Friday, August 29, 1969
JEWISH WESTERN BULLETIN
Page Five
Perusing the Press -
Mm UMtM FOR FVriHIf-
^earing new book indicts organized Jewish life
By JEAN HEBSCHAFT Jewish Post and Opinion
NEW YOBK — Jewish organi-•zations undergo searing dissec-.tion in a sizzling last chapter of a book authored by a Conserva-,tive Rabbi-author who charges 'that the organizations see Jews ,as the group from which funds must be raised, and non-Jews as the group that must be catered to.
J More importantly, he foresees an unstable future for the Jew in America aided by an unconcerned, couldn't care less attitude of "his organizations."
Scheduled for September publication, "Bring Forth Thy Mighty Men" indicts the three major Jewish defense agencies primarily for failure to do their committed thing: safeguarding the rights of the Jew. Moreover, it accuses them of fishing for irrelevant concerns to involve with that will assure maximum press coverage but afford little
protection to Jewish interests that go begging.
SINGLED OUT AS representative of the most superficial of agencies is The American Jewish Congress, whom the author charges measures its success by the column inches it acquires in The New York Times rather than with solid achievement. As illustrative of wasted concentrated effort by the Congress, according to Singer, is its battle with the American military chaplaincy which it decries as violating the secred principle of separation of church and state.
"Now the average American Jew can think of a thousand Jewish pfoblems that are more pressing. No Jewish interests are involved here," claims author Rabbi Howard Singer of Laurel-ton Jewish Centre, Long Island.
Singer urges that all the Jewish organizations drop involvement with general and urban social problems and concentrate on
the desperate needs of the Jew in this critical hour.
THE AMERICAN Jewish Congress, declined to comment on the
book. A spokesman stated that the Congress has not seen the book or been informed of it. The American Jewish Committee and B'nai B'rith likewise declined comment at this time.
Two executives, though, of prestigious national associations singed in the book's blazing pages, told The Post and Opinion prior to reading it, that the volume was scandalous and anti-Semitic.
Rabbi Howard Singer told the Post and Opinion that the comments were mild to what he expects after the book is published and read.
"I've pressed on dignified toes, hopefully for the benefit, if not the future of the Jewish community in America," he says.
FUNK & WAGNALL'S, which gained fame with its dictionaries.
is publishing the book which Singer describes as "new definitions for the survival of the Jew in America." It's his third book for the same publisher.
And, while primarily the book is based on Israel and its relationship to the world following the Six-Day War, the last chapter's scathing scrutiny of the Jewish network of organizations will account for its success or lack of it, according to inforn\ed sources. Success or not, certain it is that it will steam up controversy.
Rabbi Singer doesn't only generalize, he gets specific with a detailed blueprint in the crackling pages.
THE CENTRAL JEWISH problem, everywhere and always, he
(Continued on Page 6) See BLAZING NEW BOOK
REMEMBER YOUR YOUTH?
Intermountain Jewish News
dr' trude weiss-ros-
MARIN, editor of. the Jewish Spectator, suggests that there might be too much pushing of the panic button about our rebelling college students. She speaks at many college^ Hillel Foundations all over the country, and she came to a conclusion that today's Jewish students whom she encounters are not too much different from their par-
RABBI STUART KELMAN of Los Angeles, Calif.
CANTOR GEORGE POMERANTZ of Kfor Sobo. Israel
BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE
HIGH HOUDAY AUXUURY SERVICES
SEAT RENTAL
OPEN TO THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY
Auxiliary Services At Seat Renfais:
Jewish Community Centre Adults — $25
950 West 41st Avenue Children & Students—$10
Seoting Committee will be in Attendance at the Synagogue Maccobee Lounge Sunday, Sept. 7 from 10 a.m. until 12
dr. trude l¥eiss-rosq»iarin
ents whom she addressed at Hillel 25.years ago.
A quarter century ago, Hillel attracted only a small fraction of college students of Jewish faith, and the same is true today. She reminds parents who complain about th^ir children's lack of interest in Jewish things that she heard the same complaint 25 years ago, and predicts that 25 years from now, the alienated, rebelling Jewish student of today will be complaining about his own alienated, atheist-espousing son in college.
"I think it is safe to prognosticate that large numbers of the Jewish college students who now shun Hillel will, 30 years from now, sit on committees and organizations concerned with Jew-
ish consciousness of Jewish students," Dr. Rosmarin wrote,
SHE SUGGESTS THAT Jewish college youth are flocking to the'New Left and other student revolt movements because the Jewish organizations are "doing college" with elderly would-be leaders of student youth." Dr. Hosmarin emphasizes the constancy of the Jewish student rebellion against Judaism throughout the generations. By Judaism she means the synagogue and the organizations they identify with Judaism.
When you stop and think about it, and ask yourself honestly, where you stood on such Jewish matters in your own high school and college days, you might have more tolerance for the youth rebels of today. Dr. Rosmarin may be rendering a timely serv-
ice by reminding us of this constancy of rebellion which wears off with the years.
OUR YOUNG PEOPLE are intelligent and deserve credit for their intelligence, even if they act in ways that passeth understanding. They can be trusted to realize sooner or later, for instance, that the New Left anti-Israel, pro-Arab attitudes don't square with reality.
Can an intelligent young person who falls for the New Left line really believe, for instance, that the Israeli border kibbutzim are outposts of capitalist imperialism — while Saudi Arabia and Iraq represent socialist idealism?
David Ben-Gurion remarked that one Israeli kibbutz practices more socialist idealism than the entire Soviet Union.
SEPHARDIC HIGH HOLIDAY
SERVICES
will be held at the
JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTRE 41st Ave. and Oak Street, Room 102.
TIME OF SERVICES:
Erev Rosh Hashanah, Friday, Sept. 12th, 7:15 p.m.
Rosh Hashanoh, Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 13th and 14th, 8:30 a.m.
Reading of The Torah, 10:30 a.m.
Erev Yom Kippur, Kol Nidrei, Sunday, Sept. 21st, 7 p.m.
Yom Kippur, Monday, Sept. 22nd, 8:30 a.m.
Reading of The Torah, 11:00 a.m.
EVERYBODY WELCOME! VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS APPRECIATED
For further Information, please call Moses Jacob, 731-4404; or Mayer Gubbay, 526-1580 (after 6 p.m.)
noon.
For information regarding rental of seats for the High HoSidays ond new memberships, please contact the Synagogue office.
Temple Sholom
RELIGiOUS SCHOOL
Registration for all classes from Kindergarten thru' Confirmation will be held
Sat., Sept. 6th — 9:30 - 11:30 o.m.
in
the Rabbi's Office at The Jewish Community Centre
NOTE: Only east side door by Rabbi's office will be*^ open.
OPENING SCHOOL SESSION-SAT., SEPT. 20, 9:30 a.m. Education Building, Unitorian Centre
HIGH HOLIDAY SERVICES
JOIN us and WORSHIP with us
on
Erev Rosh Hashona..Sept. 12,8:15.p.fen
Rosh Hashono ........Sept. 13,10:00 a.m.
Kol Nidre ................Sept. 21, 8:15 p.m.
Yom Kippur ..........Sept. 22,10:00 a.m.
Chidren's Service ....Sept. 22,2:00 p.m.
Conducted by
RABBI HAROLD L RUBENS
at the Unitarian Centre
For information call our office in the Community Centre •— 263-9333 Monday - Thursday, 10-1 p.m.