THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
32—Friday, July 8, 1966
hrael Intellectuals
Warn_ Government
on Nuclear Danger
JERUSALEM (JTA)—Fifty-five
Israel intellectuals, speaking as
members of the Committee for
Nuclear Disarmament in the Arab-
Israeli Region, called on the Is-
rael government to take the ini-
tiative to prevent the spread of
nuclear arms into the Middle
East.
Most of the signatories are mem-
bers of the faculties of the He-
brew University, the Technion-Is-
rael Institute of Technology at
Haifa and the Weizmann Insti-
tute, The statement warned that
Israel's vulnerability to nuclear at-
tack was far greater than that of
Egypt and added that even if a
nuclear second strike by Israel
was feasible, it would be—for Is-
rael—a "posthumous revenge."
The committee urged the gov-
ernment to assert its readiness
to start negotiations on the issue
with the Arab governments and
with international organizations.
It expressed the hope that such
negotiations c o u l d ultimately
lead to conventional disarma-
ment.
Defense ministry sources, mean-
while, expressed "dissatisfaction"
and "irritation" over the 'unauth-
orized attendance" by former Dep-
uty Defense Minister Shimon Peres
and Prof. Ernst Bergman, who re-
cently resigned as chairman of Is-
rael's Atomic Energy Commission,
at the recent nuclear disarmament
conference in Toronto.
Peres, now secretary general of
former Premier David Ben-Gur-
ion's dissident Israel Workers Par-
ty (Rafi) and Prof. Bergman, are
known to hold views on this subject
._ contrary to those of the govern-
ment.
Belgian, Israel Aides
at WJC 5th Plenary
Belgian Vice-Premier WILLY •
de CLERCQ (right) will convey
his govermnent's greetings at
the opening session of the World
Jewish Congress fifth plenary
assembly in Brussels, Belgium,
July 31. Israel's Foreign Min-
ister ABBA EBAN (left) will fly
from Jerusalem with a message
from his government to the gath-
ering of world Jewish leaders.
Presiding over the opening ses-
sion will be Dr. Nahum Gold-
mann, "%WC president, who will
deliver a keynote address on
"The Jewish People in the 20th
Century."
`Encyclopedia of the Jewish Religion' Fills Important Need
as Definitive Work on Traditional Subjects in Judaism
Holt, Rinehart and Winston hav
reason to be proud of the newes
definitive work on Jewish tradi
tional subjects—its one-volum
"The Encyclopedia of the Jewisl
Religion," edited by Dr. R. J
Werblowsky, dean of the humani
ties faculty and professor o
comparative religion at the Hebrew
University, and Dr. Geoffrey
Wigoder of the Hebrew Univer
sity's Institute of Contemporar3
Jewry:
A staff of world-famed scholars
also are contributors to this richly
illustrated encyclopedia, the con
tents of which fill a very vita
need. Peoples of all faiths search-
ing for definitive terms about Jews
and Judaism will now find a much
easier approach to Jewish terms.
For Jews this volume is
especially significant because
the explanatory text offers ready
data about every conceivable
subject related to the faith of
Israel and the personalit:es
linked with the religious life
of our people.
Here the editors have incimied
"non-technical information on Jew-
ish belief and practices, religious
movements and doctrines, as well
as the names and concepts that
have played a role in Jewish reli-
gious history."
Naturally, there was the problem
of the selection of terms, and the
preface offers this explanation of
the aproach:
"The adjective 'religious' is
notoriously difficult to define. The
editors have let themselves be
guided by the facts and norms of
Jewish tradition but are aware
that some of their inclusions or
exclusions may not escape the
charge of arbitrariness. Thus the
halakhic tradition of Judaism
inevitably leads to the inclusion
of terms and concepts which
elsewhere would be regarded as
belonging to the sphere of
jurisprudence rather than religion
. . The tradition of historical
Judaism being what it is, certain
subjects, which may elsewhere be
treated in secular terms, also
possess a religious dimension of
background (e. g. Zionism). The-
editors felt that in addition to
the entral subjects of Jewish
theology, pilosophy, liturgy, ritual
and religious institutions, certain
marginal themes ought not to be
neglected (e. g. the influence of
Judaism on other religions as well
as the reciprocal influence upon
it)."
The encyclopedia begins with
"A Fortiori and a Minori"—see
`Hermeneutics' (Hebrew mid-
dot"), provides a full paragraph
for Aaron, goes on to Aaron
Ben Elijah (c. 1330-1369), etc.
—and closes with an item about
Leopold Zunz (1794-1886).
The coverage is immense. Not
only the Bible, the Talmud, the
Mishna, the Zohar and their
related subjects, the leading per-
sonalities in the history of
Judaism, the laws and regulations,
but also many matters such as
gambling, drunkenness, greetings,
incest, hypocrisy—as they are
interpreted in Jewish law—are
covered briefly but succinctly.
It is interesting to find an
explanation of the Natorei
K a r t a, the extreme Israeli
group.
The search for proper explana-
tion of the dietary laws is amply
rewarded in this encyclopedia, just
as the explanation of derekh eretz
is valuable and adequate.
