Black Jews, Here for Concert, Trace Heritage to Ancient Line

DUBIN
One of the scattered tribes of
Israel was introduced to Detroit
Jewry Tuesday night at a spirited
concert in the Jewish Center.
Brought to Detroit by 51-year-old
Rabbi Abel Respes, who claims to
descend from the Sephardic Jews
of Spain and Portugal, the chorus
of Adat Beyt Kosheh Congrega-
tion — Colored Hebrew Commu-
nity of Hammonton, N. J.—per-
formed traditional Jewish melo-
dies. as well as Israeli songs and
dances, before an audience of 350.
The 14-member choir, most of
them Rabbi Reapes' own children
(he has 14 of his own), had earlier
performed in Cleveland and in
Toronto. While here. they were
housed with Jewish families; but
to accommodate their strict adher-
ence to kashrut, the Jewish Center
arranged for their meals to be
taken at the Center.
It is this insistence on Ortho-

BY OIARLOTTE

do: tradition that distinguishes
Rabbi Respes' 20-year-old con-
gregation from many other black
communities that claim Jewish.
mess. Yet, for Adat Beyt Mosheb,
the age of revelation is not over.
The entire foundation of Rabbi
Respes' congregation is based on
his personal experience with
What be interprets as isaaifesta-
Uses from God.

Rabbi Respes 'believes that his
parents are descendants of Jews
who were expelled from Spain in
1492 and Portugal in 1407. Many
were driven for refuge to North
Africa. and when the slave trade
got under way, were caught up in
the movement to America, he said.
What he has done is merely re-
discover traditions long since for-
gotten by his people, Rabbi Respes
said. He hopes to find others with
similar backgrounds to join his

-

Acknowledgement
Morris and Lillian Gordon
would like to acknowledge to
their friends, neighbors and
relatives and, above all, to our
Doctors, Dr. Samuel D. Inden-
baufn and staff, Dr. London
and a special thanks to Dr.
Ralph Altman for the courtesy
calls at the -hospital during
their long illnesses.
May God Bless You All.

congregation of 15 families.
As a boy in Philadelphia, Abel
was told by his father that he was
a Jew; but without benefit of edu-
cation. he had little knowledge of
Judaism. "At age 13, when I
should have been Bar Mitzva, I
was struck by lightning, and flame
engulfed me from the waist up-
ward. But I was unhurt. There was
light all around me, and it lasted
but a moment." This was the first
sign. Rabbi Respes believes.
Not until years later, after he .
was married, did the other signs

come, said Rabbi Respes. Sig-
nificantly, it was 1941, the year
of Israeli rebirth as a state.
Tke signs included dreams—
for one, that he was a descendant
of King David. He turned to the
study of Bible and Hebrew, Tal-
mud and Jewish literature, as
will as the Shalhan Ankh, the
Code of Jewish Ethics. And he
fasted and prayed for knowl-
edge.

Rabbi Respes freely admits that
he has not beei ordained at a
rabbinical seminary, but insists
that the title rabbi, meaning-teach-
er, is rightfully his. Other rabbis
who have quizzed him on his ex-
pertise support him, said Rabbi
Respes.
He began to proselytize among
other Blacks by writing pamphlets
and appearing on radio. But he
made little headway other than
among his own family and a small
number of Blacks whom he had
reached. The congregation was
formed in 1951, and in 1962 they
formed their own .community—"a
moshav"—with a small synagogue,
in Hammonton. near Atlantic City.
"We left the slums to build a new
life," he said, "and we didn't wait
for the government to do it for
us."
Rabbi Respes said the move was
prompted by anti-Semitism among

,

fellow Blacks, an anti-Semitism
taught in - black churches, he
charged.
"My object in creating this con-
gregation," he stated, "was to re-
make these decadent and spiri-
tually dead black Jews who were
designated simply 'negroes' into
live, morally and mentally healthy
black Jews, who would prove to be
a credit to themselves and to Jew-
ish people as a whole."
Rabbi Respes blames the institu-
tion of slavery and continuing ra-
cial and religious bias for the loss
of Jewish identity - and heritage
among his people. But he feels
that Judaism has something spe-
cial to say to Blacks. "So many
problems of Blacks are domestic.
In many homes, the strong figure
is the mother. Judaism, which em-
phasizes the home, could have
good influence."
The Jewish community, he add-
ed, "has fewer criminals than
other groups due to the training
of the Jewish child. Certainly, day
schools would eliminate many
black problems."
He runs a tight ship of his

FELDBRO
QUALITY
MEATS

the program. He insists on observ-
ance of the 613 commandments
(mltzvot) as "the only way one
can be a Jew."
Last fall, he and 16 members
of his congregation visited Israel
to explore opportunities for aliya.
He doesn't know when that move-
ment will take place, but to assure
their acceptance in Israel, he said,
the members will undergo formal
conversion to satisfy all Orthodox
requirements. A beth din in New
York is cooperating in this effort.
As for the reception they re-
ceived in Israel, "I was more
warmly received there than I am
in America," said Rabbi Respes.
Not that the Center audience fit
the latter category; the reception
was warm as Rabbi Respes sang
the theme from "Exodus" in Eng-
lish: "This land is mine/God gave
this land to me/This brave and
ancient land to me."

