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THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE
Friday, May 10, 1968
Pag# Four
GUEST EDITORIAL
ORCHIDS FOR LADIES
Pioneer Women, we have just learned, this
year is again spearheading a campaign to urge
celebration of Israel’s Independence Day as a
children’s holiday.
Originally conceived in 1963, the idea was
the brainchild of Dr. Sara Feder, one of Amer
ica’s outstanding labor Zionist leaders and
chairman at that time of Pioneer Women’s
Education Department. A well known edu
cator and lecturer, Dr. Feder appropriately
enough suggested that the occasion be cele
brated as a family holiday.
“If Passover is the birthday of Jewish
peoplehood,” she wisely observed, “then Yom
Hatazmaut (Israel’s Independence Day) is the
birthday of Jewish statehood.”
The idea attracted considerable attention
and, since then, this unique “birthday party”
has gathered followers and support from
rabbis, Jewish educators, Zionist leaders and
the host of women throughout the country
who are enlisted in the work of Pioneer
Women. In fact we understand that Jewish
homes in many cities of the country have
already incorporated this annual celebration
into the cycle of Jewish holidays.
Innovations are rare in Jewish life, even
as they are infrequent in all avenues of
human endeavour. This one merits attention
because it serves to bring the young to the
festive tables of their parents, their devotions
and their dreams. V*
BORIS SMOLAR
BETWEEN US
Jewish Poverty
The American Jewish Committee is now taking a
new look at the anti-poverty program. Like all other
major Jewish organizations, it is active in support
ing the war on poverty. However, it has established
that poor Jews are often the “forgotten men” in
urban anti-poverty programs and are frequently
skipped in these programs.
Contrary to the prevailing opinion that there are
no Jews in this country in need of anti-poverty
aid, many will be surprised to learn that there still
are far more poor Jews in the United States than
one might think. A sample study by the U. S. Cen
sus Bureau in 1957 established that about 8 percent
of urban Jewish families had annual incomes un
der $2,000, as compared with 10 percent among all
urban families. Today, the American Jewish Com
mittee believes there are in New York City alone,
some 50,000 to 100,000 Jews whose income, by one
or another yardstick, puts them among the poor.
In the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn — a jum
ble of crumbling tenements and public housing
barracks, where the Jewish residents are mostly
Hassidim — the Jews do figure in anti-poverty
programs. But not in the rest of the city. There are
about 160,000 residents in Williamsburg and about
30,000 of them are Jews. Of the $650,000 spent for
summer poverty programs last year, about $118,000
went for projects sponsored by Jews or addressed
"To Jews.
Leaders of the American Jewish Committee won
der whether some of the approaches to the war on
poverty do not need to be re-examined. That war,
they point out, was originally conceived not mere
ly to lower temperatures inside the black ghettoes,
but to bring aid to all the poor. Thy recognize the
fact that the plight of the Negro poor is the most
acute and must remain the first priority, but they
also insist that a way must be found to meet the
needs of poor Negroes without neglecting other
ethnic groups.
The American Jewish Committee is convinced
that the accepted methods of anti-poverty aid needs
a "second look” because they are often based on
definitions of poverty that work against certain
minorities. In New York, for example, a neighbor
hood isn’t poor simply because the people there
average less than a certain amount of dollars pgr
family income. Its poverty or non-poverty status
depends on how many welfare recipients there
are, how many babies are bom in free municipal
hospitals, how many youngsters are delinquents,
how many people take drugs.
These, the American Jewish Committee argues,
may or may not be valid indices of poverty among
some groups. But clearly, they do not apply to Jew
ish poor. Drug addiction and juvenile delinquency
are not characteristics of the Jewish poor. Also,
Jews are traditionally loath to apply for public
welfare. They will work excessive hours year after
year, or seek help from private social agencies.
Theirs is the kind of poverty that cannot be meas
ured by group pathology criteria.
The American Jewish Committee has submitted
its views to the Office of Economic Opportunity
and there are encouraging signs that guidelines
THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE
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QUIZ BOX
by Rabbi Samuel J. Fox
QUESTION: What Ls the basis
for observing the Yahrzeit, the
anniversary of the death of one’s
parent?
ANSWER: Some attempt to
the basis of this custom in the
Talmudic passage (Kiddushin
31b) which states that as much
as it is required to honor one’s
father and mother during their
lifetimes, so is it a requirement
to honor them after they have
passed away. Observing the
Yahrzeit is thus a means of hon
oring one’s parents after they
have passed on. Maimonides in
his commentary of the Tractate
A both (otherwise known as the
Ethics of the Fathers) is quoted as
saying “The one who lives doesn’t
forget and the one who forgets
does not love.” Remembering
one’s parents every year on the
anniversary of their death would
be a means of expressing our
love in the sense that we demon
strate the fact that we indeed
have not forgotten them — re
membering even the regrettable
day of their demise. The Talmud
(Berakot 58b) states that the de
ceased is not forgotten until
twelve months have passed and
from that time he begins to be
forgotten. This opinion is based
on a passage in the Book of
Psalms which says: “I am for
gotten as a dead man out of the
heart; I am become like a perish
able vessel (Psalms 31:13). Some
commentaries translate the latter
phrase to be a “lost vessel.” On
this basis the Halachic principle
of the Talmud is recalled which
states that after twelve months
have passed the owner of a lost
article may be considered to have
given up any ihope of ever find
ing it and thus renounced his
ownership for all intents and
purposes. Remembering one’s
parent by observing the anniver
sary of his death, is thus a means
demonstrating that even though
twelve months have passed from
the death or from the last anni
versary, he has indeed not been
forgotten.
