u SERVING DES MOINES^
^COUNCIL BLUFFS, LINCOLN, OMAHA Omaha, Nab., Fri., January 2,1978
Vol. LV No. 8'
'GoMen Age' for U.S. Jevvs to Begin in 787
7/re
NEW YORK-A prominent historian predicts that American Jewry, in the bicentennial year of U.S. Independence, may be "about to embark on Its golden age." Professor Henry L. Felngold, of the City University of New York, writing in the 1976 edition of the American Jewish Year Book, suggests that American society has allowed full play for the energies and talents of American Jews. "The portents are that American Jewry may generate sufficient cultural energy to carry Judaism forward,'' he suggests. lUs relatively opIUUatic outlook tor tbe future of Jews
oyidFnaiikta Oulmiiii, 8. CtUt Ogyndl rVSoVWJwS E' IMTVIIKIATmNi ROME INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - Whfle watting for our flight to Ix announced, my wife and I pursue our favorite hobby - people'watching. Hundreds pau before us: black, white, yellow, American tourists, Japanese businessmen, Italians. Suddenly, we see a group of Hassidic Jews on their way to Israel. I>ressed In long black coats and wlde-brlmmed black hats, they wear long beards and sidecurls hanging down to their ears. They are excited about something, and speak loucBy in Yiddish with lots of hand movements. "Why do they have to be so different?" my wife asks "You know I hate to say this, but they embarrass me. Can't they dnss normally? Do they havetolooksoweird?" ^ MywUetoapnudJew.iBd bar renwriui mpriw DM.
son, I bm to admit that deep
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inelde I, too, am eeabtnrawed bytheHMridtaLWIqr? Another proup of travelers approaches. They are men dressed In brown robes with ropes around their waists. They wear sandals, brown skullcaps and beards. They are Benedictine monks. I turn to my wife, "What about them?" "Don't they embarrass you?" "No." "But \4iy? They look just as weird." "They are not ours," she says. There are many words that American Jews are reluctant to use when strangers may overhear Most of us, for example, would not use fourletter obscenities in crowded elevators or supermarket lines. This Is simply civilized behavior. But there is another word that we speak just as quietly - If at all - when strangers are near. It Is a three-letter word: "Jew." Ufteo for it, or, if jmi are J«il*{ try nytng It jwrMlf. Conduct a ooovwuttoB OB any •Hi^Mt — ior winiile, wliile •tandbig to line ior a mmrle. You en dileiM Gerald Ford, taxet, the Mlddto Eait or tiie WMtiNf «d year folee wfll not waver, but Dbeo you eone to "ttiit word" your Toiee wO drop. "Jew" is )ue( aot (Continued on P«ae 3)
Mrs. Meir
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Former Israeli Premier Golda MeIr, facing a hundred distinguished Americans, including Secretary of State and Mrs. Henry A. Kissinger and AFL-CIO President George Meany, declared that "the one thing I wish" is to stand before "an audience anywbeire in the world and be 4hle to say—well, it's all over; no more wars." "No one, no one in the world, wants peace more than Israel," she emphasized in a moving extemporaneous address Dec. 29 at a luncheon at the National Portrait Gallery where an oil painting of her by Raphael Soyer was unveiled. The 78-year-old stateswoman said that when she was accused of "Intransigence and stubbomess" in the Middle East diplomatic process, she remembered Auschwitz and Buchenwald. "Yes, I plead guilty," to those charges, she * added, because "we can't afford another risk." Ibe JewWi people, die tald, veaklng of their bomeUud, "Uved (or over two thouHMl yean banging on to aometbing we dtttot have. W^ bong «a because we knew IMW to prav for It and BB to o« anlb ior it" Kissinger said that. In his seven years in Washington as a U.S. government official, "no person has moved me more and no one's association has meant more to me than Mrs. Meir." He said, "Mrs Meir has always symbolized that survival of a country Is serious business and nothing Is more Important than the spirit of the people.'' Declaring that "the most reliable guarantee for Israel Is not diplomatic agreements nor reassurances but Israel's spirit," Kissinger added that "the confidence that this little Slate represents is of thegreatest importance to the spirit of man and the spirit of freedom." He hailed Mt^. Meir as "this great representative of a country whose freedom, Independence and security are of vital Importance to the United States." S. DUtai Ripiey, secretaiy o( tbe Smithennlin Institute of wUch te fiDery Is • pert, noted tbet Mn. lUr Is tbe only AmericM women ew to become ibe bead o( a foreipi foiwnment. He qnaUfled tbe deslfution, siytag, "not out of male cbanvtaetan but becauee *e riiane tb& notable dlitinclion wtib another former American, Bamoo De Vakra," IreiaBd's late leader. Recalling Mrs. Melr's words when she migrated to Palestine, that "I loved America but this was how it had to be," Or. Ripley added, "Needless to say, we have always understood her course, cherishing her equally as the daughter of this land and as one of the founders of another." Marvin Sadlk, director of the National Portrait (Continued on Page 2)
