Spirit. It has taught us too sions. In a free democratic society spoken out, without taking political that the world is incapable of react­ it is best that each faith maintain its sides, but, he continues: ing to the Jewish people in a bal­ integrity without the need for con­ When American Jewish com­ anced and just manner, for reasons frontation-for testing their beliefs munal groups turned to Prot­ that no American Jewish Commit­ in the crucible of another faith. estant and Catholic organiza­ tee or Marc Tanenbaum can eradi­ There is a myth which is popular tions, such as the National cate. They continue to do a terrible in Jewish life-even among some Council of Churches and the disservice to the Jewish people, even Orthodox Jews-that the Torah U.S. Conference of Catholic more so than they have in the past, scholars who rule on such matters when they speak of a "burden of Bishops, with which they had as inter~religious 'dialogue' live in a long and fruitful engage­ tensions" between Jews and Chris­ Torah-towers isolated from the ment in various projects of in­ tians. It is too much to hope that world of reality inhabited by the ter-religious cooperation, THEY they will give up their 'dialogue'­ men in the field. The silence of re­ FOUND LITTLE SYMPATHY (our they are too deeply involved-yet it ligious leaders in the face of the emphasis). must be made clear to all that AJC's threat of Israel's destruction should intensions to force Christianity to Neusner concludes that "few if demonstrate that the Gedolei Torah confront "the religious ... meaning are the realists, and that it is their any sedous Jews, excluding those of the land of Israel and Jerusalem critics who live in a dream-world of whose professional responsibilities to the Jewish people," is in essence their own crei::tion. 0 require them to engage in dialogue, a thrust at Christian religious belief are now prepared to renew the con­ versations which have flourished in the past. The critics of those con­ versations have been vindicated, and those who, like myself, defended them, have erred on the side of optimism." ln a letter to the editor of Juda­ ism (Summer 1967) on the same subject, Neusner writes: "Our optimism was wholly un­ founded, as events have now shown with painful clarity . . . religious and theological conversation has, I think, been closed by the massive indifference and, I think, craven sil­ ence of those from whom some of us hoped for better things. "It is painful to admit one's er­ ror; it would be sinful not to admit but to repeat it, and by silence in the face of consequential events, to lead others to suppose th nt nothing had changed. Much has changed for me, and I believe for others as well." The six-day war has taught Jews many things. It has ripped away the veneer of the super-sophisticated approach to 'Judaism' and has ex­ posed to the world the spiritual core which is the heart of Judaism and even Jewishness. As we look back to those six days, we will forever re­ member not the brilliance of the Porat/1 Y oseph Yeslril'a, destroyed by Arabs in Old City.

The Jewish Observer / September, 1967 ll D011 would be occupied with the daily practicalities of war, Chaim Altusky so who would fight the spiritual battle that would sus­ tain their brothers in their life struggle with the Amalek­ YERUSHALAYIM ites? Their decision was to remain in Y erushalayim. THE YESHIVA Is temporarily housed in the Diskin Home TRIUMPHANT in Givat Shaul, straddling one side of the entrance to Y erushulayim; the Roshei Y eshivo and the famliies of Torah Ore live in Kiryat Mattesdorf, on the northern the fateful boundary of the city, on the other side of the main artery leading to the rest of Israel. The school and the homes both face Nebi Samuel and Ramleh, the feared three days fortress of Jordan. One of our students had returned several weeks be­ THE BATTLE for Yerushalayim began on Monday, 26 fore from a trip to Jordon, by way of Cyprus, disguised Iyar, June 5. For us, in Yeshiva Torah Ore, the battle as a Swiss tourist. He reported that the cannon in Nebi had begun on Lag B'Omer. Our students were being Samuel faced Mattesdorf squarely, nothing between bomborded with special delivery letters and cables from them but the glory of G-d. In 1948, these cannon spit anxious parents. l'he noose was being tightened, and thousands of shells each day into the helpless entrails n1any Americans were scurrying to leave. 1"he fatctul of Yerushalayim, and every one of us feared the worst. announcement that Jordan would join with Egypt, sent On Shabbos, 24 Iyar, we in Mattesdorf heard con­ shudders of panic through the Holy City. These tremors tinuous detonations on the hills surrounding our homes. were magnified out of proportion when the news finally Our army was preparing installations for their artillery. reached the American shores. Parents visualized their All day soldiers were filing down the side of Mattesdorf, sons in the horrib1e panorama of war, at the mercy of taking up positions in the event of Arab attack. Mes­ heartless cut-throats. They knew of the bloody siege in sengers came to our homes asking for food for the 1948, and Yerushalayim was still in a most precarious troops, and the women sent enormous heaps of delic­ position. Picture a small ball dangling at the end of a acies together with prayers for their welfare. Through narrow string immersed in a searing cauldron of firc­ binoculars, we could see huge tractors digging into the so was Yerushalayim co1npletcly surrounded, connected eart_h: while on the side, resting soldiers took up their to the rest of Israel by a two-lane road meandering tale1s1m and fervently said their Shabbos prayers. Most through the hostile territory of Jordan. of the young men in Mattesdorf had been called to army A few of our boys bowed to the growing pressure duty, but several managed to come home for a few from home and left for Europe, to return to their be­ minutes to recite Kiddush and then quickly returned loved rabbis when the storm would pass. The majority to their posts. On Sunday there was the same feverish decided they had no right to leave their brothers in a activity. tin1e of peril. Their main stimulus was the passage quoted by Rashi in Parshas Bechukosai: "Dedicated MONDAY MORNING BEGAN as usual. At 7:00 A.M. our delving into the mysteries of the Torah, will prevent the rabbis and young men piled into the Yeshiva's fragile sword from passing through the Holy Land'.' They be­ pick-up truck and sped off to the Yeshiva for Shacharis. lieved, as every Jew docs, that wars are not accidents, Our first inkling of trouble came when one of the teach­ nor are they determined by the fickle mind of men. A ers in Diskin ran into our Bais Medrash, asking if he just and compassionate G-d decrees who shall fall could use the truck to pick up staples for his family. He ( chas veshalom) to the sword, for all human events are had heard that fighting had broken out in the Negev, designed by our Benevolent Creator, to teach and to and he knew that all transportation would he switched censure his erring children. The world is a finely-tuned to that area, and no food supplies would he on hand instrument, and G-d has decreed that dedicated study once the bombardment began. About 9:30 A.M. the of Torah shall create an aura of holiness, which pro­ Arab artillery opened up, and we heard explosions in tects his Chosen People from all enemies. The students various sections adjacent to ours. of Torah Ore knew that the majority of Jews in Israel We knew that we were to take refuge in the pre­ pared shelters when the air-raid signal sounded; but

RABBI CHAJ!>.-f DOV ALTUSKY is a Rosh Yeshiva at Yeshivas Torah hearing no signal, we assumed it was safe to continue Ort', headed hy the renowned Gaon, Rabbi Chai1n Pinchas our studies. We were mistaken-the voices of the stu­ Sheinberg. The Yeshiva was organized in New York Citv sev­ eral years ago, and was recently transplanted in Yerushaiayi1n, dents discussing a difficult portion of Kiddushin, the first Atnerican yeshiva fn the Ifoly Land. drowned out the wailing siren. Only when the shells

12 The Jendsh Observer f Septen1ber, 1967 began dropping closer and the window-panes shook, going to waste. Our calmness was nevertheless main­ did we realize the danger. We removed the windows in tained, strengthened by the thought that we were right their frames, and moved to less-exposed portions of the in remaining although we all had the opportunity to Bais Medrash. A messenger from the Diskin office escape. Our Rosh Hayeshiva, Rabbi Chaim Schein­ alerted us to file down to the shelters, and we were con­ berg, had been asked by his children whether they were vinced to do so by extremely close explosions. We first wise in remaining and his answer was-"Those who went to the shelter for the young children in Diskin, choose to remain will suffer only inconvenience and formerly the mikvah room. Our boys had worked to­ fear, nothing more." gether with the young men in Diskin, filling sacks with sand, and stacking them against the exposed portions THE NIGHT WORE ON, and a few of us slept fitfully, but of the huge room. The children were saying Tehilfm, we were all awake at 3 :00 A.M. Tuesday morning to and the women workers in Diskin cried bitterly since prepare to daven vosikin and to continue our vigil of they had left small children at home and they feared prayer

Tl1e Jewish Observer / September, 1967 13 Leo Levi TORAH AND RELEVANCE

Is Torah relevant to the social and moral issues which trouble mankind today? Why are not Jews in the forefront of efjorts to solve the crucial problems of our time? These questions are on the lips of many young Jews today. Prof. Levi reacts to these questions-and raises yet another question: Does it fallow from the relevance of Tor ah that the Jew must be in the front-line of social action?

