Yokes of Eban, Samuel, Wiese', Finkelstein, Kamrat
Oral Records Perpetuate Jewish Classics
Yokes of the very distinguished
area in Jewish ranks have been
recorded, and their messages have
the value of permanence, in the
selection of their presentations as
well as the choicest literary crea-
tions that have been chosen for
their talks.
By recording them, Spoken Arts,
Inc., has earned the distinction of
being the producer of valuable
educational material and of having
preserved the finest in literature,
art, the drama.
Its most notable achievement
presently is its presentation of
such Spoken Arts recordings as
the best of the narratives of the
ELIE WIESEL
greatest of the Russian-Jewish writ-
ers, Isaac Babel; readings from his
own works by Elie Wiesel and simi-
lar readings by Maurice Samuel;
special programatic material by
Dr. Louis Finkelstein, Leo Rosten's
readings from his "11*Y°M*A*N
K•A•P•L•A•N" writings and his-
tory-making selections from
speeches and readings by Abba
Eban.
For the reading of Babel's
stories, the producers selected a
distinguished actor, Joseph Wise-
man, who had supporting roles
with Raymond Massey, Helen
Hayes, Katherine Cornell and
Ingrid Bergman. He has had im-
portant roles in the movies and
his handling of the Babel themes
is superb.
The choice of stories from
Babel's writings deserves highest
commendation. "Gedali," one of
his best known stories, consid-
ered autobiographical, is part of
this impressive record. Others are
tumble University, and the most
recent collection of Babel stocks
was edited by her.
The Babel recordings are pre-
sented by Arthur Luce Klein. The
preparation of the records was
directed by Paul Kresh.
The great value of Spoken Arts
records gains significance with
the perpetuation of the yoke of
one of the greatest Jewish writ-
ers of our time, Maurice SannieL
la one of the most welcome col-
lections of notable readings,
Samuel quotes from his "Prince
of the Ghetto" in which he dealt
with the works of Isaac Loeb
Peretz, and "The World of Sha-
lom Aleichem" that evaluated
the writings of the great Jewish
humorist.
Samuel emphasizes the mystical
in..Peretz, the humorous in Sholom
Aleichem. There is the "Ecstasy"
in the Peretz literature, the lighter
vein based on great human ex-
periences in the humorist's crea-
tive efforts.
Not only does this record give
emphasis to the creative Yiddish
writings of two of the giants in the
literary ranks of the language of
the masses. The task is done by a
man who for many years was
Jewry's ablest interpreter of lit-
erary and historical values while
enchanting his audiences with his
eloquence. All of these merits are
imbedded in the recording that
will be valued greatly by all its
possessors.
Equal merit thus attaches to
another Spoken Arts record in
which a contemporary author
who thrills his readers and
audiences; Elie Wiesel, shares
"Christopher K•A•P•L•A•N,"
"'The Distressing Dream of Mr.
Parkhill," "Mr.K•A*P•L*A'N and
Shakespeare" and "Mr. K•A•P•-
L•A•N and the Magi."
There is fun galore in these
presentations, and the stories gain
as much fame in the readings as
they provided to readers in the
Rosten books. The "Hatt Kay!" of
Kaplan reverberates in the re-
corded classic.
Taking into account the per-
petuation of voices of the great
men of our time, there Is a
series of Spoken Arts records
which especially redound to the
credit of Dr. Arthur Luce Klein,
the founding president of the
firm that produces these records.
It is the series by Israel Foreign
Minister Abba Eban. Outstand-
ing in this group are the Eban
ABBA EBAN
speech at the United Nations
and his readings of Psalms and
Ecclesiastes.
There are two long records con-
taining the Eban speech before
the Security Council on June 6,
1967, and another containing the
full text of his speech before the
UN General Assembly on June 10,
1967.
In these addresses, the eminent
Israeli spokesman not only re-
viewed Israel's role in the world,
the Israeli position seeking secur-
ity, but also excoriated the Soviet
Union and outlined, point by point,
the destructive role the USSR
plays in the Middle East. Point
by point Eban demolished the
Russian arguments and in view of
the East-West struggle the record-
ed Eban speeches serve as back-
grounds exposing the nefarious
role of the Russians.
There is no doubt that these two
records will assume historic roles
and will be resorted to for decades
to come by those searching for
facts regarding the current gang-
up in the UN against Israel by the
Soviet and Afro-Asian blocs.
From Ecclesiastes, he chose
Chapters 1, 3, 6 and 8.
A master of languages, eloquent
in both Hebrew and English, his
readings emerge as classics that
truly inspire, that encourage read-
ing and re-reading the selections
he had included in his recordings.
