22-Friday,
°0= nr6"9"Ews
100th Anniversary of Kohler's Coming to Beth E1 1 600 Jews
of Riga Attend

By IRVING I. KATZ
Executive Secretary
of Temple Beth El
Detroit's Temple Beth El takes
pride in the fact that 100 years ago
it brought to the United States and
its pulpit Rabbi Kaufmann Kohler,
the noted theologian and scholar
who became the most powerful in-
tellectual force in Reform Judaism
in America.
Kaufmann Kohler was born in
Fuerth, Bavaria. May 10, 1843. His
parents, Moritz and Babette (Loc-
wenmayer) Kohler, were observant
orthodox Jews possessed of Ger-
man culture. His scientific and
classical education he obtained at
the universities of Munich, Berlin,
Erlangen and Leipzig. He con-

Bernard Felsenthal of Chicago and to systematize and enlarge the
curriculum of the religious school.
Max Lillienthal of Cincinnati.
As president of Hebrew Union Col-
• • •
Kohler came to the U.S. in 1859 lege he reorganized and enlarged

Association of Hebrew Union Col-
lege as memorial volumes. The WW II Memorial Service
first is "The Origins of the Syna-
LONDON (JTA) — Some
gogue and the Church," edited by
Rabbi Hyman G. Enelow who Jews of Riga attended memoria
services for Jews killed by the
wrote a biographical essay on Koh-
Nazis during World War II, it was
ler. The second is "Studies, Ad-
r e T
p o hre t e d s e r h v e irc ee .
dresses and Personal Papers."
s were held at the
This volume contains his interest-
Jewish cemetery the day after
ing "Personal Reminiscences" and
Rosh Hashana. The gathering was
a supplemental bibliography of his
addressed by Mrs. Irene Lipshitz,
writings by his son, Max J. Kohler. who noted that many
who partici-
In 1948 Prof. Samuel S. Cohon of pated in the mass murder of Jews
Hebrew Union College edited "A are A still at
rgte. o
Living Faith: Selected Sermons
memorial
the 5,000 Jews
and Addresses from the literary . killed in the Latvian town of
remains of Kaufmann Kohler" and Rezekne soon after the Nazi occu-
in 1963 Cohon's essay on Kohler pation was unveiled.
appeared in "Great Jewish Think
ers of the Twentieth Century."
Immediately on his arrival m y
America Kohler took an active
part in the early struggles of Re-
form Judaism. As the years went
on he became the leading theore-
tician of classical Reform. He was
a formidable controversialist and
apologete. He strove for clarity of
doctrinal expression and reason in
practice. He issued the call for the
famous Pittsburgh Rabbinical Con-
ference in 1885, whose declarations
established the basis of American
Reform Judaism for the next 50
years, and which led to the eventu-
is now on the sales staff of
al adoption of the Union Prayer
Packer Pontiac, America's
largest Pontiac dealer. He's
Book.
waiting to give his customers *
Kohler introduced in Chicago the
great deal on a new '69 or '70
first Sunday morning services in
Pontiac, Tempest or Firebird.
America but not as a substitute for
See Of call him today.
the Sabbath.