QUESTION: What do the dif
ferent names mean which are as
signed to IhLs date?
ANSWER: Our popular collo
quial term is “Yahrzeit,” which
means “a year’s time.” The rea
son for this name is obvious and
requires no explanation. In older
sources this date was called
“Yom Haskavah.” This could
technically mean the “day of ly
ing down,” or in a more sophis
ticated translation the "day of
rest.” Some trace this to the at
tempt of the Talmud (Baba Bath-
ra 116a) to see the expression of
“rest” in reference to one’s death
as a symbol of honor and distinc
tion. There is a verse in the Bible
(I Kings 11:21) which speaks of
David as having been placed at
rest while Joab is referred to
simply as having died.
Jewish
Calendar
♦SHAVUOT
June 2, Sunday
•TISHA B’AV
August 4, Sunday
•ROSH HASHANA
Sept. 23-24,
Mon. - Tues.
*YOM KIPPUR
Oct. 2 Wednesday
•SUKKOT
Oct. 7-8,
Mon. - Tues.
•HASHANA RABBA
Oct. 13, Sunday
•SIIEMINI ATZERET
Oct. 14, Monday
•S1MHAT TORAH
Oct. 15, Tuesday
♦HOLIDAY BEGINS
SUNDOWN PREVIOUS DAY
cocitfMLTiK\e:„.
“Vtty" 1
will be clarified, and new and imaginative ap
proaches initiated to reach the poor of all ethnic
groups.
Community Campaigns
Fund-raising 1968 campaigns in many Jewish
communities throughout the country are still in
their early stages. But reports received to date by
the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare
Funds as well as by the United Jewish Appeal in
dicate that the giving is good this years.
The regular campaigns for local, national and
overseas needs are reporting increases, compared
to last year. The UJA Israel Emergency Fund cam
paign across the nation is also producing striking
results in many cases but is yielding less than in
1967. Many of the contributors have increased both
their regular and emergency gifts. However the
contributions to the Israel Emergency Fund this
year are smaller from those who dipped into their
capital in the emergency drive of last June.
The trend can be judged from reports received
from communities approaching the half-way mark
in the 1968 campaign. Eighty-four such communities
report a total for both the regular and IEF drives
of $91,500,000. This compares'^ith $97,600,000 from
the same contributors in 1967 — almost 94 percent
of last year’s total gifts in the regular and all-time
peak emergency campaigns. The regular campaign
is running 14 percent ahead on a card-for-card
basis; the IEF is running 24 percent below.
Among the communities which have already com
pleted 50 percent or more of their 196 combined
card values, 12 are running ahead of 1967 in their
totals for the regular and IEF. They include Mil
waukee, Philadelphia, Indianapolis Duluth, Oak
land, Fort Wayne, Newport News, Waterbury, Flint,
Greensboro, Canton and Hollywood, Fla.
Seventeen additional communities are running
ahead of last year on a combined basis, but have
not yet covered 50 percent of the 1967 card values.
They include Chicage, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Den
ver, Kansas City, Minneapolis, Atlantic City,
Bridgeport, Camden, Gary, San Antonio, Seattle,
Austin, Charleston, Nashville, Schenectady and
South Bend.
Twenty communities that have completed 50 per
cent or more of their 1967 combined values are run
ning 85 percent or better than last year’s combined
regular and IEF gifts fesm the^am® contributors.
These are: Baltimore, Cleveland, Essex County,
Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston,
Levitton, Louisville, Lynn, Portland, Richmond.
San, Diego, Scranton, Altoona, Chattanooga, Fort
Worth, St. Joseph and Springfield, Ill.
For the regular campaign alone, six communities
have already exceeded their 1967 final regular cam
paign totals. They include Dallas, Milwaukee,
Scranton, Tucson, Chattanooga and Hollywood, Fla.
HE SERVED WELL
We have long sympathized with Arthur
Goldberg. At the same time, we are proud of
this man who gave up the dream of any law
yer’s lifetime—a seat on the Supreme Court—
to take up any diplomat’s greatest nightmare
the role of Ambassador to the United Na
tions.
But Arthur Goldberg is a public servant. If
his nation calls, he is prepared to serve. And
this is precisely what he did three years ago
when President Johnson laid the heavy bur
den of the UN on his shoulders.
During his years in the crazy-quilt of inter
national diplomacy, Arthur Goldberg served
as he was called upon to do. There were many
hints and indications that he was unhappy
about many things. Goldberg, however, perse
vered.
His retirement was bandied about several
times. Still, Goldberg served. He served
through crisis after crisis, each time heeding
his country’s call and putting his own views
aside.
This week, Arthur Goldberg the man who
gave up his dream of a lifetime, put aside his
nightmare. He resigned as United States Am
bassador to the United Nations.
His tenure was a remarkable triumph for
this man. Of it, all Americans can say, “He
served well.”
And American Jewry can be particularly
proud.
B’nai B’rith Messenger
Los Angeles