THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, September 3, 1971-11
Anti-Poverty Unit
Helps Orthodox in
Business Loans
By BEN GALLOB
(Copyright 1971, JTA, Inc.)
Orthodox Jews in Brooklyn are
being helped to get Small' Busi-
ness Administration loans for the
first time with the help of a Jew-
ish-sponsored anti-poverty agency
through which a total of $500,000
in such loans have been granted
since the program was started six
months ago.
The agency, sponsored by the
Tewish Community Council of
own Heights, is called Opera-
Belfrye, an acronym for Bet-
ter Living for Residents of Yid-
d i s h-S peaking Environments.
Crown Heights is one of the city's
26 designated poverty areas, a
changing neighborhood with about
225,000 residents of whom about
125,000 are Jews, many of them
members of Hasidic sects.
-
The Jewish residents include
a substantial number in income
categories defined as "poor" by
the Community Development
Agency, a unit in the city's Hu-
man Resources Administration,
the city's super-agency for wel-
fare and poverty programs. The
Jewish Community Council, now
in its fifth year, represents some
75 Orthodox Jewish organiza-
tions and congregations in the
Brooklyn section.
Operation Belfrye moved into its
new area of service after Jewish
residents complained that they
could not get SBA loans.
The agency learned that it was
an unofficial rule of the SBA to
gear its program to help Blacks
and Puerto Ricans with loans for
business projects. Operation Bel-
frye officials raised the issue in
talks with federal authorities and
with Rep. Emanuel Celler, whose
district includes Crown Heights.
As a result, the SBA arranged
to have a representative present
at the office of Operation Belfrye
every Tuesday to process applica-
,- tions from Orthodox Jews seeking
loans either to start or expand
a business enterprise.
Yekum, Purkan Prayer
By RABBI SAMUEL J. FOX
(Copyright 1971, JTA, Inc.)
The origin and the significance
of the "yektlin -Purkan" prayer
which is reCitefl after the Torah
reading on. the Sabbath was one
whose histnry, ;$57 traced to the
peria:. of: the. ,Babylonian acad-
emies. It -1,4?Tkg ;ordained as a meas-
ure of triThite - 40 tlfe temporal head
of the Jewish community known
as the "Resh Galutha" (Head of
the exiled community): The heads
of the two Babylonian Jewish
academies (Sura and Pumbeditha)
would come to the synagogue and
sit to his right and left respec-
tively.
The temporal chief of the exile
would then expound some dis-
, ourse and then a blessing would
Je given him. This was the Yekum
Purkan prayer. A second such
prayer was later ordained after
the academies ceased to exist.
While the first blessed the head
of the exile and the scholars of
the academies, the second blessed
all the congregants.
It seems at first that the first
Yekum Purkan, was omitted.
Later it was again included out
of respect to Jewish centers of
learning wherever they were.
These two prayers were com-
posed and are still recited in
Aramaic. Later, a Hebrew blessing
was included as a "Mee Shebey-
rach" for all who worshiped or
even helped the community. Now
all three are recited as a symbol
of our admiration and respect for
learning, our admiration for the
ancient Babylonian Jewish com-
munity and our regard for every
single Jew who has anything to
do with the Jewish community.
Introducing
the
SOUTHEAST
CAMPUS CENTER
13200 OAK PARK BLVD. •
OAK PARK, MICH.
OAKLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE
In addition to its three campuses, Oakland Community College has established a
campus center in Oak Park. The Southeast Campus Center will provide a complete
program of college classes during the day, evenings, and on Saturday. College Trans .
fer courses in the following subject areas, among others, are scheduled for the fall'
session.
Accounting
Anthropology
Art
Biology
Business
Chemistry
Economics
English
Foreign Languages
Geology
Philosophy
Political Science
Psychology
Sociology
Social Science
History
Humanities
Marketing
Mathematics
Music
REGISTRATION
August 31, September 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11
Registration office will be open at the Southeast Campus Center
from 9 am- 9 pm. (9-5 Saturday, Sept. 4 and 11)
Register at Clawson-Trinity Lutheran on above days from 1-5 pm
CLASSES BEGIN SEPTEMBER 8
Phone 548-1252 for a schedule
EXTENSION CENTERS
will operate day and evening extension centers at the
The Southeast Campus Center
following locations:
Day Center
CLAWSON-TRINITY LUTHERAN
749 W. 14 Mile Road
Evening Centers
CLAWSON HIGH SCHOOL
HAZEL PARK HIGH SCHOOL
ROYAL OAK SHRINE
OAK PARK—CARVER
Registration at Clawson High School, Hazel Park High School, Royal Oak
Shrine from 7-9 pm on August 31, September 1, 2, 7, 8 and 9.
FOR A SCHEDULE OF CLASSES PHONE 548-1252