March 19, 1943

DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and The Legal Chronicle

I0

HIGHER STANDARDS OF BAR MITZVAH
BY SHAAREY ZEDEK SYNAGOGUE

their authenticity. People simply
cannot understand how Jews can
live without something to take
the place of their political state
and, since they do not see it,
they imagine there is a secret
organization. They know that be-
sides the Bible, the Jews have
the Talmud and the Zohar and
other "mysterious" books—mys-
terious because the Gentiles can-
not read them and do not know
what is in them—and they are
sure there must be some myster-
ious Jewish international coun-
cil, some Sanhedrin or Kahal
which issues orders to Jews and
which they obey.
If our own anti-Zionists were
to give this matter a thought,
if they were to appreciate this
mentality of some non-Jews, they
would realize that a Jewish state
in Palestine whose existence and
whose functions are public knowl-
edge would set at naught those
very suspicions and misconcep-
tions among non-Jews which give
rise to such fables as the Proto-
cols of the Elders of Zion. It
is only a Jewish commonwealth
in Palestine which can make us
the equals of other Americans
who have homelands overseas.

sound Jewish training. of their
children will, of course, seek to
provide them with a much longer
period of Jewish instruction.
2. A boy who is to become
Bar Mitzvah in our Synagogue
must attend Sabbath Services at
the Junior Congregation for net
less than a year prior to the
time of his Bar Mitzvah. Here
in a service which is conducted
by the young people themselves
and which follows completely
the traditional pattern of Sab-
bath worship, the boy will learn
the prayers and practices of Is-
rael and will be imbued with
the sanctity of the Sabbath.
3. A syllabus is in preparation
which will include an outline of
the Jewish knowledge that a boy
of 13 is expected to possess. A
committee will interview the boy
and determine his fitness. Jtbi
background should comprise Tr-
miliarity with:
(a) Contents of the Bible.
(b) The laws and meaning of
Jewish festivals; Jewish dietary
laws; and tefillin.
(c) The Prayer Book.
(d) Important Hebrew terms
TRIBUTE
(such as mitzvah, aron-kodesh.
chumosh, aseres ha-dibros, etc.)
(Continued from Page 1)
These requirements are in-
tended for children of members the Council with the President's
and non-members. It is hoped to Committee on Fair Employment
raise these standards in the fu- Practice, in combatting discrimi-
ture. nation in War industries. The
The Congregation is seeking delegates were urged to bring in
through these means to enhance and encourage others to bring in
and elevate the value of Bar reports on actual or suspected
Mitzvah in American Jewish life. discrimination, without delay.
There was also a report on the
anti-discrimination Bill, which,
assimilationists. But while the since the time of the meeting, has
PURIM
anti-Semites argue that the Jews, been passed by the Michigan Sen-
scattered as they are, must have ate, and will be coming up before
(Continued from Page 1)
a secret state somewhere, a state the Assembly in Lansing.
Power of Light and the Power within a state, a "kahal" or an
The admissions committee an-
of Darkness. This dualism was "International" and are therefore nounced the admission of the
dangerous,
our
assimilationists
nearer Judaism than the polythe-
following organizations into the
ism of other religions, but yet claim that since we have no state Community Cotincil: League of
there was in it material for re- we are nothing more than a re- Detroit Jewish Youth, Chevrath
ligious antagonism towards the ligious community, and that since Gmiluth Chassodin, Prograbisht-
Jews. One could perhaps concoct we are only that, we (10 not need cher Progressive Society, and
an argument that Jews were on a state either in Palestine or any- Workmen's Circle Branch 460E.
Aaron Rosenberg, reporting on
the side of Ah•imon, the god of where else.
darkness and evil and that they
But our anti-Zionists are influ- the joint planning of the educa-
were weakening the power of enced by fear more than by tion and internal relations com-
Ahura-Mazda, the god of light ideological thinking. They are mittee, stated that in the past
afraid that as soon as Jews ac- few weeks 26 programs of vari-
and justice.
But Haman's charges were quire a state, that very fact ous kinds have been arranged by
mainly of a political nature. Jews will throw a shadow over their the Community Council office for
have their own peculiar laws and Americanism, their French, Brit- constituent organizations, both
customs; they are scattered among ish, Turkish—or what have you— English and Yiddish speaking.
the nations and do not mix with loyalties. They are afraid—we Each of these programs was a
