Myths and Folklore

As the Editor
Views the News .

Dr. T. H. Gaster Describes

Semitic Folkways, Legends

Slow Moving FEPC

A special section on "Semitic Folklore," by
Results of a survey conducted by the As-
Dr. Theodore H. Gaster, is included in the sec-
sociated Press show that only seven states
ond volume of "The Funk- and Wagnalls Stand-
in this country have adopted legislation out-
ard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology and Leg-
lawing discrimination in employment. Three
end," the Funk-Wagnalls (153 E. 24th, NY 1W
other states have set up fair practices com-
publication reference to which already has been
made in the Commentator's column last week.
missions on an educational basis, with bills
for similar commissions pending in 13 states.
This very scholarly essay of 15 pages de--
scribes the tales, .songs, riddles, humor, proverbs,
It is interesting to note that none of the
myths and folklore of the Semitic people. The
Southern states has a Fair Employment
Bible and other Jewish sources are referred to
Practices Commission ; that Southern Demo-
frequently. Oral and written folklore, practices
crats have blocked proposals for a Federal
and customs, fables and songs, are reviewed in
FEPC in order not to upset the South's tra-
interesting fashion.
dition of segregating the white and colored
In his treatment of the Scriptures, Dr. Gaster
races.
shows the use of puns on names, the limping
Neither house of Congress has acted on
meter of Hebrew dirges, the existence of nursery
President Truman's request for a Federal
rimes, as in the following to quote the scholarly
FEPC act, and there is a possibility that
essay:
Mr. Truman may follow President Roose-
"An example of a nursery rime may perhaps.
velt's course in creating a fair practices
be recognized in Isaiah xxviii, 10, although the
commission by executive order.
point is obscured in the English version. The
prophet is complaining of the hopelessness of
The controversy that has raged for years
teaching the word of God to the 'drunkards of
over proposals for FEPC legislation seems
Ephraim,' and observes: To whom is one trying
to indicate that there is no hope for action
to teach knowledge? And to whom is one trying
by Congress, and President Truman's order
to convey a meaning? Is it to new-weaned in- •
of Feb. 2, directing the Defense and Com-
fants, or to babies who have just left off suck-.
merce Departments to include provisions in
ling? Is it a matter of tsav le-tsav quay le-quay,
all defense contracts forbidding discrimina-
here-a-bit and there-a-bit?' The untranslated
tion on the grounds of race, color or national
words are usually rendered "precept by precept,
line by line'; more probably, however, they rep-
origin, is widely acclaimed as a step in the
resent a childish jingle, somewhat like our - oops ,
proper direction, especially in view of the
a-daisy' or 'pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake'."
existing national emergency.
The state of New York pioneered in
The Biblical book of Proverbs is described as
The 1951 American Jewish Year Book, published by the "largely a collection of didactic maxims, and
FEPC action by setting up the Commission
Against Discrimination on July 1, 1945. Its American Jewish Committee and the Jewish Publication the same is true of the apocryphal Wisdom of
example has been followed by Connecticut, Society, contains some interesting facts relating to the Jew- Ben Sirach."
Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Washington, ish communities in Michigan.
-Dr. Gaster's lengthy essay enriches this dic-
New Jersey and Oregon. FEPC bills are
In the study of changes in Jewish population, the Year tionary, a major exception to which was taken
pending in Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Utah, Book estimates that the Jewish population of the United by our Commentator last week. The Funk-Wag-
Missouri, Colorado, West Virginia, Ne- States approximates 4,700,000 and that communities in nalls book also treats numerous other subjects
of Jewish interest: Jacob's Ladder, Jephthah, -
braska, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Arizona, Cali- Michigan of 100 or more Jews are as follows :
Jonah, Jonathan, Joseph, the Kaddish; "the an-.
fornia and Illinois. Indiana has had an FEPC
Ann Arbor, 240 ; Battle Creek, 160 ; Bay City, 736 ; Bent- cient Hebrew belief in the power of the Man-
act since 1945 and New Mexico has set up
drake to induce conception"; Jewish folkloristic
such a commission in 1949, but the Indiana on Harbor, 830 ; Detroit, 90,000; Flint, 2,200 ; Grand Rapids, attitudes on the questibn of Menstruation;
_1,400;
Iron
County,
161;
Iron
Mountain,
104;
Jackson,
200;
law does not provide for penalties and New
Moses; the significance of the Myrtle to Jews; -
Mexico is not enforcing its rulings. In Wis- Kalamazoo, 640 ; Lansing, 550 ; Marquette County, 175 ; Mt. Shoes in Jewish traditional folklore; the Shofar;
Clemens,
300;
Muskegon,
400;
Pontiac,
700;
Port
Huron,
consin, a state FEPC act provides for pub- 130; Saginaw, -600;
Jewish references to Jesus; Star of David or
South Haven, 450.
Solomon's Seal; Yeahweh or Jehovah, and scores
lication of its findings without penalty, and
It would be interesting to learn how drastic have been of other Jewish topics. •
even the publicizing of offenses has not been
the changes in Jewish populations in numerous Michigan
adhered to.
In the section on "Museums," there is a
Thus we find that one of the most im- communities in the past 30 years. At the beginning of this reference to: " `Bezaler Jewish National Museum,
portant efforts to prevent discrimination has century, a number of cities in the state had minyanim, and Museum of Jewish Antiquities of the He-
groups of Jews sufficiently large in number to conduct re- brew University, both in Jerusalem, have ex-
been deadlocked.
