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-THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

54 Fiiday, Febi'uari 25, 1977

Ancient Hebrew Written from Left
According to Archeological Find

TEL AVIV — An an
cient Hebrew script, be-
lieved to be the oldest
ever discovered, was
- written from left to right,
archeologists from Tel
Aviv and Bar-Ilan uni-
versities say. - '
The .script was en-
graved on two fragments
of a clay tabletwhich were
found last August at the
bottom of a silo on Izbet
Sarta, east of Kafr
Kasem. It is believed that
the script is 100 years
older than the. Gezer
Calendar of the 10th Cen-
tury BCE.
The script of 80 letters,
arranged in five lines, in-
cludes an entire line of
the— Hebrew alphabet
similar to the modern
one. -
„
The archeologists who
deciphered the .bottom
line believe that the
script was part of an
exercise written by some-

one learning to be a
scribe.
The student, the- ar-
chaeologists believe,
probably wrote the al-
phabet at the bottom of
the tablet so that he could
copy the letters.
Strengthening this belief
is the fact that the word
"-et" appears in three
lines in exactly the same
poSition.
Unlike the modern al-
phabet, the ancient order
of the letters had zayin
coming after het and ayin
after pei. The letter mem
is missing, but there ap-
pears to be a space for it.
The deciphering was
done b.y Aharon Demsky,
Moshe Kochavi and Yosef
Naveh. Demsky said the
letters were 'in an order
found in some biblical al-
phabet poems, such as
those in Lamentations,
chapter 2.
The discovery has led

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scholars to believe that
the ancient Israelites
probably copied their al-
phabet from the Canaan-
ites and not from the
Phoenicians, as previ-
ously believed.
The tablet was disco-
vered at the site of an an-
cient farming settlement
of the 12th Century BCE.
The ancient settlement
has been identified with
Even Ha'ezer, mentioned
in chapter 4 of I Samuel.
Ancient Israelites had
gathered here to face a
Philistine attack
launched from Ofek. The
Israelites were defeated,
Samuel's two sons killed,
and the Holy Ark of Shilo
was Captured by the
enemy.

HIAS Announces
Scholarship Prize

NEW YORK — HIAS,

Official Authors
Jerusalem Book

MINNEAPOLIS
Meron Benvenisti, de-

puty mayor of Jerusalem,
provides a detailed ac-
count of the city's history
from the time of the Un-
ited Nations decision to
partition Palestine until
the recent past. The book
is titled "Jerusalem: The
Torn City," published by
the University of Min-
nesota Press.

The author, who was
born in Jerusalem, was
appointed deputy mayor
in 1974. Previously, Ben-
venisti had served as
municipality adminis-
trator of the Old City and
East Jeruslaem.

Smolar Invited
to Ethnic Parley

NEW YORK (JTA) —
Boris Smolar, Editor-in-
Chief Emeritus of the
Jewish Telegraphic
Agency, has been invited
to join as a Professor for
the Study of Nationalities
in a project called "Melt-
ing Pots, United States
and the USSR:
Similarities and Differ-
ences. -

Dr. Myer Teitelbaum, 67
Longtime Detroit Physician

Dr. Myer Teitelbaum,,a ciety of internal Medicine
physician in the Detroit and a fellow.of the Ameri-
area for more than 40 can College -of Physicians.
years, died Feb. 21 at age, He also was associated
with the Disability Deter-
67.
Born in Russia, Dr. mination Board.
Teitelbaum lived 50•years -Dr. Teitelbaum was ac-
in Detroit. He was gradu- _Jive in and a life member
ated from the University of the Community for Ag-
of . Michigan Medical ing,- an agency of the
School in 1934 and joined — Jewish Welfare Federa-
its staff upon graduation. tion, and in. the former
He, was associated with Jewish Family and Chil-
the medical schooLat the dren's Service (now
Jewish Family Service).
time of his. death.
Dr. Teitelbaum was on He also was an Hadassah
the staff of the Wayne Associate.
He leaves his wife, Lil-
State University Medical
School from 1949 to 1976. Han; a son, Dale of
He served on the -staffs of Pittsburgh; two
Grace and Sinai Hospi- daughters, Mrs. Paul
tals. - • (Sally): Castleman
He was a member of the Lexington; Mass.,
American Medical- Associ- Sharon of Someryi e,
ation, American Diabetes Mass-.; and three grand-
Association, -American-So- children.

