Jewish Life February 1961

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FRO M A D E N TO ACCRA • W H Y T H E S E N S IT IV IT Y ?

T H E U N IT E D J E W IS H A P P E A R R E -E X A M IN E D YO U C A N L E A D A M A N TO C A V IA R , B U T M Y SCHOOL W A S T H E KOMSOMOL I N D E N T IS T R Y • O P E R A T IO N T A R Y AG

SHE VAT, 5721 FEBRUARY, 1961

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Two reasons why Spring is the most exciting time to fly to Israel Spring is when all of Israel takes on a holiday atmosphere. Passover and Independence Day fall within three weeks of each other. Billions of flowers take over the fields. The cities throb with excitement. The people are at their most joyous. Even history seems more meaningful As you might have guessed, Spring is when EL AL is busiest. If you’re planning a trip, make arrangements now. See your travel agent or EL AL Israel Airlines: 610 Fifth Avenue, P I A I New York 20. Also Phila., Cleveland, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami and Montreal. CL ML

V O L XXVIII, No. 3/February, 1961/Shevat, 5721

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EDITORIALS MOROCCAN REMINDER .............................................

ISRAEL’S CHIEF RABBINATE ....................................

Saul B ernsteiist, Editor.

ARTICLES

M. M orton R ubenstein R euben E„ G ross Rabbi S, J. Sharfman Libby K laperman

THE UNITED JEWISH APPEAL RE-EXAMINED/ Reuben E. G r o s s .................

FROM ADEN TO ACCRA, SUMMER 1960/ Manfred R. Lehmann ........................................

OPERATION TARYAG/Maurlce Kaplan ...............

WHY THE SENSITIVITY?/Jacob J. Frankel ...........

MY SCHOOL WAS THE KOMSOMOL/-; Herschel H. Welnrauch .........................................

CAREERS IN DENTISTRY/Walter Duckat ................

Editorial Associates T héa O dem , Editorial Assistant JEWISH LIFE is published bi­ monthly. Subscription two years $4.00, three years $5.50, four years $7.00, Supporter $10.00, Patron $25.00.

Editorial and Publication Office: 84 Fifth Avenue N ew York l i ; N . Y. ALgonquin 5-4100

Published by

YOU CAN LEAD A MAN TO CAVIAR, BUT . . ./ Sholom Staiman .................

M oses I. Feuerstein

TORAH AND SCIENCE/Alexander S. Rosenberg ..

IN JEWISH TERMS/Davld S. Shapiro ...................

A NEW LOOK AT BAR HIYYA/Abraham N. AvRutlck.

NEWEST IN HIRSCHIANA/Samson R.Weiss .........

Secretary.

Dr. Samson R. Weiss

Executive Vice President

11 23 28 41 45

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VERSE TWO POEMS/Kadlsh Goldberg ............................

Benjamin Koenigsberg, Nathan K. Gross, Samuel L. Brennglass, M. Morton Rubenstein, Harold M. Jacobs, Vice Presidents; Edward A. Teplow, Treasurer; Herbert Berman, Secretary; Harold H. Boxer, Financial

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FICTION

U n io n of O rthodox Jewish Congregation of A merica

President

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REVIEWS 54 57 61 63

DEPARTMENTS AMONG OUR CONTRIBUTORS ................................ 4 HASHKOFAH: THE DIVINE INTENT AND MAN . . . . 34 Drawings by Ahron Gelles

Second Class postage paid at N ew York, N . Y.

February, 1961

Copyright © 1961 by Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America

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CAMP HILI HEBREW INSTITUTE OF LONG ISLAND

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JEWISH LIFE

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN YOUR JEWISH HERITAGE? In order to introduce you to the advantages of membership in the

JEWISH

RECORD

CLUB

this special offer is made: THE WONDERFUL AND INSPIRING RECORD, “ CANTORS OF THE PAST,” IS YOURS, AS A FREE BONUS RECORD, WHEN YOU JO IN THE JEWISH RECORD CLUB

This 12" HI FI recording contains the voices of eight of the most beloved Cantors of the 20th Century. You’ll hear the living voices of GIRSON SIROTA, JOSEF ROSENBLATT, DAVID ROITMAN, JOSEPH SHILSKY, ZAVEL K W A R T I N and HER M A NN JADLOWKER. The Jewish Record Club will make selections available to you each month that will include all that is great in the Jewish tradition: folk songs that helped build a Strong Israel, choir music, orchestral works, excerpts from the Yiddish Theater and the voices of the great Cantors, past and present. You may accept the month’s selec­ tion or not, as you choose.

The first month’s selection: “Cantors of the Present” was chosen as the perfect complement of the BONUS RECORD. This record­ ing presents the most renowned Cantors of the present day, singing the hymns that made them famous: David Kusevitsky, Jack Barkin, Charles Bloch, Phillip Brummer, Nico Feldman, Leib Glantz and many others.

As an alternate selection you may choose “Memories of the Yiddish Theatre.” Menasha Skulnik, Jennie Goldstein, Boris Thomashefsky, Mollie Picon, Maurice Schwartz and others, bringing moments of joy from the Yiddish stage.

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JEWISH RECORD CLUB OF AMERICA INfc.

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Suite 8021, Empire State Building, New York, N. Y.

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Please register me as a member of the Jewish Record Club and send me the FREE BONUS RECORD “ GREAT CANTORS OF THE PA ST.” I agreeto buy four additional records from the club within twelve months.

For each of these I will be billed $2.98 to $4.98 (for regular 12" L.P. recordings) plus a small charge for postage, sales tax and handling. I may cancel my member­ ship any time after buying four records. After my fourth purchase, I will receive an additional BONUS RECORD and will continue to receive a Free Record with every 4 purchased.

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□ Send me first selection "CANTORS OF THE PRESENT" $2.98 Q Send me alternate selection, "Memories of the Yiddish Theater." $4.98

SlIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIM February, 1961

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MANFRED R. LEHMANN heads a New York firm engaging in international trade. Bom in Stockholm, Sweden, Mr. Lehmann came to this country in 1940, where he studied at Ner Israel Rabbinical College and several universities. He has published scientific studies on phases of Biblical scholarship and Near Eastern history and philology, in which he has an M.A. from Johns Hopkins University. Mr. Lehmann’s first con­ tribution to J e w is h L i f e was “Visit to Surinam” in the Feb­ ruary 1960 issue.

REUBEN E. GROSS is an editorial associate of J e w is h L i f e and a member of the Executive Committee of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America. A graduate of Yeshiva College and Harvard Law School, Mr. Gross practices law in Staten Island, N. Y., where he is an active leader of the Jewish Foundation School. His interests include keeping in touch with remote corners of the world via amateur radio.

SHOLOM STAIMAN has contributed articles and short stories to various publications. This is his third appearance in J e w is h L if e .

among our contributors

HERSCHEL H. WEINRAUCH is a former Soviet writer, known there as Gregory Vinokur. He was a successful novelist and playwright in the U.S.S.R., served as editor of an official newspaper in Birobidjan, and as a lieutenant in the Red Army in World War II. Living in the United States since 1950, Mr. Weinrauch is a free lance writer for Yiddish newspapers and publications.

WALTER DUCKAT continues his series on career prospects for observant Jews. He serves as supervisor in the Guidance Division of the Federation Employment and Guidance Service in New York and is vocational consultant at Stern College for Women.

RADISH GOLDBERG was until recently a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana. He now lives in Israel, where he studies at Mercaz Harav Kook and teaches English at Yeshivath Nethiv Meir in Jerusalem.

JACOB J. FRANKEL is a graduate of the Teachers Institute of Yeshiva University and holds a B.A. and M.A. in psychology.

He is an instructor at the Hebrew Teachers College in Boston and is active in orthodox Jewish life in that community.

MAURICE KAPLAN is a graduate of the City College of New York, Mr. Kaplan’s varied fields of study range from Yeshiva University to the American Theater Wing. His equally varied community activities have included presidencies of local chapters of the American Jewish Congress and the Mizrachi Organization of America.

DR. SAMSON R. WEISS is executive vice president of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America. A noted educator and thinker, his column on Jewish concepts is a regu­ lar feature of J e w is h L i f e -

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JEWISH LIFE

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M oroccan R em inder OPES fed by defense agency reports pointing to a decline of overt Jew-hatred have been shattered by recent develop­ ments. On the very heels of these optimistic appraisals, recrude­ scent antisemitism in Germany sparked a world-wide wave of outrages against Jewish communal buildings and synagogues.

Too, the pattern of Soviet anti-Jewish repression took on grimmer proportions. There followed emergence of self-proclaimed Nazism in the United States, similar activities in European countries, and terrorization of the Jewish populace in Morocco.

The death by drowning of forty-one Moroccan Jews, driven by officially dictated acts of oppression to a desperate attempt W itness at escape, exposes as a mockery Moroccan claims to democracy

by Death and observance of human rights. But more: the tragedy reminds the world that on whatever level of baseness the victimizing of Jews may originate, life and liberty are at stake.

Where, in this harsh picture, stands the Declaration of Human Rights, cornerstone of the United Nations? If this becomes a sham, what then can remain of the surrounding structure?

Often enough has it been shown that antisemitism is a prob­ lem of general society rather than of Jews, since it is a contagious crime arising in the non-Jewish sphere. In no other area of crime is the victim expected to:assume responsibility for its cure.

It is the task of society at large to extirpate the menace—and, once the point sinks home, ample legal weapons, on both na­ tional and international levels, can be found to accomplish the task.

There must be no further hesitation by us Jews particularly upon insisting that manufactured Jew-hatred be met with a full measure of the action applied to other major crimes. There can be no further illusion as to the adequacy of the “silent treat­ ment,” or the not-so-silent treatment, or any like approach. The full force of social power must be employed if antisemitism, the destroyer, is to be destroyed.

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Israel’s Chief R abbinate HERE are welcome indications that the long impasse in T the selection of a successor to the late Dr. Isaac Halevi Herzog as Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel may soon be broken.

Ever since the loss of Rabbi Herzog, the choice of a new in­ cumbent has been embroiled in unedifying political struggles.

February, 1961

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The leaders of Israel’s dominant non-religious party have ex­ ploited the situation without scruple, in their unceasing effort to secure a grip on the Chief Rabbinate and to fragmentize and stifle the organized forces of the religious community. The latter have been repeatedly forced into an unenviable position but, with a keen sense of the key importance of the Chief Rabbinate, have proven themselves tenacious. The atmosphere thus engendered discouraged meritorious candidacies, further vexing the problem.

It now seems, however, that the trial of strength is at its con­ clusion, clearing the way for action.

The moral influence of the Israel Chief Rabbinate can hardly be overestimated. The Ashkenazi and Sephardi Chief Rabbis, as Focal ecclesiastical heads of Israeli Jewry, serve a pivotal function in Role in the constitutional structure of the Jewish State. Perhaps even Jew ish Life more significant is their undefined but profoundly meaningful role as spiritual leaders of Israeli Jewry. In this capacity, the Chief Rabbinate relates spontaneously to the inner life of the individual Israeli. Even though some important minority factions of religious Jewry in Israel do not accept the religious authority of the Chief Rabbinate, they can hardly be immune to its moral influence. And beyond the borders of the Jewish State, because that which pertains to Eretz Yisroel has unique sanctity in Jew­ ish eyes everywhere, the Chief Rabbinate of Israel has incom­ parable spiritual status throughout the Jewish world.

Thus the office of Chief Rabbi of Israel bears fearsome re­ sponsibilities. Under any circumstances, the office calls for unique capacities; under the conditions/>f the present, amidst the moun­ tainous problems and tensions of a nation new-born on age-old foundations, amidst the epochal challenges which Jewish life faces everywhere, amidst the challenges to man’s very existence— under these conditions, the burdens are such as only a titan can bear, the demands such as only true greatness can fulfill.

HROUGHOUT Jewish history, Divine Providence has again T and again called forth great leadership in the time of need.

So may it be now. And as in past eras, so now again may it be vouchsafed that there come forth not only surpassing gifts of intellect and mastery of Torah learning, but together with that, greatness of character. The designation “Godol” is apt to be In Quest applied rather freely these days; used in its proper sense, the of Greatness term is applicable not to the virtuoso of scholarship, nor yet to the one who can command the multitude, but to him from whose spiritual force there surges a flow of strength and truth to the entire House of Israel. That the tribulations of our time will bring forth such a Godol is the hope and prayer of the Jewish people.

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JEWISH LIFE

The United Jewish Appeal Re-examined

By REUBEN E. GROSS

The “ contribution d o lla r” v is -a -v is the “ investm ent d o lla r” in the developm ent of Israel's econom y. H as foreign investm ent been effectively encouraged by Israeli authorities?

Despite the great virtues of the HEN, with the passage of time, W the creation of Medinath Israel U.J.A., Jewish leadership should not will fall into its proper perspective in flinch from making a periodic ap­ the great vista of Jewish history, not the least of its contributory marvels will be the grand and unstinting selfimposed tax which American Jewry assumed for the aid and assistance of their struggling brethren abroad. The national United Jewish Appeal, by moral authority alone, in assessing and collecting almost $100 million, year in and year out, has established a stand­ ard of Tzedokah far surpassing in quality and quantity any voluntary drive or redemption movement in the history of mankind. But more than aiding the donees, like all sound Tze­ dokah, U.J.A. has done much for the donors. The United Jewish Appeal has given American Jewry a rare sense of self-respect and importance. It is the one field in which the badly splintered American Jewish community found itself in almost universal agreement, and it is for many the only meaning­ ful force in Jewish life.

February; 1961

praisal of this great and beneficent force, especially now that we are approaching the Bar Mitzvah year of Israeli independence.

Immediately before the State of Israel declared its independence and for a number of years thereafter, con­ tributions from overseas sources were the chief, if not only, source of for­ eign exchange to Israel. Without such foreign exchange the purchase of vital equipment for the new-born state would have been impossible. During subsequent years, likewise, the U.J.A. was an important source of funds for closing the gap created by an un­ favorable balance of trade. In the last few years, however, the relative im­ portance of such funds has declined.

Of the approximately $600 million spent by Israel abroad, these contribu­ tions supply hardly more than ten per cent of the required foreign currency.

The other source of foreign exchange 7

include exports, which supply almost a fourth of the required sums; tour­ ism and transport, which now has sur­ passed contributions as a source of foreign exchange; German reparation and restitution payments, which have produced sums on* the order of $125 million to $140 million per annum; bonds, which produce about $50 mil­ lion per annum and other miscellane­ ous items which include American grants-in-aid, private transfers, etc.

GLARING weakness in the over­ all financial picture of the Israeli A economy, however, is the virtual ab­ sence of any foreign investments.

While some of these investments exist, they are being made on the order of $10 million per annum. Ordinarily, the foreign capital available for invest­ ment purposes exceeds the available funds for contributions by a high ra­ tio. With Israel it has been otherwise.

Why does Israel not attract the in­ vestment dollar of the American Jew with the same magnetic pull that it has shown for his contribution dollar?

In truth, Israel can benefit more from an investment dollar than a contribu­ tion dollar. The former brings the investor’s personal interest, his “know­ how,” and it usually results in found­ ing a factory with an exportable item of trade. Thus, the investment dollar is a living thing, both in the sense that it bears fruit after its own kind in the form of new types of exports and also in the sense that it creates a living bond between the investor and the investment.

This absence of foreign investments in Israel cannot be attributed either to a lack of willingness on the part of potential investors, nor to a lack of opportunities for sound invest­ ments in the Israel economy. Interest 8

by foreign investors \yas relatively high in the early years of the new state. In 1951 foreign investment was at a high of more than $63 million, from which it declined to $41 million in 1952 and then to $16.5 million in 1953. Since that time it has hovered about the $10 million mark. During this time the population has grown, the state has become stronger, and all the usual indicia of attractiveness of investment opportunities have improved.

Whatever opinion one may hold as to the good faith of the Israel govern­ ment in encouraging foreign invest­ ments, certain incontestable facts stand out. First, there is virtually no such investment. Secondly, there are excel­ lent opportunities for investment in Israel. Thirdly, there is a strong in­ clination by Diaspora Jewry to part with capital that would benefit Israel.

Considering the inclination and op­ portunities in regard to investment of foreign capital in Israel, surely an ex­ planation should be forthcoming as to why there has been virtually no reali­ zation and why no fruit has been reaped in this most opportune field.

T IS apparent that the first flush of interest by foreign investors was not effectively encouraged. Although legislation for the encouragement of foreign investment was passed by the Knesseth a number of years ago and amended in 1959, it has failed to produce the desired result. In the first place, an annual contributions sub­ vention of $60 million to $90 million on a “no strings attached” basis has permitted socialist-minded bureaucrats to indulge their antipathy to foreign investors, viewed by them as “colonial­ ists” and “dollar diplomats” even if they happen to be fellow-Jews intent

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JEWISH LIFE

on improving the economy of Eretz Israel. An examination of the various arrangements whereby foreign capital is permitted into the country shows a strong underlying philosophy of not permitting even the smallest segment of the economy to fall under any con­ trol that is outside the ring of Histadruth-Mapai-Government.

