Jewish Life June 1954

Of Making Many Books —A. A. Davidson

Public Relations for Torah A Truce is Shattered Agnon In New Perspective The Pearls A Story

BOOKS

LETTERS

GEMS FROM JEWISH LORE

é

K

the best way to send your kosher food gifts overseas As a nonprofit agency, CARE puts the best possible value into its food packages. You can send a big $10 CARE kosher food parcel to relatives, to friends, to Jewish families who need a friend, in Israel, Austria, Western Germany and Berlin, England, France or-Italy. CARE-Israel kosher packs also include, $10 baby food and $18.25 family food assortments. All deliveries guaranteed. Mail your order today!

All CARE kosher food packages supervised and endorsed by the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America

660 FIRST AVENUE NEW YORK 16, N.Y. or any local office of HIAS, a CARE member agency

CARE

• EDITORIALS S aul B ernstein , Editor M. Morton R ubenstein D r. E ric Ofpenbacher R euben Gross R abbi S. J . S harfm an

Editorial Associates S eymour R osenberg

Assistant Editor Cover by P aul H ausdorff

Inside Illustrations by N orman N odel

JEWISH LIFE is published bi-monthly. Subscription one year $1.75 two years $3.00, three years $4.00.

All rights reserved

SIX YEARS OF JEWISH STATEHOOD|® 3 WITH AND WITHOUT BENEFIT OF CLERGY 4

• ARTICLES THE APPROACH FOR TORAH Simon A. Dolgin COLLAPSE OF A SYSTEM 10 I. Halevy-Levin OF MAKING MANY BOOKS 23 A. A. Davidson FROM ABRAHAM TO RABBI KOOK 31 Ary eh Newman AGNON—HIS PLACE IN HEBREW LETTERS 36 Zvi E. Kurzweil

• SHORT STORY THE PEARLS Moshe Dluznowsky

17

• POEM Editorial and Publication Office: 305 Broadway New York 7, N. Y. BEekman 3 - 2220

Published by U nion of Orthodox J ew ish Congregations of A merica M ax j . E tra

President Rabbi H. S. Goldstein, Wil­ liam B. Herlands, Samuel Nirenstein, William Weiss, Honorary Presidents: Benja­ min Koenigshcrg, Benjamin Mandolker, M. Morton Ru­ benstein, Vice - Presidents; Joseph Schlang, Secretary; N. Kenneth Gross. Treasurer; 3aul Bernstein, Administrator

SABBATH PEACE jJBBBE a.— Louis Eisenmayer

22

• BOOK REVIEWS , MODERN GIANTS OF JEWRY Israel Gerstein A VITAL RELATIONSHIP J * -----45 Reuben Gross WITH LOVE EXCLUDED Leo Jung

43

49

• FEATURES AMONG OUR CONTRIBUTORS 2 WHAT IS YOUR BIBLE "I. Q."? IkjiflH H .. 35 Ze-ev ben Mordecai LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 53

• SERVICES ©' KASHRUTH DIRECTORY

56

t f w h g O u t ConttibutctA DR. ZVI E. KURZWEIL, who studied at leading yeshivoth and universities in

Europe, was inspector to the Central Council of Jewish Religious Education in the United Kingdom and Eire. He is now living in Israel, in the city of Haifa, where he is a teacher and lecturer. *

*

*

MOSHE DLUZNOWSKY is the author of "The Wheel of Fortune," a book of

short stories which won the Zvi Kessel Literary Prize. Another collection of his short stories, "The Well on the Way," appeared in 1953. A novel by Mr. Dluz~ nowsky, "The Potter's Daughter" was published earlier this year in Israel. He is q frequent contributor to Yiddish and Anglo-Jewish publications. *

*

*

A. A. DAVIDSON is the author of numerous stories and articles which have

delighted readers of JEWISH L i f e . His work has won him recognition as one of the most promising and distinctive young Jewish writers of the present day.

Yonkers born and bred, and a world traveler, Mr. Davidson's latest address is Los Angeles, California.

*

*

*

RABBI SIMON A. DOLGIN, who was ordained at the Hebrew Theological

College, in Chicago, is the spiritual leader of Beth Jacob West Adams Hebrew Congregation in Los Angeles. Rabbi Dolgin has contributed to JEWISH L i f e on previous occasions. *

*

*

I. HALEVY-LEVIN, the Israel correspondent of JEWISH LIFE, is editor of

"Israel Argosy," a literary miscellany, and of "Modern Israel Library." *

*

*

ARYEH NEWMAN was born in England and educated at Gateshead Yeshiva,

Jews College, London, and Emmanuel College, Cambridge. He is editor of "Zion­ ist Newsletter," and formerly edited “Iggeret Lagola." He now lives in Jerusalem.

2

Jewish LIFE

SIX YEARS OF JEWISH STATEHOOD

■pHE SIXTH anniversary of the birth of Medinath Yisroel finds the Jewish State beset with taxing problems from which it has had no surcease through the years since its founding, and perhaps expects no surcease in the period to come. Despite all handicaps, however, Israel has achieved veritable miracles of accomplishment. All of its achieve­ ments are comprehended in the one supreme fact that the Yishuv has created a nation, a national entity throbbing with life.

Slowly, the world, and the Jewish world within it, is beginning to assimilate its thinking to the reality of this incredible development. The flow of day to day events, the impact of human achievement and of hu­ man limitation, the need to correlate the scale and character of Israeli developments with those of life elsewhere, impose their own workaday standards and perspectives. Within these practical horizons, however, we cannot permit the sense of Providential intervention attendant upon the birth of the Jewish State to be lost to us. Israel is much more than the sum of its pragmatic realities, for they are but the shadow of a higher Reality. To the extent that Medinath Israel, and Jewry at large, recog­ nizes that in this higher Reality lies its frame of reference, to that ex­ tent does it truly progress.

TNAZZLED as Israel is by the accomplishment of Statehood, its people ^ display a tendency to evaluate the potentiality of Jewish existence in terms of Statehood. Yet all responsible elements of Israeli life retain, amidst the intoxicating atmosphere of national sovStaiehood: ereignty, the awareness that a State, and certainly End or not a Jewish State, cannot be an end in itself. This Means? is manifest in the general recognition — however hostile and grudging on the part of some — that Judaism, the Jewish religious way of life, is not an ecclesiastical organ­ ism to be “established” or “disestablished” but the essential fabric of the nation. There are powerful elements, whose thinking bears the impress of the Gentile world with its “State and Church” definition of society, which resist bitterly the conclusions which must be drawn from the relationship of the Jew to Judaism. Even they, however, are embarrassed in endeavoring to delimit the structure of Judaism as a “Church.” They are counterbalanced by others whose sense of historic Jewish truths is so intense that they regard the apparatus of political nationhood in much the same light as their opposite numbers view the apparatus of religious nationhood. To these it is the political organism which is to be considered as “established” or “disestablished.”

3 May - June, 1954

A within Israel, even as in the lands of Goluth, a struggle for the Jewish soul. In Israel the struggle is stripped to its essentials. Through six years the battle has been waged unremittingly ; long years more may elapse before the issue is re­ Struggle solved. It is only in its outward aspects that the For conflict is reduced to party issues, for the problem The Jewish Soul is rooted within,the heart and mind of the individual Jew. And until the individual Jew finds himself no side may claim victory or defeat. Yet these past six years, filled as they have been with conflicting and confusing currents, have shown signs of a slowly maturing trend. Slowly but inevitably the habits born of Goluth bonds slip away, as slowly and inevitably they are replaced by an outlook born of a Jewish atmosphere. Can there be doubt as to whether, in the Land of Israel, the Jewish or the Gentile spirit will ultimately prevail?

WITH AND WITHOUT BENEFIT OF CLERGY

f lN INTERESTING sidelight on American Jewish evolution was offered at a recent national convention of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers Union. The event was front page news in leading dailies, which took occasion to record the remarkable accomplishments of this great Jewish-nurtured labor organization, including a wide range of social welfare institutions* multi-million dollar assets and a huge membership, as well as the attainment of a high standard of wages and working conditions for its members. The contrast with the union’s humble origins of forty years ago was noted. Reported also was the fact that among featured speakers at the convention was a distinguished Roman Catholic clergyman, Msgr. George G. Higgins.

The Amalgamated Clothing Workers Union and its sister organization the International Ladies Garment Workers Union are the product of the immigrant Jewish worker, victim of harsh oppression in the world from which he had fled and struggling against desperate odds to find life and living in his New World refuge. The development of these unions forms a major chapter of American Jewish experience. Today a large part of the membership of both unions is of non-Jewish origin. It is unquestion­ ably fitting and proper that tribute be paid, at the occasion of their national conventions, to the religious ties and aspirations of their diverse memberships, among which are many Catholics. It is all the more striking a circumstance, therefore, that similar tributes to the religious loyalties of the vast Jewish membership of these “Jewish” unions are conspicuous by their absence.

4

Jewish LIFE

THROUGHOUT the formative years of the needle trades unions their leadership was influenced by a social radicalism which viewed religion as a part of an exploitive social pattern. This attitude, although originat­ ing among non-Jews in the Christian societies amidst A which the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century Borrowed occurred, was applied imitatively by radical elements Pattern among the struggling Jewish garment workers to­ wards their own religious institutions. Despite the fact that the great majority of the workers in the needle trades were personally enwrapped in the religious way of life from which they had sprung, the militantly radical leadership of the unions stood as a barrier against any link between the unions as such and Jewish religious life.

In the intervening years a substantial part of the social aims of the unions has been achieved, a high degree of adjustment to the American scene has developed and the erstwhile radical leadership has mellowed with the years. A new outlook has emerged, but some of the old habits persist, notably including the sense of estrangement from the Synagogue.

In making place in its convention program for the participation of a Christian clergyman, the Amalgamated Clothing Workers Union leadership has symbolized a capacity to adapt itself to the broader needs and interests of its membership. But surely the rapprochement with religious life on the part of this and similar organizations cannot justi­ fiably continue to by-pass the Synagogue. The solid nucleus of the needle trades unions remains Jewish, and to no small extent observantly Jewish.

Their spiritual ties are surely not less worthy of honor and recognition than those of newer union elements.

T H E FAULT is not to be exclusively attributed to union leaders, and neither is the remedy solely their responsibility. True, the Jew of humble means finds his spiritual home in the Synagogue — the orthodox Synagogue, that is, as distinguished from the lavish Synagogue Temples which cater to the convenience of the affluent.

Shares But the Synagogue has failed to equip itself to rethe spond to the social problems of its constituency. While Responsibility conscious, to a greater or less degree, that Judaism bears the Torah vision of social justice, the wage worker is rarely apt to find the Synagogue leadership offering direct aid and counsel in the economic problems of daily life. It is the distinctive characteristic of Judaism that it sees all aspects of life as holy, all phases of living as falling within the sphere of Torah faith. Religious Jewry and organized Jewish labor have every Jewish interest in common.

That they have dwelt apart is a tragedy which continues to exact a heavy penalty of Jewish life. Late as the day is, it is not too late for both to recognize the need and apply themselves to it.

May - June, 1954

5

#

Do Torah Forces Speak the Language of 20th Century Man?

By SIMON A. DOLGIN Q N E OF the arts of the modern day which seems to be rapidly developing into a science is that of public relations. Indeed, public re­ lations is nothing new: it has been used by men since time immemor­ ial. Every group leader be he the chief of a small tribe or the ruler of a mighty empire — has had to establish rapport with his group, his co-workers and followers. The ability to win the confidence of a group, or even of an individual, and the art of making oneself under­ stood to others in a convincing fashion is a matter of public re­ lations technique. While the prac­ tice of public relations has always been employed to some degree in all human relationships, our conscious­ ness of this art and its develop­ ment into a professional field of en­ deavor is relatively recent. With the increased recognition of the role of the psychological in hu­ man behavior, and with the ever­ growing awareness of the many ele­ ments that compose people’s respon­ ses — the logical, the emotional, 6

the physical, the environmental, etc.

— the need for good public rela­ tions becomes even more apparent.

The necessity for engaging this art to bring the meaning and mes­ sage of Torah to Jewry in America, Israel and elsewhere, must be more consciously appreciated. Perhaps the greatest failing of Torah-true Jewry today is that of not making itself accurately understood by the rank and file of our people — young and old. Whether in dealing with pupils in the school or with their parents, we have not struck the responsive chord which might cause them to find justification for the message of the Torah position.

We have, apparently, failed to con­ sider their minds, their needs, their reactions, in seeking to impart the love of Judaism. The masters of Torah speak as they understand, but not, generally, as they might be understood. The result: warped ideas about our sacred heritage.

No compulsion is felt to respond to tradition’s call; on the contrary, the inclination is to reject it. EspeJewish LIFE

eially is this true when Torah loy­ alty demands submission to incon­ venience and a measure of sacrifice.

The great task of Torah-true Jews Ifillrabbis and laymen — is to seek to understand our fellow Jews and to present Torah in a manner in­ telligible to them. It is to engage in a public relations program that can be a “Kiddush Hashem.”

TN LITTLE more than a century, Jewry has experienced three great revolutions. In the wake of none of them did Torah gain strength. When the Emancipation spread through Europe and the light of its freedom and knowledge lured those who were previously en­ closed in the narrow ghetto, we were unable to bring the message of Torah to our people in a chang­ ing world. It was not until Samson Raphael Hirsch and a few others rose that Orthodoxy could find its rightful place in a rapidly unfold­ ing society. Rabbi Hirsch’s unique position was achieved by his will­ ingness to present Torah in terms that his people, following the Emancipation revolution in their lives, could understand. While other rabbis denied the revolution, the need for change, and wanted the masses to follow their teachings without question, Hirsch met his people on their level.

The influence of Samson Raphael Hirsch was great because of his earnest program couched in terms of fine public relations. Whereas others declared “chodosh osur min hatorah — the new is forbidden by Torah,” (relating to grain before May - June, 1954

the Omer) —- he was able to pre­ sent the old vintage in new vessels, lest it be said “yoshon mipney cho­ dosh totziu — you shall cast out the old from before the new.” The achievements of Hirsch were, alas, belated and were limited to the ef­ forts of a few. The result: Hirsch and his co-workers succeeded; but Jewry, throughout the world lost untold numbers because it failed in public relations.

K SECOND revolution took place a little more than a half cen­ tury ago. This was the great shift of the Jewish center from Europe to America. Here, too, we witnessed the tragic failings of Torah leader­ ship in its relations with the Jew­ ish public. To fail to recognize the changed surroundings of American life as compared with eastern Eu­ rope, and to insist that the masses must follow the pattern of the past without logical justification, was to lose, if not to drive away, the “average” Jew. Even some inclined to respond forsook the Torah ranges, for its message was not brought within the scope of their under­ standing. In the frame of refer­ ence of the American Jewish mind, Torah had no meaningful place in the fabric of life. Neither the rabbi nor the teacher of that revolutionary period recognized or understood the changing motiva­ tions of those whom they sought to influence. They did not speak the “language” of American Jews; they lacked all appreciation for pub­ lic relations. The net result: our ranks were depleted.

7

■MOW we have experienced a third ** revolution in Jewry’s historical equilibrium: the establishment of the State of Israel. New problems, involving the view of Torah, have been arising daily which had not troubled Jews for some 2,000 years.

Unfortunately, no Torah system for conducting a modern state has been pronounced. And even in those issues on which “halochic” state­ ments have been made, the re­ actions to them have not been heartening. It seems as though great scholars have issued edicts which the “rov hatzibur” has re­ fused to accept. I am convinced that the basic problem is not in the legal decision, but in the failure of its authority to strike a harmon­ ious understanding with the peo­ ple who are supposed to heed it.

Merely issuing a decree and even explaining it (and such explana­ tions are too often lacking), is in­ adequate today. The authority must understand the mahalach hamach* shovah—the mental trends of the people, the way to win their minds and hearts, the path by which to regain them for Torah. Rather than viewing Jewish sages as be­ ing of another, outdated milieu, people must feel that their mentors are of their society — understand­ ing their needs and attitudes, and interpreting Torah in such light.

The rabbi, in the Yishuv as well as the Goluth, must win the confidence, as well as the respect, of Jewry.

This is good public relations and is fundamental for the saving of the remnants of Israel.

Nor need we believe that such a 8

step dowil to see “maz amo d’har— what the multitudes feel and speak/’ is something new. In sharp contrast to the Jewish life of east­ ern Europe, in which the rabbi’s decision was unquestioned law —which seems to set the standard for the conduct of too many of our leaders in a day when this attitude is simply rejected — we find in­ numerable instances where Israel’s greatest men found it essential to meet the needs of a revolutionary situation. What prompted Rabbi Saadia Gaon to write an “Emunoth V’deoth” in Arabic, or a Rambam to issue a great “Moreh Nebochim,” but the recognition of the revolu­ tion in the Jewish mind that Greek and Arabic philosophy were mak­ ing? Defending and expounding Torah in such a day was essential public relations work. It was aimed at preserving Jews and Judaism.

Note the different tenor and ap­ proach in the “Iggereth Teymon” of Maimonides. Public relations diCv tated a different approach from that of the “Moreh,” the one philo­ sophical, the other emotional, ex­ horting, encouraging. Even the mussar of Rabbi Israel Salanter, which some may or may not believe to have been essential, was a pub­ lic relations reaction to the age of reason.

DUBLIC RELATIONS, then, is * the province of presenting To­ rah, not as we alone understand it, but in terms of the understanding of our fellow Jews, that they may come to accept it. Even as King Solomon admonished, “Instruct the Jewish LIFE

child in keeping with his path,” so must we approach our people in their course. Unfortunately, it ap­ pears that many of the confirmed believers in Torah confuse its eter­ nal qualities with the qualities of the environment around it. They believe that the state of life's condi­ tions existent in the past must be maintained if Torah is to thrive.

This, indeed* betrays a lack of con­ fidence in the eternal truth of To­ rah, for it should be able to en­ dure in any environment if it is — and we surely believe so — divine.

To thwart life's progress is to label Torah as unprogressive and inade­ quate to a dynamic life — as lacklacking in nitzchiuth. This, then, becomes a desecration of the G-dly qualities of Torah and opens ave­ nues for the escape from its guid­ ance. Recognition of the ongoing processes of life and the presenta­ tion of the Torah view in light of them is the public relations task for those who have faith in the truth of Torah.

■pVEN if we cannot accept the “ opinions of non-Torah-minded Jews -— and we cannot — we must be concerned with how and what they think, and why they think as they do. Then can we approach them with Torah on their level.

Such a course may have salutary results, aside from bringing our message to those going astray. Such thoughtful, all-embracing, attitudes may teach members of the Torah world to understand better those in their very ranks; thus bringing harmony, cooperation and unity in championing a common cause. This, too, is the way of good public re­ lations.