them. We hear the same argu- now speak of our American Jew- definite contribution to the rais-
ments from modern anti-Semites, ish anti-Zionists--that they loy- ing of the level of programming
we hear them even in America alty to America will be ques- in our community. Among these
where there are so many peoples, tioned if they show a warm feel- programs, seven were in the na-
cultures and languages. And yet ing towards Palestine. They fear ture of a Community Council
these accusations are levelled they will be suspected of dual night, in which the organization
only against the Jews and not allegiance and perhaps of liking heard and participated in a discus-
against the French, the English, Palestine more than America. It sion of the work and significance
the Swedes, the Russians or Ital- does not even occur to them to of the Community Council. Ile
ians and others who have national ask why such suspicions are not urged organizations to take ad-
states of their own overseas and raised against the Italians, Rus- vantage of the programming aids
who could more plausibly' be ac- sians, Frenchmen, Englishmen, which the Council offers them,
cused of being loyal to an alien Swedes, Poles or members of and also that they arrange for
state and therefore not suffi- other races who make up the ag- presentations of the work of the
gregate of American cultures, Community Council before their
ciently loyal to America.
members.
Why then is this charge of faiths, speeches and colors.
Rabbi F ram's community rela-
To our assimilationist anti- tions committee report was made
separate laws and customs lev-
elled against the Jews who have Zionists it does not seem to oc- brief, and touched only on the
no state of their own. The an- cur that it is precisely because highlights of this work. He stress-
saver to this question is to be the Jews have no state of their ed the work and planning involv-
found in the story of the B00 0 wn that our enemies can re- ed in the Council's cooperation in
Peat
of
the charges of Haman and the Mass Protest Meeting which
of Esther, in the Land of theeat
Persians and the Medes. It is that they will keep on making was held in Cass Technical High
there that hatred of the Jews those charges so long as we have School in Feb. 28. He emphasized
was first formulated into a plan no Jewish territory. Our eltemies the importance of the Council's
for complete extermination of believe, or pretend to believe, cooperation with all the anti-
the Jewish population. The sub- that a people which has no land Fascist and all the democracy-
ject peoples of the Persian Em- of its own must have somewhere building groups in the city of
pire in their great majorities re- a secret state where its national Detroit. He mentioned the con-
rnained in their places enjoying aspirations and ideas find ex- tinuing work of literature distri-
national and religious autonomy pression. The Protocols of the bution, the combatting of rumors,
in their territorities and living Elders of Zion were fabricated the furnishing of information to
as the equals of other races and just because people think that national Jewish agencies, to re-
nationalities, just as the races the Jews must have something search bodies, and to governmen-
and nationalities live today with- like a secret organization to take tal bureaus of various sorts.
in the British Commonwealth of the place of a state with normal
Samuel Lieberman 'discussed
people, and that in that secret the work of the inter-group com-
Nations.
But the Jews, scattered among organization the Rothschilds work mittee, and the dissemination of
the nations as they were, were with the Trotzkys for the subju- correct information concerning
different. How could such a peo- gation of the world to the Jews. Jews among the Negro population.
ple live? The others could not No matter how many times we He discussed some recent incidents
understand it. The pagan, as has may prove these allegations to and also the work of the East
already been said, could not con- be false and ridiculous, it will Side Merchants' Association in
ceive of an idea without a body, not (10 any good, and new "proofs" this field.
he could not think in abstract of a Jewish world conspiracy will
The business meeting was ad-
terms. For that reason they could be manufactured instead of the journed at 9:30. There was a
not understand how a people old and discredited ones. In fact, brief recess, and the memorial
could go on living without a ter- even the Protocols, long discred- service continued from 9:45 to
ritory or a political state. This ited by scholars and statesmen, 10:45 p. m.
mentality of the pagans was in- are still being widely distributed
herited by the anti-Semites of and read. Even certain educated J. W. V. Auxiliary
later days and even by our own non-Jews are inclined to believe Theater Party April 7

