Romanian Toras Go to Malben Homes
Official presentation of the first
of 3,000 Tora scrolls from Romania
to synagogues and communities in
Israel wil take place Jan. 16, it
was announced by Samuel L. Hab-
er, executive vice-chairman of the
Joint Distribution Committee.
Romanian Chief Rabbi Moses
Rosen wil present the first scrolls
to JDC-Malben homes in memory
of the late Charles H. Jordan, exe-
cutive vice-chairman of the Joint
Distribution Committee in recogni-
tion of the role played by the JDC
and Jordan in bringing the scrolls
to Israel last year as a gift of the
government of Romania and its
Jewish community.
The Tora scrolls will be accept-
ed at a ceremony in Jerusalem by
Harold Trobe, JDC director for
Israel, Rabbi Aaron Greenbaum,
JDC consultant on Yeshivot in
Israel, and three elderly residents
of Malben homes who recently
came to Israel from Romanian
Jewish communities which had
been virtually destroyed during
World War II and whose syna-
gogues and Tora scrolls had been
abandoned.
Examination of the scrolls re-
vealed that 50.60 per cent are
usable or could be easily re-
paired; the balance only partial-
ly so. Professional scribes of
the Israel ministry of religious
affairs have been at work check-
ing and making the needed re-
pairs to assure that the scrolls
almost $300,000. It involves the now residing in Israel, if the
partial rewriting of whole sections, sources of the scrolls are known,
replacing torn or otherwise irre-
parable parchments, replacement
of the "Etz Haim," the wooden
rods to which the scrolls are se-
cured, reading and rereading of
the texts for errors, and replace-
ment of the velvet covers on all the
scrolls.
The scrolls are between 50 and
200 years old and represent the
remains of a once strong and vital
Romanian Jewish community
which numbered some 800,000. Of
these, only 100,000 remain. Some
300,000 emigrated to Israel in re-
cent years.
Efforts are being made to return
some of the scrolls to members of
the original Romanian communities
and if survivors can be found in
Israel. Among other recipients of
the first scrolls to be distributed
are the pioneers at the newly re-
settled Etzion Bloc south of Jeru-
salem, Israel army outposts, youth
groups with religious affiliation
and various synagogues and kib-
utzim, and villages and cities
throughout Israel. There will be
about 130 scrolls in the first dis-
tribution.
At the request of the Joint Dis-
tribution Committee, two scrolls
were sent to Paraguay to replace
scrolls that were lost in a fire, and
several others have been sent to
Boris Smolar's
'Between You
. . and Me'
(Copyright 1968, JTA Inc.)
INSIDE ISRAEL: Israel's Prime Minister Levi Eshkol is now back in
Jerusalem with his position greatly strengthened, following his return
from the United States . . . His visit to this country—and the warm
and intimate friendship displayed toward him by President Johnson
—has weakened the attempts of some Israeli leaders to undermine his
authority . . It is no secret that Eshkol has powerful political
enemies in Israel who seek his removal from premiership . . . And
it also is no secret that Gen. Dayan, who came into the cabinet as
minister of defense a few days before the outbreak of the Six-Day
War, is ambitious to become premier . . . But Eshkol has also many
supporters who are determined to see him continue as premier, first
synagogues supported by the JDC because they consider him a level-headed man, and secondly, because
they are eager to prevent any rocking of the boat at the present time,
in Italy and France.
when the Arabs—backed strongly by Russia—are still talking war
. . . These elements argue that Eshkol, in his capacity as former
minister of defense, did an excellent job in preparing the country
for the kind of defense which brought about the winning of the
Six-Day War.
•
•
•
WASHINGTON, D.C. — While from north-central and southwest PERSONALITY PROFILE: Albert Parker, a prominent attorney and
most of the 51 professional work- areas. The consenses of their re- dedicated Jewish leader, who is very generous in his contributions to
ers taking part in a four-day con- plies was that "it has now become Jewish philanthropic and educational causes, was chosen this week to
ference here of the Bnai Brith , fashionable and a status symbol succeed Edward M. M. Warburg as president of the United Jewish
Youth Organization's national staff among many Jewish middle class Appeal of New York . .., A warm-hearted man, he is extremely active
do not regard narcotic addiction as teen-agers to smoke 'pot' and to in work for Israel and spares neither time nor effort to secure maxi-
an overriding problem among Jew- 'pop' amphetamines . . . Jewish mum aid for the Jewish state ... He is chairman of the coordinating
ish teen-agers, they said they are teen-agers are becoming more and committee of the Extraordinary Jerusalem Conference called by Premier
Anti-Social Behavior, Not Drugs,
Problem Among Teens, Say Advisers
•
concerned with a rising incidence more like all other affluent teen-
of Jewish teen-age "anti-social agers who are experimenting with
behavior." marijuana—and they are also
aware that heroin and other addle-
Less than one-fifth
.
