Trend of Communal History Writing
Emerges in Syracuse Jewry's Story
A spreading effort to perpetuate
historical records of American
Jewish communities by publishing
the histories of various cities came
into evidence again with the ap-
pearance, from Syracuse Univer-
sity Press, of a history of the Jews
of Syracuse by B. G. Rudolph.
Appearing under the title "From
a Minyan to a Community," this
volume earns commendation for the
thoroughness with which the sub-
ject is covered. •
Rudolph has produced a remark-
able work. He has done great re-
search, as is indicated by the
various fields he covers in this
volume and by the areas that are
so scrupulously reviewed that there
is hardly a period in the 100-year
history that is not covered here.
here. And there are many other
grounds for commendation. For
instance, the author has compiled
a list of all the rabbis who had
served Syracuse synagogues and
among them, at Temple Adath
Yeshurun, was Rabbi Joseph
Hertz, who later became chief
rabbi of the British Empire, and
among whose successors at that
congregation was Rabbi Abra-
ham Hershman who served the
synagogue briefly before coming
to Detroit.
Illustrations of notables, build-
ings, important events add meri-
toriously to this volume.
Possessing a sense of history in
phasis this point: Rudolph's story
states:
"Our story starts with the first
minyan which met in the back of a
peddlers supply store in 1839 and
ends, in 1969, with the breaking of
ground for a S2,500,000 complex.
In the century and a quarter that
lies betwen these two events, we
have portrayed the growth of the
community and the achievements
of the men and women who have
shaped the history of the Jews of
Syracuse. 'History is the essence of
innumerable biographies,' said
Thomas Carlyle."
This has a bearing on other com-
munities and the Syracuse book
may additionally inspire historians
to write histories of other Ameri-
can Jewish communities.
the larger sense, Rudolph, in com-
piling the record of Syracuse
Jewry's activities, incorporated the
Syracusans will be especially various experiences, the visits of
delighted with this work because the great from many lands, the
it appears that there is hardly a dedication of the Jews of the city to
person of note whose role in the important causes.
city's history is not recorded
As an example, there is the ref-
erence to the visit of Dr. Stephen
Judah Leon Magnes will be the
S. Wise in the Hitler era and the first person to be honored in a
rabbi's condemnation of planned series of commemorative
Bar-Ilan to Have eminent
Nazism and of the anti-Semitic medals forming a medallic Jewish-
34 New Lecturers speeches of Father Charles E. American Hall of Fame. The
Coughlin.
Magnes medal and future Jewish-
From Many Lands
And with regard to Coughlin American Hall of Fame medals
there is another item of interest. will be issued under the auspices
RAMAT GAN, Israel— Bar-Ilan
Writing extensively about a noted of the Judah Magnes hiuseum,
University announces that 34 pro-
Syracuse Jewish leader, Col. Jos- "The Jewish Museum of the West."
fesors and lecturers from abroad
eph Bondy, the author stated:
Dr. Magnes was first chan-
(the majority from the U.S.), from
"Before his death, Bondy gave cellor of the Hebrew University of
among 250 applicants will join the
some of his books to Syracuse Jerusalem.
faculty for the coming academic
University and the Temple of
Born in San Francisco in 1877,
year. Most of them have indicated
Concord/Concord. The remainder Magnes' family moved to Oakland
their willingness to settle perm-
were auctioned to book collectors where he attended the public
anently in Israel.
in New York City after his death. schools (Jack London was one of
It is reported that Father Charles his classmates). At 17 he entered
The university's new expansion
E. Coughlin, of Royal Oak, Mich., the Hebrew Union College in Cin-
program and the opening of the
purchased
a considerable portion cinnati, was ordained rabbi in
Faculty of Law have made possible
of Bondy's valuable collection." 1900 and four years later was
the acceptance of this unusually
large number of lecturers from
It is not only the scores of indi- asked to lead Temple Israel in
abroad, four of them are Israelis vidual tributes and the intimate Brooklyn.
who completed their studies abroad stories related here, but also the
Rabbi Magnes served as secre-
and gained additional teaching ex- comments on community changes tary of the Federation of American
perinece before returning.
and the neighborhood transforma- Zionists from 1905, and in 1908 he
Eight hundred students from tions that have a vital bearing on was called to the pulpit of Temple
abroad, including 200 new stu- the Syracuse story in relation to Emanuel in New York. A few years
dents, will be studying at the uni- the experiences of American Jewry later he headed the Conservative
versity. A total of 5,500 students at large that have significance in congregation Bnai Jeshrun.
have enrolled for the 1970-71 aca- Rudolph's historical analyses.
