The Southern Israelite. (Augusta, Ga.) 1925-1986, July 17, 1970, Image 1

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Vol. XLV IfffP A Weekly Newspaper for Southern Jewry - Established Two Section*—16 F\ n geS* °' U ® k '* N ° ' M ' oxS a0 v»tV "* Atlanta, Georgia, Friday, July 17, 1970 Cantor Nixes Services R e( j ff 0 / e j„ Mt. -Si° /’usAes f/.S. to Balance Commitment ing New York cantor has de nounced experimental Jewish worship services based on rock music, charging that application of rock “to sacred religious texts demeans the sanctity of wor ship.” Cantor David J. Putter- man of the Park Avenue Syna gogue called some of the experi mental services “totally de basing.” Writing in the spring, 1970 issue of “Conservative Ju daism,” the publication of the Rabbinical Assembly and the Jewish Theological Seminary Cantor Putt erman asked whether anyone could ‘“picture the Hazzan on the pulpit in front of the sacred Ark, flooded by psychedelic multi-colored lighting, chanting Kol Nidre or Un’sane Tokef, accompanied by souped-up electronic effects, ges ticulating, shaking his body in affected pseudo-sexual contor tions, in order to emphasize the frenetic rhythms of rock-and- roll.” He asserted that the “ideal form of Jewish service is a happy blending of the old and the new, as befits an evolving religion and civilization.” But, he added, the new elements should be “spiritual and esthetic and new synagogue music should in terpret and enhance the mean ing of the liturgical texts.” Des cribing experiments which met JMl standard* m “musical cre ativity”' ffie cantor noted that the Park Avenue Synagogue had, during the past 25 years, commissioned 64 American and Israeli composers “to write new music for Friday evening services and their works were performed at the syna gogue. He listed the composers as in cluding Leonard Bernstein, Ernest Bloch, Lukas Foss, Mor ton Gould, Paul Ben Haim, Darius Milhaud, Karl Salomon and Kurt Weill. He reported that some of the compositions were "dissonant, and at times,' jazzy,” but overall, “it is re ligious in spirit, consent and Bond Group To Mark 20th At Israel JERUSALEM (JTA) — The Twentieth Anniversary confer ence of the Israel Bond drive wil be held in Jerusalem Au gust 14-28, Finance Minister Pinhas Sapir, announced this week. U. S. Bond Drive chairman Sam Rothberg told the press that mote than $1.5 billion worth of , honds have been sold throughout the world during the past 20 years. In the first six months of this year sales have reached $88 mil lion, more than 18 percent higher than last year. By the end of the year it is hoped that about $200 million will have been sold. Eighty-five percent of all sales have been made in the U.S. Mr. Rothberg said so far $700 million has been redeem ed. Of this, some $60 million was spent by tourists in Israel, $140 million was given as gifts to the Jewish Agency and other insti tutions in Israel and $115 mil lion of bonds were converted into Israeli pounds ,gad invested in local industries. aware that they were setting their music to sacred texts to be sung in a House of God, not by a performer doing his ‘thing.* but a sheliach tsibbur, an emis sary and representative of the congregation in prayer to God.” Commenting that rock music “has no monopoly on the ‘con temporary* label,” the cantor warned that rabbis' and cantors “must beware of accepting nov elty for its own sake, and seek to enhance services in ways that are meaningful rather than de meaning, that add new depths rather than a novel facade.” WASHINGTON (JTA)—Assis tant Secretary of State Joseph J. Sisco acknowledged Sunday that the “heavy” Soviet involve ment in the Middle East has “affected the balance” in that region and declared that “the United States is resolved to do anything necessary" to preserve it. Mr. Sisco, whQ heads the State Department’s Near East and South Asia division, made his remarks on the NBC tele vision program, “Meet the Press.” “The heavy Soviet in volvement has injected a new qualitative factor,” he said. He declined to say whether the U.S. will provide Israel with the ad ditional combat jets it has re quested or to comment on a Newsweek report that additional planes have already been sold. Mr. Sisco referred to Presi dent Richard M. Nixon’s pledge of July 1 to preserve Israel’s deterrent strength and told the newsmen, “Just take President Nixon’s’ statement at face val- Eban Proposes