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THE BODTHIIN ISRAELITE
Friday, January 24, 1961
LIFE IN ISRAEL TODAY-
A Law Endeavored by Spirit
How The Sabbath Is Observed
By DR. LEON S. ROZEN
This is the second in a series of articles on Israel writter by
this lawyer-writer after his trip to the Middle East last summer.
Recent disputes over the ob
servance of Sabbath Day in Jer
usalem has reached the attention
even of the Government and the
Knesset (Parliament) of Israel.
The issue also resulted in the in
tervention of some groups of
American Jewry.
* The conflict resulted in de
monstrations instigated by so-
called extreme religious Jews in
Jerusalem. In retaliation there
were counter demonstrations by
so-called anti-religious Jews in
the Holy City.
It should be worthwhile to
evaluate the facts, and to come
to face with the real issues of
these “Sabbath Demonstrations.”
The “Sabbath Day Conflict"
began several months ago, on a
Sabbath day, near the famous
"Mandelbaum Gate” in Jerusa
lem.
The incident occurred when a
group of Baptist pilgrims, parti
cipants in a world conference of
their faith at Beirut, Lebanon,
came from the Jordan part of
Jerusalem to tour Israel. Where
upon some Jewish “young religi
ous zealots,” among them the son
of the Minister for Religious Af
fairs, were sentenced to five days
imprisonment for demonstrating
and stoning buses in which the
pilgrims were riding.
The attack was according to the
same dispatches not aimed against
the Baptist visitors. Nor was any
one among them hurt. What the
young “zealots” were protesting
was the violation of the Sabbath
observance by the Jewish-owned
transportation company. The
transportation company, however,
held that at that time she had
used non-Jewish drivers only,
and as a result no Sabbath vio
lation was committed.
Basically, WHAT was involved
in that conflict? In view of the
existing Sabbath laws in Israel,
just who was right and who was
wrong?
During a recent visit to Israel,
it was my privilege to observe
results of the Sabbath law. I was
amazed at the exceptional spir
itual panorama of Friday after
noon seeing and feeling that
something extraordinary was ap
proaching — SABBATH IN IS
RAEL! All governmental institu
tions and offices were being
closed until Sunday morning. All
workers were rushing home. All
businessmen were impatient to
close their businesses Sttores and
flower stands were flooded with
men buying flowers for their
Sabbath tables. Girls and boys,
combed and dressed for the Sab
bath, filled the streets All trains
and city buses were bringing to
their last destination, the men
and women who wert late from
their work and places of busi
ness, because before sunset all of
ficial transportation, including the
trains, would cease to run. Even
the airports would De closed be
tween sunset Friday and sunset
Saturday. I could SEE the Sab
bath in Israel! Whether religious
or not, the Sabbath spirit was
everywhere! Not only with lighted
candles on the tables of religious
houses, or tables decorated with
flowers and foods, “I loved Shab-
bath.”
The streets were filled with
both adults and youngsters going
to and from the Sabbath services
in the synagogues and houses of
prayer. Families were assembled
at the Sabbath dinners, and there
after friends were visiting each
other. Even non-religious Jews
who do not go to synagogue or
who do not observe rituals, while
going to the beaches, playing
cards, taking a walk, going to
special Friday evening lectures,
or visiting friends, wnatever they
did from Friday afternoon until
Saturday evening or Sunday
morning was done with a special
SPIRIT OF SABBATH.
You feel the Sabbath in Israel!
As a lawyer, more than a
writer, I was concerned with dis
covering whether or not there was
a Sabbath Law in Israel obliga
tory for all inhabitants to obey.
My digging into the law books of
Israel resulted in an interesting
discovery that in fact there was
NOT such an existing law. How
then was an unexistir.g “Sabbath
Law” enforced in a country ruled
by a “secular” majority?
The Sabbath observance is in
fact a result of two other inter
esting existing laws.
First is the LABOR LAW,
“Chuk Avodah,” according to
which nobody should lawfully
work more than eight hours a day
and not more than six days a
week. The seventh day of the
week should lawfully be a rest
day, known in Hebrew (the of
ficial language of the country)
as “Yom Menuchah.” Friday is
the official rest day for the Mos
lems. Sunday is rest day for
Christians. The official rest day
for Jews, therefore, is Sabbath.
This is an official state law con
trolled by the jurisdiction of the
Ministry of Labor
Second is the ASSISTANCE
LAW, known in Hebrew as
' Chukey Ezer l’Ptichoth Chan-
uyoth u’Segurotam,” according to
which the time of opening and
closing of businesses is regulated.
The jurisdiction of this law is
vested in the communal and local
authorities, known as “Moatzot
Mekomeyot,” or “Mor.tzot Yirey-
ot.” Each local community is au
thorized to adopt its own ordin
ances and regulation^, but they
cannot htf in contradiction to the
Labor Ijaw of the state.
