THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

The Jew and U.S. Presidents

BY DAVID SCHWARTZ

(Copyright 1976, JTA, Inc.)

thing the matter with the to see "the King of
plumbing I will have to America" for a donation
depend on Congress. Be- for his daughter's dowry.
sides, I am busy now with The Jerusalem Jew said
the Israel Bond cam- that would be a "mitzva."
paign."
Wolfe was so amused, he
While no President has showed the letter to Grant.
been Jewish, there are lit- "Is .he serious?" asked
tle Jewish angles to many Grant.
of them. Washington is
"Absolutely,"
said
said to have made a
"lechayim" at the wed- Wolfe, and he explained
ding of the parents of to the President how
Mordecai Manuel Noah. highly regarded is the
Madison knew a little mitzva of helping a man
Hebrew from his earlier with the marriage of a
preparations for the daughter.
ministry. Grant wrote a check for
Grant once did a mitzva. $25 which was sent to the
Simon Wolfe, Washington Jerusalem Jew. Later
Bnai Brith leader, wrote Grant received a picture
about that. Wolfe one day of himself done in Hebrew
received a letter from a letters by the Jerusalem
Jerusalem Jew asking him Jew.

Dr. Weizmann once
said to Truman, "You,
Mr. President, are Presi-
dent of the United States,
but I am president of a
nation of presidents."
A nation of presidents
and yet Jews have not
even one president to
their credit — not even a
Presidential candidate.
e, there was Goldwa,
but he was only half a
S. Gov . Milton Shapp of
Pennsylvania did offer
himself as a candidate,
but he quickly withdrew.
Of course, there are the
presidents of Israel , but
in Israel, being president
is different. There the
president doesn't have to
throw out the first ball of
the season. You don't
have to sign bills or veto
them — just pay them.
You just have to be a
chemist like Weizmann or
a physicist like Katzir
JERUSALEM — Chris-
and promise to be as quiet tianity, Judaism and
as possible.
Islam all entered China in
Some people judging by the Ninth Century, but
the name, think Abraham while the first two did
Lincoln was Jewish. Some poorly, the Muslim com-
say Lincoln took the name munity prospered and
Abraham to get the Jewish multiplied and reached
vote. You can't go by the impressive figure of
names at all. Take Zachary at least 10-15 million
- Taylor. Zachary is a Heb- under the last Imperial
rew name, yet Zachary dynasty (the Ch'ing -
Taylor told Rabbi Isaac M. 1644-1911).
Wise that he was the first
Estimates of the Mus-
rabbi he had ever seen. lim population in China
Taylor was a soldier all of actually vary between 10
his life and led a rather re- and 80 million, but since
stricted life: In fact, he no reliable figures are
never had even voted be- available, a conservative
fore he was nominated for estimate was chosen,
President himself.
says the author of the re-
Why are Jews so bash- search paper "The Mus-
ful about running for lim Minority in Tradi-
President? Take the case tional China," Hebrew
of Truman who before en- University scholar Dr.
tering politics had a Raphael Israeli.
haberdashery store. His
He is a lecturer in
partner was a Jew, Eddie Chinese history and Is-
Jacobson. When the busi- lamic civilization and the
ness went on the rocks, director of the summer
both were out of employ- program on contempor-
ment.
ary Middle East studies
Truman then decided to in the university's school
run for office, but did -for overseas students,
Eddie Jacobson run for giving lectures pertain-
office? No, he told Tru- ing to the Islamic religion
man, "Harry you become to hundreds of students
President. I don't want to from a number of coun-
live in the White House tries.
and in case there is some-
Dr. Israeli refers to the

,

40W

Hebrew U. Scholar Issues
Study on Muslims in China

Torczyner Heads
ZOA Israel Event

NEW YORK —Jacques
Torczyner, a past presi-
dent of the Zionist Or-
ganization of America,
and member of the
Executive of the World
Zionist Organization, has
been appointed chairman
of the convention com-
mittee for the 80th na-
tional convention of the
Zionist Organization of
America which will be
held July 6-13 in Israel, it
was announced by Dr.
Joseph P. Sternstein,
president of the 120,000
member ZOA.
In February 1974,
Torczyner was elected
chairman of the Ameri-
can Section of the World
Jewish Congress, which is
composed of 16 major na-
tional Jewish organiza-
tions.
Torczyner has at-
tended all Zionist con-
gresses since 1946 and
was a member of the pre-
sidium of the World
Zionist Actions Commit-
tee from 1956 to 1972. At
the 28th World Zionist
Congress held in
Jerusalem in January
1972, he was elected a
member of the Executive
of the World Zionist Or-
ganization. He is a co-
president of the World
Union of General Zionists
of which he had been a
vice president for the last
15 years.