Congregation Shaarey Zedek,
in order to invest the institution
of Bar Mitzvah with greater sig-
nificance and value, has adopted
definite standards which will be
required of every boy, whether ho
is the child of a member or not,
who desires to observe his becom-
ing Bar Mitzvah in its Synagogue.
The Jewish education of a boy
must not be limited to mere pre-
paration for the Sabbath morn-
ing ceremony. Years of Jewish
education should properly pre-
cede the 13th birthday. The rite
of Bar Mitzvah is meaningful
only to the extent that the lad
is familiar with the religion, lan-
guage and history of Israel, and
is at home in the Synagogue.
American Jewry cannot fullfill
its destiny if its young are led
to believe that the ability to re-
cite a Haftorah (after months
of coaching) constitutes the sole
responsibility which a boy as-
sumes when he becomes a "Son
of the Commandment."
1. The Congregation has there-
fore written to all of its mem-
bers urging that the formal Jew-
ish training of their children be
started at an early age. For the
present, and with the clear undei.-
standing that it represents the
very minimum, a year of attend-
ance at a recognized Jewish
school or instruction by a quali-
fied teacher, will be required.
This period is exclusive of the
time devoted to the preparation
for the reading of the Haftorah.
Parents who are interested in the

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The Detroit Ladies Auxiliary
135 Jewish War Veterans, U. S.
A. will hold a Theatre Party
Wednesday night, April 7, at Wil-
son Theatre. The proceeds of this
affair will be used V- help furn-
ish a recreation room at one of
our camps, in honor of men in
the Armed Forces. All wishing
tickets, call Sister Ida Gould,
chairman. Telephone, UN. 1-6016.
All tickets will be sold at $1.25.
Call early for reservation. The
public is invited.

BNAI BRITH

(Continued from Page 1)

Lions by Dave Diamond, promi-
nent orchestra leader.
Pisgah Lodge No. 34, Bnai
Brith, was host to the Greater
Detroit Bnai Brith Council at
this celebration of the bond drive
going over the top. Louis Rosen-
zweig as program chairman of
the lodge presided, and Rudolph
Meyersohn, president of the lodge,
extended greetings and presented
Mr. Gutstadt.

Arthur Rubinstein To
Be Heard on Festival
Program on May 14

* * *

PISGAH AUXILIARY 122
INITIATES 200 MEMBERS

Two hundred and thirty-five
members are to be initiated in
the Bnai Brith Pisgah Auxiliary
No. 122, on Monday evening,
March 22. The membership com-
mittee, headed by Mrs. William
J. Phillips as chairman, ably as-
sisted by Mrs. Frank Dickman,
co-chairman, and Miss Esther
verstein, secretary, are to be
commended for their zealous and
untiring efforts in bringing the
membership drive of the auxil-
iary to an unsurpassed and suc-
cessful conclusion. The new
group will be known as the Sarah
Delano Roosevelt Class and the
initiation will be portrayed in a
beautiful and impressive cere-
mony by an excellently trained
team, composed of Mesdames Lil
Aaron, Ceil Feiler, Bess Rosen-
man, Tillie Sims, Betty Prady,
Charlotte Bond, Rose Meskin,
Helen Leib and Frances Gilbert.
Miss Charlotte Gant, past presi-
dent and prominently active at
present in the District Lodge, will
officiate as chairman of the eve-
ning.
Rabbi Eric Friedland of Pon-
tiac, well known to ninny as an
outstanding thinker of the present
day and an unusually interesting
speaker, will deliver the princi-
pal address. And the attending
members are promised not only
an inspiring and exhilarating eve-
ning, but will also be magnifi-
cently entertained by Mrs. Sylvia
Barr, who will render a piano
solo in addition to playing the
musical accompaniment of the
initiation.
The meeting will be held at
Bnai Moshe at 8:30 p. m. and
will be concluded with refresh-
ments for all.

