Jewish Life February 1953

Let s Teach For Living! An Agudist Challenges Ben-Gurioh Mexican Journey

Ask your grocer for Breast-O’-Chicked tdna—the one brand of tuna that bears the © seal. You get the same premium quality in either solid pack or chunk style, too. Yet Breast-O’-Chicken costs no more than ordi­ nary brands without the © .

S#& Sr-0 'CH/&C£A/ briiges youtnfyke

S aul B ernstein , Editor

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EDITORIALS

M. Morton R ubenstein D r. E ric Qffenbacher R euben Gross R abbi L eon S titskin

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ARTICLES

PARTIES AND PROSPECTS IN ISRAEL I. Halevy-Lèvin THE PERSONAL EQUATION Simon A. Dolgin NOBLESSE OBLIGE Arnold J. Miller AN AGUDIST STATES THE CASe B H ^ Morris Sherer SOUTH OF THE BORDER Abraham Stern KIDDUSH HACHAMMAH Arthur Spier

Editorial Associates S eymour R osenberg

Editorial Assistant

Cover and Inside Illustrations by N orman N odel

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SHORT STORY

THE BOSS .............. .......... ......... ¿iU..'....... 16 A. A.. Davidson Editorial and Publication Office: 305 Broadway New York 7, N . Y. BEekman 3-2220

Published by U nion of Orthodox J ew ish Congregations of A merica Max J .

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President

Rabbi H. S. Goldstein, Wil­ liam B. Herlands, Samuel Nirenstein, William Weiss, Honorary Presidents; Benja­ min Koenigsberg, Benjamin Mandelker, M. Morton Ru­ benstein, Vice - Presidents; J oseph Schlang, Secretary; N. Kenneth Gross, Treasurer; Saul Bernstein, Administrator

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POEM

NEW TEMPLE Lillian Reznick Ott •

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BOOK REVIEW S

FOR THE BAR M I T Z V A H ^ Ä ^ ^ ^ g 57 Gilbert Klaperman , A PLACE OF REST 61 D. A. Jessurun Cardozo RHYTHM OF "THE HALLOWED ORDER” 67 Hugo Mandelbaum • FEATURES

AMONG OUR CONTRIBUTORS

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Purim Excerpts Selected and Translated by Solomon J. Spiro • SERVICES

KASHRUTH DIRECTORY

COVER THEME “.............make them days of feasting and gladness, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor.” (Megillath Esther 9:22)

Among Our Contributors ' A. A. DAVIDSON'S stbries/which have delighted JEWISH LIFE readers for the past few years, have won him recognition as one of the most promising — and individual — young Jewish writers of the present' day. Yonkers born and bred, he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. His travels have included two prolonged visits to Israel. *

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ARTHUR SPIER is a teacher in the High School Department of the Talmud Torah School at the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue, New York. He is.the author of the recently published book "The Comprehensive Hebrew Calendar" (reviewed in this issue), as well as many articles on mathematical, scientific and philosophic topics. He was formerly principal of the Talmud Torah School in Hamburg, Germany and of the Jewish Community School in New York. *

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ABRAHAM STERN graduated from Yeshiva University School of Education and Community Administration as the first professionally-trained orthodox group worker in the U.S.A. He has been associated with the National Council of Young Israël Youth Department and is now the director of Mizjachi Hatzair. He is also editor of the Youth Section.of "P'rakim" and Consultant: UOJC Youth Activities. '■ ■ *

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I. HALEVY-LEVIN, whose dispatches from Israel are a regular feature of JEWISH LIFE, is the editor of Israel Argosy, a literary miscëllàny; and Modern Israel Library. He is a frequent contributor to Israeli, British and South African publications. *

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RABBI MORRIS SHERER is Executive Vice-President of Agudath Israel of America and editor of its organ "Jewish Opinion." He is also instructor of Homiletics and Practical Rabbinics at Mesifta Torah Vodaath. Sherer received his major rabbinic education at the latter institution, and is a Musmach of Ner Israel Yeshiva of Baltimore.

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ARNOLD J. MILLER practices law in Worcester, Mass. He is president of the local Young Israel. Articles by him have appeared in previous issues of JEWISH LIFE and in other magazines. *

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RABBI SIMON A. DOLGIN, who was ordained at the, Hebrew Theological College, is the spiritual leader of Beth Jacob West Adams Hebrew Congregation in Los Angeles. He plays a leading role in Pacific coast Jewish affairs.

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Jewish LIFE

EDITORIALS THE COMMUNIST ATTACK ON JEWRY GRIM reality has thrust itself into the crux of Jewish affairs: the ,war of Soviet Russia against Jewry. : Stripped, by calculated purpose, of its previous disguise, Soviet anti-Jewish policy can no longer be minimized or explained away. However rationalized in terms of Soviet foreign policy, ¿internecine Communist party strife or the domestic problems of Russia and its subject states, the reality remains: the rulers of Sovietdom have openly set their might and power against the House of Israel. The present Soviet policy cannot be viewed as an opportunistic Communist tactic of the moment. It is the current stage of a devious yet consistent program. Soviet totalitarianism, like any other, is incompatible with the Jewish concept of life, which is the ultimate source of democracy. The Jewish faith and the Jewish people are of a piece: each necessitates the other. A long and bloody line of autocrats, from Haman to Hitler, have known this and have acted accordingly. “And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not down, nor prostrated himself before him, then was Haman full of wrath!1 So too with Stalin and his cohorts. W HILE anti-semitism was long officially proscribed in Soviet Russia, T the Communist oligarchy has aimed from the first at the destruction of Jewish religious and communal life in their dominions. By pro­ gressive stages, commencing during World War II, the Basic policy became openly revealed. The campaign in Communist Soviet Russia against “Jewish homeless cosmopolitans” Aim , gave the cue in turn to the satellite states. There has ensued the Prague trial of fofmer high-ranking Com­ munists of Jewish origin, who were now denounced ] and promptly executed —- as “Jewish Nationalists”, “Jewish bourgeois” and “Zionist criminals”, and similar purges in East Germany and other occupied or subject states. Discarding all but the last layer of camouflage, the program‘has proceeded in faithful accordance with the text of “Mein Kampf ”. A fantastic, shameless canard is , now brought forward — a supposed plot of “international Jewish bourgeois-nationalist organiz­ ations”, in collusion with “warmongering” Western powers and em­ ploying “terrorist Jewish doctors”, to murder Soviet leaders in Moscow. Jan. - Feb., 1953

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The Kremlin, with typical Machiavellianism, included in its purges Jewish-born Communists notorious for hatred for and betrayal of their own people. The campaign being now made public, these base instru­ ments were no longer an asset. And in contrast with previous Soviet autos-da-fe, the Communist rulers seem to have deliberately flaunted the fictional character of the “evidence” and “confessions”. Clearly, they sought to make their actual purpose known to the world. JN FACING the fact that the Kremlin’s policy is aimed at all Jews, we must reckon first of all with the plight of the more than 2,500,000 Jews who lie helpless in its hands. These are Save hostages which the Communists doubtless design to Soviet use to thwart Jewish efforts at self-defense, it is the J ew ry first task of Jewry today to secure their freedom. Let us clearly understand, from the lesson of Nazi Germany, that nothing less than the freeing of these captive brethren will serve, either for them or for ourselves. By the standards of material power which is Communism’s sole gauge, the Jewish people has but negligible means to pit against its ruthless and relentless foe. But we have been sustained through pre­ vious agonizing experiences by a Force supreme over all forces. Our “secret weapon”* is our faith. If this remains strong within us, our cause will again prevail.

BACK THE FAIR SABBATH LAW ^ F T E R many years of effort to secure passage of legislation permitting Sabbath observing storekeepers in New York State to keep their businesses open on Sundays, hope of success now appears on the horizon. As a result of the, labors of the Joint Committee for a Fair Sabbath Law, the New York State Legislature's Joint Legislative Committee, under the chairmanship of Hon. Malcolm Wilson, has been directed to conduct hearings and report on a proposed bill. Bearing responsible political sponsorship, the bill is backed by representative Jewish organizations and a great force of Jewish and non-Jewish public opinion. Prospects for passage of the legislation are indeed promising. Assurance of passage of the bill, however, must not yet be taken for granted. Individuals, congregations and organizations throughout 'New York State must urge the Wilson Committee to report the bill (Senate Int. 1483 Pr. 1561; Assembly Int. 2129, Pr. 2211) favorably to the State Legislature. Opposition to such legislation remains powerful in certain areas and the intricacies of state political alignments must 4

Jewish LIFE

always be contended with. The campaign for a fair Sabbath law must not fail for lack of the final and decisive voicing of public demand! ^■HE desired legislation would grant each municipality the right to exempt Sabbath observers from the operation of the Sunday Closing p Law. This present archaic statute, like that of numerr$sen ous other states, is highly discriminatory, in effect, to Unfair religions requiring observance of the seventh day as the Sabbath. Historically entrenched as is this law, efforts to secure relief through either legislation or the judiciary have hitherto proved fruitless — except for the sports and amusement in­ dustries. As a result, Jewish religious life has been heavily penalized. The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, struggling with this problem for many years, saw that the only possibility of a solution would lie in a concerted and systematic effort backed by all interested parties. It thus brought about the organization of the Joint Committee for a Fair Sabbath Law, representing more than 25 Jewish organizations. The Joint Committee, headed by Benjamin Koenigsberg, a vice-president of the Union, and with Leo Pfeffer of American Jewish Congress as general counsel, has effectively marshalled public opinion and has framed a bill offering the maximum possibility of passage. Much credit is due to the Joint Committee for its persistence of purpose through three years of effort. CjUCCESS in its immediate undertaking will not be the only beneficial product of the Joint Committee for a Fair Sabbath Law. jj Its technique of harnessing a wide diversity of national and local Jewish organizations for a common Jewish purpose points the way to a sounder approach to many needs of communal life.

11th HOUR FOR THE ROSENBERGS J}WIGHT D. Eisenhower enters into office as President of the United States bearing the fervent good wishes of the American people and of the mass of mankind. He inherits from his predecessor a multitude of ¿rave responsibilities. Some of them involve the fate of the whole world. One of them, not the least in import, concerns immediately just two individuals — Ethel and Julius Rosenberg. These two, accused of espionage and betrayal of atomic secrets in behalf of Soviet Russia, have been tried by due process of law, found guilty and condemned to death. The Supreme Court of the United Jan. - Feb'., 1953

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States has found no grounds upon which to review the case, testifying to the exhaustive correctness and impartiality of the legal proceedings to which the Rosenbergs were subjected. They have been granted and have exercised the right to appeal for clemency to the President. Now their fate lies in the hands of President Eisenhower. T H E FULL apparatus of Communist propaganda has been brought to bear throughout the world to characterize this case in terms actually applicable to the purge trials conducted by the Communists themselves. In so doing, the Soviet forces pay an unintended triUnintended bute to American democracy and legal justice. It is Tribute almost as if they say: we can destroy with impunity, because our admittedly fake trials are immune to world opinion;; but the very justice of your democracy brings you to a dilemma — execute them, and we will proclaim them, by their guilt, martyrs to our cause; give them clemency, and our propaganda stands triumphant over your justice! The Rosenbergs being Jewish, Communist propaganda has not failed to raise a cry of anti-semitism, applying that slander to the Jewish judge who presided at the trial. Exercising its utmost dexterity, the Communist apparatus exploits this line while simultaneously engaging in a full and open campaign of anti-semitism. While denouncing Jews as Jews in the Soviet domain, the Kremlin endeavors to entice Jews elsewhere to fall prey to its Rosenberg agitation. But for all their cunning the Communists will enjoy no success in this maneuver. JEWISH opinion addresses itself to President Eisenhower only with the * confident belief that the decision as to the life or death of the Rosenbergs will take, no cognizance of the alternative The consequences of Communist propaganda. The issue as Remaining to the guilt of the accused no longer exists. There Issue remains only the issue of human clemency, sharpened by- the fact that, even las their crime is unprecedented in its potentiality, so is th,eir penalty. Never before in American history has capital punishment been exercised for peace-time espionage. To Jews, the death penalty is repugnant under almost any cir­ cumstances. Life is sacred, and while it lasts the possibility of redemption of the criminal always remains. This Jewish thought we address to the President, in the hope that it will be found of worth in reaching his final decision.

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Jewish LIFE

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O ur Isra el correspon den t an alyzes the political scene .

PARTIES AND PROSPECTS IN ISRAEL By 1. HALEVY-LEVIN JERUSALEM T H E INTERMITTENT state of parliamentary crisis which has become a feature of political life ill Israel, stimulates speculation regarding the prospects of a more stable system of government emerging and J1 an essential pre­ condition — the likelihood of a process of coalescence setting in, leading to a reduction in the num­ ber of political parties.* Any realistic appraisal of the current state of affairs must start out from an appreciation that the plethora of parties in Israel’s polit­ ical life is not necessarily a reflec­ tion of a congenital sectarianism and inability to reach agreement over larger issues; it is rather an expression of this “generation of the wilderness.” Though it has entered the promised land, the present generation has not yet sloughed off its ghetto mentality and the widely disparate political habits of the European, North African and Middle Eastern coun­ tries from which its members come. * This article was written prior to the for­ mation of the new Israeli Government coalition.

Jah. - Feb^, 1953

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This point must,, be stressed especially in view of the pessimistic assessment of the Jewish ability for self-government. Most fre­ quently adduced as testifying to this failing is the perennial state of “machloikes” characteristic of life in the Pale of Settlement. But not only is such évidence unfair in the light of the abnormal condi­ tions under which Jews existed in the Diaspora for centuries, but it is also historically false. Indeed, the lasting solidarity shown by the Jews, (strengthened admittedly by the pressure ’of the hostile environ­ ment in which they lived), their loyalty to their lay and religious leaders and their strong ysense of mutual responsibility, can only arouse the highest admiration. Evidence for Jewish incapacity for self-government is often sought

further afield, in the rivalries, kill­ ings and revolutions which punctu­ ated the annals of the Kingdoms of Judea and Israel, and later of the Princes of the Hasmonean Dynasty, and finally the civil strife that convulsed the besieged city of Jerusalem, making a desperate struggle completely hopeless. But such testimony, though historically indisputable, is of dubious value in passing judgement on the political ability of the Jews in the twentieth century. After all, four centuries, from the fourteenth to the seven­ teenth^ of dynastic wars and inter­ necine struggle, as bloody and in­ tense at least as those in ancient Judea and Israel, preceded the establishment of Britain's consti­ tutional monarchy and one of the world’s most stable modern re­ gimes.

Maturing Political Sense JgtJT IN Israel itself there are many hopeful signs of the de­ velopment of a sound political sense, despite setbacks and unfav­ orable conditions. The thirty years of national dis­ cipline under the purely moral leadership and authority of the Jewish Agency, the capacity for economic association, which has converted this country into a center of the Cooperative movement^ the keen social conscience that "is operative, the rising standards of social services and^anabitioqs plans for the future; ¿the equilitarian economic retime developed under a system of free enterprise — all 8

indicate ah understanding of the prerequisites of a democracy that works, and an ability to translate principles into the language of daily practice. Under the State, too, the symp­ toms are not unencouraging. In the Knesseth the debates are con­ ducted on a high level and with a proper respect for the House. Un­ like a number of older, far more experienced legislatures in the Mediterranean area, for instance, there has not been a single brawl or bout of inkpot and chair-throw­ ing in the almost fi^e years of the Knesseth. Jewish LIFE

The multiplicity of parties and the excessive influence exerted by small parties, because of the diffi­ culty of forming a really stable coalition, are the main immediate defects of Israel's political system. These have produced much wishful thinking on the advantages of the constituency system over propor­ tional representation. It is, how­ ever, too frequently disregarded that the former in itself is no guarantee for a healthy political life. The system that works so well in Britain and the United States is less satisfactory on the Continent, and has certainly not provided France, for example, with a stable democratic regime. Too little attention is paid to such considerations as the tempera­ ment of the population, the homo­

geneity (or at least absence of self-conscious national minorities), high standards of living and civili­ zation and long traditions of de­ mocracy in evaluating the working of this form of representative government in the English-speak­ ing countries. There can be no question that proportional repre­ sentation is exceptionally favorable for the creation of small parties. But in our milieu in Israel this is not entirely a disadvantage, for it allows a voice in the Government to most of the variegated elements that go to make up our population. That this liberty is not exploited to further narrow communal in­ terests is certainly an indication that proportional representation is not the pernicious system it is made out to be.

