54 Friday, January 20, 1978
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
OBITUARIES
° 'The 17 shiva' Recreates the Past
By ALLEN WARSEN
Chaim Grade's "The Ye-
shiva: Masters and Dis-
ciples, Vol. II" (Bobbs-
Merrill ), translated from
the Yiddish by Curt Leviant,
-is the story of a talmudic
academy and encompasses
every aspect of its life.
It describes its joys and
sorrows; portrays its resi-
dents; and reflects their
ideals, hopes and frustra-
tions. In addition, it deli-
neates the general. Jewish
community: its institutions
and people.
To summarize the novel's
plot is an impossibility since
it is not continuous and re-
sembles a winding river
with its uneven tributaries.
Tsemakh Atlas, head-
master of the yeshiva, is a
complex personality, tor-
mented by mental and emo-
tional conflicts and con-
tradictions. "Once he had
burrowed into philosophical
tests that prove the exist-
ence of the First Cause, but
now he ,knew that a deity
discovered through logic
was not a God sensed in the
heart."
Reb Avraham-Shaye,
saint, sage and scholar; is
the author of The Vision of
Avraham." Unlike Tse-
makh, Reb Avraham-Shaye
is spiritually and in-
tellectually a whole and
complete personality. For
him "Torah wisdom is the
joy of life."
Chaikl Vilner matured
spiritually under the super-
vision of his teacher, Reb
Avraham-Shaye and the ye-
shiva. However, "outside"
influences also affected
him. They contributed to his
becoming a poet instead of
a rabbi. Interestingly, he
was once warned: "If you
dial want to wither away
in hell, stay away from
those little ditties as from a
pit full of snakes."
Reb Shlomo-Motte,
Chaikl's father, was a
"maskil," "an intellectual
who sought secular as well
as Hebrew learning." His
life path "was diametrically
opposite to that of Reb Av-
raham-Shaye." Though ex-
tremely poor, he greatly
valued his sole possession,
his library. It consisted of
books by Spanish Jewish
philosophers, Mendelson's
• German Bible written in
Hebrew characters, and
books_ by Lithuanian "mas-
kilim."
Even during the last mo-
ments of his life, "He never
once took his glance from
the shelves of_books; he was
bidding them farewell."
A distinctive type was
Moshe Chayit Lohoysker. A
descendant of a rabbinic
family, he was smuggled
out of Russia to be brought
up in his. ancestral ways.
Instead, he became a non-
conformist and free-thinker.
As a result, he was ostra-
cized by his colleagues and
expelled from the yeshiva.
Ironically, he felt a sense
of gratitude when he was
asked once by a synagogue
beadle (shames) to help
form a minyan.
He reasoned, "Sometimes
a person wants to feel that
he's note superfluous in the
world—that someone still
needs him, even if, its only
for a little while, and.even if
it's only by being a 10th for
a minyan.
Reb Hirshe Gordon was a
religious fanatic and leader
of the "kulturkamf" against
the "modernists." tie was
the type that was known in
East European Jewish com-
munities by the sobriquet
"takif"—"the mighty boss."
It should be noted that
every one of the book's
characters deserves to be
studied and evaluated.
It is beyond the scope of
this review to examine the
novel's innumerable epi-
sodes—nearly all 'dramatic
and abounding in suspense.
Nevertheless, we will.. cite
the novel's most dramatic
episode— the scene wherein
Tsemakh Atlas humiliates
himself while pleading Aith
Falk Namiot, the father of
his former fiancee Dvorele,
for forgiveness for the suf-
fering he had caused his
daughter by renouncing his
engagement to her:
"When Tsemakh heard
that his form_er fiancee was
dead, he lay down in front of
her house and pressed his
face into the soft autumnal
earth. Falk Namiot stepped
over the long, outstretched
body, went into his house,
and locked the door behind
him. "People gathered
around the handsome man,
begging him to rise. But he
UN Refugee Chief
UNITED NATIONS —
Former Danish Prime Min-
ister Poul Hartling has
taken over as UN high com-
missioner for refugees.
The High Commissioner's
Office covers three million
refugees — but excludes
those in the Middle East,
who are served by the UN
Relief Works Agency.
Hartling, a former church
minister, became active in-
relief work during the 1956
revolt in Hungary. He was
Denmark-1s prime Minister
from 1973 to 1975.
didn't move or reply...Falk
Namiot emerged from his
house with a thick walking
BENJAMIN B. ARON-
SON, 81, 15306 Northgate
Blvd., Oak Park, died Jan.
14. Survived by his wife,
Lena; three sons, Joseph L.,
Saul, Aaron of California;
two daughters, Mrs. Leo
(Anne) Flores of Sumner,
Wash., and Mrs. Gerald
(Martha) Sable; and 18
grandchildren and 19
great-grandchildren.
-
CHAIM GRADE
stick under his antra his
way to the Afternoon Serv-
ice.
