Gold's 'Fathers' Reading of 'The Matzo of Hope'
in a Paperback at Sedorim Urged by Council

Herbert Gold's novel that is as
much a memoir and a recollection
of family experierfces as it is a
commentary on an immigrant's life
and experiences in America, has
been reissued as a paperback by
Fawcett World Library (67 W.
44th, NY36).
It is the drama of an immigrant,
the paean of a son to father,
mingled with a mother's concern
for her son and family.
Actually, it is also a commentary
on life in America, on Jewish ex-
periences, on the status of Yiddish
in its time and on the loyalties to
the American way of life. And all
of them are not without differences
of opinion, dissents, struggles—
all couched in the family love that
is cemented in tribute to father.
"Fathers" had excellent recep-
tion when it first was issued as
a hard cover book by Random
House in March 1967. It may well
continue as a paperback best
seller.
The original review of the book
in these columns (Jewish News,
April 21, 1967) stated in part:

Meyer Levin Wins Suit

• CHICAGO — Judge Abraham W.
Brussell ruled last Friday that Na-
than W. Leopold, who served a
25-year jail sentence for the mur-
der of Bobby Franks, had no
ground to sue Meyer Levin, author
of "Compulsion," the ruling being
that Levin was protected by the
First Amendment.

will coordinate the program in the
Detroit area.
The Matzo of Hope is intended
as a symbol of hope for the
3,000,000 Jews in the Soviet Union
who continue to suffer under the
special disabilities imposed on
them by Soviet authorities.
The statement is being distrib-
uted to thousands of Jewish fam-
ilies throughout the country, "so
that the Jews of the Soviet Union
may know that they have not been
forgotten."
National organizations which
are members of the American Jew-
Weizmann Institute OKs ish Conference have made copies
of the Matzo of Hope statement
available to local affiliates. Lim-
Budget; to Cut Grants
REHOVOT (JTA) — The Weiz• ited quantities of the statement
mann Institute of Science adopted are also available from the Com-
a 41,400,000 pound ($12,000,000) munity Council.
budget for 1968-69 here Sunday but
said that financial exigencies would Just Published
permit it to grant only nine fellow-
ships for overseas students in the
current year out of 179 applications.
The institute announced at a din-
ner here that the John F. Kennedy
Memorial Foundation in the United
States raised 7,500,000 pounds
NEW YORK — The Anti-
($2,100,000) this year to support
research and to provide post-doc- Tobacco Center of America has
toral fellowships to outstanding just published a booklet which ex-
plains how 88,648 heavy smokers
Israeli scientists for advanced (of whom many are physicians)
training in the United States.
have, stopped smoking without
The institute's annual budget straining their will power. This
was approved by its executive booklet is available free of charge
council under the chairmanship of to smokers. All you need do, to
Meyer Weisgal. Out of the total obtain it, is to send your name and
amount, 32,000,000 pounds ($9,200,- address to The Anti-Tobacco Center
000) are for operational expenses of America, Dept. A-263-V, 276
Avenue South, New York
and 9,400,000 pounds ($7,700,000) Park
City 10010.
are for development purposes.
This offer is open while the supply
of these booklets lasts.
Fortunes made in no time are
adv.
like shirts made in no time; it's 10
THE
DETROIT
JEWISH
NEWS
to 1 if they hang long together—
22—Friday, April 5, 1968
Douglas Jerrold (1946).

Seeking the elimination of
wrongs inflicted on Russian Jewry
by the Soviet government, the Jew-
ish Community Council is urging
that a statement entitled "Matzo
of Hope" be read at the Passover
Seder of every Jewish household
in the community.
"Matzo of Hope" is a program
sponsored by the American Jewish
Conference on Soviet Jewry, an
association of 15 National Jewish
organizations. Dr. Samuel Krohn,
president of the Community Coun-
cil, has announced that the Council

Memorial Forest in Israel
for World War II Anzacs
MELBOURNE (JTA) — Prime
Minister Gorton. of Australia, has
agreed to be the patron of the
Anzac Memorial Forest to be
planted in Israel in memory of
Australian and New Zealand troops
who fought in the Middle East dur-
ing World War II. The project was
established by his predecessor, the
late Prime Minister Harold Holt.
A. Joel, president of the Anzac
Memorial Forest Committee here,
said "all Australian citizens of the
Jewish faith will be deeply appre-
ciative of the honor which the
Prime Minister has conferred upon
this wonderful project as one of
his first acts of office."

Center Sets Scholarships
for Social Work Students

WORCESTER, Mass. (JTA) —
A fund has been established at
the Worcester Jewish Community
Center to provide tuition grants to
Jewish students planning social
group work or physical education
careers. Students receiving such
grants will be required to commit
themselves to work at the center
for at least two years after grad-
uation.

Your old Books & Paperbacks

to the

Brandeis U. Library

generous tax deduction
For Pickup Cali

398-8877

Nat'l Women's Comm.

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How 88,648
Heavy Smokers
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It is evident throughout the work
that the Jewish backbround of Herbert
a
is not denied. It is clear that it is not
Jewish family that is depicted. It is
to
read
about
time
unusual in our
Jewish families, and often 'novelists,
describing themselves and their par-
ents, in works that are frequently
deride
admitted to be autobiographical,
their parents, ridicule their background,
hatred.
with
heritage
Jewish
treat their
found in
Such an attitude is not to be
Gold's "Fathers." Yet, there is some-
thing lacking.
a
Sam wanted to go to America as
the
young tad. He was induced by
Rebbe — the matter was left to the
to wait until after his Bar
Rebbe
faced
Mitzva. He did. He came here. He
lived through
jeers from non-Jews, he an
indignation
the Hitler era with
against the brutalities. - That's as far as
it went. Herbert grew up. There is
mention by the author of the time
when he became 12, reached ins 13th
birthday, approached his 14th: not a
word about the Covenant!
The Jewish reader, presented with a
family portrait, introduced to Jewish
fathers (and also the mothers: Sam
remained married, Herbert divorced his
wife — another element in changes we
have witnessed between generations!),
must wonder: Sam did not stem from
assimilation; was it so easy for him
completely - to abandon the past and to
become thoroughly assimilated — so
much so that his son's Jewish education
was completely abandoned?
Apparently this is possible: It is evi-
dent in the Gold story. Yet, it is among
the isolated cases. It could not possibly
be the rule, or we would know it.
And so we have "Fathers" portraying
the Golds—the father who assumed
this name because he was coming to
America and he viewed this land as one
where one literaly bathes in gold.
only to learn quickly that here, as
everywhere else, one not only does not
immerse in gold but has to sweat for
it, must meet up with racketeers (if,
as Sam was in Cleveland, one has to
conduct a grocery and fruit store in
competitions involving control by gang-
sters), and must accept the difficulties
and challenges of human existence.
"Fathers" is a splendidly written
story, a fine portrayal of father-son
relationships. It is because it is so well ,
narrated, it has gOtten more reviewer's
space than many a popular novel. In a
sense, that notoriety amazes us. Yet, it
is so. But when studying the parent-
children's problem, of far greater sig-
'nificance in posing a clialenge to
changing times is Kafka's "Letter to
His Father." Surely, it is much more
stirring from a Jewish point of view.

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FESTIVAL OF JEWISH MUSIC

Thursday, May 2, 1968

THE 15TH ANNUAL CONCERT

Featuring this year

Cantor David Kusevitsky

Shirley Benyas

• CANTOR DAVID KUSEVITSKY

•
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World Famous Tenor

SHIRLEY BENYAS—Soprano
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