THE JEWISH NEWS—
Friday, April 11, 1952
•artgue of the Propl.efs'
Robert St. John's Study of
Ben-Yehuda, Hebrew's Reviver
The story of one of the mostgreat men in Jewish history in
romantic figures in Zionism and the past 75 years who were ac-
in Israel's redemption — Eliezer tive in Zionism, who conferred
Ben Yehuda—at last is told in a with Ben Yehuda, who helped
full-length biography. Interest-
ingly enough, it was written by either in the revival of Hebrew
or in the redemption of Israel.
a non - Jew,
There is an interesting note
Robert St. John,
about Dr. Max Nordau's inter-
under the title,
"Tongue of the
marriage. St. John relates Ben
Prophets"it
Yehuda's meeting with Nordau
(Doubleday. 575''
9 Cooperation Asked of U. S. Religious Leaders
CINCINNATI, (JTA) —Jewish
religious and cultural leaders of
America were called upon to
join in exploring the possibili-
ties of co-operation with a view
to ultimately achieving unity,
but not uniformity, in terms of
a national organization which
will represent the Jewish people
of this country. This effort, it.
ish life will be recorded indelibly
in Jewish history.
Regrettably, there are several
errors in St. John's biography
which should have been avoid-
ed. He speaks, for instance, of
Weizmann having been won
over to Zionism by Herzl's "Jew-
ish State." That's a grave error. was emphasized, should be initi-
Weizmann was a Zionist before
he knew about Herzl. And
there is the mistake of picturing
Ben Yehuda entering a Jeru-
salem synagogue "in the ortho-
dox manner" on the Sabbath
with "tefillin fastened to his
and head." He should have
and his wile and then tells the arm
been advised against erring on
following:
this point. tefillin not being
"He lived here in this house
worn on the Sabbath and fes-
Madison, NY22.)
It is an appro-
priate title, Ben
Yehuda having
with his mother and sister, t,vals.
been the leader
With these exceptions — the
both of whom had been op-
St. V John
in t h e move-
a posed to his romance with the errors could have been avoided
ulent to revive Hebrew as
Danish girl, not because she if good. informed friends had
spoken and living tongue after
read the manuscript in advance
previously been married,
it had been considered a dead had
nor because she had had sev- —St. John has written a story
language for 20 centuries.
eral children by her first hus- that will fascinate many reader's
St. John's review of Ben Ye- band, but because she was a and will re-create interest in
huda's life is all-inclusive, It
Christian. He had begged for the exciting eras when 'Zionists
reads like a romance and the
his mother's understanding, struggled against great odds and
reader grudgingly ends the story
but she had remained firm in won heroic battles for their
with the realization that few her opposition. So they had movement.
romances could possibly equal
been secretly married and
the reality which the life of the Mrs. Nordau still lived in her
Polish Seamen Seeking Haven
Ben Yehudas has introduced own home with her children
Returned as Political Prisoners
into Jewish history. The non-
by the previous marriage and
Jewish author proves that his
with little Maxa, their own
TEL AVIV, (JTA)—Three Po-
hero was a "faithful fanatie"
child, while he still lived in lish seamen who deserted from
who ref used to let anything this house with his mother the Swedish freighter, Java,
stand in his way of making He-
and sister.
when it docked at Haifa, and
brew live. It was an heroic
asked asylum as political refu-
"'And now that I am tak-
struggle, and it began with per-
ing a leading part in the gees until they could emigrate
sonal determination to wit:.
Zionist movement, I wonder to Australia. will be returned to
Against what appeared to be in-
Sweden, Israeli authorities de-
what others will say.'
surmountable odds, Ben Yehuda
cided.
own
family
"Then
he
shrugged
his
shoul-
insisted that his
The three seamen had de-
speak only Hebrew. Then he ders and added : "However.
serted a- Polish ship in Sweden
enforced it for all around him.
my wife and I are very much
in love and, as you saw, we and later signed on the Swed-
In later years it began to spread.
ish freighter. Israeli authorities
With the success of the Zionist , have a wonderful child'."
said the men did not have pa-
movement he gained ground. i
Ben Yehuda struggled for lack
His final triumph represents one , of finances. He was compelled pers that would enable them to
of the most important victories to be on guard against the Ot- emigrate to Australia and de-
for the Zionist idea.
!toman restrictions --once spend- cided to return the men to
His Second Marriage
ling a week in jail on the charge Sweden.
