Newspaper Page Text
The Southern Israelite
A Weekly Newspaper for Southern Jewry — E
Vol. XL
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, FRIDAY, JULY 30, 1965
US Rabbis Address
Moscow Worshipers
NEW YORK, (JTA) — Three not come on a political mission
American rabbis addressed the but had come to seek our
congregation of the Central brethren.”
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Synagogue in Moscow at services
last Saturday, and six other
rabbis from the United States
joined the Sabbath services
there, along with 500 to 600 local
worshipers, the New York press
reported from the Soviet capital.
All of the Americans repre
sented the Rabbinical Council of
America, which is composed of
Orthodox rabbis in the United
States. The three who had been
given permission to speak to the
congregation in Moscow were
Rabbi Israel Miller, president of
the Rabbinical Council of Amer
ica; Rabbi Bernard Poupko, of
Pittsburgh; and Rabbi Bernard
Bergman, of New York.
According to Rabbi Bernard
Twersky, spokesman for the
Council, and a member of the
group that visited Moscow, the
rabbis had asked Moscow’s Chief
Rabbi Yehuda Leib Levin last
Thursday whether they would
be permitted to address the con
gregation. Permission was grant
ed Friday night, with the stipu
lation that politics be avoided.
Summarizing the three five-
minute addresses, Rabbi Miller
raid:
We told them we were happy
to be with them and gratified at
the privilege of standing in the
pulpit in which famous rabbis
have preached. We tried to en
courage them to speak up. The
prayer before we spoke said,
The Almighty should fulfill all
the requests of the heart for
good.’ We told them their re
quests and ours were the same.
"We said we were grateful to
the Soviet Union for voting with
the United States in the United
Nations for the establishment of
the state of Israel. There was
applause at this, which the Chief
Rabbi stopped. We said we had
Hailed as Wise Choice ,
Goldberg Appointment tu UN
Brings Worldwide Surprise
After the three spoke, Rabbi
Levin made a short speech in
which he told the visitors to take
home greetings from the Soviet
Union and a wish for peace, par
ticularly in South Viet Nam.
According to Rabbi Twersky,
members of the congregation
wept, applauded, and otherwise
showed great emotion over the
participation of the Americans
in their services. He said the
delegation officially invited
Chief Rabbi Levin to visit the
United States.
During the services, a Soviet
Jewish boy officially celebrated
his Bar Mitzvah. The boy was
Shlomo Shapiro, of Dushambe,
capital of Kirghizistan, a Soviet
republic in central Asia. His
public celebration of Bar Mitzvah
was believed to be the first in
Moscow’s Central Synagogue in
15 years.
Original Record
Of Eichmann Trial
Given to ADL
NEW YORK (JTA)—The orig
inal visual record of the Adolf
Eichmann trial—over 400 hours
of testimony on nearly 1,000
miles of video-tape—was present
ed to the archives of the Anti-
Defamation League of B’nai
B’rith and will be available as
a research source for historians,
lawyers, psychiatrists, writers,
and all others interested in the
proceed ings.
The record was taped during
the 14-week trial in Jerusalem
by Capital Cities Broadcasting
Corporation, under an exclusive
agreement with the Israeli gov
ernment. According to Frank M.
Smith, chairman of the board of
Capital Cities, the value of the
tapes is about $500,000.
WASHINGTON, (JTA) — The
appointment by President John
son of Associate Supreme Court
Justice Arthur J. Goldberg as the
new United States Ambassador
to the United Nations, succeed
ing the late Adlai Stevenson,
evoked surprise in all quarters
here this week as the move was
one of Washington’s best-kept
secrets until the last minute. It
is the first time in American
history that a personage of
Jewish faith was accorded a
diplomatic post of that impor
tance. Mr. Goldberg will have
Cabinet rank.
In the United Nations and
in many world capitals, mean
while, the appointment was
hailed widely except by the
Russians, who were silent, and
by the Arabs, who indicated
that they were dissatisfied.
Shortly after the appointment
was announced by President
Johnson at a hastily summoned
press conference at the White
House, the State Department
initiated efforts to gain Arab
understanding of the choice of a
Jew to head the American UN
delegation.
State Department sources
made known that Egypt and
other Arab states were contacted
with the request to withhold
judgment of the allegedly par
tisan attitude of Mr. Goldberg
toward Israel until such time as
the new U. S. envoy to the UN
can demonstrate his objectivity
and fairness at the United
Nations.