Party Leadership A NOTHER charge levelled against proportional representation in this country, is that it is aristo­ cratic in essence and oligarchical in operation. This is undoubtedly the case, though it may be stated with equal truth against the whole sys­ tem of party government. In Is­ rael the candidates for election are, for the most part, nationally recog­ nized leaders and party function­ aries, appointed by closed partisan cliques, with the rank and file ex­ ercising hardly more than an in­ direct influence. (A countervailing consideration is the growing ten­ dency to appoint local and com­ munal leaders, too, as party can­ didates. Most parties are careful Jan. - Feb., 1953

to include leaders of the Middle Eastern and North African com­ munities in safe places in their electoral lists.) But this, too, under our circumstances has its advantageous aspects. The candi­ dates, by and large, are men and women of wider political' and ad­ ministrative experience, and thus probably as far as is possible under the party system, a “best-man" administration is secured. An obvious disadvantage is the absence of any provision to enlist members of the Knesseth from among academic, economic and other circles, not normally politi­ cally active. The system of adop­ tion, as opposed to popular elec9

New immigrants and old settlers crowd the streets of Jerusalem to greet the newly elected president Yitzchok Ben-Zvi. (Photo By Eisenstark)

tion, which is widely practised in the party bureaucracy, makes for steady promotion through a series of administrative, organizational or economic functions, culminating in a seat in the Knesseth. Generally speaking, moreover, though the rivalries of contending cliques within the same party play a major role, the leadership is in­ terested in enrolling a capable and representative team. Competition is keen in the Knesseth and indi­ vidual influence is not always de­ pendent upon strong party back­ ing. By sheer personality and ability even leaders of small par­ ties come to the fore. An outstand­ ing example was provided by the late D.’Z. Pincas, who though lead­ er of one of the smallest parties in the House, nevertheless won a dominant position by his excep­ tional parliamentary and political gifts. 10

THERE IS another aspect of this aristocratic principle, which be­ cause of the sensitivity of some sections of our community is sel­ dom discussed frankly. Broadly speaking the European element — the “Ashkenazim” 1111 is the more advanced section of the population. It is also the most homogeneous. The Ashkenazim provide the lead­ ership stratum in the State, shape its destinies in all spheres and kre responsible for the fact that its civilization is still European’ and not Levantine. It is beyond all question that under existing cir­ cumstances this operates in %fhe best interests of the entire popu­ lation despite the obvious social dangers of mobilizing leaders from one section. The analogous situation in the army is highly instructive. The Eastern communities are more highly represented in the ranks, because of Itheir lower standards. Jewish LIFE

of education and civilization, and are progressively under-represented in the higher echelons. The Army, like the State, is endeavoring to solve the problem, and to remove a possible cause of disaffection, by an intensive program of education and a more liberal policy of pro­ motion. The danger inherent in the aris­ tocratic nature of proportional rep­ resentation lies in its becoming more and more exclusive and in­ tent upon perpetuating itself. In­ sofar as our communal problem is concerned, the threat does not seem to be serious. There is a general awareness that cultural integration is the ultimate criterion of a healthy national life, and every effort is being made to raise the intellec­ tual standards o f vthe more back­ ward strata of our people. There is also an appreciation that the more capable members of the Eastern and North African com­ munities must be groomed in the exercise of public responsibility. The motives are mainly selfish, reckoned in terms of political divi­ dends paid in the form of increased public support. This however in no way diminishes the ultimate benefit the country as a whole will derive. But this indicates rather a broad policy that inevitably has to contend with the entrenched in­ terests of veterans of all parties to buttress their own positions and to keep younger talents at arm's length. The comparatively high age of the members of the Knesseth is an eloquent commentary on this aspect. Jan. - Feb., 1953

| | GAINST this background Is­ raeli party alignments have re­ mained remarkably stable, despite the vast influx of politically illiter­ ate new^l immigrants which has revolutionized the composition of our population. It is true that such instruments of influence and patronage as set­ tlement, housing, employment, etc. — in which the newcomers are particularly interested ¡¡|p | have been allocated according to the traditional “party key" and that the officials with whom the immi­ grants come into daily contact as­ sume the role of political mentors. But in the Second Knesseth elec­ tions the immigrants showed un­ expected signs of political maturity when a large number of residents of the Maabaroth and villages un­ der Mapai tutelage did not vote to order. An even greater measure of independence was reflected in their refusal to be stampeded by the rather grotesque campaign staged especially for their benefit. Another promising indication during the period of statehood has been the virtual disappearance despite the new accentuation of communal differences — of the communal lists which were a regu­ lar feature of the political life of the Yishuv in the thirty years of the Vaad Leumi. Whatever advances have been registered in the direction of coa­ lescence, leading eventually to re­ duction in the number of political parties, have been offset by the breaking of existing pacts and alli­ ances, such as the dissolution of 11

the United Religious Bloc and the breakaway of the Lipshitz-Lamdan

fraction from the United Workers Party.

Prospects for Coalition JT IS difficult to gauge the pros­ pects of such a process, though favorable objective conditions are not wanting. There are, after all, not more than four ideological groups; There is the religious wing comprising Mizrachi, Hapoel Hamizrachi, Agudath Israel and Poale Agudath Israel — the com­ mon denominator setting them apart from other political organi­ zations being their accent on re­ ligion. There is little in the pub­ lished programs of the General Zionists and the Héruth Party to indicate why they cannot reach a common platform. Even the more middle-class inclined section of the small Progressive party might be able to subscribe to such a plat­ form, and especially to its economic planks. Then again, at least until the recent Prague trials, the United Workers Party (Mapam) and the Communists were finding each other increasingly congenial com­ pany. Indeed, in the event of a split in the former, generated by the Prague trials, it is almost cer­ tain that the extreme left wing would link up with the Commu­ nists. The fourth of these ideol­ ogical groups is made up solely of Mapai, which, following the defec­ tion of Siyah Beth (Leachdut Ha’ Avodah) some years ago, has de­ veloped what in Israel is a unique homogeneity. But personalities rather than 12

policies shape the parties' courses. There is hardly a political leader in Israel who does not prefer to be head of his own splinter group rather than second to Ben Gurion in Jerusalem. pRESSURE from below, however, the shifting loyalties of that section of the electorate unfettered by formal political ties, might lead to the reduction to insignificance and even the complete elimination of some factions. The electorate is aware of the ineffectuality of the small parties, in coalition no less than in opposition, and where a feasible alternative presents itself, is prepared to take it. Such a trend can be discerned in the Right-wing. The decline of Heruth is less due to fading memories of the struggle against the British than to a preference for the more constructive policies offered by the General Zionists and its better chances of success as the major militant anti-Mapai party. A similar process, operating from the General Zionist and Ma­ pai flanks, may eliminate the Pro­ gressives from the arena in the course of time. That section fa­ voring cooperation with Mapai — centering round Haoved Hazioni, which is affiliated with the Hisr tadruth — differs hardly at all in practical politics from the less syndicalist section of Mapai. CerJewish LIFE

tainly a less narrow partisan out­ sonal capacity and prestige of its look on the part of the latter, and representatives. But as a party a less selfish and aggressive eco­ with no reserves of youth it has nomic policy would create a con­ nothing to offset the normal wast­ genial atmosphere for such a age of death and superannuation. switch of support. The more progressive element On the other hand, when it is might well vote with Hapoel Hamrecalled that it is only in the Is­ izrachi in the next elections, con­ raeli context that the General scious that this party, because of Zionists can be considered Right­ its relations with Mapai, is best wingers, and that in economic and placed to protect religious inter­ social outlook they are rather bour­ ests, while the not too large sec­ geois liberals, it is clear that a tion opposing collaboration with substantial proportion of the sup­ the secular Labor Party may pre­ porters of the Progressives could vote General Zionist with a clear fer the less-flexible orthodoxy of the Agudah. conscience. There does not, however, appear Ä NOT dissimilar fate may over­ to be any prospect of any single, take Mizrachi, following the united Religious Party emerging. death within a period of three The resolutions favoring amalga­ years of its two outstanding lead­ mation taken by both the Poale ers, — Rabbi Meir Barilan and Agudath Israel and Hapoel HamD. Z. Pinças. The position occu­ izrachi have invariably been frus­ pied by Mizrachi in the Knesseth trated by extraneous influences. has derived entirely from the per­ Indeed,- the veto imposed by the President Ben-Zvi is welcomed to Jerusalem by Mayor Kariv. (Photo By Eisenstark)

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Moetzeth Gedoley Hatorah upon the recent decision of Poale Agudah to rejoin the Government proves that this party can at best be regarded as an independent body only within a very confined sphere. Finally, in evaluating prospects in the direction of creating

a more comprehensive religious political organization, we must recall that the United Religious Bloc, formed under the dynamic leadership of the late Rabbi Meir Barilan, served more to accentuate differences than joint principies.

Dilemma of Extreme Left ■PHE situation in the extreme left-wing is highly interesting following the commencement of the Prague Trials, only the first phase of which has concluded, and which at some future date will in­ clude the arraigning of Mordechai Oren, Mapam’s political emissary and a near-Communist, on charges of espionage, sabotage, yetc. It is not impossible that by fine-drawn casuistry the United Workers will succeed in producing a program maintaining the facade of unity. Another possibility that cannot be ruled out is that the Sneh-Riftin faction, who have already toed the new Communist Party line and endorsed the trials, will be forced out, and that the kibbutzim of Hashomer Hatzair and Hakibbutz Hameuchad will reach closer agree­ ment for the reorganization of an extreme Left Workers Party. What seems most likely, at the present moment, is that the Achduth Haavodah faction (based upon Hakibbutz Hameuchad),, who have for long chafed under the domination of Hashomer Hatzair, will decide to secede under pres­ sure of their urban members. In such a case a merger between the 14

more Communist-inclined YaariYitzchaki (mainly Hashomer Hat­ zair) and Sneh-Riftin groups and the Israel Communist Party, on an out-and-out Communist program, is inevitable. For Achduth Haavod­ ah, however, embittered by many years of fraternal strife with Mapai and with the recent break in the Hakibbutz Hameuchad still rankling, the decision is a difficult one. Reconciliation with Mapai and the elements more left is certainly an unpalatable prospect. jUiAPAI remains undoubtedly the ^strongest political organization, not only in terms of membership but in internal cohesion. Yet the growing disaffection among its unaffiliated supporters, generated by opposition to its voracious eco-# nomic imperialism, by charges — . often substantiated — of graft and corruption, and by the cynicism of leaders too sure of their personal position to have any regard for the views of their rank and file, may lead to a revulsion of feeling. At the same time recent adhesion of Hapoel Hamizrachi to the Histadruth Trade Union organization, the early prospect of Poale Agudah Jewish LIFE

following suit* providing Mapai with new and natural allies against the Mapam-Communist opposition, all serve to bolster Mapai’s central position in the political life of the country. It is abundantly clear that the present state of political flux must continue for a long time before any process of stabilization produces lasting results. It is equally patent

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that this process will be affected little, if at all, by the political wizardy that is proving itself capable of producing, like a conjurer brings rabbits out of a hat, the strangest and most ^unexpected coalition com­ pacts. Inevitably, it will prove as painful, if perhaps not so slow, as the fusion of the conglomerate of citizens in Israel to form a healthy and homogeneous nation.

TEM PLE

By L illia n R e z n ic k O tt I built me a Temple of fashion, Imposing both inside and out. Then proudly dedicated its precincts To the fostering of the spiritual and devout. Presently I witnessed the morn Emerging from the dark in the East; Then I looked to my gleaming white temple, And saw but a dim, shaded mist. I built me a Temple imposing, ’Stately both inside and out. Then quickly1sanctified its altars With songs' arid prayers devout. Presently I sighted the mountains Towering with eons of age; Then I looked to my strong builded Temple And saw a comma, fading on a page. I built me a Temple well founded, Steel reinforced in and out. Then quickly beautified its portals With adornments, suitable and devout. Presently while walking in the valley I saw a sprout new-sprung from the sod; Then I looked to my holy new Temple And remembered — I left out G-D.

Jan. - Feb., 1953

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By A . A. DAVIDSON ■PHE CITY was in the soft-coal region of the South; smoke sifted through the sparse leaves in the trees, and soot was ingrained in every house and building. A fraternal order has a convention going on; men in mock oriental dress wandered aimlessly up and down the streets, looking at the advertisements for school books, Dr. Pepper, Hadacol, Railroad Mills Snuff, and a medicinal mixture called 666 — or perhaps it was 999. The weather-beaten wood, soot-streaked stone and dust-eaten brick gave an air of weariness and age to the buildings. The children of the city played hide-and-go-seek, crying Ah sees ya! Ah sees ya! and a colored man led a string of mules through the street to the livery stable. I crossed the road to take a look at the “Temple”, a red-brick building created in the days of William H. Taft. Peering through a window, I could make out a bulletin board bearing some crayon drawings from the Sunday School, and a poster remarking the 60th anniversary of the Pittsburgh Re­ form Conference. “Y o u WON’T find no buddy here * today,” said a colored man com­ ing up the steps with a bunch of 16

keys in his hand. “But it’s Saturday morning,” I said; “Don’t make no difference . . . maybe next Sunday, if the Rabbi be back in town by then . . . now, best thing you do, you go along straight till you come to Third Street and turn right. You see the shool: be some buddy there, for sure.” “Thank you.” “Just go along straight and turn right on Third Street.” The shool (vintage Benjamin Harrison or Grover Cleveland) was made of the same grime — patina red-brick, with an air of having hunched its shoulders, and squatted down, daring anyone to move it. The door opened into the lower room, which smelled like the lower rooms of all shools everywhere — a smell compounded of the woolen taleythim, the leather bindings and printers ink of the old books, the sponge and honey-cake, whiskey, wine and tobacco, —: worn, studied, eaten, drunk, smoked and snuffed, — by several generations of wor­ shippers. There was in it, too, a hint of chickpeas boiled with salt and pepper, of herring put up in brine or pickle; and a definite trace of Bar Mitzvah clothes new from the store, and the moth crystals Jewish LIFE

in which grandmothers kept their best dresses. It was the scent of the tree of life, whose ways are ways of pleasantness, and all whose „paths are peace. The mantle in front of the ark was of red velveteen, showing the Tablets of the Teaching flanked by two dropsical lions. I recalled all the beautiful parochoth I had seen throughout the world, and all the lovely me'illim (Torah covers); and wondered what had happened to restrict Ashkenazic usage in modern times to shoddy, gaudy, imitation velvet — flaked with cheap glass spangles — and usually disfigured by surrealist lions which look like dogs or baboons. Re­ minding myself, however, that the Ark of Covenant carries its car­ riers, I kissed the mantle — spangles, gilt wires and all — and went upstairs. ^■HE UPPER synagogue had, for­ tunately, not been disfigured by architecture or a desire to cram in the maximum number of seats for once-a-year-use, The bima was very properly set near the center of the hall, testifying to the pres­ ence of the Torah in the midst of the congregation. About two minyonim were present. I took a seat in the row behind the last man, hoping to be spared conversational temptations until Adon Olom. In vain. The last man saw me, sidled along the bench until he was op­ posite me, and wished me a good Shabbos. “You're a stranger", he whis­ pered. I admitted it. Jan. - Feb., 1953

“You have to say Kaddish?" I denied it thankfully. “You're collecting for a yeshivah?" I denied that, too. He seemed puzzled. What else could bring a stranger to synagogue? Then, of a sudden, enlightenment spread over his face. “You're from New York!" his whisper reached its highest reg­ istry. “New York State," I said with a particularity he ignored. “Ut-azoy!” he said forgetting to whisper — at once a loud didactic cough broke through the murmur of prayer. I traced it to a welldressed man of middle age, who had turned from his seat in the first row and was looking at us, one eyebrow raised. The man in front of me bobbed his head apolo­ getically and slid back to his origi­ nal position. The man in the first row followed him with a reproving look, *and then, turning to me, nodded benevolently. 1 was allowed to continue my prayers unmolested by amateur census takers. A young boy was at the Omod, lead­ ing the opening psalms. When he finished, I looked up and saw the* man in front beckon to another boy of about the same age, who went up to the Omod and began to read Nishmath. ^■HERE were about half-a-dozen of these young boys, and they took the whole service, reading the prayers, the Torah, and Haftorah, in their pleasant and Southern ac­ cented Hebrew. I enjoyed it very 17

much. (I think it is quite permis­ sible to enjoy one’s prayers, is it> not?) They gave me an aliyah, and I announced my name tp the freckle-faced jupior who was the baal-koreh. After the service I shook hands with the small con­ gregation, wishing them a good Sabbath, and denying that I was either a mourner or a collector for a yeshivah. “Reb Yeed” a man (he who had coughed) said to me, , and then broke off to speak to a boy who was passing by. ' “Joe, you take the Haftorah* next week,” he said. , .. “But Ah had it today,f’ Joe protested. “Well you did so well vl want you to take it next week, too.” . “Oh, you ain’t got no rock-o-monis on me at all,” Joe said, but broke out in a prideful smile as he looked at the* man next to him. “Daddy, you’ll have to come tb shool next week, to he’a.” he said. “Mose, you’re a slah ol’ fox,” said Baddy grinning. “Mose” turned to me agaim “Reb Yeed, ihr sent einluden by mir fur Shabbos.” I accepted with pleasure, having “made Shabbos” the previous night on a head of lettuce and two chocolate bars. As we went out the door, one of the men approached my host. “Mose, about th is' Brith Jacob business—” he began. “See me this afternoon — Come around noch’n kugel.” The man nodded and went his way as did we. 18

™ n RE. YOU the Rabbi?” I asked my host after we had ex^ changed names. He laughed. “Boruch Ha-shem, no,” he said. “Just at present we’re without a rabbi. The last one we had was called to a bigger position and his successor won’t be here for another few weeks.” He stared at a man approaching us in green fez, yellow tunic, and baggy red pantaloons. The man stared back with a mix­ ture of defiance and sheepishness, as he went by. “According to your local paper, the United Order of Mesopotamian MamelukesBis holding a convention here,” I said. “I thought it was too early for a Purimshpiel. Nu, everyone to his own nahrishkeit” he said, gen­ erously dismissing Mesopotamia and its Mamelukes. We passed along a street lined with wooden houses and leafless trees — those wooden houses which only America builds or built, for they are no longer being put up. Perhaps after most of these big, comfortable, unbeau­ tiful (save to those who love them) wooden houses are torn down, fashion will discover and glorify them. They are as American as the log cabin, and — believe me — much more pleasant to live in. “Here we are,” said my host. We went inside, and it was as if I had lived there all my life. This is as it should be — if it were not so, then “kol yisroel chaveriwJ” would be an . empty phrase. It was a pleasant family that lived there, and a pleasant Sab­ bath meal we had together. AfterJewish LIFE

wards, during the tea, I asked about the local Jewish community. There was nothing unusual about it — several hundred Jewish fami­ lies, one shool, one “temple”, the same organizations and activities that one would expect to find any­ where and always does. The local philanthropist, the local assimilationist, the local matriarch (called “Granma”)f, the local eccentric (“Call that a shool? I wouldn’t go near it!”), the local black sheep (“And he came from such a nice

family, too!”), the local boy who made good, the local feuds, plans, problenjs, programs and then, some­ how, we got on the subject of rabbis, from which it is only a short hop to that of congregational presidents. “Hah!” said my host; “Don’t get me started on the subject of rabbis and presidents (“No, don’t!” his wife murmured.), because I could talk all afternoon on it. Listen — !” he said. I prepared to listen, hoping that

