Friday, July 14, 1967 11
WOLF LEVITAN AT 91
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
A Favorite Letter Writer Lives in Peace
in the mood to beat one another—
prospects for peace seem hope-
less. There is perpetual strife,
cruelty and mass murder. Since
the angels sang at the earth's crea-
tion, we have had hell on earth.
"Let's not lose faith in the fu-
ture. We can abolish hate, fear,
war and poverty with the wisdom
of peace—with confidence in our-
selves. Although man is a creature
of conflict, he can understand the
difference between kindness and
hate, cruelty and love, the just and
the unjust. There are only two
wor-'s that can save the world—
peaceful living."
Mr. Levitan looks forward to
the day when peace pacts will be
made before wars, rather than
after wars.
There are two things in Mr.
By PAUL R. BERNSTEIN 'President Johnson, Senator Hart were followed and understood, Mr.
Levitan said, there would be no
In 1889, when Wolf Levitan was and Governor Romney.
Most recently, he has written to world strife.
13, he was called before the con-
I
gregation of his synagogue in his the United States Representative
home town in Lithuania to read to the United Nations, Arthur Gold-
berg, expressing his views on the
from the Haftora.
That evening, Mr. Levitan's recent Mid East crisis.
"Haman of Persia, Hitler of Ger-
father held a party in honor of
his son. Of the 70 guests rejoicing many, Stalin of Communist Rus-
at the long table, Wolf Levitan sia," he wrote, "all of them tried
was the only one under 60 years to wipe off the Jews from the
of age. Finally he was called upon face of the earth. None of them
to address the learned assemblage. succeeded in their objective, and
only left a shameful,- disgraceful
"The wisdom of life," he said,
record in history.
peaceful living."
"The universal hunger is not
Seventy-eight years later, a few
for militarism, not for missionaries
days from his 91st birthday, Wolf toconvert those unfortunates to
Levitan has not wavered from that other dogmas and rituals, and not
credo. for war propaganda, but for peace-
Where others fought, he urged ful living, for food, shelter, medi
reason. Where others rejoiced cine and for education based on
in great victories, he wept for
moral and peaceful means."
the casualties that brought about
Mr. Levitan pounds out his
the victory. Where others rioted
letters on an old typewriter in
and protested, he expressed his
his small, memento-filled room
views with a pen. Today, Wolf
on the 11th floor of the Camelot
Levitan is a happy, peaceful man
Hotel. He is quick and spry and,
The two greatest figures in Jew-
ish history, Mr. Levitan feels, were
the prophets Jeremiah and Isaiah,
who preached and united the Jew-
ish people with sermons of peace.
He says he practices righteous-
ness on earth because there is
no hereafter. For that reason,
man deserves dignity here on
earth, and should share his goods
with others, giving them the dig-
nity they deserve.
Despite the gloomy state of world
affairs, Mr. Levitan has great hope
for the future.
"The world is ill, confused, mis-
understoon," he said, "everyone is
-
Levitan's life of which he is most
proud — "One is the peaceful liv-
ing in me," he said, the other
is the greatest document I own:
my naturalization papers proclaim-
ing that I am an American."
Smithsonian to Receive
Plaque on Exodus Voyage
NEW YORK—The American
Veterans of Israel will present a
plaque commemorating the his-
toric voyage of the Exodus, to the
Smithsonian Institution 2 p.m. Sun-
day,
This plaque, which lists the 10
Aliya Bet ships manned by men
from the U. S., Canada and Latin
America, will be placed in a show-
case alongside a model of the
Exodus, and become part of the
permanent exhibit at the gallery.
HAVE
SOME
SOON!
WHIPPED TO HEAVENLY SMOOTHNESS
who has led a full, productive
life.
Except for occasional pains in
the chest brought on by a heart
condition, Wolf Levitan considers
himself a perfect man ... not per-
fect in the sense that he has done
everything right, that he is rich,
that he knows all there is to know,
but perfect in the sense that he
and life are at peace. "If you're
not at peace," he says, "you can't
be wealthy, you can't be well."
