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SEP 9-'58
LIBRARIES
The Southern Israeli*
4*
A Weekly Newspaper tor Southern Jewry — Estai
XXXIII
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1958
O. 36
University in Ohio Procession of Torahs to Mark Opening
Permits Absences * M
On High Holy Days Of Shear it h Israel's Synagogue Sept. 7
CINCINNATI, (JTA) — The
Cincinnati Jewish Community
Relations Committee announced
this week that Jewish students
attending Miami University at
Oxford, Ohio, need not report for
classes until September 17.
The committee said that the
arrangement had been made be
cause of the conflict of the open
ing dates of the college study
year with the first and second
days of Rosh Hashonah. Actual
classroom work will not start
until September 17, according
to university officials, who said
that student orientation and pre
class details would be considered
on September 15 and 16. The
college also permits absences on
Yom Kippur and other Jewish
holidays without penalty.
The committee also announced
that Jewish students attending
the University of Cincinnati
Colleges of Applied Arts, Busi
ness Administration and Engi
neering will be allowed to regis
ter September 17. Regualr regis
tration days are September 15
and 16.
Brilliant ceremonies Sunday, Sept. 7, will mark the dedi
cation of Shearith Israel’s new Synagogue House of Worship.
Joining with men and women and children of the Con
gregation will be representatives of the broader Jewish com
munity and Atlanta and DeKalb County officialdom.
Shearith Israel’s is the first Synagogue in DeKalb County.
Both Rabbi Tobias Geffen, who for more than forty years,
guided the Congregation and who is now emeritus, and Rabbi
Sydney K. Mossman, who became spiritual leader two years
ago, will take the lead in the ceremonies marking the dedi
cation.
Former presidents of the Congregation, symbolically
bearing the Torahs from the Educational Building to the new
Sanctuary, the current officers headed by President Edward
Krick, pioneeer members and descendants of these and other
pioneers wil take part in the program which begins at 3 p.m.
The public is invited.
At 6:30 p.m., a Dedication Banquet under the chairman
ship of Mr. Ben Zimmerman, will be held in the Social Hall
of the new building. Mr. Sidney Gulden will be Master of
Ceremonies. Highlight of the evening will be the presenta
tion of a dramatic reading, written especially for this occa
sion by Rabbi Sydney K. Mossman. Taking part in the read
ing will be Lewis Green, Irving Levy, Mrs. Sydney K. Moss
man and Edward Sternberg.
Routing 500 Talmudim to Ivri Classes Ready
For Fall Start, Education Bureau Announces
Fall marks the return to school
for thousands of children, the
end of summer vacation and the
return to study and books. In
the Jewish community, Fall also
means the reopening of the af
ternoon Hebrew schools. On Sep
tember 8, the afternoon Hebrew
schools resume their classes; for
many children it will mean a
continuation of their Hebrew ed
ucation, for many the beginning
of their Hebrew studies.
In order to encourage the great
est number of Jewish children
To Carry Over
Bills Curbing
Synagogue Bombings
WASHINGTON, (JTA) _ An
attempt will be made during the
Congressional recess to prepare
hearings for next session on sev
eral pending measures to curb
dynamiting of synagogues and
other institutions in the South.
Sen. John F. Kennedy, Massa
chusetts Democrat, introduced a
bill on the last day of Congress
prohibiting the transportation
and use of explosives for illegal
purposes. His bill would enable
the Federal Government to in
vestigate when a bombing occurs.
The FBI held that it lacked legal
jurisdiction.
Similar legislation was intro
duced jointly shortly before ad
journment in the House by Rep.
Emanuel Celler, Democrat, and
Kenneth Keating, Republican,
both of New York. Sen. Kennedy
said he intended to offer his
legislative proposals against next
session and expressed hope that
hearings would be held.
Subs For Egypt
LONDON, (JTA) — The four
ocean-going Russian submarines
which passed through the Straits
of Dover last week are en route
to join the United Arab Repub
lic fleet, informed British sources
have reported. They said the
submersibles are among the most
modern in the world.
The four W-class underwater
craft were reported accompanied
by a submarine depot ship. They
have a surface displacement of
2,000 tons, a submerged speed of
16 knots and an operational
range of more than 20,000 miles.
The British Admiralty reported
ly was maintainng watch on the
passage of the vessels.
to avail themselves of the op
portunity of an intensive Jew
ish education, the Central Trans
portation Service conducted by
the Atlanta Bureau of Jewish
Education was created. This is
the eighth year of this service.