WITH HIS TORAH, the Jew has given Western civi1ization It should, therefore, be of interest to collect and or­ its religions and moral codes. Unfortunately, these ganize relevant sources and to construct from then1 a codes became perverted into a kind of pseudo-Torah foundation on which WC can base our attitudes to such in the process. Nevertheless. the spread of this pseudo­ questions, in general. Torah has profound implications in world history. No effort is made here to present the attitude of the Compare, for instance, Ilambam's comments on the Torah toward specific moral problems facing American rise of Christianity and Mohammedanism.' society today. The Torah must contain the answers to It is this fact which gives rise to the popular view all of them. However, their treatment is clearly beyond that the Jew should not shrug off lightly, fundamental the scope of this article (and beyond the scope of the moral problems such as those of racial equality and present writer, as well). Occasional references to the socia1ism which are now racking this civi1ization. Does problem of racial equality is primarily by way of not the daughter civilization have the right to expect illustration.* active concern from the mother? Lack of involvement in such matters on the part of The Election of the Jewish People Torah Jewry is usually defended with a casual comment, "We must attend first to more urgent internal Jewish AT THE OUTSET, we must clarify the meaning of the problen1s." While this may be a valid argu1nent, it docs election-the 'chosen-ness' of the Jewish people. For not, by itself, do justice to the seriousness of the prob­ what task, specifically, was our father A vraham-and lem. The extent of our responsibilities toward the his descendants, the Jewish people-chosen? moral problems of the non-Jewish world should be Referring to the passage recording Avraham's call­ carefully fonnulated. But (even at the 1isk of being ing, we find that he was commanded' "be a blessing." classified as 'fundmnentalists') we must be careful not Utilizing the similarity of the two words b'rakhah­ to base this formulation on our own preferences or blessing-h'rekhah-pool, our Sages comment:" "Just intuition-we must be rigorously objective: using the as a pool brings purity to the impure. so shall you purify Written and Oral Law as our sources, we must try to the impure and bring them close to their heavenly cull from them alone the necessary guidance. We must have the strenbrth to act, if necessary, against our pre­ * ]'his illustration was chosen because here the Torah's an conceived notions, lest we turn our divine Torah into swer is so clearly given. The reader is referred to the well­ a mere compendium of cn1pty phrases. documented treatment by Rabbi Abron Soloveitchik, who demonstrates that discrimination against any man based on his race is an affront to his Creator-a transgression of Kovod DR. LEO LEVI is Assistant Professor of Physics at tlie Col!e!!e of the C'ity of NewYork, and author of several texts in his Habrioth-and therefore unequivoca!Jy forbidden,'.! field, as well as articles and papers of Jewish interest. His On other questions, such as socialism. the situation is not "Science-Slave or Master?" apveared in our issue of January 1967. We have ht·re retained Dr. Levi's systen1 of translitera­ so clear. In this connection the reader is referred to an essay tion, at his re<111est. by the present writer}l

14 The Jewish ()hserver / Septen1ber, 1967 Father." Avraham's descendents are to lead the na­ Prophets provide the answer. "You shall keep and tions of the world to their blessing (i.e. fulfillment). observe [the Torah] for it is your wisdom and under­ The same message is echoed by Isaiah0 when he has standing in the eyes of the nations."14 It is by living the the nations say of Israel "On him was the admoni­ Torah that we are to inspire the other nations. tion of our peace; by his association we were cured." This principle (of teaching by example only) goes Again, at the foot of Mount Sinai. as the Jewish a long way to clarify our role in such areas as the civil people prepared to shoulder as a nation the task in­ rights question. But, to understand why we have the herited from their father A vraham, they were told7 mitzvah of admonishing only in regard to our fellow "And you shaJI be for me a kingdom of Kohanim."* Jews, we must clarify the national character of Judaism. In this verse, and in the parallel prophecy of Isaiah,1° "And you shaJl be called the Kohanim of G-d," we .again have a statement of Israel's mission, a mission The National Character of Judaism-Exile whose culmination the prophe! describes in his moving Since the Dor Haflagah (the confusion of languages at vision: u the tower in Babel), the unit of mankind is the nation. "And it shall be in the end of the days, the moun­ Individuals may influence nations to a greater or lesser tain of G-d's house will be firm at the head of the extent; but, ultimately, it is the nation which becomes mountains and lifted up by hills, and all the peo­ the agent of history. Thus it would seem that our ples will stream to it. And many nations will go message must be directed to nations, and it will be and say 'Come, let us ascend G-d's mountain, to nations who respond to it. the house of Jacob's G-d and He shall teach us But how are we to get the message across to the of His ways and we shall walk in His paths.'" nations? Nations make poor lecture audiences and this Tt is then our task to guide mankind toward a recog­ seems to leave us little choice but to guide by example nition of G-d as their Ruler. The Torah contains seven rather than by admonition. But an individual can not categories of laws (nJ '.tl rn:it1.J 'r) expressing G-d's will be an example to nations; therefore, to equip them for concerning non-Jews. These include, among others, their mission, Israel had to be constituted as a nation the recognition of G-d as the ultimate Sovereign; laws con_iplete_ ;vith country and government. Only as <~ of morality; the sanctity of life, property, and other nation, hvmg a successful national existence in their rights of the individual, and the obligation of the com­ own country, can they hope to inspire others to imitate munity to enforce these principles. their faithful adherence to the will of G-d. Ultimately, we shall have to teach all of these to the Alas, I sraeJ did not make use of the tools at their nations of the. world. This appears to be the mission disposal. They were no t:xample to the nations and, for which the Jewish people was chosen and it is then to prevent the guide from mis-guiding, G-d had to send this mission which we should always hold before us. Israel into exile. Without country and government, we are obviously incapable of demonstrating how a nation Does this mission obligate us, say, to fight for civil lives under G-d's law and, besides, who would come rights? Before answering this question, we must digress for guidance to a manifest failure-to a 'drop-out' to study the method we are to use in providing moral from statehood? guidance to the nations. Clearly, then, exile implies that our real mission is temporarily suspended. That we have, for the time Teaching by Example being, Jost the opportunity for this glorious mission ON FIRST SIGHT it seems strange that there is no mitzvah should be a cause of deep sorrow to us. It is primarily commanding us to admonish non-Jews. If our major this loss that we mourn on Tish'ah B'A v and even in task as a nation is to act as guides to the nations of the midst of our greatest joy, we break a vessel so as the world, we should surely expect such a mitzvah. ** not to forget this 1oss. lu Why then this glaring absence? The Torah and the By losing our state, we fell "from a high roof into a deep pit"; instead of sanctifying G-d's name ("en- "' S'forno and after him Rabbi S. R. Hirsch, sec in this verse a. statement of Israel's mission to the other nations. Jn taking ''' * We find only the negative version-we are forbidden to the word Ko!tanim in our verse in a Jitenil sense, we follow enable a non·Jew to sin . .12 The commandment to publish the Oral Torah there (M'khilta). Rashi and Rashbam, take it in Torah in seventy Janguagest'l and the mission of individual a different sense. However, their view is disputed by other prophets to non-Jews (e.g. Jonah) arc isolated commands whos:;: classical commentators such as Rambam-and Rashi himself validity was limited to a particular occasion. Or, again in the interpreted it literally elsewhere.8 Viewed in conjunction with words of Isaiahl5 "He will not cry out, he will not raise his the Talmudic dictum that "Kolumim are delegates of G-d":J voice, nor let it be heard outside ... by making true [i.e. by our interpretation of this verse is further strengthened. doing] will he bring out justice."