"are accepted In Its representative assemblies, and they have a share of powej," Further, he continues, "singling Jews out as a target becomes increasingly Unlikely." Turning to often-expressed, fears that energies and talents invested by Jews in American • secular culture are Inversely proportional to those that American Jewry Invests In Jewish culture, the author praises Jewish scholarship, here as not problematic. "The mantle of scbolarehlp worn for centuries by European Jewry," be declares, "has been successfully transferred not ady to Israabut also to America." There Is no reslstence to the teaching of Jewish literature and history In American universities, "which are witnessing a proliferation of courses In Jewish history and culture, and In some cases of entire Jewish-studies departments," he recounts. This indicates, says Prof. Felngold, "that a substructure Is being created, that energy and talent are being invested, and. In a word, that Jewish cultui^ has a future in America." On the other hand, the author cautions, there Is a limit to the degree of influence the Jewish community can DavMBeUn exert, especially on public Belin stressed the im- policy. He suggests that the portance of developing school(ContlnuedonPage2) year and summer programs -related to the contemporary Jewish experience of the students. Most Important, Belin believes, is the need for the "giant step of direct involvement of lay leadership instead of leaving education OMAHA-They put the "Z'^Z primarily for the professional educators or the rabbinic' back In AZA here last Friday leadership... In other words, and everyone is happy about we must be prepared to It. The "Z" In this case Is broaden the base of the scholarly class by becoming Omaha Mayor Edward personally Involved in the Zorinsky, who was re-instated prior to his keynote address to education of our children." the Combelt Region B'nal The attitude toward B'rith Youth Organization Judaism, Bella feels, must be Winter Conclave at the Old conveyed as one which Mill Holiday Inn. Zorinsky had left AZA 100 develops "an emotional identification, an attitude that back In 1946-belleved to be will be strong enough to < around the yme he became withstand the continued active in a non-BBYO group Rick Renn, one of three assaults of asslmilatton and Aleph Zadik Aleph co Intermarriage. Gary Rubin, at the recent ordlnators of the convention, meeting of the board of presented Zorinsky, who governors, commended Belin recently announced his for his outstanding con- candidacy for the U.S. Senate, tribution to Jewish education with an honorary AZA in Des Moines and his efforts membership card as the to Improve Jewish education teenage crowd cheered their approval. throughout the country. and Jewlab life In the United States it contained In the featured aitlde, "Tte Oon<ntion of American Jewry bi Historical Penpectlve: A Bicentennial Assessment," In Vohmie 76 of the A. J. Year Book, which has just appeared. The Year Book is published by the American Jewish CoHUnittee and the Jewish Publication Society of America. Its editors are Morris Fine and Milton Himmelfarb. Martha Jelenko Is the executive editor. The price of the book is $15. Petailing the receptivity of tfli United States toward Jews •• Jewish culture. Professor Fungoid declares that Jews
Des IMoines LaY].eacler Reoeivet iVatloiial Honors NEW YORK-David Belln, noted attorney., author, and past chairman of the Bureau of Jewish Education was honored in New York City on Dec. 14, for his leadership in directing the Jewish Education system in Des Moines, Iowa. The outstanding progress achieved through the Introduction of formal and Informal curriculum offerings was commended by the association leadership. Belln's insight Into new trends and experimental programs lor Jewish education as well as his leadership in broadening the base xif the Des Moines Bureau of Jewish education was acclaimed, Belin, In his address to the American Astoclation for Jewish Education, said "we face the greatest crisis ever to confront Awarlcm Jewry the combined effect of tremendous Increases In the rate of asilmllatton and intermarriage coupled with marked decreases In enrollment In Jewish education programs." Belin, in quotbig Dr. Ellis RivUn, aulborof tbe recent book. "HieSbaptagof Jewiifa History," emphailzed tbe ability of Jewlab leaderriiip throughout tbe ages to "preserve tbrougb change bwtead of dsstroyug tbrougb preeervatkn." Repeatedly In our Jewish history "new crisis were met by Innovation and change, Belin said. "And this Is what we must be prepared to do In Jewish education In America today. If American Jewry Is to wrvtve."
Aleph
Zorinsky
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