Last year over 500 children were
provided with transportation to
and from Hebrew school. The
Bureau uses Atlanta Transit
Company buses with trained
drivers and counselors on each
bus.
A feeling of friendship, inter
est and cooperation has been
stimulated among the children
who ride the buses with children
attending different afternoon
schools. It requires the Bureau
approximately six weeks to set
up the routing which is planned
to insure the child riding a
minimum time to Hebrew school
and back home. Children are
picked up from over twenty pub
lic schools and taken to their
respective Hebrew schools. The
buses begin pickups as soon as
school is dismissed and a starter
is assigned at certain points of
departure where the greatest
number of children board the
bus. Where the regular bus route
cannot pick up a child, super
vised cab transportation is pro
vided by the Bureau when there
is a complete cab load of at least
five children from a particular
area.
The fees to parents for the
Teen-age Leader Hits
Youth * Ashamed*
Of Jewishness
STARLIGHT, Pa., (JTA)—The
president of Aleph Zadik Aleph,
teen-age boys division of the
B’nai B’rith Youth Organiza
tion, criticized some Jewish
youth this week for “being
ashamed of their Jewishness.”
He said that some of the fault
lay with the present Jewish edu
cation system and warned that
“we are being assimilated and
don’t even realize this fact.”
Yale Rosenberg, 19, of Hous
ton, Tex., addressing 175 dele
gates at the AZA annual con
vention here, scored those Jew
ish youth who “take pride in
their abilty to conform to their
general environment but take
no pride in being Jewish.” He
said youth should take the ini
tiative in working with parents
to create a program of Jewish
education ana should insist on a
curriculum that is “truly mean
ingful to them.”
transportation service are care
fully arrived at and are kept at
a minimum with the difference
in cost being made up by the
Atlanta Jewish Welfare Fund in
the interest of Jewish education.
Josiah Benator, chairman of
the Transportation Service of the
Bureau, commented that there
has been a steady increase in
the number of children using the
service and that the service has
helped to increase and maintain
attendance in the afternoon He
brew schools.
Condemn Murder
PARIS, (JTA)—The Alliance
France-Israel, headed by Minis
ter of Information Jacques Sous-
telle, expressed “horror” at the
murder of two Jewish Agency
emissaries to Algeria.
Gen. Edmond Laurent, honor
ary chairman, said in the mes
sage: “The two murdered men
were guiltless and went to Al
geria on a non-combatant mis
sion. They were murdered, to
gether with French officers, in
cold blood.” The victims were
Yaacov Hassan, 36, and Raphael
Ben Jera, 38. They were kip-
napped by the Algeria rebel
movement.
Fort Worth Jewry
To Be Polled
On Jewish Center
FT. WORTH, Tex., (JTA) —
Before the Fort Worth Jewish
Community is committed to the
expenditures involved in estab
lishing a Jewish community cen
ter here, every Jewish family in
the community will be polled as
to whether or not it wants such
a center and will support it.
A decision to poll the com
munity on the question was
taken here at a special meeting
of the Center committee which
has been instrumental in plan
ning a community center for this
city.
Shearith
New Synagogue
The interior of the Synagogue
Sanctuary is modern in design.
The walls are charcoal gloss
finish brick. The background of
the pulpit is a natural wood fin
ish cutwork design over a cop
per base showing from behind
it. The center of this is the Ark
which houses the Sacred Torahs.
An original mural, painted by
the Architect, will surround the
doors to the Ark. The doors of
the Ark are covered with vari
colored simulated jewels, depict
ing the breastplate worn by the
High Priest, and represents the
12 tribes of Israel. The Ark,
built so that it may be walked
into, .is the Holiest of Holies
An outside window in the shape
of a Mogen Dovid, casts its light
into the Ark and presents a na
tural lighting effect when the
Ark doors are opened.
There are twenty stained glass
windows on one side of the Sanc
tuary. Ten of the windows repre
sent each of the Ten Command
ments, and the remainder sym
bolizes the Jewish holidays and
the State of Israel.
An especially designed Meno-
rah (candelabra) over six feet
tall, will be placed next to the
Cantor's pulpit. The Menorah,
following the design of the Men
orah on the Temple of Ancient
days, will blend with the mod
ern decor of the Synagogue.
Carpeting on the Pulpit is done
in sea green. The 440 theatre-
type seats are birch finish, with
wine mohair cushions.
