THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, August 22, 1975 23
Buber's Educational Outlook Studied in Weinstein Work
By ALLEN A. WARSEN
'Buher and Humanistic
Education" by Joshua Wein-
s',ein (Philosophical Li-
b)1'ary, Inc., 1075) has re-
contly been added to the
growing- list of books on
Martin Buber. It is a con-
cise, but thorough study of
Buber's educational philoso-
phy. Another book dealing
with the same subject is
Kurzweirs "Buber on Edu-
. ation." .
To understand Buher het-
ter, the author devoted the
first two chapters to brief
descriptions of the philoso-
pher's life and his dialogical
philosophy.
Buher who was horn in
Vienna in 1878 was since
early youth influenced by
the three cultural move-
ments of Hasidut, Haskala
and Zionism. At a later age,
Existentialism, too, exerted
an influence on him. ThiS
philosophy Buber greatly
modified.
Buber's philosophy, it
should be pointed out, re-
volves around the idea of
spiritual unity — unity
between man and man,
and between man and God.
His "I-Thou" dialogue is
"an instrument for the at-
tainment of this unit."
By using the expression
"Thou," the author explains,
Buher wished "to connote
presentness, mutuality, di-
•ectness, familiarity, and
ineffability." The "I-Thou"
dialogue, moreover, results
in communion and mutual-
ity.
The word "Thou" may he
expressed variously. For in-
stance, "A child, lying in its
bed with•half closed eyes,
waits with a tense soul for
its mother to speak to it,
anxiously desires to com-
municate with her. The
mother arrives, they glance
at each other, their eyes
shining with love. This to
Buher, is an experience of
communion and mutuality."
Significant are Buher's
thoughts regarding- free-will
and predest inat ion. He
claimed that causes and ef-
fects affect natural pheno-
mena. But man's will is cap-
able to choose between fate
and freedom. Nonetheless,
when roan " permits t he
world of things to rule him,
he becomes passive and sub-
missive, a mere link in the
chain of cause and effect,
but when he elevates him-
self into the \\*()1' Id Of mu-
tuality . . . the 'I' and the
'Thou' exercise their ulti-
mate freedom."
It has been assumed by
many educational theor-
ists that learning and edu-
cation are synonymous.
Buber disagreed with this
assumption. He claimed
that learning is coinciden-
tal. The child learns by its
contact with the surround-
ings: relatives, friends,
natural phenomena. Edu-
cation, on the other hand,
Buber stressed is purpose-
ful. deliberate and exe-
cuted by teachers.
It is essential to know
that Buher developed his
Own educational theories.
He even wrote a monograph
011 education. But to com-
ment on these theories is be-
yond the scope of this re=
view. We will, nevertheless,
mention that Buber like
Over 45 Years
Rabbi Akiha believed that Buber, the great moralist,
man has the ability to im- considered character
prove and transform this building the supreme aim
world of ours.
of education; and the pri-
The following story is a mary task of character
good illustration of this be- building, he asserted, is to
lief: "Tineus Rufus asked foster in the students a
Rabbi Akiha: 'Who makes sense of self-responsibil-
more beautiful things, God ity, especially a willing-
or man?' Rabid A k iha an- ness to assume responsi-
swered: 'Man makes more bility for their own
beautiful t h ings.' He behavior.
showed hin-i ears of grain
It is not surprising, there-
and cakes and said: 'The
fore, that Buller who be-
ears of grain are God's lieved in an absolute *Su-
work, the cakes are man's.
Kerne p ower was eonv i need
You can see that man's
that ". . . communities as
works are more beautiful we n as i n di vua i s mus t i n _
. . . Whatever was created
wardly render an account of
by God during the six days
themselves."
of creation needs further
"Buher and Humanistic
improvement: for example,
Education" is an interest-
mustard needs sweetening,
ingly written and skillfully
vetcher needs sweetening,
researched study of Buber's
wheat needs grinding."
educational ideas.
