When Baruch Litvin, a M t. throughout Jewish history,
Clemens businessman an d to Talmudic times, when rab-
staunchly observant Jew, won a bis insured that men and
lengthy court battle again st women remained apart when
mixed seating of the sexes i n all came to hear their lec-
the synagogue, he earned th e tures."
plaudits and admiration of tr a-
In the chapter on "Is the Law
ditionally-minded Jews.
Subject to Change?" there is a
There are few Michigan Jew s reflection on the "Judaic Con-
who will not remember the d e- cept of Women," in which it is
cision rendered only last Jun e explained that contrary to the
by the State Supreme Cour t, thought that the mechitzah rel-
which upheld Mr. Litvin's co n- egates the woman to a place of
tention that men and wome n secondary importance, it elev-
could not sit together in th e ates her to a high position "in
pews of Cong. Beth Tefila love and reverence in Temple
Moses, in Mt. Clemens.
and synagogue worship — al-
Now, that same Mr. Litvi n though segregated."
performs another service fo r
The contributions of a num-
Orthodoxy with 'the publicatio n ber of local rabbinic authorities
of a 442-page. English volume are noted by Litvin in "The
with Hebrew appendia, uncle r Sanctity of the Synagogue,"
the title of "The Sanctity of th e among them Rabbi Joseph Elias,
Synagogue."
principal of the Beth Yehudah
The book, just released b y Schools, and Rabbi Ezekiel ha-
the Spero Foundation an d Levi (Chaskel) Grubner, spirit-
printed by Shulsinger Brother ual leader of Cong. David Ben
(21 E. 4th St., NY 3), is sub Nochim.
titled "The case for mechitza h
In its entirety, Litvin's book
—separation between men an is a subjective study of the
women in the synagogue—based mechitzah issue, which
on JeWish law, history and phil emerges as a most significant
osopliy, from sources old and part of Orthodox Jewish Wor,
new."
ship. Time - and again, it is
Culled from a wide assort- stated that without the segrega-
ment of scholarly letters and tion of men and women, a syn-
opinions by contemporary agogue has lost its character as
rabbis, flavored with Biblical an Orthodox institution.
What Litvin has produced, in
passages and points of ortho-
dox law, steeped with the wis- addition to a scholarly work, is
dom of the Talmudic era and a handbook to serve other Or-
from many generations of thodox leaders in their strug-
sages following, the book is gle to maintain the mechitzah
a real contribution to under- as an indestructible feature of
standing the importance traditionalism. If it fails to
placed on the mechitzah in sway Conservative and Reform
Jews, it may at least serve as a
traditional Jewish • life.
The 'compilation, a labor of guide for/judges in future court
love and vigilance which lasted disputes.
F.S.
during the entire five years of
the struggle through the Michi-
gan courts, is presented in a
most readable style through
the device of a summation of
the contents of each chapter at
Jan. 15 to Feb. 15 has been
the beginning and a reconstruc-
tion of each of the sources proclaimed by the Jewish Na-
used as the actual framewdrk tional Fund as "JNF Month,"
to be observed in Detroit by
of the chapter.
groups, schools and or-
Thus, Litvin traces "The Is- family
ganizations.
Jewish Communi-
. sue As Seen by the Court," ties in Michigan
have been in-
"The Position of the Rabbin- vited to join in the observance
ate," "Sources in Jewish Law," of JNF Month.
"The Historical Background,"
The purposes of JNF Month
"Religious Authority in Juda- are: to focus attention on the
ism," "Is the Law Subject to activities of the Jewish National
Change?" "No Room for Com- Fund in building the Land of
promise" and "Conclusion: The Israel and strengthening its se-
Case in Court," showing the curity, to deepen JNF senti-
actual development of the case ment among the masses of the
and trial in the Michigan Jewish people, to distribute
5,000 Blue-White JNF Boxes
courts.
Of particular importance is in Detroit and Michigan Jew-
the chapter on "Sources in Jew- ish homes, and to plant trees in
ish Law." This is most signifi- the Michigan Freedom Forest
cant because of the unyielding of 250,000 trees, in the new
Forest of 2,000,000
attitude of Orthodoxy to any Freedom
trees being planted by the
attempted change in the law it- JNF of America as a monu-
self. Here, then, is the basis for ment of friendship uniting the
the stress on the mechitzah.
peoples of America and Israel.
