'A Feast of History' by Chaim Raphael
Classic Hagada and Passover Analyses

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▪

There is added value in these
descriptive analyses in Raphael's
explanation of the artistic liagadas,
some of which have been preserved,
and how the illustrated Hagada
served as a key to history. tie
shows how some liagadas were
linked to the histories of the lands
in which they were recited.
Tracing history to the firs* seder
---1800 BCE—we have in the
Raphael hook a veritable chronicle
of Jewish- events and the inspira-
tions related to the Pesah. Rules
and regulations are 'outlined and
some of the prayers are traced—
like the shfokh harnatkha—pour
out Thy wrath--to specific periods.
Ittl The latter is assigned to the time
of the Crusades—to the 12th Cen-
the Raphael book follows both
tury—as an expression of anger
the Hebrew and the English tra-
over the mass murders.
ditions. The Hagada and its com-
This is how complete this ex-
mendable new translation starts
cellent volune is It is Hagada
on the right and 99 pages are
CHAIM RAPHAEL
and history and since there is
devoted to it. The commentaries
plenty of time for preparation for
and historical analyses start on
reverberated throughout Jewish the next seder, the Raphael book
the left and continue for 158
h ist or y. In every century the is recommended in advance for
pages.
Hagada has been presented afresh attainment of knowledgeability on
Interspersed. however, are the with endless commentary, and with how to conduct a seder spiritedly.
illustrations-90 pictures in Mac': illustrations ranging from the pri-
—P. S.
and white. 60 in color. It is a most mitive to the most lavish and beau-
magnificent collection of photos tiful. We. feel the same need to-
from all ages, giving descriptions day . .
of Passover celebrations and the
"The reason—obvious enough—
ideas expressed by artists in the
past four centuries of the Hagada is that we are living in an age
text, its meanings, the characters which has been witness to a revolu-
tion in Jewish history and con-
therein.
Indeed, as a book of art the sciousness. The tragedies of our
Dr. Chaim Potok's specialty, in
Raphael "Feast of History" is time have shaken Jewish existence
a veritable artistic exhibition. The to its roots: the achievements have his novels that have become best
opened up entirely new concepts sellers, is the hasidic background.
Golden liagadas, the Darmstadt
Jew ..." He deals with the pious and their
classic, works from the British and of what it means to he a
These openings, the occurrences conflicts, the confrontations they
other museums. the Rothschild Col-
alluded
to.
are
ta'ien
note
of by have to tackle in a modern society.
lection—many a re th... sources
Raphael turned to for inspiration Raphael. What he does, primarily, Such were his themes in "The
and to share the glory of Passover is to present a total picture of a Chosen" and also in "The Prom-
and the Hagada with his readers. nation's experiences and to ela- ise." That's what he deals with in
borate upon the background that "My Name is Asher Lev," the new
History and traditions are as
gives the Passover narrative so Knopf-published novel.
valuable as the Hagada text,
much historicity.
both being linked in this very
The theme of the novel is ex-
While elaborating upon the
descriptive volume.
posed in its very first paragraph:
ceder as the family banquet
Raphael has a most interesting
"My name is Asher Lev, the
Raphael also provides a literary
explanation of the Hagada and its
Asher Lev, about whom you have
banquet, with his mishnaic
background. He guides his readers
read in newspapers and magazines,
stories, the elaboration on rab-
along these lines:
about whom you talk so much at
binic discourses regarding the
"The Hagada, with its prayers
your dinner affairs and cocktail
Passover traditions, the Chris-
and songs, can be printed as a
partss, the notorious and legend-
tological aspects.
mall hook; but no generation has
Raphael ex p l a ins how the ary Lev of the "Brooklyn Crucifix-
been content merely to take the
iori."
llagada emerged as a book of sep-
ritual words and leave it at that
It's the story of a boy whose
Artists and writers have reached arate established rituals in the
out beyond the words to try and 13th century: "even Maimonides, father is a hasidic scholar, whose
capture the mysterious associa- in the 12th Century, simply in- grandfather was martyred in the
for
tions of the seder—the dangers. cluded the Hagada as part of his Holocaust, whose ancestors
many generations labored for the
joys, fears and hopes—that have collection of the prayers."
Holy Name at the direction of each
Rebbe of the Ladover hasidim
in his time. Asher's father Aryeh
has the same aspirations for him.
But from the age of four Asher
(From the tiles of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
was under the spell of a special
desire: he wanted to draw, he kept
40 Years Ago This Week: 1932
drawing, he saw mostly the objects
Rabbi S. Dashberg of Dordrecht, retiring at 60 because of illness, for his pad and pencil. That's how
was 'crughted by Dutch Queen Wilheltnina.
it continued until it interfered with
German President Paul von Hindenburg abolished the Brown Army his studies, he became a problem
and raided its offices, and "Adolf Hitler asserted, . that the govern- to his teachers, the struggle de-
ment would be responsible for whatever might ensue."
veloped between father and son,
A humane-slaughter bill was passed by the Irish Free State Parlia- with the mother seeking a solution
but finding it difficult not to en-
ment.
An economic crisis hit the three-century-old 1,500-member Cochin courage the son in his talents, in
what was destined to develop into
Jewish community, India's oldest.
Sir Patrick Geddes, biologist, philosopher, educator and architect genius.
who designed Jerusalem's Hebrew University, died in France at 78.
Asher and his father were in
Nazism came officially to Poland with establishment of a party
constant difficulties over what

"A Feast of History" by Chaim
Raphael should have been dis-
cussed before Passover. It would
have made a remarkable text for
the seder and an ideal guide, for
an understanding of the festival's
lessons, of the origin of the holi-
day, how the Hagada developed.
Raphael rendered a real service
with his "A Feast of History—
Passover Through the Ages as a
Key to Jewish Experience." pub-
lished by Simon and Schuster.
While it is in the main a Pass-
over Hagada, with a new transla-
tion for seder use, its contents arc
valuable for study in the entire
year, due to its valuable historical
data
It is Interesting to note that

Israel Independence Day Stamps

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.......1.