The Jewish Obsen'er / September, 1967 15 hancing His 'image'") among the nations, we now Jews, and by the historical fact that Jewish spiritual desecrate it by our failure. For, just as our name is leaders never initiated such admonition, even when they inexorably bound to G-d's, so are our successes-and found themselves in situations very similar to our own our failures. In the words of Ezekiel concerning the today. Jewish People: "And they desecrated my name as [the It might be argued, of course, that, since we are not nations] say of them 'they are G-d's nation and they forbidden to exert moral pressures on non-Jews, we had to leave their land.' "H>a should be free to do it, if we be so inclined. The That this mission is suspended can also solve for us obvious answer to this is well-known: Our position a serious historical mystery. None of our great spiritual (from the historical, spiritual point of view) is so leaders seems to have made any effort to guide the desperate that to divert available energies to non­ morals of his non-Jewish contemporaries or to have essential tasks, is treason to our cause. But there are addressed unsolicited admonishment to them-not even far more profound consid~rations which must restrain the Rabbis in the "Golden Age" of Spain-when Jews us. Such activity would not transgress any Torah law, participated so richly ill the life of their host nation-·· but it would nevertheless be rebellion against G-d. This not even Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, who had so is a s.trong contention and I shall try to clarify it by much understanding of the gentile world around him refernng to the story of the Ma'apilim.20 and so much contact with it. This is quite strange in When Israel refused to enter Eretz Yisroel out of view of our avowed mission. fear, they proved themselves unfit to enter. and G-d It all becomes clear, however, as soon as we under­ decreed that a new generation would have to grow up stand the nationalistic format of our mission--only by before Israel could enter its land. Now it became the example are we to teach and only as a successful nation duty of the Jewish parent to give up his personal aspi­ can we hope to bruide other nations. rations for Eretz Y1sroel and to prepare his children for that task. Instead, the rash ones in Israel decided Not toward our mi.s:\ion, but toward our redemption that they were up to their original task and prepared must our efforts now be directed: to regain our country to conquer the land. But Moshe warned them: The and our government in order to demonstrate once again sa1ne act that had previously been their task, would the life of a nation under G-d. * now be rebellion. In exile our task is to end exile. How are we to Do we not, in our exile, find oursc1vcs in a similar accomplish this? Common sense will tell us-and our position? When G-d has temporarily stamped us as prophets amply confirm it17-that we must eliminate unfit to be teachers, how can we arrogate to ourselves the causes of the exile if we are to end it. the right to judge that we are fit? If we fail to learn These causes are many and we mention here only from the fate of the Ma' apilim, we must be prepared two. Vain hatred of one against the other18 and our for the consequences of failing to heed our Torah. If failure to bless G-d before studying the Torah, 10 i.e. the segregationists don't tcl1 us why we leave them considering the Torah as a burden rather than as a unimpressed, let the Torah tell us. cherished gift (Rashi, there). Curing these cankers on our national bOdy must now absorb~ our attention. Conclusion

BASED ON the above we can now see our course of The Ma'apilim action in connection with the socio-moral prob1cn1s of IT rs SAID that one can prove most any position by our host country. quoting Scripture (and Talmud or Medrash) out of We must accept our temporary disqualification from context. (In Jewish circles today, this is called 'creative being teachers to the rest of the world. In sorrow we Halakhah.') Here, on the other hand, we have examined must watch the wrong being done around us, being Judaism in a historical perspective. This analysis indi­ aware that we, as Jews, had the opportunity to prevent cated that our mission, though it is in the service of the all this--had we kept the Torah. This is a heavy bur­ nations, does not seem to can for unsolicited admoni­ den to carry passively. But, just as our historic failure tion of non-Jews by Jews. as a nation was rebellion against G-d, so would un­ This conclusion is fully borne out by the surprising authorized action today be rebellion. This does not absence of any law commanding us to admonish non- exempt us, however, from certain concrete steps that we must take in connection with these problems. It is still our duty to know clearly what is right and * The state now established on parts of Eretz Yisroel ob­ wrong, and to work on our individual souls until we viously does not-and perhaps cannot~Jive the life of a Torah nation. It can. therefore. not be considered as working on our are blameless-and to content ourselves with that task, mission. Jewish nationalism divorced from Torah and its mis­ rather than attempt to impose our standards on others. sion, is as narrow, unjustified and out-dated as all other versions We may, of course, hope that our example will inspire of nationalism. others to follow-hope that we be privileged to undo

16 The Jewish Observer I September, 1967 in a small measure the desecration of G-d's Name Jewry stays home, will that not desecrate further the which is implicit in our exile. More than that we must Name of G-d which is inextricably entwined with ours? not do. I suggest that, if we ourselves are beyond reproach, But must we not fear that our silence will be inter­ this will make a less dramatic, but surely a more lasting preted as weakness? If all religions march and only impression on our fellowmen. D

1. Misfmeh Torah, H. M'lakfrim, End 5. Gen. Rabba 39, 18. 13. Mis/mah Sotalr 7, 5. of Ch. 11. This passage was deleted 6. Isaiah 53, 5. Cf. also Rabbi Samson 14. Deut. 4, 6. from later editions; it can be seen, Raphael Hirsch, "Jessia's Verki.in­ 15. Isaiah 42, 2. e.g. in the Rome (ca. 1480) edition, dungen i.iber die Geula," Gesam­ recently reprinted by the Mosad Ha­ melte Schriften ll, Kauffmann, 16. Rab bi S. R. Hirsch "Aw", Ges. Rav Kook. Frankfurt a.M. (1904), pp. 319-334. Schriften I, Kauffmann, Frankfurt a.M. (1902), pp. 123-138, espec. p. 2. Rabbi Ahron Soloveitchik: CIVIL Also "Das ji.idische Volk - Seine RIGHTS IN TERMS OF HALACHAH, Bestimmung" Ibid. pp. 203-220. l35ff. Young Israel Viewpoint, May ll, 7. Ex. 19, 6. 16.a Ezekiel 36, 20. 1964. 8. Z'vachim J9a. 17. Cf. Lev. 26, 41-42, Hosea 2, San- hedri11 97b, 98a. 3. Leo Levi, Laws of Conduct and 9. Kiddushin 23b. Socialism- A Prefabricated Con­ 18. Yoma 9b. JO. Isaiah 61, 6. science, VISTAS FROM MT . MORIAH, 19. Bava M'tzia 85b. Gur, N. Y. (1959), pp. 29-35. I I. Isaiah 2, 2-3. 20. Numbers 14, 40-45. Compare also 4. Gen. 12, 2. 12. Avodah Zarah 6a. K'thuboth l J la, 2nd pass. Rashi.

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The Jewish Observer I September, 1967 17 1"11JiNi1

Oi11J.N >J.1

E LIVE IN A crassly materialistic society. The his almost legendary ancestor the Apter Rav, v'il i~r W alien influence of such a society is not alone :i~i~;, who merited the glorious title: 7Mi1V' ~'11M. the problem of the working man or the merchant; even those who work in the vineyards of Torah must con­ THE REBBE once defined ahavas Yisroel: "To love a front temptation. great talmid chochom is easy-that's not ahavas Yisro­ At the saine time that we have experienced a renais­ el. To love the little man, the one who is even difficult sance of Torah in America, the image of the Tzadik has at times-that's ahavas Y isroel." become blurred. It is common sport for cynics to ques­ In recent years the Rebbe considered settling in Eretz tion the credentials of anyone who even appears to be Yisroel where many of his fan1iiy and chasidi1n now a Tzadik, and to attempt to document a case to the live; but he feared that he might be hindered in meet­ contrary. ing his n1any con1mitments to various Torah and tzedo­ koh institutions. THE KAPITSHINITZER REBBE, R' Avrohom Yehoshua When he traveled to Belgium several years ago on Heschel, :i~i~; v'1l i~r, when he left this life, left be­ behalf of his beloved Chinuch Atzmai, at great sacrifice hind thousands of men, women, and children who owe to his health, he explained: "I am a soldier carrying to his dedication, a measure of their well-being, per­ out the orders of his 'general.' " haps their lives, and their spiritual well-being as well. But, as these words are written, so soon after his death, And when his 'general'-Reb Abron Kotler, v'1~ i~r too soon to adequately evaluate the Rebbe's life, too '1~i~7. became ill shortly before his death, he asked soon to fu11y realize our Joss, one realization bursts that "der Rebbe" pray for him, and when he said "der forth. Kial Yisroel is forever indebted to R' Avrohom Rebbe" it was known that he meant the Kapitshinitzer. Y ehoshua Heschel of Kapitshinitz, for having made it Fortunate is a generation that is graced by the pres­ possible for us, in the dark years of this century, to ence of such a Tzadik. How tragic that we have lost have known a Tzadik; for having transmitted to our dor him at a time when we so desperately need the purity yosom the clear image of a Tzadik, in the tradition of of his tefilos. 0

18 The Jewish Observer / Septnnber, 1967 Gershon Kranzler • "He Who Saves a Soul 1ll Israel ... " The Heroic Rescue Work of Michael G. Tress

ON SUNDAY, the first day of Rosh Chodesh Tammuz, Elimelech Gavriel Tress, ;;:ri::i? mi:n, Administrative President of Agudath Israel of America, was called to the Yeshiva Shel Ma'aloh. His short life spanned a period in American Jewish life which went from utter despair that Torah would ever take root in the alien soil of this continent, to the development and growth of scores of Torah institu­ tions, built and surrounded by a growing community of committed Orthodox Jews. But his life and work not only spnnned this period-Elimelech Gavriel Tress was in a large measure responsible for raising American Orthodoxy from the darkness of despair to the spiritual prosperity it now enjoys. Elimelech Gavriel Tress, functioning on the highest levels of Torah leadership, was the personification of authentic humility, not the least bit compromised by the grent dignity of his bearing. He was known to many as 'Mike,' an unusual familiarity for a man of his staturi::; yet it did not in the least compromise the deep respect and even reverence felt by all who knew him. The story of his life, which must one day be written, is the story of a revitalized American Orthodoxy-which must also one day be written. The debt which Orthodoxy owes to 'Mike' Tress is being repaid by the untold numbers of Ameri­ can men and women who are today Torah Jews because of his efforts. But American Orthodoxy owes it to Elimelech Gavriel Tress that his life and works be made known-not for his sake alone, but for the glory of Torah. Toward that go2!, the following sketch of one aspect of his work-his monumental rescue achievements, by one who worked closely with him, offers an insight into the total personality of Elimelech Gavriel Tress. 0

