THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, April 14, 1967-17

Dr. Isadore Twersky, Historian at Harvard, to Talk at Midrasha

"The State of Jewish Belief:" a
series of lectures sponsored by the
Midrasha College of Jewish Stu-
dies and the Detroit Chapter
American Jewish Committee, will
conclude with Prof. Isadore Twer-
sky, chairman of Harvard Univer-
sity's department of Near Eastern
languages and literatures, 8:15
p.m. Wednesday at the Esther
Berman Building.
Dr. Twersky, who is an author.
ity on rabbinical literature and
Jewish history, became the second
Nathan Littatier Professor of Itch-
rew Literature and Philosophy at
Harvard University in 1985. The
chair was formerly held by his
mentor, Prof. Harry A. Wolfson
from its establishment in 1925
until 1958. lie also is. an associate
of Dunster House, one of the
undergraduate houses at Harvard.
Born in Boston in 1930, Prof.
Twersky attended the Boston Latin
School and received his under-
graduate degrees
f r o m 'Harvard.
After study as a
special student at
Hebrew Univer-
sity, he received
the master of
Hebrew letters
degree from Ileb-
rew Teachers
College, Brook-
line, and the PhD
from Harvard. Dr. Twersky
He has been instructor, assis-
tant professor and associate pro-
fessor of Hebrew and Jewish his-
tory at Harvard.

Church Aid Review Bill
Approved bv Senate

WASHINGTON --The Senate ap-
proved Tuesday a bill to permit
judicial review of the constitu-
tionality of federal aid to church-
supported schools and colleges.
The measure would set up pro-
cedures for contesting the consti-
tutionality of loans and grants in
various federal aid programs for
education.
Efforts to obtain such tests have
failed because of a 1923 Supreme
Court ruling that taxpayers did not
have court standing to challenge
how federal money was spent.

The bill, sponsored by Sen.

Sam J. Ervin Jr. (D - N.C.), would

authorize suits by taxpayers and

nonprofit agencies against spe-
cific grants or loans. Sen. Ervin
opposes such federal aid on
grounds of violation of the
church - state separation principle.
;The measure was sent to the
House where prospect of pas-
sage is doubtful.
Rep. Emanuel Celler (D-N.Y.),
chairman of the Judiciary Com-

mittee, opposed such measures. Ile
said that public agencies could get
court tests on the constitutionality
of such federal aid under existing

law.

—DAYENU

Dr. Twersky is the author of Press as the introductory volume
"Rabad of Posquieros: a 12th Cen- for the Maimondies' "Mishne
tury Talmudist" and of "Judaism Torah" translation. He also has
and World History," one of Pren- written articles for Tarbiz, Pro-
tice-Hall's Global History series. ceedings of the American Academy
lie is presently at work on "A for Jewish Research, Brandeis
Study of Maimonides" which will Judaica Annual and Jewish Social
be published by Yale University Studies.
•
•

Prof. Twersky is a fellow of the
American Academy for Jewish Re-
search and a member of the pub-
lication committee of the Jewish
Publication Society of America
and of Phi Beta Kappa. .
He and his wife and three chil-
dren live in Brookline.

`Commitment to Je wish Survival
Will Defeat Hitler's Goal of Genocide'

How does one live as a Jew
after Auschwitz? According to one
philosopher, Prof. Emil Facken-
helm of the University of Toronto,
it is by "choosing to survive," by
not handing Hitler "further post-
LI MOUS victories."
Dr. Fackenheim was third
speaker in the Midrasha Institute
lecture series on "The State of
Jewish Belief" Wednesday eve-
ning at the Esther Berman Build-
ing.
A contributor to the Com-
mentary magazine symposium
which was the basis for the cur-
rent series, Dr. Fackenheim com-
mented Wednesday that the Six
Million must be remembered by
a "community of the committed."
Making up this consensus of
the committed, he said, are
"those who have identified with
the Jewish destiny." Pledging
themselves to Jewish survival
"has put many secularists back
in the synagogue." They real-
ize, he said, that killing Juda-
ism would be helping Hitler.
Questioned on the motivation of
such secularists, the speaker re-
plied: "If a Jewish secularist says
he is obligated to Jewish sur-
vival. I think (the root of this
obligation) is a fragment of his
commitment to the ancient Cove-
nant . . For a Jew in the mid-
'20th Century to be dedicated to
nothing more than survival of the
Jewish people must be a faith of
the greatest dimension."
After two world wars, said
Prof. Fackenheim. "I find it easier
to believe in God than to believe
in the perfectability of man." Thus
reject i n g religious humanism
( which "seeks the ultimate solu-
tion in man alone"), Dr. Facken-
heim also dismissed mysticism's
encounter of man and God.
("Mysticism can't be taken seri-
ously by the Jew. Ile's too closely
tied to the conviction that he's in
a modern world to work in it.")
Discussing the concept of Is-
rael's "chosenness, - Dr. Facken-
heim said: - It is a fundamental
Jewish experience of being sin-
gled out. The tribal god was stuck
with his people; but the God who
singled out the Jews is the God
of all nations, not a tribal god.
Ile singles Israel out for purposes
transcending Israel."
"The Jew finds God through
His commandments," he added.

