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Thinking of the
Past in Sports

mr He Fought for Tolerance
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Benjamin Franklin and the Jews

By DR. BLANCHE KATZAN his achievement by stating: "I
(Standard Feature Syndicate)
hardly know which to admire
most, the wonderful discoveries
made by Herschel, or the in-
defatigable ingenuity by which
he was able to make them."
Franklin founded the academy
which is today the University of
Pennsylvania a n d introduced
non-theological subjects. Kings
College, now Columbia Univer-
sity, followed this example. A
small number of Jews was
graduated from these two insti-
tutions even before the Revolu-
tionary War. Franklin also
founded an intellectual society,
the Junto, in which he formu-
lated the following tests for
membership: "Do you sincerely
declare to love mankind in gen-
eral of what profession or re-
ligiOn soever? Do you think any
person ought to be harmed in
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
his body name or goods for mere
Dr. Benjamin Franklin, who speculative opinion or his ex-
rendered the greatest services to ternal way of worship?"
the liberty of this young country
Franklin all his life was a
and to the fight of bias against relentless fighter against bias.
the Jews, was born in Boston in In 1730, hardly 24 years
1706. Beginning his career as a young, he wrote in the "Penn-
humble printer's boy, he steadily
sylvania Gazette" which he
rose. by native genius, conjoined
owned: "The Jews were ac-
with rare industry and prudence, quainted with several arts and
to a foremost place among his
sciences long b e f ore the
countrymen.
Romans became a people or
His "Poor Richard's Almanac" the Greeks were known
and his "Proverbs" are a splen- among the nations."
did repertory of proverbial
Franklin was one of the sub-
philosophy of the poor, in which scribers who by his generous con-
he bequeathed to us a veritable tribution helped in saving the
treasury of wise maxims.
Philadelphia Mikveh Israel Syna-
This truly great man — gogue when, in 1788, it was hard
printer, author, inventor of the pressed for funds. He also gener-
lightning r o d, postmaster- ously contributed towards the
general of the young colonies, building of synagogues in New
minister plenipotentiary at the York City and Providence, Rhode
court of France (in 1776)— Island.
was a great friend of the Jews.
He was always willing to assist
He readily signed a petition immigrants as much as he could.
to, citizens of every religious Once a man named Solomon Ra-
denomination for contribu- phael, newly - arrived at these
Lions to the Hebrew Society of shores, applied for a peddler's
Philadelphia when this society license in 1787 to establish him-
wished to build a synagogue in self in this country. Franklin not
Philadelphia. Franklin himself only signed Raphael's peddlar's
most generously contributed to license, but gave him a loan to
this fund.
finance his humble profession.
When the Jew William Her-
When, in 1778, Franklin
schel discovered t h e planet founded the Pennsylvania Abo-
Uranus, Franklin highly praised litionist Society working for
the abolition of slavery, many
Jews in Philadelphia joined
him.
In "Poor Richard's Almanac"
and in "The Pennsylvania Ga-
ARE HERE
zette" we find Franklin's parable.
ENJOYING THE
It is of special interest at the
Passover season; as it ends with
the curse that was Egypt's cruel
bondage and the blessing which
They discovered the reasons-the
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"And it came to pass after these
things, that Abraham sat in the
door of his tent, about the going
down of the sun. And behold a man.
bent with age, coming from the way
of the wilderness, leaning on a staff.
And Abraham rose and met him and
said unto him: 'Turn in( I pray thee,
and wash thy feet.c and tarry all
night, and thou shalt arise early in
the morning, and g thy way'. But
the man said, 'Nay, for I shall abide
under this tree'.
"And Abraham pressed him great-
ly; so he turned, and they went into
the tent; and Abraham_ baked un-
leavened bread, and they did eat.
And when Abraham saw that the
man blessed not God, he said unto
him, 'Wherefore dost thou not wor-
ship the most high God, Creator of
heaven and earth?' And the man
answered and said, 'I do not worship
thy God, neither do I call upon his
name; for I have made myself a
god. which. abideth always in mine
house, and provideth me with all
things'.
"And Abraham's zeal was kindled
against the man, and he arose and
fell upon him, and drove him forth
with blows into the wilderness. And
God called unto Abraham, saying,
'Abraham, where is the stranger?'
And Abraham answered and said,
'Lord, he would not worship Thee,
neither would he call upon Thy

By HAROLD U. RIBALOW
(Copyright, 1962,

Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)

