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Beginning of Jewish School Year
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, Mich. 48235.
VE 8-9369. Subscription $6 a year. Foreign $7.
Second Class Postage Paid at Detroit, Michigan
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Editor and Publisher
CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ
Business Manager
SIDNEY SHMARAK
CHARLOTTE HYAMS
City Editor
Advertising Manager
Sabbath Hol Ha-hoed Scriptural Selections
Pentateuchal portions, Exod. 33:12-34:26, Num. 29:17-22; Prophetical portion,
Ezek. 38:18-39:16.
Hol Ha-hoed Sukkot Scriptural Selections
Sunday, Num.. 29:20-28; Monday, Num. 29:23-31; Tuesday, Num. 29:26-34. Hoshana
Raba selections, Wednesday, Num. 29:26-34.
Scriptural Selections for Concluding Days of Sukkot
Pentateuchal portions: Thursday, Shentini Atzeret, Deut. 14:22-16:17, Num. 29:35-
30:1: Friday, Simhat Tom, Deut. 31:1-34:12, Gen. 1:1-2:3, Num. 29:35-30.1. Prophetical
portions: Thursday, I Kings 8:54-66; Friday, Josh. 1:1-18.
Candle lighting, Friday, Sept. 30, 5:16 p.m.; Wednesday, 5:33 p.m.; Thursday, 5:32 p.m.
VOL. L. No. 6
September 30, 1966
Page 4
Knowledge: 'Hebrew Alone Not Enough'
In an article in the Pedagogic Reporter,
Dr. Esra Shereshevsky, associate professor of
Hebrew language and literature at Temple
University, warning that "education is what
remains when everything learned in school
has been forgotten," admonishes educators
that "Hebrew alone is not enough."
Prof. Shereshevsky points out that with
the exception of the small group of graduates
from the Jewish Day School, "Jewish college
students show very little if any evidence of
ever having been exposed to Jewish educa-
tion and Hebrew instruction." His admoni-
tions contain the following observations:
The Jewish college professor is embarrassed
when his Christian colleagues express astonish-
ment at the lack of knowledge and the mis-
information on Judaism displayed by Jewish
students. Haunted and intimidated by their
complete and helpless ignorance, many Jewish
students lose self-confidence as Jews. Being a
Jew becomes embarrassment and shame rather
than a source of pride. Such a student would
rather pledge for a non-Jewish fraternity than
affiliate with the Hillel Foundation's Student
Organization. Out of a student population of well
over 10,000 Jewish students at a well-known
Eastern university, only 600 belong to the Hillel
Foundation. Of this small number only twenty-
five or thirty make an appearance at a Hillel
lecture or a cultural activity. Thus it is hardly
surprising that very rarely a Jewish student will
consider the observance of a Jewish holiday as
of greater importance than a class lecture. If
the universities had not recognized Rosh Hash-
ana and Yom Kippur as semi-official holidays by
condoning "cuts," it is doubtful whether Jewish
students would not prefer attendance at classes
to attendance at synagogues.
Such is the sorry harvest of six and more
years of Hebrew supplementary schooling. Jew-
ish teachers know this, but only a few have the
courage and intellectual honesty to admit failure.
As for the higher echelon of Jewish education
administrators, who have become inactive, un-
imaginative and blinded due to their longstand-
ing comfortable positions and remoteness from
actual contact with youth, they are too set in
their ways to re-examine them. It is sad that
policy in Jewish education is set by the veterans
of yesteryear who have not taught in a class-
room for decades, and who are guided by the
educational theories of the time when they were
young.
Warning that "a radical change of our
educational policy and in particular of our
curricula has long been overdue," Prof.
Shereshevsky adds:
It is much easier to teach Hebrew with an
extremely limited vocabulary than to provide
answers in the vernacular. Still, the knowledge
of a few Hebrew words cannot resolve the re-
ligious and Jewish doubts of a boy or girl. But
questioning youth does not seem to be the con-
cern or worry of our educational "policy set-
ters." Each year 80 Israeli teachers are brought
to this country with the help of the Education
Department of the Jewish Agency and the Ameri-
can Association for Jewish Education. These
teachers are uninformed in all areas of Judaism
as it is relevant in this country. Their forte is
Hebrew—nothing else. This lack of concern with
Judaism is also reflected in many of our Teach-
er's Colleges which have professors who are not
only indifferent but opposed to many religious
practices. Most of our Teachers Colleges being
Federation subsidized and accordingly "com-
munity colleges" feel bound to a kind of plural-
istic Jewish philosophy embracing all "brands"
of Judaism. Naturally, all "brands" of Judaism
added to all "types" of teachers must produce a
teacher of no conviction at all, or at least no
distinctive conviction. These colleges graduate
teachers are without Jewish commitment and
without Jewish vision. It is a vicious circle which
must be broken.
The discussion can be carried into many
areas, but the basic point is impressive.
There is much that needs to be known be-
sides Hebrew. Our youth must not be caught
unaware of historic experiences and of re-
peated misrepresentations when Jewish posi-
tions are evaluated. In his very vital discus-
sion of the ritual murder charge, in the story
of the Mendel Beiliss case—in the volume
co-published by Knopf and the Jewish Publi-
cation Society—Maurice Samuel states that
while the Dreyfus Case is known, the Beiliss
Case leaves a blank when mentioned.
* * *
Perhaps it is not so important that people
should know all about the Beiliss case or the
Tisza-Eszlar ease in Hungary which brought
the late Thomas Masaryk into prominence as
one of the Christians who was outraged by
the blood accusations against Jews. But if
Jews are uninformed about events that may
affect them—the outrageous forgeries known
as the Protocols, the ritual murder charge,
the manner in which the Talmud is maligned,
the modern accusations relating to the ref-
ugees problem in the Middle East—then they
are defenseless.
