Purely Commentary
Aseret Ha'dbarim .. . Shavuot on an Israeli Stamp
Shavuot, as the festival primarily of the Giving of the Law, and
alSo of the first fruits and of the harvest, provided the newest Israeli
philatelic. topic. A new Shavuot set of stamps
is part of the year's three "Jewish Feasts" series
to be issued in Israel.
ISMAIL 441rusi IlH ► vuornivas
It's a fascinating subject. The Israeli
Shavuot stamps as we reproduced them gave
the artist, A. Kalderon of Ramat Gan, the oppor-
tunity to incorporate in his splendid drawings
the basic themes of the Shavuot festival.
Philately is one of Israel's achievements
which emphasize the aim of advancing cultural
values.
These are the ideals that give strength to
a people whose very life depends upon its
spiritual values.
t50
II • • • • • • • • • • 41" 111 ■ 11 •
Do Not Forget Nor Deride the Crimes of Nazism
If we ever forget the past we will be denuded of character, and
if we overlook the events which created tragedy for mankind we may
be condoning the inhumanities that had dragged early-20th Century
man back into medievalism.
Fortunately, there are enough people who refuse to be silent,
who keep reminding their fellow men of the barbarism that destroyed
many millions of lives, people of all faiths.
Christians as well as Jews are aware of the horrors and are not
silent. There are two such examples in Detroit. Two concerned
Christians have established museums in which they portray the Nazi
horrors.
Attention should be called anew to the WWII Museum that
is operated under the management of Athel and William Rasmus.
sen at 396 S. Main in Royal Oak. The Rasmussens have gathered
many items which depict the tragedy and which call attention
to the Hitlerite activities and to the horrors that stemmed from
their teachings and practices. Authentic documents, books relat-
ing to the Holocaust, stamps, medals, flags, daggers—these are
on display, and when Rasmussen, a retired policeman, explains his
"treasures" the hair stands on edge again on heads that can
comprehend the terror perpetrated four and three decades ago.
Rasmussen has an interesting background as a veteran of the
Marine Corps, as a member of the police force, as a collector of
historic items. His museum is worth visiting.
Even more heart-rending is the story one hears and the display
one sees in the World War II War Crimes Museum located in Ken-
sington's Antique Village. It is operated by Stanley J. Bozich, another
of the saintly Christians who was so moved by what he started to
collect that• he formed his museum, near Lake Orion, and at a sacrifice
shows the collected items and relates the story of the crimes against
the Jews.
Bozich is a fireman, and he must earn a livelihood—as a fireman.
The income from admission fees to his museum hardly pays for the
lights. Therefore his display can be seen only on his days off—on
Tuesdays and Saturdays and on Sunday afternoons. He is an idealist,
and it is no wonder that Simon Wiesenthal, the man whose findings
led to the capture of Adolf Eichmann and who keeps exposing the
hidden Nazis, should have commended fireman Bozich to whom he
wrote, applauding the formation of his museum: "Anything that can
be done to keep the horrors of the past from oblivion is worth a
trial; particularly, young people should be informed.
Bozich gets a response from young people. They listen to
his recorded lecture. They follow him from room to room in his
museum to see all the objects of the Hitler horror. They learn
about the cruelties that were imposed upon Jews. They become
aware of what had happened in Warsaw where a Jewish rebellion
challenged the Nazi terrorists.
Because this museum is of such value in exposing the crimes,
wish to guide all who should see his museum by reproducing the
nap which shows the way to the Bozich display of the tragedy of
he Holocaust.
War Crimes
Museum.
JOSLYN RD.
Ic°
Just mutates from Downtown Detroit,
take North bound 1-75 to Joslyn Rd.,
Three Miles North to Keatington's Antique Village
The Bozich museum is unique because it is rooted in the know'-
, dge that was acquired by its sponsor and in its sharing of the
information the sponsor keeps acquiring though constant study. His
museum deserves special attention because it is not a commercial ven-
ture. Stanley J. Bozich does not sell anything. - He teaches. He prop-
2—Friday, May 28, 1971
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Shavuot and Philately . . . the Spiritual Values
That Sustain Israel . . . Historic Museums Keep
Alive Memories of Holocaust to Prevent Terrors
agates against cruelty. He condemns barbarism. He exposes Nazism.