It is not only subjects like pro-
vidence, fear of God, the God idea
and other religious terms that are
dealt with, but also a subject like
father—with an explanation of the
rights in Jewish law of the father
over his children.
Kiddush HaShem and martyr-
dom are defined, the Prosbul
relating to loans is explained,
there are delineations of "olam
Ha-zeh" and "olam ha-bah" —
this world and the world to
come.
Tabular listing of Scriptural
readings in the synagogue will be
found most helpful.
Real estate values and acquisi-
tion are defined. ShaLom Bayit ex-
plains rabbinic regulations dealing
with domestic peace and harmony
between husband and wife.
Even in the matter of shaving,
there is an excellent evaluative
statement.
Similarly, the she•heheyanu so
often recited is treated definitively
for all who read this encyclopedia
to understand- and to appreciate.
The selection of the numerous
illustrations—as indicated by the
the reproduction of pages from
the Talmud, the important
references—all indicate the wise
approach to assuring appropriate
contents for a great work.
A transliteration is provided to
make reading of Hebrew terms
easier.
The contributors to this volume,
in addition to the editors. Drs.
Werblowsky and Wigoder, in-
clude Prof. Abraham I. Katsch of
New York, Rabbis Myron Fenster
and Immanuel Jakobovitz of New .
York; Rabbi Herbert Weiner,
South Orange, N.J.; Rabbi Israeli
Abrahams, Capetown; Dr. Hugo
Mantel and Rabbi H. Rabinowitz,
Ramat Gan; Prof. Cecil Roth,
Avner Tomaschoff, Shmuel Sager,
Dr. Joseph Heinemann, Dr. Noah
J. Jacobs, Dr. Leo Levi,,Dr. I. H.
Levine, Dr. Jerry O'Dell, Prof.
Chaim Rabin and Rabbis Louis I.
Rabinowitz, Jack J. Cohen, Solo-
mon Fisch, Abraham Goldberg,
and Jacob Goldman, all of Jerusa-
lem.
Italian Parliamentarian
Samuel Alatri, a 19th century
Italian statesman, was one of the
first Jews to serve in the Italian
parliament after the unification of
the country.
Hebrew Corner
Wedding of the Year
Our world is modern but dull. True,
technology and electronics have devel-
oped. There are wars and revolutions.
But we miss the Stories of the Nobility
which gladdened the hearts of people
in the Middle Ages and in the 19th
Century. Even the man who flies to
the moon sometimes longs for a banal
story about a .nandsome Prince who
rides on his white horse to his dream
girl.
But where, in our times, can one find
noblemen who ride on horses?
Millions of readers throughout the
world have found a substitute. If there
are no noblemen, we have movie stars.
If there are no horses, we have air-
planes.
Such "philosophic" thoughts came
to the minds of the residents of Israel
when they read in the press about the
Largest Wedding of the Year.
Naomi Shapira, the daughter Of
Moshe Hahn Shapira, the Minister of
the Interior, married a Swiss filM pro-
ducer. All the famous people of • the
film world are friends of the bride-
groom. And all the politicians of tiny
Israel are friends of the bride's family.
And so it was a Night of Stars. The
President of the State shook hands
with Vittorio de Sica. The Chief Rabbi
heard details about a new film. Heretics
from HaShomer HaZair shook hands
with religious fanatics from the Agudat
Yisrael.
And the entire Jewish people looked
on, enjoyed. and said Mazal Tov.
(Translation of Hebrew column, pub-
lished by the But Ivrit Olamit with the
assistance of the 'Memorial Foundation
for Jewish Culture.)
Material in vowelized, easy Hebrew
can be obtained by writing- to the Brit
Ivrit Olamit, P.O. Box 7111, Jerusalem,
Israel.
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Silver incense (besamim) box
—Eastern Europe, late 18th
century, Jewish Museum, New
York. From the "Encyclopedia
of the Jewish Religion."
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TEL AVIV—A $2,000,000 clinic-
hospital, patterned somewhat after
the Mayo Clinic, is being con-
structed in north Tel Aviv.
Sponsors of the Israel-American
Medical Center (Isamec) hope it
will be the beginning of the ad-
vancement of private medical serv-
ice in Israel.
Presently, fewer than 5 per cent
of Israel's physicians are engaged
in priVate practice. Public funds
suppOrt the medical organizations,
government hospitals and clinics.
Other financial support is pro-
vided by the Histadrut labor move-
ment (Kupat Holim) or by foreign
philanthropy, such as Hadassah
Medical Organization.
The president of the WOrld
Council of Isamec, Dr. R. Maren-
feld of Venezuela, the clinic will
provide a complete medical exami-
nation within 48 to 96 hours, and
the 120-bed hospital-clinic w i 11
serve visitors from abroad as well
as Israelis.
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One of the photographs from "The Encyclopedia of the Jewish
Religion": "The Wedding" by Moritz Oppenheim (1800-1882)—from
Oscar Gruss collection—picture from photographic archive of Jewish
Theological Seminary of America in New York.
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