We would do well to learn from the best of our leaders to walk sym­ pathetically and emphatically with our people, and show our fellow Jews that we are striving for true progress in their lives, that, like Aaron the High Priest, we are not obstructionists but rather “lovers of peace, pursuers of peace, lovers of our fellow and bringing them closer to Torah.”

HONOR TO ALL A wise man said that he found reason for honoring almost every one he knew. Of the famed he said to him­ self, they surely have done more good and borne more burdens than I; of the rich, they have given more charity than I; of the young, there is more of the innocence of child­ hood in them than in me; of the learned, I must pay him the respect due to teacher from pupil. He was rewarded for his consideration with the love and confidence of his fellowmen; he was enabled to achieve much good in his lifetime, and he finally passed away at peace with all men. — From the Testament of Rabbi Yehudah ben Asher.

May - June, 1954

9

By I. HALEVY-LEVIN J erusalem

JT IS a mistake to regard the Maaleh Akrabim massacre in isolation. It is equally incorrect to see th e . Nachalin incident as a settlement of accounts. What has occurred on.the borders pf Israel and beyond presages the collapse of a system that,/with all its defi­ ciencies and makeshifts, has pre­ vented Israel and her neighbors from coming to grips again, and has averted a major catastrophe.

For that collapse the United Na­ tions and their local agency, the Truce Supervision Organization, are mainly responsible.

In all the five years of the opera­ tion of the Armistice Agreements no crisis with which the Truce Supervision Organization has had to deal has been marked with so much clumsiness and want of tact.

From the . very, outset,/ General Bennike's delay in returning, to Jerusalem from' Damascus (where he was discussing a series of rou­ tine incidents on Lake Kinnereth) after the Maaleh Akrabim mur­ 10

ders, in response to Mr. Sharett’s invitation, gave rise to much bitter comment here. But the decision of Commander Hutchison, American chairman of the Mixed Armistice Commission, to abstain from voting on the resolution condemning Jor­ dan for its flagrant breach of the Armistice Agreement, on the grounds that the evidence was in­ conclusive that Jordanians were responsible for the attack, came as a shock hardly less severe than the original massacre. (It must be pointed out that the Israel Intelli­ gence Service, through the Israel delegate to the Commission, sub­ mitted information regarding the identity and whereabouts of at least three of the attackers.)

Whether by coincidence or by de­ sign, the third and final Jordan rejection of the summons issued

by Mr. Dag Hammerskoeld, Secre­ tary-General of the U.N.O., to meet Israel under Article XII of the Armistice Agreement followed immediately. It was noted here Jewish LIFE

that the decision of Mr. Hammerskoeld not to pursue the matter further, despite his frequently reiterated statements that he was determined to hold the Conference

at an early date in April, even if the Jordanians refused to attend, came immediately after a meeting with the representatives of the Three Powers.

Failure Of The Security Council

TN ISRAEL, this series of develop­ ments has been regarded as a reflection of the impotence of the Security Council and the attitude of the Great Powers in any dis­ pute between Israel and her neigh­ bors. The Soviet veto on the Coun­ cil resolution regarding resumption of work on the Huleh Project gave the shaky structure of the T.S.O. another shake. Probably, a deci­ sion against Israel would hardly have made a worse impression here. The Soviet veto on the mo­ tion of Israel's complaint about Egyptian interference with Israelbound shipping passing through the Suez Canal has further under­ mined confidence in the United Nations. This feeling was summed up by Abba Eban, Israel's dele­ gate, when he said that “no reso­ lution recognizing Israel's funda­ mental rights appears favored for adoption in the Security Council even when a majority approves of it.” ^ Now, a third issue affecting Israel's interests is on the agenda of the Council, and possible Soviet action is causing concern to the Wèstern Powers. A , third antiIsrael veto by the Soviets would give the coup-de-grace to a system the bankruptcy of which has al­ ready been exposed.

The alacrity with which *Mr. May - June, 1954

Vishinsky, current chairman of the Council, has acceded to a Lebanese demand that the Council discuss the Nachalin incident is, at least, ominous. Soviet hamstringing of the Security Council has provided the Western Powers with a good alibi. They have proved their good intentions. They have produced, as the occasion arose, well-meaning resolutions, which, though formu­ lated in weaji, and ambiguous terms, seemed to uphold Israel's fundamental rights. Nevertheless, the validity of Mr. Vishinsky's argument that as long as the Council is powerless to secure com­ pliance with its previous decisions, mere repetition is more than use­ less, must be admitted.

But the Western Powers cannot divest themselves of responsibility for the dangerous deterioration of the; situation in the Middle East.

In their efforts to build up, Arab power and to secure‘ an Arab alliance, they have ignored even such concepts of equity as are cus­ tomary in international relation^.

The United States, ' Britain and France all took up a very strong attitude after Kibya. Upon their own initiative they raised the mat­ ter in the Security Council. The Maaleh Akrabim murders evoked hardly more than routine expres11

encounter among all sections of the population. There is a strongly rooted conviction in this country that in relations with the Arabs retaliation in kind is the only feasible reply to violence. To a T H E breakdown of the system " considerable extent it derives from ^ of Armistice Agreements has a long experience oL the Arab been highlighted by Mr. Sharett’s mentality and of Oriental tradi­ valiant effort to raise to a higher tions of blood redemption, but it plane Israeli-Arab relations, even runs even deeper. It is a reaction under present conditions of hostili­ to Jewish passivity in the face of ty, in order to break the vicious attack, associated with life in circle of murder, reprisal and eastern Europe and Asia. For counter-reprisal. The attempt to these reasons, Mr. Sharett’s pros­ impose restraint after such a pects of taking along with him brutal and cold-blooded slaughter his own supporters, let alone his reflects political courage of a very Coalition partners, were not good.

For a while, however, it seemed high order. The Prime Minister was under no delusions regarding that as far as this country was thè opposition such a policy would concerned counsels ef restraint would at least be given a hearing.

Resentment was strong and unmis­ takable, but disciplined. In the Knesseth, the principle of joint Coalition responsibility was main­ tained, though a hardly suppressed note of disbelief in the practica­ bility of such a policy underlay the speeches even of Cabinet Ministers.

But whatever chances of success this policy had inside Israel — and they were never good — were destroyed by a strange combina­ tion of U.N.O., the T.S.O. and the Great Powers. Israel expected a reaction at least similar to that which had followed the Kibya in­ cident, especially in view of the fact that the attack at Maaleh A U.N. observer and Israeli soldiers and police Akrabim had in no way been pro­ at scene of Maaleh Akrabim massacre. voked. But specious praise of Is(Photo by Eisen8tdrk) Jewish LIFE 12

sions of shock and regret, while America, at least, is reported as lukewarm to any proposal to raise the issue in the Security Council — whatever good that may do.

rael’s self-restraint in the world press soon gave way to development of Commander Hutchison’s thesis of insufficient evidence and

to prominence for the Arab theories that the Jews themselves had perpetrated the crime for some nefarious purpose.

One-Sided Legalism

the breakdown of the system of Mixed Armistice Commission Armistice Agreements, dramatized is an innovation. For many months by Israel’s withdrawal from the Is­ the Israel-Syria Mixed Armistice rael-Jordan Mixed Armistice Com­ Commission has refrained from a mission, and the inability of the clearcut attitude on Syrian attacks United Nations to show even lim­ upon Israeli fishing vessels on Lake ited initiative in stabilizing con­ Kinnereth, despite the fact that ditions, are fraught with the grav­ the Lake and its shores are en­ est consequences. The fact that tirely within Israel’s frontiers. It the Armistice Commissions have is also recalled that some months no teeth, that their method is that ago the killing of an Arab Legion of round-table discussion and their doctor was ascribed to Israel, only sanction is condemnation of which was fully condemned despite the aggressor, has given rise to the fact that heavy rains had de­ an attitude of disparagement of stroyed all evidence of the identity their function and usefulness. The of the attackers. The fact that the operation of the Mixed Armistice killing followed a series of Jor­ Commissions may, in a restricted danian attacks in the area was sense, be regarded as analogous to considered sufficient to establish that of their parent body, the United Nations, for as long as the Israeli responsibility.

Under such circumstances, Na- parties to a dispute are ready to sit down together and talk their chalin was inevitable.

But the problem must be seen grievances over, the chances of in a larger context. Attack and armed conflict are reduced.

The fact that concurrent with reprisal are normal features of life in Israel’s border zones and the meetings of the Commissions except for incidents of more than — indeed the main reason for con­ ordinary gravity do not evoke ex­ vening them -— there has been an cessive emotion. It is accepted unbroken series of acts of violence that the Arab defeat was not com­ does not detract from the impor­ plete and that this guerilla sub­ war is one method chosen by the tance of their function. On the Arab states to occupy the inter­ contrary, in acting as a safety regnum until they feel themselves valve they have insured that bor­ strong enough to launch a re­ der incidents have not developed vanche. Under such circumstances, into something far more serious.

13 May - June, 1954 T EGALISM in the work of the

(Photo by Eisenstark)

Sign on the ambushed holiday bus: “For Eylath Day — the bless ings of ‘Egged* (Eshed) to the pioneers of the Negev ” JSRAEL has not always been sat­ isfied with the work of these Commissions. They have tended too much toward the Arab view­ point, perhaps less from a par­ tiality toward the Arabs than from a feeling that the Levantine men­ tality. is inclined towards eccen­ tricity, indulging in wild deeds no less than wild words, and there­ fore calls for more delicate hand­ ling. B u t' there have also been cases where prominent members of the "Truce Supervision Organiza­ tion. have exhibited marked antiIsrael bias. The conduct of Colonel de Ridder is a case in point.

14

Moreover, the Organization has generally followed the line of the Western Powers in dealing with the Arabs. Mr. Hammerskoeld’s decision not to convene the pro­ posed Article XII Conference after consultation with the delegates of the Western Powers merely shows that this attitude is not confined to the local U.N. agencies.

But even the qualified contribu­ tion of the Mixed Armistice Com­ missions towards averting a major conflict cannot conceal the fact that they are by their nature tem­ porary instruments, ill-equipped to deal with a situation which apJewish LIFE

parently has become permanent. group which is stationed there. .

The Armistice Commissions in The refusal of Jordan to parti­ which Israel cooperates with cipate in the conference demanded Egypt, Lebanon and Syria, respec­ by Israel, which is mandatory un­ tively, have remained more or less der Article XII, thus raises the workable, because the frontiers in question whether, in effect, the these sectors are less favorable for entire agreement has not been infiltration, though the Egypt-con- repudiated by Jordan. trolled Gaza strip presents prob­ The failure of the United Na­ lems similar to those on the Jordan tions Organization and its Truce border. The Israel-Jordan Armis­ Supervision Organization to fulfill tice Commission, however, from its their functions adequately and to inception has carried out its func­ deal effectively with the problem tions only to a very limited extent. of Israel-Arab relations can only A murderous attack on Israeli ci­ lead to the gravest consequences. vilians in 1948, close to the Arab- It is not likely that if the Israelheld fortress of Latrun, blocked Jordan Armistice Commission dis­ any attempt to implement the ar­ integrates, the agreements govern­ ticle of the Armistice Agreement ing relations with Israel's other providing for free traffic along the neighbors will endure. It is only old Jerusalem-Tel Aviv main road.

The article providing for free ac­ as links in an articulated system cess to the cultural and medical that they can operate at all under institutions on Mount Scopus has the constant stress and strain to long been deprived of its meaning which they are subject. And the by limitation to a fortnightly sup­ breakdown of the armistice system ply convoy for the Israel Police will leave a dangerous vacuum.

Reality Of Arab Threats

TSRAEL is conscious of these dangers, but its efforts to avert them can only succeed if the other parties with interests in the Mid­ dle East are inspired by a similar consciousness and are willing to adopt the radical measures the situation calls for. A very frank warning of Israel's need to pre­ pare to meet the Arab “second round" was sounded just a day be­ fore the Maaleh Akrabim massa­ cre. It was voiced by Israel's^ Commander-in-Chief. Rav-Aloof DayMay - June, 1954

an's statement came as no sur­ prise to Israelis who know that Arab threats against Israel are not intended for home consump­ tion only. The menace of the situ­ ation lies in the desire of the West­ ern Powers to convince themselves that the Arabs are not seriously contemplating aggression. The Big Three hope that the arms with which they are supplying the Arab states will be aimed at Russia and not Israel.

Israel is situated in an area in '15

which its enemies are being wooed by the Great Powers of the world.

At best, it can offer democracy, stability and dependability against the vast area, population and re­ sources of the Arab countries. But the ramshackle structure of the latter, their frequent disorders, the flimsiness of any alliances in­ to which they may enter, have not deterred the West, and certainly not the United States. These are risks the latter are prepared to take.

Precisely for this reason an Is­ raeli policy of moderation and self-

restraint has severe limitations.

Israel cannot allow a Soviet veto to hinder vital development proj­ ects. It cannot allow an extension of the Arab blockade because of differences between the Great Pow­ ers. Ships will sail up the Gulf of Akaba. Work will soon be re­ newed on the Huleh project. If the Syrians and the Egyptians choose to regard the Security Council's lack of decision as tacit consent for their policies of ag­ gression, a major conflagration may ensue.

THE JEW AND HIS TORAH The Roman Emperor Hadrian forbade the Jews to study the Torah. Disregarding the Emperor's edict, and at the peril of his life. Rabbi Akibah continued to hold his classes.

His friends remonstrated with him, and exhorted him to have regard for his life. "I will tell you a parable," said Rabbi Akibah. "A fox, walking by the riverside, noticed a shoal of fish swimming in a great hurry, apparently in great fear. 'What do you fear?' asked the fox of the fishes.

'The net of the fisherman/ they answered. 'Well, then/ suggested the cunning beast, 'Come out on the dry land and live in safety under my protection/ But the fishes laughed at the sly fox. 'If we are in danger/ they said, 'in our own element, in the water, how much greater the risk outside of itl' So is it with us, explained the Rabbi. The Torah is our element, our source of life. The moment we leave it, our very existence is imperiled."

16

Jewish LIFE

By MOSHE DLUZNOWSKY QHORTLY after the first World rows or in dazzling, chaotic dis­ War father’s business began to play and please the children, as fall apart, and hunger and sorrow sparkling stones please the eye. were frequent visitors at our home.

The pieces of bread that mother jOATHER was heartbroken, wor­ portioned out each morning, to­ ried about providing a liveli­ gether with a glass of black coffee, hood for his family, sick at the grew smaller and smaller, and cor­ thought that he had become one respondingly, mother’s sighs be­ of the impoverished aristocracy of came deeper and stronger. But the village. Despite the chaos left she tried to console, the children by the war, he tried to maintain with cheerful talk, in order, some­ his business, which he had man­ how, to compensate for their un­ aged for close to twenty years, but his attempts were of no avail. fortunate fate.

“With G-d’s help,” she would say, It seemed as though some invisible “these bad times will pass and destructive power had overtaken there will be good days again. The father, to destroy him and his war has ruined us, children. But family.

Mother walked about the house, don’t despair. Things will improve.

It is never light until after the treading softly, soothing and com­ forting. Sometimes, finding father dark.”

In these optimistic tones, mother in a mood of despair, she would would paint pictures of wonderful reproach him, telling him of those happiness and great plenty in order families which were in more seri­ to make more bearable our scanty ous difficulty. “We should be thank­ meals. With her talk, the holiday ful that we are all well,” she would of illusion and fantasy danced in­ say at these times; “as for a liveli­ to the room and humored the chil­ hood, better times will come and dren’s mood. Often, at night, when we shall again live as we did in hunger cried in our stomachs, all the past.”

In his more desperate moods, the goodies that mother described during the day would stand up in father would sit down and begin May - June, 1954

17

apart after numerous repairs and alterations. Mother, too, was wary of the “evil eye,” and her heart fluttered at the idea of losing her pearls.

Things kept getting worse. Fa­ ther threw himself into new busi­ ness deals, casting about in all di­ rections, in an attempt to break through the ring of poverty. But nothing helped. The chaotic post­ war conditions were strangling his business out of existence.

Early mornings, when they could sleep no more, mother and father would speak in low whispers. “Yehudith,” father would murmur, “what do you say? Perhaps . . . the Vilner Shas. We can exchange it for one bound in cloth. I think . . . . ” “G-d forbid,” was her invariable reply, “we must not sell them.

No . . . n o r After one such conversation fa­ ther said, “We must then sell the pearls. I will get some money, buy some merchandise, begin again, TN THE old days, we would and with G-d's help . . . . ” “There is no other choice,” moth­ ■*’ all sit around the Shabboth table, welcoming the Sabbath er answered. “We will send for Queen with “Sholom Aleichem.” Fishl the Watchmaker, immediate­ Mother would wear her black satin ly . . . today.” dress, with the upturned collar, and the six strands of pearls rpHE SAME day, father's tremaround her throat. She always * bling hands removed the treas­ bestowed an air of real elegance ure from the small tin box. A to the household. But since the white silky paper opened on his reign of poverty in the house, palm, and a few bands of pearls, mother was somehow afraid to dazzling in their beauty, fell into touch the pearls, even on holidays, his hands. Father held them, roll­ perhaps because her satin dress ing them between his fingers. was already threadbare, with a Mother came over to the table. greenish tint, and ready to fall Her eyes, filled with tears, reJewish LIFE 18

to recite Tehillim. Usually, he would begin with the chapter, tefillah Voni ki yatof—the prayer of the poor.

In one corner of the house stood a massive old bookcase, packed from top to bottom with seforim.

On the lower shelf stood the mussar seforim , perushim and mishnayoth, and on the two upper shelves, in all their majesty, stood the Vilner Shas, twenty-four vol­ umes bound in shiny brown leath­ er, with gold-stamped letters. On the very top, on a narrow little board, stood a small, blue, tin box which had a label of Russian tea, and every time father took a book from the shelf, he glanced at the small tin box above the Vilner Shas, and sighed.

We all knew that the tin box held a small fortune, mother's pearls, which were a family heir­ loom; should the hour come, G-d forbid, it could save the household from ruin.

fleeted the colors given off by the pearls.

“We will live to see better times,” mother said. “We will buy new pearls, more beautiful, more modern . . . . ” Beside the pearls, the tin box contained a ring with a small diamond, a pair of golden earrings and a small pin with a brownish yellow topaz in the center.

Midday, with small measured steps, Fishl the Watchmaker ar­ rived. He was a heavily built man, with a thick beard and merry brown eyes. He wore a dark-blue overcoat with a black velvet collar which made him look more distin­ guished, and shiny leather boots that were spotless as a new mirror.

Fishl dealt in watches and jewelry and was considered a connoisseur and appraiser of precious stones, pearls and gold. He was always on the lookout for a bargain. He greeted mother and father and, with an authoritative little cough, calmly sat down at the table and opened the blue box which father had placed before him. Slowly, he took out the pearls, screwed a jeweler's lens into his left eye.