“all afternoon” was «a mere meta­ phor. %lfPHERE used to be a rabbi here ^ this was some years ago, you understand ^f^who was also the cantor, the shochet, the He­ brew teacher, — in short, the kolbo. He took his work seriously -— maybe too seriously — he worried himself sick over things. And it seemed to him that he was getting nowhere fast. Everytime there was a controversy, and a decision had to be made, do you think anybody listened to him? They let him speak, but then they listened to the president of the congregation. And whatever the president decided, that's the way it was. ‘All right, Abe, All right, Sam, All right* SoF — they'd say — whatever the president's name happened to be — /All right, Jack — whatever you say. You're the boss!' So the rabbi decided one day, ‘Genuk* —- and he resigned. And he went into business. And he, Boruch Hashem, prospered. Arid finally he ran for president of the congrega­ tion; and he's still president to­ day.” *: “Which one was that?” I asked, interested. “Did I meet him? Was he in shool this morning?” “He was. You did.” “Oh, let's not get talking about shool politics,” protested his wife. “Letrs sing some nice Jewish songs before we bench.” “That's a good suggestion . . . Nu, Reb Yeed, what kind of zemiros are they singing in New York these days? Come in!” he called, 20

as we heard a knock on the door. In came one of the men I had met that morning. After the bustle of greeting was over, his coats stored away, and a glass of tea and piece of kugel offered — declined —offered — accepted — the new guest looked at the boat habayith. “Well, Mose, now, about that Brith Jacob business »— ” T H IS (I suddenly decided) must be the synagogue president, the ex-rabbi. I looked at him inter­ estedly. ' “Sam Cohen thinks,” he went on. “Sam Coheri thinks! Sam Cohen hasn't had a* thought in his head for twenty years! Listen— !” said my- host, “You tell Sam Cohen,” he said, “and you tell all the other Brith Jacob fellows — if they want to hold their lodge meetings in the shool, very well — but no card playing! Get that? The Synagogue is a House of Prayer, a House of Study, and a House of Meeting — it is not a gambling den!” “All right, Mose —* whatever you say.” “And if they don't like it, let them go elsewhere — because there'll be no pinochle in this shool so long as I'm president of the con­ gregation, do you hear?” asked my host. “All right, Mose,” said the other guest, “Whatever you say. You're the boss.” And he drank his tea. My eye met that of my host. He winked at me. “And now,” he said, looking around with satisfaction, “let's sing some zemiros.” Jewish LIFE

The Determ inant In Jewish Education. By SIMGN A. DOLGIN S WRITER of these lines, I must confess that I am neither a professional educator nor a psy­ chologist merely one who, with a partisan point of view ,: has a keen interest in Jewish education in America. Being so concerned, I venture to offer a layman's analy­ sis of some of the major reasons for the relative lack of success in the field of Jewish education in this country. I realize that the factors which hinder the effectiveness of Jewish education are too numerpus to treat in this discussion and indeed are beyond my scope. Yet I feel that a major element in Jewish education, which has been seldom analyzed in. critiques of Jewish education, merits comprehensive study — namely, the attitudes and objectives of those professionally engaged in education. J^ET US, first,, concede that the success of Jewish education is nigh impossible of attainment when hoiiies are non-cooperative, when the environment is often in conflict with the school, when life today offers many attractions that become distractions for Jewish Jan. - Feb., 1953

education. Also, too few spiritual leaders have learned that their real achievement in building Jewish life is to be found in schools they head —- unrewarding as the task may be — not in the clubs and 21

organizations they lead so glamor­ ously. Indeed, educators have sought to provide some compensations for these -disturbing influences by mak­ ing available better school rooms, playgrounds, extra-curricular activ­ ities (art, drama, chorus, etc.), new techniques of education (“bet­ ter” textbooks, audio-visual aids, flash cards, etc.). The old “melamed” has disappeared from the

scene and the new educator, ped­ agogue, instructor have replaced him. Jewish education has been organized : .Bureaus of Education have been formed, codes of prac­ tice for teachers introduced, stand­ ards of preparation, remuneration and security adopted. While much remains to be improved if young, capable people are to enter the field of Jewish education, the road thereto is already delineated.

Effect on the Pupil Counts jqEVERTHELESS, despite all of the innovations introduced and planned, the achievements of the field of Jewish education are in­ deed questionable. For in the last analysis, it is the modification of the student’s life in terms of his Jewish schooling that really counts. Successful Jewish educa­ tion cannot be measured in build­ ings or systems, or even “modern” teachers. It can be gauged only by its effect on the pupil, or his re­ lationship with himself, his fellow men and G-d. In these terms, Jew­ ish education, as provided by the average Hebrew School, is gener­ ally little more than a dismal fail­ ure. The vast majority of students bid farewell to their Jewish school, education, identification and way of living on or about the Bar Mitzvah Sabbath. Their memories of their teachers are far more vague than their father’s recollection of his “melamed” and seldom more pleasant. The net result, apart from the Day School movement : we cannot be said to be better off 22

in Jewish education today than a quarter of a century ago — sta­ tistics. and statisticians notwith­ standing. I do not concede that the im­ pediments to Jewish education jus­ tify widespread failure. To pro­ vide Jewish education in terms of our environment is the task. I contend that there are a few strik­ ing examples of educational suc­ cess with students and parents which challenge the failure of the Hebrew school system at large. I realize that the hours of in­ struction and the years of school attendance are too few, but I believe that properly orientated teachers can make much more of the limited time they share with students than is now realized. I also know the argument that pub­ lic schools, with their broad facili­ ties, extensive hours of instruction, etc., are not too successful; in this fact we can find little consolation and no provision for the ongoing of Jewish life and the concomi­ tant survival of American Jewry. Jewish LIFE

T E T US in this article dwell course of life. The “Orach Chaysomewhat on the faults within im'' (way of life) was the only the formal education system itself, . gauge of meaningful Jewish learn­ on that which the child finds in ing. Indeed, in terms of dynamic his classroom : the teacher and the education, it is the only standard of subjects and objectives of modern measurement of any education. Hebrew education which determine the curriculum provided for the TZSTHEN education meets life's child. ■r , needs and can create and In order to judge the teacher fulfill new needs and interests for and the system of study* let us richer living and relationships, it first advance a definition of educa­ serves its purpose. Education to tion in general and its objectives: be significant must teach and guide “Education is the ongoing process people; not merely transmit sub­ of adjustment and self-fulfillment jects, book contents, facts, etc. If in the life of the individual which these subjects can be mad§ to meet provides for deeper appreciation the student's needs, or if he can of the experience of life and for be helped to feel a need for them, more profound relationships with then only are they of value. It is society and the universal order.” the view of this writer that Jewish This definition may appear general education in America, particularly, and abstract. It is the writer's has concentrated on teaching sub­ and, means to convey one funda­ mental principle: education is for jects only. Flash cards, audio-vis­ 'persons, for their lives, and is ual aids, textbooks improve the realized and can he valuable only teaching of subjects: words, cus­ insofar as it affects and'enriches toms, ceremonies, language. . . . life. Any other education, if there But they do not necessarily im­ be such, is meaningless. Jewish prove the teaching of the students, wisdom and learning, from Moses the people who live, breathe, think, to the Prophets, to the Rabbis, were act and seek a direction of security designed exclusively to delineate a in life. A Distorted Transposition ANALYSIS of the causes for this blundering educational system reveals that it has sought to transpose a distorted form of the curriculum of Eastern- Euro­ pean learning to the shores of America. This new course of study is described as distorted because it lacks the essence of the program Jan. - Feb., 1953

of Slobodka or Telshe or Mir and has also tried to replace the',sub­ ject matter in a significantly mis­ guided manner. The European community of seventy-five years ago is generally regarded as having reached the “Summum bonum” in the Jewish educative process. Almost every23

one had learned some of his peo­ ple’s lore; hardly anybody was illiterate. Life reflected the teach-, ings of the Torah, the Talmud, Jewish law. It was sanctified with firm faith in G-d and in the eter­ nity of the Jewish people and its message. This educational system was successful also because the school met the needs \yliieh the student’s environment had aroused in him. It gave him a set of values which he felt he needed for his relationships. It taught him how to conduct himself, how to regard his neighbor, how to serve his G-d. The system was dynamic, because it was directly related to life. Secondly, the average teacher, with all of his shortcomings, was dynamic because he lived the sub­ jects he taught. The “melamed” or the “rosh hayeshivah” taught by personal relationships with his stu­ dents, by being a pattern of life. The method employed was vibrant, living. All the subjects the teacher taught supplemented and enriched and explained the mode of life he himself represented to his stu­ dents. The laws of the Torah were laws of his daily living. The max­ ims of Rabbi Akiva were quoted as guideposts for proper conduct of the current day, not as wisdom of a by-gone age. The more the Jew learned in the sacred books, the more he found that could help him chart his earthly destiny. Even he who received only a most ele­ mentary education had already been imparted with attitudes and needs in life which urged him to pray words he may not have un­ 24

derstood literally or chant psalms he could not comprehend, but which fulfilled a need for enriching and sanctifying life. Study was the Jew’s life-need and life was the theme of his study. T H IS WAS the essence of the philosophy (expressed or im­ plied) of education in East Euro­ pean Yeshivoth and “Chadorim.” It justified the curriculum of Jew­ ish learning. Two steps are thus indicated in consecutive order: (1) a need for Jewish living; (2) a course of Jetvish study to make possible abundant Jewish living. This confined Jewish community with its vibrant Jewish living was ultimately disturbed by historic events, such as the emancipation from the ghetto and the rise of general enlightenment, which* cre­ ated new needs for the Jewish stu-, dent. Unfortunately, ipany melamdim and roshey yeshivoth were un­ interested or unequipped to meet these needs, which called for a changed presentation of Jewish learning to meet the changed-con­ ditions of life. At this pqint, many students began to stray from the beaten path. At this point, too, new ideas and systems were in­ troduced to which we are yet heir, and which, it shall be shown, are improperly grounded. The cultural emancipation of Europe indeed shook the firm faith of many a ghetto Jew. Some left the fold completely. Others, who could not take so radical a step, sought to introduce new “values” Jewish LIFE

into Jewish life and education, to replace those in which they had lost faith. These new subjects, which were not at all new, but which were given a new emphasis, were intended to enable the stu­ dent to retain Jewish identifica­ tion and perhaps a form of Jewish life. In place of Torah law, Tal­

mud, and Shulchon Oruch—hereto­ fore woven into the fabric of life, and the barometer of cultural achievement — Hebrew language, literature and critical study of the Prophets were introduced. Indeed, these had always been a part of Jewish learning, if not always stressed.

The Personal Equation TJEBREW had been the “L’shon Hakodesh,” the sacred lan­ guage of the Jew, prior to the socalled enlightenment. No person of any consequence ever prayed in any other language. Hebrew terms were a significant part of Yiddish. Books were written and correspon­ dence was carried on in Hebrew. Style, per se, was inconsequential; the exchange of ideas was of dy­ namic concern. The Prophets were ajways part of Jewish life. They were read in every Sabbath and holiday service and studied accord­ ingly. No yeshivah student could conceive of doubting the genuine Jewishness of Rashi or Ibn Ezra because they wrote commentaries on the Prophets. Since the pro­ phetic message found expression in life it was vitally important. However, when Hebrew and Prophets were being introduced as the course of study, because the “modern” Jews and teachers were, in greater or lesser degree, losing .their attachment to the dynamic spirit of Jewish life which had previously prevailed, and were set­ ting up substitutes for the “Orach Chayim,” it was only natural that Jan. - Fèb., 1953

students of Hebrew and Tanach should be held suspect. Suspicion was cast not on the subject mat­ ter, but on the personal equation which attended it; not Tanach but the one who made a cult of it was questionable; for educational­ ly speaking those old educators who had succeeded in their pro­ gram, knew that subjects were now being introduced instead of a dynamic way of life. ^pHESE teachers of the “new” school were ‘unable to impart the vibrancy and sanctity of Jew­ ish life to their students, as were those of the “old” school. They were generally not as dedicated to Jewish life as their predecessors, nor were they personally dynamic representatives of that which they taught. Moreover, it is this writ' er’s contention, they strayed from a sound, educational path. They omitted the first step in­ dicated above: the life-need (or creation of that need) for the sub­ jects they taught. To make Hebrew language, style and grammar the principal subject of study and cri25

terion of education,v is pedagogically unsound. Hebrew conversa­ tion, in the Diaspora, was never the means of spoken communica­ tion. Either Aramaic, Arabic, Ladino, Yiddish or some other dia­ lect of the native tongue was the vehicle for living expression. To seek to set up Hebrew language, per se, as a goal in education was to introduce a subject, not an answer to a need of life. Except for the very few, Hebrew was never destined to become the spok-

en language outside Israel. So, too, with the study of the Prophets. Of course, their writings are sac­ red, but to make them a subject of critical study, unrelated to life, is again to miss the purpose of edu­ cation. This subject-centered, not life-centered, course of education could be constructively meaningful only to the student who received his Jewish attitudes and values elsewhere, perhaps at home — not at the school; from his parents — not his teacher.

The Real Deterrents ■■pHUS the new trend produced two deterrents to a successful program of Jewish education: (1) A teacher whose life was not a pattern of Jewish devotion and conduct reflecting the teachings of Judaism, and (2) a course of study which was subject-centered, not life-centered. In Europe, the de­ parture was not so critical before the first World War, because there remained yet enough of the old school influence to contain the shortcomings of the unsound edu­ cational system which had come into vogue. In America, however, the strength and influence of the old dynamic pattern had never been profoundly felt. Many of those who came to these shores, came not only for the new opportunities of life, but to give concrete expression to their revolt against the Jewish pattern which failed to meet their needs in a changing world. They did not, however, seek to» find satisfac26

tion of their Jewish needs by study and conscientious adaptation within the framework of the Jewish law of life. They either sought to assimilate out of the Jewish fold or to find refuge in Jewish sub­ jects : Hebrew, Prophetic verses, history, perhaps some sentimental customs — anything that woulfi not disturb their life standards seriously. They raised Judaism to an “intellectual” level of “Haskalah,” forgetting that emotions, re­ lationships, attitudes are of major significance to the life processes. Q F THIS latter group, those who could not sever all ties with Jewry, those who had studied in the yeshivoth where Jewish life was vibrant but could not adjust that background to an emerging world and more especially to an un­ restricted,, Christian-American en­ vironment — of this group has come a great portion of pur Amer­ ican Jewish teacher population. Jewish LIFE

These men and women who are elite in the Hebrew language ac­ complishments, who may recite freely from the Prophets (this is indeed a vast overstatement) but. who have forsaken the study of Torah and Halochah as a way of life, are now charged with the most significant of all Jewish re­ sponsibilities rjrf. that of providing a Jewish education for Jewish youth, of moulding the character of tomorrow's generation! Many of these people are thor­ oughly equipped to teach the sub­ jects of the curriculum. But stu­ dents, not subjects, must be taught! A way of life |j||| not a language style •— is the need. Creating needs in the. life of the student and proving the adequacy of Juda­ ism to fulfill these needs are the educational . tasks. But teachers who have not such needs them­ selves cannot create or meet needs in their pupils. Presenting only a language which will not be used — except by the very f e w |p | is doomed to fail educationally. He­ brew language, yes, when the need for it has been inspired in the student who feels it important to know his people's contribution first hand. Hebrew language as a L'shon Hakodesh is sufficient for such study and for the person who feels a need for prayer with his people. Otherwise the “Shema" may be recited in any language, said our educationally dynamic Rabbis — who were life conscious" and not subject centered. Hebrew style for the student f. who is* in­ spired to noble expressions as was Jan. - Feb., 1958

Rabbi Yehudah Halevi! Language and song and style as an expres­ sion of life, not as a substitute for life! J70RMAL Jewish education, then, in the analysis here presented suffers primarily, not only from indifferent, homes amb an antipa­ thetic environments but from a dearth of dynamically - equipped Jewish teachers, and a dynamical­ ly-orientated .educational system and course of study. If a Jewish student emerges with a course of life, little thanks is due to a teacher who has no sUch course himself. Other factors must be credited. Teachers whose thinking, values and personal conduct do not re­ flect a loyal devotion to the Jewish way of life, cannot be effec­ tive and successful. Nor can a teacher pretend to be faithful or merely proclaim his admiration for Jewish genius, for in his relationship with his pupil, the latter instinctively senses a hol­ low, meaningless presentation. Such “educators" teach subjects to which they are not personally related. Their work lacks the human factor which is basic to Jewish education. Not only are teachers hopelessly ineffective, but the whole system set up by their leaders, with its Bureaus, Codes, Standards, Pen­ sion Programs, Statistics, etc. (es­ sential as these might« otherwise be) create a tragi-comic spectacle to th e . observer who is primarily student-conscious, rather than or­ ganization — and subject-centered. 27

The Need: Personal Relationships T H E NEED for this personal re* lationship reflects itself in the most minute fashion. This writer contends that, for example, the simple blessings for food, which a child can easily find a need to recite, are not pronounced by the youngster only because his parent does not utter them, but, more . significantly, because the teacher who presented them fails to recite the “brochos” himself. The child has no regard for Shabbos, not only because the home fails in its observance, but be­ cause the teacher in discussing the Shabbos is detached from it, and has no direct personal relationship of sharing Shabbos with the pupil, for he, the teacher, violates it regularly. To charge such an in­ structor with hypocrisy is incon­ sequential. To deplore his detri­ ment to Jewish education and to tomorrow’s Jewry is the issue. TN CONCLUSION, I contend that * — except for those intensively devoted yeshivoth in our midst, which may need other adjustments, as serious but not as basic — the basic system of education and per­ sonnel in the Hebrew Schools is generally misdirected. Energy and funds should be diverted from their present course of system building, statistics, word-counting

and textbooks to the cause of de­ veloping and attracting teachers who (1) love children and adults indeed; (2) love and live Jewish life; (3) are adjusted as Jews in America; (4) have an inclination to teaching, which means to recog­ nize the pupil as a person to be “sensed” as well as “taught,” to be treated as an individual, not as one of a group of memorizing sponges; and (5) lastly (and per­ haps least) can employ the tech­ niques of textbooks, slides, records, etc., which today are the essence of a failing educational system. It must be added, of course, that with such ideally equipped teach­ ers and with such a dynamic edu-' cational system, much else must be attendant: fitting salaries and se­ curity guarantees to allow the teacher to meet his students un­ disturbed by financial stresses, con­ centration on parental interest and cooperation (which might well be a field for sincere rabbis), and continued improvement in the vari­ ous areas already being treated. But, succinctly stated, we are most in need of the spirit and ap­ proach of the “old” system enriched with the techniques of the “new” system, but by no means may we continue to substitute techniques for the genuine spirit and approach.