IT WAS IN A SMALL ROOM in the house of his aunt, that was to dwarf the worst recorded in the annals of somewhere in the section of old Williamsburg that gave human inhumanity, by the teutonic thoroughness of his way to the Queens Expressway. 'Mike' had been ill for :ittack. 2 few days and we had come to visit him. He had made Jn retrospect, it seems almost uncanny how this us newcomers feel at home the first moment we had young American Jew, not quite a full-product of tne entered the local branch of Zeirei /\gudath Israel, Yeshivah world, realized the role America- -p~rticular­ searching for some bridge, some continuity with the ly from a Jewish viewpoint-was to play in the per­ Jewish ideals that had shaped our world in the past. It petuation or perhaps the survival of human freedom was then, months before the outbreak of World War and dignity. Most of us were Europeans, graduates of II, that 'Mike' Tress outlined the bold, broad-scope years of intensive Agudist leadership-training. Yet we pbn that showed his near-prophetic vision, his alert­ were deeply 2ffected by the vision and keen under­ ness to the needs of the hour, and his ability to see standing of the meaning of what was going on that was with the heart and with the soul, rather than with a revealed to us by a young man who, as we had quickly cool, sober, cautious mind. le2rned, stood in the mainstream of American life-a The world was still at peace, watching idly as Hitler young man with a thorough college education, with turned ever tighter the screws of torture and destruc­ business connections that seemed beyond our grasp at tion on the Jewish masses under his control, as he the time. prepared his c2mpaign of persecution and extermination In materialistic America, the land supposedly void of idealism, 'Mike' Tress spoke of the urgent need to DR. GERSHON KRANZLER is Profes.>(}/' of Education al the Tow­ organize Orthodox Jewish youth; to bring them close SOii State Teacher.~ College in Maryland, and the author oj n classic work on Williamsburg Jewry. to Torah chinuch when the fountainheads of Jewish

Tl1e Jewish Obsener / September, 1967 19 the worst catastrophe Jewish history has known. And the man solely responsible for it, for its scope, for its spirit, for its unlimited vitality was 'Mike' Tress.

HE HAD NO ILLUSIONS. There was little chance for glory, for monetary rewards or other incentives that motivute the Jess idealistic. His was a strength of con­ viction, with a heart that flowed over with compassion for anyone in need; with love and enthusiasm for any~ thing Jewish. This was the secret of the success of all the work done by 'Mike' Tress in those tragic, yet heroic years when he single-handedly created an apparatus to save Jews from the burning Gehinom of Hitler Eu­ rope; to help them come to these shores, and to offer them a chance to reweave some of the strands of a normal human and Jewish existence in a new and fertile soil. Soon after this first planning session by his bedside, Mr. Tress in th(' unifornz of an lJNRRA officer we opened the office of Zeirei Agudath Israel in the in Europe following the liberation. then recently-acquired building at 616 Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn-an address that was soon to become a scholarship seemed in danger. He spoke of the gather­ beacon of light and hope in a world shrouded with ing clouds of war, when so many more of the heartlands hopelessness and object tragedy. We started with an of Jewish life might come under the heel of war and old desk and Mike's own typewriter-he had given up catastrophe, and when America would be the only a promising business career to dedicate himself wholly place that could offer some chance of help and rescue. and wholeheartedly to the task which he had so vividly Trained to think of the New World as a place where outlined for us, perhaps not even realizing himself the everybody Jives and works for himself, we watched historic function of this initial effort. From it grew a with growing admiration as this young man spoke of strong Agudist youth movement, with a spreading and the need to set up an organization that would tie to­ tightening net of Pirchim and Bnos branches. From it gether the isolated Orthodox Jewish energies, and pro­ originated numerous ca1npaigns and activities to bring vide some form of systeinatic help for the nu1ss of the wider masses of Jewish youngsters to the yeshivas Orthodox Jewry that was threatened by the growing that had begun to spread and support to communities German stean1ro1Ier of nlilitary might and hrutality. It where hope had long been abandoned for Jewish sur­ was an eye-opener, even to those of us who had per­ vival beyond the Last Minyan of Elders. sonally witnessed some of these historic developments, 'Mike' was everywhere. He gathered groups of in­ but were caught up in our own limited and Jin1iting spired young chaverim about hin1, who carried his perspective. It was ti1ne to forget about ourselves, about spirit everywhere. They brought trainloads of young­ our own careers-if there was any meaning to our sters fro1n other cities and towns to Williamsburg, to Agudism. Now-he said with his warm, persuasive the Yeshivas and Mesivtos; gave them a feeling of the voice-was the time to start moving, organizing, so beauty and significance of Yiddishkeit. He ignited the that we would not be caught unprepared when and if, spark of Mesiras Nefesh wherever he went, with his chas vecholiloh, the need arose. warm talks, his tireless efforts for old and young, for 'Mike' sketched in broad outlines what later proved anyone who called on him for help day or night. to be one of the least-known, least-publicized feats of But most important of all, there was the effort that Orthodox Jewish rescue work that hinged solely on "Mike' Tress lavished in preparation for the massive heart, iron will, raw courage, and sheer guts-to be rescue work that emanated from the office at 616 Bed­ n1ore exact, on 'Mike' rfress, Michael G. Tress, or ford Avenue, until he built it into an efficient organiza­ Elimelech Gavriel, as he became known to many thou­ tion that achieved so much more than other organiza­ sands of Jews throughout the Jewish world. The result tions- larger, better qualified, and richer in personnel of it was-it may seem gross exaggeration at this time r•.nd resources. There were no office-hours, no vaca­ decades and a generation later-one of the most im­ tions, no tin1e for routine or relaxation. There was only portant bridges from the Old World of Torah Judaism that restless drive to save and help the innocent victims to the New World that was to arise on what had before of a growing tragedy day in, day out, wearing hour after seemed arid, hopeless ground. Across it flowed the hour. There was a constant coming and going of people huinan and spiritual resources that were salvaged fron1 seeking and giving help. Cables to and from all parts of

20 The ]elvish Observer / Septen1ber, 1967 "'Mike' was everywhere. He gathered groups of inspired young chaverim- about him, who carried his spirit everywhere. They brought trainloads of youngsters from other cities and towns to Williamsburg, to the Yeshivas and Mesivtos; Rave them a feeling of the beauty and significance of Yiddishkeit. He ignited the spark of Mesiras Nefesh wherever he went, with his warm talks, his tireless efforts for old and young, for anyone who called on him for help day or night." the collapsing Jewish world, seeking to open doors that Agudath Israel of America, into a powerful center, were closed or closing by the minute. And there were whose work has not been recognized or even recorded the chaverim who gave up so much of their time, of amidst the trumpets and publicity of the larger relief their limited means, all of their efforts inspired by the organizations. example ;md the limitless zest of 'Mike' to get affidavits, to collect sorely needed fuods, to find jobs and op­ JT WOULD BE PREPOSTEROl:S were one to attempt even portunities for rescue, for medical care, for re-planting to outline the extent and scope of this work initiated what human bestiality had brutally uprooted. The meth­ ~nd executed under the guiding hand of 'Mike' Tress. ods and means were unorthodox, far different from the One can merely touch on a few highlights, some of the bureaucratic routines of other relief 2nd rescue organ­ breathtaking historic moments, encounters, and experi­ izations. They defied the rigidities and inflexibilities ences that turned each day and night of our activities which hampered or blocked so much that might have in those early years during and after World War II into been done by other more powerful organizations set up a caleidoscope of tireless toil, frustration-and un­ for this purpose in the Jewish and non-Jewish world. dreamed of success.... The first batches of affidavits With the weak, limited resources at his disposal 'Mike' procured and shipped out and the first men and women molded the office of Zeirei Agudath Isrnel, later on brought over ... the opening of the Refugee Home on

Mr. Tress in the office of the tl1en·ambassador of the United States to Austria, Llelewyn Thompson. The cilildre11 are refugees brought from Hungary after the revo/11tio11 in 1956 to a home Mr. Tress had set up for them ill Vienna.

