Israel Takes to Sea I

By MATITIAHU HINDES

(Copyright, 1949, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)

The S.S. Haifa, when it anchors in the lower part of
New York harbor, is an object of keen interest to passersby.
Accustomed to seeing flags of all nations waving at the stern
of many ships, the appearance -of the blue-and-white flag of
Israel strikes a new note.
• Landlocked for centuries ; Jews, nevertheless, have main-
tained the tradition of the sea as a part of their heritage.

Now, as Dr. Chaim Weizmann, President of Israel, said, "Israel
controls its own waters," the citizens of the new state are turning
to the sea with the same vigor and enthusiasm that has charac-
terized their conquest of the soil.
Israel needs the sea. Land is limited in Israel and—though
fertilization of the soil and reforestation of eroded areas must
go on, with greater vigor than ever before—if Israel is to become
economically sound, it must exploit lo'the utmost the only un- -
limited boundary it has, the frontiers of the sea—'750 Of
sea-coast stretching from Dan to Elath on the gulf of Aqaba•. •
Israel needs the sea, for trade, for fobd and as its . .onlY direct
outlet to the rest of the world.
- The history of Israel and the sea—though its traditions date
Vack to antiquity—is very short in modern times. Only twelve
years ago, there were no facilities for training seamen, no fishery
development and few fishermen and 'practically no Jewish ship-
ping. In 1936, during the, Arab riots, the port of Jaffa was closed
to Jewish shipping and Jewish leaders appealed' to the Mandatory
Government for permission to build a port at Tel Aviv.
Within a matter of months, the port of Tel Aviv was opened
and soon after Jewish leaders met on board the ship '"Ilar Zion"
to organize a maritime program. Out of that meeting came the
formation of the Israel Maritime League and the founding of
the Haifa Nautical School.
The Israel Maritime League concerns itself with all phases
of maritime development in Israel. It promotes and stimulates
the following activities: The Haifa Nautical School, Seamen's
Homes in Haifa and Tel Aviv, Nautical Instructors' Summer
Camps, swimming pools and swimming instruction, publication
of nautical literature, "Yom Ha'Yam," and the Fitheries Re-
search Station in Haifa.
Since 1936, maritime activity in Israel has developed with
the characteristic initiative that we have come to associate with
Israel. Sea scout organizations, also stimulated by the IML, sprang

Dr. Chaim Weizmann, President of Israel, reviews cadets
of Haifa Nautical School, a beneficiary of the American Fund
for Israel Institutions.

up. The youth have taken to , sea sports and maritime training

as if they came from generations- of people who worked on the
sea. The Haifa Nautical School, organized by a British sailor,
Captain Miller, has graduated about three hundred ships' officers.
Twelve years ago, almost no Jewish fishermen were to be
found in Israel. The rich waters off Palestine were fished by
Italian and Arabic seamen who used the primitive methods used
by their ancestors for generations. But now, with up-to-date and
improved equipment, with fishing settlements established and
developed 'by the Jewish Agency all along the coast of Israel, with
the creation of inland artificially-stocked pools, fishing is rapidly
becoming an important industry in Israel. For a country that
must import most of its protein food—meat—this is vitally im-
portant.
Maritime trade is increasing with a rapidly-growing nucleus
of some 30 ships ranging in weight from 3,000 to 10,000 tons.
Among them are the famous refugee ships, like the "Negba," the
"Exodus," and, more recently, the "Gallia," interesting particu- .
larly for Americans because it used to be the "De Witt Clinton"
that used to sail as part of the Hudson River Day Line.
"Yom Ha'Yam" (Maritime Day) is a national holiday in Israel
dedicated to the growth of Israel as a ma _ ritime nation. The en-
tire population turns out to celebrate the day with sea sport con-

THE PORT OF BAIFA

The Jewish Calendar:

