Sukkot to Simhat Torah
Last Jewish Queen, . . . Last Kings . . . Philo,1 By From
cession with esrog and lulav is
DR, HELEN HIRSCH
•
At the end of the solemn Yom repeated.
Roles tn, Kippur service, the pious his Jew suk-
J osep h us and T t 't us P lay mportant
goes The eighth day ! is called the
"Day of the Solemn Assembly "
kah to prepare a spot for ,
•
of 1 when all plants are put aside. On
ah
to
celebrate
the
Festival
New Hotvard Fast Novel 'Agrippa's D au ht er Tabernacles — to begin the new Shemini Atzeret memorial prayers is

i
a re g ious corn- and a prayer for rain (geshem)
- egr b y fulfng
Howard Fast is unquestionably I
of devotion, her piety, her hum- ancient history that reviewers. his
recited.
one of the ablest novelists of our I
anitarian practices stem from 1 torians, rabbis and lay scholars 'nand *
The ninth and last day is called
Five days after Yo Kippur Simhat Torah—Rejoicing . in the
time. His "Spartacus" and "Citizen
the lessons she had learned from will have much to argue about
Tom Paine" will remain among
her distinguished husband who after reading "Agrippa's Daugh- • comes one of the happiest hob.- Law. The holiday is dedicated to •
days. the Festival of Booths or the Torah. Worshipers end the 1,
the classics and lovers of good
ended his life as a martyr to the ter."
Tabernacles. The Bible exhorts Us: reading • of the five sacred books
fiction who enjoy historical analy-
cause of Jewish patriotism-
For instance, a natural partici-
sis will always count them among !
Her last years, according to the pant in the drama depicted is "Ye shall dwell in booths seven and begin anew with the Book of
days" (Lev. 23:42). This reminds us Genesis. All the Torahs are taken
the great works they have read. = Fast story, were spent as the Josephus Flavius, who is introduc-
tr
Similarly, his "My Glorious Bro- mistress of Titus, the conqueror of ed here are Joseph Benmattathias that our ancestors, fleeing a hostile out of the Ark and carried around
thers" must be counted among the Jerusalem. Titus wanted to marry Harcohen. Perhaps the description Egypt. had to wander • 40 years in the synagogue in a solemn proees-
great works dealing with the her, but she was hated by his of him ascribed to Titus is most the desert living in make-shift sion called Hakafot. The children
Maccabees.
father Vespasian whom he suc- correct, since the role of Josephus. shelters made of dry palms and follow with flags.
strong branches of trees. When
His newest work, "Agrippa's ceeded as the Emperor of Rome. who became a military adviser to
i mu. forefathers finally reached Ca
Daughter," coming off the press .
So many historical facts are the Romans, often is questioned.
ittsburgh
urgh NCJW Grants
they discovered that the P 'usb
today, is a powerful novel dealing packed into this novel that the In the days of the Young Judaea •
time when Sukkot was celebrated $7,600 in Scholarships
with the first century • of the reviewer, in his fullest admiration movement here we used to assign
PITTSBURGH (JTA) — Grants
was also the Festival of Ingather -
Christian era, and Doubleday & of Fast's skill and his deep study! a topic for debate that read: "Re- . 11
imitive agricultural and loans totaling $7.600 have
Co., is justified in considering it of the era under review in "Agr- solved, That Josephus was a Trai- felt
a prim
i ous leaders arid
ival, our
religious
among th
the most impressive works ippa's' Daughter," wishes that the tor." There were arguments on prophets of old elevated the fes
- Student
been awarded
Aid Committee
this year -by
of the
the
to come from its presses.
facts were more correct.
both sides.
tival from a feast of joy and hilar- Pittsburgh Section, National Coun-
The novel is about Berenice, the
For instance, Titus, whose name • Titus, in the Fast novel, says to , sty to a -holy convention." During cil of Jewish Women, it was re-
daughter of Herod of the Great, . is recorded in Jewish history as Berenice: "I never found a Jew
seven days all meals are eaten in ported here. Sixteen Jewish sta-
the descendant of the Maccabees. "Titus Ha-Rasha" — "Titus the could trust—not even that wretched • the sulthah which is decorated dents were the recipients of the
and about the last war against the Wicked" appears here as a kind- Jos eph Benmattathias who cozened with
apples. pears and other grants and loans to aid in their
