THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 36 Friday, September 10, 1976 Ancient Traditions in Common in Rosh Hashana Foods By RUTH SELIGMAN World Zionist Organization JERUSALEM — As we clip our "halla - or slices of apple in honey — "it MOVIE GUIDE Americana Complex 1, 2, 3, 4 559-2730 Greenfield N. of 9 Mile 1 THEATERs IN ONF, BUILDING wed. myriNEES LL THEATERS-1 Show only at 1:00—$1 "FUNNY LADY" (PG) "THE WAY WE WERE" (PG) "THE OMEN" (PG) SILENT MOVIE (PG) "MURDER BY DEATH" (PG) BERKLEY 12 Mite-Coolidge LI BARGAIN NIGHTS SUN. THRU FRI. ALL SEATS $1.00 No coupons. Coupons good Sat. only with regular admission price. WEEKDAYS INCLUDING SAT. OPEN AT 6:45 HELD OVER 2ND WK! Gene Kelley and Fred Astaire in "That's Entertainment Part II" (G) for the entire family young and old. "Thats Entertainment Part II" at 7 and 9:30 Sunday open at 1:45 "Thats Entertainment Part II" at 2:05-4:30-7 8 9:25 should be a sweet year - - are we aware that food traditions play a signific- ant part in helping us re- tain our national iden- tity, our Sense of people- hood? Living in Israel, a land where more than 70 diffe- rent ethnic groups have settled, each bringing his own customs and folk- lore, gives one the oppor- tunity to see the different ways these groups ob- serve the holidays. Strik- ingly enough, the similarities are perhaps more numerous than the differences, emphasizing again that, in spite of their different backgrounds and diffe- rent cultural experi- ences, Jews are essen- tially one people. For example, - all groups, no matter their ethnic origin, eat "sweet" foods_ on Rosh Hashana. Some researchers credit the prophet Nehemiah for introducing this cus- tom, adapting it from the Persians and urging his people "to eat the fat and drink the sweet," includ- ing honey, dates, figs and raisins. Some families also put raisins in _their halla, FAMOUS BIG TYME SANDWICHES CHOOSE FROM — 10 HAMBURGER GREATS SAME NOSTALGIC ATMOSPHERE! SAME GREAT MENU! • CHARBURGERS • STEAK & EGGS • DELICATESSEN EGGS & OMELETS SERVED IN A SKILLET DELICIOUS PASTRIES GALORE 576-1588 4286 N. WOODWARD Between 13 & 14 Mile Detroit & Suburbs Most Elegant Restaurant 115 E. Long Lake Rd, at Livernois Res.: 879-6810 COMPLETE DINNER SPECIALS—MON. THRU THURS. • BROILED SIRLOIN STRIP AND ALASKA KING CRAB LEGS . . . . .$6.95 $4.95 • BAR-B-Q CENTER CUT CHOPS • PICKEREL IMPERIAL Topped With Special $4.75 Cheese Sauce • PRIME 12 OZ. NEW YORK STRIP STEAK $4.95 THE ABOVE DINNERS INCLUDE: A REWARDING TRIP TO OUR BOUNTIFUL SALAD BAR • SOUP OR JUICE • LARGE ASSORTMENT OF FRESH BREADS AND BAGELS • COFFEE, TEA OR MILK ‘1\ NO COUPONS ACCEPTED FOR THESE SPECIALS • • • PRIVATE BANQUET FACILITIES AVAILABLE ART INSTITUTE CONCERT SERIES Edith J. Freeman, Impresario presents MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS "another Bernstein" - Aaron Copland conducting THE BUFFALO PHILHARMONIC Tuesday, September 14 • 8:30 p.m. The Detroit Institute of Arts Auditorium Tickets: $8 • $7 • $6 at Hudson's & Art Institute RESERVE NOW — CALL 832 - 2730 again to emphasize the again for the same sym- quality of sweetness they bolic reason. "Actually," hope to experience in the notes Prof. Dov Noy, "all coming year. of these symbolic foods Carrots are another are some remnants of traditional Rosh Hashana what is called `sympathe- food. Eastern European tic-magic,' that is, there is Jews often serve them in a some kind of magic at- "tzimmes, - a form of pud- tached to eating them. ding which combines meat For example, if you eat and potatoes along with the head of a fish or of an the carrots. Oriental Jews ox, you not only will be tend to cook carrots in a honoring the beginning of tomato sauce. the New Year, but you, Prof. Dov Noy, Israel's yourself, will become foremost folklore expert strong as befits the. head feels that carrots are of a household." eaten, not only for the All ethnic groups also quality of sweetness and include a "new" food in brightness which they their New Year menus. signify, but also because the word