Federation Presents Archives
to Burton Historical Collection
Taste of Heaven: Goldstein-Bean Vows
I111 Be Exchanged
Itzik Manger's
Noteworthy Work
BY NATHAN ZIPRIN
At the formal presentation of Jewish Welfare Federation Ar-
chives to the Burton Historical Collection, a part of the material is
(A Seven Arts Feature)
Itzik Manger is a giant among
the giants in contemporary Yid-
dish literature and one of its most
colorful figures to boot. Now one
of his major prose works, "The
Book of Paradise," has happily
come to us in excellent English
translation through the joint dedi-
cation of Hill and Wang, publish-
ers, and Leonard Wolf, translator.
The book at times seems to
exude an irreverent flavor, treat-
ing the tzaddikim in heaven and
the deserving greats as humans
with mortal frailties and weak-
nesses and with strivings we
humans deem alien to the winged.
In essence, however, it is a deli-
cate tale that Manger relates
through the mouth of Shmuel-Aba
Abervo, the infant angel who re-
counts his adventures in heaven
to his father, to the town rabbi,
the rabbinical judge and to the
rich man of the village. Shmuel-
Aba had persuaded the tapping
angel to be merciful with him, to
tap him only perfunctorily, and the
minute he opens his eyes after
birth on earth in the arms of his
mother he starts recounting to the
bewildered but believing hearken-
ers his escapades in heaven with
his friend Pisherl.
Written with deceptive sim-
plicity, Mangers' parody on heaven
is rich in humor, satire, wisdom,
artistry, imagery and folklore es-
sence. At times he is impish, at
others subtle and delicate and at
all times original, surpassing in
pen the uniqueness of Marc Cha-
gall in color.
The fantasy is for all to share.
Among the most fascinating
pages in the book is the story of
the Messiah-Ox that ran amok
when his herdsman frightened him
into belief that the coming of the
Messiah was quite imminent. The
ox had been pasturing peacefully
in the illusion that the coming of
the Messiah was but a dream when
he was suddenly reminded that the
time was approaching when his
flesh would be cut up for distribu-
tion among the tzaddikim and the
other dignitaries worthy of par-
taking of his flesh. Angered and
in despair, the ox runs off to the
Christian part of Paradise to the
discomfiture of the tzaddikim but
to the delight of the guardians on
the other side of the gate. There
is, of course, dismay among the
tzaddikim, and anger at the care-
lessness which made the escape
possible. In the end, Shmuel-Aba
and his friend Pisherl are sent to
the Christian Paradise as emis-
saries to negotiate the redemption
of the Messiah-Ox. In the process,
the negotiators are subjected to
anti-Semitic indignities, made to
eat pork and one of them, Pisherl,
even falls in love with a gem of a
Christian angel.
Yes, there is intermarriage
trouble even in Paradise, and to
some extent debauchery. One
angle so loved his liquor that we
often find him pawning his wings
for uplifting spirits.
There are always ready phrases
to depict a book. I have chosen
to eschew them in this instance
only because one can't impart a
taste of heaven with easy words.
Adding color to The Book of
Paradise is a jacket design by the
noted artist Ben Shahn and unbe-
lievably fantastic illustrations by
Mendel Reif, a Jewish artist who
died in the catastrophe and who
made the drawings for the Yiddish
original when it first appeared in
Poland.
examined by (from left) Jewish Historical Society Honorary Presi-
dent Allen A. Warsen; James M. Babcock, chief of the Burton Col-
lection; William Avrunin, Federation executive director; Hyman
Safran, Federation president; and Dr. Irving I. Edgar, president,
Jewish Historical Society.
- • * * *
The Jewish Welfare Federation
Archives, perhaps the most impor-
tant collection of historical source
material relative to Michigan Jew-
ish history, was formally presented
to the Burton Historical Collection
of the Detroit Public Library for
Members of Congress, officials
cataloguing and safekeeping.
After the transfer is completed, of the Department of State and
the records will be available for national Jewish leaders will par-
historical research and administra- ticipate in an annual national
policy conference of the American
tive use.