at the call of Detroit's Temple the curriculum.
The list of Kohler's writings
Beth El and on the recommenda-
items.
tion of Rabbi Max Lillienthal. In reaches more than 2,000
1870, he mar•ied Johanna, daugh- They cover the whole field of Jew-
ter of the Reform theologian and ish learning, from monute points
rabbi, Dr. David Einhorn, the of philology. grammar and exege-
leader of Congregation Beth El in sis to the most abstruse philoso-
New York. During his two-year phical and theological questions.
stay in Detroit. Kohler organized His great work, upon which his
the Gentlemen's Hebrew Relief So- fame will most lastingly rest, is
ciety and abolished the observance his "Jewish Theology." the fruit of
of the second day of festivals and his lectures at the Hebrew Union
the wearing of the talis (prayer College, published in German in
shawl) by the rabbi. On his 75th 1910 and in English in 1918. This is
birthday, in 1918, Beth El honored the first compreshensive and syste-
Kohler with an honorary member- matic treatment of the subject
ship for life. from the viewpoint of Reform
In 1871 Kohler went to Chicago Judaism. It elucidates the tenents
as rabbi of Sinai Congregation. In of Judaism from the historical,
1879 he succeeded Einhorn in New critcal and developmental point of
York. In 1903 he was elected presi- view.
dent of Hebrew Union College. Cin- His "Hebrew Union College Ad-
cinnati, filling the office of presi- dresses" demonstrate his mastery
dent and head of the department of Jewish lore, his keen interest in
of theology until 1921, when he re- current Jewish questions and also
tired to devote himself to literary exhibits his rare skill as a preach-
work. Among other important posi- er. In honor of his 70th birthday
tions he held were those of editor many scholars of Europe and
of the departments of theology and America contributed to the learned
philosophy of the Jewish Encyclo- "Studies in Jewish Literature."
podia (to which he contributed This volume contains a bibliogra-
some 300 articles). one of the edi- phy of his writings compiled by
tors of the English version of the Dr. A. S. Oko, librarian of Hebrew
Holy Scriptures issued by the Jew- Union College.
ish Publication Society of America,
In 1923 he wrote "Heaven and
and of the Union Prayer Book, Hell in Comparative Religion." in
published by the Central Co nfer— honor of the sixth centenary of the
ence of American Rabbis of which life of Dante. He left, at his death
he was a charter member and in New York, in 1926. many manu-
honorary president.
scripts, some of which were col-
* * •
DR. KAUFMANN KOHLER
lected and published by the Alumni
Kohler's contbributions to Juda
tinued his Jewish studies. Entering
amt_
'kA•
the university an ardent orthodox i§m may be summed up under Last -Mi
nute
four heads: He was preeminent as
Jew, his thesis for the degree of
a preacher, educator, scholar and on Election List Puts
Doctor of Philosophy, "The Bless-
great
ing of Jacob." revealed ...hat he Jewish leader. He was a
Alton Ahead of Eban
had gone completely over to the preacher. His sermons were mod-
moderns. He himself decribed the els of sound exegesis and herma- JERUSALEM (JTA) — A laA-
thesis (University of Erlangen, rieutics. He commanded the whole minute change on the Labor Party-
1867) as "a bold effort at recon- field of Jewish learning and also Mapam alignment election list has
structing the entire historic devel- the literature of modern culture. placed the name of Deputy Pre-
opment of the religious views of the He met the intellectual crises of mier Yigal Alton directly after that
Bible, based upon novel mythologi- the 19th and 20th centuries with of Premier Golda Meir.
cal and critical reserach." It also candor and learning but with un-
Originally Foreign Minister
warmly pleaded for intellectual wavering faith.
Abba Eban had the number two
Not very long after his coming spot on the list which was arrang-
freedom. It' brought consternation
to his old friends and made it im- to America he wrote a religious ed alphabetically according to the
possible for him to obtain a pulpit reader and historical articles for Hebrew alphabet.
in Germany. It won him, however. Jewish youth. Some of the latter
As of the Sept. 24 deadline. 16
the acclaim of Rabbi Abraham appeared in "The Sabbath Visitor," factions submitted lists to the
Geiger, the leader of Reform Juda- of which he was for/ a time the Knesset elections committee. Four
ism in Germany, who paved the editor. His "A Guide for Instruc- of them were new political group-
way for him to an American ca- tion in Judaism," a development ings including one headed by for-
reer by warm letters of recom- of an earlier work, became a mer Premier David Ben-Gurion
mendation to Rabbis Samuel Adler standard textbook in religious called the State Party, represent-
and David Einhorn of New York. schools. He was active in the effort mg the Rafi group.
Another, calling itself the
Eretz Israel list, is headed by
Dr. Israel Eldad, a leader of the
underground Stern group during
the latter years of the British
mandate. It advocates Israel's
By BENNETT CERF
retention of all occupied Arab
territories.
JUST AFTER Calvin Coolidge moved into the White House,
a Treasury Department executive made a special trip
On the opposite end of the spec-
there to personally deliver the new President's first pay
trum is the Peace List headed by
Gad
Yatziv, a lecturer at the He-
check. Silent Cal pocket-
brew University. who wants Israel
ed the check without a
to hand over the occupied terri-
word, but just as the
tories to a '"Palestinian nation.••
Treasury man was leav-
The fourth new list is called
e ing the room, managed
Young Israel and is composed of
an icy smile and a most
Sephardic candidates who hope to
sincere, "Come again'"
win votes on the basis of their
• • •
Oriental origin,
Boston, is like no other
Two other new lists were not
city in America. Its hotels
accepted 'by the elections com-
are different, too. When
mittee because they failed to de-
you're not allowed to go out
, posit the $L600 bond required by
of a certain door in most
law. Factions which fail to poll one
hostelries. you'll be warned
per cent of the vote forfeit the
by a preemptory sign read-
bond which reverts to the Israel
ing, "No exit." In Boston's
treasury.
Ritz, however. the warning •
' Dr. Benjamin Halevy. a member
on such a door reads, "This is not an accredited egress door."
of Israel's Supreme Court. has cho-
One early summer evening, an elderly guest asked a Rita
sen Gahal as his party and will ap-
attendant, "Is the roof garden open for dancing yet?" "No,
evening."
pear on the Gahal list in a spot
sir," was the respectful reply. "The roof is closed this
What he neglected to add was that the roof garden had been
assuring his election. Dr. Halevy's
resignation from the Supr e m e
closed a good twenty-five years ago.
•
•
•
Court has been Confirmed by the
-
Ministry of Justice.
OVERHEARD:
evening:
"She'll
Father welcoming his daughter's date for the
Gahal's mayoral choice for Tel
Aviv will he Menachem Savidar
be right down. How about a couple of games of chess?"
Between games in ,a bowling tourney! "Next time she takes
(Chodorowski), former director of
Israel's railways, president of the
a plane to her mother's, I'm going to try to ticket her as a 1)1(30
of luggage. That way, maybe they'll lose herl"
Rotary Club and chairman of Is-
-rale's. Maccabi organization., r
• 1969, by Bennett Cert. Distributed by King Features Syndicate.

MILT LEVIN

PACKER
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FOR MORE INFORMATION—
Call or Write the membership
Chairman of Temple Beth El;
Mitch Fivenson
1438 Peninsula Drive
Traverse City, Mich. 49684
phone: (616) 946-7760

"Learn To Live — Live To Play"

TRAVERSE CITY—AN EXCITING PLACE TO LIVE

Try and Stop Me

(POST • ABBE* KRAMER)

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