14

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEW S — Friday, June 29, 1962 —

Dictionary Definitions of 'Jew'
Incite Wrath of New Jersey Man

JTS Establishes
Museum Wing

Offensive definitions of the states: "It seems to me that
words "Jew" and "Jewish" con- there is a frustrating ghetto
tained in some dictionaries mentality involved, that pro-
have caused Maurice Rothman hibits positive wrathful ac•
tion, emanating from some of
of Springfield, N. J., to crusade
our Jewish leaders. I was
for their deletion.
He has thus far been "be- greatly heartened at the im-
wildered" by the explanations mediate response of some
of "guilty" publishers to his others."
The letter of protest contains
charges and frustrated by a
"ghetto mentality involved, that an appeal for similar letters to
prohibits positive wrathful ac- the publishers protesting the
tion emanating from some of "offensive" definitions.
Not one organization ac-
our Jewish leaders."
cepted Rothman's offer of him-
Included among the latter, self as plaintiff against the pub-
according to Rothman, is the fishers of dictionaries contain-
Anti-Defamation League of ing offensive definitions of the
Bnai Brith. He says that - Mr.:
Henry Braverman of the AD1; word "Jew-"
THE PRESENT MUSEUM
answered .. . ( his letter of in-
quiry) . .. that the condition Council of Orthodox
had existed for a long time, ! Rabbis Appeals for
that they were fully aware of it,
and that there were questions , Aid to Mikvah Israel
of usage and free speech and
The Council of Orthodox
press. Also that the p ublish- lRabbis of Detroit has issued a
ers used the word 'colloquial' i proclamation n
upon spir-
and 'offensive' to indicate that ,
l eades in the metropolitan
the definition was offensive to area to appeal to their congre-
Jews."
gations for aid to the Mikvah
Random Houses American Israel Association which o -
C o 1 I e g e Dictionary, Web- erates the new ritualarium in
ster's New World Dictionary Oak Park.
and Merriam Webster's Un-
The Mikvah, built at a cost of
ALBERT LIST BUILDING
abridged Dictionary First Edi- $50,000, requires an additional
tion all contain offensive def- $6,000 in obligations to building
The cornerstone of a new
initions, according to Roth- contractors.
three story wing of the Jewish
man.
The announcement also pro- Museum of the Jewish Theo-
The recent Third Edition of claimed June 30 as "Taharath logical Seminary of America,
Merriam Webster's New Inter- Hamishpacha Sabbath" and re- Fifth Ave. and 92nd St., New
national Dictionary contains the quested rabbis to devote their York, was laid in ceremonies
following definition:
sermons to its meaning. The recently. The new edifice, to be
1. Jew N
proclamation was signed by called the Albert A. List Build-
1. (acceptable definition) Rabbi Isaac Stollman, pres- ing in honor of the donor, is
2.
scheduled to open in December.
ident of the Vaad Harabonim.
3.
Unable to attend because of
4. Usu cap: A person be-
Jewish Historian Quits
a recent eye operation; former
lieved to drive a hard
Miami Opera Guild; Charges
Senator Herbert H. Lehman's
bargain.
Bias in Site Choices
congratulatory remarks were
2. Jew Adj. Usu cap: Jew-
ish—usually taken to be MIAMI B E A C H (JTA) — delivered by Alan M. Stroock,
Harry Simonhoff, American Jew- chairman of the board of direc-
offensive.
tors of the Jewish Theological
3. Jew Verb transitive -ed ish historian, announced his res-
ignation from patron member- Seminary.
-ing/ -s sometimes cap:
The new building will occupy
to cheat by sharp busi- ship in the Greater Miami Opera
ness practices — usually Guild with a charge that the an area of 50 by '72 feet ad-
guild held its annual balls at the !joining the present quarters.
taken to be offensive.
In reply to Braverman, Surf Club, "A society of religious The three story structure will
Rothman said: ". . . I might bigots which discriminates increase the potential exhibit
say that perhaps the word against Jewish visitors." An offi- space of the Jewish Museum by
`kik' might be listed as col- ' cial of the guild denied the 9,000 square feet and will allow
for expansion of the Tobe
loquial, but certainly not charge.
`Jew' and if a certain low
Th-e historian wrote to Dr. Ar- Pascher Workshop of Modern
element does use 'Jew' offen- turo de Filippi, artistic director Ceremonial Art, a new textile
sively, why dignify this 'us- and manager of the guild, that workshop, a permanent chil-
age' with official recognition? "to hold your social affairs in dren's gallery or Junior Mu-
The general connotation left that atmosphere of prejudices seum, and a new sales area.
by the definition is that the and segregation is an insult to
The building will be recessed
Jew is offensive and a cheat. I the Jewish residents of Greater to retain the sculpture garden.
Quite shocking! . . . It seems, Miami and they constitute a A glass facade and special light-
in summation, that inducing large proportion of your audi- ing will enable passersby to see
the publishers to use the ence.
exhibits from the street. Costs
words, 'colloquial' and 'offen-
In his reply, the guild man- of the new wing approximate
sive' was a hollow victory— ager said that the guild's annual one half million dollars.
and that there should be no ball in 1959 and 1960 was held
An architectural innovation
pride in the fact that they at an oceanfront hotel and that will be to connect both build-
have been fighting this for present plans were to hold the ings on each of the first three
fifty years—without success. event in 1963 at the same hotel. levels thus relating a modern
It seems that the Anti-Defam-
structure to a six story Gothic
ation League is settling down
mansion built in 1908 by the
Shaarey Zedek YML
for another fifty years."
late Mr. and Mrs. Felix M. War-
Rothman received responses Elects Steinberg
burg. Costs of coordinating the
to his letters from prominent
Robert A. Steinberg was re- two buildings and some interior
Jews throughout the United elected president of Cong. Shaa- renovation of the Warburg
States.
rey Zedek's Young Married building were underwritten by
Secretary of Health, Educa- League.
James N. Rosenberg and other
tion and Welfare, Abraham
Other officers are Eliot Char- friends of the Museum.
Ribicoff replied that he "was lip, vice president; David Her-
astonished to learn that your melin, treasurer; Mrs. Fred Ga-
A man must devote every ef-
charges against dictionary def- ron, secretary; Mr. and Mrs.
inition of the word 'Jew' are Seth Barsky, Mr. and Mrs. Sal fort toward the education of
true. . I am writing the pub- Gorge and Mr. and Mrs. Myron his children.—Apocrypha
lishers protesting reinsertion of Milgrom, board members for a
the offensive definition."
two-year-term; Mr and Mrs.
Rabbi Joachim Prinz, presi- Sheldon Lublin, Mr. and Mrs.
dent, American Jewish Con- Harvey Gordon and Mr. and
gress; Rabbi Balfour Brickner, Mrs. Bob Freedman, board
director of Commission on In- members for a one-year term.
terfaith Activities of the Union
of American Hebrew Congrega- Judges Who Served
tions; and Louis Segal, general
secretary of Farband Labor Nazis Must Resign
Zionist Society; each wrote
BONN, (JTA) — German
Rothman they were writing the judges who served in the Nazi
publishers, asking the offensive courts must resign before next
definitions be removed.
Saturday or else face dismissal
Mrs. Siegfried Kamarsky, na- without pension rights.
tional president of Hadassah,
The order to resign follows a
wrote that the matter is being law passed in the West German
given "careful consideration by Budestag a year ago. No precise
all concerned."
figures of how many judges are
World Zionist head Dr. Na- involved have been offically re-
hum Goldmann has requested leased and estimates vary from
more information on the sub- 70 to 150. Few of them have
ject from Rothman.
shown willingness to resign so
In his letter, Rothman far.

