Kafka's 1111-. K. in 'The Castle'
Notes Challeng e of All Ages
We often call it xenophobia —
dislike of the unlike. In Franz Kaf-
ka's "The Castle," Mr. K sym-
bolizes the stranger who inspires
suspicion, who is met with hatred
wherever he goes.
Staged for the first time in this
country, at Meadow Brook Thea-
ter in Rochester,
the splendid cast
presents a per-
formance th a t
emphasizes that
challenge and
brings to light
the genius of
Kafka, who was
popularized by
Max Brod and
whose play was
adapted for the
Kafka
stage by Brod.
On the Oakland University
campus, the interpretive per-
formance gained in significance
from the able direction of Milo
Sperber, whose skills- have pro-
duced a play that may be talked
about for a long time to come
and may encourage the staging
of the great drama in many oth-
er cities.
Mr. K is the stranger who comes
to the castle through a deception
but who gains partial recognition
in the form of an unexplainable
assignment as a district surveyor.
He never has a chance to work at
it, and the various obstacles, the
threats, the hatreds leveled at him
keep emphasizing the challenge of
all ages in his role as the stranger.
It is here that one senses the
evidence of Kafka's Jewishness,
but the theme also could be ap-
plied to a persecuted Negro or for
that m a t ter to anyone who is
labeled a stranger and upon whom
a community that is encircled with
prejudiced ideologies could pour
out wrath and turn into a scape-
goat.
When final rites finally are held
for K, a messenger finally arrives
with word from the castle that he
had been granted permanent domi-
cile. And the grave certainly tes-
tifies to that
Richard Curnock performs the
role of K with marked ability, and
he gives status to a magnificent
play. He is supported by an ex-
May Wedding Planned
by Ellen Jean Kalef
Public Education Backers
MissFenton,GaiyHirsch to
Fight NY Parent-Aid Bill
to Marry This Summer
cellent cast, and "The Castle" adds
glory to the fine record established
by Meadow Brook Theater.
* * *
Kafka's 'The Trial'
in a New Paperback
Franz Kafka gains in popularity
thanks primarily to the publica-
tion of many of his works by
Schocken Books and the many oth-
er editions and interpretive works
that have been published exten-
sively in recent years.
Schocken has re-issued Kafka's
"The Trial" in a paperback con-
taining a translation of the popular
book that has been turned also
into a play and a film. The paper-
back is in a translation from the
German by Willa and Edwin Muir.
It is a revised work with addition-
al material translated by E. M.
Butler.
There are excerpts in this vol-
ume from Kafka's diaries, and it
contains drawings related to "The
Trial" by Kafka himself.
• • •
NEW YORK (JTA) — PEARL,
the Committee for Public Educa-
tion and Religious Liberty, said
that the 41-15 vote in the State
Senate in favor of a bill to repeal
the Blaine Amendm en t, has
prompted them to mount a cam-
paign to defeat the "Parent-Aid"
bill, currently in both houses of the
state legislature.
The repeal bill, now in the State
Assembly, is expected to pass there
also. The "Parent-Aid" bill pro-
poses direct financial aid to par-
ents of parochial school children.
William Haddad, executive co-
chairman of PEARL and a mem-
ber of the governing board of the
American Jewish Congress, told the
JTA that the action in the State
Senate to repeal the 76-year-old
constitutional ban on state aid to
nonpublic schools, "gave a false
sense of power to those groups that
are trying to get state monies for
religious schools."
Because of this, he said, PEARL
would attempt to actively educate
the public to the "dangers" of sev-
eral measures before the State
Legislature, including the "Parent-
Aid" bill, that are attempting to
"get around" the constitutional
ban on state aid to non-public
schools.
Parents Without Partners will
meet 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at the
Jewish Center.
The meeting will feature Carol
Mindy, authoress, and a discussion
of her book, "The Divorced
Woman." Coffee and conversation
will follow. There is a charge for
glke06 < 11:f
Radomer Meetings Slated
Radomer Aid Society will hold an
executive board meeting 8:30 p.m.
Tuesday at the Workmen's Circle
Center. Discussion will center on
the fifth anniversary celebration in
March and other chairity affairs.
Mr. and Mrs. Louis Lumberg will
be host and hostess.
A regular meeting will be held
8:30 p.m. the following Tuesday.
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Book on Divorce Topic
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Friday, February 20, 1970-27
MISS MILDRED FENTON
Portraits by
Dr. and Mrs. Paul Fenton of
New Bedford Dr., Farmington, an-
nounce the engagement of their
daughter Mildred Arlene to Gary
Stephen Hirsch, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Richard Hirsch of Highland
as always fine
Park, Ill.
quality photography
Merrillwood
Bldg. Mall
Miss
Fenton
is
a
senior
in
educa-
Analysis of Kafka
tion at the University of Michigan,
Birmingham
in Study by Urzidil
where her fiance is a senior in
251 Merrill, cor. Woodward
Wayne State University Press psychology. They plan to marry
647-5730
recently published a noteworthy in July.
