2 Friday, November 12, 1976
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Purely Commentary
Court Jews and Shtadlanut, Secret Negotiations versus
Quiet Diplomacy, Affecting Spokesmen in the White
House . . . The Notable Parable on the Tongue
must be treated with a yeyasher koakh, an expression
Shtadlanut and the Hofjude:
of gratitude for services well enacted.
New Jewish Responsibilities
Who will be the next Hofjude? Will President
In New White House Occupancy
James Earl Carter Jr. have one or more Court Jews to
A new White House occupant will surely entice advise him on matters affecting Jewish interests, Is-
new personalities reflecting the Jewish image in the rael and religious affairs specifically Jewish oriented?
American complex that assures respect for and recog-
Morris Abram, the former president of the Ameri-
nition of all faiths forming the totality of life in this can Jewish Committee, who was in President-Elect
country.
Carter's corner from the very beginning of the Geor-
For some eight years, and in Republican ranks for gian's campaign for President, is not ignorable. Not to
many years preceding Republicanism in the White be forgotten is the name of Edward Sanders who quit
House, Max M. Fisher, the internationally recognized the presidency of the American-Israel Public Affairs
Jewish leader and eminent American industrialist, Committee to become an activist in Carter's behalf
was the favorite of the last two Administrations. three months before the Nov. 2 election. Has Paul
Gerald R. Ford honored him as much as Richard M. Zuckerman of Detroit similarly risen in Carter's es-
Nixon. Max Fisher entered the White House at will. He teem?
sat at all important functions. He must have been the
Also to be seriously considered are New York
first to be consulted by the two Presidents on matters
involving Israel and the Jewish people as well as the Mayor Abraham Beame, Detroit Democratic activists
Sandy Levin, Carl Levin, Avern Cohn and many
needs of the city of Detroit.
He was what has been referred to for many gener- others..
ations as the Hofjude, the Court Jew. It is not resorted
What matters in this era of libertarianism is that
to here derisively, although in the politics of the demo- there should be a concern over justice for Israel and
cratic processes in Jewish communities it is not totally for causes Jews are interested in as members of a
acceptable.
freedom-loving community that is determined to bat-
The objections are to "secret covenants secretly tle for the right. With the strengthening of such devo-
arrived at" — the secret diplomacy approach that had tions there is hope for good leadership. Then there is
been rejected by President Woodrow Wilson after honor in the role of the Court Jew.
World War I. But the claim t6 "quiet diplomacy" de-
fended by Max Fisher in conformity with the views of
Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger makes some Tongue as Ruler Over Body and Soul:
sense to shtadlanut defenders.
Minor Slips Can Mean Ruination
As a matter of fact, the term shtadlan that has also
Prior to the crucial Nov. 2 election, this commen-
been applied to the Court Jew has been treated con-
temptuously because a shtadlan often acted singly, tator quoted Proverbs 18:21 as an admonishment that
individually, personally, when interceding for Jews the tongue should be controlled because it has power
and Jewry in a personal and intimate manner with over life and death. A confessional: your commentator
rulers, heads of governments and people of influence was in search of an old parable proving the point. It
in the business and financial world. Thus shtadlanut had been years since he had quoted it and a handicap
were not always treated respectfully. Yet there is no- interferred with the research. He approached several
thing unacceptable in this interpretation of the shtad- rabbis, for a search of that memorable bit of wisdom.
New Jewish News staff member Phillip Applebaum
lan in the Universal Jewish Encyclopedia:
SHTADLAN (advocate), a Jewish title in Cent- fortunately also remembered it and turned to the
ral Europe and Poland dating from the 16th cent. source: to the late Prof. Louis Girizberg's "Legends of
although the title Mishtadlim, denoting delegates the Jews."
elected to represent Jewish interests, was used in
At last we have located what this writer was im-
Spain as far back as 1354. At times a Shtadlan was pressed with for a half a century and what we searched
the salaried business manager and the representa- for. It is in Dr. Ginzberg's Volume 4, Page 173-5 of
tive of the external affairs of the larger Jewish "The Legends of the Jews" published by the Jewish
communities, appointed for a fixed period.
At another epoch the title implied a dignified
and honorary position, entered upon voluntarily.
This post could be held solely by someone who, by
By Maurice Samuelson
According to Harry
virtue of his wealth, his business connections, his
(Copyright 1976, JTA, Inc.)