't

ARTHUR RUBINSTEIN

Arthur Rubinstein, famous pi-
anist will be heard for the first
time in Detroit, Friday evening,
May 14, at the Masonic Audi-
torium.
Rubinstein is one of the three
concert attractions to be offered
at the Music and Ballet Festi-
val which is to give music lovers
an entire week of music and
(lancing. The opening festi-
val event, Monday evening, May
10, will he a performance of the
popular Ballet Theatre.
Other concert attractions sched-
uled for the Festival are Lily
Pons and Andre Kostelanetz,
May 11th; Oscar Levant, pianist
and wit of 'Information Please,"
May 13.
Special price-saving member-
ships are being offered during
March and can be reserved at
the Masonic Auditorium box
office, TE. 2-0030.

0

SI

Trees Planted In
Palestine Forests

A group of friends and class-
mates of Milton Levine, who
passed away on March 4, planted
five trees in the Joseph II. Ehr-
Dr. Federbush To Be
lich Forest in his memory. Mil-
Speaker at Luncheon
ton Levine WaS the son of Mr.
and Mrs. Irving Levine of Fuller-
The senior Hebrew circle of ton Avenue. He was a student of
Detroit, sponsored by Young Is- the United Hebrew Schools and
rael will be honored by the pres- of the Durfee Intermediate.
ence of Rabbi Dr. Simon Feder-
bush of New York on Sunday
evening, March 28, at 9 o'clock
at Yeshivath Beth Yehudah. Dr. Appeals To Be Made
Federbush is the former Chief In Synagogue for
Rabbi of Finland and is now
President of Hapoel Hamizrachi Ezras Torah Day
of America and head of Yeshi-
vath Rabbi Israel Salanter. lie
The coming Shabbos, Parches
is a famous Hebrew and Tal- Sochaur (March 20, 1943) has
mudic scholar and has published been set aside by the Vaad Hara-
a number of volumes of essays.
bonim and Vaad Hayeshivoth as
Dr. Federbush will deliver a Ezras Torah Day with appeals
Hebrew lecture on the subject in all synagogues.
of "Torah Va-Avodah, the Ideo-
It has become a tradition in
logy of the Jewish Religious La- American synagogues to dedicate
bor Movement in Palestine." Sun- one Shabbos in the month of Adar
day noon he will address a lunch- for Ezras Torah.
eon given by friends of Religious
Ezras Torah is a charitable
Labor in Palestine. Saturday fund for the financial assistance
morning, March 27, Dr. Feder- of Torah scholars and religious
bush is scheduled to preach at leaders in America and abroad,
the Young Israel Synagogue in maintined by voluntary efforts
Cleveland, which city he will visit and personal contributions of
enroute to Detroit.
American rabbis, religious and
Rabbi Morris Adler of Congre- communal leaders, and laymen,
gation Shaarey Zedek is chair- and supervised by it board of 50
man of arrangements for a lunch- outstanding American orthodox
eon in honor of Dr. Simon Feder- rabbis.
bush at noon, Sunday, March 28,
Ezras Torah has sent (luring the
in Lachar's Hall. Dr. Federbush, last year more than $60,000 to
who is a member of the admin- Southern Russia and Palestine and
istrative committee of the Jewish has helped nearly 2000 desperate
Agency for Palestine, will speak families among them some of the
of recent developments in Zion- greatest scholars of our time.
ism. There will be no solicitation
(7ontributions may be sent to
of funds.
the office of the Vaad Hayeshivoth,
10205 Dexter, or directly to Ezros
Fortune is a wheel which re- Torah, 673 Broadway, New York
volves rapidly.
(Room 891).

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