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PAGE 4 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE October 3, 1986
The Southern Israelite
The Weekly Newspaper Foe Southern J»\yry
Since 1925
Vida Goldgar Jeff Rubin
Editor General Manager
Luna Levy
Managing Editor
Published by Sun Publications, Inc.
also publishers of The Kansas City Jewish Chronicle
Stan Rose Steve Rose
Chairman and President and
Publisher Co Publisher
Second Class Postage paid at Atlanta, Ga (ISSN 00388) (UPS 776060)
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L’Shana Tova
On behalf of The Southern Israelite, we’d like to wish you and
yours a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. And add to that
a wish that you continue to make this year an informed one as
well.
For over 60 years, The Southern Israelite has served Atlanta’s
Jewish community. We’ve kept our readers informed with local,
national and international Jewish news that affects not only where
they live but how they live.
As your community newspaper, we continue to serve as a
forum for the expression of both contemporary and traditional
thought, opinion and comment.
In recent years, we’ve seen our community grow considerably.
The Southern Israelite is not only committed to reporting on that
growth but to participating in it as well.
As we begin this New Year, we’d like to personally extend an
invitation to you to share in that commitment. A commitment to
keep informed, to comment and support what we truly believe to
be the voice of Atlanta’s Jewish community.
L’Shana Tova from the management and staff of The South
ern Israelite.
Vida Goldgar
Editor
Jeff Rubin
General Manager
A time for reflections
by Rabbi William Berkowitz
Seven Arts Feature Syndicate. Inc
The summer of 1986 will long be
remembered as the time when A-
mericans of every faith and back
ground celebrated the 100th anni
versary of the Statue of Liberty.
For Jews, the Statue of Liberty
holds special meaning. Its presence
has been a mark of freedom and its
bright torch has been a symbol of
hope.
As Jews celebrate the High Holy-
day season of 1986, they are still
inspired by the Statue of Liberty,
and are moved by its evocation of
freedom and hope. When 1 look at
her, I focus upon the torch she
bears. At night, it looks as though
this torch with its light was trying
to punch holes in the darkness, as it
were. Clearly, as a Jew looks upon
the torch at this High Holyday sea
son, he or she must reflect upon so x
much of the darkness which con
fronts us, and the need in the year
ahead through our actions and
efforts, to punch our own holes in
the darkness of the world.
The Jewish universe, like Cae
sar’s Gaul, is divided into three
parts. There are the challenges
which confront us externally; the
challenges which confront us in
ternally; and the challenges which
confront us personally. In the ex
ternal dimension, this High Holy-
day season finds us facing new out
bursts against the Jewish people.
Throughout the past year, we have
been confronted with the spectre of
terrorism.
The year began with the brutal
murder of L eon Klinghoffer, and
the year ended with the cruel mas
sacre of Jews in an Istanbul syna
gogue.
Will the past year be remem
bered as a year of terrorism? Will
the year to come be remembered as
a year of battle against terrorism?
What is clear is that four decades
after the Holocaust, the scandal of
anti-Semitism still exists in our
world. But it is not only confined
to Istanbul. The anti-Semitic spirit
lives in the activities of Lyndon
LaRouche and the Aryan Nations
in America; the anti-Semitic spirit
lives in too many Austrians, who
cheered Kurt Waldheim because of
his Nazi past; and the anti-Semitic
spirit lives in the Kremlin which,
despite its release of Shcharansky,
still persecutes Jews in the name of
the Communist dream.
And though they exist, we con
tinue to bless the state of Israel
which makes every anti-Semite
hesitate, if only for a moment. This
beacon of Jewish defense not only
serves to put the anti-Semite on
guard, but also attracts their atten
tion as well. How else can we
explain the fury which Israel at
tracts on the part of so manv 9 Will
the year ahead be a time of further
fury? Or will it be a time of increased
efforts of peace, such as Prime
Minister Peres’ meeting with Pres
ident Mubarak? Let us hope for
peace, for Israel clearly needs more
peace, even as she needs a greater
influx of tourists, with their for
eign exchange.
Within the internal dimension of
our Jewish universe lies a series of
disturbing problems. We are faced
with a crisis within our ranks, as
Jewish brothers and sisters tear at
the fabric of our unity. In Israel,
divisions between the ultra-Ortho-
dox and secularist communities
deepen; in America, the rift between
the Orthodox and non-Orthodox
communities intensify. It’s not a
new problem; Jewish disunity and
divisions (as opposed to differen
ces) have been with us before. But
unity is not our only internal chal
lenge. Assimilation is another area
of darkness for us. Yes: The com
mitted Jews get better; but the
uncommitted Jews are just disap
pearing. Dare we shrug our shoul
ders, a generation after the loss of
six million Jews, and speak about
“pockets of Jewish energy” and
“community based on quality, not
quantity?” I think not; to do so is to
doom millions of indifferent Jews
to extinction.