Shepherd, president of
eloquence and his personality, was influential with
kings, princes, and other authorities. He was the
LONDON — A rash of the Oxford Street Associ-
sentinel of the Jewish community or of all Jewry shoplifting by wealthy ation, the thieves in-
within the state which was always in constant fear of tourists from the Middle cluded princesses, dip-
encroachment upon its meager existence, and he East is causing acute em- lomats, politicians, high-
frequently averted threatening danger or harmful barrassment to their em- ranking service officers
regulations against the Jews.
bassies in London. For and judges. The wife of .a
The Court Jew has long played an important the past few weeks, 24,000 Sterling-a-year
role in Jewish life. He has been a leading actor on the British newspapers have aide to King Khaled of
scene of Jewish self-defense and of intercession with drawn attention to the Saudi Arabia admitted to
the heads of governments for generations. This, there- high number of Arabs taking baby socks and
fore, the definition of the term in the Universal Jewish and Iranians trying to mittens worth 2.50 Sterl-
Encyclopedia:
take goods from West End ing, although her hand-
COURT JEWS. agents of the rulers of a number stores without payment. bag contained 600 Sterl-
of principalities in Central and Eastern Europe dur- Nearly all those caught ing in notes and travelers
ing the period from the close of the Thirty Years' were carrying large checks. The maximum
War (1648) to the end of the 18th cent. Wealthy, amounts of cash at the fine for shoplifting is 400
Sterling.
clever and enterprising, they were of considerable time.
aid to the petty rulers and the absolute monarchs in
spanning the gap between the devastation that had
followed the destructive religious wars, leaving Soviet Emigre at Hebrew U .
wide stretches financially prostrate, and the de-
velopment of the industrial economy that was to Wins Top Prize for Doctorate
JERUSALEM — Five havior of gases. It won
inaugurate a new era of prosperity at the end of the
years after immigrating Friedland the Universi-
century and a half of their activity.
Their duties embraced a variety of activities: to Israel from the Soviet ty's Aharon Katzir Prize
they supplied bullion for the treasury and often Union, Dr. ,Lazar Fried- for 1976, an award given
supervised the mint, supplied the court with money land has walked off with a the best PhD dissertation
and goods, undertook diplomatic and commercial top prize for his doctoral in science.
missions, supplied the army in war and peace, and thesis in physics — writ-
At the Mount Scopus
introduced and developed new industries and ag- ten in Hebrew — at the
ricultural products.
Hebrew University of graduation ceremony at
which he got the prize
Because of their usefulness they enjoyed great Jerusalem.
He has also won a fenc- Lazar was valedictorian
privileges. They were not restricted in their move-
ments (as were the Jews in general), were exempt ing competition, has rep- for the 149 doctoral
from internal tolls, were under the direct juisdic- resented the Hebrew graduates.
tion of the court tribunal, and enjoyed easy access to University at a scientific After completing his
the prince. They often wielded great.power, but if symposium abroad, and master's degree at Vilnus
their plans miscarried or conditions in the realm says, "Israel has been University in Lithuania,
were unpropitious, they ran the risk of dismissal, good to me." in 1970, Lazar wanted to
disgrace and even death. Their occupation usually
His teacher, Prof. Felix continue towards his doc-
became hereditary, and a moneyed aristocracy of Dothan, says the prize- torate. He applied for an
Court Jews arose. Occasionally, contending families winning thesis on "loni- exit visa in 1961; he re-
vied with one another for the prince's favor, and zation and Excitation of ceived that visa in 1971.
they were not always scrupulous in their choice of Gases in Strong Electros- An only son, Lazar im-
tatic and Laser Radiation migrated to Israel in 1971
means toward gaining this end.
So impressive is the shtadlanut record of Max Fields" pioneered a new with his mother, a phar-
M. Fisher in the White House that his departure from theoretical approach to macist, who now also lives
the intimate friendship with President Gerald R. Ford understanding the be- in Jerusalem.
By Philip
Slomovitz
Publication
ica3t9ion
:2. Society of America in 1968. It is based on
Psalm
.1
2
r-772t1$ 7"0
I said: 'I will take heed to my
ways,
That I sin not with my tongue;
I will keep a curb upon my mouth,
While the wicked is before me.'
