rrulay, December 24, 1948

DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE

Page Twenty-five

Weizmann s Home

w to Make Miracles'.

a Chanukah Short Story

By D. SCHOCHAR
I'll show you just what the
MR. FEDER was lighting the paper said at the time."

Chanukah candles. As he was
about to recite the benediction,
it occurred to him that it might
be something of a novelty which
might impress his young son,
Philip, if he used English in-
'stead of Hebrew. So, chanting in
the traditional tone, he said tlit
words "Blessed art Thou 0 Lord
our God who wrought miracles
for our forefathers in those days
at this season of the year."
Philip looked up in Mr. Feder's
face, his own countenance il-
lumined with curiosity.
"Daddy,". he said, "you don't
really believe in miracles, do
you? You don't believe the mir-
acle story about the oil burning
for eight days and all that. You
know, daddy, science denies that
there are such things as mira-
cles."
"Well, now," replied Mr. Fe-
der, putting on an air of great
consternation, "to think that in
my own household there should
be arising such a heathen as
you. Of course there were mira-
cles. Sure the miracle of these
Chanukah lights occurred, but at
that time, as a matter of fact.
that was but a small miracle.
"A greater miracle occurred,
of which most people seem to
understand little. Why, I was
there, so I ought to know."
• • •

"Aw, daddy," said Philip, "you
know you weren't there. You're
just a little gray. You couldn't
be 2,000 years old."
"Yes, I am," answered Mr. Fe-
der. - "Come next September I'll
be 2,004 years old."
"What's the four years for?"
interjected Mrs. Feder.
"That's the war tax," replied
Mr. Feder.
"Well," countered Philip, "if
you are 2,000 years old, tell me
just what happened on Chanu-
kah."
"That's just what I sin going
to do. As I say, It was a time
when a great miracle was per-
formed. Not only that, Chanu-
kah shows us how to make mir-
acles."
• • •
•
"Hew to - make miracles!" ex-
claimed Philip. "That's silly.
You can't make miracles."
"Oh yes, you can. If you are
a good Jew and observe the les-
son of Chanukah, you will he
able to make your own miracles.
As a matter of fact, that is the
great lesson of Chanukah. If you
know anything at all about Cha
nukah, you should know that.
Do you know anything at all
shout Chanukah?"
"Well, I know," replied Philip,
"that Antiochus marching with
Syrian forces invaded the land
id, Israel." -
Yes," said Mr. Feder, "that's
the primary fact. Antiochus was
a great military chieftain. If you
give me that paper over there,

Chanukah Greetings

to All

"That's today's Morning Blad-
der, that couldn't have it."
• • •

"Nonsense," replied Mr. Feder,
taking the paper. "That's the Ju-
daean Morning Post, printed at
the very time I am speaking
about. Listen to this." Holding
the paper close to his eyes, Mr.
Feder said: "Listen to this head-
line:
COMPLETE SUBMISSION BY
JEWS TO ANTIOCHUS 'EX-
PECTED WITHIN 24 HOURS
Jerusalem—(20th day of Kis-
lev)—With huge forces of in-
fantry, chariots and the most
modern military equipment sup-
porting him, Antiochus is ex-
pected to receive the complete
surrender of all Judaea within
24 hours.
It is believed that the Judaean
forces in all parts of the coun-
try will not even attempt to put
up any show of resistance, so
massive is the force opposing
them. All resistance, it is agreed
upon by neutral observers, would
be entirely futile.

• • •

So complete is the assurance
of victory that a horde of slave
traders are accompanying the
army of the invader, with the
expectation that many thousands
of the Jews will be sold into
foreign bondage.
It is expected that Antiochus
will reap a profit from the sales
of the Jews as slaves sufficient
to reimburse him for all of the
costs of the military enterprise.
The lid on the further ob-
servance of Judaism in any part
of Palestine is expected to be
enforced with even greater se-
verity once the surrender takes
place and hundreds of pious
Jews are taking to caves and
hidden places in the mountains
in order to observe the rites of
their faith.
• •

"That's right," replied

der.

