159 Will Celebrate Rosh Hashana
on
Boat to Israel; First Settlers of Year
Orderly 'Welcoming Committee'
groups and visiting Israeli em-
S—Fridwf. Sevtember 211, 147•
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Greets Moiseyev Dancers
By CHARLES REISMAN
Jewish News-JTA
Special Intern Writer
Protesting the treatment of Jews
in Russia, an estimated 200 en-
thusiastic persons, mainly teen-
agers, picketed peacefully in front
of the Masonic Temple Sept. 17,
before and during the performance
of the Moiseyev Dance Company.
The two-hour demonstration had
representatives from 18 different
synagogues, political organizations,
college fraternities and sororities
from the Southeastern Michigan
and Windsor area.
Joe Weiss, 19, a sophomore at
Wayne State University, one of
the demonstration organizers, ex-
plained that the purpose of the
picketing was "not to protest the
presence of the dancers, but to
welcome them.
"What we are asking is that
when they return to Russia they
should plead for religious freedom
for Jews.
"Another objective is to make
the community aware of the prob-
lems existing for Jews in Russia."
The demonstrators carried
placards reading: "In 1956, 450
synagogues; today 60; tomorrow
?;" "XI: Thou shalt not be..
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silent;" "Let them live or let
them leave;" and "I am my
brother's keeper."
They also banded out leaflets
to the incoming audience and
chanted slogans like, "Do not be
silent, do not be mused, oh my
friend do cry out." The leaflets,
in the form of dummy programs,
welcomed the dancers and called
attention to the plight of Soviet
Jewry.
The demonstrators were kept
orderly by marshals that were ap-
pointed by the organizations rep-
resented.
Another group of protestors, of
Ukrainian nationality, marched
separately. Because they were
more activist oriented, they could
'hot draw the Jewish group into
their ranks. The latter insisted on
a quiet, orderly procession.
Demonstrations similar to the
one in Detroit have greeted the
dance company in some of the
other U.S. cities where they have
performed.
Besides Weiss, the other orga-
nizer of the demonstration was
Yaacov Stollman, 18, a junior at
Yeshiva . University. Rabbi Aaron
Brander, from Cong. Bnai David
and Harold Dubin, from the Jew-
ish Community Council, helped as
advisers.
Other rallies for Soviet Jewry
sponsored by different organiza-
tions are being planned for the
near future.
Weekly Quiz
By RABBI SAMUEL J. FOX
(Copyright 1970, JTA, Inc.)
Why is there a custom of plac:
log small pieces of wood in the
hands of the corpse when placing
the corpse into the grave?
The Jerusalem Talmud (IC:LaY-
im 9:4) relates that Rabbi Jere-
miah requested that a staff be
placed in his hand when he was to
be buried. The reason he gave was
that when he would be resurrected
in the days of the Messiah, he
would be prepared to march for-
ward with his staff in his hand.
It is possible that this may be the
reason for the tradition of placing
wooden sticks in the hands of the
corpse upon burial. Rabbi Moses
Sofer (Responsa to Yoreh Veah,
327) relates that he had been told
that this custom indicated a be-
lief in the resurrection of the dead.
Generally speaking, the experience
of death is at first hand a most
frustrating one. The survivors,
therefore used many means to
demonstrate their belief in the fu-
ture life and in the resurrection of
the dead. The placing of sticks
would thus be one of these means.
* *
When is the proper time to
name a new-born girl?
Our custom is to name the girl
in the synagogue on the Sabbath
or on a Monday or a Thursday
(i.e. when the Torah is read) as
soon as possible after the birth of
the girl. The Sephardic Jews of the
Orient practiced the custom of
naming the baby girl in a home
ceremony. The parents would in-
vite guests to a special meal at
which time the new name was an-
nounced. Some Jews practiced the
custom of naming the baby girl
upon the first occasion when the
mother could attend the synagogue
after giving birth to the child. It
is interesting to note that the com-
mon denominator in all of these
practices was to give the name at
a public ceremony. The reason
was that the new-born child was
to be considered a member of the
great eternal Jewish people. There-
fore, some sort of public occasion
was required to induct the new
member into the community of
Israel, since a public gathering of
Jews was a facsimile of the gath-
ering of the Jewish people.
NEW YORK (JTA)—A total of
159 North Americans sailed from
Pier 97 Monday on the Greek
Lines S. S. Olympia, bound for
Israel by way of Lisbon and
Piraeus.
Col. Nachum Golan, director of
the Israel Aliya Center, of the
World Zionist Organization, said
this is the first time in American
Aliya history that a large „group
of settlers will be celebrating Rosh
Hashana.on the high-seas and will
be entering Israel with the coming
new year as olim (settlers).
Of the 159 passengers who will
arrive in Haifa Oct. 4, 100 were
under age 30, and 26 were profes-
sionals. Nine olim in their early
20's had plans for establishing a
new agricultural kibutz called
Gezer, near Lod, southeast of Tel
Aviv. More than 600 North Amer-
icans have sailed for Israel so far
this month. There were 720 in
June, 1,305 in July and 1,544 in
August. The two biggest aliyot
ever-363 and 440 passengers—de-
parted July 6 and Aug. 24.
In conjunction with this an-
nouncement, it was reported that
the Association of Americans
and Canadians for Aliya has
seen 450 of its members recently
leave on aliya.
According to David Berezin, the
national field director, "Awareness
and feasibility of aliya is rapidly
becoming the new reality of the
American Jewish community. In
conjunction with our increased
membership, we have expanded
the facilities and services pro-
vided for potential olim." -
The association, a nonprofit
"grass roots" group, is a sister or
ganization to the American, and
Canadians in Israel (AACI), and
is comprised of people who plan
aliya within three, years. There are
presently 40 chapters and a mem-
bership - of 2,500, with 1,500 mem-
bers already settled in Israel.
The organization provides ad-
vice and counsel on living in Is-
rael; assistance in obtaining em-
ployment and adequate housing;
coordination of contacts between
ployer representatives; and the op-
portunity for members to share
experiences and pursue mutual in-
terests.
The group is headquartered at
515 Park Ave., New York.
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