The Jewish Obsenw I September, 1967 21 the top floor of 616 Bedford Avenue ... 'Mike' himself of Torah and Torah life in this country unexpected ordering food, calling friends and business associates even by the most daring visionary ... the Chassidic for clothes, beds, jobs for the young and older men who Rabbeim ... the Kapitshenitzer, the Lubavitcher, and came there because they had no place else to go that so many others who have since been taken from us or would give them shelter and help them to build a new who-lehavdil bein chayim lechayim-are still with future , .. 'Mike' buying an old truck to establish a us-such as the Boyanner, the Squerer Rebbe, to business for some of these young men ... 'Mike' flying whom 'Mike' had become a personal friend and advisor to Washington several times a week, back-and-forth, ... famous men like Chazzen Kwartin ... the hundreds pleading, cajoling, using the most impossible, hopeless of ordinary men and women looking for help and ad­ ways to open doors ... flying to Washington even on vice ... the woman whose husband had been caught in Sh~bbos at the urging of the Gedolim who had soon Finland, for whom even the Red Cross had not been turned to 'Mike' to guide them and help those who able to do anything. 'Mike' sent a cable to the King of turned to them ... the first telephone call to Reb Abron Sweden, and today the man lives in Brooklyn with his Kotler ,'1~1:' P'1ll i~r in Japan ... Reb Abron arriving family ... and thousands of others who may have for­ in the U.S.A .... Frank Newman travelling to Japan gotten or who never forgot what 'Mike' did for them, at Mike's request to bring the first large contingent of for their parents, their children ... the Godo! Hatorah the Mirrcr Yeshivah to these shores, and helping to get who came into an executive meeting to express the them settled ... the coming and going of the world's gratitude of the Mirrer Yeshivah for the help 'Mike' foremast Gaonim, Rabbonim, Gedolei Hatorah who had given them-this token of appreciation was a first helped compile lists of those who had to be helped ... act of duty carried out with tears of joy and apprecia­ Rosh Yeshivas who arrived in this country turning to tion . . . an endless parade of men and women who 'Mike' to help them organize or reorganize their yeshi­ owe so much to one wannhearted, seemingly inexhaust­ vos in the new land under strange conditions ... Rabbi ible Jew. E. M. Bloch, Rabbi Motel Katz, Rabbi Reuben Grozov­ BOOKS COULD BE FILED with all that 'Mike' Tress in­ sky, Rabbi Kalmanowitz, '1~1:' Ol11~T ... and all the itiated, organized or guided during those early years of other fc:imous personaiiti~s to whom 'Mike' was a con­ frantic rescue work. 'Mike' did not stop there. He grew stant source of aid and guidance, until they were ready far beyond all of us, and our amateur efforts, as he an­ to n1ake their greatness felt in creating a renaissance swered the challenge to ever larger and wider tasks thrust upon him by Divine Providence. He was called upon to work with world rescue and relief organizations on a global basis. He began to travel the continents, and his name and the name of Agudath Israel were j~vl'ltV!l respected and beloved far beyond the confines even of his own keen vision. We who had the privilege to ac­ ~ x_prus i!"ur (j'ratitudc company him during those first inspired and inspiring ··r 1 with a years of preparation and building knew that he was and always wanted to rem2in just a chaver an1ong cha~ verim, a Jew who felt the call of the time, and the hour SC~OLL of need, whose heart was big enough to feel the pain b.Jj and sorrow of his fellow brethren, and who sacrificed all he had and could give for them. ?i'G'l',8'Q'GOLL ,8''.fQl>I0,8' When we printed our first letterhead, 'Mike' said: 16~ 'Fift:li J21'wnue, ~• ..,y.,,..k "Let's put on the bottom the slogan: Hamekayem ne­ q;r.11~ 9&9-4114 fesh achas beyisroel, k'ilu kiyam olam moley, ('He who saves a single soul, is considered as having saved ffj\.J{wanf• a whole world.') Let it be the leitmotif of our rescue I Certifianu work." This 'Mike' did in the fullest sense of the word. ]! 'kdtirncniatS He gave all of his strength, and all of his health, and 1 j( J:.,,.m;naua!P~ucs wealth, so that others could live and continue to build a Torah-true Jewish life, to use his favorite words. Only to him they were not words, they were a reality which he helped build and perpetuate, in one of the most glorious phases and chapters of recent Jewish history, written with the blood of his heat and his inspired soul. o»n;i 1n::;:i ;i1n::; 1llY.l\U) Nilll

22 The Jewish ()bserver / Septen1ber, 1967 The Month of Elul >1rrl ),,,., >JN

Eliyahu Kitov

The following are extracts from THE BOOK OF OUR And though repentance is always accepted, these days HERITAGE (Sefer Ha'toda'a) by Eliyahu Kitov which are especially apt for repentance, since they mark a will shortly be published. The translation is by Rabbi perennial recurrence of Divine compassion. Nathan Bulman who translated Kitov's popular !sh The Sounding of Shofar U'beitu, THE JEW AND His HOME. Rabbi Bulman is the Dean of the newly-organized Sarah Schenirer High Beginning with the second day of Rosh Chodesh Elul School and Teachers Seminary, in Brooklyn, New till Erev Rosh Hashana four shofar sounds are blown daily after shacharis: tekia, shevarim, terua, tekia. This York. 0 Sounding of the Shofar is not prescribed by the Torah, but originated in Jewish custom. When Moshe Rabenu Elul is the sixth month counting from the month of ascended the mountain on Rosh Chodesh Elul to re­ Nisan, which is designated by the Torah as the first ceive the Second Tablets, shofar was sounded in the month of the Jewish national year. ln the general cal­ camp in order to make known to all the Israelites that endar year of Jewish tradition, however, Tishri is the Moshe had ascended on High so that they might not first of the months, and Elul the last of the months. again err and be brought to idolatry. Israel has there­ The name Elul was adopted-like those of the other fore adopted the custom of sounding the shofar on months-by the returnees from the first Babylonian Rosh Chodesh Elul, in order to recall: • the ascent of Exile; as our Sages have stated: 'The names of the Moshe; • Israel's repentance after the sin of the Golden months came up from Babylon.' Calf and the forgiveness granted them; and • the giving Rosh Chodesh Elul of the Second Tablets. And the recollection of these always consists of two days, with the first day of Rosh events is intended to stir us towards repentance. Chodesh serving simultaneously as the 30th day of the The shofar is sounded only after the shacharis prayers, month of Av; whereas the month of Elul always con­ since Moshe's ascent to the mountain took place early sists of 29 days. in the morning. It is the nature of the shofar-sound to arouse trepi­ Days of Reconciliation dation in the heart, as it is written: 'Can a shofar be The Since Elul is the last month of the year and directly sounded in the city, and the people not tremble?' precedes Rosh Hashana- the Day of Judgment for all sound of the shofar proclaims: 'Awaken, you sleepers the world's inhabitants-it is therefore observed in re­ from your sleep, and you slumberer.1· from your slum­ pentance and with the recitation of the traditional ber; search your actions and return in penitence.' penitential prayers. Erev Rosh Hashana the shofar is not sounded, in order From ancient times these have to distinguish between the shofar-blowing of Elut, been days of reconciliation between G-d and Israel. which originates only in custom, and the shofar-blow­ ing of Rosh Hashana, which is prescribed by the Torah. When the Israelites committed the sin of worshipping the Golden Calf and the Tablets were broken, Moshe The Death of the Spies ascended the mountain and pleaded for Divine mercy and forgiveness. G-d was reconciled to him and said: On the J 7th of Elul the spies died who had slandered 'Hew out two tablets of stone like the first ones.' Moshe the land of Israel. As it is written: 'And the men who ascended the mountain on Rosh Chodesh Elul and had brought forth an evil report of the land, died in stayed there forty days till the 10th of Tishri. On the a plague before the Lord.' 10th of Tishri he brought down the Second Tablets G-d restrained His anger which G-d had given to Israel as a mark of re.newed against them and delayed their punishment forty days Divine favor. (for they had sinned on the 8th of Av and were pun­ These forty days were hence fixed for ished on the 17th of Elul, corresponding to the forty all generations as days of repentance and forgiveness. days during which they had spied out the land.