"Seeing that Tsernakh
vas still lying in front of his
door, Namiot stepped on
him as if he were a carpet.
Tsemakh rose, his face and
beard smeared with mud,
and blocked Namiot's path.
" 'Please forgive me,' he
said. Falk Namiot whipped
the walking stick from un-
der his arm and waved it
over the head of the peti-
tioner, who stood with arms
slack, waiting for the death
blow. But Namiot had con-
cluded that it wouldn't be
wise to kill a man, so he
spat in his face and went to
Pray..."
Chaim Grade in "The Ye-
shiva: Masters and Dis-
ciples" recreated artistic-
ally and realistically,
vividly and percjptively a
past "gone with fire."
ZOA Membership
Drive Launched
NEW YORK — A nation-
wide membership campaign
is under way by the Zionist
Organization of America in
honor of Israel's 30th anni-
versary, according to, Isaac
M. Oberman, national mem-
bership chairman of the
ZOA. The campaign will
continue through May 31.
American ORT
National Meeting
NEW YORK—The 56th
annual national conference
of the American ORT Fed-
eration to be • held in New
York Jan. 20-22, will be ded-
icated to the theme: "Is-
rael's 30th Anniversary and
30 Years of ORT in Israel."
Gush Not Backed
POUL HARTLING
FANNIE ADELSON, 78,
died Jan. 18. She leaves her
husband, William; two sons,
Dr. Seymour and Dr. Irwin;
a sister, Mrs. Irving (Ger-
trude ). Stern; and five
grandchildren. Services 1
p.m. today at Ira Kaufman
Chapel.
* * *
*_**
SARAH M. BLOCH, 80,
died Jan. 18. She leaves two
daughters, Mrs. Albert
(Mildred) White and Mrs.
Richard J. (Helen) Bayles;
a brother; Morris Order; a
sister, Mrs. Leah Gordon;
five grandchildren and a
great-grandson.
* * *
PHILIP CAMERON, 69,
former. Detroiter of Miami
Beach, Fla., died Jan. 1.
Survived by his wife, Mol-
lie; two daughters, Mrs.
Jerry (Gail) Winter and
Mrs. Frederick (Paula)
Grinnell; a brother, Orvie of
Minneapolis, Minn. ; a sis-
ter, Mrs. Julius (Ethel)
Manosevitz ;- and three
grandchildren.
.
***
ANNA ERENSTE1N, 93,
17556 Jeanette, Southfield,
died Jan. 12. She leaves two
daughters, Mrs. Edward
(Florence) Blau and Mrs.
Sid (Gertrude) Siegel. of
Dallas, Texas; two grand-
children and one great-
grandchild.
* * *
NATHAN WILLIAM
GENDELMAN, 58, 22277 W.
12 Mile, Southfield, died
Jan. 12. Survived by a
daughter, Mrs. Aaron (Ron?
na Lynn). Rives of Des
Plaines, Ill. ; three brothers,
Murray of the Bronx, N.Y.,
Raymond and Irving; and a
sister, Mrs. Sylvia Lisnitzer
of Forest Hills, N.Y.
***
SAMUEL GOLD, 80, 20500
Knob Woods Dr., Southfield,
died Jan. 17. Survived by his
Marygrove Offers
Religions Course
NEW YORK . (ZINS) — In
Marygrove College is of-
an interview in the Hebrew
fering a new course, The
daily Maariv, Orthodox _ Long Search, an exam-
leader Rabbi Joseph Solo-
ination the world's major
veitchik said he does not
religions. The course will be
endorse the policies of the
based on a 13-part public
television series of the same
Gush Emunim, who want to
retain Judea and Samaria
name on Channel' 56 debut-
at all costs.
ing in February.
Rabbi Soloveitchik said
Three semester hours of
preservation of life
undergraduate credit will be
(pekuakh nefesh) was more
offered at the conclusion of
important than dedication
the class. For registration
and commitment (mesirat
information, call the col-
nefesh).
lege, 862-8000, ext. 240.
wife, Sonia; a son, Fred;
and two grandchildren.
** *
LILLIAN GROSS, 76,
21610 Kipling, Oak Park,
died Jan. 12. Survived by
two sons, Jack and Paul J.;
a brother, Abraham Licht of
Florida; two sisters, Mrs.
Mollie Levin and Mrs. Jack
Schlein, both of New York;
-,six grandchildren and one
great-grandchild.
** *
DAVID HOROWITZ, 82,
3500 John R., Detroit, died
Jan. 13. Survived by a son,
Aaron of Dayton, Wash.; a
daughter, Mrs. Kenneth
(Luba) Montgomery of Sey-
mour, Ind. ; a brother, Hy-
man; a sister, Mrs. Rose
Baron; seven grandchildren
and one great-grandchild.
** *
SARAH KAPLAN, 79,
17648 Adrian, Southfield,
died Jan. U. Survived by
two sons, Phillip and Her-
man; a daughter, Mrs. Har-
old (Edith) Lax; a sister,
Mrs. Jack Berkowitz.; seven
grandchildren and one
great-grandchild.
