Box Folder 21 14 "Mission to French North
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
MS-763: Rabbi Herbert A. Friedman Collection, 1930-2004. Series H: United Jewish Appeal, 1945-1995. Subseries 1: Sermons, Speeches and Writings, 1949-1982. Box Folder 21 14 "Mission to French North Africa". October 1955. For more information on this collection, please see the finding aid on the American Jewish Archives website. 3101 Clifton Ave, Cincinnati, Ohio 45220 513.487.3000 AmericanJewishArchives.org I I Number Eleven OCTOBER 1955 Tll E CONFERENCE JOUnNAL: l'ublis/Jed by tlif' Cf'71tral Conference (If A111rrim11 R11bbis. EDITOR: Abml111m]. I<laumer. DEPARTMENT EDITons: Max D. F.ic/J/Jom, Robe.rt L. /(atz, Albert M. Lewis, Ely E. Pilchik. EDITOlllAL n0An1>: Bernard/. Bambergrr, Philip S. Bm1stei11, 1Villi11111 G. Brnude, Ely E. Pilchik, David Polish, Jarob P. Rudin, Samuel M. Silver, Jacob/. 1Veiwtei11. OFFICEnS OF TllE CONFEllENCE: Barnett R. BricJ:ner, l'residmt; lmrcl Btttan, Vice-Prcsidmt; Stanley R. Bmv, Treasurer; Sidney M. Lrfkowitz, Recording Secrmry; Maurice Goldb!ti11 Fi11a11ric1I Secretary; Sidney L. J<egner, Exm1tivr Vire-Preside'///. THE CONFERENCE JOURNAL is published quarterly in ]111111ary, April, June 1111d October. S11bsrriptio11 as set by the Confermcr is $J .yo for the yl'l1r. E111ered as seco11d-r/11ss 111111/er at the post-o..ffice at l'/Jiladelphi,1, Penna. All articles and communica,rions should be addrrssrd to tilt' }oumal Editor, Temple Emtr1111el, 63 Hamil1011 Avdme, Y 011l·ers 5, N. Y., subscriptions to t/Je Conjermce exerutive o.ffiw, 40 West 681/J St .. Nrw York City. E D I TOR 'S N OT ES We briefly sketch our tel/fativc plans for the comi11g year, amicipati11g that many of our readers will w11111 to join i11 thr discussions that 'Will appear in the pages of the Journal. For su111r time, we hm.Jt' been at work p111ting togrthcr a .Journal issue 011 the subject of Synagogue Art. lVe 11re pri11111rily interrstt•d in the art forms that havt• b1•c11 introduced in 1J1a11y of our new sy11r1gog11es, sy111bolizi11g the ·1111my facets of 011 r Faith. TVe have also been concerned with the form and observance of the Fmivals (o•1ni w?w) which we bclit•ve pose problems i11 ueed of discussio'll. There has been a good deal of t11/k about the Religious School c11rricu/11m. In certain quarters tlu• reliability ~'f thr currirnlum is questioned, while in other quarters the '1)(1/idity of the curricu/11111 is up fo•rj11dg111mt. In line with 011r Religious School interest, we shall also consider our program in the field of Adult Ed11mtion. In rhe Field of Education appears as a new depart111e111 in this issue~( the Journal. Under the editorship of Rabbi Albert M. Le'lvis, Rabbi of Temple Isaiah, Los Angeles, California, we p/1111 thro11gh this column to bring to t/11: attemitm of our readers books, materials and papers published and distributed by the 111a1~y educational agencies both Jewish and non jewish which 111ight be of interest and assistalJ'ce to the rabbi. CCAR.. CENTRAL CONFE~A MERICAN RABB IS CONTENTS New Year - New Era BARNE·rr R. BRICKNER ....•....•.................... A Mission to French North Africa H ERlll!:RT A. FRIEDMAN. • . 3 ROSF.NZ\\'EIG, BUBJl '. R AND MAL\IONIOFS Theory and Practice: A Nore on Franz Rosenzweig NAHUM N. GLATZER...... 9 Martin Buber and Judaism MAUIUCE F1t1EOMAN. • . • . • . • • . • . 13 Moses Maimonides, Author and 'l'cacher for the Ages EUGENE M IHALY.. • • • 19 DEPAR")J\IF.NTS Of Books and Papers ELY E. P1LClllK. • . 28 Organizations and Institutions MAx D. E1c1rnoRN. 35 In rhe Field of Education ALllERT M. L E\VIS. • . ................... 39 A Rabbi Asks: Concerning the Advisability of Informing a Patient of the Seriousness of hi.s lllness H1RAM B. W£1ss, l sitAEL .J. GERBER, I h:NRY D. L EDl::RER, ALBERT G. M1NDA. RoBERT L. KA rz, Eo.. ... ......... 42 NOTES AND REPORTS The Paris Meeting of the \.\'orld Union For Progressive Judaism: A Report DAv10 H. W1cE.... ............................... 48 The Founding of a New Seminary An Announcement . •. 50 Notes on Our Contributors. 52 Barnett R. Brid'Tlcr NEW YEAR-NEW ERA ln a recent review of Rexford G. Tug mood than it has had reason to be in the well's new book, A Chronicle of Jeopardy last ten years. 