Dr. t∎ larcns' Essays Make Fascinating Survey
of A in
nli rican Jewry's Historic sperietnc cs

In , an address he delivered in Resort to prophecy based on the
Boston. at the 66th annual meet- practicality of his analyses caused
ing of the American Jewish His- Dr. Marcus to state:
torical Society, Dr. Jacob R. Mar-
"After 1945, it, was obvious that
cus, the distinguished historian,
American Jewry would exercise
director of the American Jewish
a protective hegemony over all
Archives in Cincinnati and author
the Jews of the world. Within
of a score of noteworthy books,
the short span of six years in
made comments on the history and
the decade of the 1940s, Ameri-
personalities in American Jewry
can Jewry became aware of it-
that will intrigue the readers for
self: a course for credit in
decades to come and are certain
American Jewish history was
to arouse added interest in the
initiated at a graduate school,
story of the American Jew.
the American Jewish Archives
First of all, he expressed the
was founded, the National Jew-
view that the history of American
ish Welfare Board established
Jewry did not begin, as the Ter-
History Week, Commentary
centenary Celebration in 1954 em-
magazine sponsored a national
phasized, with Jacob Barsimson
conference on American Jewish
in New Amsterdam, but with com-
history ,and the American Jew-
mencement exercises at Columbus
ish Historical Society began

Boris Smolar's

Spanish or Portuguese Jews, no
German or Russian Jews; there
are only American Jews."
Here we have a sample of the

'Between You
. . . and Me'