Hasidic Rabbi Alter of Israel
Dies, Led Large Hasidic Sect

As behind-the-scenes
JERUSALEM (JTA) —
The Hasidic Rebbe of Gun, head ofthe Aguda Party,
Rabbi Israel Alter, died Alter exercised consider-
able indirect influence in
-Feb.-20 at age , 82. _
. Alter headed --the Israeli politics, though
largest Hasidic sect in IS- this waned in his later
rael, with branches in years when he became
New York City, London, more secluded and less . in-
Some 40 academicians _AntWerp and other cities N'olved in general affairs.
of various nationalities
with OrthOdox Jews. His
are expected to partici-. followers, numbering in
He was consulted on
pate in the one-year pro-
the tens of thousands, perSonal, financial and
ject which will continue
were, .however, the deci- other problems-by Jews of
until February, 1978. It is
mated remnants of what all shades of Orthodoxy
sponsored by the Ameri-
had been the largest and all.walks of life. Twice
can Association for the
Hasidic movement in a day he would receive
Study of Nationalities.
people — and the long
pre-Hitler Europe.
Alter builtian ultra- queues always repre-
. modern "beit midrash - sented 'a cross-section of
society
and hone in one of Israeli
Benjamin GObits,
Jerusalem's • Orthodox alongside the "regulars-
Dutch Journalist
quarters,. and this served - the bearded Hasidim.
as the focal point for his Alter was famed for his
AMSTERDAM (JTA)-
bearded; black-clad fol- razor-sharp _ wit and
Benjamin Gobits, a jour-
penetrating mind.
nalist and for many years
loWers.
Jewish Telegraphic
Applicants must be im-
migrants or the children of Agency correspondint in
The Netherlands,• died Herbert Cohen, Raven Owner
immigrants and must re-
Feb. 17 at age 75.
side outside the Greater
Herbert - N. Cohen, at 4171 Orchard Hill Dr.,
New York area. There are
He was born in' owner of the Raven Gal- Blooinfield Hills.
no restrictions on age or
Amsterdam where he ."- lery nightclub and art
He is' survived by his
sex.
gallery in Southfield, the wife, Catherine; a son,
For applications or in- began_ his journalistic
oldest folk music house in. . Sanford; a daughter, Mrs.
forniation, write Richard career before World War
the country,• died "Howard (Brenda) Rosen-
Alan Shapiro Memorial II. For many years after
berg; his parents, Mr. and
Awards, c/o HIAS, 200 the war he was ,parlimen- _Wednesday at age 62.
Born in Toronto, On- Mrs. Koppel (Lena) Cohen
Park-Ave. S., New York, tary and 'Hague corres-.
tario,. Mr. COhen lived 32 of Toronto; and a brother,
N.Y. 10003. Deadline is pondent for the local
daily, De Telegraaf.
years._ in Detroit. Mr. Louis of Toronto. ,
Feb. 22.
Cohen was a Linotype
operator in commercial
Abraham Dickenstein Dies,
printing plants in To-
ronto and in Detroit for John Heavenrich,
Aided Israel Banks,. Economy
the first 25 years of his Led Men's Stores
working life. He served in
mission. for the
NEW YORK (JTA)
John 13 :i Heavenrich,-
the Royal Air Force dur-
Abraham Dickenstein„ bank and late in 1941, to-
ing World War - II and president of the Whal-
founder and past presi-= gether with a small group
moved- to Detroit after ing's men's clothing
dent of Ampal4merican of American Jewish
stores; died Sunday at
the war.
Israel Corp., died Feb. 16 businessmen, founded
He opened his first age 72.
at his home in Tel Aviv at . Ampal-American Israel
A native Detroiter, Mr.
1
Raven Gallery in June
with an initial capi-
a-ge 76. Corp.
1960 on James . Couzens Heavenrich was presi-
Born in Wishniewa, Po -- •tal of $99,000 for the pun-
land, Dickenstein emig- pose of mobilizing finance - Ave: in Detroit and dent 'of the-clothing store
founded the Raven company for 50 years.
rated to Palestine in 1921 and investment capital
He was graduated from_.._
Woodwind Quintet and
where he woTked initially for the fledgling Jewish
the Raven-String Quartet DartmouthCollege and at-
as a pioneering laborer in economy.
to provide chamber music tendedHarvard Busi s
the draining of swamps
Until his retirement in
-
for customers once a School. He was a past
April 1972, the corpora-
and paving of roads.
week. He was forced to ident of the Dartmo h
In 1925 he founded and tion developed into a fi-
move because of the new Club of Detroit.. -
managed the Audit nancial instrument chan-
Mr. Heavenrich is sur-
freeway and relocated in
Union of Credit Coopera- neling tens of millions of
Birmingham. There, the vived by a son, John D. of
tives and Consumers' dollars annually to
club shifted its emphasis- Cleveland; . - two
Cooperatives .associated economic enterprises in
from art to folk music. daughters, Mrs. Chris
with the Histadrut. At Israel.
Heavy street construc- (Mary K.) Mahle of Wash-
the same time he joined
Mr. Dickenstein was
tion forced the club's ington, D.C., and Mrs.
the staff of Bank also a past president of
move to its_present loca- Richard (Martha) Fefer-
Hapoali• of which in Israel Development Corp.
tion at Greenfield and 12 man of Benton Harbor;
later years he became one which he helped to estab-
three brothers, Louis B.,
Mile Rds.
of its six managing direc- lish as well as a past
Mr. Cohen operated the Walter and Richard; a
tors.
chairman of the board of
combination art gallery sister, Mrs. Margaret
In 1936, Mr. Dickens- the Israel American In-
and coffee house for more KaiChen; and two grand-
tein came to the United dustrial Development
than 16 years. He resided •children.-
States on a capital- Bank, Ltd.

the world-wide Jewish
migration agency, is seek-
ingapplicants for the
Richard Alan Shapiro
Memorial Awards slated
for presentation at its
93rd annual meeting,
March 20, the Grand
Ballroom -of the Hotel
Roosevelt in New York
City.
Two awards-will be pre-
sented, each in the sum of
$250, to individuals dem-
onstrating social con=
sciousness and humani-
tarian goals.
The awards are named
for Richard Alan Shapiro,
the son of HIAS vice pres-
ident Edwin Shapiro and
his wife, Claire. Richard,
preparing for a career in
medicine, was killed in an
automobile accident.

0

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