6
THE CANADIAN JEWISH REVIEW
XNBPtWM*
JEWRY OF DENMARK
(Continued from Page Five)
the family has long since left the fold.
"I must say that most of our Jewish congregation's attachment to Judaism is not particularly strong. Nevertheless, they remain in the community. Why? Well, I suppose out of a sense of loyalty � or perhaps because they want to be buried in a Jewish cemetery. They faithfully pay their taxes to the Jewish community, give to the Magbit (we collect 400,000 kroner foi Israel, and generously support other humanitarian causes � for example, the King Christian X Tuberculosis Hospital in Israel, in memory of our late King.
"AUya to Israel from Denmark? Very small � perhaps a hundred people in the last fifteen years, and they were mostly the very Orthodox. Interestingly enough, three of our Chief Rabbi's six children have settled in. Israel."
One of the Chief Rabbi's children who has remained in Denmark is Bendt Melchior, recently returned from rabbinical studies in England. He is now assistant rabbi of the Copenhagen Jewish Congregation.
"You ask me about the assimilation problem here," the young rabbi said. "... There is much to say. It is not simple." He slowly walked away from his desk and sat down on the couch, inviting the American visitor to do likewise. He was a man in his early thirties,
a thoughtful, deliberate person, careful in his choice of words.
uLtt me tell you a story," he said, gazing out the window with a distant, abstracted expression. '*When I came back from London to embark on my new duties here as a rabbi, I was, of course, interviewed by the press. One of the reporters said to me � and this has a bearing on the question you have just asked - 'Rabbi,' he said, *What do you think of Nathan-sen's Within The WaUsV "
The rabbi turned slightly to look at thie visitor. "You don't know this work, I imagine? Well, Henri Nathansen, the author, was a Danish Jew who wrote this play � its subject is intermarriage, you know - some fifty years ago. And, believe it or not, it has been enormously popular ever since � indeed, it has enjoyed the longest run of any play in the entire repertory of the Royal Theater* Recently the play was.televised, with Denmark's leading actors in the principal roles, and broadcast throughout Scandinavia. It made quite a stir and so it was quite natural for the reporter to ask me about my reactions. The theme of the play, as I said, was marriage between Jew and Christian. And what was its message? True love triumphs over all obstacles,"
Most Danes, the rabbi observed, thought the play a very moving portrayal of a significant human problem. Even Jews were pleased, for it depicted them and their traditions in a warm and sympathetic light. "Oh, you know, there
was a beautiful scene showing the kindling of the Sabbath light*. And the play dwelt so lovingly on our strong Jewish family ties, on mother love, etcetera, etcetera" It was obvious the rabbi didn't like the play.
"I answered the reporter, 'Frankly, I just don't see it I don't see it at all. The solution the play arrives at is no solution.' By that I meant, of course, that the play ends precisely where the real problem begins. The marriage of Jew and Gentile really answers no questions � it only defers them. In other words, what I wanted to know was, what will happen to the children, when they come? Would they be raised as Jews, or Christians, or what?"
The young man adjusted his yarmulke and smiled, remembering. "Well, well � my remarks provoked quite a storm of discussion in the press and on television' � and it's still going on, by the way � people continue to write letters to the editor, pro and One of our best-known Dj commentators, a man who is from being an anti-Semite � quit the reverse, in fact � replied to me rather tartly. 'What do you want?' he said, 'to go back to the Ghetto?'
"Well, that made me sad. Naturally, I don't believe in assimilation � not only for us, for our preservation as a Jewish entity � but also for the good of the community at large. What do I mean? Well, first of all, if we truly believe in democracy and tolerance, then
we matt believe in the right of individuals and groups to be different In cultural pluralism, yes? Secondly, and more important, a society is strengthened - not weakened -r by the interaction of ideas, by the contributions of people of different backgrounds and cultures. What is gained, I ask, when all differences subside, when we all assimilate into one homogeneous mass? Art, literature, music � all suffer. Life becomes less interesting, less meaningful.
"How, you may ask, does one counteract the tendencies toward assimilation in a free, open society such as Denmark's? Education, that is our only hope. And that is what we are trying to accomplish � to educate our people in Jewish history, Jewish religion, Jewish values. We have study circles for young married couples. We have an active W1ZO group of over 600 women. We have seminars for Jewish university students. And for our children we have Jewish schools and camps. One-third of all Jewish children attend. Not even in America, I think, can you show a better record."
The rabbi looked at his watch and suddenly remembered he had an appointment. "You were here in Denmark after the war," he said rising, shaking the visitor's hand in farewell. "Well, you saw the situation we were in then, and you see our condition today. We have persevered, we have overcome. With God's help, we shall continue. This is our heritage and our mission."