Chess, which has millions of
adherents all over the world, is
not of major importance in the
United States, and only Bobby
Fischer, because of his youth
and brillance (and the fact that
he competes against Russians)
wins space in newspapers and
magazines and books.
£till, there is no telling when
a quiescent sport will spring to
new life. Pool, or billiards, had
died, until the movie "The
Hpstler," was produced, and
there is today a revival of pool-
halls. -
It is not, then, impossible that
Jewish athletes will participate
more fully on the sports scene
than they do now. There are
no Jews of any importance in
boxing any more, now that
Alphonse Halimi is about
washed up. But think back to
the past: Benny Leonard, Bar-
ney Ross, Al Singer, Art Lasky
(the heavyweight who never
really got to the top), and
dozens of others, champs and
near-champs.
BaSeball? Latman, Koufax,
one or two others. And the
past? Hank Greenberg, Buddy
Myer, Al Rosen, Harry ban-
ning, Phil Weintraub, Johnny
Kling, and soon and on.
Basketball is the biggest
shocker_ It was once loaded with
Jewish stars. Then we had the
college game, mainly. Now pro
ball gets as much, or more,
space. And we have no one
besides a fading, injured Dolph
Schayes. The college game is
dominated by huge, tall, sharp-
shooting athletes, few of whom
are Jewish? What's happened
there? The game is now for
the giant and no matter how
assimilated American Jews are,
they still don't grow seven feet
tall. And when they go to col-
lege, they specialize in studies,
not sports.
Football? T h e professional
game has a few Jewish coaches,
but where are the Sid Luck-
mans, Benny Friedmans and
Harry N e w m a n s and Aaron
Rosenbergs of the past? They
aren't.

name therefore I have driven him
out from before my face into the
wilderness.'
"And God said, 'Have I borne with
him these hundred and ninety and
eight years, and nourished him, and
clothed him, notwithstanding his re-
bellion against rue; and couldst not
thou, who are thyself a sinner, bear
with him one night?' And Abraham
said, 'Let not the anger of the Lord
wax hot against His servant; lo. I
have sinned; lo, I have sinned; for-
give me, I pray Thee'
"And Abraham arose, and went
forth into the wilderness, and sought
diligently for the man, and found
him, and returned with him to the
tent; and when be had entreated
him- kindly, he sent him away on
the morrow with gifts. And God
spake again unto Abraham, sayink,
'For this thy sin shall thy seed be
afflicted in a strange land; but for
thy repentance will I deliver them;
and. they shall come forth with
po,wer, and with gladness of heart,
and with much substance.'"

When Franklin died in 1790,
aged 84, the whole world mourn-
ed him. Mirabeau, the leader of
the French Assembly called him
"the sage whom two worlds claim
as their own" and ordered a three
days' mourning for him through-
out all France. Turgot, the cele-
brated minister of finance for
Louis XVI said of him: "He
snatched the lightning from the
sky and the scepter from tyrants".

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Histadrut Builds Israeli Synagogues

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*18*

As part of its special services to more than a hundred
thousand Orthodox workers in its ranks, Histadrut, the Israel
labor federation, is constructing synagogues in new settlements
and other areas where the need for a religious center has been
expressed. Histadrut's department for religious affairs, headed
by Rabbi Brandwein, also provides Torah Scrolls, prayer books
and taliesim, and conducts religious study groups. A major
project now midway is the publication of a vowelled edition
of the Talmud. The photo shows a group of retired workers in
the synagogue of Histadrut's Bet Avot (Home for Parents) on
Mount Carmel. The Israel Histadrut Campaign, which finances
this program has transferred to Israel a number of Torah
scrolls donated by American synagogues and Jewish organiza-
tions.

The millenium will have ar-
rived when a mirror is invented
that will enable a man to see his

Yeshiva U. Receives
Space Agency Grant

A probe for greater under- faults as others see them.
standing of the earth's galaxy
and atmosphere is under way at
Yeshiva University, under the
INVESTORS WANTED
auspices of the National Aeron-
for
autics and Space Administration.
Two physicists at the Univer-
APPROVED
sity's Graduate School of Science
HOTEL ENTERPRISE
will conduct independent studies
IN ISRAEL
designed to aid the nation's space
program under a $22,300 first
Capitol Required $100,000
NASA grant to the School, Dr.
Abe Gelbart, dean, announced.
For Further Information Write
Heading the studies will' be Dr.
BOX 539
Joel L. Lebowitz, associate pro-
The Jewish News
fessor of physics, and Dr. Leon
17100 W. 7 Mile Rd.
F. Landovitz, assistant professor
Detroit 35, Michigan
of physics.

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