Purely Commentary

By Philip Slomovitz
On the Matter of Sephardi Pronunciation

In London, much more than here, there is a continuing debate
over the introduction of the Sephardi pronunciation in schools and
at religious services. As was indicated here several weeks ago, in one
British-Jewish community the halakhic question was introduced. This
was in the main rejected and ridiculed.
Pursuing the discussion, Rabbi A. E. Silverstone of Southport
Lanes, England, writing to the London Jewish Chronicle, expressed
these views:
Sir,—What a cloud of verbiage is befogging the issue as to
whether the Sephardi pronunciation may be adopted by Ashkena-
zim.
There is no halakhic prohibition of any particular pronuncia-
tion of Hebrew. Changing from one form of prayer to another is
a different matter; but as far as pronunciation is concerned, a
Jew may say his prayers and pronounce the Hebrew in any way
he wishes. It is the kavanah, the concentration of heart and mind,
that the Almighty requires.
The real point is: which pronunciation shall children be taught
in Hebrew classes? One cannot overnight change the pronunciation
in the synagogue. An adult congregation would be bewildered.
One must start with the children. If all children in all classes are
taught the correct pronunciation there will be, in a generation
or so, one pronunciation of Hebrew.
Which is the correct pronunciation? The consensus of opinion
among scholars is that it is the Sephardi. About eight years ago
I was asked by the headmaster of the Bet Hasepher here if I
would permit him to introduce the Sephardi pronunciation in the
classes. I readily gave my consent. When boys become barmitzvah
here they read the Maftir and Haftara with the Sephardi pro-
nunciation. In a generation or two the whole congregation will be
pronouncing Hebrew the Sephardi way; and it will be a painless
transition.
In all such matters it is a question of seeing what is right
and doing it, and not hesitating and quibbling, and clouding the
issue with pilpul.
Dr. Silverstone's comments are well taken. They seem to make
sense, and in the contextual scheme of new Hebrew pronunciation
the Sephardi method seems to be well accepted in American Jewish
communities. The speedier the transition is put into effect on the
widest measures the better for the status of Hebrew in its usage by
world Jewry, as a spoken tongue as well as in prayers.
Chronicler, in London Jewish Chronicle, posing a question about
"Halakhic change?", carried this item:
"I used to say ‘Shabbos," but now that I am retired I say
`Shabbat.' " — Rabbi Dr. Israel Brodie, addressing the Mizrachi
Women last week.
Indeed, since there was such furor about Sephardic pronuncia-
tion in England, another question must be posed; must a Jewish
spokesman be out of office, must he first become a layman, before he
will accept a change from Ashkenazi to Sephardi?

Emphasis on Vocational Guidance: The ORT Lesson

Michigan's educators have been called upon by State Superintend-
ent of Public Instruction Ira Polley to place special emphasis on pro-
grams aimed at preparing youth for skills that will enable them to
secure jobs upon graduation from high school. In his appeal he stated:
"We have failed to build employability into our young men and
women who plan to enter the work force after they leave high school.
We must not lose sight of the fact that for each scientist and engineer,
we must also have many more technicians and craftsmen to put his
ideas and inventions into practice and to service and maintain the
machines the scientists create."
Eighty years ago, a similar need existed in Russia. Jewish leaders
with vision proceeded to organize vocational schools through the move-
ment that has become world famous as ORT—the movement for reha-
bilitation and training. It is a movement that has served a great purpose
among the oppressed Jewries and continues to occupy an important
. place in a number of countries where vocational training for Jewish
youth is vital and where preparation of young people for skilled posi-
tions is essential to their progress.
ORT has a vital lesson for Michigan and for all educators who seek
ways of introducing effective vocational training courses in our high
schools as well as in special schools.

*

Beltaire Rejects Anti-Semitic Literature

Mark Beltaire, popular Free Press columnist, was so outraged
by an avalanche of anti-Semitic literature that he asked the so-called
"Federation of Citizens of German Descent" to remove his name
from their mailing list.
The puzzling part of the material he received is that it used as
"chief writer" the name of Karl Marx. There is a Karl Marx who is
editor of the Allgemeine Juedische Wochenzeitung published in
Dusseldorf. He has been recognized by the West German government.
Himself a survivor from the Nazi concentration camps, his newspaper
is one of the vital organs for better understanding between Germans
and Jews, and it has a worldwide circulation.
How, then, is the name of Karl Marx involved in anti-Semitic
dealings — unless the bigots have found another way of distorting
truth.
Meanwhile Beltaire has earned commendations for having spoken
out bluntly against bigots.