In 1909 Magnes founded the Ke-
demic year.
The concluding paragraph em- hilla, a union of Jewish communal
organizations in New York. He
remained its president during the
entire time of its existence. He
Birtks
helped to found the Yiddish daily
Der Tag, the Society for the Ad-
July 7—To Dr. and Mrs. Elliot
July 4—To Mr. and Mrs. Joseph vancement of Judaism, the Ameri-
N. Fraiberg (Judith Puder), 24721 Longato (Pamela G. Wolk), 7015 can Civil Liberties Union, and.
during World War I, the Joint
Rensselaer, Oak Park, a son, Eaton, a daughter, Linda Gaye.
Distribution Committee.
Steven Andrew.
C .
Magnes was a lifelong friend
July 3--To former Detroiters
Air. and Mrs. Ronald Jay Press and close associate of Henrietta
Rev.
(Judith Tannenbaum) of Berkley, Szold. His son, Dr. Jonathan Mag-
HERSHEL ROTH
Calif., a daughter, Sara Rachel. nes, continues his father's work in
Israel as dean of the medical
• *
Experienced Mohel
June 26—To Mr. and Mrs. Milton faculty of the Hebrew University-
Licensed Certified
Hadassah
Medical School.
Erlich (Ivajean Switzer), 14251
352-3186
Both the shape of the Judah
Borgman, Oak Park, a son, An-
Magnes
commemorative
medal and
drew Howard.
the techniques used for creating
•
s
Recommenaed
Physicians
the
original
models
are
unique in
June 23—To Mr. and Airs. Domi-
RABBI
nick David Vocino (Donnie Mar- medallic art. For this, credit must
be
given
to
the
sculptor,
Victor
lowe), 29680 Roanoke, Oak Park
Ries.
a daughter, Lori Beth.
Expert Mohel
*
Ries modelled the obverse of the
Serving Hospitals and Homes
LI 2-4444
June 22—To Mr. and Mrs. Shel- medal in bronze, hammered and
U 1-9769
don J. Zelickman (Ronna Gold- welded, to give the Jerusalem
stein), 5056 Mansfield, Royal Oak, scene strength and depth. Depicted
are the library of the Hebrew
a son, Robert David.
*
University on Mount Scopus and
June 19--To Dr. and Mrs. Mau- the Shrine of the Book, which
MOH EL
rice S. Opperer (Pamela Landes), houses the priceless Dead Sea
former Detroiters temporarily of Scrolls.
353-5444
San Antonio, a son, Joshua
The Judah Magnes commemor-
REV. GOLDMAN L.
Fredrick.
ative medal, two inches in diam-
eter, weighs almost three ounces.
June 18—To former Detroiter No more than 500 will be issued in
Dr. and Airs. Larry Brotman 99.9 per cent silver and 1,000 in
(Joan Baginski of New Orleans) bronze. Each silver medal will be
of Boston, a son, Daniel Michael. serially numbered and cost $25;
* *
the bronze $6.50 each.
The medal will be issued Wed-
June 4—To Mr. and Mrs. Leon-
ard Rosenberg (Joanne Stern) for- nesday.
mer Detroiters of Des Moines, a
son, Daniel Marc.
*
RABBI SHAIALL
FOR AMERICA ,:
To former Detroiters Mr. and
AND FOR Y01.1,....
Airs. Lawrence Okrent of Chicago,
a daughter, Arilca.
• ■ 071=1 ■■ ..