in Yiddish, "mehren, - means "to multiply" and the eating thereof gives force to the biblical injunction "to multiply and be fruitful." By ALLEN A. WARSEN Actually, one could also see in the eating of the "Courts of Terror carrot reference to the subtitled "Soviet Com- basic purpose of the High munal Justice and_Jewish Holy Days. The word Emigration" Vintage "carrot" in Hebrew is Books, is the dramatic "gezer." The three root story of American letters of this word also lawyers who endeavored form the word "decree." to free prisoners con- When combined with the victed on drummed-up Hebrew word for "judg- charges for trying to ment" which is "din," it emigrate to Israel. Authored by Telford means "verdict." Whether this is merely a Taylor, professor of law at play on words or not, such Columbia University, the interpretations do play a story had its beginning in fascinating role in what, 1967, but was inaugu- perhaps, could lightly be rated in 1973. The lawyers who par- called "food-lore." Oriental Jews also ticipated in the project, in make a point of eating let- addition to Taylor, in- tuce on Rosh Hashana, cluded Alan Dershowitz, again perhaps for linguis- professor at the Harvard tic reasons, Since the Law School; George word in Hebrew for "let- Fletcher, professor of law tuce" is "hassa" which at the Law School of the also means "to protect University of California, and trust" and it is in the Los Angeles and a Lord in whom we put our specialist in.Soviet crimi- nal law; Leon Lipson, pro- trust. Orientals also serve a fessor at the Yale Law sheep's head for the main School and an expert on course of the Rosh Soviet law; and Melvin Hashana meal. It is possi- Stein, Associate General ble that the ancient Heb- Counsel of the Equitable rews borrowed this cus- Life Assurance Society. tom from Babylonia. In The lawyers' modus both cultures, the head operandi was to prove to quite logically stands for the Soviet authorities the beginning, or head of that their law enforcers the year. Others say that violated Soviet law by this custom commemo- imprisoning and convict- rates Abraham's sacrifice ing innocent people. of a ram in lieu of his son They based their pre- Isaac. sentation on these Ashkenazi Jews tend to •grounds: Soviet law allows defendants to choose their eat the head of a fish, counsel. But the accused were forced to accept gov- Yeshiva U Law authorized coun- Grads Accepted ernment sel. Furthermore, Soviet NEW YORK (JTA) — law provides for open Nearly all of the June trials. But the trials of the graduates of Yeshiva accused were held behind University who applied closed doors. The defendants were for admission to the na- tion's leading law schools forbidden to call their have been accepted by at own witnesses. The least one of those schools, documents presented as according to a report. treasonable evidence Also, Stern College for were religious and Zionist Women graduates, re- literature. Besides, some flecting national trends, of the charges were based are increasingly applying on contrived testimony. to and are being accepted To illustrate, Alexan- by those law schools. der Feldman was given a A total of 26 members of jail sentence "for the 1976 YeShiva College hooliganism committed class applied to law by knocking a cake out of a woman pedestrian's schools and received a hands and addressing her total of 80 letters of ac- ceptance from American obscenely." Pinhas Pin- khasov was accused of Bar Association- overcharging for services approved schools. Two he performed and sent to others were placed on waiting lists. 