Jewish Post, Indianapolis, Marion County, 27 December 1968 — Page 5

Friday, December 27, 1968

THE JEWISH POST AND OPINION

FORMER REPORTER SAYS

Times Steers Tight Course Not To Be A Jewish Paper

NEW YORK - The New York Times will bend over backwards to be considered a "Jewish newspaper,” says a former reporter for the paper. In article in the January issue of Harper’s Magazine, Gay Talese traces the history of the durable Jewish newspaper dynasty which began in 18% when Adloph Ochs bought the floundering daily, up to its present eminence under the aegis Qf his grandson, Arthur Ochs Sulzberger. "BALANCING both sMes, careful not to offend, The Times wishes to be accepted and respected for what it is — a good citizens newspaper, lawabiding and loyal, solidly in support of the best interests of the nation,” says Mr. Talese. Wishing to identify with and serve American interests, rather than Jewish culture, The Times, nevertheless, has a fulltime reporter who specializes in Jewish activities in this country, he reported. This job, says Mr. Talese. is "a very sensitive assignment whose aims include, according to one editor, ‘keeping the New York Zionists off Sulzberger’s back.’ ” VETERAN REPORTERS have long been aware of management's sensitivity to things Jewish. This is evidenced, Timesmen say, by the fact that the paper has not had a Jewish managing editor since it has attained its present influential position. Reporters also feel the need to handle with delicacy and caution any story about Jews, or of special interest to Jews, he says. This attitude, Mr. Talese believes, stems in part back to the outspoken ciriticism of certain American Jews by George Ochs-Oakes, brother of Adolph Ochs, and father of John Oakes, present editor of the editorial

page.

George Ochs-Oakes had little use for Jewish immigrants who clung to foreign customs and who regarded Judaism as anything more than a religion. Such people, he maintained, created and perpetuated anti-Semitism because of their clannishness and their own bigotry. NEVERTHELESS, members of the Ochs family, up to the present day, have been subjected to anti-Semitism. For example, Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, the current publisher, was once turned away from a restricted Florida resort, and a Sulzberger daughter, attending private school, was quickly aswJwwtsli Pm» * Published Weekly — $8 per year 70 Fifth Avenue, New York City, 10011 All communications involving editorial material should be addressed to OU North Park Ave., Indianapolis. Ind. This includes letters to the euitor. All circulation correspondence should also be addressed to the Indianapolis address. Matters involving advertising should be directed to the New York office, 70 fifth Avenue, New York City 10011. Office of publication, en N. Park Ave., Indianapolis, Ind., 46204. Postmasters send forms 3579 to The Jewish Post and Opinion, 611 N. Park Ave., Indianapolis, Ind., 46204. Known office of publication, 611 M. Park Ave., Indianapolis, Ind., 46204. Second-class postage paid at Indianapolis. Indiana, and at addlttonal mailing office.

sumed to be the friend of the hesitancy.”

only other Jewish girl in her THAT THE Jewish question class. never was lost in the minds of "Given these and similar in- the Times reporters was made

cidents, the fact that even the clear by Talese.

family that owns the New York .. .. _ _ , Times can be subjected to such „ the “ mc George Ochssocial scrutiny, it is no wonder Gakes son, John Oakes, that there would be within the i"fluenhal on The New institution a sensitivity to ^oA Tmies, the state of Israel Semitism and a fastidiousness 5, ad b f co "> e ? reality and The about keeping the paper above Times’ editorial page has been reproach, untouched by the g«"«rally fnendly to it in recen prejudice within the nation,” >' ea , r "’. reachln , 8 a b ‘g h I P 01 " 1

says Mr. Talese.

