Jewish Post, Indianapolis, Marion County, 31 March 1978 — Page 8

| Begin Has To Yield 2 When Begin yields (finds a formula whereby he can | accept UN Resolution 242) he should be able to negotiate -with the United States acceptable precautions for the £ establishment of a Palestinian State. I Begin has almost no alternative, as long as he is I Prime Minister but to accept 242 in one form or ® another. The reason is that he has given President Carter no out. The President of the United States renigging on a Resolution it supported and which even Israel accepted although grudgingly would bring down upon him world censure — not alone from the Arabs and the Eastern bloc but from the free countries of the Wt'st. We'd very much like to know what Henry Kissinger thought might be a solution to the impasse, and our guess is that it would be somewhat along the lines of the speculation in this editorial — that Begin should make the best bargain that he could but in the end accept 242 with some additional provisions and also a longer elapsed time than the five years being talked about before a plebiscite on the West Bank would determine its future. President Carter evidently was given no alternative by Mr. Begin, and therefore Begin cannot win because if he does Mr. Carter would place the United States into an impossible situation not only with the Arabs but with the rest of the world also.

The Offer Of A U. S. Treaty The implicit offer of U. S. Secretary of State Cyrus Vance for a mutual defense treaty with Israel must place a new light on the situation as far as peace negotiations in the Middle East. If such a treaty can be effectuated, then Israel’s argument that the West Bank and the Gaza strip are fundamental to her security is valid only if there is a question about the U. S.'s ability to enforce the treaty. It is true that Czechoslovakia had such a treaty and was sold down the river when the chips were down, but that lesson has not been lost on the world, and, depending how one looks at it, Israel would have to be very skeptical to believe that the United States would denounce such a treaty under pressure.

American Jewry And Israel If ever there was an issue which has erroneously been invested with major significance, it is the question of an Israeli government taking a stand with which there is considerable if not great disagreement in the American Jewish community. Over a period of time there has developed through trial and error the concept in the Jewish community that there can be grave differences between actions Israel takes and their acceptance by Jews of the world. And this does not affect the underlying relationship which is as substantial as that in any close-knit family. The world powers seem to feel that there can be a break between Israel and the disapora, and in that they are dead wrong. No one in the Jewish community believes that Israel can do no wrong, but by the same token no one believes that any action or actions of Israel could lead to a disruption of the lifeline that exists between the two entities. There must be something in Jewish history which has made it impossible for such a thought to even be entertained, much less lead to any real consequences. Many incidences, some very recent such as the disagreement of the majority of American Jewry with the domination by the Orthodox in Israel, sustained as this has been by every Israel government, could be cited, yet they have not in the least affected the common bond that exists between world and Israel Jewry. This does not mean that Israel might not take into consideration the views of part or all of the diaspora. It does mean though that those who speak of dividing the U.S. Jewish community just do not know the way a Jew in America thinks about Israel..

The EDITOR'S CHAIR

Rabbi Aimond Cohen of the Park Synagogue. Cleveland, has raised anew the issue n! demoeraev in American Jewish life The issue recurs Irom time to time, and the occasion now is the role being played by our Jewish leadership anent the peace negotiations in the Middle East and more precisely w ith the Carter Administrat ion. The Cleveland rabbi writes: “Who speaks for American Jew ry 1 ' The truth is no one does, for we have no popular elected leaders Those who play the roles of national leadership have no means of consulting w ith their constituencies and just who their constituencies are is not very clearly determined. The bottom line: amcha’ has no voice, chooses no leaders " Prior to his conclusion, Rabbi Cohen states that “some day the American Jewish community will be democratically organized. There will be local community councils and regional councils which will be elected by Jewish citizens in the manner in which they elect local and state officials. Some day, there will be a National Council of American Jewry which will also be democratically elected by a popular vote.” A good question that needs to be asked is why there is not more commotion in the Jewish community for democratizing our agencies thus making it possible for developing innovative and creative leadership. What are the power sources in the Jewish community that might be influential in that direction, and w hy are they practically quiescent? Is it possible that because there is a concensus in the Jewish community, there is no underground swell that could lead to changing the structure so that our local federations would assume leadership and not relinquish their rights to the national Jew ish organizations or even to Israel where most decisions for American Jewry are made?