27 law jail for five years. Characteristic is this schools had accepted episode: law enforcers Yeshiva College and seized at the home of a de- Stern College graduates. Many partake of a new fruit, one not eaten that year yet, and on the sec- ond night of Rosh Hashana, recite the "Shehekhyanu" benedic- tion (Hebrew for He who has kept us in life) which is the blessing of thanksgiving for things enjoyed for the first time. Some groups have var- iations on this theme. An elderly Iraqi man told me, for example, that they make the same basic meat and rice dish for the holiday as they do for all their meals, but on the New Year they add a new spice to it. Interestingly enough,( no one is required by Jewish law to eat fish, or carrots, or dip apples in honey on Rosh' Hashana. Yet, so widely practiced are these cus- toms that, in effect, they can be said to have the/ trappings of law, al- though not the force. They add an extra dimen- sion to the holidays, an., excitement and rie", ess which is even )re meaningful when you know that all Jews from all backgrounds — are following similar suit. Russian Justice System Exposed in Taylor's New 'Courts of Terror' - fendant a copy of a book on Soviet anti-Semitism by Bertrand Russell. "Ignorant of the illustri- ous author's identity, Dubtsov (the prosecutor) misread the name and vehemently castigated the defendants for their contact with those anti- Soviet scoundrels Ber- trok and Ressel, to the better-informed judge's great embarrasment." The American lawyers, moreover, were concerned with the "abuses in condi- tions of confinement. - For instance, in Camp No. 3, "The Nazi collaborators were given for their work the easier and better jobs, in which the fulfillment of the work quotas was pos- sible. The Jewish prison- ers were given the hardest and most unpleasant work, for which the quotas were fixed at an impossibly high level." Impressive is Telford Taylor's comment re- I garding the treatment the Jewish prisoners re- ceived -By the camps' supervisors: "Of all mgt- ters I learned while pre- paring the cases, none surprised me more than or shocked me as deeply, as this situation." Three times the, lawyers traveled to Moss` cow to present their cases to Roman Rudenko, the Soviet Procurator Gen- eral and others. But then efforts were to no avail. It is interesting to note that Roman Rudenko and Telford Taylor knew each - other from the Nurem- berg trials of 1945-1946. The former was the • Soviet chief prosecutor, while the latter was one of the American pro- secutors. Their acquaintance did not help the cause of the Jewish "prisoners of con- science - . Robert Stolz' Musical Legacy Robert Stolz, the emi- nent Viennese composer, left an indelible mark and a notable legacy with his own works and his in- terpretive classics, in- cluding a record just pro- duced in Vienna by Alisch-Fuchs. All titles were arranged by Arno Flor, and the re- cord is more evidence of the maestro's skills. The first side of this re- cord includes his way of depicting, with the Romantic Symphony Or- chestra accompanying, selections from Gigi, West Side Story, Annie Get Your Gun and Porgy and Bess. The second side fea- tures his interpretive skill presenting excerpts from Carousel, Hello Dolly, Kiss Me Kate, Sound of Music and The Pajama Game. . The Stolz record un-, questionably is a classic that will serve in retain- ing interest in the crea- tive works of the eminent musician and friend of Is- rael. Jewish Agency Names Associate CHICAGO— ig Y. Wolpert: A Retrospec T tive, a tribute to the career of the artist, will open at Maurice Spertus Museum of Judaica Sun- day and continue through Jan. 16, 1977. The exhibition celeb- rates Wolpert's seventy- fifth year and his twen` tieth year as Artist-in- Residence of the Jewish' Museum's (New York): Tobe Pascher Workshop, Over 65 works such as Torah arks, Torah decoH rations, Hanuka lamp candelabrum and kid, dush cups are presented, in addition to photo:' graphs of his synagogue, commissions. JERUSALEM — S. J. Kreutner, director- general of Keren Hayesod-United Israel Appeal, has been elected an associate member of the Executive of the Jewish Agency for Israel. Kreutner was ap- pointed director-general of Keran Hayesod in 1968, and has principal respon- sibility for the day-to-day operation of Keren Hayesod campaigns in 60 countries around the world. Earlier he served for six years as director of Keren Hayesod in Europe. Wolpert -Exhibition at Spertus Mv-"um