THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 14 Friday, July 30, 1976 Dropsie Library Noted on University's 70th Our 36th Annual AUGUST FUR SALE (Continued from Page 13) considered the third larg- est collection of Hebraica and Judaica in the United States. Its Rare Books Rooms house hundreds of rare editions from the 15th Century, incunabula and manuscripts. Its vault contains part of the priceless Geniza Frag- ments, from the Cairo Syn- agogue which was estab- lished in 616 CE. Before the recent discovery of the now famous Dead Sea Scrolls, the Cairo Geniza was con- sidered the most important colleCtion of ancient Jewish documents, letters and liter- ary remains in Hebrew and Aramaic. There is hardly a branch of Jewish learning that has not been enriched by the discovery of the Gen- iza treasures. Dropsie is also well known in the scholarly world for its publication, the Jewish Quarterly Re- view, which publishes schol- Newest exciting fashions specially priced for this sale. Deferred billing for your convenience M LTER OFIr ayair-etf-"c. Designers of Fine Furs Complete Fur Service 11 MILE & LAHSER Phone: 358-0850 Serving the third generation of Fashion conscious Customers Terrific Summer Saving I'M READY AREN'T YOU? COME IN AND SEE AL STEINBERG FOR 1976 PONTIAC ppA fif SALES and EXPERT SERVICE 29300 TELEGRAPH arly articles on the entire range of Jewish studies. The quarterly is considered the outstanding scholarly mag- azine in the world in En- glish language. It reflects the Judaica research pro- jects undertaken by Jewish and Christian students, professors and scholars the world over. One of the pillars of the Dropsie University is Wil- liam B. Thomas, a noted Jewish industrialist and philanthropist. He is chair- man of the board of gover- nors of the university. Leon J. Perelman, a prominent Philadelphia communal leader, is chairman of the executive committee. It is a Trojan job to con- duct an independent, small institution such as Dropsie with out proper financial backing on the part of the American Jew- ish community. Dropsie receives small financial assistance from some Jew- ish welfare funds, but its existence depends largely on endowments, on gifts from foundations or from interested groups. Its major financial sup- port comes from those who hear of the university by word of mouth, or from oc- casional articles written about Dropsie, or through reading its publications, says Thomas. He is devoting much of his time and energy to broadening the univer- sity's sources of financial support and to augument its current endowment income. Perelman, who has de- voted much of his time to the day-by-day operation of Dropsie University as chair- man of the executive com- mittee for many years, will assume the administrative responsibilities of the uni- versity as acting president until a successor to Dr. Katsh is named. Dr. Katsh is one of the three presidents of Dropsie . during all the years of its existence. The first was the eminent Dr. Cyrus Adler who occupied that office from the establishment of the institution until his death in 1940. He was succeeded by Dr. Abraham A. Neuman, the well-known historian, until 1965. Dr. Katsh, who was in- augurated as the third president in 1967, is the author of about 20 books. He was the first American permitted by the Soviet authorities to work in the famous Saltykov-Shedrin State Library in Lenin- grad which ranks third in importance in the world after the British Museum in London and the Bibliot- heque Nationale in Pars. I was the second Ameri- can so far permitted to spend some time in this li- brary to which no foreigner is admitted. A Soviet citizen can enter there only if he is - The 'Three Weeks' Defined, Restrictions Enumerated By RABBI SAMUEL FOX Inc.) The current three weeks on the Jewish calendar are referred to as "Beyn ha- M'Tzorim". Two reasons are advanced for this title depending upon the translation of the term "M'tzorim". According to one interpretation the term comes from the word "Tzara" which means "trouble". In this case the meaning would infer that this, is the period between two fast days, the 17th of Tammuz (July 15) and Tisha b'Av (Aug. 5), each of which are observed as an anniversary of an episode of "trouble" in Jewish history. The first fast day com- memorates the initial epi- (Copyright 1976, JTA, MORE THAN 65 YEARS LEGAL AND JUDICIAL EXPERIENCE Judge Thorburn Judge Webster (6 YEAR TERM) (6 YEAR TERM) (2 YEAR TERM) An Oakland Circuit Judge since 1963, James S. Thorburn is the Chief Judge of the Oakland County Circuit Court. Judge Thorburn, a University of Michigan Law School graduate and a decorated World War II naval aviator, is past president of the Oakland County Bar Association. Oakland Circuit Judge Robert B: Webster has served as Alternate Presiding and Alternate Chief Judge of the circuit since 1974. A graduate of the National College of the State Judiciary, Judge Webster is Chairman of the Michigan Supreme Court Committee to Revise & Consolidate Michigan Court Rules. Oakland Circuit Judge Steven N. Andrews, a practicing attorney in the county for 16 years, is past president of the Oakland County Bar Association. Married, with three children, Judge Andrews is a graduate of Adrian College, served for eight years as Clawson City Attorney. Judge Andrews OAKLAND CIRCUIT 001.11RT • . •■• • .• • • • a scholar or scientist whose research is important to the interest of the state. The secret behind this most famous library is that it contains documents and books which the Soviet gov- ernment does not want any- one to see, except by special permission. They include the best collection in the world of the centuries-old Geniza material and ex- tremely valuable Hebrew books and manuscripts. I was permitted to enter this sancta sanctorium when I visited Leningiad in 1968, and was even presented with an honorary membership card after the authorities, obvious', checking on me, discovered that a number of my books are on the shelves of this li- brary. Dr. Katsh was' given permission by the library authorities to microfilm the Geniza material there. His microfilms are now in the li- brary of Dropsie University. pd. pol. adv. sode of the destruction of the First and Second Tem- ples (along with other troublesome episodes) while the second fast day, three days later, comme- morates the final episodes in the destruction of both Temples. These three weeks thus represent a period between two trou- blesome episodes. According to a second in- terpretation the word "M'tzorim" means "boundaries". In this case the name is applied because the portions of the Torah that are usually read in the synagogue during these three weeks are ones where the division of the holy land into tribal and family plots is described, spelling out the inner boundaries of the Holy Land. No meat is eaten during the last nine days of this three-week period. During these three weeks a mourning period is ob- served for the destruction of the temples. Meat at a Jew- ish table is symbolic of the animal sacrifices once of- fered in the temple of Jeru- salem, from some of which the meat was consumed by the people. The refrain from con- suming meat was indica- tive of the fact that we have•no temple in which sacrifices can be offered. Furthermore, the presence of meat on a Jewish tablr is indicative of a spirit ci joy. The absence of meat would thus indicate th. absence of joy during this sad period. In a similar sense the next of kin are forbidden to eat meat during the period be- tween the death and the burial of a loved one; since the death of loved ones is compared to the destruction of the temple, a family being considered as a tem- ple of love and death being considered a partial de- struction - of that structure of devotion.