How then will the year ahead be
remembered? As a year of greater
Jewish unity and greater Jewish
commitment? That answer lies in
the third dimension: the personal
one, the reshut havachid.
The Jewish people is not greater
than the sum of all its parts; rather
it is the sum of its parts. No Jewish
institution or Jewish organization
or group can do the job. It can
goad, it can plan, it can inspire, it
can program, it can fundraise, it
can publish. It can do all the wond
erful and magnificent things it does,
from A to Z. But ultimately, wheth
er the issue is the battle against
anti-Semitism or support for Israel
or Jewish unity or Jewish com
mitment or whatever, it must rely
on each and every Jewish individ
ual’s effort, which in a million ways
continues to punch the holes in
the darkness we face in so many
areas.
So when we ask, how will the
year ahead be remembered, we
must turn to you, the individual,
and ask: How will it be remem
bered? You alone have the answer,
and yes: we’re counting on you.
Rabbi Berkowitz is the national
president of the A meric an Jewish
Heritage Committee.
c WNS*Scvcn Arts
The abortive sleuth
by Stanley M.Lefco
Oh, what people give me! Some
one recently furnished me with a
pamphlet, whose cover portrayed
an unrolled scroll with the Star of
David at its center. The inside page
revealed that this 15-page brochure
was printed by the Bible Medita
tion League of Columbus, Ohio,
through the courtesy of Mrs. Max
Wertheimer.
The acquaintance, who furnished
me with this document, was a born
Jew, who had found Jesus. A tra
gedy in her life had led her on a
search for a meaning to her life.
Discovering Jesus was a revela
tion, and she hoped she could show
and convince others of the light,
this writer being one of her poten
tial converts.
Was this pamphlet, which con
tained the “personal testimony” of
Dr. Max Wertheimer, an ordained
rabbi, who had also found Jesus
legitimate? He wrote that he was
bom of Orthodox parents and stu
died the five books of Moses from
a scholarly Hebrew." Alas, his
associates, as he called them, led
him “into the sinful pleasures of
the world” and he “drifted from the
faith of my fathers."
To the rescue came his parents
id off he went to the Hebrew
Union College in Cincinnati, the
institution for training Reform
rabbis. He came out with a docto
rate, and his lirst pulpit was the
B nai Yeshorum Synagogue in
Dayton, Ohio.
It was the late 19th century, and
everything was wonderful for Rabbi
Wertheimer. He had a “young,
attractive, accomplished wife,” a
“beautiful home” and a “place of
prominence in the community.”
Then, tragedy struck. His wife be
came ill and died, leaving him a
distraught widower with two little
children." He then began his search
for life’s meaning. He resigned his
pulpit to study. \et, Judaism did
not satisfy the “craving of my heart,”
and he turned to the New Testa
ment as well as continuing his
search through the Old Testament.
In Isaiah he found references to
Jesus and the doctrine of the Trin
ity. Other biblical revelations fol
lowed. and the rabbi proclaimed
h>s belief in Jesus. He became a
Baptist minister.
Was this true? 1 called Hebrew
Union College, and it was con
firmed that there was a Rabbi Wer
theimer, but alter his conversion
his name was expunged from the
rolls of the college. Was there
really a B’nai Yeshorum Syna
gogue? Dayton information had
no listing. However, there is a
Temple Israel, and I learned that
this is the successor. Did he really
attend the Southern Baptist Semi
nary in Louisville? Not only did
they confirm that he did. they were
kind enough to send me his picture.
What about his interpretations
of various biblical texts that led
him to Jesus? Of particular interest
was the ninth chapter of Isaiah
where the good rabbi discovered
the Trinity. It reads: “For unto us a
child is born, unto us a son is given,
and the government shall be upon
his shoulders: His name shall he
called Wonderful Counsellor, 1 he
Mighty God, The Everlasting Fa
ther, The Prince of Peace."
With my limited biblical knowl
edge, I asked for assistance with
this as well as other passages. One
source conceded that this verse has
been given a “Christological inter
pretation by the Church, but mod
ern non-Jewish exegetes agree that
a contemporary person is intended.
According to the Talmud and later
Jewish commentators, the reference
was to Hezekiah, who as a you*
had given promise of future g reat
Continued nexH^l