The second factor which nipped the bud of enthusiasm of the first wave of investments in Eretz Israel is the fact that its economy is not truly free.

Through the government on one hand, banking and currency in all its aspects is controlled; and on the other hand, through the Histadruth, labor, and more important, the large concentra­ tions of capital, are controlled.

The leadership of both, despite in­ ternal differences, is basically the same. Where the lifeblood of business is the ability to get the necessary per­ mits and certificates on time, business is a matter of politics; and where political patronage includes not only political offices, but the directorships and managements of great industries, politics is a business. Although polit­ ically democratic and economically free, in theory at least, the socio-polit­ ical configuration in Israel is develop­ ing disturbing similarities to the “corporative” type of state in which labor, capital, and the state are under the same board of directors.

HE complete withdrawal of United Jewish Appeal aid with­ out notice would undoubtedly cause some hardship to the Israeli economy even though it no longer represents a major source of foreign exchange to Israel. However, a three- to fiveyear planned tapering-off process would force the managers of the Israeli economy to look more and

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February, 1961

more for constructive investments from abroad and less and less for pump-priming gifts. The potentialities of such a shift are realistic despite the political and trade difficulties under which Israel operates. She is at the crossroads of the Eastern hemisphere between a greatly revived European economy, an awakened Asia, and an awakening Africa. She possesses an intelligent and resourceful population.

Although Israel’s economic gains are impressive, they might well have been greater, had she not been encumbered by an economic philosophy that is not overly friendly to private investments.

The various institutional beneficiar­ ies of the United Jewish Appeal with­ in ’ Israel need not suffer from a withdrawal by U.J.A. if this aid is replaced by other channels. Presently they receive Israeli pounds, not dol­ lars, which means they are basically geared even now to the Israeli econ­ omy. Actually, they are but a “gim­ mick” in the government’s drive for foreign exchange. The quid pro quo which they offer for these pounds is their agreement not to make inde­ pendent drives in America. Whether this quid pro quo is a fair exchange insofar as Torah institutions are con­ cerned is an open question.

H P HE constructive implications of X the foregoing are threefold: Inso­ far as Israel is concerned, there is an indicated need for the creation of an organization paralleling the Israel Bond structure which will concern itself with an investment program for American Jewry in Israel on different levels, e.g. a mutual fund program for small investors; specific enterprises for certain groups here who are so interested; . and the Establishment of con­ crete projects by individuals and organizations here with the interest 9

and ability to establish them there.

Existing organizations with these ob­ jectives, whose results hitherto have been relatively ineffectual, should be strengthened. However, before any­ thing effective can be done along these lines, a radical change in attitude toward investment capital on the part of the ruling circle within Israel must be brought about.

Secondly, an immediate shift from giving to lending is called for. While Bonds do not create the personal in­ volvement of capital investment, they are a step in the right direction. Under well established Jewish principles, lending is a form of Tzedokah supe­ rior to giving.

Finally, it must be recognized that withdrawal of U.J.A. must create a vacuum in American-Jewish fund raising. While many of the leaders of secular Jewish organizations recog­ nize this fact and are quietly laying plans to move into the vacuum, the leadership of Torah institutions con­ tinue to seek support on a hand-tomouth basis. This vacuum can and should be filled, at least in part, by a United Torah Appeal, which can send professional fund raising teams to every city and town annually. Par­ ticipants in such a drive would be the local day school of the respective com­ munity, which would constitute a first source of manpower, and such national Torah institutions and Israeli Torah institutions as would join in the cam­ paign.

If such a drive could command from orthodox Jews alone (it should

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have a much wider appeal) the loyalty they have shown to U.J.A., it should produce many millions annually. Con­ sidering that Orthodoxy constitutes a major proportion of American Jewry, and that orthodox Jews are decidedly above average in Jewish consciousness and in giving habits, this estimate ap­ pears reasonable. Moreover, the will­ ingness of all American Jews to give for Torah should not be underesti­ mated. The widespread support of day schools and the major yeshivoth ex­ emplifies this point. It is high time that we cease regarding the establishment of every new day school as “another miracle,” and candidly admit that American Jewry’s devotion to Torah has been greatly underestimated.

N the days of the Chovevei Zion it was an international event when a “Jewish cow” in one of the colonies gave birth to a calf. After the estab­ lishment of Medinath Israel, the existance of a Jewish railroad for the first time in history was a noteworthy event. Today, however, Israel is no longer an infant that must be patted on its head for every little “chochmah.” It is no longer a child whose bright little deeds need be told and retold. Today Israel is a leading power in the Mediterranean and Near East regions. In another thirteen years it may become a world power. However, if it is to realize its great potential, even in the spiritual sense, Israel must perforce grow physically, unimpeded by outworn economic theories and fears.

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JEWISH LIFE

From Aden to Accra, Summer, 1960

By MANFRED R. LEHMANN

YE-WITNESS accounts of travel­ urn from the midst of archeological E ers who reached the heart of diggings at the foot of the ancient Africa and mingled with the top lead­ temple mount, I pondered how differ­ ers of the new independent nations of that dynamic continent are not too common. Reports on Jews and their affairs in Africa are even more un­ common. Yet, it is one of the most interesting stories to Jews everywhere today.

During the summer of 1960, at the height of the Congo crisis, I touched ground in over ten African nations, besides a brief excursion to Aden in Southern Arabia. The trip lasted for over six weeks and was filled with rich experiences and observations.

My last two stop-overs in Europe before approaching Africa were Rome and Athens, both sites of ancient civil­ izations hostile to Jews in ancient times. I could not wind up my busir ness in Rome without, as usual, pay­ ing brief homage to the inspiring sculptured reliefs inside the Titus Arch, showing the Temple vessels captured in Jerusalem. In Athens, the cradle of Hellenism which was locked in mortal conflict with Judaism for centuries, I revisited the Acropolis. As I casually picked up a broken Grecian February, 1961

ent the world would look today if Jew had not encountered Greek.

The thoughts that cross the mind of a Jewish tourist when he lands in Cairo airport, even for a brief period, are of course agitated and manifold.

Thoughts of ancient Jewish sojourns under Egyptian bondage crowd pre­ occupation with more recent tension between Egypt and Israel. A big sign greets the visitor with the words, “Our Guests Are Our Friends,” yet my feel­ ings were, of course, mixed. Priceless pharaonic statues inside the airport bespeak an overflow of antiquities; but the presence of uniformed mem­ bers of the armed forces here, even if somehow lacking in military posture and discipline, bespeak a somewhat grim present.

As our plane left Luxor and Karnak behind, I was sorry for not visiting these marvels of an ancient Egyptian civilization which had always fasci­ nated me since the age of ten, when I started studying hieroglyphics.

Following along the Red Sea, we approached upper Egypt, then Nubia

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and Kush of yore, to land several hours later in the heart of the Ethiopi-

an mountain plateau, eight thousand feet above sea level.

ETHIOPIA OWHERE in Africa are the ties with the Jews as long, ancient, and mutual as in Ethiopia. Ethiopians take enormous pride in their claim that the imperial dynasty of their ancient land began with Emperor Menelik I, believed to have been a son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.

Hence, the imperial title of “Lion of Judah.” Historically speaking, the ties between the Kingdom of Sheba in Southern Arabia and present-day Ethi­ opia are becoming more and more an accepted fact in the light of recent archeological discoveries. In ancient times the City of Axum in Northern Ethiopia was the capital. This brings the center of ancient Kush much nearer to the Red Sea, opposite the land of Sheba. South Arabian statues and stone inscriptions found in Axum prove contact with south Arabia at a very early age. The Prophet Amos (9:7) alludes to an exodus of the Ethiopians in Biblical times, compa­ rable to the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. This could very well refer to a migration from Southern Arabia across the Red Sea to present-day Ethiopia.

Looking down from the plane, ap­ proaching Ethiopia, I could very well see the enormous attraction that these fertile green hills would hold for des­ ert nomads, even hundreds or thou­ sands of miles away.

Ethiopians in high positions proudly told me that according to their own traditions, Judaism was officially prac­

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ticed for centuries in their land before Christianity was adopted. The impres­ sive cathedral in Addis Ababa is deco­ rated with crosses and Stars of David in alternating succession. In front of it, stone statues represent the Lion of Judah. In the main square of the city, a modernistic version of the Lion of Judah can be seen.

NE of the most interesting links O between Ethiopia and Judaism is the famous tribe of Falashas. The forty thousand members of this tribe live in the northern region of the land, which lies on the Sudanese bor­ der, around the ancient city of Gondar. There, in the middle of the African bush, villages upon villages of straw huts are inhabited by black Africans who call themselves B’ney Israel and still speak the ancient Ethiopic dialect of Geez which is very close to Aramaic. They were com­ pletely unknown to the outside world until discovered in the nineteenth cen­ tury by European explorers. That dis­ covery, of course, caused a sensation throughout the world. Here was an entire African people practicing Scrip­ tural Judaism in minute, literal detail.

They were found in possession of all of the books of the Tanach except the Book of Esther, with a rich liter­ ature of their own, including some apocryphal writings unknown else­ where. Their prayers and liturgy are very rich. Their strict observance of the law is based on Scripture only, JEWISH LIFE

and the Rabbinic writings are un­ known to them. Nor do they know the Feast of Chanukah.

“Falasha” means in Ethiopie “to cut off, separate.” These people must then always have been considered a separate ethnic group, apart from the Ethiopie nation as a whole. Their origins can only be guessed at. When later in my trip I visitéd Khartoum and acquainted myself with the ancient Nubian history, I realized how many invasions-from North to South and from South to North took place in ancient times. We know of the Jewish garrison which guarded the Egyptian border at Elephantine in the Fourth Century B.C.E. against Nubian inva­ sions. It is likely that in one of the political upheavals these Jews were swept down into Nubia and Kush where they ultimately intermingled with the African population and in­ troduced Judaism to them.

Although Falashas frown upon the frivolous and irreligious influences of the “big city” of Addis Ababa, a few Falashas have settled in the capital and have reached high positions.

Among the best known of them is Ato Taddese Yakob, Minister of Agricul­ ture; the chief of the air force is a Falasha general. The Emperor is said to be very fond of the Falashas, who are among his most loyal and intelli­ gent subjects, and he therefore does not encourage their emigration to Israel.

IS Imperial Majesty, Emperior Haile Selassie I, spent his years H of exile from Mussolini’s rule in Jeru­ salem, where he formed many warm friendships with Jews. His personal attorney in Jerusalem is now attached to the Ethiopian government as an ad­ visor on constitutional law. Little wonFebruary; 1961

der that the Emperor has warmly embraced every possible contact with Israel. The Israel Embassy in Addis Ababa is the center of much activity these days* Several teams of techni­ cians from Israel are busy teaching Ethiopians important skills in trans­ portation, agriculture, business, etc. I met several wonderful Israeli families residing in Addis Ababa who told me enthusiastically of the work they are doing there. In the past, much equip­ ment, such as tractors, trucks, busses, etc., sent from the United States broke down for lack of trained technicians.

(This was exploited politically by the Russians who busily explained to the Ethiopians that Uncle Sam was only sending them the scrap which nobody wanted at home!) The Israelis are fill­ ing that gap. They are presently edu­ cating Ethiopians in the necessary attitudes towards responsible úse of public property; they have to be taught the feeling of concern and responsi­ bility for equipment entrusted to them, even before they are taught how to use it. Consequently, the Israelis hiaVe to be as much pedagogues as they are teachers of skills. The Israelis I met there are true idealists arid went about their Tasks with love and enthusiasm.

No wonder that their efforts are wel­ comed, not only by the local popula­ tion, but also by the Arrierican authori­ ties who know that the Israeli export of “yeyda’^ H e b re w for “know-how” —is a vital supplement to the Ameri­ can aid program.

I found that an active trade has developed along the Red Sea, connect­ ing the ports of Eilath and Massawa in Eritrea. Israeli cement, ice boxes, cos­ metics, textiles, plastics, etc. are being imported by Israeli trade firms, and Ethiopian meat, coffee and other goods are being returned on the same boats.

I heard that a small colony of Chasidic 13

shochtim have been sent to Asmara to slaughter the kosher meat which Israel buys in Ethiopia. (The meat that turns out trefah is shipped to Europe.)

One motzoe Shabboth I joined a social gathering of Israeli families and soon heard for the first time a dis­ cussion in modern Hebrew on a pro­ jected leopard hunt and safari.

N my trip through Africa this year, I realized fully, for the first O time, that the establishment of the State of Israel has brought an often overlooked windfall to Jews in gen­ eral. Through the existence of Israeli consulates and embassies in many parts of the world, a visiting Jew has a natural point of contact with local Jews and institutions. If it hadn’t been for the Israeli Embassy in Addis Ababa, I would not have found out about many phases of the local Jew­ ish community. The same was my ex­ perience later on in West Africa. Not that the diplomats of Israel always want to be identified with the local Jewish community, as I found out in one or two instances, but obviously close liaison does exist, and that is a great help to visiting Jewish tourists and businessmen.

It was through my friendship with the Israeli Vice-Consul in Addis Ababa, a former Hebrew teacher from Aleppo, that I found out about the prominent Shalemay family in Addis, as the capital is known for short. The patriarchal head of that family origi­ nated in Aden, and lives with most of his ten children in a palatial villa at the outskirts of Addis. He is one of the most prominent businessmen in the country and is also a pillar of the orthodox Jewish community. It was on the grounds of his large busi­ ness establishment that I found the picturesque synagogue of Addis. It is 14

a small Beth Hamidrosh, the upper chamber in a large white arch in the middle of a yard surrounded by the warehouses and offices of the^ Shalemay enterprises, on the main business street of Addis Ababa. Mr. Shalemay told me that the property once be­ longed to the Crown Prince of Ethi­ opia, but that when he found out there was a synagogue on the premises, built about sixty years ago, he im­ mediately offered to sell the property to a Jew so that the synagogue would remain in Jewish hands. The small synagogue is today called Congrega­ tion Sukkath Rachamim, and when later in my trip I discovered that one of the synagogues of Aden is called Sukkath Shalom I realized that the Jews who had been forced to leave Aden under Arab persecution had taken with them the name of their synagogue just as the first Jews to settle in New Amsterdam called their con­ gregation Shearith Israel, after their own previous community in Recife, Brazil, which was called Tzur-Israel.

Similar landmarks and milestones of Jewish wanderings and exile mark thousands of miles and hundreds of years apart!

There are said to be about two hundred Jewish families in Addis Ababa; some from Aden, others from Europe; some are attached to the American Embassy and the regional United Nations office.

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Y NEXT destination was in Mo­ gadiscio in the new Republic of Somalia. However, because of aggra­ vated political tension between Ethi­ opia and Somalia over some territorial disputes, no direct air flights are made between the two countries. Conse­ quently, I had to fly to Nairobi and wait for two days for my connection JEWISH LIFE

to Somalia. It was quite accidental that during a tour of the beautiful city I spotted the unusually beautiful and impressive synagogue of Nairobi.

In fact, I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw the Mogen Dovid on the modernistic building, and walked near it to make sure my impression did not mislead me. To my surprise, I read a plaque listing Rev. J. Carlebach as the spiritual leader of the Nairobi Hebrew congregation. I quickly made contact with the rabbi, who graciously

and especially Jewish education, in the midst of a community numbering about five hundred families. The com­ munity of Nairobi was founded in 1904 by Jews of Russian origin. The first synagogue, according to what the Rabbi told me, was built in 1912.

Then, as a result of immigration from Germany in the 1930’s, their numbers grew and a larger synagogue was needed. The present magnificent build­ ing was erected in 1954. An influx of Israelis and refugees from Arab

The S y n ago gu e in Nairobi, K enya

invited me to his home for the eve­ ning. It turned out that he is one of the surviving sons of one of the great martyrs of the Hitler period, Rabbi Joseph Carlebach of Hamburg, of sainted memory. What imponderable and incomprehensible twists of fate and history! As a result of the cruel and barbarous events of the Nazi period, a Jewish community has a spiritual leader in deepest Africa!

Young Rabbi Carlebach with his South African wife is putting in a lot of hard work to further Judaism, February, 1961

countries has added to the kaleido­ scopic character of this interesting community. “Considering its size, the community is very active,” «aid the Rabbi. “We have religious classes, adult education programs and many other religious, cultural, and Zionist activities, and we try to take in as many of our scattered thousand Jews as we can. It is not unusual for people to travel two hundred miles or more to hear a lecture or tor attend a serv­ ice.”