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For In-dependence Day 1972, the Israel Post Office has issued
these new "Gates of Jerusalem" stamps. It is the second part in
the series of Jerusalem Gates stamps.

Hasidic Father-Son Conflict, Art vs. Faith
Problem in Dr. Chaim Potok's Newest Novel

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This Week in Jewish History

office in Lodz.

10 Years Ago This Week: 1962

was transpiring because Asher
could not help it, because there
was that compulsion to keep
drawing. From his childhood
when he was S and 6, his works
commenced to show bow genius
was developing.

Israel's first Reform temple. a former private home, was dedicated,
with garden services led by Rabbi Jerome A. Unger of Los Angeles,
representing the World Union for Progressive Judaism.
Johannesburg ended the "favored nation" concession that let South
African Jewry transfer funds to Israel outside the normal controls
Step by step. Asher—the story is
over foreign-exchange transfers.
recited by him in the first person
West Berlin's Senate paid hour-long tribute to 44 citizens who hid —tells how he was drawn first to
Jews and other wartime persecuted Germans.
pad and pencil, then to paint, to
"For want of a substantial federal question." the Supreme Court easel; how, against the wishes of
refused to consider the constitutionality of state-granted tax exemp- his father, he began to visit mu-
tions on church property. '
seums: the impressions made upon
Radio Liberty marked Passover with a broadcast to Soviet Jews him by the first paintings he had
of Jan Peirce singing "Elijah the Prophet. - Secretary of State and seen of the Crucifixion, of Mary
Mrs. Dean Rusk and labor leader (l'eorge Meany were seder guests and Jesus,- his first views of nudes.
ci La`.e:- Secretary and Mrs Arthur J. Goldberg.
Both these experiences were vital
52—Friday, April 14, 1972
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS in his relationships with his father.

He became the apprentice of the
(in the story) world-famous Jacob
Kahn. He began to make progtess
and world leadership in art was
predicted for him. Under Kahn's
compulsion he drew nudes. Then
came his masterpieces: Brooklyn
Crucifixion and Brooklyn Cruci-
fixion II.

It was because of the nudes
that his father would not attend
the first exhibition of his works,
and at the Sabbath meal his
father upbraided him for paint-
ing naked women and nudes.
Aryeh demanded an explanation
and Asher gave it: "A naked
woman is a woman without
clothes. A nude is an artist's
personal vision of a body without

clothes."

That's how Asher defined art,
as a tradition, defying his father—
often explaining he could not help
it, it was the urge to draw, to
paint.
His father traveled a lot for the
Rebbe. He and the Ladover hasi-
dim pursued the movement of res-
cuing Russian Jews. With one of
them Asher established a deep
friendship. His mother Rivkeh,
after a serious mental relapse
caused by the accidental death of
her brother, also helped in that
work. The parents went to Vienna,
traveled through Europe, helping
Russian Jews, establishing hasidic
schools. Asher refused to go with

them, stayed behind, kept draw-
ing—and painting.
But Asher did not reject the de-
mands of the Rebbe who asked
him to study, first French, then
Russian. They had hoped he would
follow in his father's footsteps.
Asher kept attending synagogue,
praying, retaining his earlocks-
and that's what caused great cur-
iosity: the son of Aryeh Lev the
pietist and scholar, the boy with
payos, with earlocks, turning into
a great artist.

Then came the Brooklyn Cruci-
fixion, the exhibit attended by
Asher's parents, their humilia-
tion, Asher's anguish, his sub-
sequent separation from his par-
ents, but amicably.

In his Crucifixion themes on
paintings that won both acclaim
and condemnation—paintings that
sold immediately—Asher had int-
bedded the torments of his mother,
the sorrows of his ancestors, the

DR. CHAIM POTOK

experiences of his people, but it
still was Christological.

It added to the amazement in
a case of an earlocked Hasif with
the yarmulka who embraced the
artist's passion for themes that
dominated his craving for expres-
sion. Dr. Potok emerges in the
new novel as one who has made
art his major subject of study
for a specific purpose: the purpose
of analyzing the minds of two gen-
erations of Hasidim — the parent
who kept warning his son of the
Other Side — the Sitra Achra —
which, in Kabala, is the Satan's

Camp, the Devil; the son who kept

worshiping, but nevertheless ad-
hered to his great love, his art,
the compulsion that eliminated all
else if need be. Indeed, this new
narrative opens up windows into
the conflicting generation gaps of
ultra observant and the rebellious
offspring. It creates new issues
over the restrictions on art works
in Jewish traditions. It is a study
in educational methods of the Yes-
hiva attended by Asher Lev of the
Brooklyn Crucifixion fame.
Dr. Potok introduces his readers
to a new terminology — the Sitra
Achra, the Ribono shel Olom, the
kibud ov, the Kitias Shma. Or-
dinarily a glossary would be need-
ed. In the instance of the new
Potok novel, the reader begins to
understand them. He goes through
the experience of hasidic life and

an art genius's compulsions by
grasping both the reality and the
problem. Both will surely win for
"My Name Is Asher Lev" another
best-seller triumph for Chaim '
Potok.