in 1%7 when, during the Israel-

The Times and its relation to Arab war > The Times reminded Zi^sm “rms Micates the ^ .ftatesGovernment sensitivity of the Times of its commitment to defend the hierarchy to Jewish issues, sovereignty and independence of according to Talese. Isaael and advocated the «’rui>rkiTr'usviT’r u- i * *• intervention of American forces “THROUGHOUT his lifetime if the Israe i army needed help to the year of his death, which w hi c h as things turned out, it came in 1931 when he was did not The New York Times , seventy, 7 a !? s ® wrot e: N ews department has also “George Ochs-Oakes over- maintained for a number of whelmingly opposed the Zionists and stm maintains in the and all other advocates of a 1960s a {ull . tiine rep()rter who Jewish state m Palestine, and speci^es in covering Jewish i J S , V K e ^ aS al ®° endorsed by activities in America, a very Adolph Ochs and for years it gensi tive assignment whose was P ar J: of tbe 1 f d i tonal aims include, according to one ^ ew y°. r ^ Times * When editor, “keeping the New York Ai Kr U v. Hay F Su lz k*rg er became Zionist off Sulzberger’s back.” publisher of The Times m 1935 And yet the Qld G efman-Jewish h e made speeches and attitude that George Ochs-Oakes statements urging Jews not to expressed more than thiry agitate for a Jewish Palestinian y ear s ago, the disenchantment state, and m 1939 Sulzberger w jth American Jews who was among a group of mfluen- dwelled on their Jewishness, the tial Jews who urged President desire that Jews blend into the Roosevelt not to appoint Felix American scene — this thinking Frankfurter to the Supreme on occasion s tin pervades the Court because they believed hierarchy of The New York th a t it would intensify anti- Times , Veteran reporters in The Semitism in America, a notion xi mes * newsroom have long that Roosevelt resented and ig- b e e n aware of higher h 0 ^:. . „ , . , management’s sensitivity to

Con inuing Talese recounted thi Jevvish .

that “In 1946 The New York

Times canceled an adver- “One manifestation of this, tisement submitted by the they say, is the fact that The American League for a Free Times has not had a Jewish Palestine, infuriating Zionists managing editor since the paper and causing Sulzberger to ex- became the Bible. They also plain at length that while The sense that, when they are workNew York Times had in the ing on stories that are about past often run the ads of Jews or are of special interest organizations that it opposed to Jews, the editing and handeditorially — it had previously ling of these stories s a bit more carried many Zionist ads, Sulz- delicate and cautious, if such berger reminded them, and had is possible to perceive — and even run advertising by the even if it is not, the reporters’ Communist party: had in fact mere supposition sustains some once loaned The Daily Worker of the past consciousness of newsprint when the Communist George Ochs-Oakes. The New journal was short of it — the York Times does not wish to decision to cancel the Zionist be thought cf as a “Jewish advertising on this occasion was newspaper,” which indeed it is based, first, on The Times’ not, and it will bend over backconviction that the American wards to prove this point, forcLeague for a Free Palestine mg itself at times into unnatural was directly connected with one positions, contorted by comof the Jewish terrorist groups promise, balancing both sides, in the Middle East; and second* careful not to offend, wishing the anti-British charges in the to be accepted and respected ad were not supportable by for what it is — a good citizens’ facts, and thus Sulzberger said, newspaper, law-abiding and he could not be responsible for loyal, solidly in support of the the ill will that the advertisment best interests of the nation in

in The Times would stir be- peace and war.”

tween Britain and the United States. “We happen to believe that the British are acting in good faith and not in bad faith,” Sulzberger wrote to one of the Zionist leaders. “From our standpoint, therefore, your advertisement is not true; but since there is no yardstick by which truth of this kind can be proved, it means that we are putting our judgment ahead of yours — something of which you will not approve anl which we do only with the greatest

Conservative Charges Parents BOSTON, Mass. — The lay leader of the Conservative movement took two areas of concern of

the Jewish c o m m u-

nity — Jewish defections from the civil rights move-

ment and

1 a i 1 i n g to provide adeRapaport quately for Jewish education, and blamed them both on Jewish parents. Henry N. Rapapcrt, president of the United Synagogue of America, emphasized his charges by asserting that he did not consider assimilation or intermarriage as the real causes endangering the Jewish community. He said that “the process works both ways, since v there are as large numbers annually converting to Judaism as there are away from

Judaism.”

The Scarsdale, N.Y. leader repeated that Jewish education is the key to survival, and admitted that “despite efforts to maintain contact with your youngsters at college, we have not succeeded nearly as well as we ought in getting them to continue their Jewish education and their adherence to Judaism.” SPEAKING before the New England itegional convention of the U.S. Mr. Rapaport said that while he “abhored the extremist elements in the Negro community fostering anti-Semitism, I urge you not to blame an entire people by the actions of a few.” He maintained however that the Jewish community must “vigorously fight any antiSemitic slurs by Negro

militants.”

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