As the Rabbi drove me back to my 15

hotel, he pointed out places where Mau Mau atrocities had taken place only some years ago. I was told that Jews occupy important positions in the pres­ ent administration as well as. in the business community. As the official head of the Jewish community, Rabbi Carlebach must attend all public func­ tions as the Governor General’s guest.

The Jews of Kenya do not seem to be worried about their future; they maintain good relations with their African neighbors. If any known group is expecting discriminationr it may be the Indian community, which has very large holdings in Kenya, but is preparing, by and large, to return to India before Kenya becomes in­ dependent.

LEFT the beautiful and cool Nai­ robi behind me and flew down from the high plateau to the sandy, sun-drenched shores of the Indian Ocean. Somalia, a former Italian col­ ony, known in Biblical times as the land of Punt, was always the ancient world’s largest producer of incense.

The fleets of the Pharaohs, and also the fleets of the Judean Kings, came here for this precious ware, profusely used in Temple services. The proud Somali people are of Hamitic stock, and although dark-skinned, have en­ tirely different features from those of

1

Africans elsewhere. Islam'is the official religion everywhere, yet Egypt has only a slight influence over the politi­ cal affairs of Somalia. However, in order not to offend Egypt, the Somali government cancelled at the last min­ ute an invitation to Israel to send a delegation for the independence cele­ brations last July. Officials of the gov­ ernment told me that the time for direct contacts between the two na­ tions is as yet premature, but I be­ lieve that with the great success of Israel and the neighboring states, Somalia too will benefit from the wellknown services of Israel. There are only three Jewish families left in Mogadiscio, all of Aden origin. It was intriguing to hear them refer to their African neighbors as v“P’lishtim.”

Could this be a term introduced by sailors of the tribe of Zebulun three thousand years ago?

Tisha B’Av was drawing near,; and since there is no minyon in Moga­ discio, I had to make urgent arrange­ ments to reach the nearest Jewish community to attend Tisha B’av ^serv­ ices. Studying the map and the air­ line schedule daily, I finally decided to fly to Aden in South Arabia on the eve df the Fast. It was a flight of almost six hours in a DC-3, which I took in curious expectations as to what it would be like to visit Arabia.

ADEN DEN is situated in the southwest­ ern-most corner of the Arabian Peninsula, bordering oir Yemen on the North and Hadramaut— akin to Biblical Chatzar-Moveth. Of course, the heat and the barren landscape of the area are among the most extreme in the world. Aden in itself covers a narrow strip of land, along some of

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the most rugged and steep mountains I’ve ever seen. One of the first sights on coming from the airport was a large Jewish cemetery along one of the mountainsides. Row after row of raised stone sarcophagi can be seen, facing north. A narrow gorge has been cut through one of the mountains, making a narrow, zig-zagging road JEWISH LIFE

into neighboring Quater, the old city.

I hired a taxi to take me to the Jewish quarter. My Arab driver, Ibra­ him, said, “Oh you want to go to Afd el-Yahud,” saying that that was the Arabic name for the Jewish ghetto.

He went on to tell me sadly how that region had been completely inhabited by thousands of Jews until twelve years ago, but since then most of them had gone to “Falastin” (Israel). Ibra­ him took me to the largest synagogue in Aden, a spaciously built stone struc­ ture easily capable of holding hun­ dreds of worshippers. The central section has only a marble Tevah in its midst, with no benches or seats around it at all. Two parallel rows of high pillars go on either side of the Tevah and in the eastern and western wings there are rows upon rows of very low wooden benches.

In the front of the northern wall a wide Aron Kodesh houses the Torah scrolls, each encased in round wooden boxes in the Yemenite fashion. As is the custom in Oriental synagogues, scores of elaborate silver lamps, dona­ tions of individuals, are suspended from the ceiling, right in front of the Ark. A special room bordering the eastern wing and separated from it by a high iron fence is the room re­ served for women. I first met the shamash, an unbelievably thin Yemr enite, wearing white clothes and a black skull cap. His black beard and sidecurls make his white face seem even paler, and his deep-set black eyes even more penetrating. We con­ versed in Hebrew, the only language spoken by most of the Jews in Aden besides Arabic. Two young boys stand­ ing next to him are introduced to me as Shemuel and Hanan, who speak fair Hebrew. Their younger sister whispers excitedly to them, “Yehudi?” pointing to me.

February, 1961

T NIGHT, an Arabian Nights scene meets me in the synagogue for the services. The men wear red fezzes, are dressed in white, flowing robes, and are followed by their sons and grandsons. Clusters of these fam­ ilies place themselves comfortably in various spots of the synagogue. The grandfather, patriarchally placed in the middle, sits on a carpet, sometimes barefoot, resting against a high cush­ ion or box; next to him his son, also a little on the heavy side, but without the elder’s flowing white beard and sidecurls. Around the group are chil­ dren, usually barefoot, of all ages, of whom the youngest soon fall asleep while the older ones compete with the grownups in chanting the Kinoth.

With the synagogue built for a com­ munity of thousands, only a few hun­ dred are left; the enormous spacious­ ness of the basilica-type synagogue leaves room for approximately fifty adults and an equal number of chil­ dren to disappear in their respective comers.

For the youngsters, it is like Purim or Simchath Torah. Happy groups of boys in holiday dress, barefoot, with Israeli-made skull caps on their heads, run back and forth. Then a stern look­ ing young man with a red fez and black beard lets his rod out through the air with a whistling sound, but miraculously misses the children each time he charges into the groups. For a while he gets them to congregate at the foot of the Ark and even gets them to chant a few lines, but soon they are dispersed again in mirth, to the chagrin of the melamed.

Behind the bars along the east wing women are following the services in a darkened hall. I noticed that their faces are uncovered, although their heads are covered with kerchiefs. Sur­ rounded by Moslems whose married

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women are literally mummified from head to toe, it must have required enormous strength of character on the part of the Jews not to force their women into adopting similar garb.

As the reading of the Lamentations proceeds, I am struck by the peculiar pronunciation applied. Each komatz is pronounced as an “o” and each cholem is pronounced—similar to the Lithuanian manner—as an “ey.” (Yet, a typically oriental differentiation be­ tween the Aleph and A y in, between Koph and Qoph, between the “hard” and “soft” sounds, are observed. This mixture of oriental consonants and “Lithuanian” vowels creates a rather weird-sounding Hebrew.)

After the services, as a group of worshippers gathers around me for conversation, I query them about this.

They reply that they and their fore­ fathers had lived in Aden for over two thousand years and have known no other pronunciation. When I ask them why their cemetery as well as their synagogue faces north, and not east, they shake their heads in wonderment since they had never heard of another direction than north for praying and burying their dead. After all, Aden is practically due south of Israel. I am informed about institutions, their yeshivah for boys up to the age of fifteen, their Shechitah. I meet their rabbi, Rav Zecharyahu, a venerable sage with a long, white beard and wise, knowing eyes. I hear complaints about the unhappy lot of the approximately one thousand Jews still living in neigh­ boring Yemen, whose king refuses them the right to emigrate.

RACTICALLY all Jews of Aden are orthodox and every Jewish shop is closed on Shabboth. The shadow of the tragic events of 1948 still lingers

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here: Twelve years ago mobs of mur­ dering and burning Arabs swooped down on Afd el-Yahud while the Colonial British troops looked on idly for a few days. Comparing the Jews I meet with the Arabs, whom one can see lounging lazily in the bazaars, or working in the harbor, it is ob­ vious that the Jews are cleaner, bet­ ter educated, better mannered than their Arab neighbors. What untold tension and strife must have charged the two thousand years of history of this proud community.

A curious experience illustrates the impact of Jewish culture on the Arabs.

In the course of my taxi trip, I re­ turned to the car from the synagogue after one of my stops, and found 180 shillings missing from my jacket. Chal­ lenged, my Arab driver exclaims heatedly in English, “Torah Temimah!

Nobody was near the taxi while you were away!” In my surprise over this Hebrew expression, I completely for­ got my monetary loss. Ibrahim ex­ plained to me that this is a common oath used by Arabs, which they had heard from their former Jewish neighbors.

It was, of course, a rewarding ex­ perience to visit the birthplace of so many Aden Jews who are now scat­ tered around the world. It remains for a historian of Jewish religion to ex­ plain how Aden Jewry has remained so law-observant, even under impact of modern Western civilization while, unfortunately, that has not been the case in other centers of the Oriental Jews.

HAT very contrast became ap­ parent, to me on the next stop, which was Khartoum. The Sudan is Egypt’s neighbor to the south. In an­ cient times most of her territory was

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JEWISH LIFE

ruled over by the Pharaohs, as wit­ nessed by the enormous mass of Egyp­ tian monuments found everywhere in her territory. Nubian princes also ruled over Egypt for centuries at a time. I believe that the gold mines of Havila, mentioned in the second chap­ ter of Bereshith, are found here. Like­ wise, it is my belief that the “river” Pishon is actually the Red Sea, just as the river Gihon has been correctly identified with the White Nile as lately proven by one of the Dead Sea Scrolls. (Ethiopians have always associated the river Gihon with their land, and have even called Addis Ababa’s leading hotel the “Ghion” after that Biblical river.)

Approaching Khartoum by plane, one sees the merger of the two mighty rivers, the blue and white Niles. Pad­ dies are closely hugging the river along its beds, indicating the narrow area which can be cultivated as a result of the annual inundations of the Nile. Herds of cows can therefore only be seen on the immediate banks of the Nile, just as in Pharaoh’s dream.

On Shabboth morning, I braved the merciless, blazing sun and walked well over two miles from my hotel, on Sheria el-Neel (Nile Avenue) to the synagogue situated on Sheria el-Kasr (Palace Avenue). When I arrived at the synagogue by half-past-nine, every­ thing was closed and the tall dervish who is the attendant explained to me that services were over. The tall, swarthy Sudanese, dressed in a huge white tunic, his head topped by a white turban, asked me in a torrent of Arabic whether I wanted to visit the Beth Hacham or the president of the congregation. The synagogue is relatively new, well able to hold about 150 men, besides women up in the gallery. I opted for a visit to the rabbi, February, 1961

where I arrived after another twenty minutes of walking in the broiling sun.

HE young Rabbi Massoud El-Baz, while bom in Morocco, is a prod­ uct of the Cairo yeshivoth. He is quite learned, and devotes much time to writing his own chidushim. In a long conversation with h im j|I discovered that his oriental background makes it impossible for him to understand some of the German or Polish words which appear here and there in the com­ mentaries on the Shulchon Oruch, and which lead him at times to erroneous conclusions in law.

I heard of the sad plight of the forty to fifty families still living in Khartoum. The closeness of the Sudan to Egypt gives cause for concern!for most of these Jews, and already emi­ gration has been made difficult. Emi­ gration to Israel itself is, of course, forbidden outright.

Interestingly, the Sudanese authori­ ties require that all cases involving Jews should be judged on the basis of Jewish law. The last case was re­ cently referred to Rabbi El-Baz. It in­ volved a Jewish husband who, in the course of divorce proceedings, claimed that certain property he had written over to his wife really always be­ longed to him, since the transfer had only been made for tax purposes. He showed me the passages in the Jewish law which he applied in the case.

My acquaintance with Rabbi ElBaz involved me in an international “incident” of Jewish significance. He had told me of his difficulties in get­ ting a visa to Nigeria; he had received an urgent call to come to Kano, capi­ tal of Northern Nigeria, where a cir­ cumcision had to be performed. Rabbi El-Baz, nearly two thousand miles away, was the nearest rabbi at hand.

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Yet, the British authorities did not grant him the necessary visa. I volun­ teered my help in case I could be of assistance. When, shortly thereafter, I laiided in Lagos, Nigeria, I became well acquainted with the African chief of police in matters pertaining to my own visa. The Israeli consul in Lagos, whom I consulted first, declared him­ self unable to be of assistance, since the Jews involved in Kano were not Israeli citizens. I thereupon decided to make use of my acquaintance with the police chief, and proceeded to explain

to him the urgency of Rabbi El-Baz’s* visit to Kano and the nature of his business there. My African friend broke into broad and hearty laughter, as is so typical of Africans, and ex­ claimed, “That foolish man! Does he really want to make such a long trip for such a small matter? Well, if he is that foolish, why don’t we let him do it? The visa will be cabled to Khar­ toum at once!” I was happy indeed when I could cable Rabbi El-Baz that things were settled and the way cleared for the trip to perform a mitzvah.

WEST AFRICA partnership

arrangement

with

the

IGERIA is truly Africa’s giant, N with its population of forty mil­ Western Region government, under lion. Israel discovered this important which a chain of stores is operating information a long time ago, long be­ fore it got its independence. The Israeli consul at the time of my visit was Prime Minister Ben Gurion’s per­ sonal secretary himself. Nigeria is divided into three practically autono­ mous regions. The largest one, in the north, is wholly Moslem. Israel’s re­ lations with the north have been a little difficult. Egypt has exerted much pressure to dissuade the northerners from accepting Israeli aid. Neverthe­ less, just a few days before independ­ ence, on October first, the north agreed to Israeli assistance.

The warmest relations that have been developed in Nigeria, however, are with Chief Awolowo and his gov­ ernment in the western regions. Chief Awolowo commands Nigeria’s second strongest party; he has no part in the present coalition government which rules in the federal capital. However, in his own Western Region he rules supreme. Israel has entered into a m

throughout the region. These stores handle especially automotive equip­ ment, appliances, etc., and are man­ aged by Israelis. Just as with Israeli trading firms in West and.East Africa, Israel products are given preference wherever possible, but in many cases merchandise of different origin is also handled. The operators represent semi­ official Israeli foreign trade corpora­ tions. Through this medium Israeli cement, refrigerators, canned goods, etc., can be found often in dominating positions.

As a Jewish visitor enters West Africa, he is struck by the absence, by and large, of local Jewish resi­ dents. This is, of course, connected with the fact that white settlers are non-existent in West Africa, in former British territories. While tens of thou­ sands of English settlers, and at times hundreds of thousands, went to other parts of the continent with the goal of finding a permanent home, the west JEWISH LIFE

coast o f Africa Was always known as “white man’s grave” because of the dangerous tropical diseases rampant there. The only white men who came there were traders, first for slaves and gold only, later for cocoa, coffee, ivory, diamonds, etc. Even the white administrators limited their “tours” to a few years at most. A few Lebanese Jews lived here and there up to a few years ago, but they have slowly dis­ appeared. On a previous trip I heard of the case of a Russian Jew who lived in Monrovia, the capital of Liberia, for many years and was one of the closest friends of President Tubman. When he died two years ago he left no relatives behind who cared for Jewish customs, and so President Tubman decided that as a sign of his warm friendship, the deceased should be buried in the Presbyterian ceme­ tery. It was only because he had also been for many years honorary Israeli consul that the Israeli embassy was able to find a separate plot for his grave, surrounded by a fence, and marked by a Mogen Dovid.

I once sent a shofor to some Jewish friends in Ghana for the High Holy Days, but services were attended only by visiting American and Jewish busi­ nessmen, besides Israelis. ’ The families attached to the Israel embassies, technical assistance mis­ sions, military missions, etc. are now forming their own communities in the West African countries. Hebrew teachers have been brought in from Israel and Hebrew schools have been organized, at least for children up to the age of ten. It may be that in these circumstances, the emergence of an “Israeli” culture as opposed to what we have been used to knowing as “Jewish” is slowly making itself felt.

February, 1961

HE TWO small West African nations of Togo and Dahomey, sandwiched in between Nigeria and; Ghana, were formerly administered by the French. I found np sign of either Jewish or Israeli groups there, The exception was one of the high­ est government officials in Dahomey with whom I had business dealings, and who turned out t o , have been born in Lemberg, and with whom-^ much to my relief—I could converse in Yiddish instead of French.

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In Togo, I found some very far distant traces of Brazilian Marranos, through the many families still bear­ ing typical Marrano names such as Da Silva, De Souza, etc. Although the bearers of these names are today fully assimilated Africans, their grand­ fathers—including that 6f the present Prime Minister-—were white traders who came from Brazil.

The la s t,country where I stopped on my way through West Africa was Ghana, which 1 know well from sev­ eral previous Visits: A country of immense vitality and ingenuity, burst­ ing at the seams with activity l^rnaking rapid, progress, certainly to a large extent by adc&pting technical and material assistance from as many sources as possible. The assistance given by Israel is of course well known today around the world, and encom­ passes commercial, maritime, military, geological, agricultural, communal, and other areas. Seeds of discontent and outright animosity have already been sown in Ghana by Israel’s enemies, especially by Egypt. There are some who say that this could have been prevented if Israel’s effort had been less obtrusive and conspicuous.

