16
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS = Friday, February 23, 1962 —
Record Enrollment Foreseen for
Annual Midrasha Lecture Series
Mrs. Carl Schiller, chairman*
of the arrangements committee
for the annual Midrasha Insti-
tute, to be held on four suc-
cessive Wednesdays, starting on
March 7, announced this week
that the interest displayed by
registrants forecasts a record
enrollment.
The central theme for the
lectures, Mrs. Schiller stated,
will be "The
Evolution of
Jewish Idea s
a n d Beliefs,"
based on the
philosophic
works, "T h e
Religion of Is-
rael," by Dr.
Yehezkel
Kaufmann,
profess or
emeritus of
the Hebrew
University in i %
Jerusalem.
The four
lecturers in
the series will
be: Professor
Moshe Green-
berg, Dr. Ab- Mrs. Schiller
raham Malamat, Dr. Shemar-
yahu Talmon and Dr. Judah
Goldin.
In a statement explaining the
aims of the Midrasha Institute
for the current sessions, aimed
at acquainting Detroiters with
Prof. Kaufmann's teachings, Al-
bert Elazar, superintendent of
the United Schools, said:
"It is well known that the bril-
liant work of the German scholar
Julius Wellhausen (1844-1918) still
largely dominates the field of Bib-
lical study. He and his pupils, by
methods which still remain exemp-
lary, presented what became the
critical view of the cultural history
of Israel. By ingenious literary criti-
cism; the Bible was vivisecter, di-
vided into strata and substrata
(working primarily with the intern-
al evidence of the Bible) until its
splendor, and the uniqueness and
creativity of Israel had vanished
under the scrutinizing knife of
these literary surgeons. According
to Welihausen's • theory the .patri-
archs are denied existence, the
stories of them relegated to the
realm of legend. While Moses
allowed to have existed and
is
Exodus to have-taken place,
held impossible to rely greatl
n-
the Biblical traditions in r.
the
structing the contribution o
her.
one or the details of the
Joshua
The conquest narrative o
lly un-
is regarded as fundame
ming of
historical. The actual
the Israelite tribes to P estine was
quite otherwise. The i • a of a uni-
appearance
versal God made it
only in the 8th cen ry and then
all minority
was accepted by a
around the classical rophets while
for a long
the people continu
lytheism. Wel-
time to believe in
lhausen's verdict o the patriarchal
narratives is char teristic; "It is
Genesis nar-
true we attain (fr
the Patriarchs, but nly of the time
knowledge of,
rative) no historic
out them aro
when the stories
in the Israelite p pie; this later
age is here unconc usly projected,
in its inner and o ward features,
into hoar antiquity
d is reflected
there like a glorifie
irage (Well-
hausen's Prolegomen to the Hist-
ory of Israel-318f.)
"The new data prove .
by arch-
aeology (e.g. Ugarit and Ma'ari)
should have been enough to free
but the truth is that the vast ma-
us from the spell of Wellhausen,
jority of scholarly treatment of the
history of Israel and the Bible down
to the present age follow more or
less in thistradition. All the stand-
ard histories of Israel in English
(e.g. Osterley and Robinson, Olm-
stead, Lods) do so in greater or
lesser degree, while the popular
manuels are for the most part sat-
urated with it through and through.
There remain, however, a number
of works produced in the past 25
years that stand apart from the
Wellhausen theory and from the
classical literary criticism as such.
Here one finds both an explicit re-
jection of the development pattern
and a far more positive evtluation
of Israel's early history and faith
than is offered in the works dis-
cussed above. The early traditions
of Israel tend to be accepted as
true historical records, if not liter-
ary history. Two in particular stand
out. The first of these is a method
developed in the school of Albrecht
Alt and his pupil, Martin Noth: It
bases itself on the assured results
of literary criticism and a rigid ap-
plication of the methods of form
criticism and issues in a meticulous
concern to trace the history of the
traditions before they found their
present form in the Pentateuch doc-
uments. The gap between the trad-
itions in final form and the event
that gave rise to them is bridged
by means of tradition—history. This
school can also boast of a thorough
acquaintance with archeological
data, which are often used with
negative results.