1945- 55, Cabell Phillips writes: The radical change of manner by the Kremlin leaders and the signs of amity "History written at short range is likely to be decepti\'e. Ir is hard to emanating from the Red Chinese, fol bring events into sharp and stable focus lowing the Geneva meeting "at the while they are still enveloped in their summit," give warrant to the belief that own dust clouds and while one's the mood of coexistence indicates the emotions about them are still green." relaxing of existing international ten August 14, 1955) (New York Times, sions. Perhaps the possession and devel And 1 may add that this is because all opment by the Kremlin of atomic power, too frequently fantasy takes on the has brought us on a par militarily and appearance of reality and reality that of led both sides to the realization, out of fantasy. Yee fantasy and reality arc not enlightened self-interest, of the futility so separate and distinct as we arc some of another >.var. times prone ro believe, for all too often This mood of acceptance of political reality is the projection of fantasy. Life coexistence was heightened by the even is too full of the impossible becoming more significant Atoms for Peace Con possible for us ro pl:tcc fantasy an<l ference, which followed the meeting of reality into separate compartments, the Big Four in the same city of peace, destined never to mix. Geneva. In the world in which we live, Though l agree in the main with the it is science which determines economic caution expressed by the reviewer chat and government policy. At the Atoms history written at short range is likely for Peace meetings it was demonstrated co be deceptive, nevertheless what has how we can and must coexist also with the been happening recently is so revolu Atom. lt was Professor Homi J. Bhabha, tionary in character as to warrant the of India, President of the Conference, belief that the New Ycar, 57 16, is who said, " L venrure to predict that a opening lpiritually "at the summit." We method will bt: found for liberating are nor just trailing our own dust clouds fusion energy in a controlled manner to admit to ourselves that the world is within the next two decades. ~T hen that today in a happier and a more hupeful happens, the energy problem of the 1 2 BRICKNER: New Year - New Em world will have been solved forever." decade of suffering, of cold and hot At Geneva there was displayed the war - of hatred, vindieriven::ss, and Atomic Reactor, which will be the insecurity - we arc coming to the source of atomic energy in the future realization that the choice between life and which will drive the wheels of and death is truly ours. \Ve arc far industry, particularly where there is no from being rhe puppets of fate, bur in a coal or oil - foreshadowing a new in decisive way have the power to exercise dustrial revolution far greater in scope that free will which will bring us li fe than the one that transformed society in and nor death - provided char we the nineteenth century. Deserts will be master the lnil i~· and choose the made to bloom like gardens through the ::nl' 1:!>' in us. irradiation of seeds and soil. The radio It is not fantasy but reality that active isotope and other forms of atomic confronts us. \Ne can choose ro make energy may even cure cancer and other this a better am! a happier world if we dread diseases. V critably a new world is bur will it so, provided chat we make opening up, one that may witness the our way His way instead of crying elimination of war, pestilence, and futilely tO bend I lis will to our will. famine. ' \Ne must cease playing God; we must The timing of these two Geneva choose to believe in God and, as Dr. Leo Conferences was providential. They Baeck has said, "to make a place for occurred exactly ten years after the most H im in the world which He has devastating weapon ever devised by man created." had been released over Hiroshima and I find it significant that so many Jews, Nagasaki and ended history's most way our of proportion to our numbers, cataclysmic war. May not the prophetic were sclecrcd ro represent the seventy words of Isaiah be applied here? May rwo counrrics at this meeting of it not be that God used the Acom as the scientists ar the summit in Geneva. Je\\ s "rod of I Tis anger" ('Dl'I 1:>:it11) co bring a arc leading the.: way in reaching mankind wayward mankind to its senses? May it to master the atomic fire. I pray char, as nor be that God intended the devastating a people, we who arc rooted in faith and bomb with its attendant suffering to lead, morality may give mankind char moral as suffering usually docs, to the realiza and spiritual direction it now needs and tion that the gift of God - in this case, hasten the new era. nuclear fission - was intended to be Colleagues, with this New Year we used for man's weal rather than for his have a "job" cut our for ourselves, to woe and that it was only m::n's per lead our people back to the spiritual versity that made him use the splitting sources which are our heritage and of the Arom for his own decimation? to which the world must remrn for its How telling, then, arc the words of salvation.