. of the group
.
had obser ved a sign ican increase tive drugs are available
Another comment was that al-
in the use of drugs among the
Je•ish juvenile population in re- though drugs were now more a
cent years. All of the conferees subject of "talk" rather than of
are in close contact with tens of actual use among many Jewish
thousands of Jewish teen-agers teen-agers, this in itself is some-
Levi Eshkol, scheduled to take place this spring . . . This conference
will bring together the top leaders from every Jewish community in
the democratic world to map plans for strengthening Israel's economy,
and for the expansion of its industry . . . Parker is also a member
of the International Economic Advisory Council of Israel . . . He has
been a chairman of the National United Jewish Appeal for a number
of years and is also a national chairman of the Isrel Education Fund
. . . Interested in promoting Jewish education, he contributed quite
a substantial amount toward the establishment of a higher school of
learning in Sde Boker, the residence of ex-Premier David Ben-Gurion
who sought a million dollars last year in New York for the building
of the school . . . Parker has established for himself quite a record
in his active work for the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, of which
he is vice-chairman of the board of overseers . . . He is a director of
will be ritually acceptable. Be-
cause of a shortage of experi-
enced scribes, a number of
yeshiva students, presently re-
ceiving JDC assistance,
be-
ing especially trained for the
both inside and outside of BBYO. times unhealthy, since it may
task in Jerusalem and have been
reflect a climate in which "talk"
made part of the two teams that
Of the ten professionals who can easily spillover into action.
are engaged in the repairs.
said they had sensed an increase
In response to a query on Jew- the Joint Distribution Committee, of the American Committee for the
It is estimated that the task of in the use of drugs among Jewish
repairing the Tora scrolls will teen-agers, eight were from north- ish juvenile delinquency serious Weizmann Institute, and of the American Friends of the Hebrew
take up to five years and will cost eastern states, and the other two enough to reach the courts, 39 con- University . . . For his devoted activities he has been honored by
ferees said this was still a negligi- Yeshiva University, Brandeis University, Bar-Ilan University and the
ble problem in their areas, while Albert Einstein College of Medicine . . . Among the many other posi-
12 conceded it is now—or promises tions which he holds in the community, he is also a Trustee-at-Large
to become—a matter of major of the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York . .., His wife,
concern.
Jeanette, also a lawyer—is similarly active in Jewish work, especially
But it was the growing preval- in the Women's Division of the United Jewish Appeal in New York.
(Direct JTA Teletype Wire
but also without interference ence of "anti-social behavior" on
to The Jewish News)
•
•
•
JERUSALEM — A government-1 from Israeli or Jordanian au-
the part of middle-class Jewish VIETNAM ECHOES: You can be for or against American involvement
thorities, it was reported Wed-
appointed committee will investi-
youth—acts of vandalism and irre- in the Vietnam war, but one cannot' remain indifferent to the fate of
nesday. Some 7,000 West Bankers sponsibility in many forms— that
gate the power failure and break-
the many thousands of Vietnamese refugees, among whom there are
made the round trip last week
down of other public services that
elicited the almost unanimous con- many children . . . Leaders of major Jewish organizations in this
for
which the fare is one Jor-
paralyzed Jerusalem during last
cern
of
the
group.
