8—THE JEWISH NEWS

The Family o f the First President o Israel

Friday, August 13, 1948

'Jest for Fun

By I. ZAAC

(Copyright, 1948, Jewish Telegraphic
Agency, Inc.)

Definition
There is a story, probably fic-
tional, that when Noan .\/ ■ ./ eoster,
the author of the dictionary, was
a very young man, his mother
once came upon him when he was
kissing a pretty young miss.
"Noah, I am amazed," said his
mother.
"Mother," said young Noah,
you are astonished, I am amazed."
There is, of course, nothing
particularly " Jewish about this
story. except the name Noah.
However, there is a "dictionary"
story they tell about Benjamin
Disraeli. The story goes that
Disraeli was 'once asked what
was the difference between the
word "calamity" and the word
"misfortune."
Replied Disraeli: "If Gladstone
were to fall in a river, taht would
be a misfortune, but it would
be a calamity, if someone were
to fish him out."

A photograph of members of the Weizmann family, taken at
Front row *(left to right): A brother-in-law of President Weiz-
mann;—LUBZINSKY, a brother-in-law, deceased; (standing) CHAYA
Pinsk in 1911. Pictured are (left to . right) top row: YECHIEL WEIZ-
LICHTENSTEIN, a sister of Dr. Weizmann, now a teacher in Tel
MANN, a brother of President Chaim Weizmann;—LICHTENSTEIN,
Aviv; LEAH RACHEL WEIZMANN, the president's mother, de-
a brother-in-law, deceased; FEIVEP WEIZMANN, a brother, de-
ceased; OZER W. WEIZMANN, his father, deceased; MAMA
ceased; CHAIM WEIZMANN; DR. MOSHE WEIZMANN, a
LUTZHIUSKY, a sister, deceased; SAMUEL W. WEIZMANN, a
brother who is now professor of chemistry at Hebrew University,
brother, deceased; Dr. HELENA WEIZMANN, a sister-in-law. The
Jerusalem; a cousin, Dr. FRUMA WEIZMANN, a sister who was a
boy and girl are grandchildren of Dr. Weizmann's parents. At the
/left is a closeup of the president of the new State of Israel.
dentist, deceased.
The article on pages I and 20 in this issue completes the six-week series by Gerold Frank on the life of Dr. Chaim Weizmann.

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'Sholom Aleichem Panorama'

Great Yiddish Humorist's
Works Brilliantly Analyzed

Melech (Max W.) Grafstein, ature. The compiler, editor and
whose work on Judah L. Peretz publisher — Mr. Grafstein — has
several years ago created a sen- written that he hopes "to stimu-
sation in the literary world, has late the reader to a greater in-
done an even more magnificent terest in the life and letters of
job with his newest 416-page pub- Sholom Aleichem. If we succeed
lication, "Sholom Aleichem Pan- in principle we shall consider
orama," published by Jewish Ob- our efforts richly rewarded." It
server Publishing Co. 1Ferlag M.. is certain that Mr. Grafstein , will
W. Grafstein), London, Ontario. succeed, that his book will serve
Divided into eight Sections, Mr. as a landmark in this genera-
Grafstein has incorporated into tion's interpretation of the best
this typographically excellent in Yiddish classics and that his
and beautifully illustrated ' book volume will have a large circula-
his own essay on the gPeat Jew- tion. The reason for such an as-
ish humorist, translations of sumption becomes obvious even
Sholom Aleichem's works, mem- after a very cursory study of the
oirs and letters, an art section , volume.
Thus, Prof. Solomon Liptzin,
and a portion which includes the
reprint of two' Sholom Aleichem who also wrote an essay in this
one-act plays, "Heaven" and volume on the subject "Sholom
"She Must Marry a Doctor," and
a full-length play, "It's Hard to
be a Jew."
Mr. Grafstein's splendid work
_ reveals that "It's Hard to be a
Jew," which originally was
written as a Sholom Aleichem
story, employs as its plot the
theme of "Gentlemen's Agree-
ment." Some have maintained
that Laura Z. Hobson got the
cue for her best-seller from
Sholom Aleichem.
Sholom Aleichem was called
"the Yiddish Dickens" by the
New York Times. But Mark
Twain, when he heard Sholom
Aleichem referred to as the Yid-
dish Mark Twain, protested and
said "I am the American Sholom
Aleichem." The name "Sholom
Aleichem," which also is the Jew-
ish salutation, means "peace be
with you." The great humorist's
real name was Sholem Rabino-
witz. Born in 1859, he left his
native country of Russia in 1905
SHOLOM ALEICHEM
after the Kishinev pogrom, be-
Aleichem
Scans America," in his
came a world wanderer, arrived
in the United. States in 1911 and introduction describes "the full
force of Sholom Aleichem's en-
died in New York in 1916.
The most beloved Jewish chantment" and points out that
writer of this century, his works "readers unacquainted with Yid-
have been translated__ into En- dish need not remain utterly out-
glish and many other languages. side of this spell."
S. Niger's "Sholom Aleichem
Maurice Samuel's "The World
of Sholom Aleichem," which was Mirrored in `Tevyeh' " concludes
• awarded the Saturday Review that Revyeh the Dairyman is
of Literature Prize, has helped Sholom Aleichem's spiritual auto-
biography.
spread the humorist's fame.
Maurice Samuel, who already
Sholom Aleichem wrote chil-
is known as a great authority
dren's books, short stories, poems,
on Yiddish literature, has writ-
farces and comedies.
ten one of the best essays in the
Noted Essayists
book—"The Humor of Kasri-
Mr. Grafstein's book is signif- levke."
icant from many points of view.
An article that will attract
The eminent contributors to the wide attention is Mary Ready
book elevate it to a position of Holmes' "A Gentile Reads Sho-
great significance in Jewish liter- lom Aleichem."' This Christian