Israel - Egyptian Reps Lay Basis for Negotiations JERUSALEM (JTA)— Foreign Minister Abba Eban proposed that Israeli and Egyptian rep resentatives meet informally to lay the groundwork for “effec tive and realistic negotiations without which there can be no thawing of any international conflict." Mr. Eban made his of fer in the course of a lengthy political statement to the Knes set in which he outlined in detail Israel’s principles for a peaceful settlement of the Middle East dispute. "It has been proven by experience "that aH political moves which are not determined by the countries of the area have no result,” Mr. Eban said. He denounced the latest Soviet proposals which he contended was “not a peace plan but a plan designed to endanger Israel’s security and to maintain con tinuous tension in the Middle East by an accurate reconstruc tion of the situation that pro duced the 1967 war.” Mr. Eban said that “such plans have been defined by United States rep resentatives and others as a prescription for the renewal of aggression.” The Israeli Foreign Minister charged that when President Nasser of Egypt speaks of peace "he does not mean peace with Israel in the Middle East but peace in the Middle East with out Israel.” Nevertheless, Mr. Eban suggested that as a first step to break the deadlock, "Egypt and Israel send author ized representatives to an agreed place In order to decide together, without prejudice to their respective positions and claims, on the arrangements, the framework and the formulation of subjects and procedures for official negotiations.” The For eign Minister said that Israel was ready to accept the cease fire of June, 1967 and to ne gotiate “freely and directly with every Arab state.” He said Is rael would welcome an invita tion from the United Nations’ special Mideast envoy, Ambassa dor Gunnar V. Jarring, to all parties concerned “to conduct negotiations on the establish ment of peace and to hold such peace conference according to the Rhodes procedure.” Mr. Eban’s reference was to the 1949 Arab-Israeli armistice negotia tions on the island of Rhodes attended by representatives of both sides under the aegis of ue.” The Assistant Secretary agreed that grave dangers were present in the Mideast. He said the U.S. was relying “on a very important diplomatic initiative,” a reference to Secretary of State William ’ P. . Rogers’ proposals. “We are anxious for a political solution. We want to reduce So® viet influence in 'the area,” he said. He estimated Soviet strength in Egypt at 8-10,000 men and reported “a recent sub stantial increase in ship off-load- dings and plane landings” in that country.” He said the Rus sians appeared to be sending amphibious equipment to Egypt and remarked that “it doesn’t look like defensive equipment to me.” Mr. Sisco said the Russians have rejected every offer to limit arms shipments to the Mideast. He said if Secretary Rogers’ latest initiative failed, it would be ‘“another lost opportunity.’*' Two UR. Senators, members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, agreed in separate interviews that the Middle East was far more important to the United States than Vietnam and constituted a graver threat to the free world. Sen. Jacob K. Javits, New York Republican, spoke on the NBC television, program Searchlight, and Sen. Stuart Symington, Missouri Democrat, spoke on the CBS television pm-' Dr. Ralph Bunche of the United Nations. Israel has claimed that ([ram the Nation. Sen. the final stages of the Rhodes j av its said the Middle East crSi negotiations included face-to-face has “infinitely g^ter urgency meetings between Israeli and Arab representatives and cites this as a precedent for future direct negotiations. The Arabs insist that no face-to-face meet ings took place at Rhodes. Mr. Eban emphasized that the establishment of peace frontiers with Israel’s neighbors “is open to negotiation and agreement Continued on page 5 -Think Piece JWVConvention Backdrop-'51/70 By ADOLPH ROSENBERG When Jewish War Veterans delegates from x throughout the United States gather in Atlanta August 13-17 for their annual encampment it will present quite a different picture from the convention two decades ago. The 1951 convention saw the rising star of Paul Ginsberg, then the national JWV Judge Advocate. His race for the national commandership was quite a contested event, parti ally because he hailed from “the stix” as