In the time to' come all festivals will cease to be observed but Purim will always be observed. —Midrash Mishley 9

28

Jewish LIFE

WloblsAASL ObliqSL By ARNOLD J. MILLER jg o w , there are about people of different national origins in­ dividual mannerisms and peculiar behavior, patterns which tend to

typify them. Of course, it should be stated at the outset that these mannerisms are not characteristic of each and every person of the same national origin. To assert such a categorical belief is “to generalize” and “to generalize” is a cardinal sin when speaking of human affairs. Nevertheless, a sig­ nificant number of people do exhibit such common behavior patterns as to enable us to talk about them with ample justification. Take, for example, the “gemutlichkeit” of the true Viennese. Have you never noticed the broad, gen­ erous, even exuberant, smile and quick graceful suggestion of a curt­ sey of the Viennese woman upon being introduced? Is there not in the charm of these manners some­ thing reminiscent of the gay, warm Vienna of old? Or take the stiff bow from the hips of the German gentleman, suggesting ’ impeccably correct form, cold preciseness in all things. Or, again, take the stud­ ied informality of the well-bred Englishman, the insistence upon understatement; the type who de­ clares nonchalantly in keeping with his kind, “Jolly good show there, eh!” while all hell is popping loose around him. Are not these char-

Jan. - Feb., 1953

29

acteristics more than just figments of the popular imagination? jgUT WHEN you come to the East European Jew, that sturdy, independent, iconoclastic individual, you ask, “What of him?” He is so utterly individualistic that it is said: Where there are ten such Jews there are eleven opinions. Can there be for such a type, apart from this characteristic indepen­ dence, any common mannerisms or behavior patterns? That is to say* are they alike in anything but their unlikeness? The answer that they are devoid of any mannerisms of the kind described is easily and facilely advanced. And yet—is this entirely so? Certainly for most East Euro­ pean Jews, especially those who lived in the innumerable small rural communities, the social graces were hardly* the sine qua non of any­ thing in particular. There were few who had the leisure or the’ wealth to engage in the refinements of rhore “polite” society. The courts of the Czars with their French standards of elegance and etiquette were removed by many layers of social stratification from the life of the Jew of eastern Europe. Nev­ ertheless, despite all the foregoing, whether by some means of osmosis this courtly elegance of manner seeped down to him or whether there was within him some inherent nobility of spirit, the East Euro­ pean Jew often displayed a dainti­ ness and delicacy of manner which could only be compared with nob­ lesse oblige. When the occasion 30

arose he could be as sensitive to the true requirements of natural courtesy as the most well-bred nobleman. Perhaps the following story will illustrate this thesis. ■pHE train bearing the late Frank­ lin D. Roosevelt during his las1 campaign for re-election to the Presidency was scheduled to make a ten minute stop at the depot of a fairly large city on the eastern seaboard. As was customary during such short stops, every moment available was allocated for the in­ troduction of local Democratic lead­ ers, city officials and loyal party workers to the presence of the great man. The event had been well publicized and there was keqn;com­ petition for the honor of an intro­ duction to the President. It prom­ ised to be a busy, ‘or rather a hectic ten minutes. There was, however, one individ­ ual, ^totally unknown to the local politicos, who was determined to be among those "granted an .interview with the great President. He was an elderly, pious Jew with long flowing black beard. He still dressed in the “kaputa” and “gartle” char­ acteristic of certain Jews of eastern Europe. This elderly scholar had managed to escape from the seeth­ ing cauldron of Europe arid had settled in this city only a few years before, securing a position as rabbi in a small synagogue. However, all was not well with him. A daughter still remained behind in the Old Country, and the tide of Hitlerism was engulfing community after community. It was essential to get Jewish LIFE

is, so many people are already try­ ing to get on the list to see the President that many Democratic politicians themselves will be left out. I'd like to help you but I don't see how it is possible." “Please, Mr. Goldsmith, you've got to do this for me. I know you can do it if you try hard enough. A big lawyer like you they listen to with respect. All .right, I know you'll do it. Goodbye. Thank you." The rabbi swept out of the office leaving behind him an all but speechless figure. After a long pause, the attorney picked up the telephone and called the chambers of the city's Democratic mayor. As Mr. Goldsmith had anticipated, the mayor demurred strongly to the re­ quest, pointing out the many pres­ sures already being brought to bear on him by great numbers of individuals. However, with the rabbi's visage, as it were, peering over his shoulder, Mr. Goldsmith really outdid himself in advocat­ ing his client's cause. The result finally was that the mayor capitu­ lated and promised that the rabbi 1%i v p * he pieaded> “you must do me a big favor. would be properly ushered in and introduced to President Roosevelt It is a matter of life and death." “I'll be glad to help if I can," when he arrived at the proper replied the puzzled attorney. “What time and place. * . is it?" “You must arrange for me to TH US it was that an unusual scene took place two days after­ speak with President Roosevelt when he comes here to the city. I wards. Picture to yourselves, if you know you are a big politician and will, a large train station platform you can do it. Please don't say no." all bedecked with flags and bunt­ “Rabbi, I'm sorry. It's out of the ing. A gleaming new Presidential question. I'm a Republican, not a car, surrounded by a large festive Democrat. I have absolutely no in­ throng, stood stationary at a siding. fluence in Democratic circles. As it An aisle leading to the steps of the her out of Europe and into the United States while there was yet time. But try as he might, the rab­ bi's efforts to secure her entry into the United States were unavailing. As long as his daughter was in mortal danger the rabbi's nights were sleepless and full of dread. When he heard that the President of the United States himself was coming to his very city, the rabbi was determined that the august and understanding personality should hear his plea. Was it not the custom of kings and emperors from time immemorial to dispense justice to their subjects who came before them with a righteous cause? Of course, arranging such an in­ terview involved certain inherent difficulties, but the rabbi was as de­ termined as the exigencies of the situation demanded. He took what seemed to him a logical step. He made a call at the office of a local Jewish lawyer active in politics, Republican politics to be sure. How­ ever . . . .

Wmmmm

Jan. - Feb., 1953

31

car was kept open against the pressure of the crowd by two rows of immaculately dressed policemen. A constant stream of smiling poli­ ticians was being ushered down the aisle and up the stairs into the Presidential waiting room, there to be greeted briefly by the Presi­ dent. All was bustle and efficiency. Then suddenly an incongruous note is struck. An pld man with long black beard and dressed in dark, unfamiliar garb appears and is led immediately by two members of the committee along the aisle fol­ lowed by staring eyes. His scrubbed face glistens in the noon day sun. He steps gingerly and holds a round object proudly before him. Could it be? Yes, it is. It is a “honey” cake that he is bearing so proudly to present to his President. Ah, if one could but know with what loving | kindness he and his wife had created that masterpiece

to be their token of esteem and respect to the head of their land of refuge. No courtier or knight in days gone by could have brought to their liege master any gift with a more fitting sense of what was right and proper than did the rab­ bi at that moment. The rabbi spent some long and precious minutes closeted in* inti­ mate conversation with the great President. When he emerged his face was beaming with happiness. No one knows what transpired be­ tween the two dissimilar person­ alities, nor has any mention of the nature of their conversation been revealed. We know only as a matter of record that within a relatively few months after the described meeting, a joyful reunion occurred at the rabbi's home in the city between the long separated daugh­ ter and her overjoyed and grateful parents.

For such was the order of the king to all the directors of his household to fulfill the wish of every man. (Esther 1) Said the Lord: “Oh evil and haughty Ahasuerusl If two men wish to marry the same woman can you make the match? If two ships sail on the sea, one seeking a south wind and one seeking a north wind, can you cause them both to sail in their directions? On the next day, I shall bring to you two men, Mordecai and Hgman. It will be impossible for you to fulfill the wishes of both. One must rise as the other falls. Only the Lord, the Creator of heaven and earth, can fulfill all desires and satisfy all wants." (Yalkuth Shimoni)

32

Jewish LIFE

•

A Partisan View of Israeli Issues.

AN AGUDIST STATES THE CASE By MORRIS SHERER

JN ISRAEL,, the long-dreaded Kulturkampf, the spiritual civil war which was simmering beneath the surface, has erupted with dev­ astating impact. Radical changes in the religious fabric of the State have been adopted by the new; Coalition Government ; criminal charges of “conspiracy against the Government” are being pressed against leading rabbis who issued a Psak-din banning the conscrip­ tion. of women [p^the country is wrapped in unprecedented religious tensions. Today, Agudath Israel faces a hostile Knesseth alone, the solitary spokesman for the massés of in­ dependent orthodox Jews who op­ pose the program of, the Mapaidominâted Government. The “oneparty press” disease is seemingly contagious, and has been con­ tracted by the Yiddish and AngloJewish publications, where “nonconforming” Jewish organizations which contravene the Zionist party line are painted in sinister colors. The moment Agudath Israel re­ signed from the Israeli Cabinet, these publications conveniently for­ since the inception of the State, got the organization's devoted par­ and unleashed a heavy barrage of ticipation^ within the Government vinification. The moldy red-herring Jan.

Feb., 1953

33

of Soney Tzion, isolationists, etc. was dug out of the antiquated closets where it had been gather-

ing dust these past years, and flung in the face of Agudath Is­ rael.

C o n fliciin g Philosophies

K GUDATH ISRAEL and the Zionist movement have been locked in ideological combat for the past half-century. It is a clash of two Weltanschauungen; two di­ vergent irreconcilable approaches to Jewish life underlie the philoso­ phy of these movements. Political Zionism, in its basic formulation, was born with an avowed goal to “normalize” (read: secularize ) Jewish life as the solution to the “Jewish problem”. It envisaged the establishment of a Jewish State, embellished with the trap­ pings of a Government as the ulti­ mate of redemption. This ideology once reached the ludicrous stage where world Zionism actively con­ sidered Uganda in the African Congo as the territory for realizing Jewish aspirations. To Zionism’s recipe of “land and language” for Jewish salvation, Mizrachi added the ingredient of “religion,” thus creating a new phenomenon: “Religious-National­ ism.” Through the years, Mizrachi and Hapoel Hamizrachi have striven to impress this philosophy upon the Zionist movement, to little avail. The martyred Gaon Rabbi Elchonon Wasserman, one of our generation’s foremost Torah au­ thorities, makes a succinct analysis of this program in his treatise Ikvesoh D’meshichoh, “ReligiousNationalism aims to create a bridge between religion and nationalism; 34

actually it is a one-way bridge leading religious Jews into the na­ tionalist camp, and not vice versa.” Agudath Israel, on the other hand, was founded in 1912 by out­ standing Torah authorities of that generation, to proclaim the eternal truth that we are G-ttes Volk, as Nathan Birnbaum put it, a nation endowed by the Almighty with a unique stamp of holiness, with a distinctive Torah way of life. The Torah, revealed by G-d at Mount Sinai, regulates every moment of life, not only of the individual, but of Klal Yisroel, the national life of the Jewish people — Agudath Israel declared. Actually, this was a renewed dedication to the basic philosophy of life which had forti­ fied the Jewish spirit during our long trek in the Dispersion. As a natural consequence, the Agudah established the Moetzeth Gedoley Hatorah, a body composed of universally-recognized Torah scholars, as its highest authority, to pronounce the daath Torah (the Torah viewpoint) upon every prob­ lem facing Jewry in Israel and in the Diaspora. Agudath Israel’s educational pro­ gram stripped the camouflage away from the glittering “refugee rescue” aspects of Zionism and exposed the destructive religiousassimilation cultural program un­ derlying Zionist aims. Jewish LIFE

■PHIS CLASH of ideas came to a head with the creation of the State of Israel close to five years ago. Political Zionism saw in this phenomenon the ultimate realiza­ tion of its set goal. The Jews were now a “nation like all na­ tions”, with a Jewish police force, Jewish officials, Hebrew language, etc. This fulfillment of Zionist dreams caused the slow crumbling process which has hit hard all Zionist organizations throughout the Diaspora.* Agudath Israel saw in the crea­ tion of the State of Israel a Divine challenge, an acid test to prove the mettle of the Jewish people. A state seeking recognition as Jewish must be uniquely Jewish in char­ acter and spirit, and not merely bear the hallowed name of Israel while aping the governmental pro­ cesses of the countless small na­ tions -which dot the map of the world, Agudath Israel declared. Is­ rael was born out of the ruins of a decaying civilization, and it would be suicidal to import the cul­ ture and ideals of this bankrupt civilization to the G-d-kissed soil * For the person familiar with Jewish his­ tory, the titanic contribution of Torah-Jewry to the upbuilding of the Holy Land is nothing new1. The spark of Zion was kept alive through centuries of persecution by orthodox Jews, whose deep faith in G-d enabled them to carry this hope aloft. Zion would have long been a forgotten antiquity, were it not for the orthodox Jews who piously recalled the Holy Land in moments of joy and in moments of sorrow. And it Was these Very same orthodox Jews, whose loyalty to Israel is now being questioned, who were the first pioneer settlers in the Holy Land, often em­ barking on dangerous journeys to reach the sacred shores. And in Israel’s war of libera­ tion the hills of Judea are saturated with the blood shed by Agudist youth in the defense of Zion.

Jan. - Feb., 1953

of the Holy Land. For the Jewish State to discard the holy tenets of Torah aspirations which kept alive the passionate flame of Zion in the breasts of Jewish wanderers for 2,000 years would spell the return to the dark days of iniquity which twice caused the banishment of our people from the Holy Land. The culture which secularist Zionism seeks to implant in Israel is essentially a Goluth-product, and Agudath Israel called to these secu­ larist Jews to wipe off the par­ ticles of Goluth-dust adhering to their shoes when they cross into the Holy Land. A great scholar put it beautifully: “The reason we will have two Messiahs for our redemption (ben David and ben Joseph) is due to the assignment of a separate function to each —• one Messiah will take the Jew out of Goluth, and the other will take the Goluth out of the Jew.” J^GUDATH ISRAEL entered Is­ rael's coalition Government at the very inception of the State, to participate in the building of the land as the representative of its many thousands of adherents in the Holy Land. The State of Is­ rael was not a voluntary organiza­ tion of a non-religious majority which Agudist ideology proscribed ; orthodox Jews residing in Israel, many of them from families settled there for centuries, could not be left in the position of “taxation without representation”. Cogni­ zant, however, of the gravity of the “collective responsibility” poli­ cy of the governing Cabinet, Agu35

dath Israel publicly announced at the very outset, through its Cabi­ net representative. Rabbi Yitzchok Meir Lewin, that it can remain in the Government “so long as vthe ruling majority does not adopt any laws contravening the Torah”. The history of the first four years of total orthodox cooperation within Israel's Cabinet is - well known. Often it took a seesawing pattern with various crises caused primarily by the program of coer­

cion and intimidation with which the Mapai compelled religious im* migrants to register their children in non-religious schools. When the pot boiled over, the first Kneseth was disbanded, new elections were h§ld, and once again the orthodox groups entered the Ben-fiurion Cabinet, on the basis of agree­ ments with Mapai guaranteeing the independence of the religious school system and the exemption of religious girls from conscription.

Women's Conscription J^URING the first few months of the life of the second Kneseth, it became obvious to the leaders of Agudath Israel that Ben-Gurion 'Intended to renege* on the agree­ ments. Conscription of religious women by loaded’ inquiry boards, was a matter of daily occurrence and active preparations were being set into motion to abolish the in­ dependent religious schools. After many months of fruitless negotia­ tions, when it became certain be­ yond shadow of doubt that BenGurion would not budge from his obdurate plans to carry into effect “laws contravening the Torah”* Agudath Israel resigned from the Government on the eve of Rosh Hashonah. In taking this serious step, Agudath Israel followed a written Psak-din of the Moetzeth Gedoley Hatorah. Since then, a new Coalition was formed between Magai and the General Zionists to carry through the previously announced program of Ben-Gurion, to which the Miz36

rachi groups finally capitulated. The issues of religious education and women's conscription, however, compelled Agudath Israel to re­ main in the opposition. What are the highlights of these two issqes, whose repercussions are rever­ berating throughout the Jewish World? ^■HE TORAH Authorities and Agudath Israel were opposed to the drafting of any woman into service — regardless of religious persuasion. In an official Torah ruling handed down by the .Mo­ etzeth Gedoley Hatorah and the Chief Rabbinate, the distinguished scholars called the drafting of women a violation of the Torah laws involving the traditional pre­ cepts of Jewish family purity and forbade them to accept the draft. Furthermore, the army is a big educational melting-pot. Ben-Gurion, in a lecture to the Army Gen­ eral Staff, stated: “The Army has a duty of education . . . this eduJewish LIFE

cational task is common to all armies of the world. The Israel Army, however, has a special edu­ cational function”. (Israel Govern­ ment Yearbook, 5711). This “spe­ cial function”, our rabbis knew, would wreak havoc with the tradi­ tional home training of the girls. When the law to conscript girls was introduced by Ben-Gurion, however, and Agudath Israel was virtually stranded in its opposition to the law, the organization took up its second line of defense, and pushed through an agreement that women would be exempted on “grounds of religious or conscien­ tious objections”. This ruling be­ came the official law of the land, and was transmitted by Israel in its report to the United Nations (Report of UN Secretary General, issued January 23, 1951). By plac­ ing these yawning gaps in Israel’s conscription law, the result in effect was that women’s draft took on a voluntary scope. As time pro­ gressed, this exemption law was constantly breached by the Mapai majority and was narrowed down to the point where only the limited number of girls residing in the antiquated Meah Shearim district of Jerusalem were in actuality be-

ing exempted by the Boards of Inquiry.' r It was at this time that BenGurion announced his determina­ tion to draft all religious women for Sheruth Leumi, non-military Government service. Again the Moetzeth Gedoley Hatorah issued a Psak-din that this new form of non-military conscription falls un­ der the same category of military service in essence, and is forbidden by Torah law. The Israel Govern­ ment, hence, has placed itself in the anomalous position of writing into the law of the land a precept officially outlawed by the religious leadership. Despite this, Mizrachi and Hapoel Hamizrachi have joined the “collective responsibility” of the Cabinet, and may in the near future be placed in the incredible position of being part of a ruling power which drags Jewish girls off to jail for the “crime” of obey­ ing a rabbinic injunction. Because Mizrachi’s decisions are not subject to the overriding juris­ diction of thé Torah authorities, its policy has often vacillated into questionable compromises. Agu­ dath Israel, on the other hand, here again displayed the consis­ tency of its policies.

