Page 8 - The Canadian Jewish News, Thursday, January .13, 1983:
World-Nadonal
M-T
. J.B.SALSBERG
In rhy last column I confessed to being frequently disturbed and uneasy about some negative manifestations in Jewish life . . . and let me enlarge on this.
The immediate occurrence that troubles my mind and soul was a bizarre, mind-boggling sieight-of-hand fmancial fandango that left ordinary people speechless and be-wildered. There were, of course, some non-Jewish performers in this surrealistic spectacle but. it was evident they were only supporting acr tors; the stars Were, alas, from the^ancient and virtuous lineage that we boast of.
There have been other occurrences in Canada that disturbed me no end. But they, though not unimportant, were dwarfed by comparison with the spectacular performance that shook me and others to the roots. And that not simply because the sleight-of-hand spectacle was of gargantuan proportions while the other social obscenities were, by comparison, only molefhiHs.
No .. .it wasn't only a matter of size, Jbiit rather of big performers attempting to cover their dubious operations in a cloak of legality. That's the way of cynics; that's the way of those who believe tibat if one ^'can get away with it," then it's permissible, even if it's wretchedly immoral!
Having gone this far, I should add the following:
J. B. Salsberg
- FirstT Tdo not^elieve that Jews ai^, pr -ever were, or could be the only virtuous ones and without sinners. Even when the prophets walked the streets of ancient Jerusalem, our forefathers were hot free of evil and evildoers. Were it otherwise so, we would have had ho Isaiah; no Jeremiah and no Amos. But at no time in our history was wrong-doing and violations of moral and ethical standards allowed to exist without moral condemnation, the rnoral goals were always held high and unsullied before the people.
Second, while we must demand the highest virtues from ourselves as a group and from each individual that makes up the group I will battle agahist any attempt from without to deny us the rights and opportunities — good and questionable that are allowed all other citizens^ That appUes to every social, economic, civic, religious and political area Of society.
Our battle against all and every form of discrimination and exceptioiial treatmient is our fight for freedom and equality. Our internal battle for decency, principle and morality is our battle for what we consider to be the quintessence of Jewishness.
Third, we must guard against prejudging people, A person is, of course, innocent until found guilty. But, there are times when innocence before the law is not, necessarily, identified with a certificate of moral rectitude. "Getting away with it" is no badge of honor.
By nOw you may ask,-why I am in such a dilemma . . .in such an inner conflict as to how to react to the indefensible behavior patterns among us? Because while my head demands unrestrained, open warfare against the unprincipled perpetrators of morally indefensible acts, my heart
counsels a more cautious approach to the problem. As a resultl have tended lately to urge that the battle for. Jewish moral standards be conducted primarily inside our own commiurial arena and to go public only when the "scandal" becomes linked vv'ith Jews generally.
Am I right in my conclusion? I may be right and, on the other hand, I may be wrong. But one thing is certain — I've biecome very sensitive to the troubling challenge.
In the last column I wrote about a luncheon I had with one of Canada's prominent authors and journaliists at which I tried to dissuade him from proceeding with a book that I feared would be utilized by anti-semites against bur community as a whole. Towards the end of the friendly but quite animated discussion he asked why I was so sensitive about the matter and I replied, more or less,, in the following words:
In my lifetime I have seen many changes and saw many hopes and dreams lie shattered along the road I covered. In my earliest youth and in the atmosphere of my very religious home the Messiah was ardently prayed for. His coming would, without a shadow of doubt, solve all Jewish problems and transform the whole world into a veritable Garden of Eden. But. , . the Messiah tarried while the world and his Jewish people encountered one disasteir after another.
I also saw the West, the so-called centre of world culture, spawn fascism arid Nazism with the subsequent war that almost wiped us, the Jews, off the map entirely. ^ And I also saw the promising re volution-^ sun rise from the East, from what had been the oppressive Czarist empire. And I
lived to see the moral ruins of that once inspiring -historic event. Lenin described The Czarist empire as a prisoiR)f nations and I have witnessed the retention and, indeed, the strengthening of those prison walls.
Jews were inspired by the assurance that under the new system they would, at last, attain full equality and all opportunities to develop their national culture and way of life. And I have lived to see the rulers of the new heaven-on-earth rOb the Jews of their national birthright. That country has become the prison of its Jews, a cynical persecutor of Jews and, more than that, it has become a major centre for vitriolic antj-semite theory and practice. My friend the author did, I believe, understand my sensitivity.
Yes, I have become sensitive to the way the Jewish issues are treated by ourselves and by the world around us — very sensitive indeed.
Little wonder that I yearn for the emergence of great moral authorities in Jewish life who will have the courage to rise in our midst, bring their hands down on the lecterns behind which they stand, and challengingly renew the ancient injunction that"Yidderitooen dos nisht!" (Jews don't behave like that!).
I recall hearing such admonishments and injunctions delivered by rabbis and lay leaders to their communities and congregations. It matters not that they did not eliminate all evil from their midst. What is important is that they inveighed against immoral and unethical practices, that they raised their Jewish banners fearlessly and that they placed the practitioners of wrongdoings beyond the borders of decency.
Whence will such moral authorities come now?
MONTREAL —
Dr. Phil Gold, who recently parlayed a $75,000 award he won last year into another significant discovery in the detection of cancer, will be the featured speaker here Jan. 19 at the annual meeting of the Canadian Society for the Weizmann Institute of Science.
Gold, physician-in-chief at Montreal General Hospital and director of the McGill Cancer Centre, will speak on the latest developments in cancer research at the Montefiore Club on Guy St.
Three weeks ago, a research team headed by Gold succeeded in producing antibodies that can detect and identify different types of cancer in humans.
That breakthrough followed his discovery of carcino embryonic "antigen (CEA) ^ a sub-
Dr. Phil Gold
stance which allows doctors to detect certain types of cancer as much as three years earlier than was previously possible.
In recognition of his discovery. Gold received the presitgious Calgary-based Ernest C. Manning Foundation Award last September. -
In 1980, Gold and his colleague. Dr. Samuel Freedman, were tendered atestimonial dinner by.the Montreal chapter
for the Weizma^in Institute of Science. On that occasion y Chairs in cancer research were established at the Weizmann Institute in their honor.
Gold has been the recipient of several other awards and prizes, including the Gairdner Award for outstanding medical research.
The Montreal meeting will review activities of the past year, project
plans for the future, and elect members to the national board of directors.
Murray B. Koffler chairman of the board, stated that there will be a report on recent developments at the Weizmann Institute in Reho^ vot, aiid that the first board meeting of the year will be held immediately after the annual meeting.
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