The Jewish Observer / September, 1967 23 Jn noting the severity of the penalty, the Rabbis have iniquities; to save their souls from destruction, and to said: 'Come and see how great is the evil of slander turn back G-d's anger, ... from. the spies. If one who issues an evil report 'And even if they have been against wood and stone is so severely punished, how greatly iniquitous and have rebelled against G-d, He much more is one subject to penalty who slanders his did not ... close the doors of repentance to them. fellow man!' Israel was, therefore, admonished to repent from how­ ever far they had turned away. And it was thus also The Twenty-Fifth of Elul aflirmed that repentance is accepted even if the sinner repents because of great distress. As it is said: In your The 25th day of Elul is the day on which the world distress when all these things will come upon you in was created-according to R. Eliczer whose view we the end of days, you shall return to the Lord your G-d, follow in our calendar calculations. That day - on rmd you shall hearken unto His voice! All the more is which Heaven and Earth were created - preceded the this so, if one repents for fear and love of G-d. creation of Adam by six days; Adam having been 'There are many rungs in repentance, and man draws created on Rosh Hashana. near to G-d in acrord with ... his repentance. There Some follow the custom­ is indeed forgiveness for any degree of repentance, but between the 25th of Elul and Rosh Hashana-of read­ the soul is only regarded as totally purified if its earlier ing each day the corresponding passage in the account transgressions are as wiped out by repentance as if they of creation in B ereishis. had never been committed. The matter may be com­ pared to a heavily-soiled garment. A light washing will The Building of the Wall not remove a11 its stains and spots; it will become white On the 25th of Elul the wall surrounding Yerushalayim, only to the extent to which it is washed. Likewise is which was built by Nechemia, was completed. As it is the sou] cleansed of transgression to the extent to which the heart is purified.' (Rabenu Yonah in Sha'are written: 'And the wall was completed on the 25th of Elul.' Teshuva) When Nechemia, went up from Exile to Yerushalayim and he saw the city in ruins, its walls The Fundamentals of Repentance breached and its gates devoured by fire, he enjoined 'The fundamentals of repentance are threefold: • for­ upon the people the rebuilding of the City's wall, so saking the sin one has committed, • regret, and • con­ that the Jews might no longer be held in contempt by fcsssion. their Gentile neighbors. THE FORSAKING OF SIN consists not only of the Judea's surrounding enemies forsaking of sin in practice, but also of removing it --Sanbalat of Choron, Tovia the Amonite and Geshem from one's thoughts, and a firm resolution not to com­ the Arab--conspired to attack Yerushalayim and to mit the evil action again. prevent the 'ebuilding of the wall. The men of Yeru­ What does REGRET consist shalayim became aware of their enemies' plans but they bf? The understanding of the heart that the forsaking did not falter. They prayed to G-d and placed guards of G-d is evil and bitter; the intense awareness that around the city day and night against their enemies. there is penalty and retribution for transgression. 'And the builders of the wall girded themselves with swords, one hand engaged in work and the other holding coNFESSION--one should confess orally and say: I have a weapon.' When the enemies saw that they would be sinned, I have done thus and thus; I regret my actions unable to deter the builders from their work by these and feel ashamed of them, and I will never again revert means, they fabricated reports against Nechemia of dis­ to this deed. loyalty to the King. But all their plans were undone, Repentance avails only for transgression with G-d's l1elp, and the wall was completed after fifty­ between Man and G-d. Sins between Man and his two days of labor. fellow however, such as: stealing, wounding another 'And when all our ene111ies heard or cursing him., are not forgiven till one makes restitu­ and the nations who were about us saw, they fell great­ tion to his friend. And even if one has returned what­ ly in their own eyes and they kneiv that this tvork lvas ever money he owes his friend, he is still required to done through our G-d.' conciliate his friend and to ask his forgiveness. It is forbidden for a person to be hard-hearted and to Repentance is an Act of Divine Loving-Kindness refuse to be reronciled. Rather should one be quick in forgiveness and slow to anger. And when someone 'It is of the good which G-d accorded to his creatures who has wronged him asks for forgiveness, he should that he prepared for them a path by which to rise from extend forgiveness whole-heartedly and willingly. And the pitfall of their actions; to Hee from the trap of their even if the other has caused him much distress and has

24 The Jewish Observer / Septe1nber, 1967 wronged him greatly, he should still not exact vengeance the more when one is about to be brought before the or retain inner resentment. King of Kings who searches Man's heart. If one who Erev Rosh Hashana has sinned delays his repentance, the severity of his penalty increases daily for he knows that G-d's anger Erev Rosh Hashana it is customary to rise early for is directed towards him, and that he can also escape the recitation of selichos. For this day is the last day the results of his misdeeds through repentance. before the Day of Judgment, on which all the world's The Rabbis have said of this matter: It may be com­ inhabitants are scrutinized by G-d. On this day special pared to a robber band imprisoned by a King, who dug care is taken to refrain from sins between Man and a tunnel and escaped. One of them however, remained his fellow. And one should not distract his attention behind. The prison official came and saw the tunnel from thoughts of repentance. they had dug, but when he saw the one who had re­ One should ponder the mained imprisoned of his own accord, he struck him matter at heart: When a person stands in judgment with his rod and said: ... Isn't the tunnel open for you? before a King of flesh and blood he is filled with great Why did you not hurry to escape? Repentance is like­ fear, and it will not occur to him to be concerned with wise an escape-tunnel which is given to man as a anything else except to plan how to plead before the means of fleeing from his sins. And if he fails to flee, he King; how to find merit and to seek forgiveness. All increases Divine wrath even more.' (Sha'are Teshuva)

MEMO NATHANIEL J. COOPERMAN To: Program Chairman and HERMAN GROMAN, C.L.U. are proud to announce The contributors to the col­ umns of THE JEWISH OB­ the appointment of SERVER have demonstrated their ability to articulate the JACK KLAUSNER, C.L.U. positions of Torah Jewry as on the problems confronting our people throughout the GENERAL MANAGER world. of the New Bronx John Hancock Office at These outstanding persona­ 4101 East Tremont Ave., Bronx lities of Torah life in Amer­ ica have authorized us to He is currently interviewing career-minded men and women arrange a limited number of lecture engagements for who will be offered the same outstanding opportunity in the them to discuss before inter­ business of Life and Health Insurance that has led to the ested audiences throughout the country matters on success of our Associates. which they have written in the columns of The Jewish For information and appointment, call: Observer, and other vital JACK KLAUSNER, C.L.U. questions confronting Jewry BO 3-2211 WRITE TO: Speakers Bureau THE JEWISH OBSERVER 5 Beekman Street New York, N.Y. 10038

The Jewish Observer I September, 1967 25 second looks at the jewish scene

Accepting Antisemitic Cliches

WAR HAS MANY side- and after-ef­ tile world. Typically, Judah Loeb book of a Hebrew school student fects. It brings out the best in people Gordon describes the 'enlightened you might read such phrases as -and the worst. The spiritual ef­ man' who is Jewish as being supe­ these: The Jews in the Diaspora fects of lsrael"s miraculous victory rior to his fellow Jews in that he are living unhealthy lives, as un­ have been widely noted, because 'admits to the truth': i.e., he accepts savory tradesmen, and sometimes they were so evident. The weak­ as facts most of the complaints and have unsavory private lives too . ... nesss in the collective integrity of accusations of the Jew-haters . ... They are corrupt. ... The Gentiles the contemporary Jew which were "Their arguments ran something around them are leading healthy manifest in the wake of victory, are like this: There are no Jewish ar­ lives.' " Jess evident. 'tisans or laborers~ Jews arc all mer­ 'TRAGICALLY, this willingness to ac­ One of the characteristics of the chants. storekeepers, and money­ cept the caricatures of the antisemite Zionist and Jewish nationalist ideol­ lenders; we live by 'crooked deals is not ready to be retired to the ob­ ogists, was a wiHingness to accept and usury.' How could a nation like livion of the historic monograph. Jn the myths of the Jew-haters, and to ours hope to be on equal terms with the wake of victory, many Jews took incorporate them into their ideolog­ others? ('fhe non-Jews, of course, delight that "we showed them we jcal structure. This is not a new aren't merchants or moneylenders can fight too." It is painful to note concept. nor is it a concept con­ or exploiters or oppressors; they all that even a religious journal saw fit cocted by Orthodox polemicists to live off the fruits of their own labor!) to observe that "the Jewish fighting shame Zionists. It was documented We ... wear 'filthy clothing' (mean­ man [is] the most respected warrior in a work by the famous historian ing we have a special dress), speak of modern history ... [and] has Yehezkel Kaufman-himself a Jew­ a confused language (meaning a made Jews everywhere feel 'ten feet ish nationalist-in a work published language of our own, Yiddish). tall' ... [they] have redressed the in Tel Aviv in 1936. Kaufman (The non-Jews, of course, are all centuries-old picture of the Jew, writes:* enthusiasts of the Enlightenment meekly submitting to his anihila- '.'We have been suffering from ... and of rational concepts; they all 1ion." Jewish anti-Semitism ever since the dress properly, speak clearly!) So, Certainly we are proud of the period of Enlightment. And we 0 Jew, 'be a man out of doors, a Israeli fighting man, but must our should recognize the disease for Jew at home' (J. L. Gordon). That pride be expressed by slandering the what it is, even when it puts on the is how our 'enlightened' admitted ;memory of our Kedoshim?-do we disguise of Jewish nationalism. In­ to the 'truth'." become 'ten feet tall' by admitting deed, the poison that flows from Were this tragic self-hatred a the vicious lies of the Jew-hater and Jewish nationalist sources is perhaps thing of the past, it would be wiser 'Saying it's no longer so. Must we the most dangerous of all. to forget it. But Kaufman notes: adopt, at such a time in our history, "The cardinal sin of the Enlight­ "These falsehoods infect all our He­ the stance of the Jew who said: "I enment was that it concurred in the brew literature and the mind of our was horn a Jew, but I'll never do it 'case for the prosecution' and de­ youth. If you were to open the note- again"? 0 manded that the Jews do penance as a means of conciliating the Gen- Be sure to notify us in odvanc:e so that your c:opies *The quotations are from an adapta~ MOVING? tion by Kaufman which appeared in will c:ontinue to reac:h you. translation in Comn1entary, March, 1949.