Mother's eyes flamed, father's face twitched from nervousness. Fishl ran the pearls through his fingers and finally uttered a few words.

“You see . . . the market for pearls isn't what it used to be.

You understand, it's not so fash­ ionable. People don't wear pearls as much as they used to. Now they want diamonds, precious stones; for example, sapphires, rubies, cameos, topaz."

May - June, 1954

Mother and father could hardly catch their breath. How noncha­ lantly Fishl listed the vast array of precious stones. And with what disdain he dismissed their pearls, their last hope . . . .

With a nervous movement, father adjusted his spectacles, pointed his face at Fishl and stammered: “Well?"

Fishl again fingered the strands of pearls, held his magnifying glass closer to his left eye and asked, “How much, for example, do you want for this merchan­ dise?"

“Appraise it Reb Fishl, you are the customer and the expert. How much is it worth?"

Fishl murmured something into his beard, neither here nor there.

“No matter how much I'd say, You'd think it too little."

Father became pale. He arose from the table, astonished at the lack of value which Fishl attached to the family heirloom. He got his courage up and declared very businesslike: “Well, Reb Fishl, I see that you are not eager to buy the pearls. We'll have to look for another customer."

Then, Fishl's eye fell on a pair of mother's golden earrings.

“Here," he said, “is something I can use. Earrings, you see, that's still an article. A ‘gilden' more or less. We won't have to consult the rabbi."

Fishl mentioned a price. Mother and father exchanged glances; si­ lently agreed, and after some bar­ gaining, the deal was finally made.

Fishl carefully drew out a leather 19

wallet from a deep vest pocket, took out a few bills, counted and recounted.

“After all, we are old friends, so I've paid a good price. I won’t profit from this deal.”

T H E DAYS that followed were ■*' happier ones in the house.

Everyone was pleased that the golden earrings had saved the pearls, mother’s pearls that she had inherited from her mother, and which suited her so perfectly.

Well, the money from the sale of the earrings helped matters some­ what, but it was not long before father needed more. The pearls had to be sold. This time Chaim the Goldsmith came — a thin man, with a nervous twitch to his angry face, and one eye a little smaller than the other. Chaim was a good craftsman, busying himself with making and repairing gold and silver pieces. The villagers said that he was born with “golden hands,” and that any bracelet, ring or pin that he turned out was in­ deed a work of art. He also dealt in precious stones and was quite a competitor to Fishl the Watch­ maker.

Chaim the Goldsmith examined the pearls from all angles. He fingered the pearls, looked at them through his magnifying lens, took them between his teeth, and finally offered such a terribly low price that neither mother nor father could accept it. Then Chaim no­ ticed the ring that had fallen out of the blue box onto the table, mother’s ring with the tiny dia20

mond in the center. The goldsmith immediately picked up the ring that was glimmering with a rain­ bow of colors and rays. He ex­ amined it and said: “A fine piece of work. This I could buy. But the question is,” he drew out his words, “how much?”

Father made a gesture with his hand, as if to say, that he de­ pended completely on Chaim’s sense of justice.

And so the ring was sold, the string of pearls was safe, disaster was again averted.

CONDITIONS did not improve. ^ The pin with the topaz was sacrificed. A brother left home for France. A sister went to work for the tailor. But it was not possible to make ends meet. There was no solution but to sell the pearls to Fishl, even at his price. Father still thought that it would be bet­ ter to sell the beautifully bound Vilner Shas and buy an ordinary one, bound in cloth. He argued: “One can learn Torah diligently from the torn and tattered pages of a Gemorah. It is not beautiful binding that counts, but the heart that is in it.”

But when it came to the Vilner Shas, mother was not willing to accept compromises.

Again Fishl came. His jolly eyes were mischievously winking as if to say, “I knew from the start that you would have to come to me.” He sat down, screwed his jeweler’s lens into his left eye, raised his lip and bearded cheek a bit, in order to hold it secure. He Jewish LIFE

examined the pearls once more and stated his price. Mother and fath­ er silently accepted. Fishl slowly counted out the paper bills, took, the pearls, which he deposited well back into his deep vest pocket, carefully buttoned his coat and departed.

After Fishl had gone, father sat down at the table, the empty blue box in front of him. His eyes were tired, full of sorrow and de­ spair. The empty box he saw as the pit of hopelessness. His fingers played with it. Unexpectedly, one tiny pearl rolled out onto the table. x “Oh!” mother exclaimed, “I probably forgot to put this one on the strand when I last restrung them.”

She laughed, her eyes filled with tears. “It must be given to Fishl at once.”

“He bought the string without it,” father answered. “This be­ longs to the box.”

The solitary little pearl lay there May - June, 1954

in the center of the table before our eyes. Mother got out a piece of paper, carefully wrapped the little pearl, and told her “Cheder boy,” Simon, who had witnessed the entire transaction, to carry the pearl to Fishl.

OIMON ran out after Fishl, over^ taking him on the road. He stammered breathlessly, “You for­ got this small pearl, Reb Fishl.

Here it is.”

Fishl fixed his twinkling eyes on the boy and calmly said; “Hm . . . .

Go home, little boy. Tell your mother and father that I forgot nothing. I saw the little pearl in the box and left it there inten­ tionally. Tell them . . . on pur­ pose.”

He patted Simon's head and con­ tinued briskly on his way.

Simon ran as fast as he could; gave the paper to his mother and blurted out, “Fishl said he left it on purpose.”

21

Father smiled. It was the first time that he had smiled in a long time. Mother nodded silently and placed the pearl in the little empty blue box and put the box back in the cabinet, on top of the shelf

above the Vilner Shas. The little pearl remained there, a reminder of better days that once had been, and a symbol of hope for better days to come.

By Louis Eisenmayer How great is the peace of the Sabbath.

1 wait for it throughout the clangfilled week, Longingly.

And then with gladness, With the chanted word and song, I bless its coming.

An honor, comforting and real.

Happily, I am transposed into a new wonderful mood.

I, tasting this ease, hearing now G-dfs word, Know heightened spirit.

It has brought understanding.

It has shown me my heart must be pure To vision the summits Where prophets learnt the Eternal Law That gave to man this gift from G-dys sphere.

Knowing an hour sustained by Sab­ bath contentment Voids a year of raucous tempest in the public square.

T H E synagogue is barely five * years old, and, like a healthy child who outgrows his clothes, is already starting to erect a new building; when it moves it will, of course, have to move its library.

That this library should have in it books older than the synagogue is nothing — but many of them are older than City, State, or Country.

These are not just the usual Siddurim, Machzorim, Chumoshim, which are the basic (minimal, if you will use the current jargonalia) requirements of a shool’s library — or, perhaps I should not say, “not just —” May - Juñe, 1954

Here is a siddur-cum-machzor from Metz, quaint and picturesque old city in easternmost Prance, where glatt-kosher pate de foiegras may still be had. “Imprimateur ordinaire du Roy,” it says on the title page — the use of the older form instead of “roi” should have warned me WM ftPresse de Joseph Anton”: Here I must con­ fess that I am so unstable in the calculation of gematriya that I date all old books by the reign of the monarch prayed for instead of trying to figure the date properly; my first guess was that the Roi — the king — was fat, bourgeois Louis-Phillippe. I turned to the 23

Ha-nothen Teshua prayer, savor­ ing as I did so the scent of old leather, p rin te d ink, and old linen paper (sorrowing that books printed today will crumble in dec­ ades like, le-havdil, so many news­ papers: text: “And how dieth the wise man? As the fool.”) - I saw the name of “Louis” leap up, but before I could affirm my guess, I saw the words “Melech Tsorphath u-Navarre”; and realized that there has been no Navarre since Dr. Guillotine’s invention abruptly ended the life of its last king.

“Louis He-chamesh-essre” declared the yellowed page, “V’eth adonenu Ha-Dauphin” — and the faint echo of the proud Capet: “Apres-moi, le deluge . . , was Louis XV also among the prophets?

I felt my breath go; I heard the tumbrils in the narrow street. Put not thy faith in Princes . . . .

There is no end to what can be learned in synagogue libraries, from their old volumes; I once knew a man who taught himself to read the Russian alphabet by comparing the Hebrew titles of the books in his shool with their Rus­ sian transliterations. One might almost do the same here, and learn a little history in the process. Pre­ viously the abortive Polish revolt in the ’60s had been known to me only vaguely, as the subject, of a short story by Conrad. Did Jews, in any great part, figure in this re­ volt? I still do not know, but the old books — the volumes of “Chafe Odom” and “Sjulchan Oruch” — bear, prior to this period, censors’ imprimaturs in Polish only; after24

wards, in Russian only.

Here is a book containing the Tractate Eruvin, from what the translator and commentator — the Rev. W. Wotton, D.D. — calls the “MISNA.” It was printed in London, in 1718, full of interior “s”s like “f”s, and done in a mix­ ture of Latinized English and Anglicized Latin: THE MISNA, then, AS HELD BY THE SCRIBES AND THE PHARIFEES, in which Chachomim omrim becomes Sapiente dictum, Bikkurim are Primitiva , or Fir f t Fruits; and Terumah, Primitiae, or Pri­ meft Parts. All moft (sic), curious.

TJTERE is a translation of David Kimchi’s commentary on the prophecy of Zechariah, by A Clergyman of the Church of Ire­ land and Sometime Fellow of Trinity College, Dublin . . . Your fathers , where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? . . . and in the darkness which lay sud­ denly upon the earth, in the bot­ toms, by the sycamore trees, the vision of a man riding upon a red horse . . .

Samuel Rodriguez Mendez, Jacob Da Silva Mendez, Nathaniel Zarphaty, Isaac De Eliahu Ha-Cohen Belinfante . . . notes sounded upon a trumpet filled with dust . . .

The Book of Prayers according to the Minhag of the Holy Congrega­ tion of the Sephardim at Amster­ dam . . . 1769 by the vulgar reck­ oning . . . and, at the back, a KALENDARIO (again, the archa­ ic “s” like “f” ; which is which, in a language so strange to me as Jewish LIFE

Portuguese — if it is Portuguese! dòn, A.M. 5596,” mentions King — I cannot say, but let the reader William as King William in the hazard for himself) Kalendario, English text, but in the Hebrew he Que ferve para 115 Annos, Que fao appears under the classically anony* feis giros; cada giro de 19 annos, mous style of “Poloni”. It is not my comeffao do A*5530 a the o Anno intention to do Professor Lyon (to 5643 . . . and so on, with reference say nothing of Mr. H. Abraham) to Minha & Harbith (Maariv), as an injustice, but — the third book well as Ros. Asanaf J. Kipur, F . Su - from the end on the bottom shelf is cuoth, ■; . . R . H. Sebat, Ros. Asana also a Siddur, also minhag ashkenLaylanol (Tu beShvat) . . . F. Pe- az, dated in the reign of George sah, R. H. Yiar . . . Tubeab, and IV, and translated by David Levi also, Purim Pequen. I assume that (who mended boots in the old Lon­ “Medianos” are the days of the don ghetto of Aldgate on the side) : Choi Ha-Moed, but what is (are) Je regrette, messieurs — but the “Je jum”? — as in Jejum de Abf translation is the very same. It em Domingo fe reza a Teph.. He- seems that Mr. H. Abraham (or hum, yeyum, zhezhumH-won’t some perhaps Professor Lyon) merely learned Portuguese take pity on substituted, on the English page the Fourth William for the Fourth me?

George; quite forgetting to add the Q T H E R lands, other times, other name of the former’s Queen. Poor questions. Everyone k n o w s “D. Levi, Esq.” ! ;X4| all through that 'Geo. IV, in his rage against the years of the century publish­ Queen Caroline, ordered her name ers in several countries play fast, strucjk out of the prayer for the play loose, with his translation. Rut Royal Family; but it is commonly never again do we see his lengthy agreed that his successor, William Orders of Services for the Fasts of IV (he of the pineapple-shaped Monday and Thursday, for the Fast head) and William’s Consort, were of the Eve of the New Moon, on excellent terms. Why is Queen “Which Is the Lesser Day of Adelaide’s name, thenp- not men­ Atonement” : Pizmon succeeding tioned in that prayer as printed in ponderous Pizmon, like elephants “THE FORM OF DAILY PRAY- following one another in procession ERS/ACCORDING TO THE CUS­ and holding their predecessors’ tails TOM OF- THE GERMAN AND in their trunks . . . .

It is curious that the pages most POLISH JEWS/AS READ IN THEIR SYNAGOGUES, A N D thumb-marked in this book are the USED IN THEIR FAMILIES”, weekday and Sabbath morning ser­ why? This book, “Carefully Re­ vices, and the “FORM OF READ­ vised by Isaac L. Lyon, Professor ING THE KERIATH SHEMAH and Teacher of the Hebrew Lan­ BEFORE RETIRING TO REST guage”, and “Printed And Sold by AT NIGHT.” Sabbath afternoon is H. Abrahams, 25, Houndsditch Lon- fresh and unmarked, and there are 25 May - June, 1954

neither wine-stains nor candledrippings at the Havdolah. I con­ jecture that the owner kept this Siddur at home, that he lived too far from a synagogue to walk there and back, but that he did walk there for Sabbath Minchah, and rode back — in a hackney-coach, per­ haps, or an early horse-drawn omni­ bus (perhaps the man at the reigns was the Jew of Gilbert's “Bab Bal­ lads,1” the one “. . . who drove the Putney 'bus/ For flesh of swine, however fine/ He did not care a cuss . . .”) In the absence of evi­ dence to the contrary, this is what I intend to believe. " n JEWISH CALENDAR FOR “ FIFTY YEARS, containing Detailed Tables of the Sabbaths, New Moons, Festivals and Fasts, The Portions of the Law Proper To Them, and the Corresponding Christian Dates, FROM A.M. 5614 TILL A.M. 5664, together with AN INTRODUCTORY ESSAY on the JEWISH CALENDAR SYSTEM, and tables for the continuation of the Calendar till the year 5776, A.M* bring for a period of six lunar cycles containing 114 years.

With tables of the parashoth and haphtaroth as read by both Portu­ guese and German Israelites, &c., &c., &c. BY JACQUES J. LYONS, Minister K. K. “Shearith Israel”, New York, &c., and ABRAHAM DE SOLA, Minister K. K. “Shear­ ith Israel”, Montreal, lower Can­ ada, Professor of Hebrew and Ori­ ental Literature in the University McGill College, Montreal, &c. MON­ TREAL: Printed by John Lovell, 26

at his Steam Printing Establish­ ment, St. Nicholas Street, 56141854.” *This, believe it or not, is the title, and not the first chapter, of a little green volume cracked and peeling at the spine. I understand that it is still in use at the 70th Street establishment of the “Por­ tuguese Israelites” in New York City. I am not, you understand, ex­ pressing surprise that it should still be in use; I am merely sur­ prised that a work a mere hundred years old -— a modern innovation, so to speak — should have gained iavor in this fortress of tradition: “What, pray, Sir” — I can hear the indignant voices — “What, Sir, pray, is the matter with the good old Mendez-Mendez-Zarphaty-Belifante Calendar of 1769?” I can prove nothing. I suspect politicks (sic). I desire to hear no excuses.

“Tamooz” (I do not know if Lyons or De Sola is responsible for this yam-in-the-mouth accent) “Tamooz. Extremely hot. Ther. 76° a 80°, afternoon var. 84° and 92°.

Winds generally from the West.

Rice, early figs and apples, plums, cherries, mulberries ripen palm pro­ duces opo-balsamum (not just or­ dinary, no-account balsamum, but opo-balsamum!): melons gathered.”

Lists of fascinating Fasts and Feasts (samples: Simon took Gaza.

Feast. Murder of Simon ben Gamliel. Fast. Apostacy of the Golden Calf. Fast. Death of Herod the Great. Festival &c., &c.) , all — alas ^ m a r k e d “Discontinued.” Or per­ haps discontinued only by German Jewish LIFE

& Polish Israelites . . . eh ? Who knows?

List of all then known Jewish congregations in the Western Hem­ isphere! Who can bring us tidings of the present condition — if any -— of the Jewish communities in Bolivar (Tennessee), Clarborne (Alabama), Clinton (Mississippi), Colluma (California, on the Yuba River), Bridgetown (Barbados), Nevada City (California. The number of Israelites in the city in 5313 - 1852 was thirty), Porto Cabello (Venezuela), St. Thomas (Dan­ ish West Indies; Minister, Revd.

Solomon Levee Maduro), and Talbottom (Georgia) ?

I note that among the list of sub­ scribers is Capt. Phillips Levy, U.S.N. — by courtesy, Commodore.

I would like to think that in some distant ocean, under an alien breeze, the doughty old veteran would re­ tire to his cabin and hammock and book and read that in the month of —let us say — “Elool” that “figs, olives, and pomegranates ripen” in the Holy Land; that “the shrub al kenna blossoms (and the) first clusters of vine (come) to matur­ ity” ; that “The Selichot, or Pro­ pitiatory prayers are commenced from the first of this month, ac­ cording to the Portuguese Cus­ tom,” but that the Fast for the death of the Spies (Numb. XIV, 36), formerly kept on the 17th, has been discontinued.

■PHE American socio-political scene intrudes an antic note in, of all works possible, the “Proclaimer of Salvation” of Don Isaac Abar• Maiy - June, 1954

banel (“Koenigsberg. Gedrukt bei Albert Rosbach. 1860”). An owner's rubber-stamp is firmly imprinted to inform the world that it be­ longed to “Orthodox Rabbi Lazarus Greenspan” — the name is fic­ titious. Inquiries produce a toler­ ant smile and the information that the long late and orthodox gentle­ man was “a wine-rabbi” : that is, during the days of the 18th, or Prohibition, Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, Rabbi Greenspan had a’ license to sell “sacramental wine” ; that he interpreted “license” as widely as could be) and did not concern him­ self overmuch as to the orthodoxy (or, indeed, the Jewishness or nonJewishness) of cash customers who applied to him for the sacrament.

There is something baroque in the thought of “Orthodox Rabbi Laza­ rus Greenspan” gaining his bread by defying American puritanism, meanwhile consoling himself by reading the words set down about the Coming of Messiah by the great Don Isaac in his own exile and old age, in Italy.