The Eban records enhance the
works of a firm that has chosen to
perpetuate classics. •
Spoken Arts, introducing a
series of recordings by noted
theologians, selected Dr. Louis
Finkelstein, chancellor of the
Jewish Theological Seminary of
America, for an interpretation
of "The Jewish Tradition."
Israel's cultural heritage, the
spiritual values inherent in Jewish
legacies, are presented and inter-
preted impressively by one of the
sages in current Jewish theological
institutions. This record is a nota-
ble gift to the efforts to stimulate
Jewish devotion and loyalty to
Jewish traditions.
Among the earliest of the
Spoken Arts creative Products
was the lesson in Hebrew, the 1 ,
two records that contain a com-
plete course in the Hebrew lan-
guage. Under the title "Invita-
tion to Hebrew," these records
offer an entire course in Hebrew,
prepared by Dr. Mordecai
Hamra&
The presentation of these rec-
ords by one of the most distin-
guished experts in the linguistic
field, Dr. Kamrat, assures for this
course authoritativeness of im-
DR. MORDECAI KAMRAT
measurable value.
The leading figure in establish-
Then there is that magnificent
ing
the Uipan Hebrew studies. sys-
presentation by Eban—his read-
ings from Psalms and Ecclesias- tem, Dr. Kamrat lends to these
tes. In both Hebrew and the records and to its accompanying
English translations, the Eban textbook the great merit necessary
readings are so deeply moving for the advancement of Hebrew
that his record should be made studies.
Part of the studies of the lore
Thus, Spoken Arts, together with
he has read into these records, the many other valuable records
by adults and children, in our that provide other language studies
schools and the various supple. and perpetuate many other historic
mentary studies.
voices, emerges as a very produc-
Eban selected for his readings tive force in creative recordings.
Psalms 8, 19, 23, 34, 90 and 148.
—P.S.
Dayan iArgnesses Israel Food
DR. LOUIS FINKELSTEIN
his notable works with his listen-
ers. In "Elie Wiesel — Reading
From His Works," the distin-
guished writer has taken ex-
cerpts from "The Gates of the
Forest," "Night," `The Song of
the Dead," "The Jews of Si-
lence," "The Accident" and
"The Town Beyond."
MAURICE SAMUEL
equally well known — especially
Babel's "Shabbos Nahamu," "You
Must Know Everything" and "The
Rabbi's Son."
This record serves to draw at-
tention to one of the tragic occur-
rences in Russia, the persecution
of the man who was considered
the outstanding Jewish writer in
the Soviet Union. Babel began his
labors as a Yiddish author. He had
taken his family to France but
returned to his native land and was
arrested. It is known that he died
in a Russian prison. Now his
daughter teaches Russian at Co-
41 Friday, Odebor 9, 1970
—
A new experience unfolds in this
record. Wiesel reconstructs his
childhood and at the same time
presents eloquently his excoriation
of the crimes that led to the Geno-
cide period in history.
Based on his personal experiences
in Russia, the tragedy of Jewry in
the Soviet Union is analyzed in
.."Jews of Silence," and the man-
ner in which many Jews are re-
belling against persecutions again
emerges in the form that has been
so thoroughly expounded by Wiese.
Wiesel's is a plea against indif-
ference, and his recorded readings
serve a great purpose in this era
of awakening against both the
Israel sent food supplies to the suffering Jordanians &rims the civil war in Hussein-ruled Sanitary.
crimes and the manner in which Israel Defense Minister Moshe Dayan (right) is *own here with a group of Israelis watching as a track
they were perpetuated.
with Israel-supplied food crosses the Allenby Bridge over the Jordan River on Rs way to Amami that
It should be noted in connection was then still beleaguered by the strife between the army and the terrorists. '
with the entertaining record "The
A JTA report from Jerusalem dated Sept 32 states: "Jordanian authorities have turned down an
Education . . . and Return of Israeli offer to accept wounded Jordanian civilians for treafanesd in Israeli hospitals. The eller was
11•Y•lef•A•N K•A•P•L•A•N read made last week, at the height of the Jerdankus civil war, by Health Minister Victor Meadow and
by Leo Rosten ("Leonard Q. Ross") elaborate preparations were made to receive the wounded. According to reports from Asuman, the
that the author who has gained International Red Cron set up a convoy of wooded to cress the Allenby bridge where the casualties
fame with his Kaplan stories has would be transferred to Israeli ambulances, The hospital in nearby Jericho was prepared
as a clearing
Included the following' In his read- rester from which they would be distributed to hospitals aR over Israel for trealmen. Emergency
cams
ings:
were to have been treated on the spot. Bat at the last Minute,- the Jordmises withheld their approval
THE DETROIT
mass
NEWS
and the convoy never left Amman. Only two wounded, as adult and a child, received permits in Amman
and arrived on the West Beak at the appointed limn"