Based upon these Iwo laws, no
person may employ another on
Sabbath or holiday. However,
there is no law that prohibits a
person from working for himself
on such days. Neither is there any
restriction against one driving his
personal car on such days, there
fore you may see on the thor
oughfares of Israel many private
cars and taxis on Sabbath.
Tile law, however, has an ex
ceptional provision, “Mesadoth,”
which allows restaurants and
luncheonettes to open on Satur
days and holidays for several
hours. This law take.> under con
sideration the fact that there is
a necessity tor some people to
cat in those places instead of at
home. However, the same ex
ception forbids the selling of food
to be carried out of the establish
ments during those days.
Partners in a business or enter
prise may work on the Sabbath
inasmuch as they wtJrk for them
selves and as long as they do not
employ any other help. The same
ruling applies to corporations
where all stockholders are paid
officers and all of them work for
the corporation, that is for them
selves. If, however, they employ
any other help, or if some stock
holders receive only dividends
from their investments, they can
not work on Sabbath and their of
fice or enterprise must be closed
on the Sabbath.
It is indeed remarkable that
even those people who by law are
allowed to operate on Sabbath
likewise close their businesses
voluntary since they want rest on
the Sabbath day and enjoy their
leisure on the same day when all
the other people rest. Almost
nobody wants to take advantage
of gaining by competition at the
time when their competitors are
resting. It is then Sabbath in Is
rael for everyone.
According to the same laws, the
authorities may issue special per
mits (“Reshayon” or “Heter
Avodah”) for exceptional work
to be done on Sabbath for con
tinuance of public necessities.
Such permits include operation
of telephone stations, hospitals,
police departments, etc. Even the
fabrication of sugar is uninter-
i upted due to the fact that such
operation requires steady con
tinuance.
Ironic as it may seem, even
rabbis, cantors and Shamossim of
congregations should obtain spec
ial governmental permits for the
performance of their services on
Sabbath because they too should
rest on the seventh day of the
week. Such evidence is additional
proof that the law is controlled
by the Labor Ministry and not by
the Ministry of Religious Af
fairs.
If the public law, "Yom Men
uchah," Sabbath or Holiday rest
day, were a religious law, it would
be under the jurisdiction of the
Ministry of Religious Affairs.
Non-religious Jews would be en
titled to claim that Israel had be
come a theocratic state controll
ed by rabbis and religious au-
Ten years ago a group of
seven ladies went to Israel to
film "Journey to Tomorrow ”
Since that time of the seven
ladies has served as National
Chairman of the Women’s Divi
sion of the United Jewish Ap
peal and now the seventh has
just been elected to that high
office, Mrs. Myrtle Karp.
Mrs. Karp, a vivacious red
head with whom I had a chat
during her flying visit to New
York, comes by way of her Zion
ism naturally. Born in Manhat
tan Beach in Brooklyn, she was
raised in a home where the
spirit of Judaism burned bright
ly. Her father was President of
the local synagogue and Mrs.
Karp still remembers the Old
Beth Israel Hospital in Brook
lyn (it has since been modern
ized and rebuilt) where she
served as an eager volunteer for
a long time—her first in a long
line of social service activities.
Nowadays Mrs. Karp lives in
Beverly Hills where her hus
band, Jack Karp, is vice Presi
dent and West Coast Director
for Paramount Pictures. Mrs.
Karp’s work in California, which
in 1961 earned her the Woman
of the Year Award by the Los
Angeles B’nai B’rith, is a con
tinuation of her lifetime devo
tion to Jewish service. She has
been a member of the National
Boards of both the United Jew
ish Appeal and Hadassah and in
1956 was a delegate to the World
Zionist Congress.
Mrs. Karp has just recently
returned from Israel where she
made a sequel to the film made
ten years ago. It is called “To
morrow is Today.” She revisited
the place to which she had been
m 1953 and the film will show
the advances that have been
made. A fourteen minute color
film, it will be shown all across
thorities. Such is not a reality.
Not only is this law under juris
diction of the Labor Ministry, but
the State of Israel is in fact a
democratic one and is separated
from the “church.” The specific
circumstances of that state had
developed an exceptional situa
tion that the problems of domes
tic relations of all citizens are
under the jurisdiction of religi
ous authorities of all faiths.
The government, therefore, by
approval of the Knesset, Parlia
ment of Israel, formed special re
ligious courts for the Jews, as
well as for Christians, Moslems
and Druzes. Each faith handles
these problems according to the
precepts of its religious laws, but
they should be in accordance
with the law of the state, a juris
diction delegated Jo those courts
by the government.