26 The Jewish Obserrer I September, 1967 composer and impresario of happenings '~ Jewish Happening" spoke of the electronic revolution, "bet­ ter hold on to Sperry Rand." IT WAS PREDICTABLE-it had to dancing evoked a traditional feeling, Mr. Cage spoke faster and faster, happen: 'A Jewish happening.' but Mr. Kingsley's improvisation of reading Mr. Funer's words. The words ''L'cho Dodi," the chant that greets the were often confused-something about When some churches experimented Sabbath. easily escaped ears not musical· Republicans and Democrats and private with a "jazz service" ( J .o. April, Jy trained. power versus puhlic power, why com­ '66) it didn't take Jong before a Mr. Cage's serm-0n began-slow of munications were invented, and refer· Reform congregation followed suit. speech and discursive--on the prolifera­ ences to Marshall McLuhan. With "psychedelic happenings" the tion of energy-distribution systems. One Then a brilliant arc light flicked on wife whispered to her husband, as the and off in the darkness and Laura Fore- latest entry in the race for "new ex­ periences" by people for whom life no longer holds any excitement, it was inevitable that the gimmick be The first magazine for Jewish Youth picked up by Jews who find even the Reform Jewish service too dull. It was all described in a master­ ful job of reporting in The New York Times. JEW Iffl

SPRING VALLEY. N. Y .. July 23-It hi9h school was different, and that is the only un­ debatable asp~ct of it. The Sabbath was l/OUTfl and ushered in here Friday night at Temple Beth El with three dancers, two singers, beyond electronic music, film projections, eerie MONnnq sound tracks, psychedelicacies and John Cage in the pulpit, basing his sermon on the words of the prophet, Buckminster ATTRACTIVE/ENJOYABLE/FAST MOVING/INTERESTING Fuller ... COLORFUL/LUCID STYLE/DIGEST SIZE FORMAT A crowd of almost 850 filled the hand­ 0 some modern synagogue. It represented ten issues each year/fea+..res/artic:les/stories/interviews the two congregations and others at­ tracted by the promise of a new interpre­ photos/letters/reviews/commentary /holiday and Torah tation of the ancient Sabbath service. insights-a lot to think about. After ;1 brid traditional Reform serv­ You will gain new insights and discover new vistas by reading the mag­ ice, the arts service began, controlled by azine that views the world through the eyes of timeless tradition in a battery of sound ancl light equipment lucid, attractive, enjoyable style that's as modern m. tom-0rrow. Brighten staffed by more than a dozen persons in and enrich your own life by joining our thousands of devoted readers. the balcony. Between the two services there was a FREE GIFT TO ALL CHARTER SUBSCRIBERS bewildering noisy splash of film about a co11y of the aeelaimed, authoritative, handy easy reference pocket the Lower East Side. Slides and film alphahetical guide 10 brocl105 for 563 fo0· showed the city's original ghetto as it tion-you be the expert GlJJDE TO BLESSINGS. was and as it is today. Pictures lapped over the front of the hall and onto the ...... · ------·----·--..·- --···.. · ·------..- ---·.. ·---·--·-·---~ ceiling, and the sound trncks sometimes Publishe'1 by the Na1ional Conference of Sy·nagogue Youlh drowned out comments by the congrega­ of the Union of Orthodox )l"'·ish Congregat.ion8 of America tion as it girded itself for a new experi­ ence. 'Better Hohl Sperry' SUBSCRIPTION ORDER FORM The Service was designed to parallel the usual Friday night liturgy: Equal but Jewish Youth Monfhly/84 Fifth Avenue, New York, N. Y. 10011 very separate. Kindly enter my subscription to JEWISH YOl!TH MONTHLY for: Frances Alenikoff opened the arts service by lighting a candle and LaMonte D l year @ $2.65 D 2 yeai·s @ $5.00 (save $2.00 over single Young drew long sober notes al the copy price) organ. Then Miss Alenikoff danced a Name...... Sabbath prayer. blightely and fittingly, to taped electronic music improvised by Address...... _. __...... - ...... Gershon Kingsley. City...... - ...... State...... Zip...... The 90-minute service was often re­ miniscent of the exaltation that Hassidim Please enclose payment. strive for- but quite different. too. The

The Jewish Observer /September, 1967 27 man danced behind the pulpit, clutching something out of it," said Jack Ruder­ Did it all add up to an evening of re­ at the doors to the ark that holds the man, whose wife said she didn't care for ligion or an evening of art? Torah as Mr. Cage spoke. Slides came it at all. One man answered, perhaps with on and went off. Rabbi Fishman, however, was enthusi­ more truth than he realized : "God only Mr. Cage, dark-suited and looking astic. "I feel that electronic music is knows." every inch the minister, repeated his mes­ something that must be brought into the sage, "We are faced with the choice: temple. Also a service such as this Utopia or oblivion," and asked, which makes people re~interpret the words of IN THIS AGE OF electronic, non-ver­ road shall we take? the service. 'J'he dance represents a ser~ bal communication, the Times re­ There were prayers by the rabbis, rnon in sight and sound. John Cage's porter has managed to communicate flashing lights, the loud eruption of sermon was the greatest sermon I ever the 'happening' through the use of sound, dancing, and finally overwhelm­ heard." words and the out-moded linotype ing thunderous chords of music. Rabbi Schreibman said, "I was skepti­ As the crowd trooped out, the di­ cal about it. But I found much of it ex­ machine. But the most caustic com­ vergence of opinion was evident. There tremely exciting." ment was made by the page editor were ardent supporters, uncertain middle The occasion was Mr. Cage's first of The Times. The report of the readers and the hostile ones who com­ Jewish happening, although, he said, "I plained about headaches and a lack of first 'Jewish happening' appeared went to a bar rnitzvah once." Like dignity and piety. on The Times entertainment page. Mr. Cage, many of the participants in "J liked it, if you listened you got the happening were not Jewish. D

El,IJI...

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28 The Jewish Observer / Septeniber, 1967 wrote to the Post, protesting against The Bugaboo of "Coercion" being served kosher food, which he called insipid. Would he have protested THE ,JUNE ISSUE of The American invites the tourist to see an exhibit of in France against French food or in Zionist, official organ of the Zionist Jewish art and of Israel art. Ask an Greece against Greek food? The study of Israeli and he will tell you, I am an Is­ the Bible has for most Israelis replaced Organization of America, contains raeli, not a Jew. The Government of Is­ religion. There is an actual hatred of two articles on "Religion and State." rael has had to introduce into the school religion, a part of which is expressed in The first deals with problems of per­ curriculum a course called Jewish con­ the League against Religious Coercion, sonal status in Israel and is a bag of sciousness, an attempt to teach what it is which does not have its parallel any­ cliches, repeating allegations of in­ to be Jewish. It has borne little result be­ where in the Jewish world. cause it is not based on religion and be­ It is in the context of the anti-religious justice caused by Israel's insistence cause the prevailing spirit among teach­ movement that the present furore about that marriage and divorce in the ers is that the Torah to be followed is autopsies can be understood. Just as no­ Holy Land be goverened by religious the one handed down by Marx, not where else in the Jewish world is there Jaw. There is one new twist-the .Moses. a league against religion, so nowhere writer bemoans the fact that a The conscious Jew is horrified by the else in the world. Jewish or non-Jewish, lack of religious knowledge, by such have the doctors claimed that the body justice of Israel's Supreme Court manifestations as the playing of church after death belongs to them and not to had to "travel abroad in order to music in a church on the Jewish Sabbath the family. Hence they have been con­ get married, because his name was by Jews for Jews, by the toleration of ducting autopsies at. will. They insist that Cohen [sic] and he married a di­ missions which deliver their products all that is needed is the authorization of fully baptized into Canada, by the 95 three doctors. As we say in America, it vorcee." per cent use by Israelis of the Young is no problem to get two fellow-doctors We are accustomed to these out­ Men's Christian Association in Jerusalem, to rubber-stamp the actions of the third. bursts and the fallacies they perpetu­ and by the cruises which Israelis take on Autopsies required by the police are not Pesah, Rosh Hashana and other holy at issue here. . . . ate have been noted in these pages. days to escape religion. Add to that, Is­ Coercion is a bugaboo word. All of us What does come as a surprise-a raelis when abroad do not mix wilh Jew­ live our lives under coercion of various pleasant surprise-is the article ish communities, nor observe the Sab­ kinds. Is there anyone who does not pay which follows called The Bugaboo bath, nor seek Jewish food or a syn­ taxes except under the coercion of the of 'Coercion'. Perhaps it may not agogue. tax laws? A wife may coerce her husband into buying her that new garment. The be attributable to the Kosel Ma'ara­ A doctor in one of the hospitals most vehement in its demand for autopsies parent coercing his son or daughter to vi Spirit-it is not clear when the without the consent of the family wrote follow the patterns of good behavior is article was written-but it certain­ to the Jerusalem Post that on Wednes­ the best example of coercion. ly demonstrates a measure of under­ day, October 6, 1965 ... he experienced Whatever definitions may be given as standing of the position of religious "unpleasantness" when driving his car. to who is a Jew, one: thing is clear. that Jewry which has been absent in the He just didn't mention, and certainly the moment one abandons the Jewish did not care, that it was Yorn Kippur, religion one ceases to be a Jew. In. the paSf°in secular Zionism. the holiest day of the Jewish people. A special circumstances of Israel, where few days ago another doctor, an Ameri­ one cannot even play football without A sign in the Dan Hotel m Tel Aviv can with the Jewish name of Friedm8n, belonging to a party, the religious people