Also from Italy, though another city and epoch, with a gummed la­ bel affixed to show that it was re­ bound in distant Baltimore, Mary­ land, a generation after its publi­ cation, is the “NOUVEAUX DIA­ LOGUES SUR LA KABBALE/ OU REFUTATION CRITIQUE, HISTORIQUE, ET THEOLOGIQUE/ DES DIALOGUES SUR LA MEME/ DE M. LE PROF. (SAMUEL DAVID) LUZZATO DE PADOUE/ P A R E L I E BEN-AMOZEGH/ RABBIN PREDICATEUR A LI27

VOURNE/CHEZ V AUTEUR ET and curious ones at that: Cain C. / 1863.” The book is a credit even slays Abel, the two being clad in to the justly-famous Hebrew press the costumes which Renaissance of Livorno (“Leghorn” to forestie- Italy impartially ascribed to both ri) , being printed from a most clear classical and Biblical times;' uni­ and beautiful font of Rashi type. corns are captured and gentled by Benamozegh peppers and salts his comely maidens, mermaid-sirens, “refutation”^ with copious referen­ holding their tail-flukes in their ces to such non-Kabbalistic sources hands, arise from the sea and sing as Eusebius' “Preparation for the enticingly to passing mariners, af­ ter which they in­ Gospel”, Plotinus, continently devour Enneades, C u d th em : a m oral w o r t h , “Natura point vigorous and Plastica”, Numenivivid, which the us, Kepler, Clement old Rabbi of Mo­ of Alexandria, and dena (in the illus­ the “Univers Istr a tio n , copied raelit” for Decem­ from the 1st Vene­ ber, 1861. Luzzatian edition, he is to’s reply (if he already bald and made one) is not in w rin k led ) could our library. I bet make better than it was a scorcher. he could, for any After the sun of .great period, keep.

Abarbanel had set, And yet 2 9 and and long before yet 9 1 while the the sun of Luzthought of t h e zato arose, the aristocratic D o n brilliant if erratic orb of Leone de Modena streaked who, losing to Torquemada the across the Italian skies, as witness struggle for Ferdinand's mercy, the first American edition (and lost office, homeland, wealth, but perhaps the only one) of his “Tse- neither faith nor honor ;writing mach Tsadiq” with “Axplanatory in distant places in his ancient Notes” (sic), produced shortly age his great religious works after the Spanish-American War, Hv while the thought of him fills us on the Lower East Side of N. Y. C., with a vast awe and reverence, it where the said war was generally does not draw us near to him; it interpreted as a belated eome-up- cannotj he is too high, too fearpance for the decree, 406 years somely exalted for us to reach. But earlier, which sent the sturdy old “Aryeh Yehudah Modena, b’la’z, Don into exile. There is no trans­ ‘Leone’,” that man of many faults, lation, but there are illustrations, like his Biblical namesake “un28

Jewish LIFE

stable as water*” hot-tempered, full of humours, spending his money as fast as he got it (and often not getting it), losing at cards and writing a book proving that card­ playing is a cardinal sin, winning at cards and writing that card-play­ ing is an amiable and harmless pastime, wandering here, wander­ ing there, “with age, with cares, with maladies oppres’d,” yet al­ ways throwing himself with fresh enthusiasm into the struggle and never losing heart — I think we can feel very close to this man. I know I can.

inable, and their folly invented strange and disgusting idols; nay, they even committed their children to flames as a sacrifice to their idols, and otherwise occasioned great injury to society.” Italics, as they say, are mine.

According to the custom of the time, the back of ELEMENTS OF FAITH, etc., lists the sub­ scribers, i.e. those who paid for the work before its publication.

The list is strictly alphabetical, but strictly: under “A” is listed “An­ onymous, per Mr. Beyfus” — Mr. Beyfus himself is not listed, unless, indeed that is he who appears un­ der “C” as “Cosmopolitan, a”, un­ der “G” as “Gentleman, a”, or un­ der “U” as “Unitarian, an.” We all know what comparisons are — (odious), but it is an inescapable fact that Moses (later, Sir Moses) Montefiore is only listed as sub­ scribing for. one copy, whereas N. M. Rothschild (later, Lord Roths­ child) is down for three. Who knows but what, had the figures been reversed, it might have come to be Montefiore who was the baron, and Rothschild the lesser baronet?

If SLIM and prettily-bound little “ book, in golden-brown leather, smooth, with traces of gilt still ad­ hering to the cover: “ELEMENTS OF FAITH, for the USE OF JEW­ ISH YOUTH, of both Sexes.” So says the author, Rabbi S. I. Cohen, but it would seem that E. Justins, 34, Brick Lane, Spitalfields, who printed the book in London 139 years ago, had one particular sex in mind. Rabbi Cohen who wrote the Hebrew text (with vowels) — the translator is unnamed — used the form of a catechism to “impart the sublime comprehension of £TEtOSSING the Atlantic, again, here is a censored Bible, pro­ things imperceptible to the mere corporeal sense” and incidently duced during the ’70s by a gentle­ drive arrows in Satan’s eye and man who was afraid that “the mod­ counter-act the work of the mis­ est daughters of the Israelites, lest sionaries who enticed impoverished they encounter passages which and wavering Jews from their re­ would cause them to blush . . . (might) turn away from the study ligion.

“Q. Were the idolaters prosper­ of the Sacred Scriptures.” Accord­ ingly the editor left numerous such ous with their belief ?

“A. No; their actions became passages untranslated. I refrain excessively destructive and abom- from comment, but pass on to a 29 May - June, 1954

work whose title page is missing, but which came apparently from the hand of the Rev. Dr. Joseph Krauskopf, minister of a reformed conventicle in Philadelphia during the ’90s. Dr. Krauskopf was also franticly concerned with maintain­ ing a chaste pallor in the modest daughters of the Israelites, and was particularly embittered by a certain religious and surgical cere­ mony, “of which (he said) we can­ not speak in the presence of our wives and sisters without a blush mantling our cheeks, and whose only excuse is that it was supposed­ ly instituted by Abraham . . .

TJUTHICH will serve as well as any * ‘ as sl place for me to point out a curious and significant thing.

Most of these old books (and I have not mentioned a fraction of

them) formed a collection in the possession of a single family. As the dates grow later, the titles change. Bibles with traditional com­ mentaries give way to the. emascu­ lated versions noted above. Prayerbooks and holyday machzorim un­ dergo a metamorphosis. Names such as Isaac M. Wise, Dr. Mertzbacher, David Einhorn, Benjamin Szold and Marcus Jastrow appear.

The Scriptures are bowdlerized, the Siddurim wax thinner and thinner ; finally there appears the 1st edition of the Union Prayerbook : after this there are no later dates. And finally the whole collection is donated to a communal institution, subsequently dissolved, from which it found its way hither.

One can learn a lot, as I said in the beginning, from a synagogue library.

THE POWER OF SPEECH Rabbi Simeon ben R. Gamaliel said to Tabay his ser­ vant: "Go and buy me good food in the market." He went and bought him tongue. Said R. Simeon to him: "What is this? When I told you to get good food you bought me tongue, and when I told you to get bad food you also bought me tongue1." The servant replied: "Good comes from it and bad comes from it. When the tongue is good there is nothing better, and when it is bad there is nothing worse."

—Vayikra Rabbah 33, 1.

ao

Jewish LIFE

•

A N ew Spiritual Center For Jerusalem:

By ARYEH NEWMAN Q V E R L O O K I N G th e m a in ro a d to Je ru s a le m , a t th e v e ry g a te s of th e c a p ita l o f Is ra e l, s ta n d s a n im p re ssiv e new sto n e edifice w h ich is d e sig n e d to se rv e as a re lig io u s c e n te r f o r th e c ity a n d beyond, a n d to h o u se th e s ix ­ te e n y e a r-o ld R a b b i K ook P u b lis h ­ in g H ouse. T h e M ossad H a ra v K ook (R a b b i K ook F o u n d a tio n ) , in its new abode, m a rk s th e fulfill­ m e n t o f th e d re a m s o f its p r in c i­ p a l fo u n d e r, R a b b i M aim on, “ th e g ra n d old m a n o f re lig io u s Z ion­ is m ,” a n d is a w o rth y m o n u m e n t to th e s p ir it o f th e g r e a t te a c h e r a n d g u id e w h o se n a m e i t b e a rs a n d w hose a c tiv itie s m ad e so p ro ­ fo u n d a n im p re ssio n on all sectio n s o f th e I s r a e l c o m m u n ity .

T h e b u ild in g its e lf is c o n s titu te d o f th e fo llo w in g : a n a u d ito riu m w ith a s e a tin g , c a p a c ity of tw o th o u s a n d ; a m a g n ific e n t lib r a r y of J u d a ic a ; a p e rm a n e n t e x h ib itio n of T o ra h li t e r a t u r e ; archives, of th e a n n a ls o f re lig io u s Z ionism , a m u seu m o f sa c re d a p p u rte n a n c e s ; a sy n a g o g u e of a m p h ith e a tric a l de­ sig n , in te n d e d to re c a ll th e a n c ie n t

May - June, 1954

S a n h e d rin s e a tin g a r r a n g e m e n ts a n d lo o k in g fo rw a rd to th e reco n ­ s titu tio n o f t h a t a u g u s t b o d y ; r e ­ se a rc h a n d le c tu re ro o m s; a n d offi­ ces o f th e p u b lis h in g house, th e la s t c o n s titu tin g a t p re s e n t th e m a in field of a c tiv itie s o f th e M ossad.

T H E B O O K S p ro d u c e d b y th e ■"* F o u n d a tio n (five h u p d re d to d a te ) a re no o r d in a ry volum es, a n d t h e ir sig n ifican ce, scope, a n d th e la b o rs involved in th e ir, p u b li­ c a tio n tra n s c e n d b y f a r th o se c h a ra c te riz in g <the p u b lic a tio n of w o rld c lassics a n d encyclopedias. “ F ro m A b ra h a m to R ab b i K ook;” w ould be a n a p p ro p ria te d e sc rip ­ tio n of th e M o ssad ’s te rm s o f r e f ­ eren ce. T h e lite r a r y c re a tio n s of th e J e w is h people (a n d w e h a v e a lo n g e r re c o rd e d h is to ry b e fo re th e a d v e n t of p r in tin g th a n a f t e r ) , th e w o rk s o f its ra b b is, sc h o lars, p h i­ lo so p h ers a n d p o ets, dow n th e ag es, w h ich d e riv e t h e ir in s p ir a tio n fro m tr a d itio n a l J u d a is m , a r e b e in g r e ­ deem ed fro m oblivion, p re s e n te d in m o d e rn g a rb com plete w ith a p p ro -

m

p r ia te c o m m e n ta rie s a n d in tro d u c ­ tio n s.

M an y of th e w o rk s t h a t h av e com e off th e p re s s in th e la s t tw o o r th r e e y e a rs w e re firs t p u t on th e sto ck s o v er a decade ago, w h en th e e n te rp ris e w as in its in fa n c y , a n d a re th e f r u i t s o f lo n g re s e a rc h a n d p a in s ta k in g co m p ilatio n a n d in te r p r e ta tio n of so u rces a n d m a n ­ u s c rip ts . T h e p ro d u c tio n o f a J e w ­ ish classic involves f a r m o re th a n r e p r in tin g ; in som e cases c e n tu ry old a n d even th o u sa n d -y e a r-o ld m a n u s c rip ts m u s t be co nsulted.

T h is ap p lie s to th e ra w m a te ria l o f th e book alone. S uch n o rm a l c o m p licatio n s as c o m m e n ta rie s, g lo sses a n d vocalized te x ts o ffer a sp ecial ch allen g e to th e in g e n u ity a n d d evotion of th e p ro o fre a d e r a n d ty p e s e tte r, a n d it is a long a n d difficult p ro cess b e fo re su ch a book finally ro lls off th e p re ss.

T h e fields covered b y M ossad H a ra v K ook a r e m a n y a n d v a rie d .

O ne in sta n c e is t h a t of R a b b in ic R esp onsa, t h a t v a s t lite r a tu r e of q u e stio n s a n d a n s w e rs — S h ’ey lo th a n d T e sh u v o th — posed b y J e w ish c o m m u n itie s th e w o rld over, fro m T alm u d ic tim e s u n til to d a y a n d clarified b y th e ir re sp e c tiv e r a b ­ b in ic a u th o ritie s , on all m a tte r s a ffe c tin g d a ily life . C ollections o f su ch R esp o n sa b y re n o w n e d a u ­ th o r itie s r u n in to m a n y th o u sa n d s, w h ile sin g le T e sh u v o th o f in d i­ v id u a l ra b b is c o m p rise h u n d re d s o f th o u sa n d s. T h e y fo rm v a lu a b le source-books o f J e w is h h is to r y in its m a n y -sid e d a sp e c ts, in c lu d in g case law f o r b u ild in g u p a n d b u t­ tr e s s in g a m o d e rn J e w is h ju r is -

32

p ru d e n c e . T h is is esp ecially s ig n i­ fican t a t th e p r e s e n t tim e , w ith th e official a d o p tio n in I s r a e l o f t r a d i ­ tio n a l m a r r ia g e a n d div o rce law s ap p licab le to all r e s id e n t^ o f th e S ta te . T h ese R esp o n sa also c o n sti­ tu te a tre a s u re h o u s e o f H e b re w lin g u is tic e x p e rim e n ta tio n , a s th e ir a u th o rs s o u g h t to find e q u iv a le n ts f o r new s itu a tio n s a n d te rm s c u r­ r e n t in th e ir tim e s.

E v e ry Je w is h co m m u n ity is r e p ­ re s e n te d in th e s e R esp o n sa, th o u g h , s tra n g e ly en o u g h , t h a t v ita l J e w ­ ish c e n te r in Y em en, re c e n tly liq u id a te d b y tr a n s f e r e n c e to th e H oly L an d , h a s only one collection of R esp o n sa to show . p R O M c h a r tin g th e se a of R e­ sp o n sa, w e p ro ceed to a n o th e r e n te r p r is e o f tre m e n d o u s p ro p o r­ tio n s w ith w h ich , no d o u b t, som e A m e ric a n r e a d e rs a r e fa m ilia r.

R ab b i K a s h e r’s “ T o ra h S h elem ah ,” encyclopedia o f ra b b in ic , h o m ile­ tic c o m m e n ta ry on e v e ry le tte r , w o rd a n d p h ra s e in th e T o ra h h a s been tr a n s f e r r e d fro m th e U n ite d S ta te s to th e M ossad. O ne volum e alone, th e th ir te e n th in n u m b e r, is devoted to th e in te r p r e ta tio n s ex ­ t a n t on th e v e rse in S h em o th ,

This shall be to you the first of months, in c lu d in g th e co m p licated a stro n o m ic a l d a ta involved in d e­ te r m in in g th e f irs t m o n th o f J e w ­ ish re d e m p tio n — N isa n . A n d th e r e a re te n m o re volum es to come. S uch c lassics a s th e “ Z o h a r” a n d “ S hulch o n O ru ch ,” th e l a tte r vocalized w ith h is to ric a l in tro d u c ­ tio n a n d su p p le m e n t o f law s a p ­ plicab le to th e H o ly L a n d , h a v e J e w is h L I F E

been issu ed . T h e com plete w orks o f M aim o n id es, a re b e in g p u b ­ lish ed, w h ile th é co m m u n itie s th a t w e re : w ip ed o u t in th e E u ro p e a n h o lo c a u st a r e b e in g im m o rta liz e d in a s e rie s Jknown as ‘‘C itie s a n d M o th e rs in I s r a e l,” re c o rd in g th e s p ir itu a l g ra n d e u r th a t w a s th e irs .

T h e la b y r in th <pf T alm u d ic lit­ e r a tu r e is b e in g é h a rte d w ith th e a id of such w orki, h s tb e “ T alm u d ic E n cy clo p ed ia,” w h e re each ite m a n d p h ra s e em bedded th e r e in is a r r a n g e d in a lp h a b e tic a l o rd e r, a n d th e H e b re w re a d e r — sc h o la r an d la y m a n — c a n p u t h is fin g e rs on w7h a t th a t g r e a t w o rk h a s to sa y on a lm o st a n y conceivable topic.

All th e p e rio d s o f J e w is h re lig io u s c re a tio n a r e re p re se n te d , fro m th e com plete, vocalized w o rk s o f M oshe C h ay im L uzzato, e a rly e ig h te e n th c e n tu ry J e w is h re lig io u s p h ilo so ­ p h e r, poet, d r a m a tis t a n d m o ra lis t a n d f o r e r u n n e r o f th e r e b ir th of H e b re w as a c o n te m p o ra ry la n ­ g u ag e, to th e w r itin g s of R a b b i Kook a n d o th e r m o d e rn re lig io u s th in k e rs . A n e x h a u stiv e a n d sc ie n ­ tific d ic tio n a ry is now b e in g in i­ tia te d u n d e r th e g u id a n c e o f a sc h o la r w ho h a s j u s t com pleted a w o rk id e n tify in g all th e v a rie d e a rth e n w a re u te n sils m e n tio n e d in th e T a lm u d a n d u sed b y o u r th ir d c e n tu ry a n c e sto rs, “ C eram ics in T alm u d ic L ite r a tu r e .”

T h e la te s t p u b lic a tio n s issu e d b y th e I n s titu te a re th e w o rk s of t h a t g r e a te s t J e w is h ra b b in ic a l g e n iu s since M aim onides, R a b b i E lija h o f V iln a, th e V iln a Gaon.

I n tw o m a ssiv e volum es all th e b io g ra p h ic a l kno w ledge of h is M ay - Ju n e , 1954

c a re e r is p re s e n te d b y R ab b i M aim ón, in c lu d in g essay s on d iffe r­ e n t a sp e c ts of R a b b i E lija h ’s con­ tr ib u tio n s , a lo n g w ith h is c h ie f w r itin g s an d re p re s e n ta tiv e selec­ tio n s fro m h is c o m m e n ta rie s to th e T a n a c h a n d th e T alm u d .

■PH E I N S T IT U T E ow es its ex* iste n c e a n d c o n tin u e d p ro g re s s to th e v isio n a n d in d e fa tig a b le la b o rs o f R a b b i M aim ón. H is m o st tr e a s u r e d y e a rn in g - is th e reco n ­ s titu tio n o f a S a fih e d rin in th e h e a r t o f th e s tr u c tu r e sy m bolically s itu a te d a t th e e n tra n c e to th e c ity a n d n o t f a r fro m th e n ew G o v ern ­ m e n t b u ild in g s.

M an y d is a g re e w ith h is id e a s a n d c o n sid e r th e m n o t in co n so n an ce w ith r e a lity o r th e n eed s o f J u d a is m a t th is h o u r, b u t none w ill g a in s a y h is a b ility to s tim u la te J e w is h th o u g h t o r h is c o n trib u tio n to tr a d itio n a l J u d a 33

ism a n d th e ca u se o f n a tio n a l re n a issa n c e .