He has sold his home and -will be moving upstairs from the museum to
be closer to it, and his good wife share his devotions with him.
There are, of course, many other such museums and some very
notable private collections. Among the latter should be mentioned the
By Philip
Slomovits
enwald. In one chapter, on how
the Nazis handled the "problem"
of non-German national groups
(excluding Jews), Kogon describes
the lot of 167 British pilots and 43
British and French underground
workers. Sixteen of the 43 were
hanged on Sept. 9, 1944. Kogon,
who was in a strategic position,
then worked to save three other
officers by hiding them in the
typhus ward. On Oct. 5,1944, 20
material that has been gathered, in the well-kept basement of his
home on Blackstone Ave. in Detroit, by Eric Lind. He is a true
idealist and a good student of world affairs, and being himself a
survivor from Nazism—he was among the first to be settled in Israel
by Youth Aliya—he specializes in exposing Nazism. He has every
conceivable book, stamp, photo, newspaper clipping, about the Nazi
crimes.
A noted philatelist, Eric Lind has written extensively on historic more officers were shot. On April
matters. His articles appear frequently in our column. His labors in 5, 1945, days before the end of
the war in Europe, an officer whose
emphasizing Jewish loyalties must bear fruit.
identity had been confused with
one of the three saved, was exe-
Harm in Turning Nazis Into Buffoons
cuted, not to speak of dozens
There is much more involved in battling against repetition of not hundreds of British and Fret
the Nazi crimes than mere remembrance. We must avoid turning soldiers who had died or been
killed in the interval. On April 11,
Nazis into buffoons.
An example of damage that can be done to children's minds is 1945, Buchenwald was liberated,
the "Hogan's Heroes" TV show. A question was posed some months but shipments from Buchenwald to
ago in a special article that appeared in the New York Times Dachau were still dying or being
under the query "Did the Nazis Win the War?" to which was executed at the latter camp.
It was this juxtaposition which
appended the additional question: "Turning the Nazis into buffoons
and the viewers into racists? A Rutgers University professor wrote suddenly made "Hogan's Heroes"
offensive and obscene for me. Yet
that article, and we reproduce it here:
there is still another reason: Not
O
only is the- series a lie, but it turns
To The Editor:
in real -humor. But who was I to the Germans not into what they
The other day some students argue with tens of thousands who really were, but into clowns and
and I were discussing the influence apparently did find it pleasurable, buffoons, into inferior national
of television on American culture for whatever reason?
stereotypes; that is, into the victims
when, rather in passing, one stu-
* * *
of television's own brand of
dent asked me what program I
Then, about a week before my racism. How ironical, :how obscene,
regarded as most offensive or
obscene among the many likely discussion with the students, that we should now be subjected
candidates. Somewhat to my sur- "Hogan" had intruded once more. to a portrait of a group which
prise I blurted out, without think- My 3-year-old daughter had been practiced the extreme of racism,
ing, "Hogan's Heroes"! Upon allowed to watch "Lassie" as a and have them painted as a
more careful reflection, I would special treat; as she went off to nationality of fools, thus helping
the viewers into racists them-
stick to that nomination; but the bed I walked my 3-month-old son turn
somewhat less than conscious way back and forth before the set, selves!
It is apparently true, as a few
I had suddenly struck upon that putting him to sleep, and watch-
program continued to fascinate ing "Hogan" out of the corner of cynics have observed, that the
me for some days, and I tried to one eye—it follows upon the Nazis won the war. That is what
I thought about as I put my chil-
reconstruct how I had come to rather maudlin but still very hu- dren
to sleep.
manly tender animal story. I
that swift, if visceral, choice.
MARTIN OPPENHEIMER
thought
of
my
daughter
and
son
It seemed to have happened growing up to watch first "Lassie,"
Associate Professor of
this way: I had seen a few epi- then "Hogan"; my head (as col-
Sociology, Livingston
sodes of "Hogan" over the years; lege students like to say nowa-
College/Rutgers University
I had been somewhat surprised days) then juxtaposed this scene
New Brunswick, N. J.
at its ability to survive, given the very suddenly to a passage from
* *
mortality rate of many programs
Let this expose serve as warningt
a
book
I
had
assigned
recently
to
I had considered far superior, but students in one of my courses, We should be on guard not to en-
I personally had not chosen to
Kogon's "The Theory and courage the viewing of the Hogan
watch on any sustained basis a Eugen
lies by our children.
