Page 4 - The Canadian Jewish New?, Friday, October 12, 1973
Editorial page
An independent Community Newspaper serving as a fd^um for diverse viewpoints.
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VOL. XIII, NO. 40 (765)
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Canada's Jews rally to ihe aid
of an Israel beset by many enemies
It was 1967 all over again. The same tugging at the heart strings, the same emotional outpouring, the same overwhelming response. Israel's trial by fire burst on the consciousness of most Canadian Jews while they prayed in synagogues on Yom Kippur.
The services took on new meaning and throughout theday of fasting, thoughts were of a tiny nation once more faced with a testing time from which nnany of its youth would not emerge alive. When the sacred day ended, Toronto Jewry, indeed, the Jews of every city, town and hamlet, organized meetings, raised huge sums and held proteist rallies.
Many Israeli young men living in Canada received word to report to their units, and
they hurriedly packed bags and departed on a journey from which they may not return. Others went without waiting for a call.
In one respect the 1973 war differs from the Six Day War of 1967. Six years ago, Israel's armed forces swept to a spectacular victory with a loss of life that was comparatively light, all things being considered. Not so today. As we go to press, reports from Israel tell of heavy losses in the first days of battle when the initiative rested with the invaders.
Among those who died in the air and on the ground were Israelis who only a few hours before were called from prayer to don uniform and do battle. For them there will be no more Days of Atonement.
Those who leave Russia for Israel are Jewish citizens on way home
During the years following the Second, World War, and until the rebirth of Israel, Jews were considered refugees - an ignoble term to describe a destitute people in search of a sanctuary. The Jews fleeing Soviet Russia, and using Austria as a transit point, must not be confused with refugees because they are citizens of the Jewish state on their way home.
To permit any third party or international agency to set up an organization in Austria to assist "the Jewish refugees" not only undermines the foundation upon which Israel rests - where no Jew is or ever will be homeless - but would also,^ serve to support the interests of international terrorism. Israel's choice of an alternative to an Austrian-based transit centre must not reflect in any way an acknowledgment that international violence has succeeded to curtail or disrupt Jewish immigration. ■
The policy to curb Jewish transit taken by the Austrian Government under the chancellorship of Dr, Bruno Kreisky is not only viewed as anti-humanitarian, but a dangerous precedent in isupport of terror groups whose answer to social
change is not through democratic means, but through the elitist forms of violence. Moreover, the chancellor's announcement came at a time in Austrian politics when the present government is planning to assure its victory at the polls in the earlv i975 tlections.
Political observers estimate that his political future may lie in coalition with the country's smallest party, the Freedom Party, which may well hold the balance of power at that time. The Freedom Party is firmly entrenched in ex-Nazis and right-wing views, and the party's leader, Friedrich Peter, was himself a Nazi pfficer. A former party official recently pleaded for a "certain tolerance of Nazi concentration camps because such concentration camps also existed on the other side."
For Jews, the incident stands as a continuing reminder that Israel is the single stronghold for the redemption and preservation of the world Jewish spirit. The' incident also serves to illustrate the unity and single-mindedness, demonstrated last week by Diaspora Jewry.
Let someone else do the driving
We in Canada are familiar with traffic fatalities and the weekend toll of dead and injured as reported in the press has become so commonplace that we have come to accept it as simply a statistic that doesn't need to be dwelt on. In Israel, the slaughter on the highways arouses the degree of alarm that it once occasioned in this country before constant repetition blunted its impact.
On our recent visit to Israel, we were horrified at what was nothing less than near chaos on the roads. On one short stretch of the Latrun road there were three collisions, resulting in two persons suffering injuries, all within the space of a coupiei of hours. The. authorities are doing their best biit there mustbe something in the Israeli makeup that makes the average motorist anything but a sound insurance risk.
Next January, all motorists will be re-' quired by law to use seatbelts, something
that we lack in .this country. The authorities say they will enforce the law to the hilt. But as one Israeli told us: "This is one law that's going to be honored more in the breach than the observance.",
The Jerusalem Post in a recent issue devoted its leading editorial to the problem. It was captioned. Public Enemy. The Post drew attention to the newspaper report of six persons being kill^ on the roads in a single day. (On a population basis, this would mean a death toll of 42 in Canada.) Speeding, cutting in and out of traffic lanes, tailgating, failure to give signals, and overloading of trucks, were mentioned by thie newspaper as contributing factors to the iaccident record.