Battle for Religious Education ■pHE COMPLETE freedom and independence of Torah schools have always been the sine qua non of Jewish life. Orthodox Jewry has in all generations, and in the most trying times, built a sturdy fence around its schools for chilJan. - Feb., 1953

dren, where they erected “No Tres­ passing” signs. The total auton­ omy of Torah schools, unfettered by meddlesome outside influences, is the only guarantor for the trans­ mission of Torah in unadulterated 37

form from one generation to the other. Under the separate school sys­ tems which prevailed till now, the religious schools enjoyed complete autonomy. Agudath Israeli net­ work of Torah schools grew phe­ nomenally: from 5,000 students in 1948 to 30,000 in 1953. This, de­ spite the persevering attempts of the Mapai to block the growth of religious schools, whose students they considered potential enemies of their socialist irreligious poli­ cies. And then Ben-Gurion sounded the death knell for these inde­ pendent schools. When Agudath Israel saw his stubborn determina­ tion to abolish the separate trendschools by establishing a Govern­ ment-led system, it left the Gov­ ernment. The new Coalition formed by the Mapai with the General Zionists call for putting this plan into operation during the coming school year. A united education system in Israel, in contradistinction to the school system in the U.S.A. and other lands, cannot be “neutral.” In Israel every blade of grass is saturated with tradition and his­ tory. Thus the history and geog­ raphy imparted to students must be defined either in terms of Divine Biblical interpretation or in ac­ cordance with the Mapai-secularist dogma. There can be no neutral approach to teaching the divine history of Israel's glorious yester­ day or Israel's travails today. In order to partially mitigate this step and outwardly appease 38

religious public opinion, the new Coalition agreed to institute a re­ ligious wing in the united school system to provide a religious edu­ cation for the children whose par­ ents so desired. Mizrachi and Hapoel Hamizrachi, which had been virtually ousted from the Govern­ ment when Ben-Gurion made his agreement with the General Zion­ ists, after a brief two-day sojourn in the camp of the opposition, an­ nounced their approval of this plan and rejoined the Government. The dishonorable intentions of the anti-religious Government ma­ jority in proposing this religious trend in the united school system is clearly evident from the fact that they arbitrarily rejected the Mizrachi proposal that the Chief Rabbinate be granted authority over these schools. If the Coali­ tion's motives sincerely were to take the school systems out of po­ litical hands, the logical step re­ garding religious schools would have been to place them under the jurisdiction of the official rabbinic authority. Here again Mizrachi capitulated to the majority and agreed instead upon a Council of 14 individuals to supervise the re­ ligious schools, along with the Minister of Education, Professor Dinaburg. Professor Dinaburg is infamous in orthodox circles for his antireligious attitude, which reached its climax with the nefarious role he played in allowing the distribu­ tion in Israeli schools of the fraud­ ulent Bible, from which the name of G-d had been obliterated. By Jewish LIFE

what twist of mental acrobatics can religious parents entrust the future of their children in the hands of a man of this caliber?

Chief Rabbinate and representa­ tives of organized orthodoxy . . . the only guarantors of a real Torah chinuch”. (December 23, 1952). Agudath Israel reached the de­ TT IS small wonder, then, that the cision to keep the Agudah Torah Moetzeth Gedoley Hatorah for­ schools out of the united system, bade Agudath Israel to throw its thus cutting them away from Gov­ network of schools, and with it the ernment financial support, with a fate of 80,000 children, into the heavy heart. It means turning to hands of a highly questionable “re­ the wide masses of Jews through­ ligious council” responsible to Pro­ out the world for the huge funds fessor Dinaburg. necessary to support such a pro­ The method of choosing this digious network of schools — a Committee shows how it* can be task fraught with grave responsi­ like clay. in the hands of Dina­ bilities indeed. burg. Six persons will be chosen It is unfortunate that the Miz­ by the Education Minister from rachi groups have promiscuously a list of twelve candidates sub­ used the office of the Chief Rab­ mitted by the Ministry of Re­ binate in an attempt to justify ligions; three will come from the their policies. During the past dec­ “religious teachers” ; three from ade, the Mizrachi leadership has the “religious members” of the time and again hidden behind the General Board of Education which shield of the Chief Rabbinate’s will be established; and two ap­ office when its opinions hewed to pointed directly by Dinaburg. The the narrow party line of the or­ views of. Mapai .that religion is ganization, while looking the other not the “monopoly of the religious way when its views were at vari­ groups” and that it too can provide ance. A case in point is the deaf “religion”, emasculates the entire ear which the Hapoel Hamizrachi meaning of the word “religious” turned to the entreaties of Chief in choosing the representatives on Rabbi Herzog for the creation of a the Council. Religious Bloc in the last Kneseth During its short-lived sojourn in elections. Keen observers know the opposition camp, a day prior to that the Religious Bloc was then rejoining the Cabinet, the official as it is now the only effective organ of the Mizrachi groups, Ha- method of saving the religious tzofeh, declared editorially: “Pro­ situation in the Holy Land. Ben fessor Dinaburg will have religious Gurion knows this too, and has Jews ‘of his own’ whom he will been a master at “divide and con­ consider capable of being super­ quer” tactics. v ise e over the religious schools The Chief Rabbinate fortunately . . . Religious Jews can be satisfied put a halt to the misuse of its only with the supervision of the name for political camouflage, by Jan. - Feb., 1953

39

permitting its office to announce in the Israeli press (December 28, 1953) that the Mizrachi and Ha-

poel Hamizrachi entered the new Coalition Cabinet without the consent of the Chief Rabbinate,

Intimidation ? JJELIGIOUS JEWS throughout two summers ago, when it arrested the world are watching the and held incommunicado religious latest developments in Israel with youth leaders, in connection with a grave concern, for they have un­ gigantic bomb hoax which fizzled doubtedly taken a turn for the out very quickly. worse. The Mapai majority, in a It is incomprehensible that Ben further attempt to suppress inde­ Gurion should choose such a cru­ pendent orthodoxy, is pressing cial moment in Israel’s history, criminal charges against Rabbi when the fledgling state is sur­ Israel Grossman of the Karlin Ye- rounded by enemies from without shivah in Jerusalem for “having and within, to thrust *a baneful entered into conspiracy with Rab­ kulturkampf upon, orthodox Jewry. bis Meltzer, Bengis, and Frank to sabotage the implementation of ^■HE COURSE of Agudath Israel Israel’s security laws”. Charging in leaving the Israeli Govern­ these venerable rabbiniq peers, ment Coalition is a very clear one. whose Torah authority is recog­ It is another round in that great nized by rabbis the world over, battle of ideas between the Zionist with “conspiracy” because they and Agudist philosophies, between dared issue a Psak-din in accord­ secularism and Judaism. If is but ance with their inviolate rights as another milestone in that bitter religious leaders, is a blow struck struggle to detérmine th‘e meaning at the very heart of religious free­ in our day of the words of the dom. Unquestionably, this new prophet: “Ki Mitzio% Teytzey development is a form of intimi­ Tr/¿>ora/¿”^ g “From Zion shall come dation. It is highly reminiscent of forth the Torah” : Shall it be the the abortive attempt of the Israel Torah of Moses or, lehavdil, the Government to discredit orthodox anti-Torahrof Karl Marx? Jewry in advance of the elections The case rests. .

Whoever repeats anything in the name of the one who said it brings redemption to the world. For it is written (Esther 2) And Esther told the king in the name of Mordecai . . . . ' —Abot 6

40

Jewish LIFE

South of The Border M exico through the eyes of a roaming N ew Y orker. By ABRAHAM STERN

TWO lane road between Laredo, Texas and Monterrey, N. L. (Nuevo Leon) stretches long and level for one hundred and fifty miles. The American Auto­ mobile Association claims that this highway is amongst the flattest in the world. It is beyond doubt one of the most fascinating. Once past the Rio Grande, and the customs station at Laredo, Mexico, the transition from the Texas low­ lands to the Land of Enchantment (or Eternal Spring, as the Mexican Chamber of Commerce aptly de­ scribes its country) is almost magical. Ordinarily, the issuance of tour­ ist cards at the border is a rather simple, routine affair. The customs official had little'difficulty with our names,, ages and marital status. Our occupations, however, were another matter. I tacitly accepted the designation “employment par­ ticular” when the gentleman, whose knowledge of English was rather meagre, could find no more pre­ cise translation for “social worker.” My companion, however, fared far worse. In answer to the question, “What is your occupation V9 he re­ plied quite simply, “I am a rabbi.” “A what?” the bewildered official asked. Jan. - Feb., 1953

41

“A rabbi, a Jewish minister!” “No entiendo.” “You know, a minister for the Hebreos.” The customs man had a look of amazement on his face. Rabbi? Minister? Hebreos? It was all very strange to him. But sensing that my friend was some sort of re­ ligious functionary, though prob­ ably not a Catholic, he contented himself by recording “Minister Protestante” on his tourist card. ^■OPO CHICO, about four miles north of Monterrey, was our first stop. Here, at the site of the famous sulphur springs, supposed­ ly discovered by the Emperor Mon­ tezuma, we lived luxuriously in a Mexican tourist hotel for about four dollars a day (in American money). Just far enough from the din of the country's industrial cap­ ital at Monterrey, our hotel fea­ tured a spectacular swimming pool, veranda, fruit and flower garden, and a patio. Our suite consisted of a kitchenette, bath, bedroom and living room, with a maid and valet service included. We had stopped early that morn­ ing at a kosher delicatessen in San Antonio, and then stocked up on assorted provisions of canned goods, plastic forks and spoons, and paper plates at a local super market. Now we were truly thank­ ful that we had had the foresight to shop in the United States. Most American food products are avail­ able in the larger-markets. But, while Mexican commodities, though somewhat inferior, are fantastical­ 42

ly low priced, American edibles, especially canned items, are twice their usual price. Milk when it is obtainable in pasteurized form (and no sensible tourist will drink it otherwise) costs about a peso, l l ^ cents, a liter. The deposit on the bottle, for some strange reason, almost equals the purchase price. Our empty bottles disappeared from our quarters almost as soon as we would leave our rooms. But we were careful not to notice, and were even somewhat amused by our “partnership” in this petty larceny. We prepared most of our own food and drink. During our short stay in hot and humid Monter­ rey, with the temperature usually around 85°, we consumed more soft drinks than we did during all the rest of our trip. Some jars of borsht and schav that we had brought with us came in handy too. We were introduced to the “Mexican national drink,” a unique alcoholic beverage derived from Cactus pulp, called Tequila. In­ terestingly enough, this drink was actually selling for less per quart than the borsht we had purchased back home—here at last was some­ thing really “billiger vee borsht.” While gentile tourists will de­ light in such delicacies as Cabrito al Horno (roast young kid), Gallina Frita (fried chicken) or Chuletas de puerco (pork chops) with all the trimmings for about 60c, our kosher traveller need not fare too badly either. By Mexican standards the cost of kosher foods Jewish LIFE

is quite high, but still we were able to get a Shabbos meal, complete with gefilte fish, chicken and com­ pote, for one American dollar. For the courageous, tropical fruits and vegetables abound, that are both exciting and delicious — and safe when properly washed or cooked. More and more as we traveled through remote areas, we realized how fortunate we were to have taken along so much of the canned food and matzos. A food resem­ bling t^e matzah, and seen in every Mexican market place and restau­ rant, is the tortilla. But while ap­ proximating the unleavened bread that we are so used to, and made from similar ingredients, it certain­ ly tastes different. Fat Mexican women in the streets prepare the

Jan. - Feb., 1953

tortillas on metal plates placed over pails of hot coals. They come in a soft groggy form, or toasted to re­ semble hard wafers. This is one of the few foods that can be con­ sumed without undue worry about adherence to the dietary laws, as virtually everything else is of ques­ tionable content. Water too is quite a problem everywhere. I was told that in Mexico City, for example, the land shifts cause the mains to break quite often, and the water becomes contaminated as a result of contact with sewage. The average travel­ er, though, need not worry since most of the better hotels have bot­ tled water and bottled American brand soft drinks available at about 25 centavos (nearly three cents). If you prefer you might have a bottle of very fine beer for about six or seven cents. The tourists generally stay away from the street vendors of food and colored drinks. Little carts stand at the curb piled high with all sorts of tempting foods. In order to show you the good quality of some of their wares, the vendors occasionally cut off a piece of their roasting lamb or pig and offer it to the passers-by while they gape uncomprehendingly at the cameratoting guests who refuse such out­ right gifts. The colored drinks re­ ferred to above are sold from little portable wagons many of which bear the legend — and it is truly a legend — “Agua sterilizita.” Not only is the water tank constantly open to add ice, but as often, the hand up to the elbow is inserted to 43

stir the mixture. I vividly recall a sweating Indian standing outside the bus station in Tamuzenchale yelling “agua, agua sterilizita.,, No sooner did a customer finish his drink, than the hawker would spill the remaining liquid from the soiled glass, swish his thumb around the inside surface (for the “sterilizita” process) and once more call his wares. JT HAD BEEN our intention from the first day of our arrival to seek out the Jewish community in Monterrey. Naturally, a stran­ ger, even with a non-existent knowledge of the languages, ap­ proaches a policeman for direc­ tions» Many policemen have em­ bossed over their left breast pocket flags of one or more foreign na­ tions, signifying that the wearer is conversant in a particular lan­ guage — a most ingenious idea. The absence of traffic lights im­ mediately strikes the American visitor. The traffic flows endlessly with an assortment of autos of varying makes and vintages in the big cities and of carts, wagons, burros, bicycles and children in the more remote areas. It is controlled by policemen standing on small wooden boxes -— which, as often as not are adorned with beverage ad­ vertisements — at the intersec­ tions. When the officer’s- face or back is towards traffic, those ve­ hicles stop, while the cars on either side of him continue on their way. And so the policeman keeps rotating. We inquired of one policeman 44

with an American flag over his left breast pocket for “driving in­ structions to the Jewish Center or Club.” Not only didn’t her know where such a place might be but he honestly didn’t know what we were looking for! I had some ad­ vance information that the Jewish population of Monterrey was in the vicinity of one hundred fami­ lies and so inquired further as to who might be able to direct us. The policeman suggested a certain captain at the police station who spoke better English than he and who might be able to understand what and whom we were looking for. The captain was puzzled too. The fact that I was looking for a Jew­ ish Center, Club or Synagogue made little difference to him. He hadn’t the slightest idea what a Jew’ was. He didn’t, for that matter, know what a Hebrew was either — though he did speak good Eng­ lish. “Israelite,” however, seemed to strike a familiar note. He re­ membered that somewhere on Estrado Morelos there was a building used for study and service by the “Children of Israel.” ^^TE FOLLOWED his directions ¥ and shortly drove up to a typi­ cal Mexican building with Spanish facade, ornate grilling and barred windows, with a crude “Escuela” painted over the door. There wap no answer to our knock. Entering the gate we found ourselves in the midst of a sunny courtyard of a humble Mexican family. A row of dusty windows on the right beJewish LIFE

longed to a series of connecting classrooms rather small and musty. A family, probably the caretaker's, lived in the rear. "'Buenos dias, senors.” "Buenos dias. . . .” Now what? I tried some Yid­ dish, then some English. The old lady facing us obviously did not un­ derstand. Finally an older daugh­ ter emerged from the house. She spoke a halting but precise English. “My name is Adela Campbell,” she offered. “And this is my mother and sister . . . Can I help you?” We explained that we were look­ ing for the Jewish section of town and had been directed there. Adela informed us that the school and the synagogue had recently been moved to a new center in a more fashion­ able part of the city —- Colonia Vista Hermoza. If we cared to wait a short while, while she fin­ ished feeding the baby* she would be glad to show us how to get there. While waiting we were eyed rather suspiciously by a good-look­ ing Mexican boy of about twelve, obviously Adela's ydunger brother. Sitting in the courtyard admir­ ing some of the family's pottery, it seemed that our ears were playing tricks on us. Had the young fel­ low who had just scooted into the apartment responded to the call “CHA — YIM!” Yes, that was the name his sister had just called him, obviously urging him to get dressed to accompany us to the Jewish quarter. Chayim, a rather strange name for a Mexican muchacho, I mused. Jan. - Feb., 1953

In about fifteen minutes, both Adela and Chayim emerged, dressed in their holiday best, bent on being as helpful and courteous as they knew how to their visitors. While driving to Vista flermoza, we expressed interest in the origin of the brother's rather, quaint name. “For the past few years,” Adela began, unsure of her Eng­ lish, “since my father's death, my mother has been taking care of the Jewish school. I am married to an American soldier stationed at Fort Hood, Texas and am often away from home. Since my other sister works and there is no one to look after Chayim, we thought it advisable that he attend classes at this school. It was certainly, better for him to study with the “shoichet” here than travel to the poor and overcrowded Escuela, pub­ lic school. He has been attending the Jewish School for several years and his name, it's really James. But the Mexican J is similar to the American H and his friends and rabbis call him “Chayim” so we do too.” For several days afterwards, our new friends ushered us around the Jewish quarter. We saw the mag­ nificent new block-long synagogue and center built by the one hundred families who form the town's en­ tire Jewish population. We viewed the famous mountain sites and other landmarks, with Chayim, now a buddy, commenting on the local “shoichets,” pantomiming, spin­ ning thé dreidle, marching with an imaginary Simchath Torah flag, swaying back and forth while re45

The owner of the burro, Chaylm, the Author and Adela Campbell.

citing blessings over the Torah or showing how the boys davvened in shool. TT TAKES nearly 26 hours by bus to cover the approximately 600 miles between Monterrey and Mex­ ico City. The last three hundred miles requires driving through mountainous terrain almost contin­ uously. We rise with the mountains 8,500 feet into the air and circle dizzily and precariously amidst snow-covered peaks, imagining that the bus (second class—we had left our car in Monterrey) would cer­ tainly not make the next turn suc­ cessfully but would land in a shattered heap several thousand feet down in the valley. • Indian villages along the road present colorful, primitive scenes with thatched huts, adolescents carrying tremendous burdens on their backs (and in other areas 46

on their heads over a bagel-like gimmick) and children running around in tatters with woolen cloths similar to “arba kanfoth” over their chests and backs to pro­ tect them from the chilly morn­ ings and evenings. (The average mountain temperature was 60° during August, while it was 85° in Monterrey and 98° in San Antonio.) Mexico City, compared to any of the other cities, which we had seen, was virtually a paradise — broad palm lined streets, glittering ho­ tels, modern skyscrapers, fashion centers and traffic studded with late model cars. I was told that this city is the home of 15,000 of Mexico’s nearly 25,000 Jews. Here a thriving, fairly prosperous Jew­ ish community exists, publishing two Yiddish newspapers, support­ ing a half dozen synagogues, a yeshivah and other Jewish institu­ tions. In Mexico City we saw proud Jews, some wearing yarmulkas even in the streets, sporting Magen-Davids around their necks and menorah pins on their lapels. Here, side by side, live Sephardic and Ashkenazic Jews, both equally glad to extend a hearty welcome and warm “sholom aleichem” to guests. It is not a rarity to See signs in Spanish announcing that an establishment is closed on Sabado. Several Jewish youth organiza­ tions thrive, and I was particu­ larly pleased to see special youth study groups and minyonim. Jew­ ish homes, even those of the unJewish LIFE

orthodox, are warmly Jewish. Cere­ monial works of art, Yiddish and Hebrew books, Jewish records, all occupy a cherished place.

