I Jewish Education for GIs Families
The Pifffer.'-
around of the Matzoh Tradition
-
By HARRY CUSHING
(Copyr:ght 1955, Jewish
Agency, Inc.)
Telegraphic
from wheat. barley, spelt, rye,
and oats. On the other hand,
rice flour. pea flour and bean
flour are excluded, because all
these are incapable of turning
leaven. Though they may be
used for preparing dishes on
The institution of Passover,
with its laws of abstinence from
leavened foods, especially bread,
has had the effect of develop-
ing special kinds of matzoh Passover they are not generally
dishes appropriate to the week- used. (Pesachim 35a).
The matzoh ordinarily eaten
long festival, for from the mat-
zoh cake have come several side . by most Jews on Passover are
made from flour known as "ke-
products. •
Because of its simple ingre- mach min ha-shuk" (flour from
dients, matzoh is probably the the market) .
most primitive type of bread. • Although in most instances,
The discovery of leavening "matzoh shemurah" is eaten
helped not only to increase only on the Seder night, there
are some extremely pious Jews
the mass of the bread, but
also to make it more palatable. who use it all through the festi-
From earliest times, matzoh val.
In the 1870's matzoh making
was known as "lechem oni,"
the poor man's bread (Deut. machines were first introduced
16, 3) because of its simple in- in England. Opposition arose
gredients and because the poor from rabbinic sources against
could not wait the many hours the machine because in a subse-
required for the leavening quent process the square mat-
zoh which the machine pro-
process in usual bread.
Because of the ease of prep- duced were clipped round.
There are still, however, many
aration and its readiness to
serve, it was popular when persons who prefer the round
guests arrived unexpectedly. matzoh made by machines.
Such an instance is described Many observant Jews insist on
when Abraham was visited by
the angels (Gen. 18, 6). A simi-
lar occasion is mentioned when
Lot was visited by the same an-
gels (Gen. 9, 3). When King
Saul visited the witch of En-
dor, the Bible tells us, she "took
flour, and kneaded it, and bak-
ed unleavened bread." (Sam. 1. f
28
There are indications. accord-
ing to some Bible scholars, that
the eating of unleavened bread
was part of an ancient agricul-
tural spring festival. It was
some time later, these authori-
ties claim, that the spring fes-
tival was given an historical
significance. The eating of mat-
zoh is usually tied up with the
story of the Exodus from Egypt.
The people left in such a great
hurry that they did not have
time to prepare the usual leav-
ened bread and so resorted to
baking unleavened bread. (Ex.
12:34-39).
The Zohar (Tetzaveh, p. 183b,
Vilna edition of 1882), refers to
matzoh as "nechamah illa' ah,"
that is, "heavenly bread," or
rather, "heavenly consolation"
as an antidote to the servitude
in Egypt and as a symbol of
freedom. Matzoh was intended
as a cure of Israel's spiritual
ills and to prepare the former
slaves of Pharaoh for the: ac-
ceptance of the Torah.
Oddly enough, the rule to
eat matzoh during Passover
does not mean that one must
eat it all through the feStival.
The law is a prohibition
against eating chametz or
foods that have leavening in
them or which may have
come in contact with such
prohibited foods. The "chovah"
or obligation to eat matzoh
applies only to the first • eve-
ning of. the festival.
Ingredients used in the mak-
ing of matzoh, the physical
thickness of the biscuits, and
many other details are describ-
ed in the Talmud (Pesachim
35a-38b). Thus, matzoh may be
taken from flour that comes
Jews of Toronto
Continue Growth
_
TORONTO,(JTA)—There were
12,900 Jewish families in Toron-
to in 1951, compared to 10,149 in
1931 and 11,774 in 1941, it was
estimated by the Canadian Jew-
ish Congress' national research
program on the basis of govern-
ment census statistics.
The CJC estimated that the
average size of the Jewish fam-
ily in Toronto was 3.2 persons as
compared to 3.6 persons in 1941
and 4. 2 in 1931. In this respect
the Jewish family closely paral-
lelled families of all origins in
the city.
In Cornwall, Ontario, a city of
17,500 with 232 Jews, the com-
munity carried out a self-survey
recently. At the same time a
historical study was also pre-
pared, partly on the basis of
questions asked in the 75 Jew-
ish households in the city. De-
spite the fact that the city has
few Jews-, the mayor for 16 of
the last 25 years has been a
Jew, Aaron Horowitz.
In his "Book of Delight and
Other Papers" Israel Abrahams,
the noted Anglo- Jewish
scholar, tells of having seen
matzot in London made in
the forms of birds, beasts and
fish, and of even having eaten
many a matzoh sheep - and
monkey. However, he writes,
that he cannot recollect
whether it was during Pass-
over.
