Israel’s Impact on American Jewish Life Established by Scientists

The impact of Israel on Jewish life in this country is “affirmative, definite and conclusive,” extending to the synagogue and the home, to the Jewish religious school as well as to cultural activities. It has also helped to submerge the ideological differences of American Jewry. These were the conclusions reached by American Jewish social scientists and historians after a two-day conference which closed here today.

The program, divided into three sessions, was designed to determine the degree to which the reciprocal relationship between American Jewry and Israel Jewry affects various areas of American Jewish life, such as education, self-identification and communal activities. The conference was convened by the Theodor Herzl Institute, an educational and cultural research center for the study of Zionism and the Conference on Jewish Social Studies, an association of sociologists and historians. Its purpose was to measure the influence of the State of Israel on the cultural and communal life of American Jewry.

Arnold Gurin, director of Field Service of the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds, said that “the community organization pattern” of American Jewry is strengthened and popularized by the successful “response to the needs of Israel.” Consequently, the unprecedented support of Israel by American Jews benefits the Jewish communities in that their central organizations have become representative and democratic institutions.

He also explained that fund-raising for Israel has tended to unify American Jews in that ideological differences have been submerged “in view of the large role played by the entire American Jewish community in relation to the needs of Israel. “He brought out that the success of each campaign was determined not only by the existence of Israel but also by its security, and that American Jews financial assistance is symbolic of their “sense of responsibility for the political survival of the state which responds vigorously in times of trouble.”

There is universal agreement,” that the Israel factor is important in the process of Jewish identification” which has been growing throughout the country during the last decade, Dr. Abraham C. Duker, president of the College of Jewish Studies in Chicago, stated in his paper. He further pointed out that the positive impact of Israel on the synagogue, “the center of organized Jewish life,” has been manifest in its activities.

Israel’s impact on Jewish ideologies in this country was described by Dr. Ben Halpern of Harvard University. Fundamentally, the rise of Israel confronted American Jewish organizations with the need to formulate their attitude towards the state. Thereby they clarified their viewpoint of the Jewish future and the role of Israel in that future, he stated.

Professor Joseph L. Blau of Columbia University, Dr. Emil Lehman, director of the Theodor Herzl Institute, and Dr. Judd L. Teller, political secretary of the World Zionist Organization presided over the sessions. Dr. Emanuel Neumann, president of the Zionist Organization of America and head of the Herzl Institute officially opened the meetings, and Professor Salow W. Baron of Columbia University and honorary president of the Conference on Jewish Social Studies formally closed the assembly.