NEW YORK — Evidence of
pirated translations of 16th cen-
tury Yiddish works was dis-
closed with the discovery of
first printed editions.
Dr. Simon Greenberg, Vice-
Chancellor of the Jewish Theo-
logical Seminary of America,
aimonced that the manuscripts
are part of a large early Yiddish
book and manuscript collection
newly acquired by the Semi-
nary's L i b r a r y. The early
printers frequently credited
themselves as the original trans-
lators of their works.
"The proof of the invalidity
of these claims," states Dr.
Greenberg, "reopens for ex-
amination and rewriting the
whole history of early Yid-
dish literature."
The entire collection of more
than 1,000 rare and unique
books and 25 manuscripts un-
folds a panorama of 16th to
18th century secular and reli-
gious Yiddish literature ranging
from poetry, plays, stories and
historical literature to ritual
and devotional works, bible
glosses and glossaries, ethical
treatises and bible translations.
The works emanate from the
private library of Dr. Judah A.
Joffe, internationally known
linguist, lecturer and one of the
oldest living alumni of Colum-
bia University.
Among th gems of the col-
lection is an early 17th cen-
tury algebra manuscript.
Measuring 114" x 11/2" x 2".
It is the first known mathe-
matical work of Jewish source
employing X and Y symbols
and the only existing Yiddish
manuscript written on parch-
ment.
Dr: Joffe unearthed the
treasure more than 70 years
ago from two gunny sacks of
"valueless" books shipped to
him by a friend in Venice. It
was the richness of this find,
Dr. Joffe admits, which gen-
erated his lifelong devotion to
building the collection.
"Der Brant Spiegel" ("a
Burning Mirror"), written by
Moses Enoch, is an outstanding
example of moralistic guide-
books for women, a form of
literature which saturated the
period. Intended to instruct on
such subjects as marital rela-
tions, mode of dress, child rear-
ing and behavorial procedures,
the work is written in a light
narrative style, punctuated with
lively fables, stories and par-
ables.
In a rhymed preface to the
work, Enoch comments on his
choice of title. He explains that
his work is an attempt to mirror
the defeats of the reader's soul
in a glaring way with the hope
of eventual purification. First
appearing in Basel, Switzerland
in 1602, bound in parchment
with a handsome frontis-piece
by Durer, this well preserved
Oil Barons Bequeath
Technion Half-Million
NEW YORK, (JTA)—A gift
of $500,000 for the advancement
of engineering education in
Israel has been received by the
Technion Society, it was an-
nounced by Dr. Abraham Tulin,
chairman of the board of the
society.
Half of the half-million dollar
gift came from the estate of
Sadie Danciger, of Texas and
Arizona, and • the other half
from the estate of her brother,
Dan Danciger, also of Texas.
Both were the children of the
late Joseph Danciger, who
founded the family fortune in
Texas oil ventures.
The Danciger gift will be
used to establish a building
that will house the major part
of Technion's Faculty of Me-
chanical Engineering. The funds
will also be used to establish
scholarships in memory of
Sadie and Joseph Danciger.
edition is accompanied in the
collection by the other four
existing editions: Prague,
Czechoslavakia, 1610; H a n a u,
Germany, 1626; Frankfurt am
Alain, Germany 1676 and 1706.
All five editions of "Shebet
Yehuda," a famous history of
the Jewish people, by Ibn Verga
is a dominant example of his-
torical w r i tin g. One of the
major discoveries in the collec-
tion is the hitherto unknown
fifth edition printed in Frank-
furt am Main, Germany, 1724,
whose existence Moritz Stein-
schneider, greatest Jewish
bibliographer, had denied. The
other editions originate in
Carcow, Poland, 1591; Amster-
dam, Holland, 1648 and 1700;
and Sulzbach, Austria, 1700.
Another rarity of the col-
lection are two 1609 Hag-
gadahs, translated into Yid-
dish and Judeo-Italian, using
Hebrew characters. The Yid-
dish edition is the first trans-
lation of the Haggadah into
that language and the sole
existing complete copy of the
work.
A four-volume Yiddish trans-
lation of the Bible called
"Magishe Minhah" is exhibited
as one of the deluxe editions
of the collection. Bordered with
exceptionally wide margins, the
Bible was printed in Amster-
dam, Holland in 1729.
schutz, published by Vantage
Press (120 W. 31st, N.Y. 1),
is the testament of a survivor
from Nazism who has found
refuge in Israel.
The author writes the story
of Noah, the survivor from the
Nazi tortures, who traces his
experiences from pre-Hitler
days to those of "the first
fruits of victory" in Israel.
It is a dramatic account in
which the narrator describes
the background of Jewish life
in Poland, the Zionist activi-
ties and the influence of Zion-
ist teachings and the organiza-
tional efforts in support of
Jewish national revival.
Having lived in the birth-
place of Dr. Chaim Weiz-
mann - Motele - Noah relates
his experiences with early
Zionist leaders, and he
speaks of the literary figures
who influenced his life.
Then came the "forebodings
of doom." The Nazi era began,
and the collaboration of the
Poles was among the most
shocking developments in the
Hitler era.
Noah describes "the grave-
yard of my people"—the selec-
tion of Poland as Jewry's
slaughterhouse. He devotes con-
siderable time to explaining
the ghetto uprising, and in the
course of it he reveals the
Jew struck back, until "a ray
of hope appeared in the bleak
darkness."
A number of the heroes in
the uprisings are mentioned,
specifically Rose Teitelbaum,
one of the heroines in the
anti-Nazi actions, and
others.
The concluding portions of
leadership, with the struggles
for the freedom, with the
emergence of the State. The
battle for Jerusalem, the vic-
tory over the combined Arab
nations, the hopes of the Is-
raelis for a lasting peace are
embodied in the Noah story
that is ably told by Norman
Lipschutz.
•
U
U i
t ca Community Sets Year-Round
ttca
Program of Inter- Faith Amity
UTICA, N.Y., (JTA) —• The
Jewish community of swastika-
smeared Utica reacted with an
effort to establish a long-range
year-round program to foster
mutual cooperation among all
groups in the city.
The Utica Jewish Community
Council's community relations
committee met with the Board
of Education to discuss the
problem. Out of the meeting
came the appointment by the
board of a faculty committee
which will meet with a group
of Utica leaders who are active
in the religious, educational and
law enforcement programs of
the city.
- Utica Jewish officials said
the objective of the meeting
"will be to launch a continuous
year-around program designed
to cultivate respect for the cul-
tural differences, the achieve-
ments and the contributions of
all the nationality groups that
compose our community.
Among other steps which may
be considered in response to the
smearing of a Utica synagogue
were development of social
studies materials in schools to
develop understanding of the
swastika "as a symbol of hatred
and tyranny that destroyed mil-
lions of lives and threatened
the freedom of the world; pro-
grams for the instruction of
teachers and school administrat-
ors in inter-group educational
methods; psychological and so-
cial studies of teen-agers ar-
rested for acts of vandalism and
other related efforts.
Envy is the atmosphere of
hell.
—Mary Baker Eddy
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1 5 — THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS -- Friday, May 6, 1960
Collection of Yiddish Manuscripts Life Under Nazis, Israeli Victory Told in New Book
Through Darkness horrors of Oswiecim and Trb- the book deal with Israel, with
May Re-Write History of Literature and "Victory
Despair," by Norman Lip- linka. But he shows how the the resistance under Haganah