Rabbi Condemns
Death Practices,
Debunks 'Wake '
The adoption of the Christian
wake ritual by American Jews has
been roundly debunked and con-
demned by Rabbi Maurice Lamm
in a book just published in New
York. In "The Jewish Way in
Death and Mourning" published by
Jonathan David, Rabbi Lamm
states bluntly: "The 'wake' is defi-
nitely alien to Jewish sensitivity
and tradition. It is," he maintains,
"clearly a Christian religious prac-
tice, and not merely an American
folkway . . . Judaism requires no
additional ceremonies to buttress
its own authen-
tic millenial cus-
toms."
Rabbi Lamm
affirms that Jew-
ish tradition pro-
vides for condo-
lences to be ex-
pressed, but sure-
ly not before the
funeral: "The
place for offering
condolences is
home, after the
funeral, during
the seven days of Rabbi Lamm
mourning, called Alva."
In addition, the author, who is
director of chaplain personnel for
the National Jewish Welfare Board
and Rabbi of the Hebrew Institute
of University Heights, strongly ob-
jects to the "Wake" because it is
often reduced to the level of a
"social gathering where the con-
versation is often inane and the
evening has the barest face of
dignity."
Rabbi Lamm sharply criticizes
the Autopsy Manual of the United
Hospital Fund of New York as
an unethical document. He de-
cries the unconscionable zeal
with which the manual urges
that autopsies be performed on
every possible available patient.
This zeal, Rabbi Lamm notes, has
led the Fund to concoct palpable
lies in order to achieve its ends:
"There are on record authoritative
statements from religious leaders
of all faiths indicating that nowhere
is there any justification for oppo-
sition to autopsies on religious
grounds," the manual states. "It
is unfortunate," Rabbi Lamm
says, "that the religious sensibili-
ties of traditional Jews should be
so cavalierly dismissed by such
misleading statements . . . far be-
low the high ethical practice the
public has come to expect from
the medical profession. In dis-
criminate autopsies are not in
keeping with Jewish law or tradi-
tion."
Although not objecting to autopsy
where the purpose is well-defined
or where state law requires it,
Rabbi Lamm noted another shady
practice urged in the manual which
relates to the manner in which a
relative is to be considered "next
of kin": If more than one person
claims to be next of kin, and a
dispute arises as to whether an
autopsy should be held, the manual
states that the hospital may elect
the most amenable relative as
"the" next of kin. Should objection
to the autopsy be raised by a legit-
kin, he will not be
imate next
amenable and a religious law of
deep concern"to many Jews will be
transgressed. \
at
200 Immigrant Teachers
From U.S. AWaited
JERUSALEM (ZINS)—A group
of 200 teachers from the United
States and other countries is ex-
pected to arrive in Israel at the
end of the current school year.
Two absorption centers are being
constructed for them—one in Hai-
fa and another in Ashkelon. The
immigrants will spend a year in-
stead of the usual six months in
the absorption centers.
Despite the surplus of teachers
in the country, the newly arrived
instructors will be given positions
as English teachers. Due to the
shortage of English instructors ma-
ny schools were unable to include
this subject in their curricula.
Purim Quiz
By RABBI SAMUEL J. FOX
- (Copyright 1969, JTA Inc.)
What is a "Purim Rabbi"?
In medieval times it seemed to
have become a custom to disguise
individuals in roles other than
their usual occupations during the
period of Purim festivity. We thus
find "Purim Kings" in France and
in Germany. These "kings" evi-
dently ruled for the day of Purim
as a sort of "King for a Day."
Likewise, there developed the
custom of having a "Purim Rabbi"
in Germany and Holland who was
sort of a "Rabbi for a Day." Ac-
cording to some, the latter custom
became prevalent in the famous
Yeshiva of Volhozin. However,
some writers denied that it ever
existed there, claiming that what
ever was known was only hearsay.
