Newspaper Page Text
[UKIVIWI’'' « “"““l
SEP 21*’58
The Southern 1st
A Weekly Newspaper for Southern Jewry — Ei
t*B«ARlES
•or.
XXXIII
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1958
NO. 38
Jewry Welcomes New Year 5719
NEW YORK, (JTA)—As Jews
throughout the world began the
observation of Rosh Hashonah,
the Jewish New Year, they look
ed back on a year of accomplish
ment and trial, jubilation and
concern. During the outgoing
year 5718, American Jews had
joined with fellow Jews from all
parts of the world in pilgrim
ages to Israel to celebrate the
Jewish State’s rebirth ten years
before. In this country, Jews
from every geographic section had
closed ranks behind Southern
Jews whose synagogues, schools
and community centers had be
come the target of fanatics’
bombs.
Joining American Jews this
Rosh Hashonah in greeting 5719
with hope and determination,
their thousands of sons and
daughters scattered across the
face of the world serving in the
United States armed forces on
land, sea and air. Holiday serv
ices are being led by Jewish
chaplains attached to Army,
Navy, and Air Force units on the
alert in 65 countries and on the
seven seas. Services are also being
held at military installations and
veterans hospitals in the United
States.
In advance of the holiday, the
National Jewish Welfare Board
dispatched huge quantities of
kosher foods and religious sup
plies to 650 posts, ships and hos
pitals in the U. S., Europe, Africa,
Greenland, Alaska, Pacific and
the Far East. Under its auspices
370 full and part - time chap
lains and 10,000 volunteer work
ers will attend to the religious
and morale needs of American
Jewish servicemen and women.
A special Rosh Hashonah
greeting, taped by Rabbi Israel
Goldstein of Congregation B’nai
Jeshrun, New York, was beamed
to Jews in the Soviet Union. It
was transmitted by powerful sta
tions operated around the peri
phery of the Soviet Union by
Radio Liberation.
In this city, more than 450
synagogues made special appeals
during services for their congre
gants’ support of the United Jew
ish Appeal. Similar pleas will be
voiced on Yom Kippur.
Special services will be con
ducted at all institutions affiliated
with the Federation of Jewish
Newport Community to Mark Tercentenary
by MARTIN J. WARMBRAND
NEWPORT, (AJP)—The 300th
anniversary of the Newport Jew
ish community — commemorated
this year—will be highlighted by
a Tercentenary Ball to be held in
one of America’s great mansions,
the Belcourt, on Saturday even
ing, September 20.
Ambassador and Mrs. Abba
Eban will be the honored guests.
The dynamic Israeli diplomat is
expected to deliver a major ad
dress during the closing exercises
on Sunday, September 21.
The Tercentenary celebration
of this historic site of Newport,
Rhode Island—the State which is
associated with one of America’s
greatest figures of religious free
dom, Roger Williams — has
brought into modern-day focus its
early history and one unpleasant
incident is recalled—the Sheriff’s
Incident. This happening, involv
ing religious tolerance, occurred
when the Jews first began to
settle in Newport. Jewish wor
ship was constantly being in
terrupted by the interference of a
Sheriff who had over-estimated
his own importance.
The Jewish citizens of this
city, however, with their numer
ous Old Testament-loving non-
Jewish friends quickly joined
forces against the Hainan of the
day. He was told in no uncer
tain terms to go about his legi
timate business and not to inter
fere any more with the free
worship of man.
The three hundred years of
religious liberty of the Newport
Jewish community began in
1658. Fifteen Jewish families
came that year after learning
about Roger William’s declara
tion of religious freedom.
For over a hundred years
these Jewish settlers, whose num
bers had increased by additional
settlement and natural growth,
held their religious services in
homes. Then, on December 2,
1763, following much effort and
perserverence, the Touro Syna
gogue—which had taken four
years to build—was completed
and dedicated.
The oldest synagogue in the
United States, it was dedicated
as a National Historic Shrine on
March 5, 1946. The complete hs-
tory of Touro Synagogue is fully
told by ts former spiritual lead
er, Rabbi Dr. Morris A. Gut-
stein, in his book, “The Story
of the Jews of Newport.”