Israel Public Affairs Committee
Arranging for the transfer of which will be held in Washington
the historical data was the Jew- at the International Inn, May 3.
ish Historical Society of Michi-
More than 500 delegates and
gan. The many books and papers guests, including a Detroit dele-
involved include material dating gation, have made reservations for
from 1899, the time at which the the dinner which will close the
United Jewish Charities was
conference and which will cele-
formed, through 1926, marking brate Israel's 17th anniversary.
the formation of the Federation, Israel Ambassador Avraham Har-
up until 1950.
man and Associate Justice Arthur
At the formal presentation in the Goldberg of the Supreme Court
Butzel Memorial Building, were will speak at the dinner. Rabbi
Hyman Safran, president of Fed- Philip S. Bernstein of Rochester,
eration; William Avrunin, Federa- N. Y., will preside.
tion executive director; Dr. Irving
Members of AIPAC's national
I. Edgar, president of the Jewish committee will adopt a statement
Historical Society; the Society's reviewing American policy in the
honorary president, Allen A. War- Near East and will hear addresses
sen; and James M. Babcock, chief by State Department and Israel
of the Burton Historical Collection. government officials. 'Deputy As-
Dr. Edgar expressed his hope sistant Secretary of State John D.
that other organizations with his- Jernegan will meet with the com-
torical materials relevant to Michi- mittee at a background briefing
gan Jewish history will follow the session Monday morning.
example of Federation in arrang-
Meyer Feldman, former counsel
ing for similar transfers of ar- to Presidents Kennedy and John-
chives to the Burton Collection.
son, will speak at a luncheon.
Speakers at the afternoon session
will include Israel's Minister Mor-
Yeshiva U. Signs Pact
dechai Gazit and I. L. Kenen,
With Cardinal Spellman executive director of AIPAC and
editor of Near East Report.
for Study on Retarded
The following day, AIPAC com-
NEW YORK (JTA)—An agree- mittees will call on the Depart-
ment for cooperation in the expan- ment of State and the Department
sion of research and education for of Commerce.
AIPAC is supporting the Wil-
mentally retarded children was
signed here by Dr. Samuel Belkin, liam-Javits bill to combat the Arab
president of Yeshiva University, boycott and will circulate a special
and Francis Cardinal Spellman, Near East Report supplement on
archbishop of New York, in his the boycott at the conference.
capacity as head of the governing
board of the Kennedy Child Study
Center conducted in this city by
the Catholic Charities.
Participating in the ceremony
were Sargent Shriver, director of
Mr. and Mrs. Morris Barley,
the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foun- 23821 Condon, Oak Park, an-
dation, and Sister Patricia, adminis- nounce the engagement of their
trator of a day care center where daughter Arella to Leonard W.
the Sisters of Charity of St. Vin- Tennenhouse, son of Mr. and Mrs.
cent de Paul teach about 800 pre- Isaac Tennenhouse, 23201 Gardner,
school children.
Oak Park. The wedding date has
Under the agreement, the Ye- been set for Aug. 29.
shiva's Albert Einstein School of
Medicine and the Catholic Charities
ROBERT C. W. ETTINGER, Oak
will cooperate in a research pro- Park author of "The Prospect of
gram to be developed by the medi- Immortality," was scheduled to
cal school to aid the education of appear on the Mike Douglas Show
retarded children.
9 a.m. today over Channel 2. Et-
Shriver, calling the pact "most tinger has appeared in Cleveland,
significant," said that "now, the Houston, New York, Boston and
two organizations will be doing Pittsburg recently, and in radio
something together which neither and television discussions of his THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
could do separately."
book.
24—Friday, April 30, 1965
National Policy
Parley on Israel
Set for Monday
8ngagements
OSS REALTY CO.
U.S. Savings Bonds
Observe 24th Year
"Star Spangled Security Month"
will. begin Saturday, marking the
24th anniversary of the U.S. Sav-
ings Bonds program.
Americans hold a record total
of over $48,000,000,000 in Series E
and H Bonds, money that will con-
tribute to the growth of the coun-
try, as it has in the past 24 years.
Gov. George Romney, honorary
state chairman, called attention to
the fact that these dollars "have
benefited our merchants, manufac-
turers and builders" and urged all
citizens to help the future of the
state by investing regularly in U.S.
Savings Bonds.
SAM ROSENBLAT
MISS ELLEN GOLDSTEIN
Mr. and Mrs. George M. Gold-
stein of Sheffield Rd. announce the
engagement of their daughter El-
len Sue to Frederic Martin Bean,
son of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Bean of
Pickering Rd., Birmingham.
Miss Goldstein is a student at
Wayne State University's college
of education. Her fiance is a senior
at Michigan State University.
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