The general idea seemed to have
stemmed from the fact that in the
original Episode of the Book of
Esther, the chief actors who ap-
peared on the scene were only
erstwhile while the real partici-
pants in the drama were hidden
realities. God himself, who shapes
human destiny in His Divine Provi-
dence, does not even have His
Divine name mentioned in the
Book of Esther. Some writers
claim, furthermore, that this kind
of hilarity gave , vent to the emo-
tions of subjects that were under
some type of restrictive control by
their Rabbis. It is claimed by some
that the original customs were sus-
pended in some places because at
times, they gave rise to embar-
rasing episodes. An example of the
latter was a situation in Minsk
where the situation "got out of
hand" once and the community
voted to abolish the practice.
What are Hamantashen?
Currently these are three-cor-
nered baked dough filled with
poppy seeds. They are eaten on
Purim. Their association with
Purim is due to a number of rea-
sons. Some claim that the term
Haman-Tash is merely a corrup-
tion of the name "Man-Tash," i.e.
a "pocket full of seeds." Since it
became customary to eat them on
Purim, the name was easily
changed to Haman-Tash to asso-
ciate it with the evil Haman of the
Book of Esther. The name
"Haman-Tash" in such a case
would be taken to mean "the
weakening of Haman" because the
word "Tash" in Hebrew stems
from a root meaning "to weaken."
Some call this delicacy the "ear of
Haman." Don Isaac Abarbanel
mentions such delicacies that are
baked in the form of human ears
and dipped in honey (Abarbanel,
Commentary of the Pentateuch,
B'Shalach). Immanuel of Rome
claims that they are eaten as sym-
bols of Haman's ears because
there is a legend that the Jews
cut off Haman's ears after he was
hanged. This was perhaps based
on an old Italian law whereby it
was ordained that the ears of a
thief were to be cut off if he were
caught. It is hardly likely that this
occurred since such a practice was
never a part of Jewish law which
prohibits the defilement of a corpse
in any way. Some claim that the
Haman Tashen are three-cornered
because the three Patriarchs
served as a source of Grace to
bring defeat on the evil Haman.
Israeli Police Bar Arabs
From Finishing Tablets
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israeli
police entered a Moslem cemetery
Tuesday and stopped Arab workers
from putting finishing touches on
two marble monuments honoring
Arab soldiers who fell during the
Six-Day War.
The Moslem Wafq, which con-
trols Moslem Holy Places in Jeru-
salem, had already erected one
monument and planned two more.
Jerusalem's Mayor Teddy Kollek
had approved the memorials but
was overruled by the city council.
A compromise was reached
whereby the Wafq was to apply for
permission to the Jerusalem dis-
trict building commission. It did
not do so but instead went ahead
with the monuments. Police were
called in by Mayor Kollek to halt
the work.
Histadrut in U.S. Raises $2.9 Million Toward Goal THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
NEW YORK (JTA)—The sum of
$2,900,000 has been raised so far
this year in the United States for
social welfare programs operated
in Israel by Histadrut, the nation's
labor federation, it was announced
by Dr. Sol Stein, executive director
of the National Committee for La-
bor Israel.
He told 800 delegates to the mid-
winter emergency conference that
$1,000,000 had been raised in cash
toward the group's 1969 goal of
$6,000,000 and an additional $1,900,-
000 in the form of deferred com-
mitments such as wills and be-
quests assigned to the American
Histadrut Development Founda-
tion. The foundation, established
nine years ago, now has a total
of almost $13,000,000, Dr. Stein
reported.
The 45th anniversary luncheon of
the National Committee for Labor
Israel was addressed by Gideon
Hausner, chief prosecutor in the
trail of Adolf Eichmann and a
member of the Knesset, and by
Leon H. Keyserling, Washington
economist elected National Commit-
tee president last November. Haus-
ner called on the "civilized coun-
French Assist Lebanon?
JERUSALEM (ZINS) — Quali-
fied sources disclosed here that
France has agreed to comply with
a Lebanese request for 40 French
military advisers to help her reor-
ganize the Lebanese army. To date,
Beirut, as well as Paris, has re-
mained silent on the subject.
Friday, February 28, 1969-35
tries" to take collective action to
safeguard Israeli civilian aircraft
from attacks by Arab terrorists like
the ones at Zurich Feb. 18 and at
Athens Dec. 26. He urged them to
withhold all forms of military and
economic assistance to govern-
ments that harbor terrorists.
New
Confirmation
gliVitations
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