Atlanta and most other areas outside the “master area” was then known. Somehow the fiction prevailed as it still does with many na tional Jewish organizations that leadership can only come from the alleged mystique of the New York area, which is flexible enough to extend as far away as Boston and Baltimore but all else Is verboten. to vie for any top position in the organization. In the main the difference lies primarily in the make-up of the membership itself and in the general climate of public opinion which surrounds the convention. In 1951, the organization was so to speak on the ascendency of popularity since the blush of the huge World War n public patriotic sell had not worn off. Moreover the fickle American public was still under the illus ion of well-being. World War II had been waged with flair and fan-fare — just as the American public likes it and af terwards there had been great hue and cry to bring the boys home. Statesmen' could not stand In the way and there were ticker tape parades and this im mature public did not know the extent of the sell-out they had _ „ . . . carried off for the Soviets. Ut- Followers of Ginsberg feU. erally ^ demand to .< bring ^ leadership is not a matter^ of boys hofne" had in effect turned geography and this thinking prevailed. The Atlantan tinned in an adequate accounting of his presidency, setting, a pace for the top ptet for maAiy years to cqqpae. * 3 ,t;‘'’ s, Atlanta for a convention, • • * * Moreover the age of the World War n participants was in 1951 at a certain stage called “prime” ready and willing to challenge the World War I leadership which until then and for even years later had been in ascen dency. Among the Atlantans, A. B. Reisman. I. Heiman, Mac Fran- kel, Harry Harrison and other stalwart World War I veterans dominated JWV activities. There was even a sprinkling of veter ans who had seen service in the Spanish-American War — not ably Ben Brodie and Mike Greenblatt (musician-composer- arranger of the popular Ram blin’ Wreck from Georgia Tech) Both Brodie and Greenblatt died in the early 1950’s. Of the World War II leaders most have passed on. Harry Harrison who was convention chairman and who later paced the Na tional JWV Memorial facilities has since retired from Gate City Table Co. and is now living in things over in certain European areas on 6 silver platter to the Miami. He will be very much k e da t in evidence at the Atlanta eon- Keen analysts among the vet- vention but the invigorating enns today hear the same hue guidance he furnished the 1951 ir ... ,, i. . , *hd cry in reference to Vietnam convention is not being duplics- No Atlante er SbutheA cto-*. anti R wffl be a sombre group ted for the 1970 sessions, didate is vUtble on the horizon <*-• veterans who will gather in 2L Ton to page 8 for the United States” than the situation in Vietnam. "The fund amental interest and indeed the future of the entire free world” depends on the outcome of the Mideast conflict, he said and “we’re not going to let if go down the drain.” Sen. Javits said he did not think Israel would launch a pre-emptive strike at Soviet missile bases across the Suez Canal, adding, ‘‘I hope they don’t.” Sen. Symington called the Mideast situation "infinitely more serious” and “more impor tant to the U.S. than Vietnam.” He said Soviet success in that region would make it the dom inant factor in the Mideast and “the whole concept of NATO would fall on its face.” He warn ed, that the failure to sell more jets to Israel “would guarantee Israel’s destruction.” He said he didn’t think the U.S. had a secret agreement to supply more jets to Israel. Sources in Washington , reported over the weekend that the Defense Department has warned the Nixon Administra tion against military involve: ment in the Mideast. According to the sources, the Defense De partment recognizes that the U.S. possesses no immediate military means of intervening except the Sixth Fleet, but use of the fleet in the Mideast struggle would not have the backing of Amer ica’s NATO allies. The Sixth Fleet presently is said to number 40 ships, two aircraft carriers and a total of 153 planes. American naval doctrine calls for the dispatch of one or two additional carriers to crisis areas, but since this has not been done in the. Mediterranean, the indi cations are that there is no seri ous consideration of employing U.S. Jnilitary power in that area, Stuure$ said.