Jewish law does not permit
the eating of matzot the day
before Passover on the theory
that it may be more palatable
during the observance itself.
There is the fascinating custom
mentioned in the "Sefer Ma-
haril" of kindling the mat-
zoh baking oven with the dried
Hoshana willows left over from
Hoshana Rabba of the previous
fall.
An old custom prevalent in
manv communities f Eur
and especially in the Orient, is
to keep a cake of matzoh hang-
ing on one of the walls of the
Widespread religious education activities conducted by Jewish
servicemen and their families, like this one at Ft. Dix, N.J., led
the National Jewish Welfare Board's Commission on Jewish
Chaplaincy to publish "Religious School Curriculum for Jews in
the Armed Forces." Preparation of this pamphlet, the first stan-
dardized religious school curriculum for Jewish GIs and families,
was undertaken by JWB because since the close of the Korean
war a greater number of servicemen have had their famiilies with
them or in close proximity to the post. This has made the problem
of providing Jewish education for the military and dependents a
pressing one. The pamphlet includes a standard f'unday school
curriculum for children of GIs and an outline of areas of instruc-
tion in the field of adult education. The new curriculum will
make possible continuity in the educational program when mili-
Synagogue throughout the year.
Th e purpose is to dramatize, for
using only hand-made round all who see it. the command in
matzoh. The perforations made the Bible "that thou mayest re-
on the matzoh have a distinct member the day when thou
purpose: to keep the matzoh earnest out of the land of Egypt
cakes from rising during the all the days of thy life." (Dent. tary personnel and their families are transferred from one place
16, 3).
baking process.
to another. Shown conducting class in elementary Hebrew
•
•
reading is Chaplain Harry Z. Schriener.
Seasoned Israeli War Veterans
Produce Salt from State's Negev
Seder That Begins at Hanukah Brings
Passover to GIs Throughout the World
By GEORGE PERRY
ARAVA• SALT WORKS AT FOOT OF MOUNT SODOM
NEW YORK, (AJP) — Engi- washed, ground and packed for
neer Moshe Baharav, former delivery to the consumers.
major in the Israel Army and
president of the Israel Spiritual-
ist Society, wondered a few years
ago why Israel, a country with
mountains of pure rock salt in
the Sodom area, had to import
most of its salt from Turkey,
Romania and other countries.
The ingenious Baharav thought
of an idea. He convinced ten of
his colleagues, all former Army
officers, that Is-EF-
rael could pro-
duce its own
salt from the
vast deposits at
Mount Sodom
Pooling their
money, the
group acquired
a govern ment
license to start
a salt factory at
the site where
Lot's wife be-
came a pillar of
Baharav
salt.
With a shoveldozer and blast-
ing equipment, the veterans be-
gan the quarrying of the rock
salt. Within a short time they
increased their daily output
from 20 to 60 tons. The rich
product was loaded on trucks
and transported by road to Kfar
Yerucham, a new village be-
tween the quarry and Beersheba
There they set up machinery
where the salt was crushed,
The phenomenal success of
the company—The Arava Sal
Works, Ltd.—called for further
expansion and new machinery.
The veterans, therefore, decided
to send a representative to
America with the view to inter-
esting American investors. Ba-
harav was chosen, and arriving
in the States a few weeks ago,
the dynamic engineer opened an
American branch of the Arava.
Salt Works with offices at 507
Fifth Ave., New York City..
The total requirements of sal
in Israel amount to about 40,000
tons yearly, The Arava company.
with its present facilities, pro-
duces 12,000. Moshe Baharav
states that the main objective of
his company is to increase the
yearly output so as to supply
not only all of Israel's needs, but
also the foreign market.
To do this, he said, $70,000 are
needed to acquire an additional
compressor, one shoveldozer, a
15-ton Diesel truck, two crushers,
a milling machine and a Diesel
Generator. An additional $90,000
he indicated, will be needed for
suitable equipment to make
table salt, including packaging
A true believer in the Negev
Moshe Baharav is certain that
its hidden potentialities, once
exploited, will eventually give
Israel the economic stability it
so sorely needs. •
This is the story of the seder
that began at Hanukah!
For most of us Passover be-
gins at sundown, April 6. But
for the team that has been at
work for many months on Oper-
ation Global Seder, the Festival
of Liberation began around
Hanukah. You have to plan
that far in advance when your
seder is for 150,000 young Jew-
ish GIs and hospitalized veter-
ans stationed in 50 countries on
five continents.
What goes into this global
seder project which involves the
Jewish chaplaincy corps, some
20,000 Jewish volunteers and
U S O-JWB field staff as partners
in this unique project of the
National Jewish Welfare Board,
a veteran of 38 global seder
operations?
