The Southern Israelite. (Augusta, Ga.) 1925-1986, August 26, 1966, Image 12
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THE
CHALLENGE
OF AN
IMMORAL LAW
By Robert Donner
When a southern Jewish
merchant berates a visiting
representative of a national
Jewish organization because
that organization has sent
members to march with Ne
groes for civil rights in that
merchant’s town, the merchant
raises a profound religious is
sue.
That issue is the problem of
civil disobedience and what
Jewish tradition requires of
the Jew in situations of con
flict between civil law and re
ligious commitment.
It is true that the merchant
is raising the issue only vicari
ously because he clearly has
not the slightest intention of
joining in such a march or of
having even the remotest con
nection with it. He may have
overwhelmingly practical rea
sons for condemning the Jew
who does march but—in the
view of one Reform rabbi—he
violates Jewish tradition not
only by rejecting a direct role
in the Negro's civil right strug
gle, but even more so for
seeking to halt the marching
Jew.
Rabbi Samuel G. Broude of
Cleveland has examined tin*
problem in a recent issue of
the Journal of the Central
Conference of American Rab
bis. He opens his examination
with notation of the fact that
more rabbis have entered the
struggle in the United States
to help the Negro attain equal
ity of opportunity and citizen
ship. The rabbis have taken
part in freedom rides, sit-ins,
pray-ins, school boycotts and
freedom schools. They have
often violated local laws and
have been arrested for so do
ing. Some of their congregants
have reacted with consider
able nervousness about such
rabbinical behavior, citing
statements from some Chris
tians to their spiritual leaders
to restrict their activities to
the church and stay out of
politics.
Rabbi Broude poses a series
of questions: When is it right
to defy the law of the state?
Is it ever right to do so? On
what basis? Who decides 7
What authority does one have
for knowingly and consciously
breaking a law? Is the issue
one of individual conscience
or does Jewish tradition impel
Jews to take a stand?
It is true that the issue is one
of ultimate loyalty, but in
practical terms the question
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12
The Southern Israelite