If youth is a fault one soon gets
study of Kafka and the Kafkaesque
—Goethe.
rid of it.
influences that have invaded the
Detroiter D. Miro
theater, literature, drama.
In "There Goes Kafka," the
WSU Press volume, Prof. Johannes Among Recipients
Urzidil, a native of Prague, pre-
GREEN-8
sents a factual picture that traces of Seminary Honor
the most notable events in Kafka's
ONLY !
Highest
honors
of
the
Jewish
life, the important factors that af-
Suburban
c
fected the life, his Jewish back- Theological Seminary of America
were bestowed upon two U.S.
ground and associates.
Prof. Urzidil is one of the Ger- senators and eight noted leaders
man poets who was closely asso- including David Miro of Detroit,
ciated with the Prague Literary at the institution's 11th annual
Circle of Max Brod, Franz Kafka convocation and dinner at Miami
and Franz Werfel, and his study Beach, Thursday.
Senate Minority Leader Hugh
is based on intimate knowledge
of the subject and his lifelong Scott of Pennsylvania and Senator
Vance
Hartke (D) of Indiana were
study of Kafkaism.
The role of Max Brod emerges recipients of the seminary's Her-
interesting in the Urzidil book, bert H. Lehman Ethics Medal.
and a good account is given of Miro, an attorney and former
other notable personalities whose president of Cong. Shaarey Zedek,
names are linked with Kafka's. received the 1970 National Com-
There is an important chapter on munity Service Award.
the Hebrew teacher, Dr. Fried-
Presentation of the community
rich Thieberger, son of Rabbi service awards were at a convoca-
Karl Thieberger of Prague, and tion dinner in the Diplomat Hotel,
his relationship to and influ- Hollywood, addressed by Sena-
ence upon Kafka. Urzidil tells tors Scott and Hartke.
about Kafka's knowledge of He
brew. He states "There is little
DICK STEIN
doubt that the primary reason
underlying Kafka's study of He-
brew was his search for a world
THE DICK STEIN ORCHESTRA
AND
fundamentally secure and there-
fore promising for the future,
THE JEEP SMITH ORCHESTRA
above all else, however — and
LI 7-27 7 0
that should be emphasized — it
was the seeking for holiness
which European life as well as
a substantial part of Jewish life
had somehow lost. Kafka cer-
Coat Shown
tainly did not wish to become
a Hebrew scholar. He would
Photography
was $65
have needed a lifetime for that
purpose rather than just a few
IS MOVING TO 12 MILE
hours of tutoring In Hebrew. He
AND NORTHWESTERN
was convinced, however, that by
means of some knowledge of
111111 NEV - WEI EIK 1 IM
Hebrew he would better be able
to approach his innermost and
central problems, the idea of
God and the problem of death,
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which overshadowed all else and
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comprehended within itself all
questions about the meaning of
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life, of justice and injustice, of
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human existence and co-exist-
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Kafka's closeness to Jewish mat-
ters is revealed, in spite of the
Rockeach Gefilte
Can 99`
bitterness that appeared in "Letter
FISH
Rockeach—All Flavors
to His Father." There was a close-
fort 0 C
SOUPS
ness to the Zionist idea, and in
Manischewits or Straig ht
the course of the definitive work
190
MATZO MEAL
The
Prof. Urzidil takes occasion to ex- Macintosh No. 1
29c
3-lbs.
for
pose and condemn the Nazi spirit APPLES
#
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that was beginning to affect the White Star
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SOUR CREAM
world shortly before Kafka's death.
ln grey cotton
Mich. Golden
In his delineation of Kafka's
suede with a
3-lbs. ac
DELICIOUS APPLES Pint
Charge It:
wram pile lining
Jewish interests the author of this
Borden's
Juliet
COTTAGE CHEESE
good book indicates his own study
4it Baltic styling
Bank-
River
Indian
pretend
with
of m a t t e r s relating to Kafka's
5 for 49 4
GRAPEFRUIT
Americard
Mack Persian
Jewishness in order to give the
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Lamb
trim.
c
ays
study its effectiveness and its root-
jeCh f:rilid9
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Ban/card
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edness in a knowledge of the era,
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Closed Sat. • Al
the people of Israel and Kafka's
**********************
46
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relationship to both.
1/2
Ern iKtti#111 ▪ & MORE!
MISS ELLEN KALEF
Mr. and Mrs. Maynard C. Kalef
of Maryland Ave., Southfield, an-
nounce the engagement of their
daughter Ellen Jean to Louis Feld-
man, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob
Feldman of Harwich Dr., Farming-
ton.
Mr. Feldman is a student at
Lawrence Institute of Technology.
A May wedding is planned.
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
MINCER'S MKT.