24—Friday, December 20, 7968
Concerns of Aged in Nursing Homes Told by Chaplain
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Menora Wired for Hanuka
Hanuka lights, some like those shown above at Fort Meade, Md.,
shine at military posts all over the world through arrangements
made by Jewish chaplains served and supplied by the commission
is Jewish chaplaincy of the National Jewish Welfare Board.
Hanuka Candles Lit at Japan Air Base
WAKKANAI, Japan—Jewish air- above the sea," he reported,
men stationed at the northernmost pointing out: "A deep impression
U.S. military base in Japan par- was made on the Japanese citi-
ticipated with their Jewish chap- zens who were present, because,
lain in a Hanuka menora-lighting as I later learned, the Star of
ceremony at the Wakkanai Monu- David on the JWB banner is also
ment. Clearly visible to the men, the official seal of the city of
as they celebrated the festival Wakkanai."
commemorating a fight for religi-
Chaplain Solomon reported that
ous freedom, was Sakhalin, an "one of the Japanese Wakkanai
island outpost of the Soviet Union. city fathers later pointed to my
This traditional observance "on Jewish chaplain's insignia and
the outer fringe of the free West, touched the Magen David above
in the very shadow of the Soviet the Tablets, 'Bokushi' (religious
Union," was described by Chap- leader), he exclaimed with excite-
lain Victor M. Solomon, Jewish ment, 'Bokushi of Wakkanai!"
chaplain of the U.S. Air Force in
Japan, to the commission on Jew- JWV's New Quarters
ish chaplaincy of the National
Jewish Welfare Board.
House Model of Shrine
"As we were kindling the Jew-
The Jewish War Veterans De-
ish lamp of freedom within sight partment of Michigan has estab-
of that country in which our peo- lished temporary quarters at 21561
ple are not free to practice the W. Eight Mile.
faith of their ancestors, the JWB
The building, opened Sunday,
banner triumphantly waved in the houses the offices of the depart-
breeze on a windy point high ment and its auxiliary, Memorial
Home Association and Gold Star
Parents of JWV. There are a few
meeting rooms and a model of the
shrine to the Jewish war dead of
Michigan.
During the Six-Day War the 'Jew-
LT. ROY F. GREEN POST will ish Veterans of Michigan dropped
hold its 16th annual party for pa- plans to build a permanent shrine
tients of the Battle Creek Veteran. to the Jewish war dead and instead
Hospital Wednesday. Members, purchased $100,000 in Israel Bonds.
along with the auxiliary, will They plan soon to start a commu-
meet 8 a.m. at the Nosherie deli- nitywide campaign to raise funds
catessen at Lincoln Center, Oak for construction. Contributions are
Park.
being accepted now by the Memor-
• • •
ial Home Association of the Jewish
BALE POST will meet 8:30 p.m. War Veterans.
Visitors will be welcome to the
Tuesday for refreshments, enter-
tainment and games at 21561 W. temporary quarters and shrine if
Eight Mile, the new meeting hall. they will call JWV, 255-4743.
JWV
Rabbi Joshua Sperka, chaplain
to the aged for the Council of
Orthodox Rabbis, again has issued
a plea to relatives of residents in
area nursing homes to help bring
comfort to the
elderly-patients.
Rabbi Sperka
also pointed out
that counsel will
be provided by
the rabbinical
chaplaincy co m-
mittee to anyone
with aged mem-
bers in the fam-
ily, as well as
organizations and
agencies who seek
assistance in this
area. For infor-
mation, call the
Council, DI 2-6260.
There are some 25 homes with
Jewish residents in the Detroit
area, according to Rabbi Sperka.
Including the 600 residents of the
two Jewish homes for aged, there
is a total of some 900 elderly Jew-
ish patients in various sheltered
situations.
However, "The nursing home
cannot magically cure all the phy-
sical, psychological and spiritual
ills," said Rabbi Sperka. "It is
therefore incumbent upon the fam-
ily and the community to help the
nursing home to bring relief from
physical pain as well as to bring
peace of mind and spiritual ful-
fillment to the aged."
Rabbi Sperka said that the
aged disclose to him three major
concerns, besides personal and
passing complaints: illness, old
age and death. "They are dis-
turbed because they feel that
sickness and suffering are punish-
ments, that age is irreversible
and that death is inevitable."
What they need most, he said,
are "spiritual comfort and re-
ligious solace that helps to bring
them peace of mind."
He added that religion, which
teaches respect and reverence for
age, counters their frustrations in
this era of the "youth cult." "To
bring to old people a sense of use-
fulness and purpose in life is
the best counter balance of their
thoughts of the finality of life," be
said. "I tell them that age has a
rich experience to transmit to the
young."
"They hunger for identity," said
Rabbi Sperka. "They have memo-
ries of religious practices and
rituals they knew during their ac-
tive lives." He added that special
provisions for kosher food now
made by the convalescent homes
has helped to alleviate the sense of
guilt many patients felt when they
had to violate the practice of kash-
rut.
'u ief
GREEN-8
ONLY!
Suburban
SUNDAY ! MONDAY !
TUESDAY ! AND
CHRISTMAS DAY ! (Wednesday)
z‘V
N.F
3 Piece
Weekender!
1.‘
Was $55,
Yesterday $27.50
4-DAY SALF
'19
Men's Clubs
BETH EL MEN'S CLUB, along
with the temple married group,
will hold a "black tie" New Year's
Eve Party. Following dinner, com-
plete with wine, they will dance to
the Dick Stein Orchestra. Break-
fast also will be served. For reser-
vation information, call Mrs. Her-
bert Saperstein, LI 1-3133, or Mrs.
David Kahrnoff, LI 5-3329. The
tariff includes refreshments.
Israel Auto Deaths
20 Pct. Higher, Per
Capita, Than U.S.
TEL AVIV—Israel's uninterrupt-
ed war with her Arab neighbors
Wayne State Veterans Get a Flag
claims the lives of many youth.
But another "silent, noiseless war"
claims more victims than all pre-
vious wars put together from 1948
to June 1967.
Since the establishment of the
state of Israel to October 1968,
4,762 lives have been lost in auto-
mobile accidents; 148,260 Israelis
were maimed; and 190,330 wound-
ed, among them 35,754 seriously.
The weekly, Davar Hashavua,
writes: "These are shocking and
staggering figures for a small
country like ours. In comparing
the number of autos on the high-
ways in the United States, where
every second citizen owns a car, to
the number of cars on Israeli
roads, where only one of every 80
Israelis owns an automobile, the
number of facilities on the roads
in Israel are 20 times more than
those in the United States."
Philip Wedes (left), Americanism officer for Morton Silverman
Post 135 of the Jewish War Veterans, presents an American flag to
the Wayne State University Veterans Club in ceremonies at Wayne.
John Macks, John Rudniak and David Sniderman accept the flag of
their club. Rudniak is president of the club, and Sniderman holds
membership in both the Wayne State Veterans Club and the Jewish
War Veterans. The presentation was made on the eve of the 27th
anniversary of America's entry into World War H, a war in which
153 Wayne State men were killed. . .
Sometimes there are accidents in
our life the skillful extraction from
which demands a little folly.
La Rochefoucauld
—
•
/
CHARGE I'D
Security
Juliet
Mich.
Bankard
GREEN-8 ONLY !
SUNDAY 12 to 5! MONDAY 9:30
TUESDAY 9:30 to 9! AND
to 9!
CHRISTMAS DAY 11 to 5! (Wednesday)