* ** •
MARIA KLEIN, :•:, 17309
_Doris, Livonia, died Jan. 15.
She leaves a son, Alex Reri
of North Miami Beach,
Fla. • two daughters, Mrs.
Frank (Hedy) Kis of Rego
Park, N.Y., and Mrs.
Thomas (Pearl) Mauthner;
three grandchildren and
three great-grandchildren.
** *
FREDA KRAKOW, 85,
29010 Barmoc,,,kburn, Farm-
ington Hills, died Jan. 17.
Survived by two sons, Louis
and Jack; a daughter, Mrs.
Elmer (Patricia) Muzza-
'relli ; 15 grandchildren and
20 great-grandchildren.
* * *
FANNY KREIDMAN, 72,
former Detroiter of Los An-
geles, Calif., died Jan. 9.
Survived by two sons, David
and S. Jon, both of LoS
Angeles; two daughters,
Mrs. Harold (Areva) Gin-
sberg of Southfield and Mrs.
Rose Schneider of Los An-
geles; 10 grandchildren and
11 great-grandchildren. In-
terment Los Angeles.
** *
MAX LANSKY, 67, - died
Jan. 16. He leaves his wife,
Bernice; two, daughters,
Mrs. Myron (Claire)
Abrams and Mrs. Brian
(Wendy) Yaffa of Lansing;
a brother, Abe; and three
grandchildren.
* * *
LOUIS LEEDS, 79, 2332
Park Ave., Detroit, died
Jan. 12. No known survi-
vors.
** *
ALEXANDER LICHT, 90,
20955 Virginia, Southfield,
died Jan. 16. Survived by his
wife, Bertha ; two sons, Ger-
ald L. and Norman C. of
Potsdam, N.Y.; and seven
grandchildren.
** *
DAVID MANILOFF, 82,
of Long Beach, N.Y., died
Jan. 12. He leaves three
sons, Irwin of Southfield,
Arthur of New York and
Norman of Texas; one
brother, one sister, nine
grandchildren and two
great-grandchildren. Inter-
ment New York.
* *, *
PAULINE 1VIATLIN, 79,
15223 Northgate Blvd., Oak
Park, died Jana 14. Survived
by two daughters, Mrs.
Morey (Rose) Patrick and
Mrs. Marshall (Marcia)
Graham of North Holly-
wood, Calif.; two siste
Mrs. Goldie Fink of
wood, Fla., and Mrs. Fat
Fink; and five grand-
children.
FANNY . RAZNIK, 88,
19100 W. Seven Mile, De-
troit, died Jan. 13. Survived
by 'a son, Phillip; two
daughters, Mrs. Bernard
(Mollie) Gaspar and Mrs.
Hyman (Eva) Bryman of
Sherman Oaks, Calif. ; nine
grandchildren and five
great-grandchildren.
* * *
BERTHA RIBIAT, 80,
24621 Kipling, Oak Park,
died Jan. 14. Survived by
her husband, Dave; three
daughters, Mrs. Leonard
(Rose) Rosenblatt, Mrs. Ar--
nold (Ruth) Morris and
Mrs. Phillip (Ann) Dembs;
two sons, Harry and Jack of
California; a brother, Jack
Siegel of New • Jersey; two
sisters, Margaret of Pitts-
burgh, Pa., and Chaya of
Israel; 12 grandchildren;
and seven great-grand-
children.
JOSEPH M. ROSSON, 78,
10420 Corning, Oak Park,
died Jan. 13. Survived by a
daughter, Mrs. Akivah
(Henrietta) Drasnin; a
brother, Sigmund Ross; and
two grandchildren.
IRVING TEPER, 62, died
Jan. 16. He leaves two sons,
Gerald and Michael of Pem-
broke Pines, Fla. ; a broth-
er, Abe of Caseville; two
sisters, Mrs. Max (Elaine)
Liftoff and Mrs. Benjamin
(Cecily) Sandler; and eight
grandchildren.
***
ISAAC WALDFOGEL, 91,
died Jan. 17. Survived by a
son, Harold; two daughters,
Mrs. Rachel Manela of Ann
Arbor and Mrs. Frank (Ida)
Milgrom; and seven
grandchildren. -
***
IGNAC WEISS, 73, 23740
Carriage Hill Rd., South-
field, died Jan. 17. Survived
by his wife, Margaret; a
brother, Martin of Brook-
lyn, N.Y.
* * *
BARRY WINEBER.G, 74,
died Jana 12. He leaves a
son, Sidney of Encino, -Ca-
lif.; a daughter, Mrs. Eu-
gene (Barbara) Citron; a
brother, Jack of Toronto;
two sisters, Mrs. William
(Rose) Tamarkin and Mrs.
George (Helen) Meltzer;
and four grandchildren.