In regard then to the afore
mentioned demonstrations at the
Mandelbaum Gate in Jerusalem
and in view of those laws in
volved, it is clear that the de
monstrators violated the,law con
cerning public disturbances by
taking the law into their own
hands. The bus company, how
ever, was guilty in fact of vio
lating the law in regard to the
Sabbath Rest.” According to the
law, if tiie bus company belongs
to Jewish owners, it could not
employ other persons on Sab
bath, not even non-Jewish drivers
without a special government per
mit designated for that purpose.
I was very much pleased w’ith
my visit to Israel, even from the
standpoint of witnessing the prac
tice and fulfillment of the implied
“Sabbath Law” in the modern
and democratic State in Israel.
the country in the current UJA
campaign.
Mrs. Karp was exhilirated by
her visit. “The advances that
have been made are unbeliev
able,” she reported “I especial
ly remember how appalled I
was ten years ago when I visit
ed Cassablanca and every other
child in our hot lunch program
was suffering from tinia or
trachoma. This -generation does
not have it. It has been virtual
ly wiped out.”
“To think,” she continued
“that every person stepping off
the boat or plane carrying them
to Israel is automatically a citi
zen—many of these people never
had any rights at all in the
countries from which they came.
And then they are brought to
lovely homes, all outfitted and
ready to be lived in. However,’’
vshe said sadly,” I remember one
place where there was every
thing but no light bulbs and no
body could get one. We are still
so short of funds that we have
to cut and prune the basic things
that are given to the bone. With
all that has been given and is
given, we always need more.”
The Karps have two children
and one of Mrs. Karp's favorite
recreations is baby-sitting for
her four grandchildren, two of
which are one-year old twins.
She is also studying Hebrew
and in Israel was able to ask
directions in that language. “Of
course," she added with a
twinkle, “they always answered
me in English.”
Ilow does this energetic and
attractive woman manage to
handle all of these diverse ac
tivities?
“If you want to do things, you
will do them,” she stated em
phatically. "If you prefer to sit
around and wring your hands,
you won’t get anything done."
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Woman’s Eye View
By MARIANNE ZEITLIN
outll
ern
&
ncjacj
ements
Cohni—Wolf
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Cohn of
Hollidaysburg, Pa., announce
the engagement of their daugh
ter. Thelma Natalie Cohn, to
Richard Samuel Wolf, son of Mr
and Mrs. Julian Wolf.
The bride-elect attended the
University of Michigan and was
graduated from the University
of Pittsburgh, where she was a
member of Sigma Delta Tau
Miss Cohn is associated with the
Montgomery County school sys
tem of Maryland.
Mr. Wolf attended Washington
and Lee University and recevied
his M S. degree from Iowa State
University. He is a member of
Zeta Beta Tau and an associate
member of the Society of Actu
aries. The future bridegroom is
saving as a senior assistant
fiealth services officer with the
U.S. Public Health Service in
Bethesda, Md.
A late June wedding is plan
ned.
Taylor-Rothberg
Mr. and Mrs. Dick Taylor
of Winston-Salem announce the
engagement of their daughter,
Sharon Lyn, to Martin Paul Roth-
berg of Tampa, the son of Mr
and Mrs. Nathan Rothberg.
They will be married in Au
gust at Temple Emanuel.
Miss Taylor graduated from
Reynolds High School and is a
senior at Sophie Newcomb Col
lege at New Orleans. She is
president of Newcomb Panhellen-
ic Council, vice presiclfent of Sig
ma Delta Tau Social sorority,
secretary of the Mortar Board
and a member of Kappa Delta Fh
education honorary sorority. She
was listed in Who’s Who Among
Students in American Colleges
and Universities.
Mr. Rothberg graduated from
Plant High School at Tampa and
is a senior at Tulane University
at New Orleans. He is vice presi
dent of the Hillel Foundation,
vice president of the student
union, a member of the Tulane
Honor Board and a member of
Alpha Epsilon Delta honorary
pre-medical fraternity. He was
listed in Who’s Who Among Stu
dents in American Colleges and
Universities and received the
Avalon Scholarship to Tulane
Medical School.
I^rasner Bas Mitzvah
Mr. and Mrs. Norman Krasner
cordially invite friends and rel
atives to worship with them at
the Shabbot Evening Services on
the occasion of the Bas Mitzvah
of their daughter Patricia, Friday,
Jan. 24 at 8:15 p. m. at the Ahav-
ath Achim Synagogue.
Chautauqua Lecture
Dr. Julian Morgenstem of
Macon, Ga., will represent the
Jewish Chautauqua Society as
lecturer at Columbia College in
Columbia, S. C., on Tuesday and
Wednesday, January 28-29. The
rabbi v/ill speak on the subject
“The Emergence of Christianity
from Judaism.”
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