(Copyright 1969, JTA Inc.)
eminent historian's pragmatism,
sense of humor and face-the-real-
ity approach that has elevated him
UJA PLANS: Behind the four-day annual national conference of the
to a position of one of the Jewish United Jewish Appeal, which opens in New York Dec. 11, there is the
community's most authoritative plan of the UJA leadership to raise in 1970 the sum of $250,000,000 as
leaders to view Jewish life as it
compared with the $175,000,000 raised this year.
Dr. Marcus' address-from which
There will be no 1970 goal announced at the conference, but the
these views and comments are 3,000 delegates from all parts of the country will hear of how the Israel
quoted has been incorporated in government must now spend a large part of its revenue income for
his latest volume, "Studies in defense purposes and how this affects the humanitarian needs of the
American Jewish History." the civilian population. The delegates will be told that these needs which
newest of his works published by include welfare, health and education, can only be met by increased
the Hebrew Union College Press, financial assistance from American Jewry.
Cincinnati.
Prepared for such a message, community leaders from this country
The address referred to is a and Canada held four preliminary meetings to take basic decisions on
mere sample of the entire series the 1970 UJA campaign and to deal with them. Among these leaders
that throws much light on Jewish were a number who participated in the UJA National Study Mission
issuing a quarterly. In anticipa- history, evaluated important oc- who went to Israel last October to study the needs on the spot. Some
tion of the tercentenar of Jew.- currences,. analyzes developments 120 of them were so deeply impressed with the seriousness of the situa-
ish settlement, the next decade and if there is prophecy in them tion they had found, that they announced their gifts for 1970 in advance.
saw publication of seven works they serve to inspire discussion
These gifts alone total $7,000,000 as compared with the $4,355,000
on American Jewish history. and group and classroom studies. contributed by the same doners in 1967. the year of the historic Six-Day
Though the apologetic element
The address reproduced as an War, when American Jewry excelled itself in UJA contributions.
was not absent, they were on the
essay in this book is the final
At the national conference in New York next week there will be
whole acceptable. The magical
one in the series. Its publication more dramatic gifts announced, sonic unprecedented in Jewish giving
year was 1954, and the culminat-
was the honor extended to Dr. for Israel.
ing event of that great festival
Marcus by friends and col-
UJA leadership considers the outlook for 1970 fund-raising as being
of history u as the National Ter-
leagues in the Alumni Associa- "very good." The leaders attribute their optimism to three facts:
centenary Dinner. The guest
tion
of
Hebrew
Union-Collegc-
Jewish Institute of Religion on 1. Great understanding by American Jewry for Israel's needs and for
speaker was President Dwight
the needs of Jewish communities in other overseas lands: 2. Good com-
D. Eisenhower. The menu an-
the the
occasion
his essays
70th birthday.
In
first of of the
entitled munity leadership; 3. Unity in the American Jewish community. The
nounced a mysterious delicacy
called "traditional stuffed fresh- The Periodization of American election of Max M. Fisher as president of the Council of Jewish Federa-
tions and Welfare Funds and the anticipated re-election of Edward
water fish."
Jewish History," Dr. Marcus sug- Ginsberg as UJA national chairman is seen as the best expression m
"In a dramaturgic sense, this gests that American Jewish his- solid communal backing of the UJA plans for 1970.
.1,
dinner on the night of Oct. 20 tory may be divided into four .
DR. JACOB R. MARCUS
at the Astor was the catastro- periods=Sephardic, German, East
JDC PLANS: Preceding the UJA convention will be the national
phic climax of assimilation. In European and the American. The annual meeting of the Joint Distribution Committee in New York on
University in 1800 when the
Eisenhower's pre s e n c e , the various eras are defined and the Dec. 10. The JDC will seek about S25.000.000 for its activities in 1970.
"young Sampson Simson read a
sponsors of the dinner were ' American perim: receives special his one of the partners in the UJA drive.
Hebrew oration in which he touch-
ashamed to pronounce the in- scrutiny. Dr. Marcus believes it
ed on the mid-17th-century origins
One of the Communist countries where the JDC is now conducting
effable name of that choice nor- is `Sensitive—if not hypersensitive a much-neede , 1 relief program for the Jews is Romania. Another one
of American Jewish life."
set. Yet their gastro•ethnic corn- ' —to rejection," and that "present- is Yugoslavia. In both countries the .IDC operates through the local
Dr. Marcus explained that Sim-
promise was of truly historic day American Jewry has tended communities and its aid is welcomed by the respective governments.
son's address was "the first evi-
significance, for call it what you to withdraw into itself." His viev:
dence of a communal self-con-
Samuel L. Haber, executive vice president of the JDC, who recently
!
will,
it was still gefillte fish, is that "the early American Jew- visited Romania and spent more than a week traveling throughout the
sciousness among American
and when the elite of the Jew- ish form of living-together was country, estimates that there are today about 100,000 Jews left in the
Jews."
ish establishment served it, who : shot through with religious motifs;
This comment was incidental to
country. Before the war there were about 800,000 Jews in Romania.
can doubt the emergence of an the present-day community has ' 1 Many of them have been annihilated during the Nazi years when
Dr. Marcus' indication that "it
'
integrated American Jewish strong
secular overtones."
took two world wars to create an
community? Today there are no Thus the reader is introduced Romania cooperated with Hitler; others have been permitted by the
American Jewish historiography."
to the American Jew as a Homo Romanian post-war government to emigrate to Israel.
The Jewish picture in Romania, as brought out by Ilaber is not too
Novus,"Because of numerous '
By RABBI SAMUEL J. FOX
lintermarriages and other environ- rosy. There is terrible poverty. The JDC helps sonic 15,000 of the needy
Jews—on
a minimum level—with free meals in canteens, cash relief,
(Copyr gh
i t 1969 , JTA , In c)
' emiti c '- oo
I k - '
ment 1
a actors,
f
ors, t h
e S
.
clothing, food packages and winter help. Thousands whom the JDC
these
sources
in
babbinic
litera-
ing
Jew—more
native
to
carica-
relationship
be-
Is there any
cannot help because of limited funds, are also in need of assistance.
turn, although there are somepar- ture than to reality—has all but There is a Jewish religious life existing in Romania directed by Chief
tween the festival of Hanuka and
allels in the observance of the two vanished. Typical Jewish names Rabbi Rosen. but there is almost a total lack of religious functionaries
the festival of Sukkot which pre -
festivals, as for example that both have begun to disappear. The like rabbis and shohetim. The chief rabbi publishes a semi-monthly
cedes it?