First of all it requires trans-
portation channels —plane s,
ships, warships, jeeps, trucks,
helicopters and even dogsleds to
bring the warmth and joys of
Passover to GIs. Last winter
the Department of Defense
pitched in to carry Passover
supplies to the remotest places.
On the basis of requisitions sent
months ahead by the local
Jewish chaplains in overseas
areas, JWB purchased supplies,
stocked and then shipped them
via the Ports of Embarkation in
this country. The supplies be-
gan moving -out of the Ports
last winter.
Months before the Jewish
chaplains over se a s received
their holiday shipments, they
were already planning Opera-
tion Seder. In Korea, for in-
stance, where tent-cities for the
mass seders have been the rule
in the past, the chaplains were
concerned about housing and
messing arrangements for hun- 8
dreds of servicemen, and about
THE TERCENTENARY STORY
FIRST NATIONAL
LABOR MOVEMENT
IN 1 881
(THE A.P.
i-.)
LOUIS D, BRANDEIS
THE GREAT SUPREME
DAVID LUBIN
WORLD -
c-AMOUS
AGRICULTURIST
(184e-1919)
SOPHIE LOB
NATHAN
STRAUSS -
SUPER
14IILANTHROPI6T
WHOSE.
LIFE WAS
DEVOTED
TO CHILD
WEI-FAZE
(Ten- mt.)
COURT JUSTICE, A STAUNCH
ZIONIST, WHO BECAME
(18-50
-1924
LILIAN
WALD-
WORLP
FAMOUS FoR
HER SETTLE-
MENT HOUSE
WORK-
—
DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, April 1, 1955
30. The Seed Bears Fruit
Text by DANIEL ELAZAR
Copyright, 1954, by American Jewish Press
SAMUEL GOMPERS
LAUNCHED AMER/CA
getting suitable pots, dishes and
stoves, about consulting with
dieticians (the food has to be
suitable for Passover), and
about the job of teaching GI
cooks the art of making knad-
lich.
But basic to all this planning
by the chaplains was the fact
that they could count implicitly
on JWB logistics, which means
getting the supplies where they
are needed at the very time
they are 'Tequired.
Planning for Passover in win-
, ter also makes it possible to
provide "solo seders" for the
large number of GIs who will
not be able to get to mass over-
seas seders. By shipping thou-
sands of Passover food boxes
containing the holiday basics,
JWB makes it possible for
handsful of servicemen in iso-
lated places to conduct their
own seder.
Even military logistics some-
times cannot anticipate last-
minute emergencies, but, like
the military, the organizers of
Operation Global Seder are
ready for them when they hap-
pen.
Last year a chaplain's Pass-
over supplies went up in flames
in a pre-seder fire; an overseas
chaplain needed 6,000 cans of
gefilte fish in a great rush; 300
soldiers en route to maneuvers
became last minute Passover
problems to a JWB- worker.
Situations like these are hart-
-died with the aplomb born of
years of experience.
You can understand, then,
why this kind of world-wide
seder, if it is to come off with-
out a hitch, must get started
on Hanukah.
KNOWN PAR AND WIDE
AS THE CHAMPION OF
THE '2./777.E"IYIAN,
RABBI STEPHEN S. WISE -
FOUNDER...OF THE
SYNAGOGUE AND PRESIDENT
of THE AMERICAN JEWISH
CONGRESS, LED
AGAINST HITLERISM IN
Prey
THE .FIGHT
AMERICA, HE
HAP AN
INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION
A6 A BELIEVER IN PEACE
AND 50C.IAL -JUSTkCE FOR
ALL.
Illustrations by MAURICE del BOURGG
JEWISH EDUCATION N AMERICA
/900's --
• CHEPERS WERE THE FIRST GAILY SCHOOLS
ESTABLISHED IN AMERICA. IT WAS IN ORDER
TO PROVIDE BETTER SCHOOLING THAT AFTER -
SCHOOL TALMUD' TORAH WAS FOUNDED'.
THEN CAME CENTRAL AGENCIES AND HI&H
SCHOOL. ANI? JFW w COL LEG-ES -
tffi
• IN THE LATE 48 4 - CENTURY JEWISH
WELFARE FEDERATIONS WERE GET UP TO
COLLECT, DISTRIBUTE' MONEY AND
CO - ORDINATE. 'JEWISH COMMUNITY
ACTIVITY-,
• 17UP-1 NE, THE PAST FEW YEAR, THE
RESULTS, OF ALL. THiG, WORK CAN ;115g
SEEN IN THE CAMPAINiS Fog 'GRAM_