The second of these approaches
is that developed by Yehezkel Kauf-
mann. Since Kaufmann is an Israeli
who writes almost exclusively in
Hebrew, his works were almost com-
pletely unknown (with the excep-
tion of such eminent scholars as H.
L. Ginsburg and W. Albright who
are familiar with modern Hebrew.)
With the publication of his account
of the Conquest of Palestine in the
English (in 1953) his name began to
appear in Biblical publications (e.g.
Bright's Early Israel.) It is to be
hoped that with the translation (if
only an abridged form) of his opus
Magnum Toldot Ha-Emuna Ha-Yis-
raelit—The (History of the) Relig-
ion of Israel, his impact will be felt
and thus Bible criticism will be di-
rected to different and more con-
structive lines. Already now he can
boast of an ever growing group of
ardent admirers. He brings with
him an approach of decided fresh-
ness and originality and not a little
brilliance. He takes his start pre-
cisely from a fundamental disagree-
ment with Alt and Noth and since
he is critical both of the convention-
al results of literary criticism and
of those who would abandon liter-
ary criticism altogether, he is doub-
ly intere •ne might say that
ition and event
etwee
the,
literary crit-
dged by a n•
is
ect of mov-
' m which has the
documents
' of
ng the
hus Kauf-
ward the vent
bac
n establishes the va ity of the
iblical account, while aking it
clear that he has no q rel with
higher criticism as such. e objects
to the artificial "scissors nd paste
method" by which it ofte proceeds
(calling it the debauche -s of lit-
aufmann
erary criti m.) Thus
e fundam tal truth
believes in
of the acco t o the •odus, in
account
, t
Moses the L g
e Jewish
of theco ue
onotheism
d
people ha a
since the d o oses nd accord-
ing to his nique t ory never
really backsli d to a • phisticated
polytheism le alone o primitive
an ' totemism demonism.
ement o the classical
c
Th
s the p fying of this
prop is
mon ei c religi•and not the
nt of i
ab
of Kaufmann
rilliant w
•lested body of
•
s to the
th .ible its gr ness and to the
its genius. It is
•
of Isra:
in the person of
pinion t
ann M•rn Israel has found
ejuvinat' genius bridging the
gap betwee iblical times and our
own age."
AN'S
BRA
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1st CUT LAMB CHOPS. 1 -b- 75`
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FRESH, KOSHER MADE
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1)1 1-2345
Weds Aug. 12
MISS JANET BARTHOLOMEW
Mr. and Mrs. Frederick D.
Bartholomew of W. Outer Di.
announce the engagement of
their daughter, Janet Susan, to
Michael Raznick, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Herman L. Raznick of
Greenlawn Ave.
The bride-elect is a senior in
the College of Education at
Wayne State University. Her
fiance is a student at the De-
troit College of Law. He pre-
viously attended Wayne State
University, where he was af-
filiated with Sigma Alpha Mu
fraternity. An Aug. 12 wedding
is planned.
r
i - every
omonm aottImmoimp ol44.•• ■■ ••••• ■ .moi.mwoi
This
Tel
T
Ti
The Probus Club 1962
Achievement Award was pre-
sented Saturday evening to
Leonard N. Simons •o
Detroit ad
ng
and civic
der.
The
esentat •
was made
by Pr us Club President Don-
ald
din
Ca
aw
has
to a ost of civic, ed
and
ritable
commun
a better
conside
years
Si ns has
ous onors an•
el ng an h
Do r of L•
Sta University.
ber
Commission,
of Marygr
Board of
pital,
tion and others.
One of the many functions of
the Probus Club is to render
financial assistance to deserving
liege students.
