Purely Commentary

By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
S. N. Behrman's Pitiful Tale: A Legacy Abused •
S. N. Behrman; the eminent playwright, whose productions

have thrilled many audiences, appears to have a fairly good
Jewish education. One would imagine, from his latest—auto-
biographical— book, "The Worcester Account," that he would
treat his legacy with a great deal of respect and with an indica-
tion of having imbibed something akin to love for an interesting
background. There is disillusionment in the end. Like a few
other Jewish writers, who have insisted upon writing on the
Jewish theme—this is what Behrman does in "The Worcester
Account"—he has left us-with a sense of disappointment that he
could not have gleaned more of truth than of the fantastic that
calls for ridicule from the story of his youth.
"The Worcester Account" (published by Random House, 457
Madison, NY22) is proof that Behrman has retained knowledge
of many Jewish expressions. He has not forgotten "Malach
Hamoves." He describes the "kosher tzettl" his father received
from the great rabbi, Ramaz. He is excited about "Halitzah."
He speaks of his mother, who was "quiet," his father, "vo-
luble." They quarreled—his mother saying very little, his father's
voice rising "higher and higher in uncontrollable fury . . .
Rare as these quarrels were, they were confusing, and when he
spoke about them to his mother, she was "defensive ... laconic,"
and said simply: "Your father is a kaissen."—and the auto-
biographer explains that it means "a fierce-tempered man." His
mother "let it go at that; she would have considered it unreason-
able to expect a kaissen to coo like a dove when he was irritated."
And so—Behrman has retained a knowledge Of Jewish and
Hebrew expressions. He makes a confession:
"When I was small, I spoke Yiddish at home, but by the time
I went to high school, I had a conscious revulsion from the lan-
guage of my parents. I felt that to speak it was a social denigra-
tion and that Yiddish was an ugly tongue. I destpsted its sound
and its rhythms as compared to the sound and the rhythms of
English. I knew, too, that it was 'a bastard version of the pure,
Elysian, coveted German. As I began to study German in high
school, I .became the more acutely aware of the vulgarization of
it we spoke at home, and when I heard Yiddish or spoke it
myself, it was with a sense of shame. Not until long afterward
did I come to realize what an extraordinarily responsive medium
it is for pathos and warmth of feeling and, above all, for earthy
and untranslatable humor."
But from this confession he turns to vulgarity. Describing
the study of the Talmud by his father and his colleagues, he
uses the term "medievalist," speaks of "medieval inquirers who
theorized in a vacuum, without ever consulting nature," and
relates this: •
"One scoffer used to insist that the problems discussed in the
Talmud were remote and had little to do with everyday life in
Worcester. He swore that one of the Talmudic situations pondered
by our parents was this: A man is walking on a rampart; at the
foot of the rampart an 'unmarried girl is taking the air; the man
on the rampart slips and falls; regrettably,. he falls on the girl,
and she become pregnant. What, • then, is the status of this
fortuitous pregnancy? This particular skeptic felt that it was
unprofitable to spend so much time on a problem so remote from
Providence Street, where there were no ramparts. Whether this
situation is actually discussed in the Talmud, I don't know, but
I certainly gtew up believing that the holy book was full of tidbits
like that."
At this point, the reader, who had a right to expect the very
best in an autobiography by Behrman, must stop and wonder
what has happened to a man whose theatrical productions have
been such sensations! Imagine, a man who has seen fit to devote
an entire book to his own and his family's Jewish backgrounds
stoops so low as to -libel the Talmud and merely to admit that
he does not know its contents, after resorting to the lowest type
of vulgarity by relating a story that has gone the rounds of
crudity and a lack of good taste among scoffers. Any scholar— i
even Christians who look to the Talmud as a remarkable collection I
of law bookS—could have advised him otherwise! . But Behrman
found a jest at the expense of his people, and he utilized it!
It was sure of a -laugh, and the dramatist chose it in preference
to truth!
He is as wrong, of course, about the Talmud as he is about
the Yiddish which he describes as "a bastard version of the pure,
Elysian, coveted German." Scholars have shown that much of
present-day Yiddish is the purest German, comparable to the
original German in use in the 15th and 16th centuries. But the •
aspiration of "coveted German" served to destroy the common
sense of an able writer.
And—after _admitting his -ignorance, he dares to add: "Still,
generally speaking, I was tolerant, and even a little proud, of our
Talmud . . ." At this point he sounds insulting in his inconsist-
ency . . . Especially when, a few pages afterwards, he speaks of the
Alger books as "all tangible." If the Talmud and Yiddish are
intangible, why add insult to injury by posing as authority on
subjects-unknown to him?
There is another' shocking comment; in his description of the
'protests:against the Kishineff pogornS, he Writes: "I was bored
with these pogroms."
If a non-Jew had said these things, we =wouldhave called hini
an anti-Semite. That is' why the crude, the vulgar portions of
Behrman's book overshadow its numerous good points.