T h e a fo re m e n tio n e d p u b lish in g a c tiv ity is m e a n t to be com ple­ m e n ta ry to th e w o rk o f p o p u la riz ­ in g J e w is h know ledge th r o u g h lec­ tu r e s , d e b a te s a n d e x h ib itio n s as p a r t of th e M o ssad ’s w id e r f u n c ­ tio n a s a s p ir itu a l c e n te r. Is ra e l, w ith all its su p re m a c y in its con­ c e n tra tio n o f J e w is h sc h o la rs a n d y e sh iv o th , a n d th e a d v a n ta g e s of

Je w is h n a tio n a l ex isten ce, h a s h a rd ly b e g u n to cope w ith th e p ro b lem of u tiliz in g th e te c h n iq u e s an d m ed ia o f th is m o d e rn a g e in p ro p a g a tin g tr a d itio n a l J e w is h v a l­ ues a n d fo rm s. T h e M o ssad H a ra v Kook, a n Isra e l-c o n ce iv e d v e n tu re , fa lls in to th e p a tte r n o f a tte m p ts b e in g m ad e to s p re a d th e a p p re ­ c ia tio n a n d kn o w led g e o f J u d a is m am o n g I s r a e l’s r is in g g e n e ra tio n .

It is written in Psalms# Chapter 72, Verse 3: "Let the mountains bear peace to the people and the hills in righteousness." But how can mountains bear peace?

When fruits are plentiful# peace reigns in the world# and when they are scarce quarrels prevail. For example# a man enters the vineyard of his friend# immediately is ques­ tioned about his rights to be there, and a quarrel ensues.

However# when there is plenty, a happy disposition is shared by all and peace reigns in the world. For it is writ­ ten (Zechariah: Chapter 3# Verse 10): "In that day, saith the Lord of Hosts# every man will call to his neighbor under the vine and under the fig tree/' (Yalkut Shimoni)

TORAH OR CHAOS The Holy One, blessed be He, stipulated with the Works of Creation and said thereto# "If Israel accepts the Torah, ye shall exist; but if not, I will turn you back into emptiness and formlessness."

—Shabbath, 88a.

THE GOLDEN MEAN The Torah is like unto two paths# one of fire# and one of snow. To go through the one means death by fire; to go through the other means death through frost. What then should a man do? Let him go in the center.

— Talmud Yerushalmi, Chagigah, 2.

34

J e w is h L I F E

What Is Your “Bible I. Q ”?

by Ze'ev Ben Mordeeai 1. What prophetess rallied the Israelites against the forces of Jabin king of Canaan? ... ....... .

2. What was the name of the commander of King Jabin's army?

3. The Biblical character traditionally considered the ancestor of the Greeks is (Ashkenaz), (Shem), (Japheth), (Ham),,......... ..................

4. What woman slew a general while feigning hospitality? .... ........

5. The non-Jewish king who sent materials and workers to build the Temple in Jerusalem was (Darius), (Hiram), (Og), (Tiglath-Pileser).

6. What remedy did Elishah prescribe for the leprous Naaman, Cap­ tain o'f the Assyrian Army?

---7. The longest psalm in Tehillim is 8. The last king of Judea was (Ahaz), (Jeroboam), (Gedaliah), (Zedekiah). .....

9. The prophet who denied that he was a prophet but identified him­ self as a herdsman and a gatherer of figs w as (Hosea), (Joel), (Jeremiah), (Amos).

----10. The mountain on which Noah's Ark rested w as ............

1L The Persian king who permitted the Jews to rebuild their Temple was 12. The king for whom three of his men risked their lives to fetch a drink of water was (David), (Saul), (Solomon), (Josiah)^ 13. What tragic event occurred on Mount Gilboa? ......‘^ • * 14. Where are apothecaries first mentioned? .

15. The choirmaster mentioned by name in the Bible was 16. Who are first cited as having used pens?

17. The person mentioned as having removed his shoe to bind a contract was? ............ ..r..;(» 18. At whose command were 300 pitchers broken? .....

19. What five year-old child of royal ancestry was dropped by a care­ less nurse and thereby became permanently lamed? E M ...... iL jpjte 20. Where is it mentioned that thirty-three kings had a drinking party?

(Answers on Page 42) May - June, 1954

35

4

By Z VI E. KURZWEIL Q IN G L E M I N D E D N E S S a n d de­ v o tio n to h is a r t i s t i c ca llin g a re am o n g th e o u ts ta n d in g c h a r ­ a c te ris tic s of S. J . A gnon. H is em in en ce a s a w r ite r o f p ro se is, to no sm all m e a su re , a r e s u lt o f se lfim posed lim ita tio n s . U n lik e o th e r m o d e rn H e b re w w r ite r s , A g n o n h a s confined h im se lf to th e w r itin g of s h o rt s to rie s a n d th e novel. T h o u g h n o t la c k in g in p o e tic s e n s ib ility — in d eed, som e o f h is w r itin g s con­ ta in d e sc rip tio n s o f r a r e p o etic b e a u ty — he h a s w r itte n no p o e try .

H e h a s p e n n e d no H e b re w e ssa y s ; n o r h a s he w r itte n lite r a r y c r i t i ­ cism , /w h ic h is th e f a v o r ite sid e ­ lin e of m a n y c re a tiv e w r ite r s . H is d ev o tion to h is ta s k a s a te lle r of s to rie s h a s b een u n d iv id ed .

A g n o n ’s w o rk is n e ith e r a b s tr a c t n o r d isc u rsiv e . W h a t m a rk s h im o u t as a s to ry -te lle r is a n a r tis tic u rg e to clothe h is id eas w ith flesh a n d blood, a n d to p r e s e n t th e m w ith in th e p a tte r n of a sto ry . T h is m a y ac c o u n t f o r h is affinity to C h a ssid ism , th e f a s c in a tin g s to rie s o f w h ich he h a s a b so rb e d to th e f u ll; h ence h is g ra s p a n d com plete u tiliz a tio n o f th e a r tis tic p o te n tia l­ itie s a n d th e sty le o f “ S ip p u re y

36

M a a sio th Shel H a c h a ssid ism .”

T h e novels a n d s h o r t s to rie s o f A g n o n cover th e to ta lity o f Je w is h life, p r im a r ily life in th e D ia sp o ra .

F o r h is la te r w r itin g s h e h a s chosen s u b je c t m a tte r fro m th e r e a lity o f th e Y ish u v , w h o se g e n e sis h e h a s d ep icted in h is novel “ T ’m ol S h ilshom .” T h e S ta te o f Is ra e l, too, e n te rs th e scope o f h is la te r w r i t ­ in g s.

7 IG N O N does n o t ta k e lib e rtie s w ith th e H e b re w la n g u a g e .

H is w r itin g is a m a rv e l o f lin g u is ­ tic in te g ra tio n . One becom es a w a re of a n a lm o st p e d a n tic a v e rsio n to lin g u is tic in n o v a tio n s in A g n o n ’s w ork. H is H e b re w b e a rs th e m a rk s of a n o rg a n ic d ev elo p m en t o f th e classical so u rces o f J u d a is m . I n h is e a rly w r itin g s th e influence o f th e B ible is p re d o m in a n t, b u t in th e la te r w o rk s, h e h a s ad o p te d th e H e ­ b re w of th e M ish n a h , above all, o f th e M id ro sh im .

A G o lu th J e w v e rse d in th e so u rces o f J u d a is m w ill find i t e a s ie r to re a d A g n o n th a n a m o d e rn H e b re w n e w sp a p e r.

T h e place o f A g n o n in m o d e rn H e b re w lite r a tu r e is b e s t d e lin e a te d w h en co m p ared w ith th a t o f M enJe w is h L I F E

I y

dele M ocher S e fo rim . I n m a n y r e ­ sp e c ts he m ay be r e g a rd e d a s M endele’s successor. H e s h a re s w ith M endele a r a r e c re a tiv e g e n iu s, a s a tir ic a l g i f t a n d a n in e x h a u stib le g u sto f o r s to ry -te llin g . Y et, th e re is a p ro fo u n d differen ce b etw een th e tw o w r ite r s . M endele is a w r i t ­ e r o f th e H a sk a la h m o v e m e n t; h is w r itin g s b e a r th e m a rk o f a pole­ m ic a ttitu d e . W ith h is s a tir e s he rid ic u le s th e w a y o f life o f th e g h e tto Jew . A s th e life o f th e g h e tto J e w w as p ro fo u n d ly in flu ­ enced b y tr a d itio n a l J u d a is m , h is fig h t w a s d ire c te d a g a in s t it, too.

T h e in te lle c tu a l a n d social em a n ­ c ip a tio n o f th e Je w w h ic h M endele M o cher S e fo rim v isu a liz e d in c lu d ­ ed e m a n c ip a tio n fr o m tr a d itio n a l J u d a is m , w h ich he r e g a rd e d a s de­ g e n e ra te a n d la c k in g in s p ir itu a l a n d m o ra l fo rce. B ecau se o f h is pol­ em ic a ttitu d e , M endele lacked ob­ je c tiv ity in h is r e p r e s e n ta tio n of Je w is h ty p e s. H is d ep ic tio n o f J e w ­ ish life a b o u n d s w ith u n ju s t g e n e r­ a liz a tio n s, a n d m a n y of h is h e ro e s a r e n o th in g s h o r t o f m is re p re s e n ­ ta tio n s .

A g a in s t th is , A g n o n ’s p ro se is m a rk e d b y r a r e o b je c tiv ity , w h ich becam e p o ssib le only a f t e r th e im ­ p e tu s o f H a sk a la h te n d e n c ie s in m o d e rn H e b re w lite r a tu r e h ad s p e n t its e lf. I f f a ith f u l a n d o b je c t­ ive r e n d e rin g o f life gives to an y w o rk o f lite r a tu r e la s tin g value, th e n th e w r itin g s o f A g n o n w ill r e ta in p e rm a n e n t in te r e s t.

S A N illu s tr a tio n of th is p o in t I sh o u ld like to q u o te tw o p a r ­ allel p a ssa g e s, one fro m A g n o n and M ay - J u n e , 1954

a fo llo w in g o n e fro m M endele.

T he p a ssa g e fro m A g n o n is ta k e n fro m a s to ry called “ T e h ila h ,” in w h ich th e h e ro in e d e sc rib e s h e r b e tro th a l w h en sh e w as a ch ild of e le v e n : “W ell, I w as eleven y ears old. One n ig h t a fte r th e evening p ray er, my fa th e r, m ay he re st in peace, came home from synagogue and some of his relatives w ere w ith him, am ongst them P ethach y a M ordechai, th e f a th ­ er of S hrag a, my bridegroom . When they came ip, my m other, m ay she re st in peace, called me and made me w ash my face and p u t on my Sabbath frock. A nd she also p u t on her S abbath frock and bound a silk sc a rf ’round h er head, and took my hand, and w ent w ith me into the larg e room to my fa th e r and his guests. S h ra g a ’s fa th e r looked a t me and said: ‘not an ugly child.’ F a th e r p atted my cheeks and said to m e: ‘Tehilah, do you know who h as ju s t spoken to you? Y our bridegroom ^ fa th e r has spoken to you. Mazol Tov, my daughter. Tonight you have been betrothed and have become a bride.’ Im m ediately all th e guests w ished me Mazol Tov and called me a bride. B ut m other snatched me aw ay, and b rought me back to h er room because of ayin Kora, and kissed me and said to m e: ‘H enceforth you are the betrothed of S h rag a, and w ith G-d’s help in a y e a r’s tim e, on the day when the bridegroom a tta in s the age of tefillin, we shall m ake you a chuppah.’ ” A nd now a s im ila r p a ss a g e fro m M endele’s “ V alley o f W e e p in g ” : “And lo, a visito r comes to the town, splendidly dressed, and his 37

nam e is Shm eril. The people of the tow n, who a re fre e from all w ork and have nothing to do b u t to ta lk and busy them selves w ith the affairs of others, tak e an in te re st _ in th e v isitor, and show off to him . . . and every day a heavenly voice em a­ n ates from th e ir B eth M idrosh pro­ claim ing several things concerning h im : th is Shm eril is a respectable person, th is Shm eril is a w ealthy m an, th is Shm eril has connections w ith th e rich barons of our district, th is Shm eril is unmarried . . . and th e shadchonim go fo rth in h aste to find him a w ife. They g ird th e ir loins, lif t th e seams of th e ir kapottes and ru n like sw ift steeds to the house of E idel’s fa th e r. They e n tre a t him and overwhelm him w ith th e ir idle ta lk ; they lie to him and praise th e bridegroom saying, ‘th ere is none b e tte r fo r your d a u g h te r th a n Shm eril, and should you search w ith la n te rn s you would not find another like him .’ A nd the fa th e r agrees in his h e a rt, b u t his m outh still says ‘Oy,’ as if he w ere refu sin g out of derech eretz. And th e m other, seized w ith a feverish desire to see her d au g h ter m arried, jum ps up and says, ‘Amen* w ith all h er h e a rt; and Mazol Tov, E idel becomes a bride.”

W h e re a s A g n o n d e p ic ts th is scene w ith a re m a rk a b le sim p lic ity a n d idyllic b e a u ty , M endele is u n ­ ab le to r e f r a in fro m s a tir iz in g su ch a s itu a tio n .

TT IS th e g r e a t m e r it of A g n o n t h a t h e h a s d ep icted D ia sp o ra life f a ith f u lly a n d lovingly, dwell-] in g on its b r ig h te r a sp e c ts a n d sh o w in g th e g e n u in e n e ss a n d sim -

38

p lic ity of th e g h e tto Je w . In A g n o n ’s w r itin g s tr a d itio n a l J u d a ­ ism a p p e a rs a s a p o te n t m o ra l fo rce, p o sse ssin g a p o e tic b e a u ty of its ow n. A g n o n ’s p ro se is a la n d m a rk in th e d ev elo p m en t of m o d e rn H e b re w lite r a tu r e , in a s ­ m uch as in h is w r itin g s th e pole­ m ic te n d e n c ie s o f H a s k a la h lite r a ­ tu r e $ re su p e rse d e d b y a calm , ob­ je c tiv e a ttitu d e , w h e re lite r a tu r e is no lo n g e r in th e se rv ic e of ideological w a r f a r e a n d is cle a rly d iv id ed fro m p a m p h le te e rin g .

T h e w o rld o f C h a ssid ism is de­ p ic te d b y A g n o n w ith sy m p a th y a n d c h a rm . I t is no e x a g g e ra tio n to sa y t h a t a sin g le s to ry o f A g n o n gives a b e tte r p ic tu re o f C h a ssid ­ ism in p ra c tic e th a n m a n y a le a rn e d e ssa y t h a t h a s b een w r i t ­ te n on th e su b je c t. I am th in k in g in p a r tic u la r o f a s to ry called “ A t H e m d a t’s,” p u b lish e d in th e te n th volum e o f h is collected w r itin g s .

I t is a s to ry w r itte n w ith fine h u ­ m or, su b tle c h a ra c te riz a tio n a n d a r a r e d e p ic tio n o f w h a t m a y b e called a tm o sp h e re . T h e sto ry , w r i t ­ te n in th e f ir s t p e rso n , a p p e a rs to be a u to b io g ra p h ic a l.

■ PH E p ro ta g o n is t, w ho h a s to leave h is h om e on th e d a y b e ­ fo re Y om K ip p u r b ecau se o f a con­ flict w ith h is s te p m o th e r, tra v e ls by coach to H e m d a t, th e chazon of Y ass, w ho is a n old f r ie n d o f h is f a th e r . On h is a r r iv a l a t Y ass, he ta k e s leav e o f th e coach d riv e r w ho, b y th e w ay , h a s b een a little a n g r y w ith h im a n d th e r e f o r e a sk s h is fo rg iv e n e ss b ecau se “ a Je w sh o u ld a p p ro a c h Y om K ip p u r w ith J e w is h L I F E

o u t re s e n tm e n t in h is h e a r t." T h e h ero th e n goes to sy n ag o g u e.

A t th e end of th e serv ice, a f a t g e n tle m a n w ith a bas.ket fu ll of h o n ey cakes offers h im o n e : “ I had h ard ly finished my first piece of cake w hen the second Gabbai came and did as the first. F rom the other side came another one and filled the glasses w ith brandy. A s I w as busy eating, I did not h u rry to ask fo r a glass. However, they thought th a t my reluctance w as a sign of good m anners, and so I found fav o r in th e ir eyes. They th rew me a piece of cake, and yet another piece, and passed me a glass and yet another glass. W hen the Gabbai saw all th e ir fussing around me his h e a rt w as filled w ith envy, and he offered me two helpings in one. However, my hands w ere full, one holding cake and the other, the g la ss/ So I looked a t him in despair.

W hen he saw me h e sita tin g he re ­ buked me, saying: ‘perhaps I should chew it fo r you?’ I th o u g h t it b etter to chew the cake m yself th a n to let him chew it fo r me. W hilst I w as ta k ­ ing the cake from him, another m an came and. b ro u g h t me a big cup. I ate and d ran k and d ran k again u n til the boards under me and th e ceiling above me began to dance tow ards one a n ­ other. H ad I not been busy eatin g and drinking, I should have danced w ith them .”

I sh all p a ss o v er th e long se rie s of f e a s tin g a n d g o u rm a n d ise wTh ich follow s th e n a r r a to r 's a r r iv a l a t H e m d a t's h ouse. I m e n tio n only th e end o f th e sto ry , w h en H e m d a t a p p e a rs , a t th e sy n a g o g u e a t th e ev en in g se rv ic e of Y om K ip p u r.

M ay - J u n e , 1954

“ I t is p o ssib le," sa y s th e n a r r a to r , “ t h a t w h a t I am te llin g m ay a p ­ p e a r as a n e x a g g e ra tio n , b u t in tr u th , I am n o t e x a g g e ra tin g a t all, b u t te llin g th in g s a s th e y w ere.

H e m d a t b e g a n to becom e sm aller, a n d he seem ed to s h rin k , a n d he s h ra n k u n til h is body w a s sw al­ low ed up, a n d w h a t re m a in e d w as a b u n d le o f clo th es w ra p p e d in a ta llith . T h u s h e sto o d a n d d id n o t m ove u n til h e w a s su d d e n ly th ro w n o u t o f h is p lace a n d b e g a n to cra w l to th e A rk , a n d ev ery o n e m ad e room f o r h im a n d w e p t a n d s a id : ‘M ay i t b e H is w ill to ac c e p t y o u r p r a y e r in m ercy .' A n d h e a n sw e re d ‘A m en ' a n d ad d ed , ‘o u t o f tr u e re p e n ta n c e '."

T o w a rd s th e en d o f th e s to ry w e see th e p a ra d o x ic a l s itu a tio n so c h a r a c te r is tic o f C h a ssid ism . H e m ­ d a t th e g o u rm a n d is tra n s fo rm e d ,

39

a s i t w ere, in to p u re s p ir it. H is body is sw allow ed up a n d w h a t re m a in s is a b u n d le of clo th es w ra p p e d in a T a llith .