©ffii

t.V 1\ it

DONATE YOUR

BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY
BOOK SALE.

DI 1-2461

SPORT COAT

"A positive attitude, a com-
mitment, to Jewish survival," said
Dr. Fackenheim, "is as important
as learning. What will carry the
community will be that commit-
ment . .. and it can be a reality."

HEADQUARTERS

SPORTCOATS FROM THE FINEST
MAKERS IN THE COUNTRY

NEWET COLORS and FABRICS

Knesset Sets Up System
to Elect Religious Bodies

$65.00 TO $110.00 VALUES

$3950 $4950 $5950

JERUSALEM (JTA) — A bill
establishing permanent procedures
for election of religious councils in
Israel has been aproved by parlia-
ment. The duty of such councils is
to supply the religious needs of
Jews in their area of jurisdiction.
There are about 200 such coun-
cils in Israel and they serve as
official employers of rabbis and
kosher certification supervisors.
The law gives permanence to rules
on such elections based on an
agreement between Premier. Levi
Eshkol's Mapai Party and the re-
ligous parties. The rules have
hitherto been enacted for fixed per-
iods only.
Under the new law, 45 per cent
of members of the councils will be
chosen by the town council or the
local council, 45 per cent by the
religious affairs ministry and 10
per cent by the chief rabbinate. The
law provides that all councils must
be reconstituted next Oct. 1 and
every four years thereafter.
The religious councils were a
part of the religious systems estab-
lished under the British Mandate
and carried over into Israeli state-
hood.

HARRY THOMAS

FINE CLOTHES FOR OVER 30 YEARS

15200 W. 7 MILE ROAD

3 Blocks East of Greenfield, Corner

OPEN DAILY 9:30 TO 6,

Sussex

MON. & THURS. 9:30 TO 9

OPEN SUNDAY 11 to 4

HAVE A DELICIOUS

Manischewilz

THE CHILD'S STORY BIBLE

"The Child's Story Bible," with
54 color illustrations and maps,
will be published by Eerdmans.
The illustrations are by Betty i
Beebe, The text by Catherine F.
Vos was revised by Marianne
Catherine Vos Radius.

Produced under strict Rabbinical supervision. Certificate on request

Kosher for Passover

.

agl

Empire Kosher Poultry makes "everyday" dining a
"holiday" feast. Serve an Empire Roasting Chicken O r Pullet
and discover how really good good chicken can be —
more tender, plump, juicy and deliciously succulent
than any chicken you've ever tasted!
Pick up a "country-fresh" frozen box or two —
for festive dining ...Passovet or any time.

BY HENRY LEONARD

O O

-

Unwanted books, paperbacks,
records, National Geographic
Magazines to

Completely cleaned,
soaked and salted.

READY - TO - COOK.
Whole, Cut-Ups,

Breasts, Wings, Legs.
Fryers, Broilers,
Roasters, Pullets,
Fowls, Capons, Rock
Cornish, Ducks, Turkeys.
Boneless Chicken Roasts,
Chicken Fricassee.
Livers; Cooking Fat.

1'

10 Empl re; Mifflintown, Pe. 170311

The Most Trusted Name In Kosher Poultry®

And since you're Kosher, Rabbi ... for you
we've prepared a special shrimp salad!"

Coes. 1967, Downs Productions

• '

For Stores Nearest You, Phone Distributor:

286Q .18th

St..

CITY POULTRY CO.

QctroAt. I

-

fiscrir, 825-3000