In addition to the Sanctuary,
there is a Chapel, which will be
used for daily services, morn
ing and evening. The administra
tive wing of the Synagogue
Building will house the business
offices of the Congregation, the
Rabbi’s Study, the Rabbi Tobias
Geffen Library, honoring the
Rabbi who for 45 years served
the Congregation. A social hall,
adjoins the Sanctuary and can
be separated by huge folding
doors, so that additional seating
capacity may be available for
the High Holydays.
The social hall, one entire side
of which is a series of glass win
dow panels, is easily accessible
to the kitchen, which is equip
ped with modern stainless steel
appliances for the preparation of
food. Opposite the kitchen, at
the other end of the social hall,
is a stage equipped with public
address system for the use of
affiliated Synagogue groups.
A lounge in the lobby of the
building has been furnished
with modern sectional furniture.
The lounge overlooks the en
trance to the building from the
University Drive approach. One
entire wall of the lounge will be
for display of religious and gift
articles on sale through the
Sisterhood Gift Shop.
A tremendous “Youth Room”
on the lower level of the struc
ture, will serve the junior mem
bers of the Congregation.
From that modest beginning in
1904 with a nucleous of ten men,
todays membership now num-
(Continued on Page 4)
Women Leadership for Israel Bonds
To Hear Myrtle Davis at Tea Sept. 7
Mrs. Myrtle Davis of Buford,
who represented the United
States at the recent Bible Quiz
in Israel, will address a group
of Israel Bond women leaders
on Friday, Sept. 12.
Msr. Davis will speak at 2
p.m. at a Women’s Leadership
Tea of the Atlanta Israel Bond
Committee, Women’s Division.
“I am so delighted to be able
to help those wonderful people
in that wonderful country, Mrs.
Davis declared in accepting the
invitations.
She placed seventh in the
world competition.
Israel’s
History
By ALICE RICH
To all things there is a begin
ning, a moment when the spark
kindles the flame and something
new is born. Fifty-four years
ago ten men gathered in a pri
vate home in Atlanta to light
such a flame and from this came
Congregation Shearith Israel.
Out of modest, humble begin
nings an idea was born for the
perpetuation of an olden tradi
tion in a new land.
An old church, survivor of the
War between the States, was the
first place of prayer, the first
home of Congregation Shearith
Israel. The building on Hunter
Street was formerly the home of
the St. Paul Methodist Church.
The name of the newly formed
Congregation, its translation —
“Remnant of Israel” seemed so
appropriate in this setting of a
“saved” building, a saving rem
nant of Jewry, and the new land
of America, refuge of Liberty.
In 1907 a cornerstone was in
serted into the building, the
first rabbi was engaged and
now the members were truly a
Congregation.
Following the fires which rav
aged the city and which destroy
ed the Synagogue and years of
devoted labor, this hardy group
of religious pioneers rebuilt
their Synagogue and continued
to worship. A new wing to meet
the demands of the increased
membership was added in the re
building of the Synagogue.
Twenty-five years after its
founding, Shearith Israel real
ized the need to move. At 500
Washington Street, S. W., Shear
ith Israel took on added vigor
and increased stimulation for
their new building was now lo
cated in the heart of the new
Jewish neighborhood and the
Synagogue was an impressive
and beautiful structure. Classes
both for adults and children
were initiated in this Synagogue
building. Atlanta’s leading Jew
ish citizens of today, all have
fond memories spent at the
Synagogue on Washington Street
during those pre-World War II
days.
Following the second World
War, movement of Atlanta’s
Jewish population took place
from the once fashionable South
west section to the new popular
Northeast Side of town. At that
time a group of inspired and
visionary leaders of Shearith Is
rael foresaw the events that were
soon to take place; the old
neighborhood would change
again and if Shearith Israel
would remain on Washington
Street it would be a Synagogue
without Jews and the new
neighborhood would have Jews
without a Synagogue. It was
then that they purchased the
three-and-one-half acre site on
University Drive N.E. The build
ing already standing there was
remodeled and redecorated into
the very fine school building
that stands there at this time . .
housing as it does the Atlanta
Hebrew Institute, the Atlanta
Hebrew Academy and the Shear
ith Israel Religious School.
Services were held at the Edu
cation Center and at the Syna
gogue on Washington Street.
Soon what had been foreseen
took place, the old neighborhood
changed completely. Only a
handful of Jews remain there.
For the past three years the
High Holyday services at the
Educational Building literally
jammed the building with every
possible space being used for
(Continued on Page 4)