Sign up for
Judah L. Magnes
Medal Available
I
Teachers' Problems Dissected
Myron Brenton dissects a ver y degrees at several teachers' col-
serious illness in American society legs. Morover, they found that
involving the school situation. In many of the high school seniors
"What's Happened to Teacher?", got better scores in the very sub-
published by Coward-McCann, he jects the education majors were
touches upon the new methods in- getting ready to teach.
volved in strikes, attitudes to chil-
On being assigned to teach sub-
dren and the youths' views of jects outside of their specialty:
them, the emergence of fears over "For a while I wasn't qualified
security, the reasons for their be- to teach half the subjects I did
coming teachers.
. . One year I had to teach the
Comments made on this work new math, and I didn't know any
provide interesting realization of more about it than the students
the response to the Brenton stud- did, frankly. Fortunately, this was
ies.
a slow group."
On the question of teachers'
salaries, certainly a major matter LA Federation Endorses
for consideration in dealing with
the subject at hand, a suburban Nonviolent Dissent
high school teacher is quoted:
LOS ANGELES (JTA) — The
"You can always tell the differ- right of dissent, without violence
ence between the teachers' and the on the part of the dissenters or
students' parking lots. The stu- law enforcement agencies, has
dents' lot is the one with all the been endorsed in a statement of
new cars in it."
concern adopted by the Jewish
There exists a teacher apathy Federation-Council of Greater Los
Angeles, it was announced by
and on that score we read this
comment: "Sometimes I look at Bram Goldsmith, JFC president.
some of my colleagues, who
While deploring campus violence
shouldn't be in teaching." 'Well,'
which has resulted in student
I say jokingly, 'when are you
deaths and injury throughout the
going to quit?' And the sad part U.S. Goldsmith said the JFC
it that they look at me and say, called for "an end to the use of
'What else could I do?' "
unnecessary force or threats of
And on teacher motivation, the force by either police or military
personnel."
comment has been made:
The resolution equally con-
"Teaching is one of the few
fields where you can fail, if you demned violence by dissenters and
don't fail too badly, and you're reaffirmed JFC's position in sup-
all right. You're protected. Yet port of the right to engage in non-
if one succeeds brilliantly as a violence civil disobedience.
However, the JFC said such dis-
classroom teacher, the extrinsic
rewards — money, recognition, obedience should be "undertaken
for
the purpose of exposing injus-
prestige — are sadly lacking."
What are they saying? Here tice and provoking change through
orderly
political processes, and for
are a few more of the comments
made by teachers, administrators, which behavior the penalty Un-
posed
by
law is accepted."
and educational researchers:
On educational innovations: "Far
from reducing or simplifying the Pittsburgh Federation
teacher's task, virtually every re- Aids Restructured Hillel
cent change ih education has en-
PITTSBURGH (JTA) — T h e
larged and complicated it."
United Jewish Federation of Pitts-
On the power of tenure: "Short burgh has accepted as a benefi-
of rape or murder, once a teacher ciary a restructured Bnai Brith
is hired, you're stuck with him." Hillel Foundation to offer services
In New York City, out of 55,000 to the 5,000 Jewish college students
teachers on the payroll, the Board on campuses in Pittsburgh.
of Education has discharged only
The action was an outgrowth of
12 teachers in a five-year period.
a year-long study by the federa-
On teacher education: According tion's college youth study commit-
to a 1969 Education Professions tee. Arnold I. Levine, chairman of
Development Act report, the cost the committee, said the study was
of preparing dentists or physicians spurred by concern for students
may range from $5,000 to $12,000 at Pittsburgh's four universities.
per student per year; the cost of He said the study took a "prag-
training teachers averages less matic" approach to its evaluation
than $1,000 per student per year. of Jewish students and on-campus
Another study carried out in services to them.
Pennsylvania reports that the
The study committee met with
median IQ of 26,000 high school students, faculty members and
seniors, selected at random, was Hillel Foundation personnel, in-
higher than the median for edu- cluding Rabbi Benjamin M. Kahn,
cation students ready to receive the national Hillel director.
(POST • ABBE • KRAMER)
by
Leo Goldman
MARSHALL
ZACHARIASH
MOHEL
3414595
THE DETROIT JEWISH HEWS
36—Friday, July 10, 1970
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