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view of the Yiddish' humorist's
creations by one who became a
lover of Yiddish has the special
quality of its comparison of
Sholom Aleichem with 0. Hen-
ry, Mark Twain, Josh Billings,
Bret Harte and others.
Mr. Grafstein's essay "The Leg-
end of the Lost Laughter," Itzik
Manger's "Only One Sholom Alei-
chem," Dr. A. A. Roback's "The
Humor of Sholom Aleichem," I. I.
Trunk's "Menachem Mendel of
Kasrilevke," Ch. S. Kazdan's
"Sholom Aleichem — Poet of
Childhood" which describes the
children's stories of the humor-^`
Nachman Meisel's description of
how Sholom Aleichem ,red
the folksinger M. M. Warshawski,
Dr. Jacob Shatzky's "Slavonic
Slant on Sholom Aleichem" and
"The Untranslatable Translated,"
are among the essays which con-
tribute towards the magnitude of
Grafstein's work.
A. Almi's essay "Sholom Ale-
ichem and Sholom Rabinowitz"
shows that in nis private life the
great humorist was a very de-
voted Zionist. David Rom 's
"Chaucer and Sholom A e "
shows the kinship between these
two writers. B. Z. Goldberg, trio
humorist's son-in-law, is the au-
thor of "Sholom Aleichem in the
Soviet Union," an essay which
describes the great author's popu-
larity in Russia. There is a sec-
tion of tributes to the humorist by
Yiddish poets, published in Yid-
dish. The editor's article on the
Hebrew background of the hu-
Morist concludes the first book in
his volume.
Dramatic Works
The second book is devoted to
the republication of the works of
Sholom Aleichem and concludes
with the classic tale about Mark
Twain and Sholom Aleichem.
Book Three, devoted to mem-
oirs of Sholom Aleichem, contains
articles by David Pinski; the hu-
morist's epitaph, written by him-
self and translated into English;
"My Father, Shplom Aleichem,"
by Lala Kaufman;. fascinating es-
says by I. D. Berkowitz, Abraham
Reisen, Daniel Charney, Marie W.
Goldberg, the humorist's youngest
daughter, and an article on Ma-
dame Sholom Aleichem by Regina
Mantell.
Book Four contains two dra-
matic works by the humorist.
They are illustrated with the pho-
tographs of noted actors who ap-
peared on the Yiddish stage in
Sholom Aleichem's works. Books
Five and Six contain the Yiddish
folksongs of the humorist, illus-
trated by Saul Raskin, and the
Sholom Aleichem Art Gallery.
Poems and Letters
Poems that follow are: Zalman
Shneour's "A Monument to Sho-
lom Aleichem;" "Elegy" by A. M.
Klein and a list of writers who

died as victims of Nazism in Po-
land.
Book Seven contains the, letters
of Sholom Aleichem and reviews
of his works. Book Eight is the
Sholom Aleichem Theater Album,
with photographs and reproduc-
tions of theater programs, an arti-
cle by Zalmen Zilbercweig and
Nuggets by Sholom Aleichem.
Mr. Grafstein, whose "Sholom
Aleichem Panorama" surely will
be in demand wherever Jews read