New Date Set for Shazar's Argentine Visit;
Israel President Arrives for Brazil State Tour

BUENOS AIRES (JTA) — The
Foreign Ministries of Argentina
and Israel will soon issue a joint
statement about the projected visit
of Israeli President Zalman Shazar
to Argentina in which the exact
date of the visit will be given,
Foreign Minister Nicanor Costa
Mendez told the press here last
week.
The visit originally had been
scheduled to begin July 4 but was
temporarily postponed by Israeli
officials after the July 1 ouster
by the military of President Illia
and his replacement by Gen. On-
gania as President. Israel recog-
nized the new regime last week..
President Shazar, while resting
in Punta Del Este in Uruguay, a
famous sea resort, met July 14
with a group of Argentine Jewish
leaders who flew to the resort to
meet him.
Shazar was greeted by Brazilian
President Castelo Branco, Vice-
President Jose Alkmin, Cabinet
members and military leaders
when he arrived in Brasilia July
18 for a 10-day state visit.
Also present at the airport to
greet the Israeli President were
diplomats, Congressmen, represen-
tatives of Brazil's Jewish commun-
ity and Archbishop Dom Jose
Newton of Brasilia. After a per-
formance of the national anthems
of Brazil and Israel, Shazar was
given a 21-gun salute. He reviewed
an honorary guard of the Brazilian
Navy, Army and Air Force.
Exceptional security measures
were taken by his hosts. Troops
were placed along the 10-mile
route from the airport to the city.
No civilians were admitted to the
airport. The 40 Jewish families
living in Brasilia welcomed Shazar
after he arrived at the Hotel Na-
cional which flew the Presidential
flag.
Many main street shops, offices
and institutions in Brasilia, Rio de
Janeiro and Sao Paulo were dis-
playing posters with the President's
portrait, which had been issued by
the Brazilian foreign ministry. The
Lubavitcher school in Sao Paulo
also distributed large welcome
placards bearing President Shazar's
picture.
President Branco paid tribute
to Shazar Monday night at a
dinner. He told a distinguished
audience at the president's pal-
ace that the good understanding
between his country and Israel
was based not only on a common
spiritual inheritance but also on
Israel's "success in putting
modern science and technique
into service for the welfare of
humanity.
"I want publicly to express the
thanks and gratitude of my gov-
ernment for the disinterested co-
operation that Israel's technicians
are providing to communities in
Brazil's northeastern region," the
Brazilian president said.
He stressed that Brazil intended
to implement the commercial,
technical and nuclear energy
agreements it had signed previ-
ously with Israel. He added that
he welcomed Shazar not only as
a president but as a friend.
In his response, Shazar cited
Israel's pride in its ties of coopera-
tion and friendship with Brazil.
He said Brazil "gave refuge more
than once to the children of my
people, persecuted and exiled from
their fatherland during milleni-

,

Three U.S. Rabbis Speak at Moscow Synagogue

LONDON (JTA) — Thr ee
American Reform rabbis, who
along with 19 other members of
the Central Conference of Ameri-
can Rabbis, are visiting the Soviet
Union and other East European
countries to acquire up-to-date in-
formation on the status of Jewish
communities in those countries,
addressed the Central Synagogue
in Moscow during Sabbath services
last weekend.
The three were Rabbi Jacob J.
Weinstein, president of the CCAR
and head of the delegation; Rabbi
George B. Lieberman of the Cen-
tral Synagogue in Rockville Cen-
ter, N.Y., who spoke in Russian;

and Dr. Eugene Mihaly of the He-
brew Union College-Jewish Insti-
tute of Religion in Cincinnati. Last
summer, a group of American
Orthodox rabbis, members of the
Rabbinical Council of America,
also spoke from the pulpit of the
Moscow synagogue.
In his address, Rabbi Lieber-
man recalled that many of the
Jews in the United States traced
their ancestry to Russia.
Earlier in the services, the con-
gregation was visibly impressed
when David Lieberman, the 13-
year-old son of Rabbi Lieberman,
recited the blessings on being
called to the reading of the Torah.

ums." Declaring that there was
no justification for the use of
force to solve conflicts between
nations, Shazar declared that the
Jews never left completely their
birthplace in the Middle East and
had now returned for good as a
free and sovereign people.
More than 100 persons took part
in the kosher dinner, including
cabinet ministers, army leaders,
Israel Ambassador Joseph Nah-
mias and Alupsio Regis Bitten-
court, Brazil's ambassador to Is-
rael. Brazilian Jewry was repre-
sented by Dr. Moses Kaufman,
president of the Confederation of
Brazilian Jewish communities; Dr.
Samuel Malamud, the confedera-
tion secretary general, who served
the Shazar entourage as transla-
tor; and Aaron Steinbrusch, execu-
tive member of the World Jewish
Congress.
A ceremony was held before- the
dinner in the National Congress
Building. The Congress, now in
winter recess, named a parliamen-
tary commission to pay respect to
the visiting Israeli president.

NMNIIIMIB. 01

Deputy Cunha Buena praised Is-
rael's development and the Jews
of Brazil for their contributions
to Brazil's development. Shazar
paid tribute to the memory of the
late Oswaldo Aranha, who played
a key role at the United Nations
in the struggle for Israeli state-
rood. Senora Julia Steinbrusch,
wife , of the Jewish senator, pre-
sented Mrs. Shazar, in the name
of the Congress, with two precious,
stones. The ceremony ended
Shazar accepting the first of
special series of Brazilian posts
stamps bearing his portrait, issued
specially for his visit.
President Shazar arrived in Sao
Paulo Tuesday and was greeted
with full honors by Laudi Natel,
governor of Sao Paulo; Mayor
Faria Lima and other government
officials. Israeli Ambassador Yosef
Nachamias presented to Shazar
a group of leaders of the Sao
Paulo Jewish community. School
children waved flags of Brazil
and Israel, and 1,000 adults were
present at the airport to greet
the visiting entourage.