VP

Three Books by Dr. Kaplan as
Reconstructionist Paperbacks

Heading the list of paper- tion and for that of our fellow-

backs this month are three vol- men."
umes by Dr. Mardecai M. Kap-
"It is the spirit of defeat-
lan, published by the Recon- ism that brings about de-
structionist Foundation — "The feat," Prof. Kaplan states.
Meaning of God in Modern "The way to deal construc-
Jewish Religion," "Basic Val- tively with religious doubt is
ues in Jewish Religion" and to learn to transcend it, by
"Questions You Ask: Recon- focusing our attention on the
structionist Answers."
reality of happiness and vir-
The latter is more than its tue rather than on that of
title implies. While it can serve misery and vice, and by
as a textbook for those pursu- thinking of the problem not
ing Reconstructionist principles, in terms of speculative
it is a guide to Jewish thinking. thought but of ethical ac-
It concerns itself with Jewish tion."
peoplehood, with the modern-
In "The Meaning of God" Dr.
ization of Jewish religion, the Kaplan reinterprets the God
organization of Jewish com- idea in Jewish religious teach-
munal life and many related ings, and after dealing with
topics.
many aspects of this ideological
Of special interest in this approach describes "Jewish Re-
t I
question-and-answer book is ligion as a Means to Jewish Na-
the section dealing with the tional Survival."
relation of the Diaspora to
Emphasizing the need for self-
Israel. It is an instructive fulfillment, Dr. Kaplan describes
chapter that contributes the stages through which the Jew-
greatly towards cementing ish religion has passed and
American-Israel relations.
states that "to survive the present
.
This 532 page book includes crisis,
the Jewish religion will
an evaluation of Reconstruc- have to transform itself from an
tionism and the complete text other-worldly religion
offering
of the Reconstructionist "Pro- to conduct the individual to life
gram for Jewish Life Today."
eternal through the agency of the
Dr. Kaplan's explanations of
traditional Torah which is re-
the basic Jewish religious val- garded as having been super-
ues, in the second of the men- naturally revealed, into a relig-
tioned paperbacks, are philoso-
ion which can help Jews attain
phic essays on Faith, Hope, Hu-
mility, Inner Freedom, Pa- this-worldly salvation."
tience, Thankfulness, Justice, In his discussion of national
Love and . Creative Doubt. In its survival, he reviews the chal-
totality, this series of discus- lenges faced by Jewry in quest
sions are answers to those who for survival and analyzes the
advocate assimilation. They are minority status of Jews, and ad-
answers to those who seek es- vocates a nationalism of the spir-
cape from Jewish life. it that should counter the nation-
"Jewish religion should ar- alism of might. He calls for
ticulate," Prof. Kaplan states, Jewish creativity, urges Jews to
"and urge upon us, those val- produce ideas, arts, music, liter-
ues which would impel us to ature and states that "they must
utilize our abilities and oppor- I enrich the sum of esthetic, ethi-
tunities both for our own salva- cal and religious achievements.*

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