Reports were received here of
an outcry in the Arab press
against the Goldberg appoint
ment. The Cairo Daily “Al-
Gomhouria” ran a banner head
line asking: “Why was a Jew
Sniolar’s Comment on Page 4
Epstein Differs with JTA’s Smolar Over
Involvement of Rabbis in Political Issues
Contrary to the advice given
by a prominent Jewish editor to
labbis to stay out of "political
issues” and stick to "spiritual
guidance,” rabbis—and particu
larly Conservative rabbis—must
pd will interest themselves
even more in all problems con
cerning Jews collectively and
individually. Rabbi Harry H-
Epstein of Congregation Ahavath
Achim said, in an interview.
Rabbi Epstein referred to a
recent column by Boris Smolar,
Editor of the Jewish Telegraphic
Agency, who, in discussing the
ongoing debate within the Con
servative rabbinate on Zionism,
wrote: “It is difficult to see why
rabbis should indulge in political
issues, instead of devoting them
selves to the task of strengthen
ing Judaism which shows signs
of decline.” He suggested that
" . . .there is no justification for
them to divert their energies into
fields other than spiritual
guidance.”
"I will not discuss at the pres
ent moment, the so-called ‘Blue
Paper’ on Zionism and Israel
which was presented to The
Rabbinical Assembly convention
in May,” Rabbi Epstein said.
• What was done at our conven
tion was to put before us for a
first reading' a draft statement
concerning Israel, Zionism and
the Jewish people in order to
stimulate debate among us dur
ing the coming year in prepara
tion for our next convention. In
the months to come, I intend to
discuss the issues raised by this
document with my colleagues
and in our community.
"What I am concerned with
now is the challenge to our com
petence to act or to state our
views on such fundamental
Jewish matters as the Zionist
movement and Israel. No one is
going to take that right from us
and, frankly, I am astonished
and disturbed that it has been
challenged.
“Anyone has the right, of
course, to disagree with any ac
tions we may take individually
or collectively, and to criticize
the ‘Blue Paper,’ although I
must add, regretfully, that much
of the criticism of it has been
uninformed, leading me to the
conclusion that it has not been
read. But no one has the right
to tell us in what areas of Jewish
life we are to operate. To take
such advice would be to resign
our obligations as ‘rabbis and
teachers.’
“I will not match competence
with our critics—neither in edu
cation nor commitment to Juda
ism and the Jewish people. I
would merely ask what makes
an editor more competent to
enter the arena of Jewish action
than a rabbi?
I would also remind Mr.
Smolar that the most glorious
chapters in American Zionism
were written under the leader
ship of American rabbis, like
Stephen S. Wise, Abba Hillel
Silver, Solomon Goldman. Israel
Goldstein. Israel M. Levinthal,
and would ask him whether he
gave them the same advice, or
whether they would have taken
it. I would also remind him—al
though as a journalist he surely
knows it—that many rabbis have
been drafted by the various na
tional Jewish organizations for
executive positions precisely be
cause of their special competence
as well as their deep commit
ment to Judaism and the Jewish
people.
“No one will disagree with Mr.
Smolar’s discovery that the prob
lems facing the rabbis today-
intermarriage, a weakening of
traditional Jewish life—are in
deed grave. But it is laughable
to believe, as he gives us reason
to think he believes, that these
problems will or can be solved
merely through ‘spiritual guid
ance.’ What is needed is the cre
ating of a better Jewish educa-
t i o n a 1 system, a synagogue-
centered Jewish community, a
more meaningful Zionism, a
deeper attachment to Israel—
and involvement in every issue
that faces us as Jews, Zionists
and Americans.
“This means, of course, that
we as rabbis will involve our
selves more not less, in what Mr.
Smolar chooses to call 'political
issues.’ This is not a departure
from ‘tradition’ but a continua
tion of the role historically as
sumed by our rabbinical for—
bears to lead, and not follow.’’
appointed U. S. Ambassador to
United Nations?” The newspaper
“Al-Akhbar” of Cairo charged
that “U. S. Ambassador to UN
is a Zionist!” Another Cairo
newspaper, “A1 Ahram” quoted
an Israeli newspaper which re
ported that Mr. Goldberg was
proud of being a Zionist.
In Beirut, the newspaper “Al-
Fafa” urged cancelation of the
appointment. The Beirut news
paper “Al-Shaab” termed the
appointment “a challenge to the
Arabs.” A newspaper in the
Jordanian part of Jerusalem, “A1
Difaa,” said that “putting the
Zionist Jew Goldberg in the post
is an open challenge to all peo
ples of the Middle East.”
In Israel, on the other hand,
the appointment was universally
praised and high praise was ex
pressed for Mr. Goldberg’s quali
fications. Separate messages con
gratulating Mr. Goldberg were
cabled to him by Israel’s Presi
dent Zalman Shazar, Prime Min
ister Levi Eshkol and Foreign
Minister Golda Meir.
