Friday, September 7, 1945 Jewish Life on the College Campus c & rc the rief ref- or non re- lent Igo. .ast I ices iath 'der MIA lent ns, ) Soh. be De- Lary was ori- UM- ices ith- the ably vith the lour we oted few- - n. J t ish students to hold Sabbath serv- ices under Hillel Foundation aus- pices. There are the usual slack- bhues t ethyeouantg tenpdet et oupiclee resr'c eonft acgoeu rfsoe; is much higher than in Temple or Synagogue at home. It is possible that the mah yom- ru hagoyim — What Will the Gen- tiles Say If We Don't Have a Jewish Service on the Campus? — has influenced this manifesta- tion of Jewish solidarity in the form of official Jewish group wor- ship. But then, was it not Moses of Bible time, who coined this much-abused slogan, so precious as 0 formula in the technique of the Jewish public relationships? The Catholics have "masses," the Protestants "religious meet- ings." Likewise, the Jewish stu- dents hold their Sabbath Eve ser- vices. Subconsciously the Jewish students recognize and accept the situation. Outstanding are the High Holi- day services — organized and conducted by the students them- selves (always under Hillel Foun- dation auspices) on the campus. There is no disputing that in the very nature of things these evoke a far more personal, more inti- mate spiritual communion than the participation of these very same students in their home Syna- gogues. Here they are not just young people relegated to an im- provized Young Folks' Service in the Temple vestry. Here they are the members and Synagogue offi- cials, the cantors, the readers, the shamoshim and the gabbaim themselves, by their own choice and by the circumstances of their academic life. It is Judaism in the open. The shofar blast resounds in the Chapel and re-echoes through the open windows over the University campus. Jewish worship is accorded, as a matter of course, its rightful place in the religious life of the Campus Com- munity. Hillel also publishes its own Campus bulletin. True, it is a modest affair, but it is the ac- knowledged voice of the Jewish student on the Campus. It is the local Jewish press. L . i67 ty 4 Cultural Programs 1111111 ' I )A . In civilian life the Average Jew- ish you* *felldvi hlisrVirl rarely attends a lecture on ''Judaism; al- most never an evening dedicated to Jewish music or art. On the campus, Hillel furnishes these programs and Jewish students do attend and enjoy them without embarrassment. Moreover, faculty members attend and non-Jewish 'students often appear. These af- fairs assume an aspect of "cul- ture" and are held in the Univer- sity's Community House. What of those very much pub- licized fraternities and sororities? It is the conventional thing that a Jewish student join a "Jewish fraternity," a "Jewish sorority." What advantage will he or she gain by worming his way into a non-Jewish social group? Even in DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and The Legal Chronicle the dormitory the University Housing Authorities make a con- ! scious effort to room Jewish stu- dents together, that they be made . to feel at home with one of their own. These Jewish social clubs (for that is all a fiat is) enjoy the self-same opportunities and in the same measure in which are enjoy- ed by the non-Jewish fiats — in- cluding an equal chance to play campus politics. So why should the Jewish student want to run away front . himself? The answer is, he doesn't — with very few exceptions. The relationship between the frats and organized Jewish life on the campus is on the whole what it should be. The fiats take turns in supplying the social half-hour at the Sabbath Eve ser- vices, It is well that they play fiat. politics in running for Hillel of- fices. Not to do so would point at indifference, at a deplorable lack of interest in !Niel. It speaks well for the situation that the current Hillel president is the general chairman of the Annual Military Ball and a member of the Varsity Tennis Team. Only 17 YEAR OLD VET, OVERSEAS FOR A YEAR, IS YOUNGEST JEWISH WAR VETERAN MEMBER a man popular on the campus can stances — such as exams and give Mllel status on the campus. other college activities. Few Jews on Faculty Benjamin Seidman, who will be 17 this September, receives Jewish War Veteran Certificate of Membership from National Coininander Archie H. Greenberg as Louis Obolsky, his post commander, proudly looks on. Be. lieved to be the youngest member of the J.W.V., Seidman enlisted in the Nasy on