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POPE'S LENTEN SERMON SHOCKS INCENSED ISRAELIS
P tl
(Continued from Page One)
cursed or guilty of deicide. What happened to Christ in Hi* Passion cannot be attributed to the whole >eople then alive, much less to hat of today , . ."\
In New York the Vatican was called upon to clarify the statement made by Pope Paul again raising the issue ox the Jewish deicide. Rabbi Balfour Brickner, director of Interfaith Activities of the one-million member Union of American Hebrew Congregations, stated:
"Incautiously phrased remarks on so tender a topic, particularly at this time, can do only harm. It is difficult to believe that the man who less than a week ago spoke of removing from the liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church words and phrases offensive to Jews and Judaism, could be the same person now reported again to raise the issue of the Jewish deicide.
"With reports of his -worda spoken at- the Roma^Passlorr Sun-day Lenten Service still unclear, we cannot judge-thjsfhr purport It is therefore of critfieal importance that the Vatican, immediately clarify both the text and the meaning of what the Pope said. While they may not, and hopefully will not, affect the forthcoming Vatican Council statement on the Jews, they can certainly have a deleterious affect on Jewish attitudes toward the Church and toward the new and still unseasoned ties which are now being established between the two faith communities throughout the world."
"I am as surprised by the dis-
ftatches from Rome as were the eading American Catholic clergymen with whom I discussed this matter. We recognize that the Pope has been under tremendous pressure to back away from the strong positive position the Council and Cardinal Bea's Commission has taken viz: the Jews, past, present, and future. Nevertheless, he must not use an ancient and already repudiated charge with which to challenge a world in need of faith and from which, in his judgment, it seems to be slipping. The Pope will never move the Church forward to finer interreligioua relationships by slipping back into a mediaevalism which for Jews at least will only revive the ogres of distress and distrust.
"What is the meaning of the Pope's words, particularly in light of the proposed Vatican statement's admonition that preachers and teachers of the Church do nothing to exacerbate anti-Jewish attitudes among their adherents through reference to the old falsehood of deicide? Do not these words foster the very misunderstanding among Christians which the Vatican seemingly wished to eradicate?"
MONTREAL MEETINGS
(Montreal meeting8 are on Pagen Si� and Eight)
{?concert society*
Patrons of the "all-star concert", of the Jewish People's Schools, on Sunday, April 25, at 8.00 p.m., at the Place des Arts, are: Monroe Abbey, Q.C. and Mrs. Abbey; Mr. and Mrs. D. Aber-man, Mr. and Mrs. Jack Adelman, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Ajzenberg, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Alboim, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Ain, Mr. and Mrs. Seymour Alper, Mr. and Mrs. Kal-man Angel, Mr. and Mrs. Jack Aronoff, Mr. and Mrs. M. M. Aspler, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Azeff, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Badanes, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Baker, Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Balinsky, Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Balinsky, Mr. and Mrs. Max Balinsky, Dr. and Mrs. Harry Ballon, Mr. and Mrs. David Barmish, Mr. and Mrs. Moses Bau-man, David Becker, Mr. and Mrs. Lavy M. Becker, Mr. and Mrs. Sydney Benjamin, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Bergman, Mr. and Mrs. Leon Berlin, Mr. and Mrs. Julius S. Bernstein, Mr. and Mrs. Mortimer O. Besner, Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Besner, Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Bessner. Dr. and Mrs. Ned Better, Mr. and Mr*. Irving Bilmes, Har-
3Blank,M.^JP.� Ljona,^ 314^ r. and Mr* Harvey Blatt, Mr! and Mrs. Henry Blatt, Mr. and Mra. Jdlua J* Block, Mr. and Mrs. Hyman Bloom, Mr. and Mra. Jack Bobrove, Mr. and Mrs. A. L Bold-man, Mr. and Mrs. Lao Boloten. Mr. and Mra. A, Bordo, Mr. and Mrs.' Moses Borenstein, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Boretsky, Mr. and Mrs. Hyman Borts, Mr. and Mra. Ernest Bracken. Mrs. Hannah Breitman, Mr. and Mrs. Morris Bronstein, Mr. and Mrs. Eddy Brown, Mr. and Mrs. Irwin Browns, Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Browns, Mr. and Mrs. Louis Brumer, Mr. and Mrs. Carl Bulua, Mr. and Mra. M. Burak, Mrs. Sarah Caiserman, Mr. and Mrs. Rubin Cammy, Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell Cantor, Mr. and Mrs. Gui L. Caron, Mr. and Mrs. Max Carr, Jonathan Chait, Samuel Chait. Q.C. and Mrs. Ohait; Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Oheifetx, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Chodos, Mr. and