THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Friday, November 4, 197717 African Christian Explains Close Feeling for Judaism NEW YORK—Prof. John S. Mbiti. well-known Afri- can author, poet, and theolo- gian from Kenya, spoke to the World Council of Churches' Consultation on the Church and the Jewish People which met in Jerusa- lem recently. His address on "African Christians and Jewish Religious Heritage" --- drew thoughtful responses :Om several sources, including Hebrew Univer- sity Professor Shalom Paul and Rabbi Pinhas Peli, who attended the session as guests. Although African Chris- tians now number approx- imately 180,000.000, rela- tively few have had direct contact with Jewish people. Africans generally, said Dr. Mbiti, "see the Jews as t are presented in the Bible — a deeply religious people, with God at the center of their religion. "Two points bring Jews and African Christians into an area of supremely important commonalities: God and religiosity. The details may differ, but the structures are very similar." The use of the Hebrew Scriptures is much more evident in African Christian life than in western Christi- anity, Prof. Mbiti pointed out. Studies of African ser- mons reflect this. "The African preacher has no dif- that when he was growing up in Kenya, he and his fel- low Christians were sur- prised to discover that most Jews were not Christians. They were appalled to learn how shamefully Jews had been treated by so-called "Christians" in Europe. To be 'Christian,' and at the same time to treat the Jews as European history and literature have treated them, were two irreconci- lable mysteries that even up ficulty in bridging the gap caused by the problem of historicity. Persons and events in the biblical history are often present to him in a timeless continuity. He and his congregation can easily become contemporaries of persons and events in the Bible," said Dr. Mbiti. Contemporary Judaism, however, is an unknown entity for most African Christians, said Prof. Mbiti. He told the Consultation - to now I have been unable to fathom satisfactorily. - said Mbiti. African participants in the session noted the lack of knowledge of post-biblical Judaism among African Christians. It was remarked that awareness of that part of the Jewish heritage could greatly enhance the African understanding of early Christianity, and, of course, of Jewish religious life today. We Make Our Own Glasses ro io HEADQUARTERS FOR LATEST DOMESTIC AND IMPORTED FRAME FASHIONS 0 • PRESCRIPTIONS FOR GLASSES ACCURATELY FILLED 0 0 • DESIGNER FRAMES P • Reasonably Priced • Immediate Repair ROSEN OPTICAL SERVICE 13720 W. 9 MILE nr. COOLIDGE LI 7-5068 OAK PARK, MICH. Mon.-Fri. 9:30-6 Sat. 'til 5 Closed Wednesday 's 6 6 9-12-10 tAW_US yitiLLULU Q.,2 ULL9 U WALD You are invited to attend the presentation of the B'NAI B'RITH INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN AWARD to WILLIAM G. MEESE presentation by Dr. Daniel Thursz Executive Vice President, B'nai Brith TUES.; NOV. 15,1977, 6:00 P.M. DAVID K. EASLICK THE FAIRLANE MANOR, DEARBORN WILLIAM G. MEESE The cause supported through the B'nai B'rith Humanitarian Award Dinner aids some 200.000 young people in high schools and colleges throughout the nation, who will directly benefit from B'nai B'rith Hillel Foundations and the B'nai B'rith Youth Organization. Reservations