Mr. Levitan, born Aug. 4, 1876,
was educated in German and
Polish, as well as his native Rus-
sian. His family was deeply Or-
thodox, and his father taught at
the yeshiva in Poland. Mr. Levitan
loved and admired his father and
one of his most cherished mem-
despite a slight accent, speaks
like a university professor. His
light-blue eyes are almost child-
like in their dancing movements.
His greatest pleasure is his writ-
ing, and he produces volumes of
pages each year. He makes carbon
copies of each letter he types. Oc-
casionally he will have a letter
mimeographed and sent to all of
his friends. He has published a
book of his letters and plans to
publish another book, "The Wis.
dom of Peaceful Living."
Mr. Levitan's reason for writing
so many letters is simple. "People
naturally are friendly," he said.
"They like to know what their
neighbors are thinking and they
like to tell the neighbors what they
think."
Ile is not happy over the Arab-
Israeli war, despite Israel's over-
whelming victory. "When Jews
lose 3,000 people," he said, "and
1.000 women are sitting shiva over
their husbands, and children lose
their fathers, there is nothing to
be happy about."
ories was of his father going to the
synagogue to explain and translate
the Bible and Talmud to the 400
people assembled there.
Mr. Levitan stresses Jewish edu-
cation as a key tc a happier life.
His father was the only means the
people in his town had to under-
Half the Jews pictured at the
stand the Bible, and as a result,
they were happier in their knowl- Wailing Wall, he noted, were
dancing and singing with joy,
edge.
In 1899, Mr. Levitan, a pacifist, while the other half did not
or sing because their Or-
read in a Russian newspaper of dance
religion forbids them to
plans for a war with Japan. In or- thodox
go
to
war
— they wait for the
der to avoid military service. he
Messiah. The Jews of today, he
left his home and came to
do
not
know what Judaism
said,
America settling in Detroit in
1904. Married, he took his wife to means.
"Judaism is education,' he said.
Minneapolis, where he entered the
Mr. Levitan does not feel it
drygoods business in 1912.
necessary
to observe all rituals and
Seven years later Mr. Levitan
religious dogmas to be a good Jew.
wrote a letter to the Minneapolis He claims that he is perhaps the
Journal protesting the heavy most religious Jew in the city,
reparations the Allies levied despite the fact that he has not
against the defeated Germans in
in a synagogue since 1890.
the Versailles Treaty. Since that been
Levitan feels that Judaism
time, he has written more than is Mr.
understanding
practicing the
5,000 letters to newspapers, peaceful tenets of and
the Talmud and
magazines, politicians, indus-
the Bible. He holds Solomon Isaac,
trahsts and statesmen.
who commented and explained the
Mr. Levitan has penned his
five
books of Moses, in higher
opinions to people like Franklin D. esteem
than kings Saul, David and
Roosevelt, Cordell Hull, Adolf Hit-
Solomon
in all their glory.
ler, Harry S. Truman, Nelson
The Bible was written by educa
Rockefeller, Henry Ford II, Dwight
Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, tors, and if what they have to say
,
--
D.
KRAFT WHIPPED
CREAM CHEESES
SPREAD LIKE A
CHARM—EVEN ON
MATZOS—EVEN WHEN
REFRIGERATOR COLD!
delicate fresh dairy flavor!
DELICIOUSLY FRESH FLAVORS
What treats to serve your family and guests! Kraft Whipped
Cream Cheeses spread like a charm, even when very cold. And the
different flavors create big excitement for bagels, sandwiches, party
dips and snacks. Look for them in Kraft's handy, reusable, alumi-
num bowls.
CERTIFIED
KOSHER
h, Rabb it
j.Reich:.•
NOW IN YOUR GROCER'S DAIRY CASE