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CLIFTON AVENUE - CINCINNATI 20, 011lo

Friday, February 16, 1931

DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE

Page 3

Life Torn by Fteligicius Plights Ends in Remorse

NATHAN ZIPRIN
When the wax yielded to the white fingers of the that yeshivoths have always turned out their share
RABBI A. HEFTERMAN, author of a series of re-
widow, the trio was seen gasping in amazement. It of "apikorsim" (atheists).
vealing articles in the Forward on Jewish life in
was Herschel's last will and testament written in
•
•
•
America, recently told an interesting but tragic story
Yiddish. The rabbi took the document in his hand
REFLECTING NO DOUBT our current national
of an old Jew who died leaving two sets of children
and began translating it.
mood, popular religious songs are sweeping the coun-
from two wives, one Jewish and the other Christian. A strange silence surrounded the car and the crowd
try with a swiftness baffling Tin Pan Alley. Accord-
When old Herschel died the Jewish
around it when the first sentence of the paper, ad-
ing to music publishers the religious song current is
burial society of the small New Eng-
dressed to "Dear Patricia," said Herschel had de-
the biggest eve . : in the history of the country.
land town began making plans to lay
liberately written it in Yiddish because he wanted
It began first with a modest song, "Our Lady of
him to rest with traditional rites.
a Jew to be the first one to read it when his eyes
Fatima," authored by a midwest housewife. And when
However, the two sons he had with
were closed forever.
Stuart Hamblen's "It Is No Secret What God Can Do"
the Christian wife protested vigor-
Herschel ordered his body cremated and thrown to appeared, the former racehorse owner and folk singer
ously.
rocketed at once into national fame. Nineteen new
the winds because "I am not wcrthy of being buried
In the meantime the three daugh-
recordings have been made of the song.
alongside any of the members of my family since
ters he had with the Jewish wife L . ,
Soon enough the new mood was seized upon by
this would, even after my death, bring disgrace, shame
argued with equal force against a
professional song writers, who turned out such re-
and
agony
to
the
innocent
souls
for
which
I
have
Christian burial.
ligious songs as "Music by the Angels," "My Twilight
been physically responsible. My cremation will ter-
The issue was sharp and debate
Prayer" and "May the Good Lord Bless and Keep
minate forever an unfortunate mistake I made in my
acrimonious, with the townspeople Ziprin
You." One recording company was so impressed by
youth."
wrathfully divided on the knotty problem.
the development that it even announced a "Faith
• Thus ended the tragic dilemma of a man whose
Series."
While Herschel was on his deathbed both priest life was torn by two lives and two faiths.
While music publishers generally are reluctant to
and rabbi of the town tried their persuasive powers.
And for the town it ended a controversy whose
predict when the wave will spend itself, one of them,
But Herschel would always shrug them off. Mean-
repurcussions might have impaired the good relations
Lou Levy, hazarded the guess it may last as long as
while the town was buzzing with excitement awaiting
between the peoples of both faiths. One town wit re-
five years.
the final end of Herschel.
marked that Herschel was wiser in death than in life.
The interesting thing is that the religious song
Then suddenly the priest emerged from his car,
wave has innundated the large cities, having first
where Herschel's widow sat weeping, and beckoned
SPEAKING RECENTLY at a dinner in his honor, started in the so-called midwest Bible belt
the rabbi to his vehicle. There, the priest pulled out
Israel's minister of religion, Judah L. Maimon, stressed
I might be risking the wrath of our highbrows, but
a sealed envelope from his pocket.
the need of establishing a religious higher institution of
I for one would like to see a popular Jewish religious
Herschel, he said, had given it to his wife before
lear'ing in the Jewish state,
song sweep the country. This might do more toward
his demise with insructions to open it in the presence
was sure, he said, the project would appeal even
furthering interfaith relations than a lot of bombastic
of a priest and a rabbi.
to non-religious people since it is common knowledge speeches that never reach the wide masses.

.

Tucker Conquers Audience
With Richness and Sincerity

'Stars Attraction

By NORMAN WEISMAN
ever popular "Tsena Tsena" all of
As a contribution to the cele- which were effective and well re-
bration of Jewish Music Month ceived. The chorus did not do so
the Men's Club of the Northwest well with its encore "Go Down
Hebrew Congregation presented Moses" from which the Negro
the noted tenor of the Metropoli- spirit was lacking.
tan Opera, Richard Tucker, in an
Tucker concluded his program
evening of Yiddish, cantorial and with "Palestine Nights," "Din-
operatic songs in which he was Torah Mit Gott," and "Havoloh"
joined by the Center Choral Soc- ! (with chorus), and an encore
iety conducted by Julius Chajes. which was a cantorial prayer by
It should be said first off that Rappaport.
the use of an amplification system
The theme of the prayer was in
in 'the case of a star of Tucker's the form of a question: What are
magnitude did not give one an the things whose value cannot be
opportunity for a fair evaluation estimated? And it can be answer-
of his voice, which was to all in- ed that one of these is charity,
tents and purposes rich and pow- and another is the study of the

Rabbi Abraham L. Feinberg, of
Holy Blossom TeMple in Toronto),
will be the guest speaker at the
mid-campaign mass rally of Hist-
adrut Campaign Sunday evening
at the Labor Zionist Institute,
Linwood and Pasadena.
Rabbi Feinberg, prominent
Zionist leader in Canada, recent-
ly visited Israel and Europe.
The mid-campaign rally is the
final mobilization of Histadrut
workers and friends in the drive.
Detroit will present a check to
Israel Histadrut at the national

,

erful.