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Tire Jewish Observl'r / SPplember, 1967 29 have had to form their own parties to defend our religion. Whatever coercion the religious parties, constituting 16 per News of Agudath Israel cent of the electorate, may try to ex­ ercise, it is no more than an attempt to shape the Jewish state, Jewishly, in ac­ AGUDATH ISRAEL APPEALS TO ESHKOL: cordance with our tradition. If we should be forced by the League (exercising its "PREVENT KOSEL MA'ARAVI DESECRATION" own coercion) to give up the Sabbath, Kashrut and the whole of what Rabbi A STRO"'.'OGLY-WORDED appeal to Premier The Agudath Israel appeal further M. Kaplan calls the Jewish civilization, Levi Eshkol to "prevent the shattering states: "For generations the Kosel Ma'­ then all our Zionist efforts will have been of the unparalleled Jewish unity forged aravi has been sanctified as a holy place wasted. by Israers war crisis which would in­ where Jews came to pour out their hearts evitably result if the Kosel Ma'arai'i were and to pray. Any movement to alter the converted from a holy religious site into deep religious significance of this rem­ a secular historic shrine," was issued hy nant of our Holy ·remple not only pro­ Have you renewed Agudath Israel of America in mid-Au­ fanes Judaism's holiest site but strikes a gust. The appeal from Agudath Israel to blow at the remarkable unity among Jews your subscription? Eshkol points out that ()rthodox Jews in the world over forged in recent months Do it now! Am·erica are "profoundly dismayed by in the flame of war. Moreover, to com·­ reports that the Israel Government may promise the holiness of the Western bow to the pressure of anti-religious ex­ Wall, compromises our claim to its pos­ tremists objecting to religious supervision session and plays into the hands of Is­ of the Kosel Ma'aravi and to the tradi­ rael's enemies,'' tional ~eparation of the sexes at the wall The Agudath Israel messeage con­ 0 0 where prayers are continuously offered." cludes by urging Premier Eshkol "at the "These reports were given credence by very least" to grant Israel's rabbinate the your statement in an interview last week same exclusive jurisdiction over the West­ disassociating yourself from the tradi­ ern Wall enjoyed by the Christian and UHITED tional customs now observed at the West­ Moslem religious leaders over their holy Chevra Kadisha ern Wall." the message declared. sites. D'chasidim • Har Hamnuchot 40 CITIES REPRESENTED skuilcaps, in recognition of the student's Founded 1856 AT AGUDIST CAMPS right under the American Constitution and way of life granting complete free­ Burial in Jerusalem Children from· 40 cities from far-flung dom for the exercise of religious prac­ communities in the United States and tice. For the Hillside High School to Stringent care and Canada have benefited from the unique break with this tradition represents a expiditious handling by sun1mer program of Camp Agudah for shameful departure which, in fairness strictly Orthodox boys and Camp Bnos for girls, which and justice, should not be tolerated." observers. will close their 9-week season on August 30. The directors of the camps. which Karka (graves) and are located in Ferndale and Liberty New AGUDAH TORAH FUND special arrangements for York pointed out that "the large amount AIDS ISRAEL GROUPS those individuals who of can1pers fron1 areas outside New A number of yeshivas and religious in wish, during their York, almost half of the entire registra­ stitutions which had suffered from Is­ life-time, to secure tion, enables Agudath Israel-the spons­ rael's war emergency were helped with ground in Israel for oring agency-to bring a warm Torah grants from the Emergency Torah Fund after 120 years. spirit to many communities that are spir­ for Israel, as a result of a special drive itually arid.'" conducted among Agudath Israel Reasonable rates. branche; and members. Many of these Matzeiva (monument) JERSEY LEADERS ASKED projects had no other major source of permit included in rate. TO REVOKE YARMULKE BAN assistance. and expressed their apprecia­ tion for the help they received. Endorsed by all major New Jersey's top government officials­ Robbinicol authorities. Governor Richard Hughes, Senator Clif­ ford c:ase and Senator Harrison Williams -were urged by Agudath Israel of maal1n sako0€sh America to personally intervene with the A week-day Bar Mitzvoh, Hillside Board of Education to rescind SOCl€ty its decision to expel a 13-year old yeshi­ either with or without Krias 44 CANAL ST. va student, Bernard White. from a sum­ Hatorah, can be an inspir· NEW YORK CITY 10002 mer typing course at the Hillside High School because he wore a yarmulke in ing experience and will Nr. E. Broa

30 The Jewish Observer / Septen1ber, 1967 AGUDA TH lSRAEL HAILS lSRAELI LEADERS TO REPEAL OF "BLAINE" , NATIONAL CONVENTION r The repeal of the ''Blaine Amend­ Yours for ment" by the New York State Constitu­ The heads of the Agudath Israel move­ tional Convention was hailed by Rabbi ment in Israel will participate in the Moshe Sherer, executive vice-president 45th National Convention of Agudath Js­ the asking of Agudath Israel of America, as a "sign rael of America which will take place of the new awareness of the necessity Delicious GLATT KOSHER Break­ from Thursday (Thanksgiving Day), to remove all discriminatory legal bars fast, Lunch, Dinner served to you to provide non-public school children November 23 through Sunday, Novem­ by most Airlines at no extra cost. with all benefits due them under their ber 26 (Cheshvon 20-23). When arranging for your next

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Reuben E. Gross testifying before Con­ stitutionaf Con11ention 011 behalf of Agu­ dath l:;rael, in <>1>1>ositio11 10 "Blaine." ------(Photo courtesy: ·rHr:, NEW YORK TIMES) WHEN YOU TRY CABill. PRODUCTS YOU'LL Employment that "this overwhelming victory for fair­ r1 I NEVER GO BACK ness in education to a ll children in the SHOMER SHABBOS JOBS Empire State will stimulate other states, TO THE WINES. whose constitutions contHin similar re­ LOOKING FOR A JOB? strictive provisions, to follow suit." CHAMPAGNES NEED OFFICE HELP? The Agudath Israel statement pointed AND LIQUORS out that " the fact that over two-thirds of Conlacf: the Jewish members of the New York YOU'VE BEEN State Constitutional Convention voted DRINKING TRADITION PERSONNEL for repeal of the 'B.laine Amendment,' NOTE NEW ADDRESS: despite the unrelenting pressure of . the 147 West 42nd St., New York, N. Y. American Jewish Congress, is a clear Room 1111 0 Tel. 563-3994 indication th at . the AJC propaganda against the interests of yeshivos· and re­ ligious schools is falling flat on its face. The public is now aware that extremist Auto Service interpretation of church-state separation is a shiboleth of the pas t, and that pro­ 16th AVENUE GARAGE CO. 0 Expert gressivism demands fair treatment for all Repairs, Free Road Service O Big Discount school. children." on Tires 0 Plaid s+~mps with Every Sale 1602 - 62nd Street, Brooklyn, N. Y. 11204 Invited to a 0 DE 1.0229, BE 2-9513 0 GULF GAS SIMCHA? '""""""'by Real Estate Send a . CAl!Mfl WINI CO., INC. l" f. 40th St• • N. Y., N. Y. 1'016 THREE-YEAR LOFTS-FACTORIES To Rent or Buy 0 SUBSCRIPTION TO All Areas 0 EARL H. SPERO 0 33 West THE JEWISH OBSERVER 42nd Street, New Yon, N. Y. 10036 0 BR 9-1539

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