In the famous dispute between are of eight days duration with the American Jew, in appearance, publication in Yiddish, Hebrew and Romanian. There are Talmud
the schools ofShammai and Hillel, last day considered to be a special dress, and manners is indistin- ' ,Torahs
Torahs functioning and there is a Yiddish theatre. Jewish religion and
fellow-citize
the reason for Beth Shammai's one (Shemini Atzereth and Zoth guishable from
urban white-collar work- culture is not suppressed in Romania as it is in the Soviet Union.
a and that the entire a e ! He is
insistence upon decreasing the H anuka)
Contrary to Romania, Jewish life is now reaching its end in Poland
number of candles being lit daily is recited on all eight days of ' er who is, at the very least, liter- ! after a thousand years of rich Jewish history in the country.
, ate and, indeed, often well-
is given as the desirability of estab- both festivals.
At the JDC annual meeting, the delegates will have the best oppor-
* * *
educated;
he
is
liberal
in
his
poll-
,
lishing a parallel between the pro-
tics, sympathetic to Judaism and ' tunity to hear reports on the Jewish situation in many countries where
Why does Jewish custom insist to
cedure of lighting the Hanuka
Jewish education, and imbued the JDC is operating, including Moslem countries.
on lighting the candles in a
candles and the procedure of the
Menora? ;with a strong sense of kinship for
sacrificial offerings during the
Basically, one really does not all Jews. Paradoxical as it may
Sukkot festival week.
Beth Shammai claims that just need to use Menora to fulfill the sound, this emerging 'American'
as the , festival offerings for the religious commandment of lighting •Je• is more assimilated. cultural-
(._
eight days of the Sukkot festival the Hanuka lights. The Talmud, in 1Y. than was his father, yet in
By HADASSAH GILLON
tion became evident and gradually
decreaSe in number daily as the many places speaks of the "Ha- ' many respects as good, if not a
JERUSALEM—A
new weapon in - increased in severity.
week progresses, so should the nuka candle," in the singular. The better .Jew.
the fight against trachoma. a troy , ::Eighteen days after infection.
Ilanuka candles decrease in num- . basic requirement is to light one ! As he proceeds, in these repro-
ical eye disease which causes the baboon's eyes showed all the
her as the week goes on. The Book ' candle each night of the festival. duced addresses, to define the
of Maccabees contains several ref- In the observance of Hanuka the American Jew and American Juda- blindness among millions, may be symptoms of trachoma. The Israeli
erences whch relate the two holi- ! dimension of Hidur Mitzva is in. ism, Dr. Marcus comments on the drug Rifampicin, according to scientists then began to treat the
days. I none place (II Maccabees volved (i.e. the glorification of the many aspects of our history, he experiments successfully conducted baboon's right eye twice daily with
10:6-8) it is ordered that the Ha- ! religious commandment). One is refers to historical letters and by virologists at the Hebrew Uni- drops of Rifampicin, and continued
versity-Hadassah Medical School the treatment for 30 days. The
nuka festival be celebrated with allowed and encouraged to beau- documents, touches upon specific in Jerusalem. left eye was not treated.
joy "like the festival of Sukkot, - tify the tradition and to use a pre_ areas, such as Connecticut Jewry,
This Israeli - team has demon- In this eye the trachoma infec-
even to the extent of using the gres_sive number of candles. This deals with some biographical sub- strated that Rifampicin inhibits tion continued to develop and
vegetative species used on the still does not insist upon a candel- jects, the essay on "The American- the trachoma agent not only in a grew steadily worse. But in the
Sukkot holiday. In another place abrum menora such as we use. It ization of Isaac Mayer Wise" test-tube but also in the infected treated right eye. the trachoma
in the same work, the Jews of seems that the figure of the can- being of special interest. and he eye of a baboon. It only remains infection was markedly inhibited
1.'.;ypt are ordered to observe the delabrum came to represent a gives his views on the future of to be proved that the same results after a few days and had com-
Hanuka festival week in commem cardinal Jewish symbol of Jtida- American Jewry.
While, in the latter, he portrays will be obtained in treating man. pletely disappeared by the 24th
ism because of the candelabrum in
oration of the festival of Sukkot:
The Israeli team first reported day. Thus the trachoma symptoms
the numerous changes, lie is the
Gager and Graetz contend that the ancient Temple. It may have
optimist: "Let there be no doubt in Nature in April 1969, that they were reversed without any dele-
there was an error in translating especially become so because of
had used Rifampicin successfully terious side effects.
about
it:
American
Jewry
is
sur-
the original Book of Maccabees, the seven branched candelabrum
in the laboratory to inhibit the
Rifampicin was isolated about
viving and will survive."
and a relationship with Hanuka on the famous arch of Titus by
growth of five strains of trachoma
a decade ago from a mold dis-
which
the
Romas
pointed
to
their
An
interesting
episode
is
recalled
was not originally intended. Kraus
from different parts of the world
covered
in the forests of South-
disagrees with them and actually victory over Judah. In order to in the essay "The Valenzin Case" in cell culture and embryonated ern France. Incidentally, the dis-
contends, as some other before show that the victory was indeed he relates this story of David Val- eggs.
coverer
was
also an Israeli, who
him, that the first Hanuka was ac- not the Romans' but that the spirit enzin who was impisoned as a Tri-
This led them to study the
took it to Lepetit, in Milan. It
tually a festival enacted by the of Judaism has been the victor politan "enemy" merchant, in
effect of Rifampicin on the eyes
is
effective
against bacteria,
Maccabees in place of the festival over many tyrants and conquerers, whose behalf petitions were made,
of a baboon infected with the
and is now being used for treat-
in
1803,
whose
property
was
taken,
trachoma agent. This part of the
of Sukkot which they had been un- we still use the candelabrum on
ment of bacterial diseases, in-
research was carried out in co-
able to observe that year because Hanuka. Our persistence in our for whom reparation is yet to be
eluding tuberculosis.
operation with the opthalmology
The discovery that Rifampicin
of the desecration of the Temple faith and culture surely indicates attained. .
Fascinating
in
every
aspect,
the
department,
Hadassah-University
may be the answer to trachoma
an because they had been forced how victorious the "weak" and
Marcus book is instructive and
Hospital.
and to some viral diseases is of
to flee to take refuge in the hills. "few" were over the "many" and
emerges as a most valuable adden-
Both eves of the baboon were in- immense importance to mankind.
This contention is not borne out by "strong."
dum in the study of American Ceded with the Hour strain of tra- A major breakthrough has obvi-
choma. After three days the infec- ously been made.
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Jewish history.
64—Friday, December 5, 1969

Ilan chi(( Quiz'

Hebretv U. Med School Develops
Drag to Fioht Trachoma Disease

