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P*8« Six
THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE
Noted Japanese Convert to Judaism
Prof. Kotsuji Says Majority
Of Japanese Youth Pro-Tsrael
By Simeon Baker
(A World-Union Press Special)
“The overwhelming majority
of the Japanese youth is pro-
Israel. The Japanese are not
anti-Semitic and the Govern
ment in Tokyo maintains friend
ly relations with the Jewish
State, and I am very happy
about this.”
Thus declared Dr. Abraham
Kotsuji, the famous scholar
who embraced Judaism while in
Israel and who has been living
in New York during an exclu
sive interview at his residence
in the heart of New York’s Bast
side.
Dr. Kotsuji has written two
mmmmmm
books. His first,, ‘The True
Phase of the Jewish Nation,”
appeared in Tokyo in 1943, and
his second, “From Tokyo to
Jerusalem,” published in 19<i4,
five years after his conversion.
It is worth mentioning that
there is a well-organized com
mittee in Tokyo which is called
the “Japanese-Israel Friendship
Association,” and another, “the
Japan-Israel Women’s Welfare
Organization.”
When the new Ambassador of
Israel to Japan arrived in Tokyo
to take up his new post, the
two organizations arranged a
beautiful reception for him and
his wife at the Jewish Commun
ity Center.
JEWISH QUIZ BOX
By RABBI SAMUEL J. FOX
QUESTION: What Is the de
rivation of the word “Bible?”
ANSWER: Originally, t h e
Holy Scriptures were referred
to by a plural name “Seforim,”
in Hebrew, and when the Bible
was translated into Greek, the
Greek name was Biblion (the
plural expression for “Books.”)
The English term “Bible” prob
ably comes from the Greek
singular “Biblia” probably
meaning “the Book,” since the
Bible came to be known as the
Book of Books. This Greek term
is traced back to one of two
words. It may come from the
name of the Phoeneeian city of
Byblus which was an impor
tant trading center in ancient
times and a place where one
could acquire the papyrus plant
used in making paper. It might
also be traced to Bublos, a plant
in the form of a reed from
which the paper is made. To
this day Jews usually refer to
the Bible with a plural express
ion such as “Kisvei ha-Kodesh”
(the Holy writings) or “Tan-
ach” (an abbreviation for Torah,
Prophets and Writings). Some
times the scriptures are referred
to as “Mikra” (reading) because
the Scriptures were books which
were “read” in public.
QUESTION: Why is the He
brew Bible referred to as the
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Old Testament?
ANSWER: The expression
“Old Testament” is not one
classically used by Jews to re
fer to the Hebrew Scriptures.
This appelation was one given
to these Scriptures by Chris
tians. The word Testament is a
Greek and Latin translation of
the Hebrew “Berit” which
means covenant. Generally
speaking, the Hebrew Scrip
tures convey the idea that a
covenant existed between the
Almighty and the Jewish peo
ple. The Scriptures, as a whole,
develop the idea of the history
of that covenant its relevance to
mankind as a whole, the inci
dents through which the cove
nant existed and the events
which showed both loyalty and
disloyalty to the covenant Not
being able to persuade the
Jews to accept the tenets of
Christianity,, Christian leader
ship developed the idea that a
new covenant was made be
tween those who accepted
Christianity and the Almighty.
Thus Christian scriptures are
referred to as the “New Testa
ment” as compared with the
original Hebrew Scriptures
which are referred to as the
“Old Testament.”
QUESTTONr Why do all the
Torah scrolls require a mantle
to cover them when they are
not in use?
ANSWER: Generally speak
ing, in- Jewish tradition, that
which is holy and sublime is
covered out of respect and ador
ation. While the Torah is said
to relate and to be a part of
the life of every Jew, a symbol
of reverence and dignity is
never-the-less required lest it be
forgotten that it is the work of
the Almighty and not subject
to the careless tampering of hu
man desire. Some say that this
is the reason for the tablecloth
which is put over the table,
especially on the Sabbath. The
Jewish table is considered to
be a representation of the Altar
in the ancient temple. It re
ceives its dignity and even some
form of reverence by being cov
ered so that man approaches the
table with a certain reserve of
the spirit when he eats.
Copyright 1972, JTA
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MercantRe NationaI BanIe
70 BROAD ST.. N.W MEMBER F.D.1C
The organizations reeently
ran a charity bazaar for under
privileged children in Israel
and Japan under the patronage
of Princess Takamatsu. Mrs.
Kazuko Aso, daughter of the
former Japanese Prime Minister
and one of Japan’s best known
ladies, was chairman of the
event. Members of the Imperial
Family always take part in
these annual bazaars.
Dr. Kotsuji is a descendant of
a Japanese Shinto family of the
Imperial City of Kyoto. His fa
ther, a well-to-do man, was
an expert on Chinese classics,
and his mother was an educated
and highly intelligent woman.
Soon after Dr. Kotsuji gradu
ated from a Christian theologi
cal seminary in Tokyo, he made
an intensive study of Jewish
history and the Bible. He con
tinued his studies in Berkeley
University, San Francisco,
where he received a Doctorate
in Theology, specializing in
Semitics.
