Jewish Post, Indianapolis, Marion County, 30 September 1960 — Page 7

Friday, September 30, 196©

The National Jewish POST and OPINION

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By CARL ALPERT TEL AVIV—I did not eavesdrop deliberately. I had been waiting in the hotel lobby for a friend to appeal’, and the two tourists took up seats near me. Their acquaintance with each other was only casual, but each was in an expansive mood, and they embarked o n tourists’ favorite sport: comparison of their respective sightseeing. “One of the Alperfc great problems of Israel is the religious problem,” declared a portly gentleman, lighting a cigar. “You should have seen what I saw today.” “Isn’t that funny? I had exactly the same feeling today. Israel is going to have to do something about it,” replied the small but energetic woman. The man continued: “We American Jews should not criticise I suppose, but when we speak of a Jewish state, this certainly is not what we had in mind, at least not in the religious sense.” “Not at all,” his companion nodded. “I kept thinking all day —what kind of impression does this make on the non-Jewish visitor? Something should be done about religion in Israel.” Now the two of them nodded simultaneously in agreement. “The godlessness, the atheism, the lack of respect for Judaism.” “The fanaticism, the rabbinical domination. . .” The two stopped and looked at each other. “What in the world are you talking about?” “Exactly what I said,” the man replied. “I visited village after village today where there wasn’t a single synagogue. People in Israel don’t pray. In one place a member of a kibbutz told me bluntly he did not believe in God. Is this the kind of Jewish State we wanted to create?” “There is a religious problem in Israel all right, but it is not what you think,” the woman responded, somewhat hotly. “I was in Jerusalem today and I was simply flabbergasted. The people in the Meah Shearim district live in the Middle Ages. You should see how they dress—all in the name of religion. Their little boys wore their hair in long earlocks like girls— also in the name of

religion. I am told that on the Sabbath they throw stones at passing cars. Something has to be done about the religious problem in this country!” “Except for one or two buildings in the whole country, the synagogue is everywhere small, dingy, and put off in some obscure corner. There is a positive disrespect for religion here. I’m told that on Saturdays the synagogues are empty. Where are the people? Go- look at the beaches of Tel Aviv and Haifa and Herzlia—jammed with Israelis. I’m not Orthodox myself, but in the Jewish State we ex-

>rus iiejjecfs Arab Threats Over Israel imbassy JERUSALEM (P-O)—The Republic of Cyprus which was admitted this week to the United Nations together with 13 African states, will open an embassy in Cairo. The move is intended to soften the opposition of the Arab Sat ions to the opening of an Is r aeli embassy in Cyprus. ALTHOUGH the representations of the Arabs against the existence of an Israel envoy in Cyprus were strenuous and fanatie. Cyprus refused to bow before their demands—and the Cy-Pnis-Israel Embassy was opened. Israel’s Ambassador to Cyprus, Z’eev Levin, who was formerly the Consul General of Israel, is waiting to present his credentials to the President of Cyprus Archbishop Makarios who has been friendly to Israel.

pect something different. Do you know what? Many boys have their Bar Mitzvah with only a party—not even a synagogue service; not even a speech! Do you call that religion?” Peraps the woman was not listening to him. At least she went right on with her tirade.. “All right, so they live narrow lives. That’s their business. But why must they impose that kind of life on others. The trains don’t run on Saturday. Did you ever hear of such a thing? Did you ever try to get a bus in Tel Aviv on Saturday? They don’t run either. There isn’t a Reform

temple in the country. A Conservative rabbi isn’t permitted to perform a marriage. You can’t even get married before a judge; it has to be an orthodox rabbi, or none. That’s what I call a dictatorship of the rabbinate. That’s carrying religion too far. The trouble with Israel is that there is too much religion — that’s what!” “Did you hear what I said?” the man demanded. “Israelis don’t believe in God. They have rewritten the Passover Haggadah and have changed the whole story. I am told that in some editions they have even elimin-

ated the name of God There are restaurants where you can buy pork and ham—in a Jewish State. In some places in the Galilee you can smell the pigs as you drive by. There are thousands of Israeli students in Amei’ica, but did you ever see one in a temple? They don’t even know how to behave in a synagogue or what to do. Something’s got to be done about it. The trouble with Israel is lack of religion— that’s what.” At that moment my friend appeared, and I had to leave. I have since wondered how that fi’iendly argument finally ended.