Sukkot in USSR - 1964 THE JEWISH NEWS Incorporating The Detroit Jewish Chronicle commencing with issue of July 20, 1951 Member American Association of English—Jewish Newspapers, Michigan Press Association, National Editorial Association. Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publishing Co., 17100 West Seven Mile Road, Detroit 48235 Mich., VE 8-9364. Subscription $6 a year. Foreign $7. , Second Class Postage Paid at Detroit, Michigan PHILIP SLOMOVITZ Editor and Publisher SIDNEY SHMARAK CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ Advertising Manager Business Manager CHARLOTTE KYAMS City Editor Sabbath Scriptural Selections This Sabbath, the thirteenth day of Tishri, 5725. the following scriptural selections will be read in our synagogues: Pentateuchal portion: Deut. 42:1-52; Prophetical portion: II Samuel 22:1-51. Licht Benshen, Friday, Sept. 18, 5:36 p.m. Sukkot Scriptural Selections Pentateuchal portions: First Day of Sukkot, Monday. Levit. 22:26-23:44, Num. 29:12-16; Second Day of Sukkot, Tuesday, Levit. 22:26-23:44, Num. 29:12-16. Prophetical portions: Monday, Zechariah 14:1-21; Tuesday, I Kings, 8:2-21. VOL. XLVI, No. 4 Page '4 September 18, 1964 Sukkot the Festival 'Par Excellence' A glorious title was given to the Festival of Tabernacles—Sukkot—by the late Chief Rabbi of the British Empire, Dr. Joseph Hertz. He called it "the Festival par ex- cellence." It is a well deserved term for a joyous occasion on our calendar. It is the holiday of the ingathering of the fruits, and while such gathering of the results of man's labors stems from the ancient Land of Israel, it speaks gloriously in support of creative effort. Indeed, Sukkot is the festival of joy. It provides happiness in Jewish life. It adds zest to the observance of Jewish traditions by the youth. Sukkot is steeped ilk many traditions. It is during Sukkot that we observe the Draw- ing of the Water—a custom that was a daily event during the entire Sukkot festival and since the dispersion has become an event for one day during the festival. It is the Simhat Beth Hashoeva, and the water libation, which was intended as a temperance lesson, stems from the traditional admonition "with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salva- tion." In a sense the water festival signifies the petition for rain, since on Sukkot we have the Tefillat Geshem—the appeal for moisture for a parched land. The late Chief Rabbi Hermann Adler of the British Empire (1839-1911) thus evalu- ated all the aspects of Sukkot: "Joyful worship has always been the key- note of the Festival of Tabernacles. In,temple days, the priests, with Lulav and Ethrog, went round the Altar in procession to the,. sound of the Shofar, chanting, 'Save now, I beseech Thee. 0 Lord: 0 Lord, I beseech Thee, send now prosperity' (Ps cxvii, 25). The ceremony which appears to have aroused the greatest enthusiasm was the Drawing of Water. The Mishnah tells us, 'He that hath not beheld the joy of the Drawing of Water hath never seen joy in his life.' There were torch dances by men of piety and renown, and songs and hymns by Levites and people to the accompaniment of flutes, harps and cymbals. "The latest feature of the development of the Festival is the festive character given to the last day—Simhat Torah—as marking the occasion of the completion and recom- mencement of the reading of the Law. In the Middle Ages, it became customary to take all the Scrolls from the Ark and to bear them in procession round the synagogue. Anxious as Jewish parents have always been to stimu- Rabbi Robert I. Kahn of Houston, Tex., has developed a series of late their children's love and interest in their religion, they made it essentially a children's guideposts out of the Decalogue in "The Ten Commandments for Today," festival. In some synagogues, children were published by Doubleday. His total theme is composed of a variety of approaches to the basic called to the reading of the Law. Fruits and laws contained in the Ten Words. He covers a variety of problems in sweets were distributed amongst them. his application of the principles contained in the Commandments as "And thus, in ever-changing surround- they are applied to the issues of our time, and he reviews their status ings, the note of joy in the Festival of Taber- among differing faiths. nacles can be heard through all the cen At the outset, he poses the question "why the negativism?" and turies; now as the rejoicing over the harvest, he proves the validity of the "thou shalt not" by pointing out that now as the joy of temple-worship, and now the Bill of Rights also is composed of a number of negatives—"thou again in triumphant homage to the Law,' shall make NO law" . . . "certain rights shall NOT be construed" soldier shall be quartered" ... etc. Israel's inalienable birthright, 'whence with ... "NO The Texas rabbi proceeds to show that while the listing of the joy he draws water out of the wells of salva-' Commandments differs in Jewish and Christian (Catholic) scriptures, tion.' " the ideals are alike. Rabbi Robert I. Kahn Evaluates 'Ten Commandments for Today' - This, in a sense, is an elementary defini- tion. But it evaluates Sukkot completely. It explains the holiday as it has influenced the young as well as the old. It is a most spirited event on our calen- dar. May it continue to bring much joy into every Jewish household. Sad Ecumenical T idings from Rome Affirmations and denials marked the fre- quent reports about the Vatican Ecumenical plans. Many suspected from the very begin- ning that the intentions of the Catholic prelates were in the main in line with a continuing policy of the Catholic church to aspire for