Chinese Muslims as both a
strong sociocultural
minority and a vigorous,
viable religious group. In
his study, he states that in
times of peace Chinese
Muslims could take their
place in the multicolored
mosaic of China without
causing much dissonance
with their environment. In
times of unrest, however,
when the mosaic frag-
mented, the differences
between the hitherto
linked elements became
more pronounced, and so-
cial polarization occurred.
A graduate of the Heb-
rew University in history . NEW YORK — Michael
and Arabic literature, Dr.
Dubinsky, an Israeli so-
Israeli refers to himself cial worker, has been
as "someone who was
awarded the Charles H.
born in Africa (Morocco), Jordan Fellowship for the
received a European-
1976/77 academic year for
oriented education, grew
graduate ,studies toward
up in the Middle East (he
a doctoral degree, it was
settled in Israel in 1951)
announced by Ralph I.
— and went to America
Goldman, executive
(University of California, vice-chairman of the
Berkeley, 1968-74) to Joint Distribution Com-
study the Far East."
mittee.
The late Jordan, who
During his stay in the was
executive vice-
United States he studied
chairman and director-
on a grant from the Lady general
of the JDC, was
Davis Fellowship Trust.
When he began his killed in Czechoslovakia
academic studies, the left in 1967. To honor his
a successful career as a memory, his friends and
high ranking officer in associates established
the Charles H. Jordan
the Israeli Army.
Reconstructionists Will Honor
Memorial Fund to help
finance graduate study in
Ira Eisenstein on Birthday
social work.
Israel Bond Event
A graduate of the Paul
binical.
degree
in
1931
NEW YORK — Dr. Ira
Honors Executive
Baerwald
School of Social
Eisenstein, president of from the Jewish Theolog-
NEW YORK — An Is- Work of the Hebrew Uni-
the Jewish Reconstruc- ical Seminary and his
of Jerusalem,
tionist Foundation and PhD from Columbia rael Bond dinner in tri- versity
Dubinsky is pursuing his
the Reconstructionist University in philosophy, bute to Francis C. doctoral
at the
Rabbinical College and Dr. Eisenstein has de- Rooney, Jr., president University studies
of Chicago.
and chief executive of-
e Dr of the "Recon- voted his activities to the
s _ctionist," was Jewish Reconstructionist ficer of the Melville Corp.,
feted on the occasion of Movement and the at the Waldorf Astoria
his 70th birthday at a re- Jewish community at Hotel, was attended by
more than 1,000 ,,Ameri-
ception Nov. 20 at New large.
TEL AVIV (ZINS) —
York's St. Regis Hotel.
From 1931 -to 1955 he can business leaders and
produced more than $4
Chairman of the event was the leader and rabbi million for the Israel Prof. Shimon Yiftach, an
atomic scientist and pres-
is Daniel G. Ross. Prof. of the Society for the Ad- Bond program.
ident
of the Israeli As-
vancement
of
Judaism
in
Gerson D. Cohen, chan-
sociation For Atomic Sci-
York City, the first
cellor of the Jewish New
Abba
Eban,
former
Reconstructionist syna-
ence, recently published a
Theological Seminary, gogue
in the nation, es- foreign minister of Israel book entitled "The
Dr. Alfred Gottschalk, tablished
and
principal
speaker
at
in 1922.
Era in the Middle
president of the Hebrew '
the tribute, presented Atomic
In
1959
became the
East."
Union College and Rabbi president of he
Israel
Prime
Minis-
the Jewish ter's Medal to Rooney for
In Yiftach's opinion,
Alexander M. Schindler,
Foun- his "achievements in be- there is no doubt, that in
chairman of the Confer- Reconstructionist
dation and editor of
course of ten years,
ence of Presidents of the "Reconstructionist" half of better understand- the
atomic power stations
Major American Jewish magazine. In 1968, he ing among peoples of dif- will be set up in many
Organizations are serv- founded the Reconstruc- ferent faiths . . . and his countries of the Middle
ing as honorary chair- tionist Rabbinical College support of Israel in her East and North Africa in-
men.
in Philadelphia, Pa., and continuing struggle to cluding Iran, Iraq, Egypt,
For the past 45 years, is now serving as its pres- preserve her freedom and Algeria, Tunisia, Saudi
independence."
since receiving his rab- ident.
Arabia and Syria.

Social Worker
Gets Fellowship

Friday, November 26, 1976 53

A Jew by Any Other Name

BY DAVID SCHWARTZ

(Copyright 1976, JTA, Inc.)

Sometimes the' change
of name of the Jewish
immigrant was acciden-
tal. On the East Side of
New York, there was a
cantor named Baline. His
son, Irving, wrote a song
and the printer, mistook
the name Baline for Ber-
lin, so Irving Berlin got
his name.
One Jew became Mr.
Ferguson. It is said that
on his arrival, he
answered some question,
saying in Yiddish, "Ikh
hob fargessen," so he be-
came Ferguson.
Some, of course, refuse
to bow to convention and
prejudice and 'insist on
their old names. Moses
Hess, the German social

Kadaffi to. Seek
Jewish Home

LONDON (ZINS) — In
an interview with an En-
glish newspaperman,
Lybia's Kadaffi, said that
one ought to search for a
new territory for Jews.
"We should give the
Jews a land. Let us look
for a territory for them,
but they must leave
Palestine," Kadaffi
explained.
He threatened that if
the Jews wouuld not ac-
cept his plan a "Holy
Arab War to liquidate Is-
rael from the Middle
East" would start.

r

philosopher, was once
mocked for his Jewish
name. He said his only re-
gret was that it was not
Jewish enough. Disraeli
boasted of the Israel in
his name.
The Jews were not even
afraid of a name a whole
sentence long if it con-
veyed an inspiring
thought. In the Talmud we
meet Mr. Gam Zu Letov.
Both his hands and feet
were crippled but he al-
ways said Gam Zu Letov —
meaning, "This also is for
good," so that became his
name.
Jews also allowed for
change of names. Jacob,
after his encounter with
the angels, received the
name of Israel.
Ben-Gurion in Russia
had been David Green,
but when he came to Is-
rael, that didn't satisfy
him. He didn't feel green
at all. He felt, moreover,
that this was no time to be
green. This was a time to
be strong — like a lion. So
he changed his name to
Gurion. In Hebrew, gur is
a young lion.
There are those who,
looking ahead to the com-
puter age, feel that we
shall soon all become
mere numbers. Some say
this is the case on Mars.
Recently, two Martians
met. One introduced him-
self and said, "I am
002,650."
"You don't say," re-
sponded the second, "You
don't look Jewish at all."

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