Sept. 4, 1943, just two days after his fifteenth birthday. As a member of the Gunfire Support Craft attached to the. Eleventh Am. phibious Forces of the U. S. Navy, soung Seidman saw action aboard an English gunboat during the Normandy invasion, nd•was with the Allied land forces irt rahie during the Plantes at St. Lo and Cherbourg. While ashore, Ben suffered arm and leg injuries and while at sea, his boat was hit by Ger. IF man mortar fire causing all hands to abandon ship. He was honorably discharged from the Navy with the rank of Seaman Second Class on November 6, 1(.41, after more. than a year in senice, when his sister revealed his true age to his commanding officer. Enlisting under the name of Jerry Bernhardt, the young veteran was trained at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station. On joining the J.W V., Seidman said to Commander Greenberg: "I'm proud of my country and I'm glad that I enlisted to fight for this wonderful land and for all it stands." Before * * CA. 1018 11500 RUSSELL Le Shono Tovo Tikosevu Pearlman's Bakery For your Holiday Baked Goods 12737 Linwood Am. Townsend 8.4664 19280 W. 8-MILE ROAD REDFORD 6930 Extend New Year Greetings and Good Wishes to All May Victory and Peace Be Ours. REICHHOLD CHEMICALS INCORPORATED THOMAS C. MURPHY • WAYNE COUNTY JUDGE OF PROBATE SYNTHETIC RESIN - INDUSTRIAL CHEMICALS • DETROIT, MICHIGAN 5706 Rosh Hashonah Greetings * Automatic Stoker Service Co. _ ELMHURST 6390 LE SHONO TOVO TIKOSEVU ROSH HASHONAH GREETINGS 1945 NEW YEAR GREETINGS • To Our Many Friends and Patrons And Best Wishes to You All 214 E. HAZELHURST 1504 SECOND AVE. CONTINENTAL METAL CO. SAMPSON CEMENT BLOCK CO. York's Haaren High School; he is now employed as a jewelry i'olisher. Domestic or Commercial and Industrial Stokers BRENNAN TRUCK CO. GREETINGS Best Wishes for a Joyous Holiday .. . enlisting, young Seidman wits studying , aeronautics in the fourth term at New "A QUALIFIED SERVICE ORGANIZATION" !It tr-- A Happy New Year To All! * Greetings The Jewish students want a building of their own. The feeling is that Jewish self-respect de- mands it, The Catholics have their chapel; the Community House is under Protestant auspices. The Hillel Foundation should be hous- ed in its own building. Conse- quently the Hillel Choir makes pilgrimages to neighboring Syna- gogues where they officiate. There they draw the parent public. They publicize Hillel's program and they urge Hillel's Building program. There is a realistic need for a building. Pesach seders, attended by Christian faculty members, pre- (Continued on Page 12) Rosh Hashonah Greetings LE SHONO Tovo TIKOSEVU Roth Hashonah Need Building Strange to record, this Univer- sity, of which we now write, has a disproportionately small num- ber of Jews on its faculty. The Jewish student body cannot be expected to grapple with an ad- ministrative problem of this na- ture, but influential Jewish alum- ni and prominent Jewish citizens in the State cannot afford to ig- nore what is definitely an intol- erable state of affairs. One may speculate as to what extent this paucity of Jewish teachers affects or fails to affect Jewish cultural student life. One unpleasant thing did hap- pen not so very long ago. The President's Reception took place on Kol Nid•e Night. The Univer- sity authorities had not been pro- vided with a Hebrew calendar when they set the date. The Jew- ish students almost in a body at- tended the Kol Nidre services and then serenaded the President's Reception. Not a single student went inside. There was a simple dignity about that demonstration. One characteristic aspect of ci- civilian American Jewish life does not "take": The separistic ten- dency. An attempt at holding an orthodox minyan on Saturday mornings failed. A Zionist group could not muster even half a doz- en members. Still the Jewish stu- dent body is prevailingly pro- Palestine. Nevertheless, a show- ing of a Palestine talkie did not bring out even a fair attendance. However, one has been told that there were extenuating circum Bring our Soldiers back sooner with the purchase of an Extra War Bond, • Page Eleven Our best wishes for a Happy and Prosperous New Year to the Jewish people here and everywhere. May the year just beginning bring realiz- ation to their fondest hopes and ambi- tions. • FRIARS ALE CLIX MALT BEVERAGE Happiness, Peace and Good Cheer to You All GEORGE A. DINGMAN County Drain Commissioner Paradise Valley Distributing Co. 439 THEODORE TE. 2-9479