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THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE
and THE SUNCOAST JEWISH NEWS
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Adolph Rosenberg, Editor and Publisher
Kathleen Reuse, Jeanne Loeb, Joseph Redlich
Shevuot Thoughts
This is the time of the year we have emerged from our
heated interiors and invited ourselves to Gods great out
doors—an idea to which the festival of Shavuot lends appro
priate accent.
Shavuot in the early days of our people was clebrated
as a harvest festival and, even later, there was the reminis
cence of this in the custom of reading the Book of Ruth not
alone tor its idyllic love but for its picture of harvest in
barley that takes us back to the days when Israel was a land
at farmers. Also, the custom of bedecking the synagogue
with flowers and greenery on Shevuot no doubt harks back
to the same origin.
After the destruction of the state and the beginning of
the Jewish dispersion, the Jew was largely divorced from
the land, and in most of the countries of dispersion Jews
were in fact prohibited from owning land. No little part to
the impetus of the Zionist movement in its beginning days
may be attributed to the longing of many Jews to resume
their link with the soil- The pioneers who went to Rishon
L’Zion. and Petach Tikvah and laid the foundations of what
is now the State of Israel gloried in the wielding of hoes
again. It was not easy of course. They worked under the most
primative conditions, with little security, often with gun in
one hand and plough in the other, but in the end they con
quered the land, readying it for the great redemption.
One of the things which Zionism may well boast is that
it succeeded in removing the stigma that Jews could not be
farmers. If the test of a civilization is in making two blades
of grass grow where only one grew before, Israel has more
to boast about—making two grow where none grew for the
\ last two thousand 'yaarsi Not only can it no longer be said
that Jews cannot be farmers—in fact Jews in Israel today
are at the beck and call of many nations for guidance and
education in improving their own agriculture.
Shevuot’s harvest theme is truly refreshing. More signi
ficant is the etemalness of its other theme—the Giving of
the Law and the Sinaic vision that has lit up our path to
destiny.
—GUEST EDITORIAL
Agudath Israel,
Montgomery
. MONTGOMERY - Rabbi Aaron
Barow at the Agudath Israel Con
gregation has announced the fol
lowing Gonfirmants and their par
ante:
Ten Arooov, Mr. and Mrs Aaron
Aronov.
Debra Bern, Mr. and Mrs. Hyman
Bern.
Iris Besser, Mr. and Mrs Her
bert Besser
Karen Cohen, Mr and Mrs Ted
Cohen.
Martin Evans, Mr and Mrs. Nor
man Evans.
Seal Finketatein, Mr and Mrs
Morris Firicetatflin.
Jerry McKee, Mrs. Yetta McKee.
Andrea Rader, Mr. and Mrs.
Leonard Rader.
Gail Shinhaum, Mr. and Mrs. Sam
Sbinbaun.
Layne WaBock, Mr. and Mrs.
Larry Wailock.
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PLAIN TALK-By Alfred Segal
I Remember
Yes, it was a Shavuot of long ago in my
life, and I’m recalling it because this week
Shavuot comes again. It was the day I was
confirmed in temple with several dozen other
kids, as is customary in temples every Shav
uot. I was directed thus into Judaism .. to
ward being a fairly worthwhile person at it,
after all.
After the service, we each were handed
a printed paper of the rabbi’s sermon to us
on that day. I still have that paper as one
of the higher treasures of my long, long life.
The rabbi said to us: “I hope you’ll all be
having this through all your lives and may
you all keep living a long time. Put this
paper away and go back to read it every once
in awhile. It may do you some good to read
it now and then, toward knowing what a
good Jew is.”
So now I’m handing it on by way of this
column . . . “Yes,” our rabbi’s sermon was
telling us that day, “you might say that at
this hour you’ve all become Jewish. Of
course, you were bom Jewish, but from this
day on you’re all dedicated to live Jewishly
all the days of your lives . • . and may they
be long, long, long lives.
“What is a good Jewish life? What does
it mean to be Jewish? As I see it, to be truly
Jewish is to be a worthwhile man or woman
in the world. Of course, it is good for you
to visit the temple right along, but even more
important than that, it is for aH of you to
keep caring about being a decent human be
ing.