Buber. moreover, insisted
The author, Joshua Wein-
that teaching must be inter-
stein.
teaches history and ■
twined \vith deed. He, there-
philosophy
of education at
fore, rejected the Greek
"sophia" for the Hebrew the I Tniversity of Houston.
"hokma." Buber maintained
that "sophia" connotes
knowledge.. pose, \v ile
"hokma" involves both wis-
dom and deed. This view
accords with the talmudic
maxim "He whose deeds
exceed his wisdom, his wis-
dom shall endure; but he
whose wisdom exceeds his
deeds, his wisdom shall not
endure."
Needless to say that
Book Tells Youth Desire for Peace
While their elders wav-
ered
. on the brink of re-
newed warfare, Arab and
Jewish children expressed
their overwhelming desire
for peace in thousands of
paintings, drawings and
poems in a contest among
Israeli schools. The most
striking of these sponta-
neous, moving testimonials
are collected under the title,
"My Shalom, My Peace"
(McGraw-Hill).
Each word and image in
the hook is the expression of
Ill:-IS Doubles Its Share
of Russian Jews in U.S.
a child who has witnessed at
least one war, slept in shel-
ters, learned about death
and whOse greatest dream is
peace — "I don't like wars,"
cries out a nine-year-old
boy, "They end in wreaths
and monuments."
Reminiscent of the poems
and drawings that survived
the children of Theresien-
stadt concentration camp
("I Never Saw Another But-
terfly" McGraw-Hill 1964),
"My Shalom, My Peace"
shows Arab and Jewish
boys and girls looking be-
yond their world of hatred
and destruction to a single
fragile concept that they
have never in fact experi-
enced.
The paintings and draw-
ings in this volume were se-
lected by Jacob Zim, a
widely known Israeli artist
and graphic designer who
has also designed the book.
The poems were selected by
Uriel Ofek, one of Israel's
best known writers of books
for young people, and the
translations were made by
Dov Vardi, a noted Israeli
poet and writer, reviewer
and educator.
NEW YORK — Of the
The number of local
9,000 Soviet Jews to emi- Jewish communities ac-
grate to the United States cepting Russian families
with the aid of United HIAS for resettlement rose to 88
Service since 1968, more in 1974, an increase of 20
than a third, :3,490, arrived new communities over the
in 1974, reports HIAS presi- previous year. The number
dent, Carl Glick, in the mi- of small Jewish communi-
gration agency's annual re- ties (Jewish population
port. The 1974 figure under 5,000) accepting
represents more than a 100 Russian refugees in-
percent increase over the creased by 28 percent in
number of Soviet Jews ar- 1974.
riving- in U.S. in 1973.
The largest number of
While the total number of
Jews allowed to leave the these refugees, 841, came
from Morocco, reflecting
Soviet Union dropped by 40
percent in 1974, a greater continuing- tensions in the
proportion of those leaving Middle East. Tunisia con-
t•ibuted the next largest
were referred to HIAS in
group — 447. In addition,
Because of the La-
Vienna by the Jewish
more than 200 Chilean Jews
Agency, many for family
bor Day holiday The
left their country with
Jewish News will
reunion in countries other
HIAS' help for resettlement
have an early deadline
than Israel.
in other parts of Latin
of noon Friday, Aug.
The Jewish Agency refer-
America.
29, for publicity to
ral rate to HIAS climbed
appear in the issue of
from three percent in the
United HIAS Service is a
Sept. 5.
early months of 1973, to beneficiary of the United
more than 30 percent in the Jewish Appeal and of Jew-
last months of 1974. The ish federations and welfare
Even while they live bad
vast majority of Soviet Je•-
funds around the country. It
ish refugees, some 17,000 in
is projected that close to 5,- men are said to be, in sooth,
1974, chose to settle in Is- 500 Russian refugees will he already dead.
rael.
—The Talmud
resettled in 1975.
Early Deadline
Of
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