However, this is a debatable point and certainly long-lasting friendships 21

and influence in this area must be properly publicized. Certainly, Israel has earned Ghana’s indebtedness, not only for the assistance rendered in Ghana, but also for the hospitality extended to so many Ghanaian visitors to Israel. One Ghanaian official who had returned from Israel told me of two hours he had spent alone with Ben-Gurion, which he described to me as the most elevating and inspiring

moments of his life. It was a reward­ ing moment for Israel when Ghana’s president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, made a strong plea for Arab-Israel peace, recognition of present borders, and the acceptance of Israel as a political reality, in his first address to the United Nations. It is regrettable that this portion of his speech received practically no mention in the daily press.

S I was winging back north over the Sahara Desert, on the first leg of my return home, reflections on my experiences and observations crowded my mind. It appeared to me that developments in Black Africa offered a new vista in the long history of Jews. The ties of Jews with Africa rooted in the past, at times going back to the Biblical age, are insignificant and disappearing. Jews are therefore approaching a new continent, a con­ tinent itself emerging young and in­ dependent, on an equal footing, un­ burdened by complexes of any kind.

Africans are already recognizing Jews as a people apart from their former colonial masters. This was brought out

dramatically when homes bearing signs saying “Jews Are Living Here” were left unharmed in the recent Congo riots. The great Israeli experiment in Africa is bringing an entirely new type of Jew to Africa, a sturdy, rugged, and unmaterialistic type. Memories of a similar past of oppression can help bring about strong and fruitful part­ nership for a bright future.

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In days of yore, the first bonds were closed connecting Jerusalem and Sa­ maria with Kush, Punt, Ophir, Havilah, and other African lands. We see a re-establishment of this pattern as part of the general restoration of our past.

JEWISH LIFE

Operation Taryag

By M. KAPLAN

recall very vividly the entire ical deduction, so sit yourself down f CAN scene and the conversation as we and make a list of them and show it sat in our living room. It was in my post-Bar Mitzvah days. “. . . and these 613 commandments known as the Taryag Mitzvoth in Hebrew are the fundamentals of Jew­ ish observance. They are called Taryag because the tof stands for —” “Yes, Pa, I know —” — for 400, the raish stands for 200, the yud for 10, and the gimel for 3, totaling 613 altogether. Now —” “Please Pa, I know all the —” “Sonny [somehow this is not the same as Zindahle], nothing should be learned out of context, you know that, because you get only a fragmen­ tary picture and sometimes this frag­ ment is misleading. Now . . .”

“Yes, Pa, I know, er . . . er . . . excuse me for interrupting you so many times but right now I am in­ terested in only one thing about the Taryag Mitzvoth and that is, where can I get a list of them?”

“Well now, that’s nice. What brought this on?”

“Well, I was telling Label about the commandments and he said he would like to see them and I didn’t know what to tell him except that they were all in the Torah.”

“That’s true. All of them are in the Torah very explicitly except two of them, which are derived by exegetFebruary, 1961

to Label. I’ll help you.”

“Aw Pa, that would take days and days!”

“So what’s the hurry?”

“But —” “It wouldn’t hurt you. Besides, every Jew must write for himself a copy of the Torah. This will be your copy.

From this list you will be able to learn for yourself and also have it to show to anybody.”

“But Pa, isn’t there any place where I can see a separate list of them without copying it?”

He sighed and replied: “Yes. There is the Rambam’s listing in the Sefer Ha-Mitzvoth and . . >” “But that’s in Hebrew!”

“Nw?” “Er . . . well . . . I want it in English so I can study it easily, not to struggle like I will have to in He­ brew and I would understand them easily and I could show them easily—” “Easily! Ay, that word ‘easily’!

Don’t you know that things come by easily do not form a lasting impression and you must use these Mitzvos all your life. If you were to sit down and copy out-4j ' “But Pa!” j “All right, all right,” he said re­ signedly. “Go look in the Jewish 23

Encyclopedia. There you will find a listing in English by the Rambam of all the Taryag Mitzvoth.”

“Aha! Boy, thanks a lot, Pa. Thanks a million, er . . . thanks a Taryag.We have a ten-volume set of the Jewish Encyclopedia, and sure enough I found the listing there. 1 read it through once hurriedly, then more slowly.

Well, just from the reading alone I corrected a lot of misconceptions I had had about them. For instance, I had had the idea that every Jew must observe all the commandments.

That remained true, but now I knew it meant collectively, not individually.

Since I was a Yisroel, I could see that a commandment that pertained to the Kohen or Levi could not be observed by me. The same thing ap­ plied to a king or a judge or a farmer, and so on.

OW it wasn’t until after I had gotten my sheepskin from City College that the Taryag Mitzvoth came up again—that is, as a subject of discussion. At the Bar Mitzvah of a cousin’s son, a group of us were discussing the taking over of the re­ sponsibility for observance of the commandments by the Bar Mitzvah.

A young non-Jewish boy who was studying for the Protestant Ministry (a friend of my cousin’s older boy— this was in a small New Jersey town) asked me some pointed questions

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Category Mandatory Kohen ...........

20 5 Levi ................................

Yisroel .............

151 King (or leader) ...........

15 Ju d g e.................

27 Farmers .............

15 Nazarite .........................

2 Leper ............................

1 Men only .......................

9 Women only .................

3 248 24

about the commandments. I’m afraid I didn’t satisfy him or myself. I floundered around, evaded, then ad­ mitted openly that I had not studied the commentary on the command­ ments as such.

I determined to make a breakdown of all the commandments so that at least I could know what I had to observe myself. This I did and, inci­ dentally, it pleased my father. Natur­ ally I put in a claim that this would be my copy of the Torah. He smiled and said, “Well, for the present anyway.”

My first draft came out incorrectly because when I added the columns down and across, the total was not 613. I went back and checked every category again and this time it came out right. My father said that having to do it over again was a punishment because I took the “easy” way out and I only had a breakdown of the commandments without any com­ mentary.

I offer my apologies as to its strict accuracy, because I made the judg­ ments as to category by myself. Please check up on me.

Before I start may I startle you by saying that not all of the command­ ments need be observed? Since I am orthodox you might say that I had a bit of the “modern” in me but it’s not true. We’ll see later. For now here’s the break-down.

Prohibitive 50 4 248 17 15 19 8 1 2 1 365

Total 70 9 399 32 42 34 10 • ,2 11 4 613 JEWISH LIFE

Now this listing is all right mathe­ matically but misleading unless clari­ fied. Basically every Jew must observe all the commandments applicable to the category in which he finds him­ self. In addition, each special category other than the Yisroel must observe those specified above for the Yisroel.

For instance, the Kohen must observe the 20 Mandatory for him plus the 151 Mandatory listed for the Yisroel and the 50 Prohibitive plus the 248 listed for the Yisroel. The Kohen therefore observes 171 Mandatory and 298 Prohibitive, a total of 469.

Now again this is mathematically correct but actually it is not, since it is not incumbent upon him today because the Temple is not in existence.

Therefore only that part of his total which does not have to do with the Temple can be observed by him to­ day and the balance will be resumed when our Temple is rebuilt.

Of course the same applies to the Levi’im.

As to the balance of the categories, the amounts today must be observed as listed since thanks to the Almighty we once again have the Land of Israel.

OES this clear everything up?

Sorry, no. Why? Because we don't live in Israel. Certain of the commandments can only be observed in Israel itself.

For instance, for the Yisroel, 79 of his commandments can only be ob­ served in Israel. Therefore in “Chutz

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Can be observed only in Eretz Israel (all categories) Can be observed outside ofjEretz Israel (all categories) '; February, 1961

Lo’Oretz” he can only observe 320.

The last two categories must of course be added to any of the other categories as they apply, which brings us to the women’s obligations. For them we bring in the principle of mitzvath assey she-haz’man g’rumah—of Posi­ tive Commandments dependent for their observance on the Time. While women do not have to observe the overwhelming majority of the Positive Commandments, they are responsible for observance of all the Negative Commandments. They do not lose in the scheme of Reward and Punish­ ment because by the execution of their duties in accordance with the Torah, they receive the equivalent of the men, who must observe all of the Positive Commandments.

Now to account for the startling statement that all the commandments, even those applicable in one’s cate­ gory, need not be observed.

For instance, there is a command­ ment to write your wife a writ of divorce. Well, obviously if you live happily ever after to the Olom Haba without divorcing your spouse, you need not observe this commandment.

Again, there is a commandment that you marry your brother’s widow if he, chalilah, died before leaving chil­ dren. Obvious, eh? And so on; but I will leave this fascinating search for more to you.

K

FURTHER breakdown for pur­ poses of completeness:

Mandatory

Prohibitive

Total

132

80

212

116

285

401

248

365

613 25

Another breakdown: B’reshith (Genesis) has Sh’moth (Exodus) has Vayikra (Leviticus) has B’midbor (Numbers) has D’vorim (Deuteronomy) has Total All the commandments are specifi­ cally referred to with the exception of Negative Commandments numbers 104 and 175, which are not stated directly but are derived by authorita­ tive exegetical deduction.

Again, for purposes of complete­ ness, I append the following seven additional commandments promul­ gated by the Rabbonim: 1. Benediction over anything en­ joyed.

2. Washing the hands.

3. Kindling the Sabbath lights.

4. Preparing the Eruv.

5. Reciting the Hallel.

6. Kindling Chanukah lights, and 7. Reading the Megillah on Purim.

One final note about Bachya’s com­ pilation of the Duties of the Heart: These are in the nature of command­ ments but do not have the same con­ notation as the Taryag Mitzvoth.

HEN I had completed the study of the commandments I still wasn’t satisfied because I would still have liked to see a list of them in a book of its own and with commentary in English. (After all, the bulk of the Jews in the United States and other English-speaking countries do not understand Hebrew.)

Through my contact with book publishers I located a listing in Eng­ lish in the back of a Chumosh by

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Commandments 3 111 247 52 200 613

Rabbi S. Glazer with sources indi­ cated and Talmudic references but no commentary. This is available.

I then went to the Jewish Division of the New York Public Library and located a copy of a book published

by Soncino Press in 1940 which had a list of the Positive and Negative commandments but only had com­ mentary on the Positive command­ ments. This is out of print. I wrote to The Soncino Press in London and was told that the manuscript arid plates, etc. were destroyed in the Blitz.

Thus I came close to my goal, but not quite.

After checking the Yeshiva Uni­ versity Library and other libraries I gave up and decided to finish the story as is. Then a minor miracle happened.

Lo and behold! A book did appear, written by Rabbi Herbert S. Gold­ stein and published by Crown Pub­ lishers, which crowned (pun intended) my efforts and ended my search.

This is a book worthy of being called a Sefer. Not only does this work contain a masterful and exhaus­ tive commentary but it is written in today’s idiom without sacrificing tra­ ditional authenticity. Further, despite its Halachic content, which can be quite complex at times, the book is easy reading. By versing the laws at times in sermonette form, Rabbi Gold­ stein has made it pleasant to digest and the Sefer will therefore appeal to the layman as well as the student.

JEWISH LIFE

And among its merits it has at the beginning (just like Saadya’s Book of Opinions and Beliefs) a table of con­ tents in the form of an index, which to my way of thinking is wonderful because, giving you all the subject matter before you read, it then can be used, as an index is intended to be used, for convenient reference.

Whether or not one observes all or part or, l’havdil, none of them, the

Mitzvoth should at least be known to all Jews.

“And they shall know G-d” is a very difficult concept to understand or explain, but we do know that it is through the prerequisite knowledge and subsequent observance of His commandments as revealed to us in His Torah that one can come closest to G-d and thus help bring us all closer to the Redemption.

FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR FRIENDS . . .

A PRECIOUS GIFT two years for only $4.00 (twelve issues)

JEWISH LIFE, 84 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK 11, N. Y. Send gift subscription to: N am e ..............................................................................................................................

A d d re ss.............................................................. ........................................ ...................

City, State ....................................................................................................................

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include my own subscription

February, 1961

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27

Why The Sensitivity?

By JACOB J. FRANKEL

Is the fund a p p ea l at syna g og u e services an unw arranted intrusion . . . a necessary e v i l . . . or a va lid occasion for M itzvah fulfillm ent?

N THE course of the year, every Jew who attends shool regularly must come face-to-face with the phe­ nomenon known as the Appeal. Be it for some yeshivah, for a struggling orphanage, or for a needy local in­ stitution; be it for Israel or the Dia­ spora, community-wide or limited to the synagogue’s expanding needs, the setting is the same: a fervent appeal to the worshipper to respond with a financial gesture.

If the setting is always the same, so very often is the response: Is it proper to introduce mercenary con­ siderations at a place and time of worship? Is it right to inject into the sacred spirit of a Sabbath or holiday the mundane overtones of money? Is it not to be regretted that those hours set aside for prayerful meditation be cruelly interrupted by matters pecuniary?

If this be the reaction of the lay­ man, it is by no means confined to him; it is the exception rather than the rule when this writer has not heard or been exposed to the entire gamut of apologetics: conciliatory statements explaining in a humble

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fashion the need for this intrusion; a forced acceptance of a necessary evil; a relic, sanctioned by years of exist­ ence, which the merciful Jewish heart can’t abandon. In short, by laymen and often by rabbis, the appeal is tolerated, but not willingly accepted.

It is responded to, but in disdain and reluctance. And in all too many in­ stances, the appeal has been “success­ fully” defeated: neither the cause in question, nor the individual champion­ ing the cause, is allowed into the syna­ gogue. The disturbing element has finally been cast aside. The atmos­ phere of the synagogue will never again be rendered profane by the appeal.

T is the thesis of this writer that this state of affairs is to be la­ mented. It is the belief, nay, the con­ viction of the opposing side that synagogue and prayer on the one hand and fund appeals on the other represent the diametric opposites of Kodesh and Choi, of the sacred and the secular. The intrusion of the ap­ peal for funds, severing, so to speak,

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JEWISH LIFE

that bond which unites the worshipper and the Ribono Shel Olom during services, is viewed as a minor Chilul Hashem, to be avoided at all costs.

Should Halachic support be necessary, it may be found by applying the pro­ hibition of conducting one’s business on the Sabbath to the appeal, which by its very nature-—even when dona­ tions are not announced publicly— involves and revolves about finances.

It is obvious that it has no place in the synagogue during services.

Whereas this line of reasoning is on a conscious level, I believe there exist unconscious undercurrents and hidden dissuaders just as important as —if indeed not more than—the ad­ mitted ones, namely, money, as such, smacks of ‘‘evil.” In our affluent so­ ciety, where status-seeking is practi­ cally woven into the fabric of our culture, we find the interesting para­ dox: a feeling of guilt and shame about the very element we are so proud of possessing—money. Dozens are the epigrams and epithets casting aspersions upon and deprecating those involved in the pursuit of matters material: the rich one finds himself tabbed “filthy rich,” but the individual who wishes to set a higher material standard for himself and his family sees his efforts interpreted as “chas­ ing after the buck,” and the independ­ ent thinker and doer who happens to be “loaded” must face the charge that he is out to wield his “almighty dol­ lar.” Obviously, an element as un­ savory as all that has no place in a spiritual setting. Or has it?

The Jew, his Torah, his shool, his Geonim and Gedolim have not emerged simultaneously with the Or­ ganization Man. If a present situation is baffling, if a contemporary problem is perplexing, let us follow a timeFebruary, 1961

honored tradition: Let us examine the record—-our record! Let us look into the past—our past! And what do we find?

N the Torah we find the themes of money, wealth, and possessions omnipresent, almost disturbingly so.

For is not the Torah our spiritual cor­ nerstone? Are not all its paths peace­ ful? Is not the material side of our nature to be deemphasized, if not total­ ly negated? Should this Divine Law, whose banner proclaims “You shall be holy,” harp as much as it does on man’s greedy character?

A deeper look into the Chumosh episodes reveals a most interesting finding: there is a certain well-estab­ lished parallelism insofar as material possessions are concerned. There is Gezel, robbery, but counter-acting it is also Tzedokah; there is Chomoth, oppression, but also Nedovah, volun­ tary giving; there is greed, but it is more than balanced by kindness. The very same lure of S’dom’s wealth that attracts Lot repels Avrohom. Lovon’s riches whet his desire for more, at the cost of exploitation of the stranger, Yaakov. Avrohom’s riches purchase the Cave of Machpelah. Wealth in­ duces Bil’am to cure the innocent, but Chesed impels Avrohom to defend the wicked. Finally, the same gold and silver that can erect the Tabernacle may also fashion a “Golden Calf.”

What is the meaning of all this?

Simply this: our Torath Chayim knows life and understands living. It perceives that inherent in man’s nature is his preoccupation with, concern about, and interest in wealth and the pursuit of wealth. This being the case, the Torah proceeds to deal with this phase of the human character in its

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typical fashion: not a denial of its existence but an admission of its po­ tential. Believing money to be a source, the Torah gives direction, charts a course, establishes an aim, provides a goal. Knowing how often avarice aligns with or identifies with the in­ clination for evil, the Torah’s stand is clear and consistent: Thou shalt love the Lord thy G-d with all thy heart . . . and soul . . . and might . . .