Jewish converts. Towards the end of last year. when it be- - came apparent that the first Vatican council would adjourn without action on the deicide question, the eminent theologian, Dr. Rein- hold Niebuhr, expressed the view that noth- ing would happen on the issue, and his contention was: The hopes of both Catholic and non- Catholic observers were excited by the fact that, when the issue was joined between the "fathers" of the Council and the conserva- tive Curia (or Vatican bureaucracy), Pope John XXIII sided with innovating major- ity in every critical instance. • The second session under a new Pope, however; was conducted in a different spirit. The disappointment of the second ses- sion reached its pitch with toe shelving of the two proposed actions. Both amended and challenged traditional Catholic atti- tudes and dogmas. The action on the Jews intended as a refutation of primitive reli- gious anti-Semitism with its charge that the Jews were "Christ-killers," was particular- ly dear to Cardinal- Bea, a German-born Jesuit and the late Pope's alter ego. Car- dinal Bea, who was very influential during the first session and was perhaps also instru- mental in the original decision to convene the Ecumenical Council, is reported to have an uneasy conscience about the Nazi era in German history, and to have the ambition to establish more charitable relations with Jewish religious organizations. He is said to have queried some of his Jewish friends on how this might best be achieved. But, alas, any constructive pronounce- ment would offend the traditionalists in the Church. It would probably offend them not because they seriously believe in the age-old slogans of Christian anti-Semitism, but because it is difficult to offer an official olive branch to a great and historic religion which has stubbornly refused to accept the tenets of the "only true religion." Pro- posals for making the pronouncement less offensive to traditional Christians were re- ported sub rosa, such -as the affirmation that "only a few Jews were guilty of the death of Christ." But the wiser members of the Council knew that such a statement would be worse than no statement at all. Postponement may have been the most prudent policy once the Pandora's box of religious prejudice was opened. There was hope against hope that this would not be the accepted view, but in spite of conflicting declarations it is daily becom- ing more apparent that it is not merely postponement we are dealing with but an ancient enmity, a refusal to accept Judaism as other that a "mother religion" that has outlived its usefulness and must submit to the tenets of the daughter-faith. Some Jewish leaders had foreseen the final outcome of the "uneasy conscience." The major orthodox elements refused to be- come . parties to the Ecumenical debates and speculations. Others, and some leaders of major Jewish organizations, fell victims to the delusions. It would have been better if we had let the Catholic prelates debate the issue among themselves. It is their prob- lem, just as the deicide charge is the guilt of their church. Let them solve it. He then proceeds to emphasize how much the 20th Century needs the Ten Commandments. Resorting tb parables, quoting from the sages and from great world figures, Rabbi Kahn shows how important it is to have and to retain faith in God and in God's Law. Every conceivable element in life is taken into account in Rabbi Kahn's study—philosophy, psychology, psychiatry, sex, morality, the quality of mercy. . He emphasizes the rejection of suicidal tendencies in Jewish tra• dition, the opposition to capital punishment, the repudiation of vett. geance, the emphasis on the sacredness of life. Summing up his theme's conclusions, Rabbi Kahn asserts that even in the space age "the family will still be the primary unit of human life." He declares that the Ten Commandments "although formulated long ago, are as up-to-date as tomorrow's newspaper." He emphasizes: "We do not need a new morality but a rededication of the old." 'The Wisdom of Israel,' Edited by Browne, Still Among Classics "The Wisdom of Israel" edited by the late Lewis Browne remains a classic to this day. Republished as an attractive Modern Library GiaM by Random Press, this volume contains "the essence of the Hebraic contribution to the world's moral culture, from the prophetic utterances of the Bible to the wit and wisdom of living writers." Browne, one of American Jewry's most brilliant writers during his lifetime, has left an indelible mark on Jewish literature with this work and others that continue to serve as reference and textbooks as well as valuable and informative reading material for those seeking Jewish knowledge. In "The Wisdom of Israel," the interpretive and explanatory notes by the editor serve the reader well and assist him in gathering Jewish information. Selections from Biblical and Prophetic works and also from the New Testament, words "between the Testaments" such as the aphorisms of Ben Sirach, Tobit's admonitions, selections from Hillel, Philo, Esdrasi and others; gems from the Talmudic period, from medieval and modern writers, make this work stand out among the best for the Jewish book shelves. • Rejoicing in the Law From the Sukkot Liturgy Translated by Israel Zangwill This Feast of the Law all your gladness display, Today all your homages render. What profit can lead one so pleasant away, What jewels can vie with its splendor? Then exult in the Law on its festival day, The Law is Our Light and Defender. My God I will praise in a jubliant lay, My hope in Him never surrender, His glory proclaim where His chosen sons pray, My Rock all my trust shall engender.