fj #

I

pROM WHAT I could learn, very little assimilation takes place in the country. Perhaps it is because of the limited social contacts be­ tween the Jews and the general population, or because of the fact that the Jews maintain their own ways and traditions. The Jews do not, for example, participate in the customary promenade that takes place at the square in most Mexi­ can villages on Wednesday and Sunday nights during which time the girls dress in all their finery and parade around the square in one direction, while the young men of the city parade in the opposite direction to the music of the town band. Instead, the Jewish young people generally meet at the vari­ ous socials at the Jewish schools arid centers, and often at the mat­ rimonial age are introduced by professional shadchonim, with the young men receiving the customary “nadan" or dowry. The hospitality of the Jewish people whom we came across in the various Mexican cities was heartwarming. It is a wonderful feeling to know that even though several thousand miles from home, and though it is at times impos­ sible to converse with the general populace because of the language barriers* the universal Yiddish

Jan. - Feb., 1953

spoken in this southern land even by youngsters, makes the visitor feel that he is in the presence of friends. And the cordiality doesn't end here — it is usually accom­ panied by an invitation to “come on home with me, and we'll have a bite," or “Why not come to the Jewish Club with me and we'll meet the chevrah and play some dominoes." Incidentally we saw virtually no card playing in Mex­ ico; dominoes seem to replace the card deck just as the torro (bull fight) replaces the baseball game. Before we realized it, our vaca­ tion period was over and it was necessary to start back home. We had made numerous acquaintances, even picked up a little Spanish. We had seen the Aztec and Toltec ruins, the pyramids and shrines and dozens of other tourist sights. We even understood after a while that the letters A.R.C. whitewashed all over Mexican cities, roads, and mountains, were not abbreviations for the American Red Cross, but were aftermaths of the recent presidential campaign there in which Adolfo Ruiz Cortinez was elected. We had seen civilizations hundreds of miles apart blended into a nation; oxcarts and fish­ tail Cadillacs, the hubbub of the cities and serene, peaceful . . . pas­ toral scenes. But the happy, smil­ ing, friendly faces of our neigh­ bors south of the border will linger longest in my memories of this “Land of Contrasts."

47

48

Jewish LIFE

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KIDDUSH HACHAMMAH The BENEDICTION Upon The SUN f •

B y A R T H U R SPIE R

1

proclaimeth knowledge. When p iO U S JEWS experience the I behold Thy heavens, the work Divine power of G-d in the of Thy fingers, the moon and various activities and occurrences the stars which Thou hast of their daily lives. In numerous established, what then is cases their inner religious response man . ? finds its expression in the reciting of a B’rochah '^ fa benediction in Day by day we commemorate which the Almighty is recognized the change of light and darkness • as the Creator and the First Cause in the morning and evening pray­ of all things. The core of all our ers. Every Sabbath we celebrate prayers consists of benedictions. anew the creation of the world, and Apart from the prayers which are we add to the daily blessings a recited during the services, many special hymn in glorification of the individual experiences are occa­ universe* especially of the sun. and sions for reciting a B’rochah. the moon: “Kel Adon A1 Kol HdmaMany other blessings refer to G-d’s asim” (G-d Master Of All Works). creative and active powers as it Besides these general benedic­ reveals itself in nature. The tions there are two specific Bero­ regular cycles of the heavenly choth, one for the moon and one bodies, the sun and the moon, also for the sun. Sun and moon, like bring forth our admiration of G-d’s all other created things, are con­ creation, and therefore they are sidered G-d’s servants who 6bey glorified as His faithful servants the laws which He has set up for in special Berochoth. The Psalmist them. But for us humans they are sings : also signs and regulators for estab­ lishing the days, months and yejars, The heavens recount the Sabbaths and festivals. As it is glory of G-d, and the firma­ .explained in the Torah, Bereyshith ment declareth His handiwork. 1:14,16,18: Day unto day poureth forth Let them be for signs aiid speech, and night unto night Jan. - Feb., 1953

49

for seasons and for days and years . . . . The greater light to rule the day, the lesser light to rule the night . . . . And G-d set them in the firma­ ment . . . and there was eve-

ning and there was morning, a fourth day. Therefore, when sun and moon have completed a cycle and begin a new period we recite a B’rochah.

Birkath Hallevonah lBlessing upon the Moo ni ■ piE MONTHS of our Hebrew Calendar are so arranged that they begin on a day close to the astronomical New Moon, which is the conjunction of sun, moon and earth. The small new crescent be­ comes visible on the second or third day of every month after the conjunction. From the fourth day on the light of the moon has become a strong enough phenome­ non to warrant the great or double blessing of the New Moon called “Birkath Hallevonah” or “Kiddush Hallevonah” : Blessed art Thou Lord our G-d, King of the universe. He who created the heavens and subjected them to their periodic' laws . . . And they rejoice in gladness to fulfill the will of their Creator. He ordained that the moon should

each month be renewed . . . to proclaim the glory of His Dominion. Blessed art Thou, Lord who renewest the months.

We recite this blessing in the evening when looking at the moon. Psalms are chanted, certain verses proclaiming G-d as the Creator and Renewer of the moon are spoken, and good wishes for a happy and blessed life during the month are extended to all. The program of this service is found in all prayer books. It is particularly commend­ able to recite the blessing upon the moon at the Sabbath’s exit and at the end of the all day service of Yom Kippur, when we are in ah elevated mood. The b’rochah, how­ ever, can only be pronounced until the middle of the lunar month.

Origin of Birkath Haehammah YtTHEREAS* “Birkath Hallevo­ nah,” the blessing upon the moon, is widely known, “Birkath Haehammah,” the benediction upon the sun, is a religious ‘custom of which even otherwise observant Jews have never heard. The reason is obvious. The cycle of the sun, which according to tradition resd

quires the benediction, is not the annual one but the so-called Machzor Godol, the great twenty-eightyear cycle. We read in the Baby­ lonian Talmud, Berochoth 59b: Our Rabbis taught: He who sees the sun at its turning point, the moon in its power, the planets in their orbits and the signs of the.

Jewish LIFE

zodiac in their orderly progress should say: "Blessed be He who has wrought the work oi creation." When does that happen? Abaye said: "Every twenty-eighth year when the cycle begins again and the Nisan (spring) equinox falls in Saturn in the evening of Tuesday going into Wednesday."

This paragraph, called the Boraitha of Abaye, refers to the turn­ ing points which, in the apparent motion of the sun mark the be­ ginning of the four respective seasons. They are generally called “Tekufoth” (sing. Tekufah) : Te­ kufath Nisan for spring, Tekufath Tammuz for summer, Tekufath Tishri for autumn and Tekufath Teveth for winter. Tekufath Nisan and Tekufath Tishri are the equiv­ alent points when the sun crosses the equator in spring and fall and turns from one side of the equator to the other. The length of the day is then . equal to the length of the night, and they are therefore called equinoxes. Tekufath Tammuz and Tekufath Teveth are the .solstices when thè sun is at the maximum distance, or declination, from the equator at one or the other side, which hap­ pens at the beginning of summer and winter. EXPRESSED in the theoretical terms of our Hebrew calendar, the sun w;as created (according to R. Joshua, Rosh Hashonah 8a, 11a, 12a} in the beginning of spring, i.e. in Tekufath Nisan, in the year 1 of the World Era. The hour at Jan. - Feb., 1953

which the movements of the planets began is given as Tuesday evening at 6 o’clock Jerusalem time or the beginning of the fourth day, Wed­ nesday. If we follow the theory of the astronomer and Talmud scholar Samuel or the theory of the Julian calendar, taking the solar year to consist of 365-1/4 days (fifty two full weeks and one and one-fourth days), we come to the following conclusion: Each Tekufah occurs one and a fourth days later in the week every consecutive year. After four years it occurs at the same time of day but (1-1/4 x 4) five days later in the week and after twenty-eight (4 x 7) years the Tekufoth will recur not only at the same hour of the day but also on the same day of the week. It follows that after each cycle of twenty-eight years, Tekufath Nisan recurs at sunset Tuesday 6 o’clock Jerusalem time and is therefore in the first year of each cycle, so to speak, the anniversary of the creation of our solar system. Our sages have therefore or­ dained that we celebrate Kiddush Hachammah in the first year of each twenty-eight year cycle on the day of Tekufath Nisan, which always occurs on a Wednesday at that time. It is evident that when all years from the Creation onward are grouped in cycles of twentyeight, all Hebrew years divided by twenty-eight leaving the remainder one, are the years1of Kiddush Ha­ chammah, and our present year 5713,, fits into this category. This 51

year Birkath Hachammah will take place on April 8th ‘which is Isru

Chag Pesach, the day after Passover — Nisan 28, 5718.

The Service for Birkath Hachammah *

ALL JEWS, including young boys sun will be recited. Every indi­ who understand the meaning of the B'rochah, are obliged to re­ cite the blessing. Women and Onenim are exempt. (A person who has lost one of his relatives for whom he is bound to mourn is called “Onen” until after the in­ ternment.) After the funeral the former “Onen”, now called the “Ovel”,. recites the full B'rochah and the Psalms but omits the read­ ing of Abaye's Boraitha. (See below) The time for pronouncing the B'rochah is from sunrise until the third hour of the day, approxi­ mately 9 o'clock in the morning. In the event that the sun cannot be seen at an early hour, one should delay reciting the blessing, but no longer, in any case, than until shortly before noon. If by then the sun cannot be seen nor even its outline suggested above the clouds, the blessing is pronounced without mentioning “Shem Umalchuth”, the Name and the King­ dom of G-d. On Tuesday evening after the prayer an announcement is made in the synagogue that on the next morning the benediction upon «the

vidual should say the B'rochah when he first sees the sun, as soon as possible in the morning. Since, however, it is praiseworthy to glori­ fy the Mitzvah by fulfilling it in the presence of the assembled con­ gregation, everyone should parti­ cipate in the morning service dressed in his holiday garments. After the morning service but before the closing hymn “Oleynu”, the congregation leaves the syna­ gogue, and the following verses are recited in the open, facing the sun: Psalms 84:12, 72:5, 75:2; Mai. 3:20, Psalm 97:6. Psalm 148, “Halleluyah,” is chanted up to “Chok nothan v'lo ya'avor.” Some congregations add here Psalm 8. Thereafter, still facing the sun, the benediction is recited: “Blessed art Thou, 0 Lord our G-d, King of the Universe, Who hast been perform­ ing the work of creation.” After the reading of Psalms 19 and 121 the hymn “Kel Adon A1 Kol Hama'asim” is chanted up to “Yepho'aruchah Selah.” This is followed by the silent supplication “Anna Bekoach Gedullah” ending with “Boruch Shem

* A complimentary copy of the complete Hebrew text of the Birkath Hachammah Service, as prepared by Dr. Spier, is enclosed with each subscriber's copy of this issue of J e w i s h L i f e . Copies of the service are also available, at a cost of 10c each, at: Union of Orthodox Jewish Con­ gregations of America, 305 Broadway, New York 7, N. Y. 52

Jewish LIFE

K'vod Malchutho.” After the reci­ tation of Psalm 67 and the read­ ing of Abaye's Boraitha and the Mishnah at the end of Makkoth: “R. Hannanyah . . . ," the service concludes with Kaddish d' Rabbanan, a special “Yehi Rotzon," the

hymn “Oleynu and Kaddish Yothom. In many congregations children's dances and a community breakfast are the joyous finale of the cele­ bration.

The Astronomical Problem p V E N without penetrating into mathematical-astronomical the­ ory, a superficial glance at the Hebrew date of Birkath Hachammah this year reveals a striking problem: Tekufath *Nisan is sup­ posed to be the day on which spring begins, whereas Passover must be after the Tekufah in the month in which spring begins. The explana­ tion as to why Pesach seems this year to be still in the winter sea­ son, ‘occurring a s . it does before the Tekufah is simple enough. Our Tekufah, April 8th, is astronomi­ cally inexact, that is almost eight­ een days later than the astronomi­ cal spring equinox which takes place on March 20th, 5:01 P.M., 1958. 1500 years ago when Sam­ uel's Tekufah was introduced, it was in accordance with the equi­ noxes and solstices. But since the length of Samuel's sun-year is 365-1/4 days, instead, of the cor­ rect cycle of 365 days, five hours and forty-eight minutes and ap­ proximately forty-six seconds, the differences have accumulated to about eighteen days up to our century. The question arises: What can and should be done to bring the Tekufoth into harmony with the Jan. - Feb., 1953

astronomical turning points and to have the blessing “Birkath Ha­ chammah" recited on the day of the “real" Tekufah? There is no doubt that as far as our present Halochah is con­ cerned we are obliged, regardless of the astronomical problem, to re­ cite Birkath Hachammah on those days calculated by Samuel and sanctified by a custom accepted and practiced by the people of Israel for more than 1500 years. Only a new and generally recognized San­ hedrin could, with the approval of the whole people, establish a change. Therefore all attempts by individuals to introduce new dates for Birkath Hachammah on the basis of their own theory are to be declined as contrary to the law.* ■THE FOLLOWING suggestions are addressed to a future San* In Talmudical times R. Ada Bar Ahabah calculated his Tekufoth on a more exact basis, taking as the length of the sun-year 365 days, 5 hours, 55 minutes and 25.483 seconds. But neither these Tekufoth nor those suggested by E. Mahler (see Handbuch der Jeudischen Chronology, 1916, p. 164) consider our problem of Birkath Chammah in the light of Abaye’s Boraitha. J. D. Eisenstein, in the Jewish Encyclopedia, Vol. XI, p. 591, gives altogether different dates for Birkath Hachammah which are not con­ sistent with any theory, not even with his own as explained in Hadoar of August 8, 1952.

53

hedrin for possible consideration. I am well aware that they repre­ sent neither a perfect solution nor the only possible one, but they meet the astronomical requirements and the principle implied in Abaye’s Boraitha with relatively close approximation. The future dates for “Birkath Hachammah” according to Samuel are: April 8th: 1891, 2009, 2037, 2065, 2093; April 9th: 2121, 2149, 2177; April 10th: 2205, 2233, 2261, 2289, etc. From among the possible choices for March 20th, which, occur on a Wednesday, I select as the next date for Birkath Hachammah March 20, 1985. Then the sequence will be: March 20th: 1985, 2013 2041, 2069, 2097, — 2126, 2154 2182 2211, 2239, 2267, 2295. In Samuel’s system the day of the Tekufah advances from April 8th to April 9th to April 10th etc, the distance from the astronomical equinoxes growing greater and greater. In my- suggested system, the 20th day of March as the day closest to the astronomical equinox is maintained constant and i& therefore approximately correct. In both systems the days for Birkath Hachammah always occur on a Wednesday, fulfilling a basic re­ quirement of the Mitzvah. Where­ as the years in Samuel’s cycle fol­ low each other always in regular intervals of twenty-eight years, I am compelled to establish intervals Of twenty-nine V.y^nrs at certain transitions from one century to the next, as is indicated in the series presented above by dashes between 5&

the numbers. Neither in Samuel’s cycle nor in mine does the astro­ nomical Tekufah occur at 6 o’clock Jerusalem time, the beginning of Wednesday, because the Tekufoth do not follow such a periodic rule. JJLTHOUGH the problem of the three other Tekufoth: Tamuz, Tishri and Teveth, has not been touched upon by this suggested regulation, it would be quite-con­ sistent to establish them likewise, in accordance with the astronomi­ cal dates June 21st, September 23rd and December 21st respec­ tively. The only practical conse­ quence would be the changing of the date for the Sheeylah, Tal uMotor, which is now inserted into our prayers and is eighteen days too late, as well as moving closer toward winter. This advance will continue unless a change as sug­ gested above is instituted.' Our Jewish calendar is not af­ fected in the least by all these suggestions, since the Tekufah cal­ culation is entirely independent of it. I Still the Hebrew calendar is burdeneOL with problems of its own. Though its deviation from the astronomical phenomena is by far -less than in the case of the Teku­ foth, Pesach has, nevertheless, ad­ vanced toward summer by four days within the last 1000 years and in our day it occasionally hap­ pens that the first day of Pesach falls on April 24th or 25th;/ which are more than a month later than the astronomical beginning of spring. Jewish LIFE

However, this is not the place to discuss the involved problems of the Hebrew Calendar. In my recently published book, “The Com­ prehensive Hebrew Calendar,” I have explained them in detail, and the interested reader will also find there the corresponding Hebrew

dates for the Tekufoth mentioned above as well as for all other civil dates of our century. For reasons of expediency alone, all dates for the Tekufoth which are astronomi­ cal facts of the solar year are listed here in terms of the solar Gregorian calendar.

Bibliography “Boker Yizrah”. David Meldola, Leghorn, 1785; “Sha’are Mizrach”, Jekuthiel Arye Gershon, Cracow, 1896; “Or Hachammah”, Solo­ mon Segner, Munkacs, 1897; “Luah Eretz Yisrael, 5657 -1897,” Luncz; “Omer Hasodeh”, Eliezer Hayim Deutsch; “Yizrah Or Brooklyn 5713”, Eliezer Ehrenreich; Jewish Encyclopedia Vol. XI, p.591; Hadoar August 8, 1952” Orech Tekufath Hashemesh, J. D.

Eisenstein. The dates are neither correct nor in harmony with each other in both of Eisenstein’s articles. Also see the author’s reply to Eisenstein in “Hadoar” of September 5, 1952, “Birkath Hachammah Bishnath 6713” and A. A. Akabiyah’s “Tekufath Nisan uBirkath Hachammah” in Hadoar of November 7, 1952.