Don’t accept reality—elevate it. Don’t deprecate the existing—exalt it! Hal­ low the mundane! Sanctify the com­ mon! K ’doshim tih’yu.

The Torah—its source divine and future eternal—established that in the scheme of things wealth has a promi­ nent, though unique, place; it may indeed be the root of all. All of what?

The clear, unequivocal reply: all that man wants it to be. In and of itself, money is a neutral entity; it does noth­ ing but what man wants it to do; its sense of direction is that which we provide. We give it meaning, enhance it with significance, and endow it with value.

HIS particular interpretation is re­ flected in a saying of the Baal Shem Tov, who, with profound in­ sight, pointed out that the two Hebrew terms, mammon and sulam, “money” and “ladder,” have identical numerical value (Gematria) and he explains: In Jacob’s famous dream we find the ladder resting on the ground but reaching into the very heavens, and drawing the analogy to Mammon, the Baal Shem Tov pointed out: the man­ ner in which a man uses his money and the causes for which he spends it, reflect his standing on the ladder of life, whether on the lowest rung, touching earth, soil, and dust, or soaring towards G-d above and identi­

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fying with His values— Chesed, Emeth Rachmonuth.

In a somewhat similar vein, our Sages declared that a man may reveal his innermost self when he is seen through kisso, kosso, and ka’asso, his pocket, his glass (drinking habits), and his anger. Whereas drink and anger have been somewhat sanctioned in our society so that they may not serve as true indices, it is more than ever true that we may say to an in­ dividual or to a family: “Show me your budget and I will show you who you are!” The decision as to what ranks first, second, and third in one’s financial outlay and time (for, after all, time is money . . .) reflects with compass-like exactness the values placed on education, entertainment, charity, self-enhancement, self-indulg­ ence, possessions, and community re­ sponsibility. In short, the wealth of an individual is an extension of himself; the manner in which he puts it to use, a reflection of himself.

Now, when it is established that the onus of responsibility falls not upon the metal or paper by which we desig­ nate riches but upon the individual himself, we may more clearly per­ ceive the seeming over-emphasis which the Torah places upon money and its equivalents: directing a fair share of one’s earnings to Tzedokah di­ rects the individual himself towards righteousness. That is why Tzedokah is considered a positive command, and that is why even the poor person who depends upon others for sustenance must himself share with the less for­ tunate the little he may have. That is why the Korbon sacrifice assumed such important religious significance in days past, emphasizing that the road of the “giver” may lead to forgiveness for transgressions, and that is why the JEWISH LIFE

Torah used the term nefesh, soul, when referring to those bringing offer­ ings. A gift, an offering, a tribute is only as good as the soul whence it comes. Fully cognizant of the tempta­ tion which money may present, the Torah warns so decisively and firmly of the dangers of bribery and interest for loans, honest scales and measures, proper compensation for the slave and the injured. Above all, we find that giving may be identified with our very lives when we solemnly acknowledge that Tzedokah, combined with T’shuvah (repentance) and T’fillah (pray­ er), may get us the reprieve we wish but may not deserve.

UT, it may be argued, admitted that the material aspect of our character and personality is so im­ portant, should we not attempt to deemphasize this facet when in the House of the Lord? Should we not attempt, at least, to keep all conscious mani­ festation of our day-to-day dealings out of our minds during prayer? The answer is significant and poignant: let us closely examine our prayerbook, whether weekday, Shabboth, Yom ToV, or Yomin Noroim. Should the argument that only ethereal subjects be brought up during services hold any weight, should the point be made that T’fillah, by definition, is the realm of the spirit alone, beginning and end­ ing there, then the prayerbook proper points a finger and loudly announces: NO! While praising G-d in our humble fashion, while thanking the Almighty for His benevolence, while acknowedging His mastery over one and all, we beseech, implore, plead. Un­ ashamedly and properly we ask for life and its necessities, for healings, for peace, for the presence of G-d’s blessings, for absence of shame, for

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February, 1961

comfort and salvation. In fact, in the midst of the Sh’moneh Essreh and Ovinu Malkenu there is room and a prescribed form for petitioning the Al­ mighty for livelihood and well-being.

In summary, the Siddur itself offers the irrefutable argument that it is the whole individual who prays, who comes to shool, who offers supplica­ tion. It is no more possible to split that individual into his theoretical components than it is to exaggerate one aspect out of all proportion to the others that make him a whole entity, at home and in the synagogue, in his business and private world.

Perhaps a more forceful and cogent argument may run as follows: The essence of every fund appeal is, in its broad aspect, Tzedokah, and granted the important position which the Torah and which we as individuals ascribe to charity-righteousness, yet where does it say that this must be brought into the synagogue during worship? Why must the sanctity of Kol Nidre be shared with an outside cause, no matter how important? Why must the once-a-year atmosphere of A1 Chet be rendered almost profane by the attempt to collect funds? Why should a rare Yizkor moment, flooding the soul with intimate memories, be shattered by rude references to dollars and cents? After all, our business and home mailboxes are open to any cor­ respondence regarding charity, our telephone lines will carry any message pertaining to private or community needs! Why davka in shool? Must the Torah reading be interrupted with dozens of finance-directed “Mi-Sheberachs?”

In reply, let us consider the fol­ lowing: An appeal, or any call for Tzedokah, raises an immediate con­ flict between selfishness and altruism, 31

between the impulse to keep what is ours and the moral compulsion to share with others. In short, it accentuates the distinction between the individual and the public, between the private and community interest. 1 For us to do what is right and prop­ er in an appeal, we must have the public welfare in mind at the time, our hearts must be attuned to the right sounds calling at the moment. Our in­ dividuality must be willing to render itself smaller.

HEN the individual finds him­ self confined in his office or shop or factory, he is uniquely attuned to his own needs and situation and he can only half-heartedly and with utter difficulty lend an ear to another’s need.

When in his home, surrounded by members of the family, he is reminded of his obligations to those nearest and dearest. He is conscious of past hopes not yet fulfilled, of aspirations and goals requiring hard work to be real­ ized. At that moment too he is singu­ larly unsuited to detour his attention elsewhere, to redirect his thoughts away from his home. His world is narrowed down to his and his family’s existence, his universe is circumscribed by his worries and plans, and he will resist attempts to draw him out of his self-imposed temporary shelter.

Not so in the synagogue! Here the “I” is immediately elevated to the “We.” Here the public weal reigns supreme; here the community domi­ nates, and when reference is made to the “I” it is in the context of Va’ani berov chasdecha, “and I, through the abundance of Thy mercy.” Competi­ tion, aggression, victory and defeat, disillusion and achievement are re­ duced in scope before the presence of the Omnipresent. A different mood

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prevails. A different attitude rules. A N ’shomah Yetheyrah, the additional soul of the Sabbath, governs. And is there a time when the ear will hear the cry of others as distinctly and feel­ ingly as during prayer, when we our­ selves beg to be given a Divine Amen to our requests? And is there a place other than the synagogue where our eyes will see the plight of our people as clearly and as sharply?

And is there a moment better suited for the heart to respond than during the moment of worship? For what is ‘ T’fillah? Is it a one-way path to the heavens, paved with the individual’s needs alone? Is the service to be re­ duced to a lip-service? If words are cheap, in everyday context then they are doubly meaningless when uttered in the presence of the Almighty un­ supported by the deeds appropriate to the prayers. Perhaps it is not without significance that the three-avenue road available to us for beseeching G-d for yet another year of life should follow the sequence of T’shuvah, T’fillah, and then Tzedokah. Perhaps there is a hidden, or open, meaning that Tzedo­ kah must reinforce prayer in the same manner as prayer would prove the seriousness about penitence.

A former pupil once came to visit the Brisker Rav of sainted memory, Reb Yossef Ber Soloveitchik, and dur­ ing the course of the conversation the Rav asked his pupil: “Nu, what are you doing?” And the talmid replied that, thank G-d, he and family were fine. Several moments later the Rav suddenly injected: “And what are you doing, my pupil?” And the answer came that there was nachas from the children and that he had prospered in his business ventures. The conver­ sation continued, Rebbi and pupil re­ called former days of hardship spent JEWISH LIFE

at the yeshivah, and then Reb Yossef Ber asked innocently:^ “And what are you doing?” The former yeshivah bochur looked at the Rebbi per­ plexedly and then replied: “I don’t understand you, Rebbi. You asked me once, and then again, and I already told you that we are all well, that we have fine parnossah, and that we have nachas. Why ask again now?”

Then Reb Yossef Ber explained: “You still did not answer my question, my son. I asked what are you doing, and you told me that your household is blessed with health and nachas and a good livelihood, but this is not your doing! This is G-d’s hand! My ques­ tion remains: what are you doing? Is your door open to the poor? Does your house welcome the needy? Have you set aside time for Torah learning and tithes for Tzedokah?”

URING the year, at every service, whether in private or congre­ D gational worship, we come to G-d with our major or minor, petty or ex­ aggerated needs. We constantly be­

February, 1961

seech G-d with a series of Asseh: Do it for the sake of our forefathers; do it for Your own sake; do it for the sake of those who passed on in martyr­ dom and do it for the sake of those yet unborn. We beg G-d to answer us in His capacity as a merciful Father.

We recite: Annenu, answer us, be­ cause Thou hearest the cry of the poor; Annenu, because Thou supportest the perfect; Annenu, because Thou answereth at a time of need.

Few are the times and rare the moments when we may wholeheartedly shift our attention away from our needs. The moment may come and the time present itself during the Ap­ peal. There is the opportunity. There is the challenge. There is the call.

And it is in line with our prayers.

It is directed to our depths. The hadrath ponim of a Talmid Chochom, the broken English of the Meshulach from Yerushalayim, the cold efficiency of the paper-clipped card, the familiar tones of the spiritual leader—all are directed at us, reminding, asking, de­ manding: What am I doing?

33

B a sh ko fa h The Divine Intent and Man

By SAMSON R. WEISS When the letters of extinction were signed and given into the hands of Haman, he and his associates joyously came out from the palace and met Mordecai talking before them. At this moment, Mordecai saw three children who came frpm the school and hastened after them. He asked the first one to tell him the verse which he had learned today. The child answered: “Fear not the sudden threat nor the ruin of the wicked when it cometh” (Mishley 3:25). (tI, too,” said the second child, “studied today and this is the 'verse I learned: ‘Take counsel together and it shall come to naught; speak the word and it shall not stdnd, for with us is the Almighty’ ” (Isaiah 8:10).

Said the third child: “Until your advanced years 1 am the same and until your old age I shall carry you. I have made you, I will bear and carry you and bring you deliverance” (Isaiah 46:4).

(Midrash Megillath Esther, 7) rTYHE acknowledgement of the DiJL vine concern with every being demands of us to search every occur­ rence falling within the orbit of our experience for its meaning and pur­ pose. To permit any event to be regis­ tered as accidental, as the outgrowth of blind circumstance and, therefore, as devoid of particular and personal directive, is tantamount to a denial of Divine providence, justice, and mercy. It is, in essence, a correlate of the concept of the Almighty’s omnipresence, as it permeates every phase of existence, which precludes the interpretation of any happening as bereft of significance. Behind the curtain of the obvious flows the quiet and eternal stream of the Divine intent.

It is this intent which presents man with a continuous challenge. Possessed of the ability of discernment and in­ 34

telligent decision, endowed with the capacity of choosing freely his actions and his way, man finds himself con­ fronted by the superior will of his Maker. In fact, he is vexed to find any realm in which, against the back­ ground of the Almighty’s sovereignty, his choice becomes of meaning. It was Maimonides who gave classic expres­ sion to this problem. “Know, then, that everything is done according to His will, but that nevertheless our ac­ tions are given to our choice. For, just as the Creator wanted that fire and air go upwards and water and dust go downward and that the globe turn and that likewise all creations of this world behave in the manner which His will assigned to them, so He wanted that man be endowed with freedom and that all his actions be governed by his sovereign choice” (Hilchoth T’shuvah 5,4). By this freedom of action, man JEWISH LIFE

is distinguished among all creatures.

All other things and beings perform G-d’s will by nature, in unquestioning obedience. Only man is bidden to per­ form His will by conscious acceptance.

This is the premise of the entire Torah.

To all other things and beings the Creator spoke, “Thou shalt be.” Only to man He also spoke, “Thou shalt do.”

This knowledge sets us apart from all others who drew from the ac­ knowledgement of a supreme being the paralyzing conclusion of helplessness and who considered any human ac­ tion as pre-ordained. In their view, the supreme being ând its supreme will pre-empted man’s shaping his own destiny. His fate, they thought, is set. Sinner or saint are equally in­ significant, set apart merely by labels, motivated by compulsory and inex­ orable decrees from above, mere pup­ pets in a play not of their making.

On Sinai, man was set free from the confining jail of this fatalism. On Sinai, G-d revealed not only Himself.

He also revealed man, heretofore un­ known to himself and chained in the fetters of superstition, ignorance, and error. The true grandeur of human existence, experienced before Sinai only by the Patriarchs and those few who lived by their teachings, thus becamè the portion of an entire peo­ ple who were to manifest and teach it by their very existence to all humanity.

Sovereign man, so Torah teaches us, can identify himself with his Maker by making his will a con­ scious and active part of the Divine purpose. By the exercise of his free­ dom he can elevate himself and the entire world, for nothing is final as long as life and thought are granted him. The fool can attain wisdom and February, 1961

the wicked goodness. Cruelty can be replaced with love and sadness trans­ formed into the laughter of joy. Be­ fore him stretch the infinite vistas of his association with the Almighty, a “partnership in the works of creation” which endows with meaning every moment of existence and enables man to penetrate behind the surface of appearances.

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EGILLATH ESTHER is the rec­ ord of a series of seeming coin­ cidences and of the manner in which Mordecai “the Jew” found in them indication and purpose. Where others saw only accident, he found revela­ tion. The rise of the oppressor and his apparently insurmountable power were seen by him as a test of his faith and of the faith of his people, as but one strand in the fabric of destiny.

Three children, . coming from the school of Torah and quoting the verses of confidence and trust, signified to him the dawn of salvation. He now understood why Esther the Prophetess, the noble and the pure, was chosen queen and why he overheard the plot of the king’s assassination. In the final climax, brought about by the sleep­ lessness of the king, the pattern emerges for all to see and even the gallows erected by Haman find their purpose. Esther’s plea for her people, delayed for one day until the Almighty indicates to her by Mordecai’s trium­ phant ride the turning point, is heard and her people saved.

Nowhere in the Book of Esther appears the name of G-d. Yet, He becomes undeniable as the story un­ folds. To find the traces of the Al­ mighty in the developments of history and to follow them, to discover Him and His will where others see only painful confusion and senseless tur­ moil, this is this genius of Israel.

35

You Can Lead a Man to Caviar, B u t . .

By SHOLOM STAIMAN

Sept. 15, 1960 Mr. Sidney Silver 201-06 Blue Ridge Drive Oceanfront, N. Y. Dear Mr. Silver: It is our great pleasure to let you know that you are the winner of the first prize in our Wild Spelties Contest.

We are proud of our new cereal.

Amid the flood of new dry cereals confronting the consumer on today’s supermarket shelves, the shopper will find many a sugar-coated and alpha­ betized variation of the same old wheat, oat, corn, and rice cereals— all good, of course, but none truly new. We at Goodfoods, Inc., how­ ever, can state with pride that we have developed something new—a delicious, different new cereal made from wild spelt, which we have ap­ propriately named Wild Spelties.

Of all this you are quite aware.

I simply restate our position because it had much bearing on the choice of a winner in our slogan contest.

Your slogan, Mr. Silver, hit us where we live, if I may coin an expression.

“I like Wild Spelties because they’re new, they’re different, they’re deli­ cious!” Exactly, Mr. Silver, exactly!

Simply said, no gimmicks, just the basic facts. I think you will be proud 36

to see your own words— “They’re new, they’re different, they’re deli­ cious!”—emblazoned in red letters on every box of Wild Ricies we sell.

And now, to the most important matter at hand. You have won an all­ expense-paid trip for your wife and yourself to the Virgin Islands, where for two weeks of grand vacation you will be Goodfoods’ honored guests in the honeymoon suite of the Virgin Hotel. You may take this trip at any time within the next sixty days, and as soon as we hear from you as to your choice of date, we shall take care of all travel and hotel reservations.

Congratulations, Mr. Silver, and happy vacationing! Let us hear from you soon.

Sincerely yours, GOODFOODS, INC. Henry Washbaugh Contest Editor Sept. 16, 1960 Mr. Henry Washbaugh, Contest Editor GOODFOODS, INC. Goodfoods Building New York, N. Y. Dear Mr. Washbaugh: Many thanks for your kind letter.

