Jewish Post, Indianapolis, Marion County, 15 October 1971 — Page 10

FrTdoy, Ortober 15, 7971 THE JEWISH POST AND OPINION

The EDITOR'S CHAIR

President Of Reform Judaism The attempt by Rabbi Magiiin’s Wilshire Boulevard

Temple of Lo/s Angeles to seek support for a resolution ■— —w that would require the president of the Union of About as wrong a column by a supposedly American Hebrew Congregations to be a layman was knowledgeable Jew on an aspect of Jewish comnot successful (P-O, Oct. 8) but the chances are that munity practice is the one by Philip Perlmutter, the aim of the effort will be achieved. (fP** on th *. ex ^' uU 4 ve staff ° T f Brandeis ^ „ ,, University, parading the American Jewish comFor as long as we can recall, the president of the mun |ty as an exponent of “more freedom of Union has been a rabbi, and our memory goes back speech . . . than in any other community in to Rabbi Edward Israel, of Baltimore. Rabbi Maurice America, or indeed, in the world. ,, Eisendrath has been president now for almost 25 This kind of statement is a 1 m o s t inyears, and under the stewardship of these two dedicated deTw“‘of‘fearXt trevltT’diLusslon rabbis, the Union has made tremendous progress. controversial subjects in our local Jewish

Even so, there is this dissatisfaction, which is communities,

legitimate, and even perhaps Orthodox, if we may use Even in Mr. Perlmutter’s Brandeis such a word in an editorial on Reform. In Judaism, University there were students who feared to

the lav person and the rabbi are co-equal. We mean ^ correspondents for The Post and Opinion, usually find Jewish audiences challenging and

where "the lay person is also learned in Jewish studies, and we , can P ro t vi f f Mr - P® rln ? ut ‘ er , with r ‘ he Provocative. _ ., , ,, name of one student of the highest caliber For those who feel that there should

and that situation doesn t exist today 7 unfortunately even expressed to us the concern that he might in Orthodoxy. not be permitted to graduate if his name were This dissatisfaction will probably lead to the elec- appended to new items critical of Brandeis tion of a lay person as the next president of the Union. University and some of its practices. But that presents another problem. In Indianapolis, the Jewish Welfare Where is there a leader in Reform Judaism that Federation gave a small subvention to a Negro can take over from Rabbi Eisendrath when he retires w j 10 uy because the non-Jewish community and carry on the work that a dynamic movement and might find the action objectionable, but more one so fundamental for the evolvement of a creative because the Jewish community might become

Judaism in America requires? critical.

Except in fund-raising, none is available. Whether in the case of Uri Davis, the Israeli The path that most Jewish organizations take is * e . ftwin , 8er r w? 10 / 11 the Anti-Defamation League to select a big name, and then permit the real work speaker ^ who 6 wa H s refused admission t0 of the organization to be done by the professional staff. Brandeis University’s graduate school, there This approach would be disastrous for American was objection to him as a radical is a moot

organizations have no obligation to invite every and any critic to address them. They are not a debating society, which takes delight in the aesthetics or dynamics of debating. Just as Jewish organizations have no obligation to invite every or any supporter of Israel to address them, they don’t have to invite every critic

— minor or major.

Jewish organizations do have a responsibility to refuse to hear, and even to protest, any program with which they disagree, and it is the exercise of that responsibility which is the best proof of freedom of dissent. To that extent the Jewish community is a dynamic one, and speakers — Jewish and non-Jewish —

Reform Judaism at this juncture.

So where are we?

question. Prof. Leonard Fein, whose liberal bent needs no confirmation here, did not feel that

^ , ,, , , Brandeis acted out of fear for Davis’ radicalism, There is an answer. Go to the weaker sex. There others held opposite views.

What happened recently to the Farbrangen

are any number of very capable Reform Jewish women

who would make excellent presidents of the Union, group in Washington, D.C., also may or may not They have the devotion and the talent, and they are have been the result of repression, and here too even backed by Jewish history which is dotted with there are those who uphold both sides of this

names of great Jewish women, even those who led Q 1168 ^ 011 *

the army or at least provided the motivation for vie- , But wl ) at s K il 5f s . l i s ^ ^ 10St is tones over Israels armed enemies. . his statements. The Jewish community fears If we want to be more current, think of Henrietta to have the non-Jews think that Jews are £zold or Hannah Solomon or if you include Israel, Golda upholding a cause because it is a Jewish cause. HMeir. We might also call to your attention that if many The truth of the matter is that fear of conof our national Jewish organizations are having tough ov ? rsy , ^ b ^ cori J e ^ greater and more eleddmg at the moment, this is hardly true of our than freedom of speech . What ^ goyim women’s organizations who seem to go from strength think is the one dominating concern of most

lo strength, recession or depression or not. Jewish communities.

If anyone suspects that we are for Women’s Lib, Here is Mr. Perlmutter’s column in let us respond that the P-P hardly invented Women’s question, which appears regularly in The Jewish

'Lib nor played a role in the success of Hadassah or Times > of ^gLUNTLY^PEAKlNG

1 tt 16 various Sisterhoods and women’s auxiliaries which Every now and ^ j hear or read about today keep Jewish life going in many areas. What SO me allegedly keen criticism of the Jewish : The P-0 has done is to recognize the contributions community, which claims either that there isn’t fcf Jewish women and the role they are playing in the any real freedom of speech in the American

jbn.hcan lewUb c—nity.