Canadians visiting Israel would bejwell advised to stay away from behind the wheel and let the well-regarded professional guides look after transportation. Motoring in the familiar environment of a Canadian city is no picnic; in a strange land it could spell tragedy.
Where, oh where, are the women?
Threesome is lively, involved vanguard
JERUSALEM-
"Most people think of integration as - something ■ the immigrant does for him -self," says Mark Israeli, a Russian student in his second year at the Hebrew jUniver-sity of Jerusalem. "We think of it as something that contributes to the whole community."
Israeli, an energetic 25-year-pid studying Russian and history, means what he _says. He is one Of a deeply involved group of Russian students who are committed, both practically and artistically, to a positive contribution to integration. Some are involved in community work. Others have started up a new theatre group. All are concerned with the quality of both their own lives and others'.
Kiryat Menahem, an outlying suburb of Jerusalem, is what ttiey call a "mixed" neighborhood. It has many new immi^ grants, and many old timers, and now has an active community centre. .
"Children in Kiryat Menahem," says Yitzhak Alterovich, an M.Sc. mathematics student from Novosibirsk now in his second year at the Hebrew University, "often have a dual education problem: the immigration barriers, and the inability oftheir parents to afford extra tuition. Sowehada dear role - to give tuition, open up new areas of interest, encourage the children and their families to make useof thecom-munity centre."
Like most of the Hebrew University's Russian students, Yitzhak spent a few months at the School for Overseas Students when he came to Israel two years ago. The school runs parallel to the main university and includes teaching in Russian, an ulpan (intensive Hebrew language course), and various other activities especially designed for Russian students. These include seminars and. "open houses" subsidized by a special fund set up out of a contribution by English businessman Cyril Stein. The fund is specifically intended to aid in integration of Russian students as well as to promote socicT-historical research on the Jews in Russia. Even so, Yitzhak felt his wings clipped, wanted to progress at a faster pace. The idea came out of one of the seminars - to get directly involved in community work, the encouragement came from the dean of students. Thefund-• ing came from Cyril Stein together with
Urge for
By A. J. ARNOLD (First of a Series)
In the light of Eu-'ropean and Canadian history it is most appropriate that Canadian Jewish Congress should recommend the abolition of oaths in courtsof law j (as reported in The CJN, July27).
The taking of oaths has usiially. been discouraged in Jewish practice. The Talmud says: "'No' is an oath, and 'yes' is an oath." Andaccording to Josephus: "One who is not l)elieyed without, an appeal to God stands condemned already." .
Oath-taking begin in Western Europe about the middleV of the seventh century of the common era. It was introduced.as a requirement among feudal landowners obliged to form iself defence organizations due to the unsettled political con-
Three of the Hebrew University's 350 Russian students (from left) Yithak Alterovitch, Tfira Canter and Mark Israeli.
the Jerusalem municipality.
The outcome was a highly successful project, now running into its second school year, which involves anywhere from 10 to 15 Russian students at any onetime. Yitzhak teaches mathematics. Israeli started up a special chess group - he began teaching just after the famous Fischer-Spassky match! Tfira Canter, a pert and vivacious 22-year-old from Moscow, who is also very involved in the theatre group, helps with homework.
AM three speak Hebrew like Israelis -
quite an achievement for new immigrants. But this is only part of their drive for integration. "It's as if there were two barriers," says Yitzhak. "The first is language, and that'seasy toovercome. The second is the atmosphere, getting into the ways of thinking and behaving in Israel, and that's far more difficult."
Most Russian immigrants feel this second barrier acutely. Faced with the realities of Israeli life, they often find it very different from the ideal picture they had built up, which makes it difficult to adjust. For them, withdrawal was once a means of
survival and now it is hard to get used to the out-going manners and easy vivacity of Israeli life.-
For the students, though, it is much easier. There are now some 350 Russians at the Hebrew University, including doctoral students. Activists like Mark, Yitzhak and Tfira are in the vanguard of the Russian students' move to a new way of life - lively and involved. In the Hebrew University, which has some 17,500 students, of whom over 4,000 are from abroad, such qualities help get the most out of life.
of unfair oaths said appropriate
A. J. Arnold
ditions of the time. The oath soon acquired a religious connotation ahdl)ecame a recognized Christian ceremony Jn which no conscientious Jew could participate.
