THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

The Jester Hershel Ostropolier

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ELECT COUNCILMAN ED

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CONNOR

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RECORDER'S
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ENDORSED BY MORE ORGANIZATIONS
THAN ANY OTHER CANDIDATE

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I GREAT s- R/EA-,P

Friday, July 29, 1966-21

JUDGE

Best qualified by 30 years of -outstanding public
service! Lawyer since 1935 and former executive of
several Federal and municipal agencies, Conner was
elected Councilman in 1948 and re-elected 7 times.
He has been a leader in the fight for aid to senior
citizens, civil rights, equal employment and the de-
velopment of mass transportation.
Known and honored for integrity, fairness and
understanding, Ed Connor will add needed strength
to our Recorder's Court.

Rated "PREFERRED
and WELL QUALIFIED
by
CIVIC SEARCHLIGHT

I

YOZ/L BE SoRR,,;RABBN WHY? WHY, IN
I TELL YOU, YOU'LL BE
HEAVEN'S NAME?
SORRY,/

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BECAUSE--/T'S YOUR
COI; RA,g,s/./

WHEREUPON HERSHEL SAVED THE C04/,
BARziew4
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AMUSED, AND ENTERT4///E0 BY THE QZ/hOS

AND PR,44/Ks

• .4 MAY 14/HOSE NAME /5 was v LEGEND
-- HERSHEL OsTROPOL/ER!

This cartoon is reproduced from "A Picture Parade of Jewish History" by Morris Epstein, pub-
lished by Shengold Publishers, New York, by special arrangement with the author and publishers.

Dr. Epstein's essay on Hershel
Ostropolier follows:
Hershel of Ostropol was a jester
whose pranks and quips brought
grins and chuckles to the Jewish
world of Eastern Europe. He was
born in Russia to a very poor fam-
ily, His father could give him no
training and whatever Hershel
tried went wrong. But his ability
to laugh at himself as well as to
cause laughter in others brought
him fame.
For more than' thirty years,
from the 1770's to 1810, the leader
of the Hasidim in the Ukraine
was Rabbi Baruch of Tulchin. The
son of Adele, the only daughter of
Rabbi Israel Ba'al Shem Tov, who
founded Hasidim,. Baruch lived
first in Tulchim, and later at Med-
ziboz, the former seat of'his grand-
father.
He ruled with great power, trav-
eling among his followers in lux-

GERALD W. GROAT, JR.

for
Recorders Court Judge

Eminently Qualified by

§- Lawyer for 13 years

(This ad placed
by friends)

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NO. 527
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urious carriages and collecting when we laugh at his earthy wis-
sums of money and presents from dom, we are saying thanks to Her-
them. The rich looked to him for shel Ostropolier.
friendship; the masses sought his
help.
His court in Medziboz, famous
for its splendor, rivaled those of
princes and Polish lords. His dis-
ciples dedicated themselves to his
happiness. When the rabbi was sad
and depressed, they thought it
would help if he were to have a
"court jester" such as Polish
noblemen had. Hershel Ostropolier
was chosen, and he performed his
duties so well that he stayed with
his master until Rabbi Baruch's
death.
Hershel did not praise or flatter
the rabbi. In fact he often irritated
him by poking fun at his human
weaknesses. Since the insults came
from the lips of a clown, the rabbi
laughed, and the Hasidim laughed,
and all was well.
Hershel's bag of tricks included
whopping lies,. jokes, tricks, and
witty sayings. For him, there was
only one sin: to be dull. Because
he dared to tweak the noses of
the mighty, he became the hero
of the lowly.
When a poor man dreamed of a
get-rich-quick scheme, he usually
had a rude awakening. But when
DANN'S THE MAN
Hershel's bubbles burst, the "pop"
who fought corporation
turned into a laugh.
mismanagement to keep
He is the one who tried to sell a
''rare" painting —a piece of blank
stockholders from being
paper in a clean frame. "This
wiped out
shows the Children of Israel cross-
ing the Red Sea," he told a rich
DANN'S THE MAN
purchaser. Where were the Israel-
who—time and again—risked his
ites? "They have just crossed,"
said Hershel. The Egyptians?
career in the cause of justice.
"They haven't arrived yet." But
the sea ! Where was the sea?" "It
An independent candidate, Sol A,
was divided," replied Hershel.
Dann has no strings attached —
"Part of it went one way, part of
no obligations to other than jus-
it the other. The artist couldn't
tice and the protection of human
paint what wasn't there !"
rights.
Hershel and his audience are
part of a world that has disap-
peared, but we have a record of
his jesting and buffoonery, and

You can vote for a
dozen Recorder's Court Judges

but you can't
choose
a better MAN
than DANN

fr" Court Clerk for 6 years

P.' Assistant Prosecutor
for 6 years

A big man with
a big heart,
sympathetic
understanding
and the sound
judgment and
wisdom that
come only from
wide experience.

'Recent Philosophy
Published by Random

"Recent Philosophy," reviewed
in last week's Jewish News, was
published by Random House. The
publisher's name was inadvertently
omitted from the review.

RECORDER'S COURT