Many sources are found, in-
One of the features during
cluding the established fact that Shvat, will be "JNF Month for
both temples had a women's Landsmanshaften," during
section; and that "the syna- which period the Landsman-
gogues of the Exile (are) "Lit- shaften Societies will embark
tle Sanctuaries.' This Talmudic upon their project of a Detroit
interpretation of Ezekiel 11:16 Landsmanshaften Forest of 50,-
states that "to a lesser degree, 000 trees in the Freedom For-
our synagogues have been our est.
Traditional Tu B'Shvat ac-
Sanctuaries, ever since the
Temple itself was destroyed." tivities in schools, synagogues
"The principle that men and and organizations will also be
women remain apart at times tied in with this special month.
of great spiritual experience is JNF Sabbath in Michigan will
quite perceptible in Scripture be Saturday, Feb. 13, which is
itself," Litvin points out, quot- Shabbat Shira and Hamisha
ing the following from the Book Asar b'Shvat.
Bnai Brith in Detroit is par-
of Exodus:
"After the rescue from the ticipating in JNF Month in an
effort to complete the Philip
Red Sea, Moses and the men Klutznick
Forest.
sing praises separately, Mir-
The
JNF
asks organizations
iam and the women separ- or individuals
interested in
ately (15:1, 20-21); before the helping make JNF Month a
Revelation at Mount Sinai, success to communicate with
Moses commands the Israel- the office, UN 4-2767.
ites, 'Come not near a woman'
(19:15). In the oral Torah
JOSEPH STERLING has
this principle began yet in joined the staff of the Jewish
Noah's Ark and continued Center Barber Shop.
Jan. 15 7 Feb. 15
Set as JNF Month
11—TH E DETROIT JEWISH NEWS—Friday, January 15, 1960
Litvin's 'Sanctity of the Synagogue'
New Volume on Mt. Clemens Case
Dr. SAMUEL BELKIN (left), president of Yeshiva University, and Detroit
businessman and philanthropist, AL BORMAN„ discuss the University's
$30,000,000 expansion plans. Mr. Borman will be honored by the Detroit
Friends of Yeshiva University on Sunday evening, January 24, at the Latin
Quarter for his endeavors for local and national philanthropies. Dr. Belkin
will be the guest speaker.
THE DINNER COMMITTEE
Of
DETROIT FRIENDS OF
YESHIVA UNIVERSITY
Invites the Community to Its Annual Dinner for
Yeshiva University Honoring
AL BORMAN
At 6 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 24, in the Latin Quarter
Guest Speaker: Dr. Samuel Belkin, Yeshiva University President
Guest Artist: Miss Mimi Benzell, Metropolitan Opera Soprano
And Dave Diamond's Orchestra
The Dinner Committee
John E. Lurie, Chairman
Judge Nathan J. Kaufman, Co-Chairman
Morris J. Brandwine, Adm. Chairman
David Goldberg, Treasurer
Rabbi Morris Adler
Tom Borman
Harvey Patton
Honorary Co-Chairmen
Frank Angelo
Max M. Fisher
Philip Slomovitz
Hon. Victor J. Baum
John MacLellan
Hon. John M. Wise
Administrative Committee
Dan , Carpenter and Henry Cohen, Co-Chairmen
Thomas L. Awrey
Benjamin K. Elkin
Nathan I. Goldin.
Milton M. Howard
Harry Jaffa
Morris Karbal
Benjamin Klein
Daniel A. Laven
Benjamin Levinson
Joseph Lee
Herman Levine
J. A. Mehler
Morey Rosenthal
Rabbinic Committee
Rabbi Hayim Donin, Chrmn. Rabbi Hyman Agress
Rabbi Yaakov I. Homnick Rabbi Samuel Prero
Rabbi Charles Rosenzweig
David I. Berris
Jacob A. Citrin
Alfred Epstein
Peter S. Goldstein
Dan LeVine
Seymour Podolsky
Julius Rotenberg
Morris L. Schaver
Max D. Shaye
Dinner Sponsors
Louis Berry
Ernest Citron
Charles E. Feinberg
Albert J. Goodman
Jack Lieberman
David Pollack
William R. Roth
Samuel Schreier
Selig D. Sidney
Jack Bushkin
Rabbi Israel I. Halpern
Rabbi Samuel Stollman
Reubin Dubrinsky
Dr. Jacob E. Goldman
Jack Greisman
Max Onos
David Rosen
David Safran
Seymour Shapiro
Sam Stoller
Paul Zuckerman
Reservations May Be Made Through Any of the Above Committees
or for Information and Tickets, call HERMAN CLOTT, Regional Director
646 Michigan Bldg.
WO. 1-9773