Jews were thus barred from joining these self defence organizations. They found themselves without protection from roving bandits and predatory neighbors and as a result were gradually forced out of the land^owning class.
By the 10th century Jews appeiaring in Christian dourts were required to take a humiliating form of oath which continued in use in Europe until the 19tb century. This so-called "Jewish Oath" was not adopted in England but there the Christian form of oath became compulsory for acquiring land or holding public office or any place of trust.
In 1740, in the interest of encouraging colonial settlement and commerce, the British Parliament passed an act to allow foreign Protestants, Quakers and Jews, to become naturalized in Yhe colonies. This act modified the oath for the two latter groups and allowed the exclusion of the words "on the true faith of a Christian;" "
Letters to the Editor
When Jews first began to settle in Canada after 1759, they could take advantage of this act for naturalization and in courts of law. The modification of the oath was not automatically extended to other areas, particularly the holding of public office and the matter remained in dispute for another century.
In the course of European history it is well known that discriminatory practices first introduced against the Jews, of which the oath is but one example, were later frequently extended to other groups. When Henry VIII broke with the Pope, Roman Catholics in England found themselves burdened with the oath problem. As a result of Britain's long record of
. anti-Catholicism, when Canada came under British rule, the oath problem arose for the first time not in regard to Jews, but rather in rega;rd to the French Roman Catholics.
In 1774, to improve relations with her new French subjects, Britain passed the
; Quebec Act, granting recognition to the Roman Catholic religion in French Canada, and providing, among other things, for a special oath of aiUegiance for Catholiqs in public office.
Some 35 years later the Roman Catholic French Canadian members of the Asseinbly of Lower Canada joined forces with some Church of England members to exclude a Jew from a seat in the assembly. The excuse was his inability to take the Christian form of oath. (To be Continued Next Week) (Copyright, AJ. Arnold. 1973)
This newspaper braced itself last week for an expected flood of letters from indignant women who, we'thought, would, have some critical things to say about -"the views of some rabbis on the question of feminine equality in the synagogue. Specifically, the issue was whether women should be permitted to'be part of a minyan, a move: approved:by the rabbinical law commission of the Conservative movement.
The flood wasn't even a trickle. Just one letter, a good one, incidentally. It appear^ in this issue.As we said in a front page article, not dhe-^Toronto or Montreal rabbr'canvassed by The. Cana- . dian Jewish News is planning to imple-; ment the decision that women be admitted to a minyan.
The reaction story which appeared in a subsequent issue quoted. some' well known women who, naturally, took a dim' view of the non-commital' attitude^of. some of the rabbis quoted^ A notable >^ exception wascRabbi Albert Pappenheim, f \pf B'nai Israer Beth David Congregation, and^ Ontario president of the Rabbinical Assembly. He said he was in favor of A counting women in a private minyan where a quorum was lacking. He saw, the whole
question as one^f evolution to get the men as well as the-women to accept it, and—-he added the observation that "women are generally retiring and willing to accept a passive role." This is a view that finds little favor with tl^e equality seekers.
Apart from the few women quoted in . .our reaction story, there was very little • stir created in the community, at least as far as we know; Usually, a controversial issue brings us a stack of letters hotly denouncing or hotly supporting whatever the issue was, but as we have already said, Just one letter came to us. Esther Greenglass, a psychology professor at York University, says women in the Conservative synagogues should apply public pressure and create what she calls"an atmosphere of indignation." ^It seems that her appeal has had little, impact on those she was trying to reach.
Perhaps the women's lib movement '"^needs to do some missionary work among, our womenfolk. By and large, the Conservative synagogues are not going to give their blessing to increased Involve-~:ment of.women in synagogue ritual, un.-/' less there- Is a ground swell of pressures generated by the women themselves. .
Dear Editor:
This is in reference to your News despatch which appeared on page 2.of your September 21st issue under the heading: "Censored Soviets backed by Jews."
In this news item the fact.is underlined that the Soviet writer Vladimir Maksimov IS NOT Jewish.
Just to keep the record straight and perhaps it would be of interest to your readers to learn that Maksimov's mother was Jewish. His sister left the Soviet Union to settle in Israel. She jlso took with her the latest novel by Maksimov: Quarantine which was recently pubHshed in the West.
Misha Allen Toronto
Dear Sir:
I always look forward with anticipation to reading Doris Newman'.s charming nostalgic articles"Remember When.'- However, l'would like to offer a few clarifying comments on the latest (Sept. 28).