That is why it is so urgent that curricula
be reviewed, that our children should be
taught the basic facts relating to Jewish ex-
periences.
A way must be found to teach our youth
about the holocaust. How is it to be done?
The ablest of our pedagogues must be mobil-
ized to provide the necessary addenda to cur-
ricula to make our youth aware of what had
happened to a third of the Jewish people and
to the two-thirds who still suffer agony at the
very recollection of what had happened under
Nazism. It must not be said that we can nat
burden our people with sad memories. The
pleasant ones sour when truth is shelved.
That is why we take Prof. Shereshevsky's
warnings and advice most seriously.
* * *
Now, then, if our curricula are to be ex-
tended, if we are to teach our children his-
tory as well as religion, if we are to inform
them about the past as well as the present,
thus preparing them for their future life as
Jews in a free world, then it will be neces-
sary to plan for sufficient time in which to
pack in the knowledge that must be consid-
ered vital for Jewish existence.
It is up to the pedagogues to make such
necessary plans. Perhaps they will find it
necessary to revert to past experiences and
to abandon the new experiments of reduced
teaching schedules. A report submitted for
consideration by the National Commission on
Jewish Affairs of the American Jewish Con-
gress shows that 40 per cent of the 600,000
pupils enrolled in Jewish schools in this
country attend afternoon schools—"usually
twice a week." This marks a decline from
the tip-ie when Jewish children attended Jew-
ish schools five days a week. Comparisons
of results need not be resorted to at this time.
The need to be considered is the extent of
time allotted for Jewish studies, and we are
convinced that the "twice a week" schedule is
insufficient.
As long as we are reviewing our educa-
tional needs, while giving priority to teaching
and to learning in communal planning, let
us take the problems we have posed into con-
sideration in all seriousness. If we are not
in earnest about them, then we are fooling
ourselves, our children and the people we
seek to serve with the highest cultural and
spiritual goals.
'Feeding the World'
David Lubin Biography: Tribute
to Initiator of FAO Principles
David Lubin is a name that may never be forgotten. Yet, it already
is not too well known. Lubin was one of the very great men of the
early part of this century. He inspired the International Institute of
Agriculture. Out of it has developed the FAO — the Food and Agri-
culture Organization of the United Nations. It is thanks to him that
the farmer has been given a hearing, has received the attention the
provider of food deserves.
Dr. Azriel Eisenberg, until last month the executive vice president
of the Jewish Education Committee of New York, is the author of a
splendid biography of Lubin for children, entitled "Feeding the
World," published by Abelarcl-Schuman (6 W. 57th, NY 19).
In a sense, the title is a misnomer. It is only in the latter part
of the story that Lubin emerges as the inspirer of the idea of assuring
ways of protecting the farmer, of finding means of uniting world
interest in efforts to feed the world. His early manifold activities are
so numerous and overwhelming that the Lubin characteristics emerge
as many-faceted. But by leading up to'"th&'main factor in his life for
which he will be known among the world's great humanitarians, Dr.
Eisenberg has justified the title of the book.
The Lubin story is so remarkable that it reads like a fairy
tale. In his native Poland, as a child, he witnessed a pogrom,
his family having escaped hiding in the cellar of their home
while the rampage went on.
There was a strong Jewish influence in the home, and he was
especially impressed during his Bar Mitzva studies, after his family
had settled in America, by the passage in Leviticus:
"The Land shall not be sold forever: for the land is Mine; for
ye are strangers and sojourners with Me."
Soon thereafter commenced many activities. He acquired a love
for the sea, and later was a participant in gold prospecting and had
some trying experiences in the Arizona desert.
He befriended Indians even when his companions were antag-
onistic to them. He was witness to the Negroes' tragedy during the
Civil War and he assisted in rescuing one from a mob.
He had a deep affection for his mother and in her later years
took her to Palestine and was with her at the Wailing Wall whii:
in Jerusalem. He lived long enough to hear about the Balfw;
Declaration. The Jewish heritage remained an influence with
After many different occupations, he went into business conducting
a clothing store in Sacramento. It was "The One Price Store" and he
stuck to the one-price principle, even though the habit was to bargain.
But he soon gained admiration for his firm stand and he survived.
Then he developed a great idea: the mail order business; and he be-
came the pioneer in that field, too.
It was while selling books, when he found a shipment to him of
165 pounds of trash literature for which he paid the low cost of $1.65
for the shipping of books from New York to California, that he started
the campaign to ease the plight of the farmer who was paying a high
price for shipping food, whose shipments were rotting because they
were being held up. He battled with the railroads until he won his
point for lower rates for food shipments. Then he commenced the
effort to establish an international movement to assist the farmers
in food production.
One of the most impressive portions of this splendid biography
for children—it will enchant adults as well—is the effort he made
to interest King Victor Emmanuel of .Italy to call together the
nations for. the proposed agricultural aid effort. He overcame
obstacles, induced the King to initiate the effort and in May of
1905, 41 nations, including the United States, were at the confer-
ence in Rome that formed the International Institute of Agricul-
ture. There was an injustice: he was not one of the U,.S. delegates.
But he had the satisfaction of seeing his idea later adopted also
by the League of Nations.
It is out of this International Institute that the FAO has developed.
Its headquarters are in the immense FAO building of the UN in Rome.
There are imperishable monuments to David Lubin. There is the David
Lubin Agricultural Academy. A great name lives on imperishably
thanks to the genius of a great Jew, a great American, a great inter-
national humanitarian.