Legal
ate
New B
ember
The Detr
Cha
of the Tau Epsi
ho la
ternity will honor",
hers who recen y
to the bar at a
March 1 at
All new
emb
mil b
guests of t cha
11
bers of u ergra
cha ers
of Tau Ep on Rho o wer
recently ad ted to e bar
make reser 'ons by
aurice Blake, 0 5-5
•
•
•
.
* *
COUNCIL- LTMAN HOU
Time: 10 p . Saturday.
Station: W
Feature: Irvi
z,
cutive director of emple
El and president of th tiunci
of Synagogue Exec ye Direc-
tors of Ailetropor n Detroit,
will discuss th
• coming
city-wide Ins on Synagogue
Administ ion o be held on
March
and His Orchestra
LI 1-2563
LASTIC FURNITURE
COVERS
MADE TO ORDER
or READY MADE
... CALL ANNA KARBAL
LI 2-0874
Residence
In 7-8858
Upholstering. Co.
•••••••••••11••••••
MUSIC FOR
INGS • BAR MITZVAHS
AM ROSENBLAT
His Orchestra
and Entertainment
• MASTER OF CEREMONIES •
Party Arranger and
Ceremony Specialist
UN 4-0237
KE 8-1291
14520 Rosemary, Oak Park, Mich.
Lincoln 1-1953
OTOGRAPHY is an ART!
our
"Quality and Service Always"
JACK GORBACK Photography
UN 3-8532
We are happy to show samples on request
SAUL COHEN, BEN ZAGER and HARRY REZNICK
Exclusive Proprietors of
DEXTER-DAVISON
MEAT
AND
POULTRY
MARKET
Prime and Choice BEEF
WE WRAP MEAT FOR FREEZER FREE
Coolidge at 10 Mile — Oak Park
LI 8-6800
WE DELIVER
CALL
SATISFACTION GUARANTEED
OUNG KOSHER
RYERS
3 to
4 lbs.
29lb
OUTLET POULTRY
2735 W. DAVISON
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Custom Furniture
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Made to Order
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RE-UPHOLSTERING and •
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REPAIRING
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13 F 4r 7 ee Estimates
TO 8-
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Closed Saturdays
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your party tastefuly recorded by
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UN 4-6040
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••••••••••••••••••
•
•
1:USTOM CRAFT
•
By PHIL MORGANROTH
e: 11:30 p.m.
N a tt
S tion: WCAR.
I erna-
ature: Th Se
cently
tion Bible
usale
hel nd record
will
heard, al
with a di
f Biblic scholars
cussio
in Isra
by non-Jewish nd
rs, includi
Dr.
Jewish s
Nelson Glu
Parents will be given the op-
portunity to discuss their chil-
dren's progress with teachers.
Refreshments will be served.
SAM BARNETT
N.A.D.A.—Registered Decorator Consultant
* *
JEWISH HERITA
Dr. Cousens To Speak
at Reisen PTA Meeting
The next meeting of
ar-
ent-Teachers Group
e Abra-
ham Reisen Jew, School will
be held 8:30 pm. Tuesday, at
the school buildir),e1- 18340 W.
7 Mile.
The program will incl
talk by Dr. Frances Cous
oI
Wayne State University w ,
'11
speak on "Jewish Educ on
the United States." T
ill
also be a discussi
by
in
G. Shifrin, cliAirman
he
ool
board, and Mordec
Teile
principal and rector, •n t
renaissance of
Jewis
in
a
guage and Jewish
the U.S., Israel, and o r coun-
tries.
Want The Best?
sk the Folks Who've Hod
Interiors
WELL TOGE
: 9:15 -a.m
St on: WJ
tele 'on simu
ure: The fa
Nath 'el Stein g,
the Liv e
leade
4 W •
Congre
in "The a
dition," in whi
discuss the t
and practic
the Sabbath.
T
T
1962 Probus Club Achievement
Award Won by Leonard N. Simons
TO 8-4281
Closed Monday