for the Humanitarian Award Dinner can be made by calling the B'nai B'rith Foundation, 21711 W. 10 Mile Rd., Southfield, 354-6100, or by contacting your B'nai B'rith Lodge, Chapter, or Unit. Dietary Laws Observed • Subscription General Dinner Chairmen Black Tie Optional $125 ALAN E. SCHWARTZ JOSEPH L. HUDSON,JR. DAVID K. EASLICK Honorary Chairmen Jewish Publishing Spurt Reported • NEW YORK (JTA)—A Thomas A. Murphy John J. Riccardo William P. Rogers C. Boyd Stockmeyer Henry Ford II Douglas A. Fraser Ray W. Macdonald Roy D. Chapin, Jr. Walker L. Cisler. Irwin I. Cohn Max M. Fisher Honorary Co-Chairmen "spurt in Jewish publishing activity" has been reported by Dr. Jacob Kabakoff, edi- tor of the Jewish Book Annual, which lists in its 35th volume more than 920 works of Jewish interest published in the United States, Israel and Britain during 1976-77. The annual is the triling- ual American yearbook of Jewish literary creativity published by the Jewish Book - Council of the National Jewish Welfare Board. The 920 annotated books include 675 published in the United States in English, Hebrew and Yiddish; 101 ?ublished i in Israel; and 148 in Britain. The 101 Israeli books were chosen from more than 3,500 titles pub- lished in Israel. JOSEPH L. HUDSON Thomas B. Adams Hon. Richaid H. Austin A.H. Aymond Louis Berry David M. Blumberg Paul Broder E.A. Cafiero Very Rev. Malcolm Capron, S.J. Leon S. Cohan Robert Dewar Hon. Robert P. Griffin Hon. Martha Griffiths George E. Gullen Dr. William Haber David Handleman Hon. Frank J. Kelley Hon. Philip M. Klutznick W. George Kramer The Rt. Rev. H. Coleman McGehee, Jr. Philip J. Meathe Hon. William G. Milliken W. Calvin Patterson John S. Ping-I Fther Vaughan Quinn Hon. Donald F. Riegle Arthur R. Seder, Jr. Jack Spitzer Martha Jean Steinberg Roy W. Stevens Morris Tannenbaum Dr. Daniel Thursz Hon. Coleman A. Young Paul Zuckerman B'nai-B'rith Foundation Committee Chairman Louis Weber Co-Chairmen David Bittker Dennis Rice Sol Moss Floyd Bornstein David M: Kaplan, Midwest Director. B'nai B'rith Foundation of the United States Lewis Alpert. Executive Director. Metropolitan Detroit B'nai B'rith Council Les Goldstein, Associate Director of Fund Raising Ernest Shaw Dinner Committee* ALAN E. SCHWARTZ 2 Belgians Cited for Aid to Jews WASHINGTON (JTA )— The government of Israel has awarded a Belgian woman, Mrs. Georgette Piron, and her mother, Mrs. Alice Goossens, now living in nearby Fairfax, Va., medals and certificates in recognition of helping to enable 38 Jews and non- Jews to elude deportation to work camps in Germany during the five years the Nazis. • occupied Belgi um.• 0 0 A67 LOUIS WEBER r; t ,f , •,f 11 Rabbi Howard Addison Mrs. Morris Adler Mrs. Ira Albion James A. Aliber Norman Allan Rabbi Daniel Allen Louis G. Allen Wendell W. Anderson, Jr. Frank D. Angelo John Anstandig Eugene Arden Maurice Aronsson A. H. Aymond Dr. Robert F. Bacher Ken Bannon Louis Barden James T. Barnes, Sr. Leonard Baron Donald E. Barns Sherwood Berman Harold Berry Irving Bitterman H. Glenn Bixby Hon. James Blanchard A. H. Bloch Ivan Bloch Dr. Herbert J. Bloom Paul Borman C E Bottum. Jr. Alfred H. Bounin Sam Braverman Hon. William M. Brodhead, Hon. William S. Broomfield' Horace Brown Lawrence Brown Hon. Ernest C. Browne, Jr. Hon. William Bryant John Bugas Hon. Benjamin D. Burdick Robert M. Burns