Romans. That crucial period count- ly man. When Titus came to look ' his way into our bosom and now fruits and all kinds of flowers.
studies. Ten attend the University
ed many important names, and for Berenice in the House of calls himself Flavious Josephus-
The symbols of Sukkot are of Pittsburgh; four attend Carne-
many of them appear in Howard Hillel,
to which
she became
fully
attached
the thought
occurred
to and why should I trust this one?"
the four plants, the Inlay, the gie Tech and one each are at
Fast's historical novel.
myrtle, the esrog and the willow Duquesne University and Chat-
s , But there is at least one gem in
ew(
Thus, there is Philo Judaeus. her that the blood of the Jews
be-
!
which are taken to the syna . ham College.
relation to Josephus. He had
her ,. still was "wet on his hands." And
gogue. A blessing is recited
come an historian, and the Roman
, Berenice was betrothed by
:
'follows the Fast interprets-
father to Philo's nephew. The then
.
over them since they represent
FOR THE BEST IN
But she was thinkihe : procurator Florus taunted him
day.
i
lion:
"
thinking,
s
lad died on the wedding
MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT
the inexhaustible wealth, variety
Later Philo visited Berenice, and realized, in cliches and platitudes. : with "you are a nation of mar-
and beauty of nature. They were
was no evidence of villainy-; chants." Whereupon Josephus, in
Fast gives an account of a warm There
created "to rejoice before God"
about Titus. Young, strong, hand-' one of those essays contining the
(Lev. _29:3940), acknowledging
friendship that was established famous reply to anti-Semites.
And His Orchestra
some
and
healthy—it
was
almost
!
nature gratefully as the most
between the last Jewish queen
Against Apion" ( not mentioned
impossible not to like him, and ■ -
. DI 1-1609
and the great Alexandrian Jew- Berenice recalled the stories she ' in the Fast novel), nodded and . wonderful creation of God.
ish philosopher. Whether or not had heard about him. his scrap- said:
The seventh day is called Ha-
is historically correct is a
"We are merchants. I can't shanah Rabba, "the great salva-
merited a measure of poetic and i ulous sense of justice, his innate '
For That Special Occasion
matter for conjecture. But Fast ' decency, and the manner in which , deny that. Your emperors wear tion." Special prayers are recited
INVITATIONS
:
I the purple because • Jews crush beginning with "H a s h a n a h" —
BY
fictional license—and he resort-; his legionaires adored him."
the shell and extract the dye, "Save us now." It is thought of
This leaves us with a sense of
ed to many liberties with hist_ '
HATTIE
amazement. Was that 'Titus Ha- i and because Jewish ships bring as the end of the season when God
(Mrs. Seymour Schwartz)
(triad facts.
judges us, the season which began
Rasha, who set up the Arch of I the dye to Thrace to dye the with the Days of Awe. In ancient
UN 4-7294
cotton
there,
and
other
Jews
buy
Berenice's second marriage was
Titus in Rome (which is not
Distinctive
matching accessories,
days, this day was called "the day
to her uncle, Herod of Chalcis, and
personalized
hostess sets, matches,
mentioned in "Agrippa's Dan- I the cotton cloth in Egypt. By of the willow branch," because the
napkins, place cards, etc.
virtue of, the same, your silk
g h tee ),
she thus became Queen of Chalcis.
tunic exists because Jewish cara- priests circled the altar seven
------ '. -
rt
Her father. is porayed
as the
Titus was assigned to suppress
vans trade between here and times, beat the branches to the
originally cruel and sinful man
the Jewish rebellion, and it was
Cathay, and the beautiful bronze ! ground—a custom still in practice.
who became pious and therefore
FOR AN
OUTSTANDING AFFAIR . . .
clasp you wear, with the hawk On each of the seven days, the
beloved as the King of Israel and in that fight that Shimeon Neng-
the Great Herod. Her amaliel perished. He was of the
CALL
emblazoned on it, exists because Torah is taken out of the Ark and
successor to
under House of Hillel and he wanted.
by
the
rabbi
Jewish trading station and the cantor, followed
father, Herod Agrippa, was
a
peace. but he was drawn in by the
synagogue has flourished in and all the worshippers who hold
the impression that Berenice was
is ' patriots, by the Zealots.
Cornwall for a hundred years ' an esrog and inlay, march around '