Examples are given of some speaker or program which was protested or cancelled because the speaker or the topic was critical of Israel. I consider such arguments similar to the charge of “when did you beat your wife last?” remembering that there are some people who actually do beat' their wives. Yes, there are some programs and speakers who have been cancelled. However, I see no need for apologizing for bad programs or wife beaters. The Jewish community or Jewish

3 Year Jewish Calendar

{Losh Hashona £3fom Kippur Sukkot (1st day)

1970-71 (5731)

1971-72 (5732)

Sept. 20-21 Sept. 29

Oct. 4

1072-73 (6733)

Sept 9-10 Sept 18 Sept. 23

rtloshana Rabba

Oct 21

Oct 10

Sept 29

r Shemini Atzeret

Oct 22

Oct 11

Sept. 30

IjSimhat Torah

Oct 23

Oct 12

Oct 1

yChanukah

Dec. 23-30

Dec. 13-20

Dec. 1-8

§Tu b’Shevat

Feb. 10

Jan. 31

Jan. 18

Ejhirim

Mar. 11

Feb. 29

Mar. 18

pspassover (1st day)

Apr, 10

Mar, 30

Apr. 17

Bassover (7th day)

Apr, 16

Apr, 5

Apr. 23

more open or heated discussion of what is taking place in Israel, no one stops them from speaking out. If Jewish critics believe there are certain things wrong in Israel, it is their responsibility to speak up and be willing to answer any and all who may differ with them. It could just be that they are wrong and that most Jews are correct. Certainly we haven’t reached the time when the criticisms of the few, because they are of the few, means that

they are the truths of the many.

A second group of critics fall into the category of anti-Zionist advocates, who claim they are deprived of audiences, and that the Jewish community has foreclosed discussion on certain problems in Israel or America. Poor souls! They simply refuse to understand that they are so terribly wrong in their outlook and philosophy, and usually in their facts, that there is no interest in hearing further from them. Their messages indeed have gotten through, but have been rejected. However, no one stops them from organizing their own groups, which they try, but with not much success, or from writing letters to editors and

publishers, who do give them space.

A third group of critics is among younger, intellectual types, who just discovered that Israel has some real problems such as the Black Panthers, and they, with their new discoverers, want them discussed, though they never take the energy to do any research on the problems, which would indicate that every

intelligent person is familiar with them.

There is more freedom of speech in the Jewish community than in any other community in America, or indeed, in the world. We have no censorship. W T e are restlessly inquisitive about all aspects of life. We do have differences of opinion, and the rejection of bad ideas or bad criticisms does not mean censorship, but

rather enlightenment.

There is, however, one shortcoming on a general level, which warrants further study. With the brain power of Jews in every area of scholarship, the arts, sciences, etc., we have a relative shortage of outstanding Jewish publications of opinion and analysis. Other than Commentary, Reconstructionist, the Jewish Spectator — and some of the newer youth publications — there are few places where one can read thoughtful, provocative and unique

articles on Jewish life.

There is a need perhaps for a Ralph Nader type journal, which would not only bring to the forefront some of the more sluggish or questionable aspects of American Jewish life, but also put into perspective the remedies and

resolutions needed.

Law Of Return As It Applies To The Lansky Case

in Jewish Post m Opinion 70 Fifth Avo* New York. N. Y. 10011 989-6263 dABRIEl COHEN, Editor and Publisher CHARLES ROTH, Executive Editor FRANK GROSS, Circulation Manager SAM SHULMAN, Advertising Director LILLIAN CHERNOW, Office Manager Subscription price $10.00 per year Single copies 25c; Back issuee over 3 months old 50c Ail editorial correspondence should be addressed to the Indianapolis Office, 611 North Park Ave. Chicago Jewish Post and Opinion 72 E. 11th St., Chicago, HI. 60605 HArrison 7-2086 — Indiana Jewish Post and Opinion, 611 N. Park, Indianapolis 46204, Ind. MEIrose 4-1307 — Kentucky Jewish Post and Opinion 2004 Grintfead Drive, Louisville 40204, Ky., 459-1914 — Missouri Jewish Post and Opinion 8235 Olive Blvd. St. Louis 63132, Mo. WYdown 3-2842 — Israel Office Gabriel Roos Manager Gileadi Rd. Beit Roos, Talpioth Jerusalem Telephone 17519*

By RABBI MAURICE DAVIS When is a Jew not a Jew? Everyone has his own answer, but for Israel the answer seems to be, “When he runs afoul of the Law of Return.” The Law of Return I li was established as Israel’s unique expression of its responDavis sibility to any Jew anywhere. Israel’s door would always be open, and every Jew in every land would always know that Israel was there, if ever (or whenever) he

desired to “return.” But there is no law without an exception. And “every Jew” does not in every case mean “every Jew.” There were three exceptions to the Law of Return, three kinds of Jews who could not enter, three kinds of Jews who did not qualify. They were: L Someone who has acted against the Jewish people. 2. Someone who might endanger public health or security. 3. Someone with a criminal past, posing a danger to public peace. “When is a Jew not a Jew?” began to rest on these qualifications, and — mirabiie dictu —

especially upon number three. We come now to the case of Mr. Meyer Lansky, formerly of Miami, now residing in Israel — temporarily as a tourist. Temporarily in this case means since July 1970, and residing means staying at the Accadia Hotel in Herzliya. Meyer Lansky, when he graced our shores, was pretty universally recognized as a leader in organized gambling. Since his departure for Israel the Justice Department in Washington has set up a special team called Strike Force 18 (Chai?) to investigate organized crime, and Mr. Lansky’s connection with it. (Continued on Next Page)