In Michigan, immediate chances for the ligious services starting with the traditional minyan of ten hibits illustrating the folklore of various Jewish
adult males. Many of these communities have disintegrated, cultures both in and outside of Palestine." The
adoption of FEPC laws appear hopeless.
Museum in New York is listed, as well .
But the fight for fair action_in employ- the Jewish families moving to Detroit or to other large cities Jewish
as five museums in Michigan.
in
order
to
avoid
the
danger
of
their
children's
intermarriage
ment, in education, in all human endeavors,
Exception must be taken also- to the quot-
as a result of socializing with the Christian majority that
continues unabated.
overwhelmed them, As a matter of fact, unofficial studies ing, under "nursery rimes," of the ditty: "Little
indicated that, in recent years, intermarriage increased dras- Pee; Penny Jew; Judy Whistle; Mary Gristle;
and 'Old Big Gobble Gobble." What purpose does.
tically in several of our Michigan communities.
this serve. -
Congregation Bnai Moshe has earned the
Another interesting study in the 1951 Year Book relates
In the main, the Funk-Wagnalls Dictionary
community's commendations for its wise ac- to the appointment of displaced persons to American Jewish of Folklore is a most valuable and magnificent
tion in pooling its resources with the United communities by the United- Service for New Americans. We book.
Hebrew Schools for the establishment of a learn that under the DP Act of 1948, as of Aug. 8, 1950, DP
school building.
units resettled through USNA in Detroit numbered 250 and
NOrthwest Hebrew Congregation was the that the requested quota under the DP Act of 1950 for our Facts You Should Know .. .
first Detroit synagogue to join with the community is 279. The number of requested units in both
What is a "Pidyon Haben?" Why were the
Hebrew Schools in establishing an educa- categories is 16 for Flint. In Grand Rapids, four units were first-born so important in Jewish ritual?
tional center under joint auspices. This has resettled as of Aug. 8, 1950, and the requested current quota
A "Pidyon Haben" is the name given to the
meant economy in manpower and funds and under the 1950 DP Act is 11. It is a well-established fact, of redemption ceremony which is performed for a
efficiency from the point of view of super- course, that the smallest communities, too, have welcomed first-born male of an Israelite family when he is
vision.
and continue to receive their share of DPs.
31 days old. It consists of a ritual in the course
By emulating the Northwest Synagogue's
The fragmentation of Michigan into a limited number of of which the father of the child pays five dollars
example, Congregation Bnai Moshe is ren- small Jewish communities, with the exception of Detroit in silver to a Kohen (member of the priestly
dering a great community service and is —Flint and Grand Rapids alone having more than 1,100 family which descended from Aaron the High
helping provide necessary facilities for our Jews—is further indicated by the fact that in addition to Priest) by which he redeems his son.
educational system.
The Bible commanded (Exodus 13:1), "Sanc-
Detroit only 11 more communities have Federations and Wel-
fare Funds. As recorded in the 1951 Year Book, these 11 tify unto Me all the -first-born .. both of man
communities are : Battle Creek, Bay City, Benton Harbor, and of beast." This clearly indicates that the
Flint, Grand Rapids, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Muske- first-born assumed some holy nature way back
in the Biblical era. The reason for their import-
Encouraging reports from Washington gon, Pontiac and Saginaw.
ance is somewhat explained in another source in
indicate that the friendship between Israel
The figures quoted here from the Year Book present the Bible (Numbers-3:13) wherein it is written:
and the United States is being strengthened strong arguments to indicate Detroit's role in our state. "For all the first-born are mine on the day when
and that the Jewish state is viewed as the With less than 10,000 Jews spread throughout the state I smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt.*
bulwark for democracy in the Middle East.
outside of Detroit—allowing for additional numbers in small- It is thus obvious that the first-born received
Senators Douglas and Taft are reported er communities—the parent city has a major obligation to spedial consideration because they were saved
to be leading a move, to be sponsored by guide its neighbors in the field of education, in planning ex- from the hand of the angel of death who smote
about 20 Senators, to grant additional aid pansion of congregations, in creating interest in youth ac- the first-born of the Egyptians during the last
to Israel. Such help will go a long way in tivities and in organizing fund-raising drives for relief and of the ten plagues of the land of Egypt. • The
protecting Israel's economic position and in rehabilitation of Jews who must be rescued from lands of Lord is said to have spared them for a priestly
role in the sanctuary. The selection of the. first-
strengthening democracy's defenses. Speedy oppression.
born particularly has at least two important .
adoption of such a measure will be to the
Perhaps it would be wise, in the course of planning, reasons. First, it was a general tendency of the
advantage of this country.
activities for the United Jewish Appeal and for other im- Jewish faith to dedicate the first-fruits of any
portant causes to organize the state into a single unit, in producing elements as a sign of the fact that
order to offer to the smaller communities the benefit of the what we have comes from the Lord Eternal.
Member: American Association of English-Jewish News- experiences gathered by the larger groups in Michigan.
Hence the first fruits of the earth were always
papers. Michigan Press Association.