TJ EB R EW lite r a r y c ritic ism , ^ th o u g h a p p re c ia tiv e of A gn o n ’s epic w o rk , is f a r fro m se e in g in h im th e p o e t o f re lig io u s o r­ th o d o x y . T h e re a so n s a r e n o t f a r to see. T h e c ritic s m ak e th e a ssu m p ­ tio n , w h ic h so m etim es becom es r a t h e r o u tsp o k en , t h a t o rth o d o x J e w ry is a n a r tis tic a lly s te rile g ro u p a n d could n o t h av e p ro d u c e d a w r ite r o f A g n o n ’s c a lib e r. T h u s B a ru c h K u rz w e il in h is book “ M a sse c h e th H a ro m a n ” w r ite s : “ A gnon’s faith fu ln ess to the im­ m anent tr u th in h eren t in his heroes is in the eyes of th e poet f a r m ore im p o rtan t th a n his faith fu ln ess to some religious orthodoxy w hich is not capable of seeing reality , and f a r less, a rtistic re a lity .”

U n fo rtu n a te ly , i t is n o t q u ite c le a r w h a t is m e a n t h e re b y “ im ­ m a n e n t t r u t h in h e r e n t in h is h e r ­ oes.” T h e t r u t h in h e r e n t in a n y c h a r a c te r an d , f o r t h a t m a tte r , in a n y h u m a n s itu a tio n dep en d s on th e p o in t of view of th e p e rso n w ho d e sc rib e s i t a n d on h is r e la ­ tio n to it. W e h a v e seen t h a t M endele saw th e “ im m a n e n t t r u t h ” o f a c e r ta in s itu a tio n d iffe re n tly fro m A gnon. T h e old J e w is h p r a c ­ tic e of ch ild b e tro th a l, th o u g h n o t even a re lig io u s p h enom enon, b u t m e re ly a cu sto m o f g h e tto J e w ry a n d p a r t o f its w a y o f life , is tr e a te d b y A g n o n w ith love a n d re sp e c t, a n d b y M endele w ith de­ ris io n a n d co n tem p t.

40

■yCTHAT is i t th a t m ak es A g n o n * * see th is cu sto m d iffe re n tly fro m M endele? U n d o u b te d ly i t is his* love of tr a d itio n a l J u d a is m in all its m a n ife s ta tio n s , a n d h is love of th e Je w s w ho live a c c o rd in g to it, a n d h is a tte m p t to id e n tif y h im ­ self w ith th em . I am q u ite a w a re th a t th e r e a re in A g n o n ’s s to rie s sig n s of a n in n e r co n flict a n d o f a su b d u ed q u e stio n in g of th e r e li­ g ious w o rld o f h is f a th e r s . B u t th e se m a n ife s ta tio n s a re in sig n ifi­ c a n t a g a in s t th e o v erw h elm in g ev i­ dence o f h is d eep -ro o ted love f o r a n d id e n tific a tio n w ith th e r e li­ g io u s life o f h is people. I t is th e r e f o r e fu lly ju stifie d to re g a r d A g n o n as th e g r e a t p o e t o f t r a d i ­ tio n a l J u d a is m , one w ho s ta n d s in d ire c t lin e w ith p o e ts like Y e h u d a h H alevy, Ib n E z r a a n d R a b b i M oshe C h ay im L u zzato . A n d th is , I b e ­ lieve, is how A g n o n h im se lf lik es to be re g a rd e d .

Jl N Y a p p ra is a l of A g n o n w ould be in co m p lete if i t took no cognizance o f a se rie s o f sto rie s w h ich A g n o n calls “ S e fe r H am aa sim .” In view o f th e n a tu r e of th e se s to rie s i t is difficult to th in k of a m o re p a ra d o x ic a l d e n o ta tio n th a n t h a t of “ S e fe r H a m a a sim .”

T h e s to rie s in clu d ed in th is collec­ tio n re p re s e n t a ty p e of s to ry novel in m o d e rn H e b re w lite r a tu r e th a t is e n tire ly d iffe re n t fro m th e t r a d i ­ tio n a l re a lis tic , descriptive* sto ry .

M uch in k h a s b een s p ilt b y H e ­ b re w c o m m e n ta to rs on th e in te r ­ p r e ta tio n o f th e s e s t o r i e s ; a t ­ te m p ts to u n ra v e l th e m d isp la y an acum en, in g e n u ity a n d so p h istic a J e w is h L I F E

his fa ll did n ot frig h te n me, the dead having no physical sensa­ tions.”

T h e a n a lo g y w ith th e s to rie s of K a fk a is in d e e d s tr ik in g , b u t on th e o th e r h a n d th e r e a r e no less s tr ik in g d ifferen ces b e tw e e n th e w o rld of K a fk a a n d t h a t of “ S e fe r H a m a a s im .”

A lth o u g h K a fk a ’s s to rie s a r e eq u ally rem o v ed fro m re a lity and d isp la y a c e r ta in d re a m lik e c h a ra c te r, th e y h av e a c e r ta in in n e r logic, co h eren ce a n d even c h a rm o f th e ir ow n, a n d th is , th e se s to rie s o f A g n o n lack.

lio n w o rth y o f a b e tte r cause.

T h ese s to rie s h av e in com m on a c e rta in d re a m lik e c h a ra c te r, a d is­ r e g a r d f o r th e re a litie s o f tim e a n d p lace a n d f o r th e b o rd e rlin e b e ­ tw e e n th e liv in g a n d th e dead. In som e o f th e s e a u to b io g ra p h ic a l sk etch es th e w r ite r fre e ly con­ v e rse s w ith h is d eceased f a th e r s , w ho a p p e a r on th e scene a n d d is­ a p p e a r a g a in in h a p h a z a rd fa sh io n .

In a s to ry called, “ th e L a s t B u s ” th e a u th o r m eets h is d e p a rte d g r a n d f a th e r in th e o u ts k ir ts of Je ru s a le m . H is g r a n d f a th e r e n ­ d e a v o rs to help h im o b ta in tr a n s ­ p o r t baqk, hom e a t a v e ry la te h o u r: “My g ra n d fa th e r overtook me and slipped out. As he w as dead M ay - Ju n e , 1954

X JO W A R E w e to ac c o u n t f o r th is s tr a n g e lite r a r y p h en o m en o n ?

Is A gnon e x p e rim e n tin g w ith novel lite r a r y fo rm s, in fluenced b y K a fk a o r J a m e s Jo y c e ? Is he, as h a s been su g g e ste d , re sp o n d in g to th e d iso rd e rs o f o u r tim e ? O r, is it th e m a d d e n in g influence o f th e p o litic a l e v e n ts o f th e la s t decade t h a t h a s th ro w n h im off th e s tr a ig h tf o r w a r d p a th o f r e a lis tic w r itin g ?

I t is difficult to g iv e a n e x a c t a n sw e r one w a y o r th e o th e r. O f course, th e se s to rie s o f A g n o n can be in te rp re te d , a n d th is h a s b een done w ith f a i r success. T h e y m ay be o f in te r e s t to th e p sy c h o lo g ist a n d to th e f u tu r e b io g ra p h e r o f A gnon, b u t th is does n o t m ak e th e m s a tis f a c to r y fro m a lite r a r y p o in t o f view . T h e y n e ith e r con­ ta in p lo t n o r do th e y offer p sy ch o ­ logical in s ig h t in to th e w o rk in g s o f th e h u m a n m in d . T h e y do n o t help to in te r p r e t life a n d to e n ­ ric h th e r e a d e r ’s ex p erien ce. O ne c a n n o t help fe e lin g t h a t som e o f 41

th e se s to rie s ow e th e ir p u b lic a ­ tio n m a in ly to th e w r ite r 's h ig h p re s tig e .

I w ish to em p h asize t h a t th e se c ritic a l re m a rk s a r e d ire c te d solely to w a rd s t h a t p a r t of A g n o n 's w r i t ­ in g s w h ic h he h a s called “ S e fe r H a m a a sim .,, T h is collection o f s to rie s re p re s e n ts , how ever, only a sm all f r a c tio n o f th e v a s t volum e o f A g n o n 's w r itin g s w h ic h a re , in th e m a in , d e sc rip tiv e a n d re a lis tic a n d d is tin c t fro m th e “ s u r r e a lis tic ” “ S e fe r H a m a a sim .” H is re a lis tic w r itin g s c o n ta in th e a rtis tic a lly m a tu r e d r e p r e s e n ta tio n o f d ia sp o ra life a n d i t is th e se w o rk s w h ich w ill b e r e g a rd e d a s h is m o st r e p r e ­ s e n ta tiv e w r itin g s . f l G N O N 'S o u ts ta n d in g c o n trib u ­ tio n to H e b re w lite r a tu r e lies in h is calm , d isp a ssio n a te , y e t

sy m p a th e tic a n d o b je c tiv e ly tr u e r e p r e s e n ta tio n o f G o lu th life , p a r ­ tic u la rly t h a t o f e a s te rn E u ro p e .

H is s to rie s m a y b e r e g a rd e d as th e m o st w o rth y m o n u m e n ts to th e J e w is h c o m m u n itie s o f e a s te rn E u ro p e to b e fo u n d in th e w hole r a n g e o f m o d e rn H e b re w lite r a ­ tu r e .

A g n o n w ill b e c e le b ra te d a s th e a r t i s t w ho s ta n d s f o r g e n u in e con­ tin u ity in th e w o rld o f H e b re w le tte r s , a n d a s th e w r i t e r w ho holds t h a t tr a d itio n a l J u d a is m can be h a rm o n iz e d w ith m o d e rn th o u g h t, b o th in life a n d in a r t, a n d t h a t tr u e J e w is h a r t m u s t b e ro o te d in th e J e w is h lite r a tu r e of th e p a s t; t h a t th e m o d e rn w r ite r m u s t bow dow n in re v e re n c e b e ­ fo re th e g r e a t m en o f o u r a n c ie n t c iv iliz a tio n .

Answers To i

L Q.”

1. (Deborah—Judges Chap. 4) 2. (Sisera—Judges 4:7) 3. (Japheth— Bereyshith 10:2) 4. (Jael—Judges 4:17-22) 5. (Hiram—I Kings 5:15-26) 6. (To bathe in the River Jordan seven times—II Kings 5:1-14) 7. (Psalm 119—it is an acrostic poem containing 176 verses) 8. (Zedekiah—II Kings Chap. 25) 9. (Amos—7:14) 10. (Arrarat—Bereyshith 8:4) 11.

(Cyrus—Ezra 1:1-3) 12. (David—II Samuel 23: 15-18) 13. (The death of Saul and his three sons—I Chron, Chap. 10) 14. (Shemoth—30:35) 15. (Chenaniah—I Chron. 15:22) 16. (The Zebulunites—Judges 5:14) 17. (Boaz—Ruth 4:7-9) 18. Gideon's—Judges 7: 16-20) 19. (Mephiboshet II Samuel 4:4) 20. (I Kings 20:16).

Each correct answer counts two points. If your score is from 30-40, it is excellent; from 20-28, good; 10-18, satisfactory; from 0-8, poor.

42

J e w is h L I F E

Modern Giants of Jewry

By ISRAEL GERSTE IN JE W IS H LEADERS (1750-1940), edited by Leo Ju n g , Bloch P ublish­ ing Co., New Y ork, 1953, pp. 564, $4.50.

T 'H I S w eighty tome is Volume V I i in the Jew ish L ib ra ry series w hich is edited by the noted scholar and leader of T o rah -tru e Judaism , D r. Leo Ju n g . I t will fu rth e r en­ hance his rep u tatio n as an effective advocate of orthodox Judaism and add to his lau rels as an editor.

The twenty-five chapters constitute a strik in g g allery of lite ra ry por­ tr a its of m en and women who wore the m antle of Jew ish leadership in the preceding one hundred and ninety years. E ach one distinguished him ­ self o r herself in a different sphere of activity, all of them , however, sh arin g in th e glory of having le ft a la stin g im p rin t upon th e life of th e ir generation, as well as having M ay - J u n e , 1954

strengthened th e fab ric of orthodox Judaism fo r th e fu tu re.

D r. J u n g displays g re a t editorial skill in selecting, out of th e host of Jew ish figures th a t flourished d u rin g th is period, those personalities th a t would give th e book balance and unity. As a resu lt, th ere em erges out of th is book a p o rtra it of orth o ­ dox Judaism th a t is broadly inclusive.

A ch ap ter on the proponent of the M isnagdim , th e Gaon of V ilna, is fol­ lowed by a ch ap ter on the founder of “ Chabad.” The spokesmen of E a st and W est, of th e Sephardim and A shkenazim , those who represented the acme of T orah scholarship as well as those who launched m ajo r educational en terp rises, both men and women, a re all represen ted in th is gallery.

ACH of th e ch ap ters w as executed

E by an a u th o rity w ith skill to m ar48

T H E Y 'R E F R E S H E R !

GORDON'S "MAGIC-PAK" POTATO CHIPS are* flavor-and-freshness protected by moistureabsorbing "Magic-Pak", plus double cellophane Bagl

Gordon's Crisp Potato Sticks are delicious hot or cold.

They're always fresh in vac­ uum-packed cans or packages, (y) These Gordon pro­ ducts bear the seal of the Union of Ortho­ dox Jewish Cong, of America.

GORDON FOODS, INC. Atlanta, G eorgia

All Beech-Ntit Cereals and Baby Foods are ac­ cepted by the Council on Foods and Nutrition of the American Med­ ical Association.

Beech Nut CEREALFOOD BA*

Desserts, 4 C ook ed Cereals.

B E E C H -N U T FO O D S FO R B A B IES 44

J e w is h L I F E

shall the fa c ts and b reathe w arm th in­ to the prin ted page. The ch ap ter on E liyahu K latzkin, to m ention one ex­ ample, m akes fascin atin g reading, as Dr. Jacob K latzkin tells of the incred­ ible fe a ts of m em ory and intellectual genius perform ed by his g re a t fa th e r. “ The Gaon of R ogatchov,” by the late Rabbi Silber, is w ritte n in a poetic prose th a t seems to be the only style adequate to convey some­ th in g of the m ental prow ess of th is intellectual giant. Such ch ap ters a f ­ fo rd one a tru e insight into th e con­ cept of Torah lishmo, and of the passion w ith which T orah study w as pursued.

O ther ch ap ters deal w ith such tow ­ erin g personalities as Ezekiel L andau and A kiba E g e r; Moses Sofer and Samson R aphael H irsch; Isra e l Sala n te r and E zriel H ildesheim er ; Reb Ghayim Ozer Grodzenski and Chofetz Chayim. H ere is a m ine of inform a­ tion on personalities and m ovements in Jew ish life w ithin recent tim es th a t h as not been available even to the H ebrew and Y iddish readers, let alone to one who is confined to E n g ­ lish.

The introductory chapter by D r.

Ju n g on “ The Rabbis and the E thics

of Business” surveys some of the basic principles which guided the leaders of orthodox Judaism . In the m ain, D r. J u n g is concerned in this ch ap ter w ith th e m an n er in which the rabbis, th ro u g h o u t th e centuries, tackled such problem s as f a ir prices, business fra u d s and ju s t wages, prov­ ing thereb y th a t th e religious leaders of Judaism , f a r from keeping aloof from the p ractical day-to-day concerns of the average m an, w ere keenly sen­ sitive to his problem s. Indeed, th e ir concept of social ju stice and th e m an­ n er in which th ey im plem ented it show how up-to-date and m odern th e T orah principles are.

TN B R IE F , th is volume affords us a panoram ic view of T orah J u d a ­ ism in the la st two centuries. I t p ro ­ vides us w ith a b e tte r u n d erstan d in g of the soul of th a t Ju d aism which has been so ru th lessly destroyed on the Continent, b u t which is experiencing a re b irth in th is hem isphere, not to m ention th e S tate of Israel. F o r sheer read in g pleasure and intellec­ tu a l stim ulation, one cannot m iss w ith th is book. O ur leaders of today will also find here in sp iratio n and challenge.

A Vital Relationship

By REUBEN GROSS ST A T E A ND D IA SPO R A by Eliezer Livneh, Jew ish Agency, Jerusalem , 1953, pp. 92, 35 cents.

1%Q JTA TE and D iaspora” by E liezer Livneh, is a sm all, vest pocket pam phlet of less th a n one hundred

May - June, 1954

pages. I t is Volume I of a proposed Modern Israel L ib rary edited by I. H alevy-Levin fo r th e Y outh and Hechalutz D ep artm en t of th e Zionist O rganization.

The au th o r is a M apai m em ber of the K nesseth, a publicist of note and

45

Proud? I’ll say! It's the finest fruit cake I ever baked!”

So rich . . so fragrant — and so easy to prepare! Takes only 3 minutes from package to pan (and the pan is right package!)

Reach for the Dromedary package with i the kosher

REFRESHING, FLAVORFUL T R Y N A T U R E'S O W N

. ..D E L IC IO U S !

F L A V O R INTENSIFIER

Prepared under Rabbinical Su­ pervision, in America s most modern Ice Cream Plant

1

ICE CREAM

(pure sugar beet ingredient) 46

FOR FINEST QUALITY J e w is h L I F E

an editor of “ B eterem ,” a political periodical.

The physical size of th is booklet, however, is no m easure of the g ra v ity of the problem s posed, nor of the pro­ fu n d ity of tre a tm e n t therein. Mr. Livneh analyzes the changes th a t have come into th e relationship be­ tw een Isra e l and th e D iaspora as a re su lt of the destruction of E uropean Jew ry, the establishm ent of th e S tate of Israel and the flood of im m igra­ tion into Israel betw een 1948 and 1952. E uropean Jew ry, he claims, had the only tru e Zionists, in the sense of personal com m itm ent to the movement, w hile A m erica never had a Zionist movement. Since th e estab­ lishm ent of th e S tate, th e so-called A m erican Zionist m ovement h as re ­ lapsed f u rth e r into a pro-Israel, phil­ an thropic attitu d e. B eneath th is re ­ lapse is a subconscious f e a r of the “ dual loyalty” bugaboo, and the brave statem en t th a t “A m erica is not galut” On th is la s t assertion, th e a u th o r tu rn s a pow erfully critical searchlight and he analyzes present day A m erican Jew ry, displaying keen in sig h t as well as a few profound m isunderstandings.

This booklet points out th a t the E uropean Jew s who created th e S tate w ere a select, pioneering group filled w ith a sense of a mission. The flood o f im m igrants of the 1948-1952 p e ri­ od, however, a re O riental and E a s t­ ern E uropean Jew s, having no capi­ ta l, no technical skills and no free dem ocratic traditions.

T H E solution, th erefore, is in a re ­ vivified A m erican Zionist move­ m ent. In his own w ords:

May - June, 1954

“ The functions of the Zionist movement, as distin ct from pu re­ ly pro -Israel activ ity are tw o­ fold: it m u st w ork concurrently to in ten sify th e in te rn a l cohesion of the Jew ish people in all coun­ trie s of th e D iaspora and to stren g th en the personal ties of every individual Jew w ith Israel.