Martin I. Butzel H. Fred Campbell Ward Canaday Allen Charlupski Martin E Citnn . J. T Clark Frederick Cody Phillip Conen Avern Cohn Samuel M: Cohodas Hon. John Conyers Nathan G. Conyers Hon. Daniel S. Cooper Richard W. Cordtz Jacques Cousin Rodkey Craighead Hon. Bobby Crim Wardell C. Croft Harry B. Cunningham Hugh C. Daly Donald F. DeGroot Daniel Demlow E M. de Windt - Morris Direnteld Lawrence P. Doss James E. Durham Mrs. Robert Ellis Wilber E. Elston Hon. Jack Faxon Hon. Norman Feder Dr. Leon Fill -.. Charles T. Fisher. Ill Edward Fishman Nathan Fishman Sam Fishman Hon. William Fitzgerald Dr. Robben W. Fleming Hon. Joseph Forbes Hon. Donald F. Fracassi - Samuel Frankel Sidney Freedland • Sam Freedman ••• John H. French, Jr. Joseph Frenkel Max Fridman Sandy Friedman Mrs. Gordon Fruitman Gene Gans Hans Gehrke, Jr. Richard C. Gerstenberg Edward J. Giblin William E. Giles Leonard E Goodall Kurt Gorwitz William T. Gossett Hon. Barry M. Grant Irving Grogan Ernest L. Grove, Jr. Hon. Lawrence Gubow John R. Hamann David B. Harper Dwight HIPvens John D. Hegarty Frank M. Hennessey Leondird Herman David B. Hermelin Richard C. Hoerner George M. Holley David B. Holtzman H. Clay Howell David Jaffa Harold S. Jaffa — William R. James Stephen Kaplan Sidney J. Karbal Hon. Charles Kaufman Hon. Nathan J. Kaufman Hon. Thomas G. avanagh Hon. Damon J. Keith Hon. George Kent Hyman Klein • Seman E. Knudsen Dr. Francis A. Kornegay Jeffrey R. Kravitz • Dr. Edward G. Kroll George L. Lahodny Irving Laker James Laker Mrs Ruth Landau Daniel A. Laven Joseph Lee Hon Carl Levin Yale Levin David Levine Walton A. Lewis Donald A. Lindow W. D. MacDonnell Robert Magill - Dr Richard E Marburger Dr. Bertram Marx Robert McBride John C. McCabe Robert E McCabe M. Frank McCaffrey Richard L. Measeire Allen W. Merrell Frank Merriman Arnold Michlin Norman Michlin Charles Milan Myron L. Milgrom Milton J. Miller Moe R. Miller Ralph Miller Paul S. Mirabito Charles R.,Montgomery Mrs. Linda Moss Hon. Lucien Nedzi Milford Nemer Donald D. O'Dowd Donald E. O'Neill Cantor Harold Orbach James Osborn Jack L. Otto David'Pollack Philip Power Longworth Quinn Sam Rich Gilbert F. Richards Dean E. Richardson Mrs. Harold A. Robinson Jack A Robinson Maurice Rosender Mrs. Sylvia Ross Ralph S. Rotn Robert D. Rowan Dr. Harold Rowe Mrs. Charles Ruben Nathan D. Rubenstein Marvin S. Ruby Rabbi William D. Rudolph George Russell Father J Samonie Harold J Samuels Bernard Schlussel Arthur Schott Douglas Schubot Louis Segel John Selby • Robert B. Semple Georoe Seyburn Nate S Shapero Asa Shapiro Jack Shenkman John H. Shepherd I. W. Sherr Hubert J. Sidlow Irving Siegel Mrs. Leonard M. Sims Joseph Slavik Eugene Sloan Philip Slomovitz Earl Smith Ernest M. Solomon Max Sosin Herbert Sott Robert A. Steinberg Phillip Stollman Rudolph Straus Peter W. Stroh Russell A. Swaney George Tarnotf Joel D. Tauber A. Alfred Taubman Dr. Hugh Thompson Lynn Townsend Herbert Triplett Thomas Turner Philip T. van Zile, 11 Lawrence J. Washington Max Wayburn Harry Weinberger Arnold J Weiner Louis L. Weinstein Milton M Weinstein Bernard Weisberg Harvey L. Weisberg Peter Weisberg Martin Weston Norman B Weston Dr. Clifton R. Wharton,k1r. Dolores D. Wharton Hon. G. Mennen Williams. Dr. Reginald Wilson Robert E. Winkel, Stanley J. Winkelman Hon,John M Wise James WoodruS Donald E Young "tcommittee in formation)