Returning to Japan, he be
came professor of Semitic lang
uages in Eoyama University,
Tokyo, and in 1935 he founded
an Institute for Biblical Re
search in Tokyo, serving as pro
fessor and dean. In 1939 he was
appointed as advisor for inter
racial affairs to the president
of the railroad in Harbin, Man
churia. There he became friend
ly with the local Jews, the ma
jority of whom were refugees
from Soviet Russia, and he gave
them much-needed assistance.
Upon his return to Tokyo, he
learned that Jewish refugees
from Poland and Lithuania —
some 5,000 of them — had
arrived in Kobe. They had per
mission to remain for ten days
only, but with the assistance of
the Japanese Ministry of For
eign Affairs and the Prefecture
of Police, Dr. Kotsuji succeeded
in having their transit visas ex
tended. He took pride in the
fact that he was instrumental
in reopening the famous Yeshi-
va of Mir, in order that “its
voice should have its echo in
Japan.”
The Japanese authorities were
cooperative.
A number of these former
refugees have been living here
in America for some years.
Among them is the popular
rabbi Samuel Walkin, a prom
inent rabbinical personality in
the United States. Whenever
Professor Kotsuji delivers a lec
ture on why he adopted Juda
ism, these former Hitlerian
escapees so greatly aided by the
newcomer to Israel’s Torah-
faith, flock to the synagogue or
auditorium with enthusiasm to
listen in awe to their benefactor.
Dr. Abraham Kotsuji, origi
nally welcomed to the Ameri
can shores at a gala reception
tendered him by the United
CARL ALPERT
Friday, June 30, 1972
Israel World Union — a move
ment proclaiming the Torah-
faith applicable to all mankind
and which has its headquarters
at 507 5th Avenue, New York
City — holds that the Japanese
people are descendants of the
Lost Tribes of Israel. He is cur
rently at work on a book relat
ing to this subject, expressing
the view that the Shinto-doc-
trine and the rituals of the
Temple are similar to the cus
toms which prevailed in the
ancient Solomonic Temple in
Jerusalem.
Professor Abraham Kotsuji is
available for lectures.
German-Arab Relations
HAIFA — On March 16, 1965,
the Knesset voted to accept
Germany's offer of diplomatic
relations with Israel, and five
months later the first German
ambassador presented his cre
dentials in Jerusalem. Arab re
action was quick. Nine Arab
states (excluding Morocco, Tu
nisia, Libya and Kuwait) at
once severed their diplomatic
relations with Bonn.
Quiet, patient, persistent Ger
man diplomacy since then has
brought about a gradual res
toration of ties. First Jordan,
and then Yemen, and later Al
geria and Sudan and Lebanon
resumed their diplomatic re
lations. Only Egypt, Syria, Iraq
and Saudi Arabia still turn
their back on Germany, but
there is little doubt that these
too, one by one, will reopen
relations.
New winds are blowing in
German-Arab affairs, and a
quick look through recent Ger
man periodicals provides some
typical pointers. The Bonn For
eign Office has “come to a wel
come understanding with the
Arab world,” says a commen
tator in the Hannoveresche Allge-
vieine.
It is not an easy course which
Germany is trying to steer. On
the one hand it has strong moral
and political reasons for main
taining the best of relations
with Israel. And on the other
hand it is seeking to restore a
long-standing, traditional
friendship with the Arab world
which goes back to the days of
Berlin to Baghdad.
Economic factors also play
their role. In the Arab market
first place is held by the U. S.,
and this despite America’s sup
port of Israel. Britain and
France follow, in that order.
Germany is fourth, and Russia
has just edged up into fifth
place as supplier of the Arab
world’s normal commercial
purchases.
There are political elements
as well. The new Germany,
genuinely chastened after the
debacle of the Third Reich,
nevertheless aspires to a place
of dignity and leadership in the
world. The recent treaties with
Warsaw and Moscow are im
portant steps in that direction.
And Germany feels that it has
a role to play in the Middle
East as well, no less than Bri
tain, France and Italy, as the
Frankfurter Rundschau points
out.
As a matter of fact, the Arab
states too have much to gain
from restoration of ties. After
the 1965 break they forfeited
much valuable economic aid,
and lost out on trade credits as
well. It was a case of stubborn
Arab pride asserting itself even
at the expense of their own best
interests.
From the Israel point of view
the warming up of German-
Arab relations is not necessarily
bad. It is not being done at the
expense of Israel. Germany in
sists on making it quite clear
that there can be no question
of its “balanced policy” in the
Middle East, and for the Arabs
to accept this is in itself great
progress. Balance means un
questioned good relations be
tween Germany and Israel.
And a final factor of interest.
Heinrich End, a German di
plomat turned academici a n ,
makes a hard-headed real-poli-
tik analysis: “In the past Israel
may have hampered the West in
the Arab world, but in the event
of war it would be a potential
Western bridgehead.”
This, of course, is a chilling
prospect at best.
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