JEWISH LIFE

/ am thrilled to be the winner of your contest.

1 wonder if it might be possible for me to receive the cash equivalent in­ stead of the Virgin Island trip?

Sincerely yours|i^ S id n e y S il v e r

September 19, 1960 Mr. Sidney Silver 201-06 Blue Ridge Drive Oceanfront, N. Y. Deaf Mr. Silver: I am sure you must be familiar with our contest rules, which clearly state that no substitutions are allowed for prizes. It would be strictly against company policy to award a cash sub­ stitution.

I am sure you will enjoy your vaca­ tion at the Hotel Virgin. Please advise your date of departure.

Sincerely yours, GOODFOODS, INC. Henry Washbaugh Contest Editor ^ Sept. 20, 1960 Mr. Henry Washbaugh, Contest Editor GOODFOODS, INC. Goodfoods Building New York, N. Y. Dear Mr. Washbaugh: Don't misunderstand me. 1 really appreciate winning the prize. It is only that 1 am afraid dietary restric­ tions and limitations would make a vacation at the Hotel Virgin possibly less than enjoyable. That is why I suggested the cash instead. Or could 1 perhaps pick another hotel some­ where?

Sincerely yours, S id n e y S il v e r

February, 1961

Sept. 21, 1960 Mr. Sidney Silver 201-06 Blue Ridge Road Oceanfront, N. Y. Dear Mr. Silver: Nothing doing. No substitutions of cash, no substitutions of hotels.

This is it. So please advise date of departure.

Frankly, I do not understand your allusion to dietary restrictions and limitations. If you are referring to the fact that the contest requires you to eat Wild Spelties for breakfast each day, I really think this is the least you can do for us. After all, it’s only for breakfast—the other meals are en­ tirely up to you and the chef.

Mr. Silver, your attitude is begin­ ning to puzzle me. I hope that we have not made a mistake in picking a winner!

Sincerely yours, GOODFOODS, INC. Henry Washbaugh Contest Editor * * ❖ Sept. 23, 1960 Mr. Henry Washbaugh, Contest Editor GOODFOODS, INC. Goodfoods Building New York, N. Y. Dear Mr. Washbaugh: Perish the thought! 1 am truly an appreciative winner. My dietary re­ strictions are religious in nature, as I eat only kosher foods. As the Virgin Hotel is not equipped to serve kosher food, I might go hungry after a week or so, don't you think?

I am open to your suggestions. You have the ball.

Sincerely, S id n e y S il v e r

P.S. As far as the Wild Spelties go, I'll be tickled to eat them every day 37

for breakfast, and even occasionally for supper. I really like them—honest!

S. S. Sept. 30, 1960 Mr. Sidney Silver 201-06 Blue Ridge Road Oceanfront, N. Y. Dear Sid (if I may be so bold).

Your letter to Henry Washbaugh (in fact the entire file) has been re­ ferred to my attention. The whole thing rather gave me a chuckle.

Henry, of course, is rather far re­ moved from such matters as Kashruth, as they do not ordinarily pop up in the course of a contest editor’s work. Now that we have two “lantsmen” handling the negotiations, I am sure that a solution will be easily worked out.

Our contest rules are inflexible.

That does not mean that we as human beings must be inflexible. A little give and take, and we have an answer.

Now, no one knows better than I the trials and tribulations of an observant Jew. Let me say first that despite the volume of work that an executive vice-presidency of an organization the size of Goodfoods presses upon me, I am an unfailing attendant at religious services. Rosh Hashonah and Yom Kippur invariably find me in the syn­ agogue. In fact, as we belong to a Conservative rather than a Reform temple, I sometimes even attend serv­ ices the second day of Rosh Hashonah; providing, that is, that things are not terribly busy in the office.

As far as Kashruth is concerned, I am an even stricter follower of the codes, if possible. Our home is strictly kosher, but strictly. What we do on the outside, of course, is nobody’s business. No one can be expected to follow these old codes in a restaurant.

But at home, Kashruth is sacred. If 38

we feel an overwhelming temptation for a forbidden delicacy—strictly from paper plates only!

So, my friend, you can see that I am fully aware of your problem. Let me offer a bit of advice, then. Yield a little, Sid. After all, it is not as if you are at home. The Virgin Hotel has an excellent cuisine, and a large variety on the menu. Surely you will be able to choose an adequate and pleasing diet of good, wholesome food.

You will be able to skip such items as p------, h------ , and b------ , and never miss them. As for the other meat items, let us say that beef is beef, and for a two-week vacation can’t we afford to overlook such a thing as ritual slaughter?

Go, Sid. Pick a date, and have a wonderful vacation. Let me hear from you soon.

Sincerely, GOODFOODS, INC. Anshel Fish Executive Vice-Presiden t $ ^ Mr. Anshel Fish, Executive Vice-President GOODFOODS, INC. Goodfoods Building New York, N. Y. Dear Mr. Veep: Many thanks for your letter and for your advice. 1 am sorry to advise that 1 cannot accept it. In other words, Mr. Veep, no dice. No beef, either.

In fact, no Virgin Hotel. N ot even if you send along a two-weeks9 supply of cream cheese-and-lox sandwiches.

Not even if you fly in frozen hospitaltype fleishigs from New York.

I guess you better get yourself an­ other boy. This one is not going.

Goodby, like forever, S id n e y

S il v e r

JEWISH LIFE

October 4, 1960 (BY SPECIAL M E SSE N G E R Intra-office Memo RUSH) From: Anshel Fish, Dear Anshel: Executive Vice-President I am most interested in your To: Jonathan Nash, President theories. Please come to my office immediately to discuss them further.

Dear Jon: I am sending you this note to ap­ Bring Washbaugh along.

Nash prise you of a curious development iii the Wild Spelties Contest. We are all well pleasedfliof course, with the October 4, 1960 winning slogan, which you yourself Mr. Sidney Silver picked out. As far as the winner him­ 201-06 Blue Ridge Road self is concerned, I think we picked Oceanfront, N. Y. a lemon. This guy simply refuses to Dear Mr. Silver: accept the trip to the Virgin Islands, It is regrettable that in the lower merely because the hotel does not echelons of command the best of judg­ observe the dietary laws. ment is not always exercised. I have Henry Washbaughi, who of course taken the matter of the Wild Spelties does not know too much about dietary prize contest out of Anshel Fish’s laws and that sort of thing, referred hands and am dealing with you right the matter to me, and I gave it my from the top of the deck, so to speak. all. Jon, I bent over backwards in While it is true that certain rules every direction to make that trip ac­ are made, it is also true that exceptions ceptable to our winner, suggesting must be made when the occasion so every conceivable compromise, but he demands. We certainly do not want remains obstinate. our winner to go unrewarded. If your I have consulted with Henry Wash- scruples do not allow you to accept baugh on this matter, and he agrees our tendered award, then we must find with me that this fellow should be a way to award you a substitute prize. taught a lesson. All prize offers should If the aforementioned lower echelons be withdrawn from him, and a new indicated that this could not be the winner selected. We feel that this case, that is their error and it must course should be carried out regardless be corrected. of consequence and despite any pos­ Incidentally, Mr. Fish, our former sibility of adverse publicity for Good- executive vice-president, is now con­ foods. It is now a matter of principle. test editor. Mr. Washbaugh, former We stand firmly on this recommenda­ contest editor, is in the mail room. tion and submit it herewith for your As for you, Mr. Silver, I am happy approval. to enclose Goodfood’s check for Sincerely, $2000.00, in lieu of a vacation trip Anshel to the Virgin Islands. We at Good* ❖ * foods trust that you will use this for October 4, 1960 a wonderful vacation at the hotel of Intra-Office Memo your choice.

Happy vacationing, Mr. Silver. We From: Jonathan Nash, President do hope you will choose Wild Spelties To: Anshel Fish, every morning for breakfast.

Executive Vice-President February, 1961

39

Sincerely yours, GOODFOODS, INC. Jonathan Nash, President P.S. As you know, the cash award is actually a violation of our rules, so we hope that you will please keep this very quiet. I know we can depend on your discretion.

J. N., Pres.

October 5, 1960 Mr. Jonathan Nash, President GOODFOODS, INC. Goodfoods Building New York, N. Y. Dear Mr. Nash: Wow! Thanks!

Yours very truly, f* S id n e y S il v e r sjs

October 5, 1960 Virgin Hotel Virgin Islands

40

Gentlemen: I regret to advise that the Wild Spelties contest winner .will not be able to take advantage of the trip to the Virgin Islands. However, as in accordance with our earlier arrange­ ments our company has already paid for these reservations, Mrs. Nash and I will occupy the honeymoon suite for the two week period beginning October 8. You may expect us on the early flight on that date.

In view of all the current tumult over payola, expense accounts, etc., I would prefer not to have too much publicity connected with our visit. I know I can trifst your discretion.

As a matter of fact, why not simply register us as the guests of Mr. Sidney Silver?

Sincerely yours, : GOODFOODS, INC. Jonathan Nash, President

JEWISH LIFE

My School Was The Komsomol

By HERSCHEL H. WEINRAUCH Growing up under the Ham m er and Sickle as a fervent C o m m u n is t . . . Birobidjan years . . . service in the Red Arm y . . . and then: “ As a human being and a Je w , I had had my fill.”

CIENTISTS tell us of a tiny micro­ My parents were divorced when I scopic mass of protoplasm which was two years old. My father left for S nevertheless performs all the ordinary the United States, where as a pious functions of life. Yet this living thing Jew and a rabbi he obtained a position G-d has created with such a fate that as a teacher at a well-known yeshivah though it begins as a whole, to con­ in Brooklyn, N. Y. My mother mar­ tinue its existence it must divide itself ried an impecunious worker. I grew into two. To some extent and in many up in an atmosphere of poverty and instances my fate was a similar one. privation. My step-father, who never I was born in Russia and raised in reached middle-age, died at the begin­ the southern city of Odessa. When the ning of the Bolshevist Revolution. My Czar was dethroned I was ten years mother, forced by circumstances to old and Russia became a democratic move to another town, left me be­ republic headed by Prime Minister hind alone and friendless. I Vvas now Kerensky. A year later a civil war whipped with both ends of the rod. broke out. The Bolshevists took over In the first place, there wasn't any­ the reins. The upbringing and educa­ one now to help me continue my tion I received under the new regime education. The smattering of religious were strict, totalitarian, and generally training which my improverished par­ Communistic. ents had given me was ended. I was Almost from the first day that Stalin ten at that time. rose to power, I remember how there Secondly, even if there would have was talk at meetings and articles in been someone who was charitable newspapers about America. And al­ enough to help me, there was no ways the slogan was, “We must catch place to go. The Bolsheviks had closed up with and surpass capitalistic Amer­ down all Jewish institutions, as well ica.” And I in my childish, naive way as Yeshivoth and Talmud Torahs. And thought, “If only 1 could get to Amer­ so my religious education came ica I would stop there and not bother abruptly to a halt. I became a child to pass.” But this dream was not to be of the streets and I followed the tide realized for many years. of the times.

February, 1961

n

HEN I was fifteen I joined the and occasionally a few dollars. My Komsomol (Young Communist father wrote me letters urging me, League) and was filled with the ideal since I was still a minor and alone and principles of Communism as only in the world, to join him in America, a fiery and ardent youth can be. More­ He must have been a kindly soul. over, I voluntarily signed up with the I wrote back saying that I did go Red Army. And at that tender age hungry from time to time, that con­ I already fought against the White ditions in Russia were pretty bad be­ Guard counter-revolutionists. I had cause the Civil War had just ended become so bewitched by the Com­ and that the land was still in great munist demagoguery and in my fan­ chaos. “I would be very happy to join tasy I dreamed of such enchanted you,” I ended. I had no evil inten­ castles of human happiness that, to tions in writing the letter. I didn’t tell the truth, I loved Soviet Russia mean to ¿“betray” the Soviet Union. with all the passion of a young man How could I have had such a thought, for his first love. loving my country as devotedly as I In the Soviet Union there was a did? My desire to go to America and law that gave children of workers the the letters to my father were pure and privilege of studying in order to fol­ filial expressions of an unfulfilled low a career. However, for children dream to be united with a father I of the former bourgeoisie and espe­ had never seen. cially those who had a clerical back­ ground—-for such children all doors UT not so did the Communists were closed. And I hungered for an in the Soviet Union look upon education. Other than the Komsomol the matter. With all mail strongly cen­ clubs and the Soviet schools, there sored, my last letter was detained. I were no institutions of learning for was arrested. Eight months I was tor­ children. That left me no alternative tured in prison, accused of disloyalty but to deny that I had a father in and espionage. I was only seventeen the United States, and a man of the then. I had believed in them and been clergy to boot. Consequently in all faithful to them. But in the prison of my applications I used the name of the GPU my faith and devotion were my step-father, the worker. This was crushed beneath their ruthless boots. the magic key that opened the doors When I was released I felt mature, of Soviet education, art, and science. grown-up but bespattered, disap­ I wish to make clear that in withhold­ pointed, and insulted. I gave up all ing the name of my father in America, thought of ever reaching the United I was not aware that I was committing States. I realized that my destiny was a supposed sin against my country, for to spend the rest of my life in the in truth I felt that the man under Soviet Union and I realized now that whose roof I had lived was a father in order not to end up in a Soviet jail to me. again, I must be careful not ever again At this period, food in the Soviet to commit an indiscretion against the Union was not exactly plentiful. One Soviet Union. And so I directed my even considered himself lucky to have life from then on. I was going to be a shirt on his back. From America, I an exemplary Soviet citizen. received packages of food, clothing, I was reinstated and given back all

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JEWISH LIFE

my former privileges as a Young Com­ munist. I had a job at a factory as an unskilled worker and later was of­ fered the opportunity to prepare my­ self for higher education and even­ tually follow a career. Thus my life continued in relative calm until the age of twenty-seven.

Through many circuitous circum­ stances I became a writer. I worked in Moscow, Minsk, and later in Birobidjan on the largest Jewish Communist newspaper. At the same time, a few of my books were published by the government in Moscow and Minsk.

Despite my apparent satisfaction with my life and position, there still gnawed at my soul an unrest which slowly took the form of a passive pro­ test against the injustice of the Com­ munist regime and party.

T ALL started when I studied the works of Stalin and Marx, and Ifound some openly antisemitic state­ ments. I was also enraged at the arrest and liquidation of people whose thoughts did not coincide with the Communists. To cite some of them— there was the arrest of rabbis, Chas­ sidim, Zionists, Moslems, some reli­ gious Russians, and so-called “enemies of the people. Among those were many Jewish scholars, writers, and social workers.

But my greatest disappointment came during my stay in Birobidjan from the years 1932-1938. Those were six years of cruelty and horror.

Forty thousand Jews had been brought to Birobidjan when the au­ tonomous Jewish region was granted.

However, shortly thereafter came the accusation by the Kremlin that the Jews in Birobidjan were nationalists, chauvinists, and enemies of the Soviet Union. There were mass arrests and liquidation of Jewish leaders in BiroFebruary, 1961

bidjan. Among those who were shot were the president of Birobidjan, Pro­ fessor Leiborberg; the secretary of the Party, Yankel Levin; the chairman of the Committee to Settle Jews in Birobidjan, S. Dimanstein, and many others.

Those who escaped the arrest be­ gan a mass exodus to their former homes. I was one of those who also managed to escape death as a Jewish nationalist.

And so out of this dream of Biro­ bidjan as a homeland for the Jews, there remained nothing but chaos and tragedy.

For me, there was no longer any peace of mind. I used my privilege as a writer and journalist to travel throughout the vast country, but I avoided sinking roots in any one place.

I observed life not only as a writer, but now also as a Jew. I witnessed Torah scrolls being trampled upon and destroyed while be­ ing removed from synagogues and there awakened in me a burning anger.

I also had occasion to see, in the city of Ooman, how Bratislaver Chassidim were dragged to prison on charges of espionage. It was incredible for me to believe that these pious Jews, whose whole life was dedicated to serving G-d, could become involved in such earthly things as counter-revolution.

The harm that the Soviet Union had done to the Jewish religion had the opposite effect on me, a Russified Jew. It drove me back to belief in G-d.

I had become a man with two souls.

I was distressed and tormented by the situation I found myself in.

F 11 HEN World War II broke out.

A I joined the Red Army with the rank of lieutenant. I fought against the Nazis on the Central Front of Soviet Russia for two years and eight 43

months. Here too, I felt the poison­ ous fangs of antisemitism. Officers and generals of Jewish origin had to change their names to Russian-sound­ ing ones in order to secure their exist­ ence. And directly after thè war, many invalids of Jewish origin were taunted and jeered at and accused of having received their wounds not at the front.

Some of these Jewish ex-soldiers and officers of the Red Army were labeled as “swindlers,” deprived of their rank and sent to jail. The malignant nick­ names of “Abrashka,” “Homeless One,” “Cosmopolite,” and even “Jid” began to circulate about.