T his double objective can be se­ cured by th e same policies: the dissem ination o f the H ebrew lan ­ guage and cu ltu re in the Golah, the developm ent of Isra e l as a sp iritu a l centre fo r the D ias­ p o ra; encouragem ent of em igra­ tion to Isra e l from all countries; the prom otion of investm ents and economic en terp rises in Israel.”

The slan d er of the O riental and E a s t E uropean Jew s can easily be dismissed. The sim ilarity to the m outhings of some good Yankee P ro te sta n ts a g a in st our g ra n d fa th e rs fifty y ears ago is too strik in g to escape notice. The arg u m en t of w hether or n ot A m erica is Goluth is also beside th e point. N evertheless, th ere is an indissoluble trip a rtite p artn e rsh ip of thirty-five centuries d u ratio n binding all Jew ry to E retz, b u t M r. Livneh, in ninety-tw o pages of finely reasoned arg u m en t, never m entions the th ird p a rtn e r nor the p a rtn e rsh ip con tract even once. N ot even once in th is 20,000 w ord essay does he m ention G-d or T orah. H is silence is alm ost pain fu l, m idst b latherings about H ebrew language and culture. (Does th is exclude th e A ra ­ m aic Talm ud?)

F o r all its shortcom ings, however,

47

MACARONI SPAGHETTI Pure Egg Noodles P KOSHER and PARV’E

WlotbePir OLD-FASHIONED

GEFILTE FISH KOSHER

5 PAREVE

< >

R eady VZT,.. to s e r v e IK«*.-

t r 's 7 # £ &£AC

gna H H Regular or KING SIZE Portion» Fish D’oouvres for cocktail snacks

Tel. BElle Harbor 5-9671-9552 NEptune 4-4244

WASHINGTON HOTEL Catering for All Occasions

® Open All Year Supervised and Endorsed by Union of Orthodox Jew ish Congregations

Levine Management..

— m— 124-05 ROCKAWAY BLVD. ROCKAWAY PARK, N. Y.

HOW-try Mother’s Kosher, Pareve MARGARINE from the spotless kitchens of MOTHER’S FOODPRODUCTS, INC., Newark 5, N. J.

48

Jewish LIFE

“ S tate and D iaspora” is an im porta n t contribution to v ita l problem s

and should be read by every thinking Jew.

With Love Excluded

By LEO JUNG SE X U A L B E H A V IO R IN T H E H U ­ MAN FE M A L E by A lfred C. K insey, W ardell B. Pom eroy, Clyde E . M artin, P au l H. G ebhard, W. B. S aunders Company, Philadelphia and London, 1953, pp. 853, $8.00. fTlOO M ANY headline-hunting re* viewers have been on th e ram ­ page! L et us commence by acknowl­ edging the g re a t significance of a m assive and im pressive volume m ost m eticulously prepared. The bibliog­ rap h y contains alm ost a thousand books and essays. T he au th o rs a re v ery cautious in approach (as th e p a ra g ra p h s on sam pling in d ic a te ).

The 853 pages reveal an in terestin g method of check and double check: th e lite ra tu re a g a in st th e interview s and vice-versa.

The second book contains a num ber of aspects and ch ap ters m issing from th e first volume. The panoram a is w ider and th erefo re deeper. In the w ords of th e fam ous P rofessor K ra u s: “A m an has not a sick leg or a sick a rm or h e a rt, b u t th e whole body is sick w hen one of them is affected.” Sim ilarly, th e problem of sex, to be fu lly understood, m ust be seen in its historical, social and psy­ chological context.

In its m ain arg u m en t “ Sexual Be­ havior in the H um an Fem ale” is not a lto g eth er su rp risin g . E ssen tially it M ay - June, 1954

endorses m any re su lts of Volume I. W hilst i t deplores th e low ering of women’s sta n d a rd s in th e U nited S tates, it em phatically excludes from th a t judgm ent, am ong others, devout Jew esses. One m ay agree as to some of th e sources of th e decline, b ut one w ill surely disagree as to the value of p e ttin g and o th er looseness as “ p re-m arital tra in in g .” A ccepting habits (good, average or deplorable) as stan d ard s is alw ays a hazardous and ra re ly a justified method. I t is w hen they leave th e ir curves and analyses fo r value jud g m en t and pontification th a t th e au th o rs shed scien­ tific accuracy. T here is m uch more to m a rria g e th a n sex, and th in g s m ore u ltim ately sa tisfa c to ry and health-and-happiness-producing th an orgasm s.

P ro p er sex education, however, is essential and th e volume challenges both our sense of responsibility and our wisdom. Tongue-tied p aren ts, and uninform ed, half-inform ed, m isin­ form ed, advisers p ra y tak e note!

T OVE, on its highest level, th e com** bination of affection and respect, of reason and emotion, th e felicity based on m u tu al tr u s t and devotion, a re sadly w an tin g in th is m assive volume. The plea m ight be m ade th a t th e au th o rs’ purpose had to exclude them. This review er would n o t be

49

Kosher

ONtYrueFusfGsr

and Parve

f é O F THE TU N A JUST THE PRIME PORTIONS of selected, top-grade

tuna fish are used in Breast-O’-Chicken brand—the only brand of tuna that bears the Seal of Kashruth. Try i t —in either the fancy solid pack or popular chunk style.

■ttASTO-CHick^

A^nc^SoÛdéSu : " W Hwüsr"*

The only tuna with the

■

FOR KASHRUTH and QUALITY

Yitzchok Goldberg & Sons

Always FRESH Always PUKE Always GOOD

Milady’s BLINTZES § DELICIOUS FILLINGS ♦ Cheese * Cherry * Blueberry * Potato * Strawberry with Cheese ALSO TRY DELICIOUS • MILADY’S Corn Fritters * MILADY’S Potato dcmpUngs ( Pirogen) • MILADY’S Waffles I MILADY’S Potato Pancakes

In All Frozen Food Cabinets 50

Products Tongue — Pastrami — Salami Corned Beef — Smoked Turkeys Frankfurters ' FOR YOUR FREEZER, WE SELL WHOLE SIDES OF PRIME BEEF AT DISCOUNT PRICES. KOSHER MADE, FREEZER WRAPPED AND LABELED We Deliver Fresh Meats and Poultry in all Five Boroughs EVERY WEEK Under Supervision of © 220 DELANCEY STREET New York 2, New York Gramercy 5-6915-6

Jewish LIFE

overly im pressed, m ainly because of the fa c t th a t th ey go beyond fa c t­ finding into counselling. I t is th e ir counsel w hich is both ill-advised and unjustified.

B ut the book will not do any harm to anyone who has common sense or has the boon of having grow n up in

a harm onious home. I t summons p a r­ ents, the clergy and educational a u ­ th o rities to a more sustained, w arm and intellig en t a ttitu d e , one which will prep are the grow ing generation adequately fo r th e joys and trib u la ­ tions of m arriage.

RESERVE NOW FOR

HEBREW PUBLISHING CO. 77-79 Delancey St. N.Y.2, N. Y.

SHAVUOTH and DECORATION DAY at

LEBOWITZ Pine View Hotel

THE STUDENT BIBLE

By M. H. Lewittes GENESIS in 2 P arts P a rt I $1.25 P a rt II $1.25

HEROES OF JEWISH HISTORY P a rt iS - F r o m Abraham To Moses $1.75 P a r t II—From Joshua To Jerem iah $2.25 W ith exercises, projects and games

40th Anniversary

Fallsburg 7, New York New Shul

Enlarged and redecorated lobby and dining room elevator Entertainment and sports

Supervision for children B J i supervision and endorsement New York City Phone:

Our L atest Publications Designed for Modern Hebrew Schools

SC 4-2575

MODERN HEBREW

By H arry Blumberg & Mordecai Lewittes A F irst-Y ear course in reading, gram m ar and conversation.

P a rt I $2.25 P a r t II $2.75

SELECT READINGS IN HEBREW LITERATURE

By Blumberg and Lewittes

$1.25

MODERN HEBREW LITERATURE

By Zeldner and E pstein

$2.25

SIPPURIM KALLIM

By E. Horowitz

$1.25

PRACTICAL HEBREW DICTIONARY

By Dr. Glenn

$3.50

SPEAK HEBREW

By Daniel Persky

$1.25

A N NO U N C I N G Summer Institute in Israel July, August, 1954 Sponsored by MIZRACHI HATZAIR in conjunction w ith the Jew ish Agency for Palestine Seven weeks in Israel w ith M izrachi Youth Lectures — Social Events - S Studies — Tours Co-ed 18-30 yrs. of age 9 Stop-over in Europe # Overall Cost - $795.00 For Particulars contact:

May - June, 1954

Mizrachi H atzair, 242 F ourth Avenue, New York 3, N. Y.

51

GEFILTE

FIS

Æ & LÄWi: « m g p g |§ g |

M

PORTIONS BY

T HE

ß W T r tlm m . .. JUMBO SIZE

BAKERS

OF

"OVEN

CRISP”

(UNSALTED)

MATZOHS

A R E A L Delicatessen Treat

OXFORD KOSHER MEAT PRODUCTS F rankfurters, Salami, Bologna, Corned Beef, P astram i, Tongue eg) Supervision and Endorsem ent OXFORD PROVISION, INC. 549 E. 12th St. New York City Phone: ORegon 4-4490, 3-2770

52

Jewish LIFE

DISSENT Scranton, P a.

Because I am an avid read er of your m agazine I w as disturbed a fte r reading your editorial headed “A Disservice to Orthodox Je w ry .”- [T he editorial under discussion appeared in th e N isan, 5714 issue of J e w i s h L i f e .]

T hough the p a rtic ip a n ts in th e de­ m onstration a t the Israeli Consulate by no m eans represented the bulk of orthodox Jew ry and it w as proper fo r those Jew s not represented to sta te th e ir position clearly, th e u n ­ necessary indulgence in nam e calling is highly im proper fo r a responsible group. T here is no justification in pre-em pting the style of the tabloid press by re fe rrin g to the dem onstra­ tion as “sham eful, degrading and vio­ lent,” and describing the dem onstra­ to rs and th e ir leaders as “m isguided, irresponsible and m isled.”

I t is re g re tfu l th a t the denuncia­ tion failed to distinguish between stro n g disagreem ent and slander. The T alm ud is fu ll of heated controversy, b u t our sages never confused it w ith defam ation of ch aracter.

May - June, 1954

How can any intellectually honest individual, w ithout an a priori an i­ m osity or u lterio r motive, slu r the in te g rity of the huge num ber of ra b ­ bis and laym en, both here and in Israel, who w ere not opposed to the dem onstration? No m ention is made of who the sponsors w ere; y et they, and by inference all who agreed w ith them , a re categorically denounced as “irresponsible and m isguided.” A non-prejudiced individual does not im pugn the in te g rity and sincerity of those he opposes. N eith er does he indulge in sweeping public condem­ nations of ch aracter. He m entions nam es and sta te s his proof. A r a ­ tional individual does n o t condemn his opponents as irresponsible unless he can personally te stify to th a t ir ­ responsibility. Y et, how m any of the p resent accusers can rise and state, “ I know the sponsors and can te stify w ithout fe a r of being libelous, th a t they w ere not m otivated by ratio n al religious principles.” To believe or to u tte r any personal d efam atory ac^cusations w ithout fulfilling the above requirem ent is a flag ran t violation of the law forbidding slander.

53

Hotel Diplomat Kosher Kitchen is under the supervision of Rabbi Abraham Reichlin

NO SALT...

•

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

but what fla vo r!

•

J. Edw ard Saltzman, owner and caterer

108 W est 43rd S t, N e w Y ork Telephone BRyant 9-2387 - 8 - 9

F am ous

TAM

t o v

kosher cheese • American • American Sliced • Cheddar • Spread

• • • •

Swiss Edàm G ouda Muenster

S u p e r v is e d by

RABBI DR. J. BREUER New York City Also ask for our Schmerling's Kosher Imported Gruyere Cheese

SCHNALL PRODUCTS CO. Brooklyn 25, N. Ÿ.

54

P'R 2-3615

est. 1892

MILLERS The oldest Kosher cheese house in America.

D istributors1 of Miller’s Kosher cheeses m anufactured under the supervision of Rabbi S. Gelberg, Brooklyn, New1 York.

Also Miller’s im ported Gruyere cheese from Switzerland, under supervision from milk­ ing.

DAVID MILLER 13 Essex St. ' N ew York, N.Y.

Jewish LIFE

A gain, let us clearly differentiate between our rig h t to disagree and our ability to vilify. The form er is a privilege while the la tte r .is an abuse, and only the M cC arthyist con­ fuses these two distinct ideas. I t is a tool fo r the demagogue and the political fo rtu n e hu n ter. The A ntiSemite has used it a g a in st us fo r centuries. How can we invoke this sin ister device ag a in st our own bro thers?

In the heat of controversy we fre ­ quently lose our perspective. How­ ever,-*!because the talm id chochom who erred a t n ig h t does teshuvah by day, I am hoping the proper am ends will be made. Confused th in k ­ ing and public nam e-calling a re in­ finitely m ore dangerous th a n a dem­ o nstration. The fa c t th a t some indi­ viduals have w ithheld funds from certain T orah in stitu tio n s because these in stitu tio n s ostensibly hold views which a re not politically cor­ rect is an example of the suicide which nam e-calling can engender.

Please help rectify the situation.

Samuel Brog *

*

*

EDITOR'S REPLY Since, as Mr. Brog w rites, the p a r ti­ cipants in the F e b ru a ry dem onstra­ tion “by no m eans represented the bulk o f orthodox Jew ry ,” and yet claimed to be so representative, our editorial did precisely w h at Mr. Brog concedes to be necessary—sta te clear­ ly the position of O rthodoxy as re ­ g ard s the dem onstration. And since to orthodox Jew ish eyes the demon­ stratio n was — a s the statem en t of

May - June, 1954

the Rabbinical Council of America, quoted in our editorial, p u t it — “sham eful, degrading and violent,” it w as unavoidably necessary, fo r the purpose, to só characterize it.

Mr. B rog’s assertion th a t our edi­ to rial reflected upon the in te g rity of a “huge num ber of rabbis and lay­ men who did n o t oppose the demon­ stra tio n ” is som ewhat disingenuous.

One is perhaps expected to in fer from th a t statem en t th a t th e m any who w ere and a re opposed to conscription of Israeli women favored th e demon­ stratio n . T here is no basis whatsoevér fo r such an im plication, which it­ self, in our view, m aligns those re ­ fe rre d to. Be it noted th a t our edi­ to ria l rep u d iated not the ostensible purpose of th e dem onstration, opposi­ tion to women’s conscription, b u t the c h aracter of th e dem onstration itself.

We would have had no h e sita ­ tion in “nam ing nam es”—had th ere been nam es to cite. T here w ere none, fo r the simple reason th a t th e spon­ sors of the dem onstration have re ­ m ained curiously anonymous. T heir actions have spoken fo r them , and, w ith p a in fu l eloquence, te stify to th e ir irresponsibility.

How re g re tta b le i t is th a t th e spon­ sors of the F e b ru a ry 8th dem onstra­ tion did not them selves “differentiate between our rig h t to disagree and our rig h t to vilify.” I f our editorial, and the Rabbinical Council statem ent which it quoted, have helped to place them in tru e focus, they will have served a necessary purpose.

E D ITO R

55

UNION OF ORTHODOX JEWISH CONGREGATIONS OF AMERICA

n"n

Kosher commodities and astablishments under official © supervision and en dorsement.

KASHRUTH DIRECTORY I s su e d S iv a n ,

5714 — J u n e f 1954

LOOK FOR THE (Q) SEAL - AND BE SURE!

The © seal is your guarantee of communallyresponsible K ashruth supervision and endorsement^ conducted as a public service by the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America—UOJC. All items in this Directory are © , receive the con­ stant inspection of and are passed upon by the Rabbinical Council of America, Rabbinic body of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations.

CONSUMERS ARE CAUTIONED TO: • Make sure that the © seal is on the label of every food product.

• Make sure that the seal shown on the label is the © — beware of imitations!

• Read carefully the list of ingredients of each © product to ascertain whether it is a meat or dairy product. The © does not necessarily mean that the product is Pareve.

P le a se n o te th a t th e

© se a l o f K a s h r u th su p e r v is io n a n d e n d o rsem e n t is e x c lu s iv e ly th e sy m b o l o f:

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

56

Jewish LIFE

"Freshpak Vegetarian Beans in Tomato Sauce ( G r a n d U n io n F o o d P a te r s o n , N . J .)

Cakes, Cookies and Crackers

Baby Foods

Heinz with. (0) label only Strained Vegetables & Salmon Strained Cream of Tuna Strained Vegetables Strained Fruits Chopped Mixed Vegetables Strained Puddings Strained Orange Juice Strained Tomato Soup Strained Vegetable Soup Pre-Cooked Cereals (Barley, meal, Bice) Junior Vegetables Junior Fruits Junior Vegetable Soups Junior Puddings

@P Barton’s Bonbonniere ( B a r to n , In c., B r o o k ly n , N .Y .)

Dromedary Chocolate Nut Boll Date Nut Boll Orange Nut Boll (above contain milk) ( T h e H ills B r o th e r s Co., N .Y .C .)

Oat­

(H. J. Heinz Co., Pittsburgh, Pa.)

#

4

Beech-Nut — with @ label only Strained Vegetables Strained Fruits Strained Vegetable Soup Strained Tomato Soup Strained Puddings Strained Fruit Dessert *Strained Plums with Tapioca Cereals Junior Vegetables Junior Fruits Junior Vegetable Soup Junior Banana Dessert Junior Puddings *Junior Plums with Tapioca *Junior Fruit Dessert *Junior Chocolate Pudding ( Beech-Nut Packing Co., N.Y.C.)

Beans

Heinz Oven Baked Beans with mo­ lasses sauce Heinz Oven Baked Beans in tomato sauce (H . J . H ein z C o.)

May - June, 1954

M a r k e ts , E a s t

Golden Cracknel Egg Biscuits (G o ld e n C ra c k n e l & S p e c . Co., D e t r o i t)

Ry-Krisp ( R a ls to n -P u r in a , S t. L o u is, M o .)

FFV — with (0) label only Macaroon Krisps (foil package) Lemon Thins (foil package) Orange Thins (foil package) Vanilla Thins (foil package) Chocolate Pecan Cookies (foil package) Tea Bings (foil package) Short Bread (foil package) (S o u th e r n B is c u it C o ./\ R ich m o n d , V a .; d i s tr ib u te d b y M u tu a l B iscu it

Co., N.Y.C.)

Cake Mixes Blair’s Ezy Angel Mix (contains milk) ( B la ir M illin g Co., A tch iso n , K a n .)

