Friday, September 7, 1945
For
THE JEWISH NEWS
the Sake of Heaven'
Buber's Hassidic Volume
Translated by Lewisohn
Extraordinary Book Made Available by Jewish Publication
Society; Novel Deals With Polish Community of
Lublin in Late 18th, 19th Centuries
A new high has been reached of his grandfather, Salomon
by the Jewish Publication Society Buber, a Hebrew scholar and a
of America with the publica- leading personality of the Galic-
tion of "For the Sake of Heaven" ian Haskalah, or Enlightenment.
—Martin Buber's great Has-
In this intellectual center of
sidic work, which was translat- Eastern Jewry, young Buber
ed for the Publication Society acquired a thorough knowledge
by Ludwig Lewishon.
of the Hebrew language, religion,
It is an extraordinary book, traditions, and folkways. In his
and it deierves the attention of youth, Buber also came in con-
English-reading Jewries every- tact with Hassidic groups and
where.
was initiated into their joyous
Even those of us who appreci- mysticism.
ate such works and who are
His student years at the Uni-
willing to delve into strange
ideologies must admit that it versities of Vienna, Berlin, Leip-
is a difficult book to read; that zig, and Zurich gave him a rich
it can not be a popular book. background in philosophy, art
One must be steeped in Jewish and literature. During that time
knowledge and must acquire a he became active as a Zionist
love for the traditional and for political writer and, in 1901, was
the sentimental, for the mystical editor of the Vienna Welt.
and for the mythical, to be able Later he was one of the found-
to absorb the contents of this ers of the Judischer Verlag.
From 1916 to 1924 he edited
book.
Nevertheless, it is a great Der Jude, a periodical which
book worthy of the genius of he himself founded and which
Dr. Buber, one of the outstand- became the leading organ of
ing interpreters of Hassidism German-speaking Jewry.
In collaboration with Franz
in the world.
Rosenzweig, he undertook a
* * *
"For the Sake of Heaven" is translation of the Bible into
a magnificent Hassidic book. It German, which has been uni-
is a brilliant interpretation of versally acclaimed for its fidel-
the thinking of the Hassidic ity and beauty. His writings in-
Rabbis who have left a strong clude many works on the sub-
jects of Hassidism and Zionism,
influence upon Jewish life.
This novel deals with the and also an autobiography.
From 1923 to 1933, he occup-
Polish community of Lublin and
its environs in the late eigh- ied the only chair for Jewish
teenth and early nineteenth cen- philosophy of religion and ethics
turies. It is the story of two in a German university, in
rabbis and their followers—both Frankfort, and was director of
named Jaacob Yitzhak. To dif- the College of Jewish studies
ferentiate them, the elder is re- in that city.
ferred to as the Seer and the
Martin Buber was exiled from
younger as Yehudi. The latter Germany after the rise of Hitler
assumes great influence. His in 1933. Since 1938 he has been
power of prayer and spread of professor of social philosophy at
word that he works miracles
creates his great following.
** *
The story occurs in the area
of the Napoleonic wars and the
break between the two is caus-
ed by two divergent opinions—
the elder willing to see prolong-
ation of the wars for the sake
of the re-establishment of Pal-
estine as a Jewish home and the
latter preferring to wait for re-
demption through God's mercy.
3824 Tyler
The volume is • replete with
tales of the Hassidim, of stories
that form a veritable anthology
of Hassidic lore. The name of
the book—"L'Shem Shamayim"
—is a splendid appellation for
the volume.
After
one has
struggled
through the first few dozen
pages, the Hassidic stories alone
are sufficient • to hold the read-
er's attention, and the remun-
eration is the opportunity to be
introduced to Hassidism by its
greatest exponent.
* * *
Martin Buber, founder of neo-
mysticism, was born in Vienna
in 1878. His early youth • was
spent in Lemberg, at the home
the Hebrew University in Jeru-
salem.
* * *
"For the Sake of Heaven" is
beautifully printed and bound,
with a two-color jacket, and re-
tails for $3. It may be secured
ed as one of the membership
books of the Jewish Publication
Society of America for as little
as $5 per year, for which mem-
bers receive any three cloth-
bound books published by the
society, plus a 20 percent discount
on additional purchases of the
society's own books. Library
memberships, available at $10
per year, bring the member any
six cloth-bound books published
by the Society, plus the discount.
Full details on the membership
plan, catalogues and other in-
teresting literature on the work
of the Jewish Publication Socie-
ty of America, the world's larg-
est publishers of Jewish books
in English, can be secured by
writing to the executive vice-
president, Maurice Jacobs, 320
Lewis Tower Bldg., Philadel-
phia 2, Pa.
Page Fifty-Seven
First Real Meal
HEBREW UNIVERSITY WILL
PRODUCE PENICILLIN DRUG
JERUSALEM, (JTA) — The
Hebrew University reported that
its laboratories will produce
penicillin for external use, under
the supervision of Dr. Baruch
Levin, son of the late Zionist
leader Shmarya Levin. Penicillin
for internal use will not be pro-
duced by the Hebrew University
laboratories because such produc-
tion requires the establishment
of a special very costly plant.
1.Prr,SM, : rr.•
Here is a lad, about 12, enjoy-
ing his first real meal in years
in his temporary home in Pales-
Million Sent To Palestine
tine. Rescued from Europe and
For Reconstruction Program
taken to Eretz Israel through
The American Palestine Found- funds collected in the U. S. by
ation Fund last week sent the the United Jewish Appeal, ef-
first million dollar check in its forts are being made to locate
25 years of activity to Palestine, his parents.
according to a statement by Sol
Reiter, its acting president. Mr.
We Can't Control The Quantity
Reiter, its acting president. Mr.
Reiter announced that this rep-
But We Can Control The QUALITY
the 1945 collections in the U. S.
States.
The 24 years that it has been our good fortune
to serve the community, places on us a responsi-
bility to our discriminating patronage. .it will be
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