Justice Goldberg’s selection for
the post by President Johnson
was also hailed widely in Israel’s
press. Leading newspapers em
phasized editorially the “high
qualities” which Justice Gold
berg possesses, and his reputa
tion for fair judgment. The
Jerusalem Post saw Justice Gold
berg’s appointment to the high
post as a tribute to the standing
achieved by the great body of
American Jews, and their in
creasing service to their coun
try’s public life.
The press in New York, Wash
ington and other major American
cities was also highly laudatory
of the appointment with edi
torials praising Mr. Goldberg’s
qualifications as a skilled medi
ator and negotiator.
Justice Goldberg’s self-identi
fication as an active Jew was not
overlooked here. He is an hon
orary vice-president of the
American Jewish Committee;
honorary chairman of the Jewish
Center for the United Nations, a
synagogue to be built in this
area, near similar Protestant and
Catholic churches devoted to
UN principles; and a man in
whose honor a special library
has been created at this Center
under the title of “Judaism and
Peace.”
In an address last spring be
fore the American Israel Public
Affairs Committee, Justice Gold
berg declared “I am a Zionist”
and outlined his philosophy of
deep identification with Israel.
Mr. Goldberg has been a lead
ing force in recent efforts to
alleviate Soviet anti-Jewish pres
sures. He visited Israel in May
to address the international con
vention of B’nai B’rith, an or
ganization in which he holds
membership. He stressed the
need for close American support
of the independence and security
of the State of Israel.
Prior to his appointment to the
Supreme Court by President
Kennedy, Mr. Goldberg served
as Secretary of Labor and before
that as Special Counsel of the
AFL-CIO. In that capacity he
negotiated with the State De
partment on the Arab Boycott
and blockade discrimination
against American ships affecting
American seamen.
Senate leaders of both parties
showed enthusiastic acceptance
of the Goldberg appointment
thus asuring rapid approval of
the nomination by the Senate.
Chairman J. W. Fulbright of the
Senate Foreign Relations Com
mittee, commented that the selec
tion of Mr. Goldberg was “an
excellent appointment.”
President Explains Why
He Chose Goldberg
for UN Post
In announcing the appoint
ment, President Johnson said
that Mr. Goldberg will always
have direct access to the White
House and the full respect and
confidence of the President and
the Secretary of State.” The ap
pointment was interpreted Im
mediately as a move showing that
the President has vast respect for
the United Nations and confid
ence in its viability.
President Johnson revealed
that he urged Mr. Goldberg to
resign from the Court to take the
UN position. He called Mr.
Goldberg “a man of courage,
conviction, and humanitarian-
Since America is seeking a
B ’nai B’rith Institute
Opens at laurel. Miss.
AupustS
Jewish leaders from Missis
sippi, Alabama and Louisiana
will gather at the Holiday Inn,
Laurel, Miss., August 8-9-10 and
11 for the 15th annual B’nai
B’rith Mississippi Institute of
Judaism.
The theme and program for
the 1965 Institute is “Judaism
and Evolving Religion: The
Biblical Era,” according to
G e o r g e Mitchell District 7
chairman of the institute.
Dr. Henry Albert Fischel as
sociate professor of Asian Studies
at Indiana University, and Dr.
Norman E. Frimer, Metropolitan
Regional director of B’nai B’rith
Hillel Foundations, will be guest
lecturers at the sessions.
world based on law, designation
of a judge to the UN was termed
logical.
President Johnson stressed
there was no more important
task than achievement of a
“world where all men may live
in peace with hope of justice un
der rule of law.” He said that
“where Gov. Stevenson was des
cended from some of America’s
oldest settlers, Justice Goldberg
was born of some of our new
est”—a reference to Goldberg’s
Jewish immigrant parents. Mr.
Goldberg will be the voice not
only for an administration but
for an entire nation, President
Johnson said.
Justice Goldberg, aged 56, said
he felt his new post was an as
signment “to the greatest ad
venture in man’s history—gov
erning relations between sover
eign nations by law.” “It is with
great humility,” he said, “that I
undertake the role of our na
tion’s advocate of peace in the
Council of Nations.” He promised
to pursue the Stevenson message
to the world of “man’s ancient
supplication.” He asked, “grant
us peace, Thy most precious
gift.”
Informed quarters in Wash
ington said Mr. Johnson was
especially eager to replace Mr.
Stevenson with a known liberal
such as Mr. Goldberg to help sell
unpopular American policies in
Viet Nam and the Dominican Re
public—issues which caused re
bellion by many liberals against
current American policies. The
general feeling in Washington
was that Mr. Goldberg’s qualities
as a mediator and negotiator,
evident in many complex labor
disputes, might help gain great <■
success and acclaim at the
United Nations.