Pantomime Artist and M.C.
not a virgin. This pious king
His people were fighting for
before ever a Roman set loot in the bimah and down the aisle
portrayed in all his cruelty in his
And His Orchestra
relationship with his' daughter. their freedom, for Jerusalem.
Britain, and because Jewish su- singing the Hashanah prayers.
There was that cruel element, the
When she finally came to her
percargoes directed Pheoenician During Rol Hamoed ca. semi-
Sicarii
uncle he discovered that she was ' the murderous lot that
shipping into the tin trade be- holidays,. the Hanel praye s are re- I
killed not only Romans but also
a virgin—to his own amazement
fore certain other peoples ever cited in the morning the pro-
treme
in view of the impression he had ews w opposed air ex
learned that bronze was an alloy
gotten from his brother. There tactics. When they were asked to
of copper and tin. We create
yield, they finally threw Shimeon's
were two sons from that marriage.
wealth, my dear procurator; we
Both died, and thereafter Berenice he from the ramparts and thus
don't steal it."
he died and was buried in the
was barren.
The cruelty of kings and rulers '
cemetery a the House of Hillel,
• Crystal
After the death of Herod of and Berenice asked for a double is described in this story. And it
Chalcis, Berenice was bethrothed stone so that she, too, could be describes also the high ordeals in
,* Sterling
and married to Poleman, King of next to him—sharing the grave Jewish traditionS. For instance, I
Cilicia, who underwent circumcism with her beloved. When Titus died when, under Titus, 200.000 Jews
• Silverpiate
to become a Jew in order to acq- and she finally escaped from are held captives, to be sold as
• Pewter
uire the woman he loved. But Rome, where she was hated, she slaves. Berenice travels from corn-
Berenice insisted and secured an did reach that aim in her life. "In munity of Jews to community of
• Diarnand -
annulment of the marriage.
time the gravestone was carried her kinsmen to gather funds for
Her third husband who fig- away for sank into the ground, and the pidyon shevuyim—for the re-
• Watches
ured prominently in "Agrippa's so the grave was unmarked and lease of the captives.
Luggage
Daughter," was Shimeon Beng- became one with the ancient soil
And the idealism ascribed to the
amaliel, a prince of the Great of Galilee in Israel." .
while
these
things
were
hap-
House
of
Hillel
is
an
interpretive
Stainless
•
Sanhedrin who later was elect-
But
Steel
ed Nassi—the head of the San- pening, in the eyes of Fast the chapter in Jewish lore and history.
hedrin. Shimeon was the grand- Zealots were the unwise, the Si- The last Jewish rulers are not to
Large selection of china
son of Mlle!, and Berenice's life carii were the murderers, and to be bragged about. Berenice's broth-
in many designs and
them are ascribed impious roles in er is pictured in a kindly light, but
Bridesmaid and
colors.
Usher Gifts
ancient Jewish history. Yet, while historically her brother Agrippa,
the Sicarii leader Shimeon Bar_ king of Galilee by grace of the
giora is tainted in the story, one Romans, was not a model ruler and
wonders whether, in parallel form, certainly was not a credit to Israel.
the flerut and the Irgun could be With all its shortcomings—in the
treated equally cruelly in our time. light of the aspects questioned by
While depicting the struggles this reviewer—"Agrippa's Daugh-

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between the patriots and those ter" nevertheless emerges as a
who craved and strove for peace, very great novel,' - adding much
Howard Fast compares the ideals glory to the literary career of the
of the Houses of Hillel and brilliant writer, Howard FaSt.

Shammai. The two are inter-
linked in Jewish history. Yet
they were friends. Fast also
affirms it. But while the Hille-
lites are portrayed as saints the
Shammaites emerge as the vil-
lains, the uncompromising. In-
deed, the House of Hillel was the
moderate element in our history,
but was the Shanunai House
really as cruel as depicted in this
•novel?
A glance at the cast of charac-
ters in Fast's novel provides so
much material for study of our

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THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, September 11, 1964 - 27

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