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Jan. - Feb., 1953

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Jewish LIFE

^OOK REVIEWS For The Bar Mitzvah by GILBERT KLAPERMAN THE BAR MITZVAH TREASURY by Azriel Eisenberg, Behrman House New York, 1952, pp. 316, $4.00. ^■ERIOUS minded adults who re­ cognize in the Bar Mitzvah a sacred occasion to be utilized for en­ couraging the youngster in hi§ reli­ gious duties and an opportunity to bring him closer to the spirit and practices of his people have been hampered by the paucity of suitable material designed to do just-that. The fountain pen and its genre have reign­ ed supreme because of both the unpreparednes^ of many Bar Mitzvah boys to appreciate something truly meaningful and of the unavailability of a good gift especially prepared, to serve the religious and cultural needs of a thirteen-year-old, Dr. Azriel Eisenberg, Executive Vice President of the Jewish Educa­ tion Committee or New York, has attempted to fill this need for ap­ propriate literature, at least in part. His anthology, “The Bar Mitzvah Jan. - Feb., 1953

Treasury,” presents excerpts from the literary treasures of the past and from contemporary letters and is ar­ ranged to serve as a companion to the Bar Mitzvah in his quest for the meaning and definition of his Jewish heritage. Reflecting the major areas of Jew­ ish interest, the book is divided into sections devoted to readable material on G-d, Man, Faith, Torah, Israel and America. In addition, there are sections devoted to Bar Mitzvah stories and a Bar Mitzvah Primer containing several brief excerpts deal­ ing with the Prayer Book, Tephillin, Tallith, Sabbath and Bar Mitzvah as an institution. Only an educator possessing Dr., Eisenberg’s wide experience with chil­ dren and their needs could have had any measure of success in the assem­ bly of such an anthology. Jewish writ­ ers have generally directed their ef­ forts beyond the intellectual limits of the thirteen-year-old. There never was a literature expressly created for this age group. Even our contempor57

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Jewish LIFE

ary writers have dissipated their work in the unrewarding fields of fictional­ ized textbooks, “sugar-coated” lessons in Judaism and holiday tales—none with appeal, interest or enough sub­ stance for the Bar Mitzvah age. Pre­ paring an anthology like “The Bar Mitzvah Treasury”, therefore, requir­ ed * patience and diligence, a vast knowledge of Jewish literature and rare discretion and imagination. For­ tunately these virtues are reflected in many of the selections of this book. rpHE “Bar Mitzvah Stories” section is intended to create a mood of love for the experience of the Bar Mitzvah eeremony, a mood that will retrospectively arouse pleasant feel­ ings of nostalgia and happy memories. Outstanding in this section is Sholom Aleichem’s “Bar Mitzvah Speech” which brings back -th§ moments of holiness of the initiation as fa “Son of the Law” and puts to shame all the modern Bar Mitzvah celebrations and the Bar Mitzvah speeches that are as artificial and unvarying as the “play-back” of a phonograph record. Notable, too, is Charles Angoff’s “Bai Mitzvah on Thursday”, which sensi­ tively explores the reactions of par­ ents and son to the Bar Mitzvah ceremony. The selections “On Israel” . include material on both the people of Israel and the State of Israel; Pierre Van Paassen’s “The Heroes of the Jewish Brigade” describes an epic battle ac­ tion of World War II in which Jews are pitted against Germans. This is easily the selection of the book which is best attuned to the hunger of a

Jan. - Feb., 1953

thirteen year old for the forgotten pride and heroism of his people. The late Chaim Weizmann’s “In­ augural Address” as first President of the State of Israel is another out­ standing document in this section, re­ emphasizing Jewish democracy and the prophetic goals of the State of Israel. The section “On Torah” is best re­ presented by Harry Sackler’s “The Ordination” ; this is -taken from his historical novel, “Festival at Meron” in which are described the uninter­ rupted steadfastness and devotion of the Jewish people to the Torah even under the terrible persecution and martyrdom of Hadrian’s Roman Em­ pire. j T H E SECTION “On G-d” should have been the most significant for the new “Son of the Law.” However, the several Biblical quotations and the two fictional accounts of a childfs search for G-d give only a blurred and *hazy impression, instead of a lucid sense of what we believe G-d to be. Midrashic sources and Philonic metaphor could have been drawn upon to convey the message with more authority and conviction. The collection would have been en­ hanced, too, by a section on “Judaism” to integrate the various divisions of the book with an expression of Jew­ ish faith or “creed.” In the absence of this, there is no clear statement of Jewish belief. The quotations on the Tallith and the Tephillim, which are the chief “tools” of the Bar Mitzvah, are given only one page and a half; of that space, half consists of the Biblical passages relating to their in-

59

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Jew ish LIFE

junction. More extensive notes than those furnished by the editor on the use of these elementary requirements should have been added. On the whole, “The Bar Mitzvah Treasury” is a service to the Bar

Mitzvah that will help illuminate the dark paths of the past and furnish a more clear picture of Judaism. It will also be a service to those who have been seeking a Bar Mitzvah present of lasting value and content.

A Place of Rest B y D. A. J E S S U R U N C A R D O Z O

“PORTRAITS ETCHED IN STONE” Early Jewish Settlers. 1682-1831 by Dr. David de Sola Pool, 543 pp., Columbia University Press, New York. T H E PROVERBIAL homelessness of the Wandering Jew extends beyond thè limits of the grave. Often, even after his physical sufferings had come to an end, “he found no repose among the nation^ and there was nó rest for the sole of his foot.” Jewish cemeter­ ies too’ have their histories which, too often, do no credit to our gentile neighbors. The profanation and dese­ cration Of Jewish burial grounds by the ruthless Nazis are still fresh in

Jan. - Feb., 1953

our minds. But this was no new in­ vention.- Century after century the most inhuman outrages were commit­ ted against- Jewish cemeteries. And so S the reading of their histories is doubly sad. Not so “Portraits Etched in Stone” which is the history of the oldest Jew­ ish cemetery on American soil and which has appeared from the hand of Dr. David de Sola Pool. “Nothing of this sort seems to have happenéd in the tolerant New World community.” In an almost forgotten corner of busy downtown Manhattan, near Chatham Square, is the resting place of a number of early Jewish settlers; many of them founders of the first

61

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Jewish LIFE

Jewish community in North Ameri­ ca, Congregation Shearith Israel, now best known as the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue. These brave and noble pioneers brought to these shores, carefully guarded and de­ fended with their very lives and blood, the teachings and traditions of our Jewish faith. The biographies of these early Jewish settlers, as de­ scribed in Dr. Pool's book, should therefore be a source of justified pride to us. American Jewry is now preparing to celebrate the Tercen­ tenary of the arrival of these Sep­ hardi settlers, and this book is, in a sense, an introduction to this celebra­ tion. TT IS not as strange as one might think that we start with the ceme­ tery. Here too, we follow the course of history. As Dr. Pool points out: the acquisition of a burial ground is often the first step in the establish­ ment of a congregation. The cemer tery was a concrete necessity which forced the individuals to join togeth­ er and form a congregation. A syna­ gogue building was not a compul­ sory requirement, nor even was a rabbi! Weddings, circumcisions, BarMitzvoth, could be held a t ' any pri­ vate place. In1the same way, prayers could be read in any house. But when death occurred, it was obligatory to possess a Jewish consecrated burial ground. Therefore, shortly after their ar­ rival in New Amsterdam in 1655, the new immigrants asked the Dutch authorities “to be permitted to pur­ chase a burial place for their Na­ tion,” and indeed, “a little hook of

Jan. - Feb., 1953

land” was granted to them in 1656. However, no trace of this earliest cemetery remains, and its location cannot be identified. The Chatham Square Cemetery was purchased in 1682. It is the old­ est Jewish cemetery in New York City and its second oldest burial ground (the oldest being part of Trinity Churchyard). It was also for a considerable period the only Jewish cemetery in the vicinity of New York, used for Sephardim and Ashkenazim alike. TN HIS book, Dr. Pool describes in great detail the history of this old cemetery, fully documented from offi­ cial title deeds, contracts and other historical documents. Beginning with the arrival of the Sephardim in New Amsterdam, he tells us of the pur­ chase of the ground and of the care and thought given to its protection and preservation. We learn to know the “neighbors”, among whom were members of the well known Roose­ velt family. Fortunately, as mentioned above, the cemetery suffered no violent dis­ turbances, except, as the legend on the bronze tablet over the entrance gate testifies, “during the War of the Revolution it was fortified by the patriots as one of the defenses of the City.” This is understandable, since it was situated on the top of a hill. There, too, prisoners of war were paraded and shot by the Brit­ ish who also stole some of the lead used for inscriptions for the purpose of making ammunition. But other­ wise, “the New York cemetery boasts a history of beautiful peace and

63

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Jewish LIFE

freedom from violation.” The only disturbances were peaceful occur­ rences caused by the subsiding of the soil (which even exposed the bones of some of the departed) and the constant growth of the city. Of all this, Dr. Pool gives careful ac­ count. T H E SECOND part of the book, which is about twice as long as the first part, contains the biogra­ phies of the 179 people who are buried in the cemetery, among whom are eighteen patriots of the Revolu­ tion. This section contains valuable genealogical and biographical infor­ mation about the early residents, a good part of which is now published for the first time. Each biography is accompanied by an exact copy of the inscription on the subjects tomb­ stone — as far as available —» with translations and explanations. Be­ sides Hebrew, the language of the earlier inscriptions is Spanish or Portuguese, gradually being replaced by English. Conspicuous for its shape and po­ sition is the cemetery monument to the Rev. Gershom Mendes Seixas. Equally prominent in Dr. Pool's book is the biography of this patriot rabbi of the Revolution, the first Americanborn rabbi in the United States. There are also biographies of men with such sonorous sounding Sephardi names as Hazan Moses Levi Maduro Peixotto, Benjamin Bueno de Mesquita (first grave), Rodriguez Bran­ don, Lopez da Fonseca and Jessurmi Lobo. But Sephardim were soon in the minority; from an early date they

Jan - Feb t 1953

were outnumbered by their Ashkenazi brothers. The extension of the growing me­ tropolis finally resulted in the closing of the cemetery in 1831. But not­ withstanding the enormous changes that so completely altered the aspect of the city, this corner remained a “Place of Rest” ; its “survival” in its present form is a “sentimental triumph over the city's sheer utili­ tarian growth.”

DR : POOL is no stranger in the field of American Jewish history. He has written a number of impor­ tant monographs and articles. This book shows, throughout, the erudi­ tion of the writer and is the result of indefatigable labor and research, extended over a period of more than forty years. From the archives of the congregation, from records, news­ papers, private correspondence and other sources, Dr. Pool culls his in­ formation. And this is not a dreary or dead tale. In his vivid description, not devoid of fine humor, he knows how to interest his readers and suc­ ceeds in bringing the dead to life. In addition, he mak^s learned excursions, e.g. on Marrano names, on European cemeteries. “Portraits Etched in Stone” is an important contribution to American Jewish history and has been ac­ claimed by Jewish and Christian his­ torians alike as a valuable addition to our knowledge of the early history of New York City. The book is beautifully printed by the Columbia University Press with a number of

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Jewish LIFE

excellent reproductions of old por­ traits and pictures. It should be read by every American Jew, so that he may find inspiration in the lives of these men and women who

showed such staunch adherence to their faith, such pride in their an­ cestral inheritance coupled with a deep loyalty to their country, of adoption.

Rhythm Of “The Hallowed B y HUGO M A N D E L B A U M

THE COMPREHENSIVE HEBREW CALENDAR: Its Structure, His­ tory, and One Hundred Years of Corresponding Dates — 5660-5760: 1900-2000 by Arthur Spier, Behrman House Inc., New York, 1953, $5.00. .T H IS “Comprehensive Hebrew Cal^ endar” surely deserves its name. Hundred-year calendars have been published before, but none can com­ pare with this one with regard both to its content and to the intelligent simplicity of its arrangement. Each double page of the calendar proper contains a full year, the left hand page — the winter half year, start­ ing with Rosh Hashonah, the right hand page — the summer half year. Each page is divided into two cor­ responding halves, left for the civil calendar, right for the Hebrew. Special dates are indicated by light numerals with the name of the holi­ day or fast printed underneath. The dates are arranged in rows of seven, so that each line contains the cor­ responding civil and Hebrew dates for one week. This makes the use of the calendar easy for quick and reli­ able reference. After the date of the

Jan. - Feb., 1953

Shabboth is given, on the same line the Par shah due on that day ap­ pears, and a cleverly devised key refers to a list of special Haftoroth or variations in the text selection, according to different Minhogim. Thus the calendar body does not leave out any pertinent information — an un­ usual feature for a hundred-year calendar. The calendar is preceded by well chosen examples in the use of the book. There is a clear presentation of the complications arising from an­ niversaries falling in the months of Adar I or II and on the thirtieth day of Cheshvan or Kislev which only irregularly make their appearance on the scene of the Jewish year. A special paragraph is devoted to the distribu­ tion of the Parshioth in Israel which is different from that in the Goluth when the additional last day of Yomtov in the Goluth happens to fall on a Shabboth. For obvious reasons, these differences could not be included on the calendar pages themselves. But this feature shows to what extent and with what thoroughness the au­ thor tried to encompass all possible aspects.

67

Aids For The Study Of Hebrew

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THE HEBREW TEACHER

A. Practical Grammar for School and SelfInstruction by Hyman E. Go]din Grade 1 — .50c Grade II — .60c

Hotel Diplomat K osh er K itchen

mm m m i MODERN HEBREW I

A text book for Adults Compiled by . Dr. Harry Blumberg and Rabbi M. H. Lewittes Part I $2.25 Part II Ui $2.75

SIPPURIM KALIM,

is under the supervision of Rabbi Abraham Reichlin

omsD

Hebrew Short Stories High SchooJ by Dr. Edward Horowitz Price $1.25

Hotel Diplomat can accommodate from 50 to 1,000 people.

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Select Readings in Hebrew Literature Edited by Dr. Harry Blumberg and Rabbi M. H. Lewittes Price $1.25

m

J . Edw ard. S altzm an, owner and caterer

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PRACTICAL HEBREW-ENGLISH DICTIONARY By Dr. Menahem G. Glenn

108 W est 43rd St., N e w Y o rk

Price $3.50

Hebrew Publishing Company 79 DELANCEY ST.,

Telephone: BRyant 9-2487 - 8 - 9

NEW YORK 2, N. Y.

KOSHER DELICACIES BLINTZES • BORSCHT • CONDENSED SOUPS GEFILTE FISH • MATZO MEAL • NOODLES PRESERVES • SOUP MIXES • WINES • ETC. AND A LW A YS THE

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Be R I G H T with S T R E I T At goo d stores everyw here . . .

ARON STREIT, INC., 150 RIVINCT0N STREET, NEW YORK CITY 68

Jewish LIFE

SHORT but nevertheless compre­ hensive introduction to the calcu­ lation of the Hebrew calendar is giv­ en in the appendix. Here also, the author shows his mastery and skill in presenting an involved and, to the uninitiated, rather bewildering mass of details in such a precise and lucid form that even a layman can, with­ out difficulty, acquire a sufficient un­ derstanding of the basic principles necessary to appreciate the founda­

tion which determines the cycle of our holidays. Rabbis, teachers and synagogues will find this comprehensive calendar indispensable. But the interested lay­ man also will want to have this practical reference work on his book­ shelf. It will enhance the value of the annual Luach by retracing it into the past and pursuing it into the future. This Luach conveys the pul­ sating rhythm of the “hallowed order” which passes through our year.

WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN Rabbi Ash while lying on his death bed, w as visited by his pupils« On entering his chamber, they found him weeping. 'Wherefore art thou weeping, O Master?' they asked in astonishment. 'Thou who spent all thy days in the study and in the teaching of Torah and in the per­ formance of good deeds, art thou afraid to meet thy Maker? Why, then, dost thou weep?' And the old sage replied: 'For this do I weep, lest I shall have to give ac­ count not only for what I have done, but for what I might have done and could have done towards effectuating the laws of Israel/ *

*

*

Strip the skin off a carcass in the market-place and take your reward, but say not 'I am a priest, I am a great man, and the thing is detestable to m e/ —Talmud, Pesachim, 113a.

Jan. - Feb., 1953

69

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and Gold's Borsht BAR MITZVAHS WEDDINGS BANQUETS

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Jewish LIFE

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for your RELATIVES and FRIENDS

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WASHINGTON HOTEL Catering for All Occasions H <0> Open All Year Supervised and Endorsed by Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations

Levine Management 124-05 ROCKAWAY BLVD. ROCKAWAY PARK. N. Y.

Jan. - Feb., 1953

ISRAEL SCRIP You send them SOVA ISRAEL SCRIP, they select the things they want at the TEN SOVA STORES in ISRAEL; the finest quality KOSHER foods . . . and a choice of 4 SPE­ CIAL PASSOVER FOOD PARCELS priced from $9.80 to $27.50 a pack­ age. Also a complete line of elec­ trical equipment: Astral and Philco refrigerators, radios, sewing ma­ chines, phonographs, toasters, shav­ ers, washing machines, etc. Visit vs. order SOVA SCRIP by moil, or write for SOVA agent near you to cell. No obligation. OUR ILLUSTRATED FOLDER G IV ES COMPLETE INFORMATION.

S O V A ISRA EL STO RES, IN C ., 45 WEST 45th ST., NEW YORK 36, N. Y., Downtown Office: 156 Rivington St. JU 2-5335

71

U N I O N OF ORTHODOX JEWISH CONGREGATIONS OF A M E R I C A

n"n

Kosher commodities and establishments under official @ supervision and en­ dorsement.

KASHRUTH DIRECTORY Issued Shevat, 5713 — February, 1953 LOOK FOR THE

(Q) SEAL - AND BE SURE!

The © seal is your guarantee of communallyresponsible Kashruth supervision and endorsement, conducted as a public service by the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America—UOJC. All items in this Directory are (u), receive the con­ stant inspection of and are passed upon by the Rabbinical Council of America, Rabbinic body of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations. CONSUMERS ARE CAUTIONED TO: • Make sure that the © seal is on the label of every food product. • Make sure that the seal shown on the label is the © — beware of imitations! • Read carefully the list of ingredients of each © product to ascertain whether it is a meat or d a iry product. The © does not necessarily mean that the product is Pareve.