First, the photograph including Rabbi Graubart could not have been taken in Toronto in 1919 since he.did not arrive here until late in 1920. In fact, the picture is of the educational committee of a World ; Mizrachi Conference held in Poland.
Secondly, Rav Graubart lived at No. 22 Cecil Street and not at No. 23 as stated in the article. The original 23, long ago replaced by a more modern house, was at
CHAUVINISM~ALIVE & WELL
i
Dear Editor: \ It must be heartening for aH the Bobby Riggs' and Norman Mailers' to kiiowv that male chauvinism is alive andjwell and living in Toronto in the guise- of our Conservative rabbis (Sept. 21 - no early Implementation •planned by Canadian Rabbis - Women to be part of mlnyan).,In a timeji^hen the government, industry and even their own Rabbinical A~&'5%mbly are willing to recognize that women are people, our "spiritual leaders" re.-
/fuse to acknowledge the existence of 51% of the population. Their statements and non-rstatements are ludicrous and have no basis in fact (eg. "women are generally retiring and wiUing to accept a passive role").
Why aren't more young people in the synagogues? ^ How can they be expected to be when the rabbis ^ ^t€~^~ so out-of-touch ;vith what is happening in today's world.
Barbara Slater , Toronto
one time the headquarters of the Folks Farein.
Finally, I believe Mr. Shatz's first name . was David.
Stephen A. Speisman, archivist, Canadian Jewish Congress Central Region, Toronto
Dear Editor:
In.yourSept. 21, edition, you published a letter from a Mr. N.J. Herrmann of Montreal, attacking the hypocrisy of the chief rabbinate of Israel, which is mofesting. Christian missionaries, while attempting, to make, as Mr. Herrmann puts it, conversions of their own.
It would be worthy of Mr. Herrmann to consider the situation.before making such rash statements. If the Chief Rabbinate was to be tolerantj and allow their mixed couples to remain unconverted, then the religious situation in Israel, which is now. very sensitive, would become very dangerous, due to their"open-mindedne5s'*.
I have another point which; I wish to propose. When a man's life is in danger, he adapts any aid available to destroy this threat, no matter how strange it may seem. To just stand by and let one's lifebe given away, when he could sav^lt^would prove: to be sheer folly. The/same applies to the Christian missiona'ry situation. They . seek ttf^eradicate Judaistn^^d will stop at nothti^ to achieve their heinbus^aims. It is up to us^ to stop at nothing, in order to eliminate this threat from us.
Asher Breatross Willowdale
Even arranged
union
1. What is meant by the saying that all marriages are made in heaven? Does that apply to arranged marriages?
First, let us note parallels jn Jewish literature to ttie saying that marriages are made in heaven. The Zohard, 9ib) has the beautiful fancy that pairis of male and female souls are united in heaven but are separated when they come down to earth-When their time of marriage comes, God, wiho knows each soul. Joins thehi as at first, and proclaims their union. In aTai-mudic passage (Moed Katan 18b) it is said that 40 days before the embryo is formed a heavenly voice announces: '.The daughter of so-and-so is to be the wife of so-and-so." Obviously these passages must refer as well.to arranged marriages, since the majority of marriages, so far as we can tell, in the time of the Talmud and "the Zohar, were arranged.
However, Maimpmdes (Responsa, ed. Blau. No. 436) refuses to take literally the suggestion that in every instance a man and woman are fated to nrwrry one another. Scripture, ha-observes, clearly-^ states the opposite when it exempts a soldier from battle during the first year of his marriage lest, if he goes towar, he be killed and another marry his widow (Deuteronomy 20, 5).
The Talmudic saying should not be read as implying that a man has no freedom of choicewhen he marries. If he is virtuous God will provide him with a suitable'mate and the same applies to the woman. For Mai monides the poetic idea' that marriages are made in heaven should not be taken to mean that man is the helpless plaything of fate. ■ It migHTbeworth noting that the Bel- ; zer Rebbe (Ha-Rav Ha-Kadosh Mi-Beiza, Jer., 19^, p. 173) believed that/the-shack:han^W8S doing God's work (and pointed out that'the famous Gorman Rabbi Jacob Moellin (d. 1427), the Ma^ harll, was a shadchan..
(Copyrightby thnJewkh ChrtmiclaNawsServicii)