Ire't V:7p
The text written by Dr. Ginzberg follows:
The king of Persia was very ill, and his physician told him he
could be 'cured by nothing but the milk of a lioness. The king
accordingly sent a deputation bearing rich presents to Solomon, the
only being in the world who might in his wisdom discover means to-
obtain lion's milk. Solomon charged Benaiah to fulfil the Persian
king's wish. Benaiah took a number of kids, and repaired to the lion's
den. Daily he threw a kid to the lioness, and after some time the
beast became familiar with him, and finally he could approach the
lioness close enough to draw milk from her udders.
On the way back to the Persian king the physician who had
recommended the milk cure dreamed a dream. All the orgar
his
body, his hands, feet, eyes, mouth, and tongue, were quc
ng
with one another, each claiming -the greatest share of credit in
procuring the remedy for the Persian monarch . When the tongue set
forth its own contribution to the cause of the king's service, the other
organs rejected its claim as totally unfounded. The physician did not
forget the dream, and when he appeared before the king, he spoke:
"Here is the dog's milk which we went to fetch for you." The king,
enraged, ordered the physician to be hanged, because he had
brought the milk of a bitch instead of a lion's dam.
During the preliminaries to the execution, all the limbs and
organs of the physician began to tremble, whereupon the tongue
said: "Did I not tell you that all of you are no good? If you will
acknowledge my superiority, I shall even now save you from death."
They all made the admission it demanded, and the physician re-
quested the executioner to take him to the king . Once in the presence
of his master, he begged him as a special favor to drink of the milk he
had brought. The king granted his wish, recovered from his sickness,
and dismissed the physician in peace.. So it,came that all the organs
of the body acknowledge the supremacy of the tongue.
Why go back to it again after having resorted to
Proverbs which admonished "Death and life are in the
power of the tongue." Because there were so many
occasions when both candidates for President suffered
from slips of the tongue, because such slips often cause
agonies and create dangers for the incautious.
Even as ,a service of reminding a public that
doesn't give e enough attention to treasures like "The
Legends of the Jews" and to scholarly works like those
of Dr. Louis Ginzberg, a reminder about a fascinating
parable with a great lesson shoud be viewed as adding
immeasurably to human needs.
London Prosecutes Wealthy Arabs Caught Shoplifting
N
Shepherd, who works
for Marks and Spencer,
the Jewish company which
is on the Arab blacklist,
has said: "There are three
kinds of shoplifters — the
sick, the needy and the
greedy. The Arabs.are just
greedy."
More polite explana-
tions are offered by
psychiatrists and Middle
East experts. Dr. Clifford
Allen, a psychiatrist, has
said Middle East people
are used to arguing over
everything they buy, so
when goods are simply
displayed before them
they cannot resist taking
them. Miss Linda
Blandford, who has just
published a book about
life in oil-rich Arab lands,
says that many Arab and
Iranian women have
never shopped alone be-
fore. "Some are genuinely
bewildered, like children
after rationing."
Whatever the explana-
tions, London's shop-
keepers are not amused.
They are discussing a
plan to coordinate their
defenses against thiev-
ing,
Soviet Article on Asian Jews
Reveals Propaganda Purpose
Among the most recent
routine news and feature
articles submitted to The
Detroit Jewish News by
the information depart-
ment of the Embassy of
the Union of Soviet
Socialist Republics in
Washington is an article
on the Jews in Uzbekis-
tan.
The article, released by
the official Novosti News
Agency, written by Iosif
Shapiro, has interesting
data about the Jews of
Soviet Central Asia.
But the Communist
propaganda in this article
becomes evident in the
conclusion which de-
scribes the antagonism of
Asian Jews who went to
Israel, became disil-
lusioned and asked for
the right to return to
Russia.
The fact is that only a
handful of Jews from the
USSR were tools in the
Communist anti-Israel
campaign among
emigres to Israel.
program is that of the itus-
sian Jews who, instead of
adhering to their desire
to go to Israel, never reach
it and instead demand of
HIAS to be taken to the
U.S.
The Shapiro article on
Jews in Uzbekistan
proves its propaganda in-
tent also in glorifying the
religiosity of the Uzbeki
Jews in their adherence
to synagogue attendance,
religious marriage cere-
monies and circumcision.
Circumcision is in fact
banned in Russia.