When I was wounded and hospital­ ized I shared a room with another officer of higher rank. My real name in Russian has a true Slavic sound.

My appearance is not “typically” Jew­ ish. My roommate accepted me as a Russian and in our conversations each day there soon appeared antisemitic references. He would say, “We, the Russians, fight while the Jews safely hide away,” or “Jews are cowards.

They know how to make money, but not how to fight,” and “If the German Nazis don’t kill all the Jews, don’t worry, we’ll finish them off.”

Once I could no longer contain my­ self. As the nurse brought us our lunch of hot soup, I grabbed the metal bowl and flung it in his face, screaming hysterically, “I’m a Jew, and I fought and bled just as you did!”

I was transferred to another room and the administrative department of the hospital ignored the incident.

44

N 1945, at the end of the war, I was demobilized from the Red Army. There was destruction in the land. Many Jews had been killed by the Nazis in occupied territory. Among them were many of my relatives and friends. I learned that many Russians and Ukranians helped the Germans annihilate the Jews. The Soviet gov­ ernment and the Communist Party did nothing about helping those Jews who remained alive nor did they punish those who helped the Germans destroy the Jews. On the contrary, after hav­ ing defeated the Germans, a new wave of antisemitism began in Russia.

As a human being and a Jew, I had had my fill. I began to look around me for means of escape from the land of the Communist yoke. The oppor­ tunity presented itself in 1946, and I decided to risk my life and seek free­ dom. I succeeded through means which for obvious reasons cannot be disclosed.

Eventually, I reached the United States.

I thank G-d that I am no longer a citizen of the Soviet Union and that I find myself in a truly democratic country, which has given me freedom as a human being and a Jew—a free­ dom which perhaps none can so deeply appreciate as can a former resident of the Soviet “paradise.” If there be those who wish to compare a country to a “ paradise” then I say that as of today this paradise is here, in this wonderful land, the United States.

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JEWISH LifE

Careers in Dentistry

By WALTER DUCKAT

N essential and uncrowded pro­ fession which has enjoyed phe­ nomenal growth and which offers many attractive opportunities to the qualified is dentistry. The need for dentists has grown critical. A rela­ tively small percentage of Americans receive adequate and regular dental care. The rest obtain either emer­ gency care or nothing. About one out of seven adults has never been to a dentist. There is only one active den­ tist for every 1,900 people in the country although the ratio is better in larger or more prosperous com­ munities.

It is believed that the steady rise in our population, continued public edu­ cation, and greater health coverage by various groups will increase the de­ mand for dentists. Annual retirements from the profession offset the approxi­ mately 3,000 dentists who graduate annually. Most new dentists prefer to open their offices in larger communi­ ties and to shun rural areas where the need for dentists is greatest.

From the earliest of times man has been troubled by oral pain. The treat­ ment of the oral cavity harks back to ancient Egypt where it was confined to diseases of the teeth and supporting tissues. Specimens of dental prostheses

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February, 1961

have been discovered in the ancient city of Sidon, in Phoenicia. The his­ torian Herodotus declared that dental care was practiced by the ancients although it was then one of the several specialties of medicine.

In ancient Greece too, fractures of the jaw were treated, teeth removed, loose teeth ligatured, and various types of oral malfunctioning treated. The Greeks, however, are said to be the first to have practiced dentistry as a recognized specialty.

The Romans too engaged in a high­ ly developed dental prosthetic art.

Later, during the Middle Ages, the Arabs cultivated dentistry extensively.

Still later, the dentists of both France and England made significant contributions to the foundations of modern dentistry.

Yet, until the nineteenth century, dentistry was mainly performed by barber surgeons. Not until 1910 were applicants to dental school required to possess even a high school diploma.

Before dentistry achieved its present professional status, the dentist in the United States underwent little or no formal training. He made the rounds of small towns merely extracting teeth. He knew nothing about oral hygiene. The use of antibiotics, of 45

prosthetic devices, the effect of oral health on total health, the role of aesthetics, all were unknown to him.

Today, standards have risen sharply.

Research has been actively pursued and the emphasis has shifted from ex­ tracting teeth to preventive care.

career which renders highly useful service to the public.

Third, its economic regards com­ pare favorably with other professions.

Some denjdsts out of dental school only one year have been known to average about $8,000 a year. It is not EWS have played a prominent role unusual for orthodontists and dental in the progress of dentistry. Their surgeons to average $30,000 a year interest in the field appears also toand more in large, prosperous areas. have had a long history. The Talmud Fourth, competition for admission to indicates several remedies for tooth­ dental schools is not as keen. There ache and discusses false teeth which has been a marked decline in the total appeared to have been used solely for number of applicants to dental schools in the United States. Students with a aesthetic reasons.

In modern times, Jews have been strong B average in college who also among the leading teachers and prac­ meet other requirements have a very titioners of the profession. Painless good chance of gaining admission. dentistry may be attributed in large Another attractive feature for many part to Carl Keller, an opthalemic Jewish students is the fact that about surgeon who in 1884 first used cocaine ninety per cent of practicing dentists as a local anesthetic which subsequent­ are self-employed and regulate their own hours which average about 43 ly was adopted by dentists.

Friedrich Herschfeld in Sensheim in hours a week. This self-employment Franconia (1753-1820) was the uni­ allows the Shomer Shabboth to regu­ versity dentist of Gottingen who in­ late his own hours to suit his needs. troduced scientific dentistry in South­ Finally, the need for dentists is ex­ ern Germany. Jews were among the pected to continue for an indefinite leading dentists in pre-Hitler Ger­ period. many. In the United States, too, Jews have been among the distinguished HILE most of our readers have faculty members of dental schools no doubt been treated by den­ and writers on various phases of den­ tists, it might be helpful to outline tistry. Dr. Herman Chayes was the their daily activities. Dentists locate inventor of a system of precision at­ and fill dental cavities, straighten tachment bridgework. crooked teeth, take X-rays, and treat There are a number of reasons why gum diseases. They also extract teeth, dentistry may appeal to qualified and provide artificial dentures, clean teeth, observant Jewish men and women. and examine the mouth for disorders.

First among them may be time. It is Some also engage in “lab” work, mak­ possible to complete the pre-dental ing dentures, inlays, and other appli­ and professional training in the rela­ ances. In larger cities, most dentists tively short period of six years. send their work to commercial “labs.”

(Nevertheless, applicants with a Some dentists hire dental hygienists bachelor’s degree are more likely to to clean their patients’ teeth. be accepted.)

Only about four per cent of all Second, it is an important, respected practicing dentists are specialists.

46 JEWISH LIFE

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About one-half of these are orthodon­ tists who seek to correct irregular teeth and jaw relationships. The next largest group are the oral surgeons who perform operations on the mouth and jaws. The periodontist specializes in making artificial teeth. The pedodontist treats children’s mouth and teeth structures. The oral pathologist concentrates on the diseases of the mouth and teeth, while the public health dentist provides broad dental services to groups of people. To qualify as a specialist may require from two years of full time study to

five years of part time study after graduation from a dental college, plus a number of years of practice.

About ninety per cent of the ap­ proximately 95,000 dentists in the United States engage in private prac­ tice. About 6,000 are commissioned officers in the armed forces, about 1,200 work for the Federal govern­ ment, mainly in hospitals and clinics of the Veteran’s Administration’s Public Health Service. About 1,800 hold full time positions in schools, hospitals, and state and local health agencies.

PREPARING FOR THE PROFESSION HAT qualities and preparation lasts four academic years during W are necessary to become a den­ which about three-quarters of the time tist? Those who aspire to this career should possess above-average intelli­ gence and satisfactory manual capac­ ity, good visual memory, judgment of space and shape, delicacy of touch, and an ability to master scientific sub­ jects. Also important are a liking for people, patience, tact, a sense of humor, and sufficient business ability to run an office adequately.

Those who are seriously consider­ ing this profession should even while in high school take all the science and mathematics courses offered. All den­ tal schools require at least two years of a liberal arts training for admis­ sion. Most students today offer three or more years of college and they are more likely to be accepted. Because admission requirements vary in dif­ ferent schools, it is wise to obtain catalogues from a variety of schools which might interest the applicant.

Many dental schools offer suggestions to those who plan to enter the pro­ fession. The dental school program February, 1961

is spent in laboratories and clinics working on patients and about, onequarter of the time is devoted to classroom instruction. Subjects gener­ ally studied include anatomy, histol­ ogy, oral anatomy, embryology, medi­ cine,: oral surgery, ethics, jurispru­ dence, operative, dentistry, diagnosis, orthodontics, radiography, pedodontics, prosthetics, root canal therapy, dental materials, practice and man­ agement, and the history of dentistry.

Those who wish to enter a dental school should apply to at least five or six, since the rejection rate is about sixty per cent of the applications.

This, however, is not the same as sixty per cent of all the applicants, since most applicants apply to three or more schools.

Answers to questions on the appli­ cation should be complete, lucid, and neat. Most schools also require recom­ mendations from college science teach­ ers, as well as character references.

It is wise to submit application from 47

six to nine months before the date of admission desired.

principles, to visualize dimensional patterns, and to use fingers and hands with adequate dexterity. ^

UOTAS exist in some dental schools such as fon out-of-state applicants and for racial and religous groups. In recent years, a number of states have passed legislation prohib­ iting questions as to the racial and re­ ligious identity of applicants, which were frequently used to bar members of minority groups. Some schools favor graduates of their own under­ graduate college, or the children of alumni. Officials of the two dental schools in New York City reported that in the past years approximately fifty per cent and eighty-five per cent respectively of their students were Jewish, although no official records of this were allegedly kept.

Those who find themselves rejected by all the schools to which they have applied often find that if they acquire another degree, their chances of ad­ mission may be enhanced if they reapply later. Should they still be re­ jected they may wish to consider a career in teaching science, for which many openings exist throughout the country. Others may wish to pursue a career in some phase of research.

The American Dental Association has prepared a series of tests to help students and dental schools to decide an applicant’s fitness for dentistry.

The tests are given thrice yearly in over a hundred locations and last a full day. All dental schools require applicants to take them. It is prudent to take them either during the first or the second year of college.

The tests attempt to measure the applicant’s ability to read and under­ stand the meaning of words, to reason with numbers, to use quantitative materials, to understand scientific

HE COST of dental education var­ ies from state to state and de­ pends on whether the student lives at home or away. Publicly controlled schools are usually much cheaper than privately controlled schools. The cost of dental college alone may range from about $7,500 to more than

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T

$ 10 , 000 .

Most students spend about thirtyfive hours a week in their labs, clinics, and classrooms. Most of their eve­ nings must be spent in concentrated study. Because of this rigorous sched­ ule, it is unwise to try to work during the school term. Summer employment is one way to help finance the cost.

Then, of course, there are scholar­ ships. About one-half of the fortyfive dental schools offer scholarships.

Those interested should write to vari­ ous dental schools. Unless a scholar­ ship applicant has extraordinary qual­ ifications he may find that students offering comparable background who do not require scholarships may be preferred.

After dentists complete their dental training, they are required to obtain a license in the state in which they plan to practice. To do so, they must pass a state examination. Fees for licenses range in various states from $25 to $75. Most young dentists launch their careers by simply hang­ ing out their shingles. To get started usually requires renting an office, buy­ ing equipment, and furnishing a wait­ ing room. The cost of this depends on his location, his capital and tastes, and may range from about $5,000 to $10,000 or more.

Beginners who lack sufficient capi­ tal to set up their own offices someJEWISH LIFE

As in any profession, dentistry of­ fers both advantages and disadvan­ tages. Among the latter are the strain on the back and legs involved in the practice of dentistry. Many patients resist and fear the dentist’s services.

To perform superior work requires a high degree of precision, almost per­ fectionism, qualities which relatively few dentists possess. Some patients haggle over fees or are delinquent in paying their bills. Others disapprove of the service rendered and may blacken their dentist’s reputation.

The advantages, however, are also formidable. Dentistry is a profession which confers prestige, renders highly important health service, and offers the possibility of lucrative income. The average dentist continues his practice and may earn a good income until he OMEN, too, may find a satisfy­ is sixty-eight or seventy years old. Al­ ing career in dentistry. There are most half of the dentists enjoy a more than two thousand'women den­ month or more Vacation. And the in­ tists in the United States, comprising creased provisions for health coverage less than three per cent of the total will probably make available dental number of dentists in the country. service to many who now do not en­ Most of them are in general practice joy such care, so that the need for and in pedodontics, the treatment of dentists will greatly increase. In short, children, where they seem especially the positives will probably prevail for the interested. effective.

times find employment with estab­ lished dentists whom they assist.

Later they m ay, become partners or buy out their employer’s practice.

Other young dentists may find em­ ployment in private or public clinics.

Or, if their interests and talents point towards research, they may find op­ portunities in that area. A few highly qualified persons elect teaching as a career. The income of salaried dentists ranges from about $6,000 to $12,000 a year.

Dentists usually advance from gen­ eral practice to specialization. Clinical workers may be promoted to positions as heads of their clinics and instructors may become professors or heads of their departments.

W

February, 1961

m

You are invited to discover the majesty, poetry, and reverent beauty of the great ritual heritage of traditional Judaism as received, en­ riched, and transmitted from generation to generation from ancient times to the present. Translated from the original Hebrew and Aramaic by David De Sola Poili and published by authority of

111111

the

P ra|j^|bok FOR SABBATH AND FESTIVALS

Published by

UNIVERSITY BOOKS

JEWISH LIFE

hy arrangement with BEHRMAN HOUSE

ADVANCE

PR ESEN TA TIO N

OFFER

FO R A L IM IT E D T IM E O N L Y !

February, 1961

The ancient and majestic Siddur is the traditional prayer book of the Jew. It is also one of the oldest books in America. Its history in this country can be traced back more than three hundred years, and it was printed in New York ten years before the Declaration of Independence.

Almost as much as the Bible itself, this is the book that has shaped the lives of the People of the Book. Its words have echoed down through time, chanted with joy and whispered in consolation, across every age and every landscape in which Jews have lived and praised God. Few books have exercised so profound an effect upon the mind of Western civilization.

AN EPOCH-MAKING TRANSLATION In 1946, the Rabbinical Council of America made the epoch-making decision to authorize at long last an official translation of the traditional prayer book into English.

The staggering task of amassing, studying, verifying and trans­ lating the source materials drawn from more than 2,000 years of Hebrew literature—as well as earlier translations into Greek, Arabic, medieval French and Spanish, German, and a score of other lan­ guages—was entrusted to one of the great Hebrew scholars of our time, David de Sola Pool, Rabbi Emeritus of the oldest Jewish Con­ gregation in America, the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue in New York.

Assisted by a committee of experts appointed by the Council, Dr. de Sola Pool labored for fourteen years of intensive and dedi­ cated study to prepare this long-awaited translation.

To turn its pages (with Hebrew and English oh facing pages) is to open a great door that has always before been sealed to those who could not devote a lifetime to the mastery of Hebrew.

_ Here before your eyes at long last is the authentic » » I V Siddur based on the highest traditional authorities, lov?ingly and reverently translated into the English of today, and re-creating without flaw not only the meaning and spirit but the very mood and cadence that give the traditional Siddur its unfor­ gettable grandeur.

When the last of the Biblical prophets had spoken, it was in the Siddur that the spiritual vision of the Jews continued to speak and to sing in creative ecstasy. The modern reader will find in it the radi­

ant optimism of a liturgy which reflects not the tragedies of Jewish history but the serenity of the Jew’s eternal trust in God. THE ESSENCE OF TRADITIONAL JUDAISM FOR THE MODERN READER To the American Jew in search of his legacy, its revelations will bo not only enriching and inspiring but often surprising too» SIDDUR: THE TRADITIONAL PRAYER BOOK FOR SABBATH AND FESTI­ VALS will be published in a deluxe Presentation Edition

of 896 pages (7!4" x 10V/') magnificently bound in goldstamped white leather and enduring blue library cloth, and slipcased in a handsome gift box. Dr. de Sola Pool has contributed an historical Introduction and authoritative »V notes on the major prayers and ceremonies. The Hebrew type used is a classic face chosen for its simplicity, beauty, and traditional character. The English typeface is Times Roman, a new type selected for this book because of its clarity and distinction.

ADVANCE PRESENTATION PRICE A work of such size and scope and richness would ordinarily be priced at $25.00 or more. However, large first printings will make possible, for a short time, a price, of $17.50. But you can save even more by reserving your copy now. In return for placing your order now^ you will receive the book at an advance presentation price of only $12.50. Mail coupon to the ad­ dress below.

advance reservation form UNIVERSITY BOOKS, New Hyde Park, N. Y. Please send me an advance presentation copy of SIDDUR: THE TRA­ DITIONAL PRAYER BOOK FOR SABBATH AND FESTIVALS, Jig translated by David de Sola Pool and published by authority of The I Rabbinical Council of America. If it does not live up to my highest expectations, I may return it within two weeks. Otherwise I shall pay for it at the advance presentation price of only $12.50 (plus postages j and handling) —even if the final price is higher than the $17.50 now J anticipated.