“Yes, that is the main ideal of being a good
Jew ... to care not only about yourself . . .
to walk straight in the world, that is . . but
to serve also the neighbor, even neighbors
who aren’t of our Jewish faith . . . neighbors
in need, neighbors in trouble, neighbors in
need of help. Yes, toward this happy end
you have become Jewish today.
“That’s of the teaching of our good reli
gion to which you have been dedicated this
day, and I pray you all will walk in that
direction through all your lives. That is the
way to be highly Jewish.
“You are all in teen age now, and I my
self wilkjio longer be on this earth when, you
are up there in your fifties and sixties. But
I hope that on your ways of life you’ll be
remembering me as one who on Shavuot ad
vised you how to keep going in the world
all your days.
“Yes, Shavuot is a day that was estab
lished to observe spring-time and the growth
of ween things out of the Barth. You notice
how our temple is decorated with flowers
and fruits this day Life is growing out of
the earth and out of the trees, and yes, this
day you boys and girls are starting to grow
up as good people.
“And that is why I have been telling you
how to be Jewish every day of your lives,
from here on . . . not merely Jewish in the
synagogue but highly Jewish on all the ways
and in all the places of your lives.
“I hope I shall live long enough to the
time when I shall be hearing about you as
grown up people who are living righteously
in the world . . . ladies and gentlemen who
know that to be a good Jew is to be a useful
person in the world ... a person who cares
not only about himself but also about his
neighbors.
“So please, you boys and girls, start your
lives toward becoming good people who care
not alone about themselves and their suc
cesses but about all mankind who are their
brothers in the world Yes, the poor neigh
bor who lives around the comer is a brother
of yours and as your brother he may need
you.
“To keep on understanding this is the
main end of being a good Jew, no matter
what the religion of the unhappy neighbor
is. So, boys and girls, I hope your confirma
tion will keep on having high meaning for
you through all your lives. Shavuot celebrates
the spring-time growth of flowers, and fruits,
and vegetables, and trees, but now it also
celebrates you boys and girls who are grow
ing up. And, really, many of us older ones,
understand Shavuot as an occasion for us all
to look into ourselves, toward our growing
more straight and honorable.
“Please, dear children, save this bit of
sermon of mine and read it again years later
... to make sure that you have been grow
ing that straight as human beings.”
Well, I . . . this Segal, that is • . . have
just been looking into myself to detremine
whether I’ve grown up the way the rabbi
advised me to grow that confirmation day.
And, oh well, in this my old age, I’m fairly
decent, after all.
Mizpah Synagogue,
Chattanooga
CHATTANOOGA,—Rabbi Abraham
Feinstedn of Mizpaf Congregation
announces (he following Confirmants
and their parents
Robert Allen Benowitz, Mr. and
Mrs. Harold H Benowitz
William Brener, Mr. and Mrs
Robert Brener.
Roy Marvin Cohen, Mr. and Mrs
Charles Cohen.
Sheryl Efcfron, Mr. and Mrs. Ray
mond L. Effron.
Mary Elizabeth Mendel, Mr. and
Mrs. Eugene L. Mendel.
Jeffrey Morris Monen, Mr. and
Mrs Simon Monen
Emily Jane Oiins, Mrs Doris H
Otins
Caroline Rosenbhxxn, Mr and
Mrs. Sam Rosenblocm.
Jan Silverstein, Mr. and Mrs. Jay
A Silverstein
Susan Dody Weber, Mr. and Mrs
Harry N. Weber.
Sylvia Ann Wygoda, Mr and Mrs
Hermann Wygoda.
JEWISH CALENDAR
•SHAVUOT
Sunday, May 17, 1984
(first day)
Monday, May 18, 1984
(second day)
•ROOT HASHONAH
Monday, Sept 7
Tuesday, Sept 8
•YOM KIPPUR
Wednesday, Sept. 16
•SUCCOTH
Monday, Sept XI
Tuesday, Sept XX
•HOLIDAY BEGINS
SMHAT TORAH
Tuesday, Sept X»
Sundown Previous Day
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