Dromedary Date Muffin Mix D evil’s Food Mix. Fudge Frosting Mix (above contain milk) (T h e H itts B r o th e r s Co., N .Y .C .)

57

UOJC KASHRUTH DIRECTORY Cake Mixes leont’d.l Dromedary Corn Bread Mix Corn Muffin Mix Cup Cake Mix Fruit Cake Mix Gingerbread Mix White Cake Mix

Convalescent Homes © P Dayton Nursing Home (1884 M a rm io n A v e ., B ro n x , N .Y .)

Cranberry Sauce Dromedary Cranberry Sauce (T h e H ills B r o th e r s Co., N .Y .C .)

*©P April Orchards Cranberry Sauce (M o r r is A p r i l B r o th e r s , B r id g e to n , N .J .)

(T h e H ills B r o th e r s Co., N .Y .C .)

Golden Mix Pancake Flour Mix Waffle Flour Mix ( O o ld en M ix In c., C h icago, III.)

Camps (for children I Camp Mohaph (G le n S p e y , N .Y . — N .Y . office 4320 B e d fo r d A v e n u e , B ro o k ly n , N . Y .)

Candy © P Barton’s Bonbonniere (B a r to n , In c., B r o o k ly n , N .Y ,)

Cereals Skinner’s Raisin-Bran

Dietetic Foods @P Mother’s Low Calorie Borscht (M o th e r's F o o d P r o d u c ts )

Dishwashing Machine Detergents ® All (M o n sa n to C h em ical Co., S t. L o u is, M o .)

•

Spic & Span & G a m b le )

( P r o c te r

Dressings Garber’s Misrochi Salad Dressing

Raisin Wheat

(S k in n e r M fg , Co., O m ah a, N e b .)

Ralston *Instant Ralston ^Regular Ralston

(G a r b e r 's E a g le O il C o rp ., B 'k ly n .)

Heinz French Dressing (I I . J . H e in z C o.)

(R a ls to n P u rin a Co., S t. L o u is, M o .)

Fish Products Condiments, Seasonings © P Gold’s Horseradish (G o ld P u re F o o d s, B ’k ly n , N .Y .)

Heinz Horse Radish 57 Sauce Chili Sauce Hot Dog Relish Worcestershire-Sauce Tomato Ketchup (H . J . H e in z C o .)

Lawry’s *Seasoned Salt ( L a w r y ’s P r o d u c ts In c., L o s A n g e le s , C a l.)

Pride of the Farm Catsup ( H u n t F o o d P r o d ., B r id g e to n , N .J .)

58

Royal Snack Cream Herring Matjes Fillets Spiced Herring Lunch Herring Herring Cocktail Tidbits Salmon (in wine sauce) ^ (S . A . H a r a m Co., N .Y .C .)

Mother’s Old Fashioned @P Gefilte Fish Sweet & Sour Fish (M o th e r's F o o d P r o d ., N e w a r k , N .J .)

Breast O’Chicken Tuna ( W e s tg a te -C a lifo r n ia T u n a P a c k in g C o., S an D ie g o , C a l.)

Flavor Improver A c’cent (M fd . b y I n te r n a tio n a l M in e ra ls a n d C h em ical C o.)

Jewish LIFE

UOJC KASHRUTH DIRECTORY All items listed below bear the © seal.

Items listed © P are Kosher for Passover when bearing this or other UOJC A Passover Hechsher on label.

Items listed • are Kosher for Passover without Passover ^Hechsher on label. * Indicates new 0 endorsement. ^

Food Packages © P Care (N e w

Y o rk , N .Y .)

Food Freezer Plan Yitzchok Goldberg & Sons ( N e w Y o rk . N .Y .)

Unflavored Vegetable Gelatin (O r th o d o x K o s h e r P r o d u c ts , B ro o k ly n , N .Y .)

Glycerides Emcol MSVK (T h e E m u lso l C o rp ., C h icago, III.)

Glycerine — Synthetic *Shell Synthetic Glycerine (S h ell C h em ical C o rp ., N .Y .C .)

Frozen Foods Milady’s Blintzes (blueberry|||cherry, cheese, potato—all are milchig) Waffles

Honey

© P Garber’s Misrochi ( G a r b e r E a g le O il C o rp .)

(M ila d y F o o d P ro d ., B ’k lyn , N .Y .)

Associated *Waffles ( A s s o c ia te d F o o d S to r e s C oop., N .Y .C .)

Pure Dairy *Waffles (S e r v ic e F ro z e n F o o d C o rp ., B ’k lyn , N . Y . )

Indian Trail *©P- Cranberry Orange Relish ( C r a n b e r r y G r o w e r s, In c., W isc o n sin R a p id s , W is e .)

Fruit — I Dried— bulk only I © P California Packing Corp.

(S a n F ra n cisc o , C a l.)

Fruits — (Packaged I Dromedary Dates Fruits and Peels Moist., Coconut Shredded Coconut

(T h e H ills B r o th e r s C o., N .Y .C .)

Gelatin Desserts — Vegetable Berish’s Real Kosher ,@P Gel Desserts (flavored)

May - June, 1954

Household Cleansers (S e e also S c o u rin g P o w d e r s )

© P Brillo Products (B r illo M fg . Co., B ’k lyn , N .Y .)

Cameo Copper Cleaner (C a m eo C o rp ., C h icago, 111.)

Colgate-Palmolive Detergents ( J e r s e y C ity , N .J .)

• Arctic Syntex M. brads (bulk only) • Fab • Kirkman Detergents

• Vel

Pels & Co. Detergents (P h ila d e lp h ia , P a .)

Felso Rol Glim (B . T . B a b b it In c., N e w Y o rk , N .Y .)

My Pal ( P a l P r o d u c ts Co., B ro o k ly n , N .Y .)

Procter and Gamble Detergents ( C in cin n a ti, Ohio ) © Cheer Joy • Dreft • Spie & Span • Oxydol • Tide

59

Household Cleansers (Cont'dl Soilax ( E c o n o m ic s L a b o r a to r y , In c., S t. P a u l, M in n .)

•

Sprite ( S in c la ir M fg ., T o led o , O h io)

•

Swerl ( A llie d C hem .

& D y e C o rp ., N .7 .C .)

• *Trend (P u r e x C o rp . L td ., S o u th G a te , C a l.)

Margarine Berish’s Real Kosher (milehig) (O r th o d o x K o s h e r P r o d u c ts )

Crystal Brand (milehig) (L . D a itc h & C o., N .Y .C .; m a n u fa c ­ tu r e d b y M ia m i M a r g a rin e C o.)

Mar-Parv (pareve) Miolo (milcliig—bulk only) Nu-Maid (milehig) Table-King (milehig) (M ia m i M a rg a rin e O h io)

C o., C in cin n a ti.

Mother’s (milehig) Mother’s Pareve (M o th e r ’s F o o d P r o d u c ts )

lee Cream, Sherbert © P Barton’s Bonbonniere (B a r to n , IncJ)

Costa’s French Ice Cream

Marshmallow Topping Marshmallow Fluff (D u r k e e -M o w e r , M a s s.)

In c.,

F a st

L yn n.

(C o s ta ’s Ic e C re a m C o., W o o d b r id g e , N .J .)

*Met Brand *Tee-Vee (M a rch io n y Ic e C re a m Co., N .Y .C ., d i s tr ib u te d b y M e tr o p o lita n F o o d Co., B ro o k ly n , N .Y .)

Industrial Cleansers Institution X Orvus Extra Granules Orvus Hy-temp Granules *Orvus Neutral Granules *Cream Suds ( P r o c te r & G a m b le )

Jams and Jellies Berish’s Real Kosher Pure Fruit Jams Marmalade Marmalade Butter (O r th o d o x K o s h e r P r o d u c ts )

Heinz Jellies (H

J . H e in z C o .)

© P Barton’s Bonbonniere (B a r to n , I n c .)

Juices Heinz Tomato Juice ( H . J . H e in z C o .)

60

Meats and Provisions Yitzchok Goldberg’s • Meats @P Corned Beef © P Tongue • Frozen Meats @P Salami © P Frankfurters Pastrami (I . G o ld b e rg & S o n s, 220 D e la n e y S t., N .Y .C .)

Oxford *©P Bologna © P Corned Beef *©P Frankfuters @P Pastrami *@P Salami © P Tongue ( O x fo r d P ro v is io n s , In c., 549 E .

S t., N . Y . C .)

12th

Meat Tenderizer Adolph’s ( A d o lp h ’s F o o d C a l.)

P r o d u c ts , B u rb a n k ,

Jewish LIFE

UOJC KASHRUTH DIRECTORY All items listed below bear the © seal.

Item s listed © P are Kosher for Passover when bearing this or other UOJGA Passover Hechsher On label.

Item s listed © are Kosher for Passover w ithout Passover ^Hechsher on label. * Indicates new © endorsement. ^

Prepared Salads

Mustard

Royal Snack Beet Salad, Cole Slaw.

Cucumber Salad, Garden Salad, Potato Salad

Heinz Brown Mustard Yellow Mustard (I I . J . U e in z C o .)

Noodles & Macaroni Products Heinz Macaroni Creole

( S . .A . H a r a m Co., N .Y .C .)

Pudding © P Berish’s Real Kosher Chocolate Pudding

(IT. J . H e in z C o .)

Skinner’s Egg Noodles Macaroni Spaghetti Vermicelli

(O r th o d o x K o s h e r P r o d u c ts )

Pice Heinz Spanish Rice

( S k in n e r M fg . Co., O m aha, N e b .)

(H . J . H e in z C o.)

Relishes, Pickles, etc.

Oil

© P Garber’s Misrochi

Heinz Pickles India Relish Hot Dog Relish Pickled Onions Sweet Relish Cocktail Sauce Southern Style Relish Hamburger Relish

(O a r h e r E a g le O il C o rp .)

*Mazola (C o rn P r o d u c ts R efin in g C o rp ., N .Y .C .)

© P Nutola (N n to la F a t P r o d u c ts C o.)

Peanut Butter Beech-Nut (B e e c h -N u t P a c k in q C o.)

(H . J . H e in z C o.)

Heinz

Dolly Madison Pickles

(H . J . H e in z C o .)

Planters

( I I . W . M a d iso n Co., C lev ela n d , O .)

( P la n te r s N u t & C h o co la te Co, W i l k e s B a r r e , P a .)

Potato Chips Blue Ribbon ( R e d D o t F o o d s, M a d iso n ,

TFis.)

Gordon’s ^Potato Chips *Tater Sticks *Potato Sticks (G o r d o n F o o d s, In c., A tla n ta , G a .)

Poultry — Frozen • Yitzchok Goldberg & Sons (N e w Y o r k , N , Y .)

© Menorah Farms (M en o ra h P r o d u c ts , In c., B o sto n , M a s s.)

May - June, 1954

Mother’s © P Pickles © P Gherkins © P Sweet Red Peppers © P Pimentoes @P Pickled Tomatoes © P Sauerkraut Deluxe @P Pickled Country Cabbage (M o th e r ’s F o o d P r o d u c ts )

Carolina Beauty Pickles (M o u n t O live P ic k le Co., M t.

O live , N .C .)

Silver Lane Pickles Sauerkraut ( S ilv e r L a n e P ic k le Co., E d s t H a r tf o r d , C on n .)

a

UOJC KASHRUTH DIRECTORY Resorts

•

© P Pine View Hotel

•

( F a lls b u r g , N . Y . )

© P Washington Hotel

Lustro Polishing Powder My Pal Palco Polish Powder Pal-Go

( R o c k a w a y P a r k , N .Y .)

Salt •

Mögen David Kosher Salt (C a r e y S a lt Co., H u tch in so n . K a n s a s )

Shortening

Morton Salt Co. Products ( C h ica g o , III.) • Morton Coarse Kosher Salt • Morton Fine Table Salt • Morton Iodized Salt International Salt Co. Products

National Margarine Shortening ( N a tio n a l Y e a s t C o rp ., B e lle v ille , N..T.— B u lk o n ly )

Delmar Margarine Shortening ( P elrn a r P r o d u c ts C o rp ., C i n n O .

— B u lk o n ly )

(S c ra n to n , P a .)

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

© P Garber’s Misrochi Par eve Fat (O a r b e r E a g le O il C o.)

© P Nut-Ola Vegetable Shortening ( N u t- O la F a t P r o d ., B r o o k ly n , N .Y .)

Silver Cleaner •

Scouring Powder (S e e a lso H o u se h o ld C lea n se rs)

• • •

B. T. Babbit Co. Products Bab-o Babbit ’s Cleanser Cameo Cleanser (C a m eo C o rp .)

• • • •

Colgate-Palmolive Co. Products Ajax Ben Hur (bulk only) Kirkman Cleanser New Octagon Cleanser Garber’s Misrochi Cleanser (O a r h e r E a g le O il Co.. N eto Y o r k )

Kitchen Klenzer ( F i tz p a tr ic k B ro s., C h icago. III.)

•

Old Dutch Cleanser (C u d a h y P a c k in g C o., O m aha N e b .)

Pal Products Co. Products ( B r o o k ly n N . Y . )

62

Instant Liquid Dip Silver Cleaner ( L e w a l I n d u s tr ie s , N .Y .C .)

Soap © P Nutola Kosher Soap ( N u to la F a t P r o d u c ts )

Soups Gold’s @P Borscht Schav Russel (G o ld P u r e Food, P ro d ., B fk lyn , N .Y .)

Heinz Cream of Mushroom Celory Cream of Green Vegetable Cream of Tomato Condensed Cream of Musliroom Condensed Cream of Green Pea Condensed Gumbo Creole Condensed Cream of Tomato Condensed Vogetarian Vegetable (//. J . H e in z C o .)

Jewish LIFE

UOJC KASHRUTH DIRECTORY

©

All items listed below bear the © seal.

Items listed © P are Kosher for Passover when bearing this or other UOJCA Passover Hechsher on label.

Items listed ® are Kosher for Passover w ithout Passover Hechsher on label. * Indicates new © endorsement.

Soups IConf'dl Mothers © P Borscht Cream Style Borscht Cream Style Sehav Mushroom and Barley ( M o th e r’s F o o d P r o d u c ts )

Soup Mix Joyce Egg Noodle Soup Mix (J o y c e F o o d P r o d u c ts , P a te rs o n . N .J .)

N titola Chicken Noodle Soup Mix Nutola Noodle Soup Mix ( N u to la F a t P r o d u c ts C o.)

Spaghetti Sauce Skinner’s ( S k in n e r M fg . Co., O m ah a, N e b .)

©

Tzitzith W OOLEN

M. Wolozin & Co. RAYO N , FOR R A Y O N TA L E V T H IM

Leon Vogel (66 A lle n S t.. N .Y .C .)

M. Wolozin & Co. (36 E ld rid g e S t.. N .Y .C .)

Zion Talis Manufacturing Co., Inc. (48 E ld r id g e S t., N .Y .C .)

Vegetables Dromedary Pimientos (T h e H ills B r o th e r s C o., N .Y .Ç .)

Vegetables — Dehydrated (bulk only I © P Basic Vegetable Prod. ( San F ra n cisc o , C al. ) @P Gentry, Inc. (L o s A n g e le s , C a lif.)

Spices

Vinegar

@P Garber’s Misrochi

© P Garber’s Misrochi

( G a r b e r E a g le O il C o.)

© P Gentry Paprika ( G e n tr y , In c., L o s A n g e le s , C a l.)

#

&

Sugar © P Flo-Sweet Liquid Sugar © P Hudson Valley Refined Granulated Sugar ( R e fin e d S y r u p s & S u g a rs , In c., Y o n k e rs, N .Y .)

Syrup © P Berish’s Real Kosher Chocolate Syrup -True Fruit Syrups Imitation Fruit Syrups ( O r th o d o x K o s h e r P r o d u c ts )

( G a r b e r E a g le O il C o.)

Heinz Cider Malt Salad Vinegar Tarragon White Rex Amber ( H . J . H e in z C o.)

Vitamins —- Bulk Collett-Week-Nibecker Co. (O ssin in g , N .Y .)

Vitamin Tablets *Kobee *Kovite *Vitalets (F r e e d a A g a r P ro d ., N .Y .C .)

© P Barton’s Bonbonniere ( B a r to n , I n c .)

Wine

Tomato Juice

© P Hersh’s Kosher Wines

Heinz (H . J . H e in z C o.)

May - June, 1954

( H u n g a ria n G r a p e P r o d u c ts , In c., N .Y .)

63

FOOD So /S # A £ l

/fie

e&s^j

. .. save yourself time and money, spare them anxiety and disappointment... just airmail Service for Israel’s governmentapproved Scrip Certificates for $10, $15, $25 and $50 for their choice of ration-free kosher foods in our Israel shops ... or Parcel Certificates for your choice of seven kosher parcels, $10.50 to $38.50, and a Baby Package at $9.75, ready for deliv­ ery in Israel... now up to SO% more food for your gift dollar main office 2 P a rk A v e n u e New Y o r k 16 M U 6 -8 1 6 0

or our authorized agencies everywhere

O

ìfò » k ..i t e * * .

GARTENBERG & SCHECHTER'S

PIONEER COUNTRY CLUB Greenfield Park, N. Y.

Solarium

• Swimming Pool All Sports

Sabbath and Kashruth strictly observed

Jewish LIFE

TRY THESE FAMOUS KOSHER AND PARVE WORK AND TIME SAVERS! VEL makes dishes shine without washing or wiping!

Vel soaks dishes clean. Don’t wash, just soak; don’t wipe, just rinse. And the hand test proves there’s no “Detergent Burn” to hands with VEL. It’s marVELous!

J AJAX Cleanser with “Foaming Action” Foams as it cleans all types of tile, porcelain surfaces, pots and pans. . . up to twice as easy, twice as fast! Floats dirt and grease right down the drain!

CLEANSER

FAB washes clothes whiter without a bleach Whiter than any other product with a bleach in the wash water. Saves work, saves hands. Washable colors look brighter, too. Also wonderful for dishes.

ALL OF THESE FINE PRODUCTS BEAR THE SEAL OF APPROVAL OF THE UNION OF ORTHODOX JEWISH CONGREGATIONS OF AMERICA

©

C O L G A T E -P A L M O L IV E

C O M PA N Y

They're both the same beans You may find Heinz Kosher Vegetarian Baked Beans at your food store with the old familiar label on the can... the label you have known for more than 20 years. Or you may find the new attractive modern label with the picture of the pot of beans in front. No matter which label it is, the beans are the same... strictly Kosher, strictly pareve, strictly oven-baked! And strictly delicious! The <y) seal of the union op ORTHODOX JEWISH CONGREGATIONS OP AMERICA is On both labels. Look for it today!

HEINZ KOSHER BAKED BEANS