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