Friday, September 15, 1944

DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and The Legal Chronicle

FACING THE NEW YEAR

By RABBI ISAAC STOLLMAN

September 6, 1944
Victory Day in 1944 or '45 will bring little for the
Je w but a stalemate and respite. In a physical sense,
our loss of 4,000,000 Jews in less than a decade can
never be restored. In a spiritual sense, the human family
has not come much closer in their sympathetic under-
standing of the Jew.

What must, then, be our course of thought and ac-
tion in the blackest of days?

Four million Jews have died. Their individual suf-
fering can never be forgotten or rationalized. Yet, the
past has claimed its own and they are now "mercifully"
out of their pain and degradation.
Yet, for us, the living, who feel and think, what
does this phase of our history signify?
When this era has passed and we can look back
with a more natural historical perspective upon the
world's blackest period, we may then realize that, quan-
titatively and qualitatively, this period has served as
the most compelling lesson ever taught us.
It may be that, as in the past, this period will have
served as a lesson to the haters of the Jew, in all ages.
that the Jew has still outlived them and their ideals.
if any.
To us it must imply a profounder lesson.
What is it that has distinguished the Jew from all
ether peoples? What is it, that it alone, has so mirac-
ulously eternalized his existence? Nothing more and
nothing less than his imperishable, unchanging ideals,
that are, first and forever, embodied in his orthodox
tradition.
The Jew will realize one day that his ideals and
Way of Life have prevented him, in a doublefold man-
ner, from becoming assimilated among peoples who have
historically and idealistically lived less and represented
less than the Jew: First his ideals have kept him, in a
positive sense, from accepting the ways of apostasy;
second, in a negative sense, h'e has been repelled by
those who have sensed that even in assimilation the Jew
has remained a superior person and still, unconsciously
and mayhaps unwittingly, represents that which they
refuse to acknowledge in their culture.
He will discover that, as forfeit for his great re-
sponsibility of adhering strictly and lovingly to his re-
vealed Way of Life, 4,000,000 Jews, in our time, and
countless others, throughout the ages, met ignominious
death.
He will discover that assimilation signifies not only
an already existent spiritual death but ultimate physical
extinction.
He will discover that the "Tochecha"—the Maledic-
tion—will follow him relentlessly wherever he goes as
long as he denies that spiritual heritage he, willingly or
not, represents.
He will discover that as severe as his tribulations
have been, so exalted and even worse so will be his
Blessing, both of which have been and are being meted
out by the one and same Almighty God.
With a fuller understanding of our tradition we will
approach the realization not only of the negative values
which our persecutors have taught us but a positive rec-
ognition of our spiritual assets.
And among those positive spiritual values, that we
must, sooner or later, recognize, are these:
Whatever misery may befall us, we are, first and
foremost, a people of life who represent the sublime Way
of Life that seeks the most spiritual satisfaction from
life. Our eternity is the witness of our seeking for the
life of the spirit and the conquest of the Ways of Death.
The "Remember us for life" of the High Holy Days
is not merely a personal cry for a physical existence ; it
has never been that. It is a cry for the Lord's grace in
giving us the spiritual values of life that make life sig-
nificant; it is our prayer for His vouchsafement to our
physical life the fulness and richness of the potentiali-
ties of the human spirit.
Let us approach the year 5705 with the prayer of
our wisdom of thousands of years of happiness and suf-
fering that we be granted both the "Inscribe us for life"
—a secure physical existence, "In the Book of Life"—in
our historical tradition of spiritual life.

Rabbi Joshua Sperka
To Preach Holiday
Sermons at Bnai David

Rabbi Joshua Sperka will
preach the sermons for the High
Holy Days and Cantor Abraham
Gartenhaus will chant the serv-
ices.
All evening services begin at
7 p. m. and morning services at
8 a. m.
The Junior services will be
held at the chapel of the Syna-
gogue and all young people are
requested to make arrangements
for attendance. Rabbi Sperka will
preach at the Junior services.
The sermons at the Synagogue
for the first day of Rosh Hash-
onah will be "A New Year—A
New World," and on the second
day of Rosh Hashonah, "The Es-
sence of the Shofar."

Chajes Dedicates
Composition in Memory
Of Judge Keidan

The Bloch Publishing Company
announces the publication of
three responses for the Sabbath
Service by Julius Chajes, director
of music at the Jewish Commun-
ity Center and Temple Beth El
in Detroit. The new work in-
cludes "Borchu," "Sh'ma," and
"Mi Chomocho," and is written
for solo, mixed voices, and or-
gan. Mr. Chajes dedicated the
composition to the memory of
the Hon. Harry B. Keidan.

Prenzlauer Aid Makes
Plans for Donor Lunch

Eva Prenzlauer Maternity Aid
announce that plans have been
made for its 12th annual donor
luncheon to be held at the Book-
Cadillac Hotel, Italian Gardens
Room, Wednesday, Dec. 27, at
12 p. m.
Chairman for the affair is
Mrs. Menolsohn; co - chairman
Mrs. Pasman.
Chairman of souvenir booklet
and program, Mrs. Joseph H. Sie-
gel.
Chairman of memorial and dar-
ling ads, Mrs. Morris L. Solo-
mon.
Due to the holidays the next
meeting will be held at Mrs. N.
Blatnikoff's home, 12690 Monte
Vista, Tuesday, Oct. 3.

***********KEEP FAITH

with as— ,1

_

Pane 9

5705

1944

We sincerely wish all Jewry a Happy
and Victorious New Year. May the
coming year usher in a period of
Good Will and Peace throughout
the entire world.

Mr. and Mrs. Julius Wagman

S

The Officers and Members of the

HEBREW LADIES' AID SOCIETY

wish to extend a Happy, Joyous Ncw Ycar to their

many friends

The President of the

LADIES' CHEVRA KADISHA

OF CONGREGATION BNAI DAVID

Mrs. E. Muscovitz, and all the officers, wish a Happy
New Year and Prosperity to all the members and
their families of this organization.
Mrs. E. Muskovitz, President
Sam Zack, Secretary

Rosh Hashanah

GREETINGS

Upon this important occasion
we express our felicitations to
the entire community. May you
all be blessed with an abundance
of good health, happiness,
comfort and security.

iby baying 11

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