Ben Yehuda settled in Jeru- that his call to action for Jew-
salem with his young bride ish national revival represented
Deborah in their early yote.h.. treason to Turkey. But he came
Ben Yehuda suffered Irvin t.b. , through with flying coiors be-
and was not riven many years cause of his "fanaticism' . and
to live. But he survived many his determined will. St. John
strusgies and he suffered many , ably delineates the genius of the
casualties --- the first being leis man whose contribution to Jew-
wite who contracted his dis.case
and passed on. In the sain.
month, three of their cinidr , -n
Your Satisfaction
also died. Ben Yehuda later
married his wife's younger sis-
Is My Concern !
ter. Pula, wilt) changed her name
She became her
to Hem d a.
•
husi)and's chief aid in his great
For
a
.
work.
Ben Yehuda's chief creation,
Deal and
in addition to the practical ei-
Service
fort of reviving Hebrew as a
spoken tongue, Was the compil-
On the '52 Buick
ation of his Hebrew dictionary.
It took many years to complete
See or Call
it and it required study in many
languages to arrive at roots for
Charlie Weinstock
the new words he introduced
23 Years wit%
into the revived tongue.
His struggle became part of
Buick Factory Branch
the tight for Jewish natiGnal
revival and he became one of
6164 CASS near G.M. Bldg.
the leading pioneers in the
TRinity 5-9700
St.;
his
story,
In
Zionist effort.
relates
the
names
of
khe
Jahn
ated on local levels in the hope
that these will culminate in
national federation.
The call was issued by Rabbi
Barnett R. Brickner, of Cleve-
land, in an address at Founder's
Day ceremonies at the Cincin-
nati school of the Hebrew Union
College-Jewish Institute of Re-
ligion here. Rabbi Brickner
urged restoration of the primacy
of the synagogue and an inter-
denominational convocation of
religious leaders to plan greater
unification in American Jetvish
life. Balfour Brickner, his son,
conducted the service. Like his
father, who was ordained at the
Hebrew Union College in 1919,
he is preparing for the rabbinate
here and will be ordained in
June.
ISTANBUL. (JTA!--An agree-
ment has been signed for the
export by Turkey to Israel of
6.000 tons of salt. Half of the
total order w ill be shipped
within the next few weeks.
aiiover lo
Jlappy
d ie en lire
011Z tnc
Ey
As we extend our hearty good wishes to Detroit Jewry
for a joyous Passover, %ye are mindful of the Passover
message—
"Let all who are ituriary come and
share with us our bread . .
In re-dedicating ourselves to service—to the Allied Jew-
ish Campaign and to the causes it represents—we en-
tertain the hope that the aspiration of the Festival of
Freedom will be fulfilled. that the hungry will be fed.
the naked clothed, the oppressed freed.
May the ideal of freedom prevail, and may all our
efforts for the Allied Jewish Campaign succeed.
MR. AND MRS. ABE KASLE
and Family
GOOD
Seder
n-i i ht
By Israel
Prosaic miles of streets stretch all around
Astir with restless: hurried life. and spanned
II) arches that with thunderous trains resound.
And throbbing wire, that galvanize the land.
Gin-palaces in tawdry splendor stand:
In modern prose all poetry seems drowned.
Yet in ten thousand homes this April night.
An ancient People celebrates its birth
To Freedom. with a reverential mirth,
With customs quaint. and many a boars rite,
Waiting until. its tarnished glories bright,
Its God shall be the God of all the earth.
The Questions we ask on Seder night and the Answers we give are aimed at strengthen-
ing the ideal of Freedom which has its roots in Passover . . . May the Festival of
Freedom bring joy and liberty to our people everywhere.
All Our Relati•es and Friends and to the Entire Jewish Communitj
.4 Happy Passover to
Columbus Mutual Life Insurance Co.
D. E. BALL, PRESIDENT
COLUMBUS, OHIO
May the idea of freedom enunciated by Passover
find root wherever men struggle to end slavery
A Happy Passover
Keystone Oil Refining Co.
Nathan Epstsin
William Fisher
Leon Kay
DETROIT OFFICE
605 FOX BLDG.
WILLIAM HORDES, General Agent
Abraham Bigelmaa
Hen'ry Burston
William Colman
Ruth Fisher
Albert Fischer
Lawrence Friedman
WOODWARD 3-6780
GEORGE W. GRAY. Associate
Richard Frienniaa
Irving Hermelin
Sophie Herman
Earl Hordes
Herbert Hordes
Simon Mein
BROKERAGE BUSINESS SOLICITED
Alex Lipson
Lillian Owens
Peter Portnoy
Bert P. Seedberg
Ernest J. Whit.'
Manuel 7.51,