Budget Conference to Develop
'55 Campaign Plans, Sunday

Blumberg, Safran
Co-Chairmen of
'55 Pre-Campaign

Development of a four-point biner, Federation president. The
formula for distribution of funds morning session will be devoted
and review of the untiring ef- to presentations by Abraham
fotts of Detroiters in behalf of Srere, chairman of Federation's
Jewish needs everywhere will be executive committee, who will
highlighted in two important speak on overseas and Israeli
needs; Max J. Zivian, chairman,
meetings.
On Sunday, Jan. 23, begin- 1 capital needs division; Morris
ning at 10:30 a.m., the sixth Garvett, education division
annual Pre-Campaign Budget chairman; Jacob A. Citrin, Corn-
Conference of the Jewish Wel- munity relations division chair-
fare Federation will be held at man, and George M. Stutz, chair-
man, health and welfare division.
the Davison Jewish Center.
Tuesday, Feb. 8, 8:15 p. m.,
Recommendations, discussion
the Federation will hold its and development of the formula,
30th annual meeting in the which will be submitted to Fed-
Esther Berman Branch, United eration's• board of governors for
Hebrew Schools, 18945 Schae-
approval, will take up the after-
fer.
noon session.
The four-part formula, for al-
meeting will
location of funds to be raised in The
ture annual
the presentation
of fea-
the
the 1955 Allied Jewish Campaign, Fred M. Butzel Award for dis-
will be developed at the budget tinguished communal service,
a
conference into overseas and Is-
review
of the of
past
year's
activity,
rael, local (operating), local and
election
nine
members-

LOUIS C..BLUMSERG

(capital funds),
and It national
at-large
to the board of gover-
agencies
categories.
will be nors
of Federation.
presided over by Samuel H. Ru-

Dr. Drachler to Direct 2nd Semester
Of LaMed Sponsored Course at Wayne

The second course in the Pro-
gram of Jewish Studies at
Wayne University, sponsored by
the LaMed Foundation, will be
offered during the semester be-
inning in February.
The course bears the number
"Humanities 575, The Develop-
ment of Jewish Cultural Pat-
terns in American Society, (sec-
tion. 4232)." The class will meet
Wednesdays, 7-9:30 p.m. The
first meeting on Feb. 9, will be
in Room 207 in the Kresge Sci-
ence Library (Second Blvd. be.-
tween Merrick and Kirby). The
• course carries three hours of
undergraduate or g r ad u a t e
-
credit.
Dr. Norman Drachler will di-
rect the work of the course. He

HYMAN SAFRAN

Louis C. Blumberg and Hyman
Safran have been named co-
chairmen of pre-campaign of
the 1955 Allied Jewish Cam-
paign, John E. Lurie, drive
chairman, 'announced.
Blumberg and S a f r an will
serve with Max Fisher, AJC pre-
campaign chairman.
Both of the newly appointed
leaders have held important
community and campaign posi-
tions in the past. Blumberg is
a member of the board of the
Detroit Service Group and
served with Irwin I. Cohen in
pre - campaign - assignment re-
view in last year's drive.
Safran is a member of the
executive committee of the Jew-
ish Welfare Federation and is a
member of the boards of the
Jewish Comnfunity Council and
the Detroit Service Group. He
was an associate chairman of
Pre-Campaign in the 1954 cam-
paign.

will be assisted by Dr. Abraham
Duker and Charles Angoff, who
are teaching at Columbia and
Hunter College in New York,
and who will commute between
New York and Detroit as visit-
ing professors in order to par-
I ticipate in giving this new
Icourse.

1

Blame Anti-French Forces
Lin Bombing of Morocco Sho

CASABLANCA, Morocco, (JTA)
—A bomb was thrown into
Jewish shoe shop here. Fifteen
persons were wounded by the
blast, a number of them identi-
fied as Jews. Anti-French terror-
ists are believed responsible for
the bombing.