(Trimmed Rite,
Priced Rite)

20233 W. 7 MR.

2 Mocks W. of livevereen

KonIfiold

Free Pea dos ICE 4.7522

All THE NEWEST
HAIRCUTS

FUNKY-10140.5HAO

BLOWER CUTS

FEATURED
BY

glair Oesig n

THE DETROIT JEWISH HEWS

Studio

341—Friday, Merck 5, 1971

Northwestern Hwy.
Southfield, Mich.
1/2 Mile N. of 12 Mil. Rood

29505

DID YOU KNOW ?
THAT SPITZ ERS
Prints Invitations at

own. Rabbi Respes said the chil-
dren of his concregation are re-
quired to study Hebrew and other
Jewish subjects two to three
hours daily, four days a week.
He also conducts atinit'education
classes three evenings a week.
There is strict adherence to the

Call 3570470

Thrums J. Hatch
Style Direttor

DISCOUNT : PRICES

-Sabbath, and there is a mehitza
(separation of the sexes) in his
synagogue.- The choir, led by 33-
year-old Alicia Mathis, consists of
both sexes, but the three boys are
all Rabbi Respes' sons, and they
form the dance company with three
of their sisters. -
It is Rabbi Respes' fond wish to
win more black adherents to
Judaism, but he said the regimen
is too difficult for many who start

Men's Clubs to Gather at Bnai Moshe

.o,

N-1

- •
IV • 0.

74 11 ),77,,

Norinan.Alitut& ext.

17540 WYOMING • TEL 341-1330 • rees.
malLottel-
Thria.:391:14

iENTERTAINAINT

•

i•

*

The Great. Lakes Reglad" Spring Conference of Jewish Men's
Clubs, hosted by Thiel Moshe Men's Club, will begin March 12 with a
Friday night service at Deal Moshe, and will conclude that Sunday.
About 150 delegates from iff Conservative congregations are expected.
Full registration includes Saturday and Sunday luncheons and Bator-
dinner-dance. Active in the planning of the conference are (from left)

CARICATURES. COMEDIANS, :
4 ,
Plane-ccerttion-Ing
A
Sand
Merl Little Orchestra
ll
SEYMOUR SCHWARTZ AGENCY

356-8525
Available

*

,

Satin and Velour

(Invitation

SMILE!!

Veen behsfilset by

Lawrence Ellen

•
•
•
•

the smiling' nkfrinpyphor

SWEET 16 PARTIES
PAR MITZVAHS
CONFIRMATIONS
SMALL ROMAN ORGIES
You wouldn't believe how good
. and cheep

NM FAST 356-3756

I

MGM GROUP RATES (5 ROOMS OR MORE)

RAVING A WEDDING or BAR MITZYAI

REGISTER YOUR OUT-OF-TOWN GUESTS AT THE BEAUTIFUL

EMBASSY MOTEL

Harry Gunsberli and Sol Grand, chairmen; Rabbi Moses Lehrman;
Cantor Louis Klein; Ben Weiss, chairman; and Simon Goldman, club
president. Program chairman is Seymour Tnreff; David Schwartz is
registration chairman; and Ben Kahn and Saul Rabins are ticket
co-chairmen.

Ideally Leafed V4 Milo From thirtidaint
COLOR TV - Heated Peel -
- Restaurant
SAUNA, INDOOR root., WHIRLPOOL, ETC.

(available next deer at minimum chars. $1

Einstein College Wins
Vindication; Woman
TAU EPSILON RHO LAW FRA-
TERNITY, Detroit Chapter, elected Charged Job Bias

Men's Clubs I

David R. Kratze, senior member
of Kratze, Greenbaum and Littman,
as chancellor. Kratze is the legal
adviser to the Southfield Drug Abuse
Committee and an assistant city
attorney for the City of Southfield.
Other members elected are: Dan-
iel Weiss, vice chancellor; Norman
S. Miller, bursar; Steven C. Coop-
er, corresponding secretary; Rob-
ert L. Krause, master of the rolls;
and David I. Rosin and Paul Ma-
lin, community council representa-
tives.

EXCITING SPRING HAPPENINGS
For Pre-Teens & Juniors

IN

OAK PARK

23133 COOLIDGI
Jut North of Mae
Plume: 545-3242

Airport Trewsper ► atiee AviiMN.

14380 W. 8 MILE, OAK PARK

548-8877

Young Israel` of Oak Woods
& Greenfield

NEW YORK—The Albert Ein-
stein College of Medicine was ab-
solved of a charge of job discrimi-
nation recently when a five-judge
unanimous Appelate Division deci-
sion upheld Supreme Court Jus-
tice Isidore Dollinger, in ruling
against the City Commission on
Human Rights.
The case scent back to 1967 when
Mrs. Odesia Carrion, a super-
visory social worker employed by
the college at Lincoln Hospital,
began complaints that she was de-

announces iheir first

ART- SALE

Sunday, March 14 - 1 to 8 p.m.

nied three promotions and later,
in IMP, was dismissed, because
ishe. was black.
The Human Rights Commission
had ordered her back to work
pending -a final investigation. -
The recent Supreme Court dee'.
sion, the college noted, found that
Iwo of the contested positions had
been refused by Mrs. Carrion be-
-Cause they involved a pay cut, and
the third post went to a Black. She
had been dismissed, the court said,
because of "insubordination" to-
ward a hospital.superviaor.

.93zoq sgisms

per vlsit)

Best Helps's, ce-conger

There will be a large selection of fine Oil.
paintings and Lithographs by the greats.

Bargains Galore! !
.Coine in and see for yourself

Art

I

.1i0Ratli

ad: iwizaantso