Lunar Calculations Regulate Religious Life

o

By HARRY CU,HING

it takes the earth to make a
complete cycle about the sun.
The lunar or moon month ism
the circuit that the moon travels
around the earth, from one new-
moon to the next new moon.
This cycle consists of 29 days,
12 hours and 44 minutes.
Jewish festivals but as to pe-<t>
In calculating it will be found
sonal observances.
Samuel possessed a thorough that by adding .up the lunar
The need for a calendar was knowledge of medicine as it was months to make a lunar year
evident in the dim past of Is- known in his times. He devoted it will be found that the latter
rael's history. Although they did himself to that branch of ap- consists of 354 days, 8 hours
not have a set calendar or table -plied astronomy which deals and 48 minutes, or about 11 days
by which to reckon dates, the with calendric science. His as- less than the, solar or sun year.
ancient Hebrews had a system tronomical studies of the revolu- , Naturally, something had to be
of computing time with the sun tions of the moon enabled him -done to compensate for the lois
and the moon as a basis for the to predict the beginning of the which would cause the festivals
record for the sequence of ev- month as determined in Pales- to fall behind. In ten 'years, for
ents. •
tine, and he claimed to be able' example, Rosh Hashanan, .the
* * *
to remove the necessity of cele- Jewish New .Year, would slip
THE NEED FOR a method of brating the extra day of festi- back more than 100 days and
.
reckoning the months was nec- vals in the Diaspora. He also would haVe to be observed some ,
essary in computing the dates computed a 60-year calendar. time in Mayor june.
* *
of the various Hebrew festivals.
*. * *
THIS PROBLEM always eF7
The fixing of the calendar did
UNDER THE PATRIARCHATE isted
but : the , Sanhedrin_ got
not occur until about the first of Judah the Prince (300-330),
century of the Christian era. astronomical calculations began around it by proclaiming an : 41,
The system, which prevailed in to be used and the testimony tra month every few years and
ancient times as to the setting of 'witnesses regarding the 6.13- -thus the, holidays continued.•to
of the days to observe festivals pearante of the 'New Moon was fall at.the proper seasons. When-
was not too involved. Men of listened to only as a formality. . Hillel II established his special
high repute served as observers The idea of utilising astronomic calendar table he also formu-.
atop the higher mountains to calculations was_ viewed with lated a rule which stated. that
watch for the appearance of the disfavor by some members of every 19 years there are to •be
new moon.
the Sanhedrin, especially Rabbi seven leap years, with each year
Upon noting "the first signs of Jose, who communicated with having a whole extra month.
Hillel also realized that for
the narrow crescent, each ob- the Jewish communities of Bab-
server kindled a bonfire on the ylonia and Alexandria, urging practical purposes each month
peak where he was stationed. that they continue to follow the ought to be made up of a de;•
When the bonfires nearest Jeru- custom of celebrating an extra finite number of complete days. •
salem were noted in the dis- day on festivals, advice which ThAls, the calendar table which
tance, the arrival of the new is still being followed by . Ortho- he established calls for the
moon was proclaimed from the dox and Conservative Jews but following arrangement: five •
Temple area by the blowing of which has been abrogated by months. have 29 days, and two
months vary from year to ' year,
silver trumpets.
the Reform movement.
UpOn
checking 'a Luach or He- •
While the Jews lived in their
Finally, in the fourth century,
calendar -it will be noted'
own land and maintained their the patriarch Hillel the Second, brew
autonomy, they were content to wrote down definite rules and that the'months of Nisan,
Tishri and Shevat consist of
carry on their affairs with this had them adopted. by the Jew- Av,
30 days each; Iyar, Tamuz, Ellul,
informal and simple month-to- ish communities of the world.
Tevet and Adar have 29 days
month calendar. HoWever, when
A basic rule of Hillel's calen- each, and Heshvan and Kislev
Palestine became a Roman pro-
vince, the conquerors very often dar was that the year it to be may have 29 or 30 days each.
THE JEWISH PEOPLE who
interfered with the observance ' a solar one, that is based on•
the sun, but the months are live so closely with their Chrilk-
of 'Jewish laws and customs.
Because of these handicaps, lunar ones, that is based on the tian neighbors have universally
JeWish communities outside of movement of the,moon. Hence, adopted the Christian calendar,
Palestine were left on many oc- the year consists of 365 days, 12 but' in religious matters, the He-
casions in doubt as to the time hours and 49 minutes, the period brew calendar is retained.
of festivals and fasts. Therefore
Rabbi Judah I, surnamed "the
Holy" (163-193), decided to abo-
lish the use of fire signals and
By RABBI SAMUEL J. FOX
employed messengers.
(Copyright, 1949, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)
* * *
DOUBTS STILL AROSE in
What is the Tashlich ceremony?
many instances and the custom
In Israel's vast reservoir of' customs and ceremonies one
was then introduced to add an is often puzzled at the significance of certain rituals that have
extra day to the observance of persisted through the centuries. One of these customs is the
the various festivals. Hence, al- Tashlich deineony. Men and women, the NewYear's holiday, go
though the Bible commands to a nearby river or stream and recite the Tashlich prayerS. Some
that Pa.ssover be observed for of them shake out either their pOckets or the extremities of their
seven days, it was decided to garments, as if to discard something into the water..
*
*
*
celebrate the festival for eight
days. *In this way it was hoped
Why must the ceremony be performed near water?-
to correct any miscalculation.
The Bible is rich with references to the significance of the
One of the first rabbis whose phenomenon -of.• watei. The prophet Isaiah-de-scribes water as an
studies helped in the final .crea- agent which shall fill all the gaping holes of a civilization which
ton of the Jewish calendar, as has witnessed barbaric *strife • and cruelty. Water is the Lord's
we know it, was 'Samuel, who purifying agent which can cover •up and wash away all the scan - \
was born in Nehardea, Baby- of humanity. •
The verses from the - -prophet Micah, which are recited at the
lonia, about 165.
ceremony,
imply this same characteristic with added meaning
Besides being a noted rabbi,
when it is said of the Lord "ThOu shalt .cast all their sins into
the depths of the sea." The sea of water is portrayed here as a
6—THE JEWISH NEWS
dissolving agent in v4,1iich all is lost or forgotten beneath the
Friday, Sept. 2s, 1949
riPP1:141g-VAves . of time.

(Copyright, 1949, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)

We are now starting a new Jewish year, but what do
you know about the. Jewish Calendar.? How does it differ
from the secular calendar?
The Jewish calendar is an indispensable item in every
Jewish household. Without a Jewish calendar—or "Luach"
—one is at a complete loss not only as to the dates of the

Rosh Hashanah Quiz

.

•

Sea Scouts marching on Yom Ha'Yam (Maritime Day).

tests, parades, addresses by the leaders of the nation, boat races,

swimming meets—all. in all, an inspirational celebration that
serves to focus the attention of the entire nation' on the necessity
for developing maritime *activities.
At the core of this stimulus is the Israel Maritime League, •
an organization of many thousands of members in Israel, in
England, , in South Africa, and now, for the first time, in the
United States. Under the sponsorship of the American Fund for*
Israeli institutions; the IML has been launched. in the United'
States, sponsored by more than 20 organizations—mostly youth
g roups , because it will be the youth that conquer the ,sea for

Isr aeL

.

