Canadian Jewish Review

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Title: Canadian Jewish Review

Full text: h'r 16 which would remove and eliminate from our generation the deadly fear of atomic destruction and divert the fantastic achievements of modern science into constructive and peaceful channels. It is not for us as World Jewish Congress to express an opinion on the best methods to achieve this end, on the technical guarantees necessary to remove fear and suspicion and safeguard the security of all mankind. Apart from these specific questions we, as a people, must find our place among all those who work for peace, for coexistence, for understanding and good will, and where, with its limited influence and possibilities, our organisation can help, it has to raise its voice and try to make a contribution to these goals which, as I said, are more decisive and vital for us than for any other group today. The same consideration applies to Israel. The Cold War has led to the rearming of the Arab States CANADIAN JEWISH REVIEW by the two blocs, encouraged Arab extremism, and given the Arab States the possibility of playing each of the two blocs against the other. It has made Israel's position more difficult than it would otherwise be. Only an understanding between the two blocs with regard to the Middle^ East, which would deprive the Arab States of the hope that one of them may succeed with the help of the acquiescence of the blocs in any attempt to eradicate Israel will create the atmosphere and the basis for Arab willingness to accept the fait accompli of Israel's existence as a sovereign state. And so, both from the point of view of the Diaspora and that of Israel, all of us can only pray and hope and do whatever is possible as a united people to help find an end to this tragic period of the Cold War and work out a lasting understanding between the two great camps of the world today which would initiate a period of real security and cooperation. As long as the Cold War goes on, the World Jewish Congress must continue its efforts to maintain a minimum of contact and unity between the Jewish communities of the two camps. We have tried to re-establish this unity for years. We are happy that we succeeded _jn bringing back _into the fold of the Congress the Hungarian Jewish Community, that we have, for the first time, for many years, delegates from Hungary and, at least, observers from Poland, and we hope that Jhe time is not far away when other Jewish communities of Eastern Europe, still absent at this session, will be with us again and try, despite many differences and ideological conflicts, to find a common basis for cooperation and understanding as parts of the same Jewish people. This refers, naturally, also to the major Jewish community in Eastern Europe, the Jews of the Soviet Union. However difficult it may be to convince the leaders Jbr Cfianufa/i... Jsraef... December 5, 1958 of the USSR that they should grant the possibility of establishing contact with world Jewry to the Jewish community of their country, we will not relent in our efforts to achieve it. Nobody can tell how long it may take and what the chances are. But what is in* volved is of such tremendous im^ portance for the future of the Jewish people that nobody has the right to despair and give up hope that the day^will come when the voice of Soviet Jewry will be heard in international councils and the Jewish people will be able to welcome this great Jewish community back into its active fold. These two external factors which I discussed have obviously a deep impact on the third element which determines our position, the internal state of affairs of Jewish life. Both factors, as I analysed them have a negative effect. The disappearance of the external danger to our survival, of anti-Semitism in its classic mean — ing has had most beneficial consequences for the political and material situation of the Jewish communities, but a very negative effect on our internal life. The great flhflllengs to our existence noworfcgfart & fuff-een~reduced to very insignificant forms compared with previous periods. The disappearance of challenges is always a danger to peoples and communities, especially to a J>eople like __pur» which, for centuries, has been educated to react to threats, to overcome dangers. Our people knows how to behave heroically in bad times, but has not yet learnt to live creatively in good times. _ _The disappearance of the brutal form of anti-Semitism and the political and economic well-being of most Jewish communities has initiated a system of anonymous dlslagregatibn- — and assimilation which has endangered the basis of our existence in the Diaspora. If this is not evident today on the surface of Jewish life, it is primarily because our generation still lives under the tremendous impact of two great psychological experiences: the Nazi period with the extermination of a third of our people and the heroic fight resulting in the emergence of the State of Israel. Both these overwhelming experiences have revived and revitalised the Jewish consciousness of millions of Jews. The Nazi experience has created deep feelings of guilt and respon- , sibility; the Israel experience, deep emotions of pride and happiness to be a Jew. These experiences, however determining the psychological structure of our adult generation, are losing their impact even for us, but certainly for the young generation for whom the Nazi tragedy will be only a historical memory and the existence of the State of Israel an obvious matter of fact The more the impact of