Practice
of Hell."
program which seemed to me, on
We have so much to be on guard
*
*
*
the face of it, so patently fraud-
against! Let's not fall asleep on
ulent historically and so lacking
Kogon was a survivor of Buch- the job of being vigilant!
Shavuot Defined in New Encyclopedia. Judaica
Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks,
In rabbinic times a remarkable
comes in for detailed scrutiny in transforination of the festival took
the newly published Encyclopedia place and it became the anniver-
Judaica, being produced in Israel. sary of the giving of the Torah at
The passage on Shavuot is only Sinai.. This was in accord with a
one of the 25,000 entries in the 15- process to be observed in the Bible
volume encyclopedia. Six volumes in which the ancient agricultural
are off the presses, two more are feasts were transformed into festi-
in the plant, and all editorial work vals marking the anniversary of
is scheduled to be completed and significant_ historical events in the
ready for the presses by the middle life of the people. Since Passover
of May. Publisher is Keter Pub- and Sukkot are connected with the
Exodus, it was natural to link Sha-
lishing House, Ltd., Jerusalem.
vuot with this event. When this
Following is the passage on transformation took place is not
Shavuot that appears in the en- exactly clear but the earliest ref-
erences to Shavuot as the anniver-
cyclopedia:
sary of the giving of the Torah are
SHAVUOT ("weeks," Pentecost, from the 3rd Century.
"the 50th day"] celebrated on
Customs
the sixth of Sivan [and also on the
seventh outside of Israel] occurs
In the synagogue it is customary
this year on May 30. It is one of the to read the Book of Ruth on Sha-
three pilgrim festivals created to vuot since the events recorded in
mark the end of the barley and Ruth took place at harvest time;
beginning of the wheat harvest. It Ruth was the ancestor of David
is stated in Leviticus: "From the who traditionally died on Shavuot;
day after the Sabbath, the day that Ruth's "conversion" is appropriate
you bring the sheaf of wave-offer- reading for the festival which com-
ing you shall count [until] seven' memorates the giving of Torah;
full weeks have elapsed—; you and Ruth's loyalty is symbolic of
shall count 50 days, until the day Israel's loyalty -to the Torah.
after the seventh day; then you
It is customary to adorn the
shall bring an offering of new grain
to the Lord" [Lev. 23:15-16 and to synagogue with plants and flow-
ers on Shavuot because tradition
21].
has it that Sinai was a green
Since the sheaf was waved on
mountain; trees symbolize Sha-
the day after the Sabbath on the
vuot as judgment day for the
festival of Passover, Shavuot
fruit of the tree.
falls 50 days after this day. Sha-
It is a home custom to eat dairy
vuot also was associated with
bringing the bikkurim ("the first products on Shavuot because the
ripe fruits") to • the Sanctuary.
Torah is compared to milk and be-
I
cause the law of the first fruits is
placed in juxtaposition to a law
concerning milk.
Feast of Weeks, Day of the First 4 .
Fruits, Harvest Feast —
names for the festival—Hag Shalt(
vuot, Yom-ha-bikkurim, Hag •ha-
katzir.
*
Rachel Sabbath is administrative
manager of the encyclopedia; and 4
is in complete control of all opera- •
tions.
To facilitate the work, the 20 sec-
tions of the encyclopedia were
grouped into six general sections
with each having an associate edi-
tor and an administrative coordina-
tor. ‘•
Producing the encyclopedia
Israel has necessitated pioneering
work in areas completely new to
Judaica, such as the training of
stylists, bibliographers and index-
ers. The staff numbered over 120.
* *
Hebrew University President Av-
raham Harman received the first
four volumes of the Encyclopedia.'
Judaica.
Making the presentation was Dr:
Geoffrey Wigoder, acting editor-in-
chief of the encyclopedia after the
death of editor-in-chief Prof. Cecil-
Roth.
Dr. Wigoder said that more than
half of the encyclopedia was writ-
ten in Israel, and that more than
30 per cent of the contributors were
members of the Hebrew Univer
sity's academic staff.