Interestingly, Goverenmental
recognition of the Touro Syna
gogue as a National Shrine did
not carry with it financial Gov
ernmental responsibility. O n
the contrary, it added financial
burdens too heavy for the small
Newport community itself to
bear. To meet this need, the
Society of Friends of Touro
Synagogue was chartered in
the State of Rhode Island on
February 26, 1948. The purpose
of the Society was to enlist pub
lic support in maintaining the
structure and the grounds of
the Shrine as a pilgrimage cen
ter open to visitors throughout
the year. The Institution makes
avalable educational material to
schools, libraries, religious and
civic groups. Still contemplated
is the construction of a museum
to house the priceless gifts of
manuscripts, paintings and other
treasures associated with the
early congregants.
Friends who are interested in
the welfare of the Touro Shrine
and who wish to contribute to
its upkeep are invited to write
to the Society of Friends of
Touro Synagogue, Newport,
Rhode Island.
Philanthropies of New York
which have synagogue facilities.
At others of the 116 affiliated in
stitutions, cantors and rabbis will
offer bed-side services. A spec
ial service for recent immigrants
will be held at the United Hias
Service hostel.
Herbert R. Abeles, president of
the Council of Jewish Federations
and Welfare Funds, declared in
a New Year’s message that it was
incumbent on American Jewry
“to go forward in our tasks in
the New Year with reinforced
conviction in the strength of our
Jewish community organizations,
with the determination to provide
help wherever help is needed, to
give haven to the homeless—in
Israel and other friendly lands, to
fortify our future by teaching
our children the glories of Jew
ish tradition, strengthen human
rights for all people, continue our
assaults upon deadly disease, keep
our families strong and united.”
“The approaching Jewish New
Year will arrive amidst an alarm
ing array of deepening world
crises,” Irving M. Engel, presi
dent of the American Jewish
Committee declared, adding that
“the exploration of self” and the
personal commitment of every
Jew to his spiritual heritage "in
vokes questions of profound mor
ality.” He said that American
Jews must consider the problems
of the limes in terms of one of
the “basic tenets” of Judaism —
“the individual’s responsibility to
his fellow Jews and to his fel
low men of all creeds and races.
Dr. Joachim Prinz, President of
the American Jewish Congress,
said that the High Holy Days
“present an inescapable truth,
that the moral regeneration of
mankind is intimately linked
with the decision of each individ
ual to pursue the prophetic ideals
of freedom, justice and equal
ity.” Denouncing the opposition
in the south to integration of the
Negro, he warned that “The
American conscience must re
main deeply troubled until our
Negro citzens are given full and
equal membership in our soci
ety.”
Dr. Israel Goldstein, chairman
of the Western Hemisphere Ex
ecutive of the World Jewish Con
gress, said that “the paramount
prayer” of Jews everywhere at
High Holy Day services would be
“the prayer for peace which is
the seal of all blessings.” He de
clared that the past 12 months
would be remembered “mostly
for man’s scientific advances
which have enabled man-made
satellites to be projected into out
er space. It still remains for him
to advance correspondingly in the
field of human relations.”
The Canadian Jewish Congress
declared that for Jews the past
year “was a time of rejoicing in
the achievements of the State of
Israel during the past ten years.
Canadian Jewry will have anoth
er anniversary to celebrate dur
ing the coming year—the bicen-
tennary of the Jews in Canada.
Philip M. Klutznick, president
of B’nai B’rith, declared that
neither “ghetto imprisonment
nor crisis atmosphere “is needed
to give American Jewry its unify
ing force.” In calling on Ameri
can Jews “to live Jewishly, he
said that “a person fulfils the
obligation of his Jewish heritage
only by his own spiritual moti-
vaton, from inside himself, not
when it is forced on him by pres
sures from the non-Jewish en-
ronment.” . . .
