Jewish Post, Indianapolis, Marion County, 22 July 1966 — Page 10

ADMINISTRATION • EQUIPMENT * SUPPLIES • GIFT SHOE'S

An Answer To The Harvard Student

Schoen

By MYRON SCHOEN “American Jewish Kfe reeks of the tawdry, the trite and the mundane. The lavish vulgarity

of the Bar Mitzvah celebration, the plush pomp of the synagogue, the gala vacuousness of most organizational conventions, the crass mate-

rialism of modern fund-raising tactics, all of these the student sees, and they repel him.” These were the searing words that appeared on the front pages of the July 1st issue of this paper. They were the words of a Harvard graduate and they were spoken to hundreds of American Reform rabbis attending the annual convention of the Centrd Conference of American Rabbis in Toronto last month. MUCH OF what the young college graduate told the assembled rabbis was true and informative, and I’m sure that it was welcomed by our spiritual leaders in their effort to understand, deal with and assist the ever growing number of Jewish boys and girls on the campus. But I fear that there is much that the young man fails to see and comprehend about the contemporary synagogue. It is much like those good people who declare politics as “dirty business,” desert the local club house and

thereby turn our government over to the worst element in the community. Anyone who has served on a synagogue membership committee has been faced with a prospect who tells you that, “Of course I believe in God. But organized religion? The synagogue? That’s not for me I All that politics and fund-raising! And that fancy building! What do I need that for? I’m an ethical person and when I want to pray, I can pray at home!” CAN YOU IMAGINE how It would be if it were necessary to have recruiting committees to get youngsters to attend college and one lad who wasn’t interested in earning a degree responded, “Of course I know how important an education can be. But go to one of those big educational factories? All that politics among the faculty for better positions and the constant appeals to the alumni and the public for funds for ’01 Siwash! And all those buildings they are putting up with Federal funds! What do I need all that for. I’m an intellectually curious person. I’ll read and I’ll learn on my own.” I know that this is not the proper answer for this serious young man for he was truly groping to find his way into a meaningful Judaism. There's a better answer in the membership brochure of Temple Israel of Northern Westchester, Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y. It doesn’t come from the rabbi but from one

of the members. . .a charter member of this young Reform congregation and is the closing paragraph of a two page article titled “Do You Believe In God?”. The author is Emolyn G. Cohn. “DO I BELIEVE in organized religion? I used to say ‘no’, because I was ultra-sensitive to the destructive and hypercritical elements within. . .the politics, the little people with big egos who only distort and degrade the fine institutions of organized religion. But I do realize the basic potential. All organized movements or enterprise gain in strength and dignity and power-for-good through unified cooperative effort. The synagogue is also a center for education and light; for community betterment, better race relations, social justice. Realizing the greater possibilities, it seems to me wiser to help the good work, rather than stand on the side lines and criticize. Let us remember that America represents organized democracy.” Not all Bar Mitzvah celebrations are lavish and vulgar. Hundreds of synagogue buildings have been built by sacrificial giving and are precious jewels in the eyes of the members because they represent an outpouring of their devotion and respect for their faith. The national conventions of Jewish organizations sometimes bear the marks of what we term “politics.” If American Jewish life is to have relevancy and meaning to the younger generation, it'll have to play a part in it.

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