•

etween You and Me

By BORIS SMOLAR

(Copyright, 1954, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)

Communal Affairs:

The non-discriminatory employment policies practiced by
Jewish institutions in this country is best testified to by the fact
that many non:Jewish professionals are today employed in a
variety of Jewish agencies in a number of cities . . . A study made
among 25 Jewish communities establishes that the experience of
these agencies with their non-Jewish professional workers has
been satisfactory .. . In some cases the non:-Jewish members of
the professional staff are employed because of a scarcity of quali-
fied Jewish professionals . . . But in a number of cases non-sectar-
ian employment is applied as a part of the non-discrimination
policy of the institution ... This is especially true with regard to
Jewish institutions serving both Jews and non-Jews, such as hos-
pitals and Jewish centers which are open to Jews and non-Jews
alike . . .Most of the non-Jewish professionals are nurses, physical
education directors, arts and crafts specialists and others who
have special training ... Jewish family agencies in large commun-
ities also employ non-Jewish supervisory or case-work personnel.
... In St. Louis a children's agency introduced a special orientation
course in Jewish culture for non-Jewish case-workers . . . The
response was good and as a group they were as successful in their
work as were Jewish workers „ Some Jewish centers employ non-
Jewish nursery school or kindergarten teachers who are given
special training in Jewish culture .. . The survey established that
there has been little unfavorable reaction on the part of individual
Jewish clients or communities over the employment of non-Jewish
workers in Jewish agencies.
*

•

Rabbi Noveck, Kenen,
Dr. Decter to Speak
In Forum of LZOA

The third annual forum spon-
sored by the Labor Zionist
Council of Detroit will present a
lecture series in honor of the
50th Jubilee Year of Labor Zion-
ism in America.
Rabbi Simon Noveck, director
of National Academy of Adult
Jewish Studies for the United
Synagogue of America, will open
the forum at the Davison Jew-
ish Center, Monday evening,
Feb. 7, with an address on
"Adult Jewish Education—Link Personnel Problems:
The problem' of providing Jewish community centers with
with a People."
trained
personnel is one of the major problems of 1955 :faced by
The forum will present one of
the best informed individuals on the National JeWish Welfare Board . The demand for qualified
the status. of Israel on the world- personnel for Jewish centers has been growing since 1946 . .
scene, Isaiah L. Kenen, execu- Centers on the lcical level and the JWB on regional and national
• * •
tive director of the American levels are exploring ways and means Of attracting young men and
Zionist Committee for Public women to center work . . . Scholarship projects are developed un-
A Retrieved Note About Graziani
Affairs, who Will analyze the re- der Jewish community center auspices ... But the constant growth
of Jewish centers in all parts of the country has outstripped the
Marshal Graziani's death lends new significance to a note, lationships between the Ameri- available
supply of manpower , . . There are about 350 Jewish cen-
can
Jewish
community
and
Is-
retrieved by this Commentator from old files. It is from Chronic-
ters
today
with more than 1,300 professional Workers . . . But be-
rael.
lees column in the London Jewish Chronicle—date missing. "These
Another speaker will be Dr. cause of the field'S rapid growth, there are now about 140 more
Names Make Jews!" is the title Chronicler gave this item:
vacancies open. . . . Applicants with a Master's degree from an
"Herr Hitler awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of the Aaron Decter, a member of the accredited school of social work have good chances for placement
board
of
the
Israel
Histadrut
German Eagle last week-end to Marshal Graziani, of Italy. It
who was one of the . • . For health and physical education positions, a college degree
would be interesting to know if there is any connection (and if Campaign,
first
to
visit
the DP camps and in this major is required . . , Since the centers are dedicated to a
Hitler thought of it) between the Marshal and the old Italian- participated in
the formation of program of creative Jewish development, background and interest
Jewish family of the same name. It is certainly a name borne by the resistance movement
which in Jewish life is essential ... The placement of qualified personnel
Italian Jews for a long period. The most famous bearer of it was
is one of the major functions of the JWB Bureau of Personnel and
finally
resulted
in
the
estab-
Abraham Joseph Solomon ben Mordecai Graziani (or Graziano),
Training . . . In large centers, there is the position of physical
lishment
of
the
new
state.
Dr.
Rabbi of Modena, who died in 1685. A later distinguished Jewish Decter will speak on the theme, education director with a salary averaging $5,000 a year, and his
Graziani is Professor Augusto Graziani, Italian economist, who "Looking Forward—the Next. 50 , assistant whose salary averages $4,000 .. Group workers are being
was born at Modena in 1865."
I paid an average of $4,000 a. year . . . Program directors who carry
Years of Labor Zionism."
The point not to be forgotten in this connection is that Gra-
All lectures will take place at the major responsibility for the- actual program of the center re-
ziami was decorated by. Hitler and that he was the general who the Davison Jewish Center. ceive between $5,000 and *7,000 a ye'ar . . • The salary of an execu-
made the last stand—fortunately, of course, unsuccessful—for Tickets may be obtained from tive director ranges between $6,500 and $12,000 a year, while his
Mussolini.
members. of the Labor Zionist I assistant can hoPe to receive from $6,000 to $8,250 a year . . Sa1-
organization or by. .callirig To, arieq -,,W.,ieyvish centers
• • . • „ . - size. - . arid
I development of the centers.
Friday, January 21, 1955' • - 9-8710.
2—DETROIT 'JEWISH- NEWS

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