Special Designs Aid Centers At .Holiday Time Jewish holiday celebrations are an integral part of Jewish Community Center programming for the entire community. This series of specially-created designs, which features holiday symbols and methods of celebrating the various festivals, was created by the Bureau of Public Information of the Jewish Welfare Board, sponsor of the na tionwide Center program. The designs are made available for use in Cen- ter and other Jewish agency publications and for holiday decoration schemes. hamishah asar; hishvat osi JEWISH•COMMUNITY • CENT;I ■ 1 ■ ■ 1 1 NUNINNI ININNININ III 11111 INN .IN 111111111 I inunnunnu ■ Rosh Hashanah Quiz / By RABBI SAMUEL J. FOX (Copyright, 1950, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.) Why is the Ram's Horn' blown on Rosh Hashanah called "Shofar?" The term "Shofar," which refers to the "Ram's Horn" blown during the Rosh Hashanah holiday, is usually traced to the Hebrew-Chaldeec root "Shofar" which signifies "brilliancy," _"beauty" or • "brightness.'.' The verb denotes the action of scraping or polishing. The ram's horn is called "Shofar" because of its "bright" tone. • What are the reasons for blowing the "Sho- far" on Rosh Hashanah? Numerous reasons are offered. Those who use text for a basis stress the fact that the actual name for "Rosh Hashanah" in the Bible is "a day of blowing." Some claim that every major Jewish event in history was heralded by the blowing of the shofar. Since Rosh Hashanah is approximately the birthday of the world, some Claim that the shofar is sounded just as it was 5711 years ago. Other writers claim that the shofar is blown to remind God Of the sacrifice of Isaac.. Some say the shofar is blown to bewilder and frighten Satan who serves as the prosecutor at the Bar of Judgment on the Rosh Hashanah. In ancient times when the king was about to enter, the couriers blew trumpets to an- nounce his arrival. On Rosh Hashanah every living person is before the "King of Kings," the Lord in Heaven. Hence the shofar is blown to make us aware of the presence of God amongst us. Why is it that the horn of a cow, ox or calf may not be used as a "Shofar? Generally, three reasons are offered. The prin- ciple reason is that these animals are from the family of the Golden Calf which brought such disaster to the Israelites through sin and corrup- tion. The other two reasons are more technical. One claims that the horn of the cow family is generally referred to as "Keren" and not "Sho- far" as the others are. The other claims that the horn of the cow, showing itself to be of several layers appears to be more than one horn and it was required to have but one horn—indicating the unity in life. Why is it necessary for the ."Shofar" to be a curved figure? Originally, it seems there was a dispute among Talmudic authorities whether the sho- far should be a straight horn or a curved one. The final decision among the authorities was that it must be a curved instrument. The rea- son given is that a curved instrument looks like a "bent" one. This was to symbolize the fact that Man should "bend" his pride and assume the attitude of humility on the day of Judgment, as well as on any other day during the year. Why is the 47th Psalm recited seven times before the "Shofar" is blown? The text of the Psalm shows God to be the "great King over all the Earth," who "reigneth over the nations." The shofar which heralds the presence of God is appropriately introduced by proclaiming God, King over all the Earth. The reason for reciting it seven times either has to do with the seven circuits that were made around the wall of Jerusalem before it fell, symbolizing our hope of breaking the wall of Judgment with God's mercy or it symbolizes our desire to have our prayers cut through the "seven heavens" that separate us from the Almighty's throne of Glory in the physical sense. Can The Arabs Stay In Israel? Politics, Religion Are Hindrances to Amity By JON KIMCHE (Copyright, 1950, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.) As you enter the Arab-owfied hotel in Nazareth, you come face to face - with a large portrait of Theodor Herzl, the founder of Zionism. Shops, bars and the homes of Arab notables are sim- ilarly decorated. There are probably more portraits and paint- ings. of Herzl on view in Arab Nazereth than throughout Jewish Israel. Yet increasingly insistently the more farsighted owners of these portraits are asking—"Can we stay on in Israel?" The problem is further complicated by religious differentia- tions which overlap into active politics. The Arab population is broadly divided into four main religious groupings: 17,000 follow the Church of Rome; 20,000 follow the Eastern Orthodox Church; 110,000 are Moslems; and 16,000 are members of the Druze sect. ATTEMPTS HAVE BEEN made to counter these influences with the encouragement of the Israeli authorities. First, a kind of Arab branch of the Histadrut was opened in Nazareth under the title of League of Palestine Workers. So