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JEWISH LIFE

Two Poems

By KADISH GOLDBERG

Israel - Ten Years Later Heraclitus, you were right, The river has changed—and quickly.

The clear singing stream Has grown wider and swifter.

Flotsam ripped loose from a thousand banks Has muddied the water. A harsh crashing roar Is the song of the river.

We miss the old river, and yet we can see In the muddied currents a dim reflection Of the same sky and sun which swam there before.

We are a stream now entering the flow . . .

Will our crystal current Mirror clearly soft heavens?

Through our slow gentle ribbon will the pilgrim see The still, sacred sands, which patriarchs trod?

Yerushalayim The world spins through space . . .

Clusters of gems knocked from their perch Lie scattered Sparkling On rolling black velvet.

Come down, my Beloved, to the garden of night And bedeck yourself with diamonds February, 1961

53

Book

Be Torah and Science

By ALEXANDER S. ROSENBERG

VISTAS FROM MOUNT MORIAH,

By Leo Levi. Gur Publishing Co., 154 pp.

ATIONALISM and mysticism are both currents and countercurrents as well as concurrents in Jewish life.

In the juxtaposition of David and Solomon as representatives of the wis­ dom of the heart and the wisdom of the head, respectively, the Talmud takes cognizance of these two trends. There are many other passages in the Talmud contrasting the Sage with the Prophet, Moses with Isaiah, Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochai with Rabbi Yishmoel, thus giv­ ing recognition to the trends as both legitimate though in contrast. While the judgment of the Talmud is clearly in favor of rationalism, and it states with finality, “chochom adif menovi” — the Sage excels the Prophet-lithe ultimate judgment is that “Eylu ve’eylu divrey elokim chayim” U h o th trends may be in the service of the Lord (freely translated and applied).

In later Jewish history we have, of course, the great movements of ration­ alism versus mysticism (through Mai-

R

R A BB I A L EX A N D E R S. ROSENBERG is rab­ binic adm inistrator o f th e UOJCA Kashruth D ivision and rabbi o f C ongregation Ohav Zedek, Y onkers, N . Y.

54

monides and the French school respec­ tively, through the Vilna Gaon and the Baal Shem Tov), all culminating in a happy synthesis with one or the other element predominating.

The question as to what psycho­ logical and sociological forces are re­ sponsible for such predominance as may be the case does not lie within the purview of this book review.

It took courage for the eminent sci­ entist and talmid chochom, Leo Levi, to put himself unequivocally within the camp of rationalists in an age when both orthodox and non-orthodox Jews seem to be engulfed by the wave of anti-rationalism. When Chasidic Rebbeim sway the greater part of obser­ vant Jewry, their influence penetrating into the inner sanctum of “Mithnagdic” yeshivoth, when the other circles of Jewish life swear by the mystic existentialism of a Martin Buber, Leo Levi has the courage to ignore the whole area of mystic thinking and sets out calmly to expound the rationale of Torah in the manner of the great classical exponents, whose works the author seems to have completely digested.

Leo Levi does not indulge in super­ ficial proofs of the pseudo-scientific sermonizers. Modestly he withholds a JEWISH LIFE

great deal of his scientific information where he might have used it effectively to impress the reader.

N THE first group of essays, Leo Levi analyzes several of the ac­ cepted sociological concepts which form the basis of our present-day society, and which are usually offered as a panacea for the world's ills. In each of the five essays he finds the flaw that is the cause of their failure, and presents briefly the remedy in the approach found in the Torah. Thus the author discusses liberalism, evolution, science, ethics, socialism, nationalism, and internationalism.

In the second group of essays he deals with the inter-relation of secular knowledge and Torah. This area is one that is closest to the author's heart and mind. Here he speaks with authority and authenticity. Himself a student of both the Torah and secular sciences, he finds not only no contradictions but a need for complementation between Torah and Science.

The controversy whether science and religion or Torah and science are com­ patible or contradictory is an old one and the author is well aware of it. Nor does he claim any originality in the solution he offers. He quotes all avail­ able Jewish sources in support of his thesis that knowledge of the sciences, a well developed intellect, and a keen sense of beauty are essential for the proper understanding and perform­ ance of the precepts of the Torah.

It is not the task of the reviewer to enter into the controversy. This much, however, may be stated with a firm conviction, from a personal knowledge of the author: whatever interpretation others may put on the words of the author as expressed in this book, this

I

February, 1961

reviewer is convinced that these words are motivated by the author's Yirath Hakovod for the Torah and his earnest desire to make the Torah scholar re­ spected universally.

In our times the issue as to inclusion of secular subjects in institutions of Torah education has become a sensitive area because of the practical implica­ tions as to the type of yeshivoth which should be sponsored or promoted. Leo Levi is firmly of the view that yeshi­ voth should teach the sciences and have only observant Jews teach these sci­ ences to their students. He injects a novel element to support his view: Jews should not have to rely on nonJewish scientists just as they should not depend on them for charity because of Chilul Hashem.

The third part of the book is a demonstration of the practicality of Torah observance. Through Torah, the author demonstrates, comes greater success in life and greater enjoyment of life.

While “Vistas From Mount Moriah" cannot be considered a literary master­ piece, it is well written and should be very rewarding to all who earnestly seek “chizuk" for their Emunah with­ out having to abandon the search for true knowledge. The book is richly documented and annotated with first­ hand quotes from the Bible, the Tal­ mud, Rishonim, Acharonim, and the medieval as well as the modern Jewish philosophical (traditional) literature.

Pertinently, the author quotes the Sefer Hachinuch (Chapter 496) in con­ nection with the functions of the San­ hedrin, as follows: “Even should they err in any one matter, it is not proper for us to dispute them, but we should do according to their error. It is better to tolerate one error, with everyone subjugated to their opinion, rather 55

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JEWISH LIFE

than having everyone act according to his own opinion, because from this (latter) would result the ruin of the

law and a split in the heart of the people and a complete destruction of the people” (author’s translation).

In Jewish Terms

By DAVID S. SHAPIRO

PHILOSOPHY OF JUDAISM, By Joshua Adler. Philosophical Library, 160 pp. $3.00 HE INCREASE of thoughtful works on Judaism as a religion is evidence of a growing need for a deeper understanding of our spiritual heritage. There is a striving to pene­ trate beneath the surface and discover the true essence of the faith of our people. The once fashionable descrip­ tion of Judaism as (merely) ethical monotheism can no longer be consid­ ered adequate. Any philosophy of Judaism that disregards the Halochah or ignores the Kabbolah gives us but a partial and distorted view of our historic world-outlook. Recent studies have attempted to correct the one-sided interpretations of the liberalistic (rather than liberal) and rationalistically-oriented point of view that prevailed for over a century.

While the title “Philosophy of Juda­ ism” of Joshua Adler’s small volume may be somewhat pretentious (very

S

RABBI DAVID S. SHAPIRO, founder of the M ilwaukee Hebrew Academy, is spiritual leader of Congregation A nshe Sfard in M ilwaukee.

February, 1961

likely unintentionally), the work itself deserves to be welcomed as a serious attempt by a very thoughtful individ­ ual to understand Judaism in its own terms as well as in its relation to the world at large. The writer is at home in the world of science and seeks to find in it a place for the Jewish view of G-d and Man. Adler develops the thesis that the physical and biological universe is one in which the law of conservation of energy prevails, and everything is kept in equilibrium. This law dominates economic activity and the life of the psyche as well as the world of physical and biological phenomena. Progress and evolution thus become a mere illu­ sion because there can be no real change, but merely unfoldment of po­ tentialities. However, man is aware of a creative instinct within himself. He is also endowed with a drive to control this universe in the light of his own insights. The function of religion is the discovery of those areas where man can rightly interfere with the proc­ esses of nature and avoid the con­ flict that inevitably arises when man attempts to control the world in­ discriminately.

57

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JEWISH LIFE

HE Creation-story in Genesis is interpreted in the light of this out­ look. G-d has endowed man with that creative spirit which marks Divinity itself. Man was given the right to control and expand his world. The prohibition to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil did not signify a rejection of knowledge.

Rather it meant an interdiction “to relegate the area of values of good and evil to the natural area of degenera­ tion and generation.” Man’s sinfulness brought about a disunity within him­ self which makes his relationship with the universe precarious. The Egyptian civilization which channelized all of man’s creative powers towards the construction of gigantic edifices is the major Biblical example of the distor­ tion of the freedom granted to man.

The Exodus from Egypt and the com­ mandments that revolve around the episode affirm the primacy of creativity directed towards the spiritual and ethical in man’s life.

The laws of Tumah (basically the negative commandments) are, accord­ ing to the author, a restriction upon man’s control of nature, without at the same time stunting the creative abili­ ties of the individual. The rejection of Avodah Zorah, idolatry, on the other hand, signifies man’s repudiation of nature’s control over him. The Sabbath is not merely a day in which we refrain from labor. It is a segment of time dedicated to the cultivation of the cre­ ative ideals of man in the realm of the spiritual. The institution of sacrifice (though not clearly related to the main theme of the book) is interpreted as

T

February; 1961

uniquely Jewish. The sacrifice, par­ ticularly of the olah (burnt offering), represents the total dedication of man to G-d without the expectation of any reward. The concept of the “chosen people” implies not an actively missionizing order, but a society that shall inspire the world by its example.

“Philosophy of Judaism” is a valiant attempt to wrestle with the problems of Judaism in the light of the presentday struggle of man to find meaningfulness for existence in religion. This modest work, which does not seem to have received proper notice, presents a unique approach to the problems of Judaism. The writer, it appears to this reviewer, has been influenced by the Hirschian stream of thought, and may be an actual follower of this school.

But he has his own outlook on the meaning of the Torah and the com­ mandments in the light of Judaism it­ self. His volume is the product of an attempt to see Judaism through Jewish eyes.

Unfortunately, Joshua Adler’s work is marred by the occasional difficulty and unevenness of its style. The author is aware of this deficiency, and is con­ stantly making apologies for his man­ ner of writing and his inability to make himself clear. It is the sincere hope of this reviewer that “Philosophy of Judaism” will appear in a revised version (actually it is not necessary to rewrite the work, but to improve upon the style here and there), and take its place in our religious literature, as one of the most earnest and reflective works penned in recent years.

59

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A

New Look at Bar Hiyya

By ABRAHAM N. AvRUTICK

JUDAISM AS A PHILOSOPHY, By Leon D. Stitskin. Bloch Publishing Co. 251 pp. $4.50 ABRAHAM BAR HIYYA died in ./ V. the year 1143. In his day Bar Hiyya was a philosopher-scientist of note. Those of us, however, who were influenced by Isaac Husik’s classic text, “A History of Mediaeval Jewish Phil­ osophy,” never considered Bar Hiyya a philosopher of significance. Husik refers to Bar Hiyya’s “philosophical achievement [as] . . . not very great,” and characterizes his philosophical standpoint as “an uncertain neo-Platonism.” Husik finds “no system of ethics” in the works of Bar Hiyya, and concludes that his theodicy “offers nothing remarkable.” Julius Guttmann in his Hu-philosophia shel Ha-yahaduth concurs with Husik.

In his “Judaism As A Philosophy,” Dr. Leon D. Stitskin disagrees com­ pletely with Husik and Guttmann. The author presents a new evaluation of the philosophy of Abraham Bar Hiyya.

He sets out to prove that Bar Hiyya’s contribution to Jewish philosophy is “unique in its insights and timeless in its essence,” and credits the twelfth century philosopher with a number of “firsts” : R ABBI ABRAHAM N . AvRUTICK is the rabbi of C ongregation Agudas Achim , H artford, Conn., and first vice president o f the Rabbini­ cal Council of Am erica.

February, 1961

1) It is Bar Hiyya who was the first to adopt the fundamental concept of Aristotle (not neo-Platonism as main­ tained by Husik and Guttmann), and renders them “compatible with biblical thought-forms.” Bar Hiyya thus pre­ cedes in this area Abraham Ibn Daud and Maimonides.

2) Bar Hiyya was the first to intro­ duce the psycho-physical concept of the soul (again Aristotelian) empha­ sizing the creativity of man’s soul in the striving for divine perfectibility.

3) Bar Hiyya stands alone in hav­ ing effected a skillful compromise be­ tween creatio ex nihilo and eternity of matter.

4) Bar Hiyya was the first to main­ tain that Judaism “is a man-centered individualistic philosophy,” and hence “the organized principle of life in Judaism revolves around the nature of man.”

With the appearance of the volume “Judaism As A Philosophy,” another “first” (it may be said) has been added to Abraham Bar Hiyya. The philoso­ phy of Bar Hiyya, submitted as a thesis for a doctoral degree, is the first book to be published under the auspices of the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Yeshiva University.

What puzzles this reviewer is the title of the book—“Judaism As A Philosophy.” Judaism is not a philoso­ phy, despite the definition of Harry Nelson Weiman quoted by the author.

61

Ideal G ifts for Y ourself and Y our Synagogue THE DAILY PRAYER BOOK

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Dr. Birnbaum’s superb editions are richly furnished with succinct footnotes containing necessary as well as interesting explanations drawn from a wide range of Jewish literature, in plain non-technical language.

In order to make intelligible the full meaning of the prayers, Dr. Birnbaum carefully divided the Hebrew text into sentences and clauses by the use of modern punctuation marks.

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JEWISH LIFE

There may be a philosophy of Judaism, a philosophy in Judaism, and perhaps even a “system of Jewish philosophy of distinct discipline.” But to term the

philosophy of Abraham Bar Hiyya under the magnum nomen “Judaism As A Philosophy” is to give it an im­ plication that is unacceptable.

Newest In Hirschiana

By SAMSON R. WEISS THE PSALMS, translation and com­ mentary by Samson Raphael Hirsch.

Vol. I, Books 1 and 2 (Psalms 1-72); published by Philipp Feldheim, Inc. for the Samson Raphael Hirsch Pub­ lication Society. Translated by Ger­ trude Hirschler. 530 pp. $7.50.

HH HE Samson Raphael Hirsch PubJL lication Society and Philipp Feldheim, Inc. have earned the gratitude of the Jewish public by the publica­ tion of Rabbi Samson Raphael H irschi famous commentary on the Psalms, translated into English from the original German. Rabbi Hirsch’s translation of the Scriptural verse is part of this commentary and is based on the exegetic consideration eluci­ dated in the commentary proper.

In a certain sense, the commentary on the Psalms is the crowning achieve­ ment of the author’s historic con­ tributions to Jewish thought and

February, 1961

knowledge. Published in his later years, this work transmits to the reader the tremendous scope of Hirsch’s erudition and scholarship and the depth of his intuitive under­ standing. The fact that the commen­ tary appears so utterly relevant to the modern scene, though originally published almost eighty years ago, bespeaks its classic authenticity. The truth of Torah remains unaffected by the changes of time.

The English rendition has captured remarkably well the lofty and majes­ tic force of the original. Throughout, the present volume shows a loving reverence for the author and his intent, and no liberties have been taken with the text.

The second volume, containing Books 3-5 (Psalms 73-150), has been announced for the Fall of 1961. We can only hope that it will match in outer appearance and in textual quality the volume under review.

63

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JEWISH LIFE

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As recorded in the Book of Esther, one of the most thrilling stories ever told rushes to a tremendous climax as Mordecai is honored by King Ahasuerus, with a parade in the streets of Shushan...as Haitian is disgraced ...a s the Jews turn on those who had plotted to destroy them and then celebrate their victory over evil on the 13th and 14th days of A d a r...th e first Purim, 2424 years ago!

JO YO U S PURIM! From the Colgate-Palm olive Com pany makers o f these fine

¡•KOSHER®RARVE PRODUCTSi

0 NEW A JA X

NEW HEAVY DUTY FORMULA FAB

With instant chlorine bleach can bleach out stubborn stains even without scrubbing.

Washes clothes clean clear through!

VEL POWDER

VEL LIQUID

Both with super grease cutter-works like 'magic on dishes, pots. pans.

P u t all 4 on your shopping list—everything you need for kitchen, laundry, bath* room —for easier cleaning and a brighter home, holidays and the year around!

This Heinz symbol of quality and this q*seal of kashruth appear on th e ta stie st o f a ll vegetarian b ea n s. . .o n seven savory so u p s. . . on th e world* s best liked K etch u p —an d on a g re a t v a rie ty o f p u re a n d nourishing stra in ed an d ju n io r foods for babies.

*the © is the seal of The Union Of Orthodox Jewish Congregations Of America your guarantee that these Heinz Varieties are strictly kosher»