/ tense note

th a t the

©

seal o f K ashruth su pervision and endorsem ent

is exclusively the sym bol of:

Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 305 Broadway, New York 7, N.Y. BEekman 3-2220

72

Jewish LIFE

.UOJC KASHRUTH DIRECTORY f

t

All items listed below bear the © seal. • Items listed © P , are Kosher for Passover when bearing this or other UOJC A Passover Hechsher on label. Items listed © are Kosher for Passover without Passover Hechsher on label. Indicates new © endorsement.

*FFV — with © label only (Southern Biscuit Co., Richmond, V a.; distributed by Mutual Biscuit Co., N .Y.C .)

Baby Foods Heinz — .with (0) label only (H . J. Heinz Co., Pittsburgh, Pa.)

Strained Food Orange Juice Junior Food Cereal Chopped Mixed Vegetables Puddings (Butterscotch, Chocolate, VaUilla, Banana Custard, Banana Tapioca) Beech-Nut — with (0) label only ( Beech-Nut Packing Co., N. Y.C.) Strained Food Cereal Junior Food

Baked Beans Heinz Oven Baked Beans with mo­ lasses sauce Heinz Oven Baked Beans in tomato sauce (H . J. Heinz Co.) Van Camp’s — with © label only (Stokely Van-Camp)

Cakes, Cookies and Crackers *Barton’s (Barton’s, Inc., Brooklyn, N. Y .)

^Dromedary ( The H ills Brothers Co., N .Y.C.)

Chocolate Nut Roll Date Nut Roll Orange Nut Roll (above contain milk) Golden Cracknel Egg Biscuits (Golden Cracknel & Spec. Co. D etroit)

Ry-Krisp (Ralston-Purina, St. Louis, Mo.)

Jan. - Feb., 1953

Coconut Macaroons Lemon Thins Orange Thins Vanilla Thins Chocolate Pecan Cookies Tea Rings (foil package) Short Bread (foil package) ¿'(Above are all milchig)

Cake Mixes Blair’s Ezy Angel Mix (contains milk) (B lair Milling Co., Atchison, Kan.)

*Dromedary (The H ills Brothers Co., N .Y.C.)

Date Muifin Mix, Devil’s Food Mix Fudge Frosting Mix (above contain milk) Corn Bread Mix Corn Muffin Mix Cup Cake Mix Fruit Cake Mix Gingerbread Mix White Cake Mix *GrOlden Mix Pancake Flour Mix Waffle Flour Mix

i

^

(Golden Mix Inc., Chicago, III.)

Camps (for childreni Camp Mohaph (Glen Spey, N .Y . — N .Y . office 4320 B edford Avenue Brooklyn, N .Y .)

Candy ^Barton’s

(Barton’s, Inc., Brooklyn * N. Y.)

Cereals *S kin n e r's (Skinner M fg. Co., Omaha, Neb.)

Raisin-Bran Raisin-Wheat

73

UOJC KASHRUTH DIRECTORY All items listed below bear the (y) seal. Items listed (u)P are Kosher for Passover when bearing thi$ or other UOJCA Passover Hechsher on label. Items listed • are Kosher for Passover without Passover Hechsher on label. * Indicates new (y) endorsement.

Condiments

Fish Products

*Dromedary Cranberry Sauce (The H ills Brothers Co., N .Y .C .)

Royal Snack *

©P Gold’s Horseradish (Gold

Pure

Foods, B ’lclyn, N .Y .)

Heinz (H . J. Heinz Co.)

Horse Radish 57 Sauce Chili Sauce Hot Dog Relish Worcest ershire-Sauce Ketchup Pride of the Parm Catsup (H unt Food Prod., Bridgeton, N .J.)

Convalescent Homes

Dayton Nursing Home (1884 Marmion Ave. Bronx , N .Y .)

Dishwashing Machine Detergents Spic & Span

(S. A . H aram Co., N .Y .C .) '

Cream Herring Matjes Fillets Spiced Herring Lunch Herring Herring Cocktail Tidbits Salmon (in wine sauce) Mother’s Old Fashioned . (Mother's Food Prod., N ew ark , N .J.) ©P Gefilte Fish Sweet & Sour Fish *Breast O’Chicken Tuna (W estgate—Sun H arbor Co., San Diego, Cal.)

Flavorings Westag Lemon Westag Vanilla (Table Prod. Co.; Safew ay)

Food Packages ©P Care (20 B road S t., N .Y.C.)

Food Freezer Plan *Sam Katz’s Quality Kosher Food Plan (Brooklyn, N . Y .)

Dressings Cascade Salad Dressing Duchess Salad Dressing Nu Made Mayonnaise Piedmont Mayonnaise (Table Prod. Co., San Francisco Cal.; distribu ted through Safeway Stores)

Garber’s Misrochi Salad Dressing (Garber’s Eagle Oil Coro., B ’klun.)

Heinz

(H . J. Heinz Co.)

Eggs

tFrozen — Bulk only I

*Pink of Perfection Egg Products (Musser & Co., Wells, Minn.)

74

Frozen Foods Rapoport’s Blintzes (Family Frozen Food Prod., B ’klyn, N Y .)

Cheese Potato Veg. Steak with Protose Milady Food Products (B ’klyn, N .Y .)

Blintzes (blueberry, cherry, cheese, potato) Waffles

Jewish LIFE

<s>

U O JC KASHRUTH D IRECTO RY All items listed below bear the © seal. Items listed © P are Kosher for Passover when bearing this or other UOJC A Passover Hechsher on label. Items listed • are Kosher for Passover without Passover Hechsher on label. Indicates new © endorsement.

Fruit — f ©P

— bulk only I d rie D

California Packing Corp. (San Francisco. Cal.)

Fruits — l Packaged) ♦Dromedary (The H ills Brothers Co., N .Y .C .)

Dates Cranberry Sauce Fruits and Peels Moist Coconut. Sli redded Coconut

Honey

m

Procter and Gamble Detergents ( Cincinnati, Ohio) • Cheer • Dreft Joy © Spic & Span • Tide • Sprite (Sinclair Mfg., Toledo, Ohio)

I Swerl (A llied Chem. & Dye Corp., N.Y.C.) ♦Steel-0 ( V.S.B. Inc., Brooklyn, N .Y .)

©P Garber’s Misrochi (Oarher Eagle Oil Corp.)

Ice Cream Costa’s French Ice Cream (Costa’s Ice Cream W oodbridge N .J.)

Household Cleansers (See also Scouring Powders)

©P Brillo Products (Brillo Mfg. Co., B ’klyn, N .Y .)

Cameo Copper Cleaner (Cameo Corp., Chicago, III.)

Colgate-Palmolive-Peet Detergents (Jersey City, N .J.)

• • • •

Arctic Syntex M. beads (bulk only) Fab Kirkman Detergent Vel Felso (Fels & Co., Philadelphia, Pa.) Glim (B. T. Babbit Inc., N ew York, N .Y .)

Golden Fleece Pot Cleaner (M etal Textile Corp., Roselle, N .J.)

My Pal (Pal Products Co., Brooklyn, N .Y .)

Jàn. r Feb.> 1953

Jelly Heinz (H . J. Heinz Co.)

Margarine ♦Crystal Brand (L. Daitch & Co., N .Y .C ,; manufac­ tured by Miami Margarine Co.)

♦Nu-Maid ♦Table King (Miami Margarine Ohio)

Co.,

Cincinnati,

Meat — Canned *GG Brand (Kosher M eat Packing Co., Winni­ peg, Man,, Canada; Benjamin Win­ kler, Brooklyn, N . Y., D istributors

P»eef in Gravy Beef Luncheon Meat Beef in Natural Juices Corned Beef Loaf Salami Veal in Natural Juices

75

U O JC KASHRUTH D IRECTO RY All items listed below bear the (y) seal. Items listed (y)P are Kosher for Passover when bearing this or other UOJCA Passover Hechsher on label. Items listed » are Kosher for Passover without Passover ^Hechsher on label. ♦ Indicates new (y) endorsement.

Meat — Pickled and Smoked ♦Oxford

Heinz (II- J. Heinz Co.)

( Oxford Provisions, Inc.. B ’klyn, N .Y .)

Corned Beef Tongue

Pastrami

Planters (Planters N u t & Chocolate Co., Wilkes Barre, Pa.)

Beal Boast (Table Prod. Co.; Safew ay)

Meat Tenderizer ♦Adolph's ( Adolph’s Food Products, Burbank, Cal.)

Mustard Heinz

Poultry —- Frozen •

(H . J. Heinz Co.)

Noodles & Macaroni Products ♦Skinner's (Skinner Mfg. Co., Omaha, Neb.)

Egg Noodles Macaroni Spaghetti Vermicelli

Mahtov Brand Mahnayim Brand (Mahtov Products, Inc., B ’klyn, N .Y .)

Menorah Farms (Menorah Mass.)

Products,

Inc.,

Boston,

Prepared Foods

Oil — Peanut

Kosher-Pak Sandwiches

©P Garber’s Misrochi

(488 A lbany Ave., B ’klyn, N .Y .)

(Garber Eagle Oil Gorp.)

Oven Cleaner ♦Easy - Off (Tfie W olcott Co., H artford, Conn.)

Polishes, Pickles, etc . Heinz (H . J. Heinz Co.)

Pea dut Butter Béech-Nut (Beech-Nut Packing Co.)

Béverly (Table Prod. Co.; Safew ay)

76

H. W. Madison Co. (Medina, Ohio)

Mother's (M other’s Food Prod.)

Mount Olive Pickle Co. (M t. Olive, N.C.)

Jewish LIFE

U O JC KASHRUTH D IRECTO RY

©

All items listed below bear the © seal. Items listed © P are Kosher for Passover when bearing this or other UOJC A Passover Hechsher on label. Items listed • are Kosher for Passover without Passover Hechsher on label. * Indicates new © endorsement.

©

• New Octagon Cleanser • Garber’s Misrochi Cleanser (Garber Eagle Oil Co., N ew York)

Kitchen Klenzer

Resorts

Perry House (Bethlehem, N .H .)

©P Pine View Hotel (F alls burg , N .Ï .)

©P Strath Haven Hotel (Miami Beach, Fla.) .

©P Washington Hotel (Rockaw ay Park, N .Y . ) 1

(F itzpatrick Bros., Chicago, 111.)

• Old Dutch Cleanser (Cudahy Packing Co., Omaha Neb.)

Pal Products Co. Products (Brooklyn, N . Y.)

• Lustro Polishing Powder My Pal • Palco Polish Powder Pal-Lo

Salt • Mögen David Kosher Salt (Carey Salt Co., Hutchinson, Kansas)

Morton Salt Co. Products (Chicago, 111.)

• Morton Coarse Kosher Salt • Morton Fine Table Salt • Morton Iodized Salt International Salt Co. Products (Scranton, Pa.)

• Eed Cross Fine Table Salt • Sterling Fine Table Salt • Sterling Kosher Coarse Salt

Sandwich Spread Lunch Box

(Table Prod. Co.; Safew ay)

Shortening Durkee Vegetable Shortening (bulk only) (Durkee Famous Foods, N .Y .)

©P Garber’s Misrochi Pareve Fat (Garber Eagle Oil Go.)

Humko

(The Humko Co., Memphis, Tenn.)

©P Nut-Ola Vegetable Shortening

(Nut-O la F a t Prod., Brooklyn, N .Y .)

Silver Cleaner

*Instant Liquid Dip Silver Cleaner (Lewal Industries, N .Y.C.)

Soap Scouring Powder (See also Household Cleansers)

B. T. Babbit Co. Products Bab-o Babbitt *s Cleanser Cameo Cleanser (Cameo Corp.)

Colgate-Palmolive-Peet Co. Products • Ajax Ben Hur (bulk only) • Kirkman Cleanser

Jan. - Feb., 1953

*Nutola Kosher Soap (Nutola F a t Products)

Soups Gold’s (Gold Pure Food Prod., B ’klyn, N .Y ,)

©P Borscht Eussel Schav Heinz (H . J. Heinz Co.)

Cream of Mushroom

77

U O JC RASHRUTH D IRECTO RY

m

All items listed below bear the (y) seal. Items listed (y)P are Kosher for Passover when bearing this or other UOJC A Passover Hechsher on label. Items listed • are Kosher for Passover without Passover kHechsher on label. * Indicates new (y) endorsement.

Soups

Icont.l

Heinz Condensed Cream of Mushroom Condensed Cream of Green Pea Condensed Gumbo Creole Condensed Cream of Tomato Condensed Vegetarian Vegetable Tomato Creamed Green Vegetable Mothers (Mother’s Food Prod.) ©P Borscht Cream Style Borscht Cream Style Schav Mushroom and Barley Soup Mix *Joyce Egg Noodle Soup Mix {Joyce Food Products, ? Paterson, N .J.)?

Tomaio Juice Heinz

(H . J. H einz Co.)

Tzirzith W OOLEN

M. Wolozin & Co. R A Y O N , FOR R A Y O N T A L E Y T H 1M

Leon Vogel (66 Allen St., N .Y.C .) M. Wolozin & Co. (36 E ldridge St., N .Y.C .) Zion Tallis Co. (48 Eldridge S t, N .Y.C .)

Vegetables

*Nutola Chicken Noodle Soup Mix *Nutola Noodle Soup Mi?

^Dromedary Pimientos

(Nutola F at Products Co.fJ

Vegetables — Dehydrated l bulk only I

Spaghetti Sauce *Skinner’s {Skinner Mfg. Co., Omaha, Neh.)

Spices ©P Garber’s Misrochi {Garber Eagle Oil Co.)

© P Gentry Paprika {Gentry, Inc., Los Angeles, Cal.)

(The H ills Brothers Co.? N .Y.C.)

©P Basic Vegetable Prod. (San Francisco, Cal.)

©P Gentry, Inc. (Los Angeles , Calif.)

Vegetable OH *Nutola (Nutola F at Products Co.) I

Vinegar ©P Garber’s Misrochi (Garber Eagle Oil Co.)

Sugar ©P Flo-Sweet Liquid Sugar ©P Hudson Valley Refined Granulated Sugar (Refined Syrups & Sugars, Inc.) (Yonkers, N .Y .)

Syrup Sleepy Hollow (Table Prod. Co.; Safeway)

78

Heinz (H . J. H einz Co.) Cider Malt Tarragon White Rex Amber Old Mill (Table Prod. Co.)

Wine ©P Hersh’s Kosher Wines (Hungarian Grape Products, Inc., N.Y.)

Jewish LIFE

THE ONIY KOSHER HOTEt with private bea«h below l.neo'n Road AMERICAN and EUROPEAN PLAN 100 Rooms —100 Bcrfhs Moderate rates Write for brochure

rift Endorsed by Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America

YOUR HOSTS NATHANGINSBURG A FAMILY

N. Y. JU 6-3223 *

PHILA. , Pgnnypacker 5-408i \

U n i q u e l The only magazine that serves the Jewish parent in two

Jewish Parents Magazine serves the parent —

with articles by leading psychiatrists, sociologists,, educators, etc. serves the Jewish parent —

with articles by leading rabbis, communal leaders, mothers, etc. Contributing A uthors : Dr. Goodwin Watson, P r o f e s s o r o f E d u ca tio n , T eachers C ollege, Colum bia U n iv e r s ity ; Dr. William Brickman, 4

A sso c. P ro fe sso r of E du cation , School of E d u ca tio n , N e w Y o rk U n iv e r s ity ; Dr. Henry Raphael Gold, p sy c h ia tris t, T alm u dic Scho­ lar, o ra to r ; Dr. M. Robert Gomberg, E x e c u tiv e D ire cto r, J ew ish F a m ily S erv ic e ; Dr. Samson R. Weiss, N a tio n a l D irecto r, N a tio n a l Council of Y ou n g Isra e l; etc., etc.

Special introductory offer to new readers — $1.00 JEWISH PARENTS MAGAZINE

132 Nassau Street # New York 38, N. Y. Gentlemen: I would like to subscribe to JEWISH PARENTS MAGAZINE --------- - Payment enclosed —— Bill me. Name ...,...<..... ?... ..*.... Address .....

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Jan. - Feb., 1953

79

NUTRITIOUS

"Mam”

T ^ fa (S m oi HERRING

g Ilf P

IN

made only with our own kosher natural Rennet

W IN E S A U C E

N E W .— ■ Now Available In Packages Of Eight Slices

Fancy tidbits of imported her­ rin g , s k in le ss and b o n e le ss, soaked in delicious wine sauce.

KOSHER-PARAVE Only Royal Snack fish appe­ tizers have this famous © seal of kashruth and quality. Ask. your grocer! A? Harahv & Co. New York 13

RICHER IN TASTE, SUPERIOR IN QUALITY

Approved by Rabbi Dr. J. Breuer Also ask for our Schmerling's kosher imported Swiss Gruyere Cheese SCHNALL PRODUCTS CO. Brooklyn 25, N. Y.

\

r r fy n ia lte d j

i

ATZOH MEAL P ure . . . w hite . . . just right! -

/dee/ f or “

breadin,

cutlets, croquettes. Grand for all recipes.

MADE 80

FROM

“ THE

MATZOH

WITH

THE

TASTE Jewish LIFE

__________________________________________ — ■ B IB I

New V EL ends 90% of dishwashing work! Just soak and rinse! Dishes gleam without washing or wiping. The only suds you need for dairy and meat dishes. Vel is a miracle of mildness for fine fabrics—your hands.

AJAX Scouring Cleanser with “ Foaming Action ” Foams as it cleans all types of tile, porcelain surfaces, pots and pans up to 50% faster, with half the effort!

F A B -th e greatest “No-Rinse” suds of all! Gets clothes whiter without bleaching than any other “no-rinse” suds with bleach in the wash water. ALL OF THESE FINE PRODUCTS BEAR THE SEAL OF APPROVAL OF THE UNION OF ORTHODOX JEWISH CONGREGATIONS OF AMERICA ©

OMPAN

Kosher Soups by Heinz Six tasty, delightful soups, all bearing on their labels the (U) seal of approval of THE UNION OF ORTHODOX JEWISH CONGREGATIONS OF AMERICA.

HEINZ KOSHER SOUPS 5 are “xnilchig”. .. Cream of Tomato, Cream of Mushroom, Cream of Green Pea, Cream of Celery, Gumbo Creole.

1 a ((

is pareve il . -. Vegetarian Vegetable Soup.

(^Another "milchig" soup in some areas*-Heinz Kosher Cream ol Green Vegetable Soup.)