Or is it that the wealthy segment of the community, one of whose concerns is to retain its dominance, does not want the boat to be rocked and therefore what insignificant efforts there are for change are squelched just by running into the brick wall that is the present immovable structure. Or is it that the few elements which might change the picture are immobilized by their own lack of leadership and lack of a follow ing. They are the young people, the rabbinate and the devotees of Jewish education. Combined and w-ith proper leadership they could be making inroads, but separately their squeaky voices are to all intents and purposes ignored. When the American Jewish Conference (1943-45) was called into being (and here too Israel played a dominant role), there was a significant division i the Jewish community over what was then Palestine. The Zionist groundswell was able to mount such a massive democratic effort because

the leadership had passed to the hands of the Zionist activists which the old guard, the anti and nonZionists. could not withstand. For those young people who did not live through this episode, there was a democratic election by individual ballots in every Jewish community in the United States. It was a one-man one-vote program. The Conference died after two or three vigorous years, although its funeral was delayed for several more years, and any effort to revive it — there was one or two feeble ones was bound to fail. That failure, it in fact it was that since it did accomplish its major purpose, taught lessons and no one with any knowledge of the American Jewish community would suggest mounting such a new effort So we remain dominated by wealth, which is easily maneuvered by anyone in a position to. and also by Israel. No one can imput the motives of these two entities, but meanwhile there are big gaps in what is best for the American Jewish community and no one with any real power questions what is going on. It is not a healthy situation. • WE HAVE RECEIVED several notices about a National Association ol Jew ish Singles, and what struck us as odd was that the news releases were poor mimeographed copies and the Association was being formed in of all places Columbus, Ga. That set our nose for news off to tingling, so we checked and sure enough it is a one-man operation with dreams of glamor, and perhaps dreams also of a killing of a financial kind. Yet the program announced in the news release shows a great deal of imagination and if seemingly too grandiose may be the answer why the dating bureau and singles programs, some by national Jewish organizations, have not prospered. Here is the announced program of the Association, to which membership is available for $15: 1. Regional and national Conventions by meeting new Jewish singles for friendship and other interests of Jewish singles. 2. To assist Jewish singles clubs within their cities whose members are members of the Association. 3. To have trips, tours and cruises for the members. 4. Life and health insurance plans for the members. 5. Individual and family counselling for the members. 6. Directory of Jewish clubs in all cities whose members are affiliated with the Association. 7 A national magazine for the members covering news of interest to the members and Jewish clubs affiliated with the Association, including a personal section where Jewish singles members can write in by Box number to meet new Jewish singles friends in all parts of the United States and Canada who are members of the Association.

Israel Consumers To Get Protection JERUSALEM — A bill that would penalize severely manufacturers employing misleading and untrue advertising or any deliberate deception of consumers was being readied by industry, Commerce and Tourism Minister Yigal Hurvitz. The bill is being studied by other ministries and by legal experts before being introduced in the Knesset. It would provide for imprisonment of up to three years or fines as high as 200.000 Israel pounds.

Hasidism's Appeal Said Undermined

NEW YORK The burgeoning hassidic movemenls may no) like to know that “the movement lo<la\ has become mercb an extremist sect within the Jewish community 1 ' This was the observation in the bulletin ol Temple Emanu El here w Inch has been print mg a series on “Giants ol Our Faith ", and in a recent issue devoted the space to “Israel ben Ehc/.er. an im pn\ erished rabbi iwhodieeame know n as a healer and leachei The wrileup said his lolloweis called him Baal Shem Tn\. the master ol the Good Name, and In

l"rinula!ed “a new system ol religious philosophy that cm phasi/ed the mystical leivoi ol an individual relationship w ith God a fervor expressed by the ecstatic joy rather than in the conventional diM iphne ol scholarship The at tide related that the movement continued to grow long alter Ins death in 17t>(). howevei its cssen tially localized character, the m filtration ol popular superslnion into its teachings and the irome shill ol Hasidism toward the sli iet ultra orthodoxy that the Baal Shem Tov original 1 ' re|ecled im dermmed its strength and appeal '

Begin The Man One does not have to agree with Menachem Begin’s position on the present impasse to be impressed by the way he has handled himself in difficult situations. A confrontation with a major power is not an every day occurence even if one searches history, and Mr. Begin’s comport has been of the very highest even under the duress and tension which can enervate the strongest personality. One can admire too his ability to articulate, a capacity we were not aware he was noted for. It well could be that in the last analysis Mr. Begin will have to make concessions, but no one now will doubt his sincerity and his devotion to what he believes is right.

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