MELECH GRAFSTEIN

English, has been in business in
London, Ontario, since settling
there from Poland 20 years ago.
An ardent devotee of Yiddish art
and literature, he is the editor of
the London Jewish Observer and
is a contributor to American and
Canadian publications. He now is
working on an anthology of He-
brew and Yiddish writers and
poet's who perished during the
war. He is the Ontario director of
YIVO, Yiddish Scientific Insti-
tute, and is a national director of
Histadrut in Canada.
Grafstein's "Sholom Aleichem
Panorama" can be ordered
through booksellers or directly
from the publisher, M. W. Graf-
stein, P.O. Box 10, London, Onta-
rio, Canada.

Jews Mark 50th Yahrzeit
For World Zionist Pioneer

WARSAW, (JTA)—The 50th
anniversary of the death of Rab-
bi Samuel Mohilever, one of the
founders of the world Zionist
movement at the turn of the
century, was marked in Jewish
communities throughout • Poland.
At the cemetery in Bialystok,
where the distinguished Zionist
figure is buried, Jews gathered
to pay honor to his memory. The
Mizrachi organization of Poland
announced that it will take steps
soon to decorate his grave.

The Whole World Can't
Be Crazy
Moe and Sam decided to take
Horace Greeley's advice and "go
West" to grow up with the coun-
try.
On a balmy spring day, they
arrived at a town in the midwest
which was just experiencing its
first surge of settlers. Moe and
Sam looked about for a business
to start: Moe with only $25 to
his name and Sam had even less
--$10 to be precise.
So Moe and Sam sat down in
the railroad station and thought
and thought. Then they stood up
in the railroad station and thought
some more. Then they walked
around the block and thought
even more. Finally Moe had an
idea.
"I have it," he said.
"Yes, so let's hear," prompted
Sam.
"Let's open a bank," said Moe.
"When you open a bank, you
don't need money of your own.
The people themselves bring the
money."
"That's a good idea," said Sam.
"If we become bankers, we'll
have Saturday afternoons off."
So they spread the word around
town that they were opening a
bank, and the people began
bringing their money to the bank
by the bushel full. Moe and Sam
even had to use the waste basket
for storing the money.
Finally at the end of the day,
when the bank was closed, Moe
looks at Sam, and Sam looks at
Moe and then Moe speaks:
"Sam, you know what?"
"What?"
"I think," said .Moe, "we should
deposit our own $35 00 in the
bank too. ,,,The whole world can't
be crazy."
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Ashamed of His Deed
It has lately been divulged
that, a few years back, a Jew
was the means of saving Hitler's
life. At least, so the story goes.
"Even though you are a Jew,"
said Hitler, "you are a brave
man and I would like to reward
you. What would you wish me
to do?"
"Well," said the Jew, "the one
thing I would ask you, is not to
breathe a word about this to
anyone."
* * *
Don't Go—Ride
Old timers will remember Dr.
Adoph M. Radin. Years ago, he
was a leading figure in American
Jewish life. He was a good-
hearted man and always helping
out people in trouble, but some-
times there is a limit to benevo-
lence. .
There was one very half-baked
"schmiel" who could -never get
adjusted to a post, whom .Dr.
Radin was forever helping.
One day, after this ne'er do
well had flopped after repeated
efforts of Dr. Radin to assist him,
he came crying to the good doc 7
tor:
"I can do no more for you,"
said Dr. Radin.
"If you do nothing," warned
the man, "I will go to the mis-,
sionaries." .
Dr. Radin took a nickel from
his pocket. "Don't go," he said.
"Ride."