Fifty
felt
it
is
country
have long been discussing privately a proposal to establish
dainian dinar, the equivalent of
week's severe snow storm, Minis-
"wide-spread" and "increasing." Jewish participation in the relief work now being conducted in South
$2.80. The military government
ter of Development Moshe Kol an-
Many
pointed
out
that
reports
in-
Vietnam
for the uprooted population there . . . Relief programs are
nounced in reply to a question in of the West Bank is issuing one- variably understate the scope of being carried on there by the Quakers, Catholics and other religious
the Knesset Tuesday night. In trip permits to the buses on a the problem because most youth- groups, but not by any Jewish group . . . The feeling among Jewish
day-to-day basis.
addition, the Knesset's interior
ful offenses, shielded from public
A new high school opened in attention by parents and the com- leaders now is that it is high time that Jewish organizations should
committee will take up the gen-
also offer such humanitarian services . . . The leaders believe that it
East
Jerusalem, Tuesday, and two munity, are unrecorded.
eral stoppage of municipal ser-
is important that history should recall that Jews too have—not as
vices during the snow storm when more, one for boys and one for
individuals
but as a community—contributed towards the alleviation
Teen-age
drinking
topped
the
list
girls, will open next week with a
it meets again.
of the varieties of behavior de- of the suffering associated with this devastating war . . An American
More than 12 inches of snow fell total enrollment of more than
Jewish
Service
Committee on Civilian Relief in Vietnam has therefore
scribed
as
"anti-social,"
while
on Jerusalem early last week and 1,000 students, it was announced
petty thievery for so-called "fun," been forced with Morris B. Abram, president of the American Jewish
while most of it has since melted, here Wednesday.
Committee,
as
chairman
. . . Represented in this committee are also
and outbreaks of dangerous "horse-
some buildings in the city are still
The military government is fi-
such organizations as the Joint Distribution Committee, Hadassah,
without electric power and fallen nancing the operation of schools on play,"' followed in the order of ORT and others ... The first step made by this joint body is to send
trees still block some roads.
the West Bank which have an en- estimated frequency.
a study mission to
to establish in what way a Jewish-sponsored
A bus service has been started rollment of 110,000 pupils com-
Shoplifting and truancy were relief program can Vietnam
be most useful there . . . The mission is headed by
between the West Bank and Am- pared to 130,000 last year. Tuition depicted as at least peripheral Abram and includes representatives -of the JDC and of the Jewish
man, without benefit of franchise is free.
problems among Jewish teen-agers Child Care Association of New York . .. The American Government
in areas where they had not been is spending millions of dollars for refugee relief in Vietnam, and the
apparent in the recent past. "De- Vietnamese government, too, is giving
special financial assistance
Jerusalem Power Failure in Storm
Probed; Bus Links West Bank, Amman
Gift for Hebrew U. Dental Research
structiveness at social gatherings" to its refugees from devastated villages . . But voluntary relief
was also listed. This was charac- agencies can make a significant contribution in certain
selected fields
terized by some as a way of pub- in which they are competent . . . Thinking in terms of establishing
a
licly "acting out" the hostilities
and tension that are said to trou-
ble middle-class family life today
—and which affects teen-age be-
havior outside of the home.
Swaziland Minister in Israel
All of the staff members
stressed that the overwhelming
majority of Jewish teen-agers
they encountered in their daily
work do not manifest any form
of anti-social behavior—but that
the minority of delinquent
youngsters, Jewish and non-Jew-
ish, is apparently increasing
rapidly.
Ben Barkin, national chairman
of the Bnai Brith Youth Commis-
sion, told the conference that the
rise in errant behavior reflected
by the survey, indicates "the aim-
William Getz of Chicago (seated), president of the Dental
lessness
and restlessness of middle-
Division of Teledyne, Inc., gives a $100,000 personal gift to the
American Friends of the Hebrew University for the Research and class youth in an affluent society."
Barkin urged that the BBYO and
Postgraduate Center at the Hebrew University-Hadassah School of
other youth movements "accelerate
Dental Medicine founded by Alpha Omega Fraternity. Dr. Bernard
Spiro, prominent Chicago dentist and a director of the American their efforts to involve young peo-
ple in relevant learning and action
Friends, accepts the contribution.
programs within the Jewish tradi-
40 — Friday, January 26, 1968
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS tion."
Swaziland Health Minister Dr. Allen Nuxmalo (left) during a
recent visit at the Weizmann Institute of Science meets a former
acquaintance, Dr. Sidney Mirvish (right), who was once on the
staff of the Medical School of Witwatersrand University in Johan-
nesburg, where Dr. Nuxmalo received his MD. Also in the party
from Swaziland was that country's minister of finance, commerce
and industry, Leo Lovell (center), and his sabra grandson. Dr.
Mirvish is studying toxic compounds which produce liver cancer in
rats and are suspected of being responsible for the abnormally high
level of this form of cancer in Southern Africa, including Swaziland.
,