Mrs. A. dayman, Mr* and Mrs. Simon Cobrin, Gerald Cohen, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Cohen. Harry Cohen. Q.C. and Mrs. Cohen; Mr. and Mrs. Norman Cohen, Mr. and Mrs. Phil. Cohen, Dr. and Mrs. William Cohen, Mr. and Mrs. David Cola, Mr. arid Mrs. Joe Cola, Mx, and Mrs. Leonard Cordes, Mr. and Mrs. Gerald T. Corlett, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Cossever, Mr. and Mrs. Harold Cummings, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Cummings, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Davidson, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Davine, Mr. and Mrs. Felix Dawang, Mr. and Mrs. George Deckelbaum, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Deckelbaum, Mrs. Louis Deitcher, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Demberg, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Dickstein, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Drazner, Mr. and Mra, Hyman Druckman, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Druker, Louis Dubrovsky, Mr. and Mrs. Menahem Dunsky, Mr. and Mrs. Shimshon Dunsky, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Duskes, Mr. and Mrs. Irving Edelberg, Mr. and Mrs. A. S. Eidinger, Mr. and Mrs. Charles EiSenstat, Mr, and Mrs. Yehuda Elberg, Mr. and Mrs. F. Victor Elkin, Mr. and Mrs. Hyman Engel, Mr. and Mrs. Issie Engel, Mr. and Mrs. Israel Esar, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Etingin, Mr. and Mrs. Zave Ettinger, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Evin, Mr. and Mrs. Harold Y, I. Fanaberia, Mr. and Mrs. H. Z. Feldman, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Feldman, Mrs. Julia Feldman, Mr. and Mrs. Issie Felgar, Mr. and Mrs. A. Ferstman, Mr. and Mrs. Saul Finesilver, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Flanders, Mr. and Mrs. Sydney Flanders, Mr. and Mrs. Mikol Fleising, Mr. and Mrs. Abraham Fleming, Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Fleming, Mr. and Mrs. A. Flom, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Flomen, Mr. and Mrs. Seymour Frank, Mr. and Mrs. Steven Frank, Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Freedman, Dr. and Mrs. Max Garfinkle, Mr. and Mrs. Max Garfinkle, Mr. and Mrs. Louis Gertsman, Mr. and Mrs. Israel Gillman, Mr. and Mrs. Irwin Glass-man, Samuel Godinsky, Q.C. and Mrs. Godinsky; Dr. and Mrs. Solomon Gold, Mr. and Mrs. M. Goldstein, Mr, and Mrs. Louis Goldberg, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel J- Goldberg, Saul Goldman, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Golick, Mr. and Mrs. Melville Golt, Mr. and Mr3. Aaron Goodman, Mr. and Mrs. David Goodmaq,. Mr. and Mrs. Nathan GordorrrMr. and Mrs. S. S. Gordon, Mr. and Mrs. Archie Gorn, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Goroff, Mr. and Mrs. Sol Gottfried, Jack I. Granatstein, Mr. and Mrs. L. Greenberg, Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Greenberg, Michael Greenblatt, Q.C. and Mrs. Greenblatt; Mr. and Mrs. D. S. Greenspoon, Mr. and Mrs, William Grimble, Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Gross, Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Grossman, Mr. and Mrs. Hyman Grover, Tobias Gruen* Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Gursky, Mr. and Mrs. .Samuel Guttman, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Hart, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Heft, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Herlich, Mr. and Mrs. Israel Her-lich, Mr. and Mrs. Myer Hersh, Mr. and Mrs. Michael H. Horn-stein, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Inha-ber, Dr. and ^ Mrs. Joseph Kage, Mrs. S. D. Kahan, Mr. and Mrs. Ben. Kahlenberg, Mr. and Mrs. Z. Kahn, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Kan-tor, Mr. and Mrs. Max Kape, Mr. and Mrs. Gershon Kaplan, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Karpman, Mr. and Mrs. Issie Katx, Mr. and Mrs. Morton A. Katx, Mr. and Mrs. Israel Kaufman, Mrs. John Kershman, Mr. and Mrs. Sydney Kreaden, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest B. Kert, Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Kirshner, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Krrzner, Mr. and Mrs. Myer Kleinplatz, Mr. and Mrs. Jack Kolodny. This list will be continued next week.
THE JEWISH COMMUNITY OF MONTREAL
will assemble at a
PUBLIC TRIBUTE
on the 22nd Anniversary of the
WARSAW GHETTO UHUSMG
Thursday, AUDITORIUM
Aprfl 29th, 1965 Chevra Kadisha-B'nai Jacob Synagogue
8.30 pjn. 5237 Clanranald Ave.
- MEMORIAL ADDRESSES -DR. HILLEL SEIDMAN Renowned Historian of the Warsaw Ghetto Itraeti Consul General - DAVID RIVLIN - Rabbi L. KRAMER
- MEMORIAL SERVICE -Rabbi PINCHUS HIRSHPRUNG - Cantor J. ROSENZWEIG ANTHOLOGY OF GHETTO LITERATURE
Poetry, Prose and Song Presented by Poets, Written and Aitfstt
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Of Of
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