far it has made little inroads on Communist influence and has ordinarily no decisive impact on the Arab workers generally. Then Mohammed Nimri Hawwari, one-time founder of the Arab nationalist "Nejada," appeared on the scene with an im- pressively progressive program and goodwill from the Israel Government, but with no following. He has been endeavoring to organize a party in Nazareth which would counter both the Con- servatives and the Communists but he has made little progress. ALL PETTY CHARGES and counter-charges' fade before the ominous simplicity of the basic problem!: Can Israel accept its Arab citizens as equals in every way? At present Israel and the Israeli Arabs are getting the worst of both worlds. The economic betterment of the poor Arab and the avowals of the Government enlarging on its liberal policy toward its Arab minority act as a constant inducement to desperate Arab refugees in the neighboring states to endeavor to return to their homes in Israel, illegally if not legally, later if not now. The only measure that would possibly be adequate to stop this persistent infiltration of Arabs into Israel would be a bold and reasoned declaration by the Israel Government that there is no future for Arabs within Israel's borders. But such a policy goes both against the grain of the present Government, and if it did not, it could not make such a declaration unless the Arabs resumed their war against Israel. Otherwise it would outrage the tender feelings of the international community. The present borders of Israel are therefore bound to remain in a scene of unrest and illegal crossings for some time to come. World Peace Efforts Stand As Monument to Diplomat Oscar Straus By LEWIS L. STRAUSS The memory Of Oscar Straus does not depend upon any memorial raised by hands. Even now, 25 years after his death, the purposes to which he devoted his life continue to shed their light upon his name. - Born at Ottenberg in the Bavarian Palatinate a hundred years ago, Oscar Solomon Straus was of distinguished lineage. His father, Lazarus Straus, like many another German Jew, decided that the political events of 1848 made the Ger- man clithate intolerable. Accordingly, in 1852, he set out for the new world. Educated at Columbia College and Law School, Oscar Straus' New York law practice proved at once successful. But poor health caused him to retire. After a holiday, he became a member of the china and glassware firm founded by his father and elder brothers. * * * LARGELY AT THE suggestion of well-known persons attracted by Straus' scholarship, the young man was brought to the attention of ........... President Grover Cleveland w h o, in 1887, appointed Straus, then only 37 years old, United . .9States Minister to Turkey. In 1898, Pres- McKinley again 4.1 tendered that post to Straus, the first time that an individual had received t h e same appointive dip- lomatic office under both a Democratic and Republican ad- Oscar Straus ministration. When Theodore Roosevelt became president, one of his first acts was to appoint Straus a member of the permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague, an appointment later reconfirmed by President Roosevelt and President Wilson. * IN 1906, President Roosevelt appointed Straus Secretary of Commerce and Labor. When Presi- dent Taft was inaugurated in 1909, Straus was offered a third opportunity to serve in Turkey, this time with the rank of Ambassador. Of Straus' warm love for Jewish tradition, Dr. Cyrus Adler has said: "No Jew in America THE ISRAEL GOVERNMENT wants at the same time to be ever had so full and rounded out a public life generous and to be secure. But • in this kind of minority problem as Oscar Straus. But he was not of those who there are no "ifs" and "buts." thought at any time .that his public career de- severance from his Jewish traditions. That is the issue before Israel. The world standard by which manded He was a loyal member of the synagogue to her treatment of the Arab minority is measured is admittedly which his people were attached; he was actively high. But then the Jews have always set and asked for a higher engaged in the work of the administration of standard where minorities are concerned. one of the largest Jewish charities in New York, the Hebrew Orphan Asylum. * * * AND NOW THAT THEY are at"he giving instead of the re- ceiving end, the standard should be maintained. Either policy "HE WAS INTENSELY. interested in the will be understood by the world and appreciated by the Arabs. American Jewish Historical Society, of which he But not the present confusion of honest and generous intention was president froin its founding in 1892 to 1898. coupled with uncertain and half-hearted execution. Which is it He was a trustee of the Jewish Publication So- ciety of America, a member of the executive to be? committee of the American Jewish Committee and a governor of Dropsie College. He resented 10 THE JEWISH NEWS September 8, 1950 at all times attacks upon the Jewish people." —