David L. Ullman, chairman of
e National Community Retai
ns Advisory Council, in a Rosh
ashonah message, found ‘ deep
luse for humble gratification
mt the Jewish community in
merica has experienced another
ear of maturation and growing
atus, with its inner vitality
rengthened.” He foresaw “con-
nuing need for commitment to
lose principles of human dignity
)d individual human worth that
:rmeate Jewish tradition and
iderlie the American dream of
;hnic origin or race.
Louis P. Rocker, president of
ie Jewish Telegraphic Agency,
lodged that “the Jewish Tele-
raphic Agency, the faithful re-
erter of the joys and ‘ lls > the
mphs and defeats of the Jew-
h people during the .. P 3 ? 1 ., 4 ^
tars, will carry out its duties
ity 99
The year 5719, which marks
the beginning of Israel s secon
decade of freedom, inaugurates
Continued on page 2
Atlantan Reports on Religious and Cultural Life of Israelis
BY EDWARD M. KAHN
Thursday Morning, Aug. 14, ’58
on Mount Carmel, Haifa
There is much which can be
written about the religious and
cultural life of the people of Is
rael. It is a truism and has be
come a trite expression to say
that Israel is a land of contrasts.
First an explanation is in order
why the religious and cultural
life are combined in one cate
gory. For those who practice Jud
aism as a way of life it constitutes
the whole life. Worship and the
study of the Torah, for a good
many Jews, are a full time res
ponsibility and a full time occu
pation. They have no time for
other interests.
This does not imply that the
practice of Judaism is the dom
inant interest of all the people
of Israel. But is is of a certain
segment of the population.
There is a good deal of misun
derstanding about the role of re
ligion—I refer of course to the
Jewish religion—in the life of Is
rael. Judaism is one in Israel.
There are no distinctions as to
content. But there is variety in
the forms and practices, based on
“nusach ashkenazi and nusach
separdi” as well as on their coun
tries of origin and cultural back
grounds.
This can be seen in the dif
ferent synagogues found in Is
rael. From Bokharian, Persian,
Italian, Hungarian Chassidim, to
those of Western Europe and
Anglo-Saxon countries.
In the area in Jerusalem,
fers evidently to the Wailing Wall
of the ancient, destroyed Tem
ple, which is located in old Jer
usalem.
The group is made up, very
largley of Sotmer and other
Hungarian Chassidim. They con-
Known as Mea Shearim, live wor
ship, and study the Torah, those
who practice Orthodox Judaism
as they knew it in Eastern Eur
ope many generations ago. They
have not been influenced by any
modifications or changes in forms
or practice which may have tak
en place in their countries of orig
in.
However, it is a mistake to
think that all those who live in
Mea Shearim are part of the
group known as “Naturei Karta”
—Watchers of the Wall. This re-
gregate in two or three synagog
ues. Near one of the synagogues
they place every Friday, on the
eve of Shabbat, a road block on
the street of stones and rocks to
prevent any auto from passing
their way.
In appearance they have not
changed since the days of their
great, great, grandfathers. With
“shtrainmlach” for headgear,
“kapotes” for suits, white socks,
and with long, curled “payes”
they walk the street of Mea
Shearim on their way to and
from synagogues.
Their women folk work hard as
homemakers. They are the pro
creators of the “race”. Five, six,
eight or ten children are the nor
mal order of things. They live in
a congested area and in crowded
conditions as the apartments are
small.
It is estimated that the “Nat
urei Karta” group may have
about 2000 members. But they
can count on many more follow
ers. For their demonstrations they
mobilize children and teen-agers
as well.
They are a minority, but vocal
and vociferous. They can make
and do make a lot of noise. They
are fanatical in their devotion to
a rigid, inflexible, East European
Orthodoxy. They are ready, if
need be, to lay down their lives
for their beliefs.
This is what gves them a power
much beyond their numbers.
They have followers and sym-
Continued on page 4
Mr. Kahn, wrote the accompanying vital material while on an
extended trip to Israel this past summer. He has since returned to
his duties as executive director of the Atlanta Jewish Welfare
Fund, Jewish Community Council and Federation of Jewish Social
Services. The article will be concluded in next week’s newspaper.