The acoustical properties and
size of the hall notwithstanding,
we should have been permitted
to hear the natural tones of both
the soloist and members of the
chorus. As it was the apparent
disalignment of the microphone
and the loudspeakers caused
distortation when the chorus was
singing loudly, and even made
Tucker's voice seem forced- and,
at times unnatural.
Tucker's singing itself was in-
dubitably very good: he warmed
up in his first number, "If With
All Your Hearts" from Mendel-
sohn's Elijah, but the recitative
and aria from Handel's Judas
Maccabeus revealed him at once
for the fine artist he is.
To be sure the aria is an in-
spired piece of vocal writing and
such music always possesses
greater appeal when well sung,
than a piece of lesser stature.
Tucker made the most of it; he
sang it with gusto, displaying
splendid vocal equipment; he
phrased well, he enunciated clear-
ly and he gave us the essence of
the aria.
He went on to sing the touching
"Nina" of Pergolesi, which was
not the tender song it could have
been; the lively "Danza, Danza
Fanchival" of Durante; a stirring
aria from Halvey's La Juive and,
finally, aided by the choral group,
the solemn Kol Nidre which was
sung with fervor and deep feel-
ing.
Unfortunately there was dis-
tortion to be heard through the
loudspeakers every time the
chorus went to forte, and this ob-
scured the effect.
After intermission he returned
-as cantor and folk-singer to sing
"A Dudele" in an operatic man-
ner, and therefore out of char-
acter, but "Rosinkes Mit Mand-
len" with intimacy and warmth.
The "Eloakai Ad Shelo Notzarti"
was one of his best liturgical of-
ferings projected with such strong
feeling that the audience must
have felt it was at a high holy-
day service instead of at a con-
cert.
Julius Chajes directed the Cent-
er Choral Society in his own ar-
rangements of "Avinu Malkenu"
'and "Song of Galilee" and the

roll call ,eonferenee on Feb. 25 in

New York.

Torah.
There was real
here. We
felt that we were listening to a

dignity

ly

man sing with undisguised sincer-
ity.

Youth Group
to Perform for
3 BB Lodges

The Bnai Brith Youth Organi-
zation Drama Players will cele-
brate their first birthday on Feb.
21, by presenting a program for
the Rabbi Mandel M. Zager,
George Gershwin and Rex
Lodges.
The dramatic group is com-
posed of all the Bnai Brith youth
groups and presents shows to
the Bnai Brith chapteis and
lodges in the city.
Through the medium of drama-
tic presentations the adults are
able to have a better understand-
ing of youth and their develop-
ment in becoming emotionally
and intellectually secure as Jew-
ish adults.
The program for the Zager,
Gershwin and Rex Lodges will
be presented at 8:30. p.m., Feb.
21, at the Bnai Moshe Congrega-
tion.
Thetpresentation will consist of
"They Tried Him With Strudel"
and "Her Fatal Beauty" or "A
Shop Girl's Honor."
In addition there will be a
variety of musical acts. The
group is under the direction of
Helene LaBan and Pearl Haber-
man.

NEW '51 HUDSON

Roomiest and Most
Comfortable Car

hrs.

Toronto Rabbi
HistadrutGuest

Jeanette MacDonald, film and stage star, currently appearing In
Detroit, examines the articles made by Hadassah women for their
Gift Shop, a new activity to increase revenue for Iladassah's
medical work in Israel, With Miss MacDonald are Mrs. Jacob
Mazer and Mrs. Theodore Bargman, president. Prospective workers
and purchasers may obtain full information by calling either of
the Gift Shop co-chairmen, Mrs. Mazer, TO. 8-6443, or Mrs. Harry
Kopel, TY. 4-2810.

The guest speaker at the week-
Histadrut campaign rally

Thursday evening will be Max
Alper, architect of Chicago, who
has been identified with the La-
bor Zionist movement for over
30 years.
Branch 2 of LZOA, under Phil
Goldstein's leadership, has reach-
ed 75 per cent and joined the
group of top-ranking branches in
the campaign.
With campaign total over 60
per cent of last year, workers and
friends of Histadrut at last week's
Sunday breakfast gathering laid
plans to reach the two-thirds
mark by Sunday.

HEBREW BROADCASTS
NEW YORK—USD—The Voice
of America will inaugurate a
daily broadcast in Hebrew to
Israel in March.

IMPORTANT AUCTION SALE

PERIOD FURNITURE — ORIENTAL AND CHINESE RUGS — OIL PAINTINGS —
PORCELAINS — LAMPS — SILVER — CHINA — CRYSTAL CHANDELIERS —
LINENS AND LACES — ALSO A DISTINGUISHED GROUP OF CARVED IVORIES
FROM THE CELEBRATED COLLECTION OF THE LATE

MUTRAN BEY and OTHER SOURCES

To Be Sold At

ASHRAWY'S ART GALLERY

CONVENTION HALL

4465 WOODWARD AVE.

TE. 3-0025

Specially designed sofas, love seats, occasional chairs and-tables, mahogany and pine
breakfronts, desks, dining and bedroom furniture. Oriental and Chinese rugs in most
sizes, imported porcelains, Sterling and Sheffield silver, fine china, banquet cloths and
other quality linens.

STAN LEY

EXHIBITION: SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 18, from 1 to 6 P. M.
SALE: ENTIRE WEEK starting MONDAY, FEBRUARY 19 through
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24, at 7:30 P. M.

VICTORIA MOTOR SALES

TOM ASHRAWY, Auctioneer

DELIVERY
IN

Any Color — Any Style
FOR BEST DEAL SEE

13505 JOS. CAMPAU

TVI. 1-0272

TW. 1-7170

Appraiser, Liquidator of Estates