Mr. Fe-

"But you said, daddy, you
would tell me how to make
.miracles."
"Well, don't you know now,"
said Mr. Feder.
"By being heroic," replied
young Philip.
"That's it," smiled Mr. Feder,
"I couldn't have put it better
myself."

120,000 Entering
Israel During '48

The Israeli Presidential residence in Rehoiot, now occupied by
Dr. Chaim Weizmann.

that resistance would accomplish
zero."
"Now," said Mr. Feder, • "let
me read to you what the Post
had to say five days later. Listen
to this headline:
ANTIOCHUS FLEEING; SYRIAN
ARMY CUT IN RIBBONS; VIC-
TORIOUS JUDAEANS REDEDI-
CATE TEMPLE
Jerusalem—(25th day of Kis-
lev)—The forces of the mighty
Antiochus were literally cut into
shreds in one of the most sud-
den and surprising upsets that
the recorded history of mankind
affords.
It was generally believed that
only, a miracle could save the
Jews but apparently the miracle
occurred when an old Jewish
patriarch at Mpdin, putting him-
self at the head of his five sons.
unfurled a banner which soon
had Judaeans by the thousands
marching beneath its folds.
While the forces of Antiochus
more than matched the number s
of the Judaeans, the latter fought
with such courage as to com-

Greetings

•

"Here is another story in the
same paper," Mr. Feder went on.
"It is, rather, an article by Ihn
Allah Gallop. The writer goes
on to say that the Judaeans do
not stand any chance, that the
collapse of Judaea may be pre-
dicted with assurance. There is
no expectation that any re-
sistance will be offered and, fur-
thermore, all experts are agrt:ed

Cfit

pletely demoralize the attacking '

Syrians, who were quick to de-
sert in great numbers.
The triumphant Judaeans, aft-
er ridding the country of the
enemy, celebrated their victory
with a thanksgiving service at
the Temple. They found only
a little cruse of oil in the tem-
ple, but there are those who
say that while the Oil is or-
dinarily enough only for a day,
it appears that miraculously it
will suffice for at least a week
At any rate, a greater miracle
was how a small number of
Judaeans could win over so
many of the enemy.
• • •

TEL AVIV (ZOA)—A total of
120,000 Jewish immigrants will
have entered Israel by the end
of the year, it was revealed by
Moshe Shapiro, Israeli minister
of immigration.
Israel, Shapiro said, hopes to
adinit an equal number of Jews
in 1949 and thus fo'ree the clos-
ing of the European DP camps
for Jews. Since the proclama-
tion of the State of Israel on
May 15, 100,000 Jews have
entered the country, while 20.-
000 arrived during the period
from January to May.

Greetings

0

S

"Sounds like today in Pales-
tine,I said Philip. "Like the Is.
raelim beating six Arab states."

Chanukah Greetings

HYDRO
MFG.
Co.

3046 E. Outer Drive
TW 2-2050

PROGRESSIVE
INDUSTRIES

8770 Linwood

TY 7.7550

Holiday Greetings

Edward C. Levy

CHANUKAH GREETINGS . , .

MERCHANTS -FUR COMPANY

Manufacturing Furriers

206 E. GRAND RIVER AVE.

Hurd Clark

Lou Gendler

Greetings to Our Many
Friends and Patrons

LAFER BROTHERS

SHELTER

Furniture Company

8928 Twelfth St.

TR 2-3636

Chanukah Greetings

and Best Wishes to All ...

FOOD DISTRIBUTORS

COFFEES, TEAS, SALAD DRESSING and SYRUP

CENTRAL
FELT CO.

and

2416 HUBBARD

Holiday Greetings and

ABSTRACT & TITLE INSURANCE

Best II ishes to All .. .

1

ESCROW & TAX SERVICE

,

•

TEXTILE

SUPPLIERS,

INC.

2620 - 2626 JOHN R ST.

Detroit

•••••'"

MAC-O-LAC

PAINT & VARNISH WORKS

5400 E. Nevada

TW 2-1900

BURTON ABSTRACT
& TITLE CO.

350 E. Congre ,,m St.

WO 2-9800