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Boris Smolar's

'Between You
. . and Me'

By BORIS SMOLAR
(Copyright, 1966, JTA, Inc.)

THE DOMESTIC FRONT: It takes quite a lot of courage nowa-
days for a Jewish leader to come out publicly with criticism against
Negro anti-Semitism . . Dr. John Slawson, executive vice president
of the American Jewish Committee, displayed such courage when he
discussed this week the issue openly on a nation-wide televison . pro-
gram . . . Reverberations of the discussion, in which two leading
Negroes participated, are now being heard among both Jews and non-
Jews . . . The fact that anti-Semitism is prevalent among Negro masses
was not denied even by the two Negro participants, Bayard Rustin
and Dr. Kenneth B. Clark . . . The question that Dr. Slawson posed
indirectly was: What are Negro intellectuals doing to stem the anti-
Jewish feelings among the people they are leading? . . . It is to this
question that .practically no answer was given . . On the contrary,
the impression was created by Mr. Rustin that there can be no
relaxation of anti-Semitism among Negroes as long as the needle trades
unions are led by Jewish labor leaders and when no Negro occupies
a place in big food markets which have been organized mostly by
Jews . . . This is a new argument by a Negro intellectual giving
strength to anti-Jewish propaganda among the Negro masses . .
Hitherto the arguments were that there are too many Jewish land-
lords in the Negro slum areas in the big cities and that there are
too few Negro teachers in the New York school system as compared
with the number of Jewish teachers . . . Mr. Rustin's arguments left
the impression that what we see now is merely a beginning of Negro
anti-Semitism and that somehow the Negroes feel that it is with Jews
that they must compete for positions in the economic field and in the
professions . . . It was with a feeling of sadness that Dr. Slawson
noted that quite a number of Jews all over the United States are
beginning to feel "angry" at the fact that despite their helpfulness
to the Negro cause, Jews are being resented by Negro leaders now in
civil rights movement."
QUESTION MARK: The National Council for Jewish Education
is completing in Israel a two-week conference on problems of Jewi-k
education in the United States . . . Why several hundred Amer
Jewish educators should go all the way to Israel to discuss "50 Yf:'
of Jewish Education in the United States" instead of holding;:`
discussions in this country is difficult to comprehend .. . It is une -
standable why Jewish organizations like Bnai Brith, Jewish NatE'..
Fund of America, Hadassah and similar groups sometimes
their annual conferences in Jerusalem . . . This is done to strengthen
the link between Israeli and American Jews interested in the Jewish —
State . . . But problems of Jewish education in the United States are
State
too important a matter for American Jewry to have them discussed
thousand's of miles away from the United States . . . Especially by
the best American Jewish educators who are anyway tied up spirit-
ually with Israel and for whom a special link with Israel is hardly
needed . . . Would it have not been better for the cause of Jewish
education in America if the problems and issues affecting the progress
of Jewish education in this country were discussed on American
soil? . . . Would it have not been better to give American Jewish
communities the opportunity to follow closely on the spot — and not
from a remote distance — the talks about what is considered today
the "issue number one" in American Jewish life? .. . Would not the
effect of the discussion at the two-week conference have been stronger
on the communities in this country if the discussions were closer to L
home? . . . An argument can be advanced that holding the confer-
ence in Israel was intended to bring the Jewish education system
in America to that of Israel? .. . But is such a thing possible? .. .
In Israel the elementary school system is compulsory and maintained
by the state while in the United States it is voluntary and in need
of financial support by communities and various groups . . In Is-
rael, the school system exists in an entirely natural Jewish atmosphere,
while in this country it functions in an atmosphere of indifference to
Jewish education in
Jewish values and even of assimilation
.
Israel is fundamental and an integral part of daily life, while in
this country it is — with small exceptions very superficial and hardly
exists after Bar Mitzva . . Under such circumstances, was it not a
mistake for the several hundred Jewish educators to go all the way
to Israel instead of bringing to the forefront in this country the de-
ficiencies of Jewish education in America and what should be done
about them?

After the service, dozens of
Jews crowded around the boy to
kiss his hand and to express their
gratitude. Some of them said it
was the first time in years that a
boy had taken part in a Sabbath
service in Moscow.
Responding to the addresses by
the American rabbis, Moscow
Chief Rabbi Yehudah Leib Levin
said: "We Jews pray for peace
and when you go back to America,
use your influence to insure that
peace will come. Do what you can
to end the war in Vietnam, be-
cause once the destructive forces
are given away, they gain strength
and it is difficult to stop them." 2—Friday, July 22, 1966

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