Michigan Jewry Analyzed

-

A Wise Move

Grant-in-Aid

THE JEWISH NEWS

-,Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publishing
Co. 708-10 DaVid Stott Bldg., Detroit 26, Mich., WO. 5-1155.
Subscription $3 a year; foreign $4.
Entered as second class matter Aug. 6, 1942 at Post Office,
Detroit. Mich., under Act of March 8, 1879.

-,

Wanted: Campaign Volunteers

Thousands of men and women will be needed as volun-
teers for the 1951 Allied Jewish Campaign.
All of us have an obligation to the 1951 fund-raising
Vol. XVIII—No. 26
Page 4
March 9, 1951
effort.
This Sabbath, the second day of - Adar II,
Have YOU volunteered your services ?
5711, the following Scriptural selections will be
.read in our synagogues:
If you have not yet enlisted for the drive, do so now.
Pentateuchal portion—Ex. 38:21-40:38.
Complete coverage of all prospects may depend entirely on
Prophetical portion—I Kings 7.51-8:21.
the help you can give to this great effort.

PHILIP SLOMOVITZ, Editor
SIDNEY SHMARAK, Advertising Manager

taken to the Temple. It would be likewise fitting
to extend this ritual to the first fruits of the
animal and man, as a symbol of recognizing
that G-d is the source of all production. Sec-
ondly, it was a custom in olden times amongst
the idol worshippers to deify the first-born.
Some even went as far as offering the first-born
children of humans as sacrifices upon fire-altars.
The Lord destroyed the first-born of Egypt to
show that they were not deities. He asked the
Israelites to dedicate their first-born as an ex-
ample of the fact that one can serve G-d with-
out killing one's self, i.e., by dedicating one's
life to G-d.

Cr

