i! 1 f3 !CV! !'q
8 Friday, March 9, 1919
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
A History of the Menorah Movement in U.S., at U-M
By IRVING I. KATZ
Executive Secretary
Temple Beth El
The Menorah movement
originated at Harvard Uni-
versity in 1966, with the
formation , of the first
Menorah Society "for the
study and advancement of
Jewish culture and ideals."
Influenced by the "new
humanism" then being
propounded in Cambridge
by such figures as William
James and George San-
tayana, the society sought
to pursue the study of
humanistic values in
Judaism and to develop a
positive intellectual rela-
tionship to Jewish tradition
and belief.
Among the founders of
the Harvard- Menorah
Society were Isadore Levin
and I. Leo Sharfman. Levin,
son of Detroit's Rabbi
Yehudah Leib Levin and
one of the first Detroiters to
attend Harvard, served as
president of the Harvard
Menorah Society.
Sharfinan, who served for
many years as professor of
economics at the University
of Michigan, was later
elected president of the In-
tercollegiate Menorah
Association (IMA), formed
"in 1913 at COlumbia Uni-
versity by representatives
of 13 Menorah societies, the
first intercollegiate Jewish
body of its kind, which even-
tually numbered over 80
chapters.
The - association, aca-
demic in nature, was stres-
sing the intellectual pur-
pose; it was not a sectarian
organization or a social one.
It was non-partisari.
In 1918, the faculty di-
vision of the movement
the Meniirah Educa-
tional Conference — was
established. In -1922, 1923
and 1930 there were ses-
sions of the Menorah
Summer School in New
York. In 1927, there was a
national Menorah Con-
ference in New York, on
"The Spiritual Situation
of the Jew in America."
In 1929 the various
branches of the movement
— student, faculty,
graduates, an _ d other sup-
porters in the community
were incorporated into "The
Menorah Association, Inc."
With the proclamation of
the Balfour Declaration in
November 1917, the politi-
cal nature of Zionism ac-
quired a new legitimacy.
The Intercollegiate Zionist
Association and later Av-
ukah (Student Zionist Fed-
eration) called upon
Menorah to merge with
them but IMA respOnded
angrily to what it perceived
as the unwarranted arro-
gance of the Zionists. Its
history of non-partisanship
in political affairs, ulti-
mately placed Menorah in
the anti-Zionist camp.
Menorah's fears of a
Zionist takeover were well
founded as the Zionist
Youth Movement made
major inroads into the
Menorah ranks. Another
challenge to IMA was the
emergence of the Bnai Brith
Hillel Foundations in 1923.
Unlike the Jewish
fraternity, Hillel mem-
bership was open to all
Jews, regardless of fi-
nancial status. In con-
trast to Menorah, cul-
tural activities were only
_a small part of Hillel's
program. Hillel spon-
sored religious services,
study groups, socials,
and athletics as well.
Concerned about the
.
A Factor in Bone Cancer
Found at Hebrew University
JERUSALEM — A
breakthrough in under-
standing the formation,
growth and healing of bones
has been achieved by scien-
tists at the Hebrew Univer-
sity of Jerus a lem. The dis-
covery sheds new light on
the development of bone
cancer.
Prof.-Jona Sela of the oral
pathology division in the
University's Faculty of
Dental Medicine and col-
leagues have demonstrated
the existence in bones of
certain minute structures
called "extracellular matrix
vesicles," which are respon-
sible for initiating the proc-
ess of calcification and os-
sification.
These vesicles were
previously known to
exist only in cartilage and
in the bones of fetuses.
The discovery — which
was presented by Prof.
Sela at an international
conference in New York
last summer — showi
that the healing of bone
fractures and the de-
velopment of bone
cancer may be _ governed
by the same biological
process which is set in
motion by these vesicles.
The presence of the vesi-
—
des during fracture healing
and bone cancer shows that
different tissues in different
states of crisis have -a com-
mon, universal means of
starting the calcification
process. This knowledge is
very Significant for under-
standing the process of os-
sification in bone cancer.
Bond Cash Chief
Named in NY
NEW YORK — Stanley J.
Hatoff of Boston has been
named national cash
mobilization chairman for
the 1979 campaign of State
of Israel Bonds.
A member of the National
Campaign Cabinet for the
past two years, Hatoff also
has been general chairman
of the Israel Bond campaign
of Greater Bostin since
1976. He was a founding
member of the Prime Minis-
ter's Club in 1974 and con-
tinues to be a member.
The newly-appointed
chairman has held many
key leadership positions for
Israel Bonds, and has re-
ceived many honors, includ-
ing the Shield of Israel
Award in 1977 and the Man
of the Year Award in 1978.
popularity of Hillel and
the dwindling of its own
membership, Menorah
decided in 1927 to begin
talks of merger between
the two organizations,
but well into the 1930's
nothing came of it.
The indifference of most
college students, the hostil-
ity of the Zionists, the fi-
nancial strength of Hillel,
and changed conditions in
American Jewry, forced
Menorah to give up its
existence- in the 1930's.
The Menorah Society of
the University of Michigan
was organized on Feb. 27,
1910.
It became an active cam-
pus organization, with a
well defined cultural pur-
pose, beginning the aca-
demic year of 1912-13, when
it had a membership of 60
out of a total Jewish student
body of 200.
Each meeting was ad-
dressed by members of
the U-M faculty, or a pre-
sentation was made of
original papers by the
student members of the
society.
Among the guest speak-
ers were Rabbi Leo M.
Franklin of Detroit's Tem-
ple Beth El, Rabbi Abraham
M. Hershman of Detroit's
Cong. Shaarey Zedek and
Prof. Sharfman.
The Michigan Menorah
Society was represented by
Samuel M. Levin and Jacob
Levin at the Western
Menorah Society Confer-
ence at the University of
Chicago in 1912.
came a charter member.
Present at the founding
convention of the IMA at
the University of Chicago
was Isador Becker,
president of the Michigan
Menorah Society.
At the second conven-
tion of thelMA, held at
Columbia University in
December, 1913, the U-M
Chapter was represented
by Prof. Sharfman and
Isador Becker. Sharfman
was elected national
president and' Becker na-
tional secretary. Prof.
Sharfman, who came to
U-M in 1912, gave a great
deal of his time and effort
to the welfare of the U of
M Menorah Chapter. His
home was always open to
its members.
Jacob M. Braude, who be-
came a prominent judge in
Chicago, served as
president of U-M Menorah
Chapter in 1916-1917.
Philip Slomovitz, publisher
and editor of the Detroit
Jewish News, served as
president in 1917-1918.
Serving with Slomovitz as
secretary was Lawrence
Seltzer, for many years pro- _
fessor of economics at
Wayne State Universtiy,
now retired.
According to Slomovitz,
the U-M Menorah Chapter
stopped functioning in 1919
or 1920. Slomovitz was also
involved in the founding of
the Intercollegiate Zionist
Association and served as
its national vice president.
100
■ ■
E. LAMPRON
Custom
Carpet
Furniture
Cleaning
Over 30 Yrs. Exp.
531-5252
MOVING •
irIMININININIIMMININ
11111
11b,
Priced Sale of Household Contents
Conducted In Your Home
Estates Liquidated
EDMUND FRANK & CO.
Liquidators and Appraisers
368-4044
875-7650
Large selection of rings
watches and other fine jewelry
14 and 18 K GOLD
Diamonds and Fine Jewelry
These services done on premises
• Jewelry Repair
• Watch Repair
• Restringing
When the Intercollegiate
Menorah Association was
formed at the University of
Chicago in 1913, the Michi-
gan Menorah Society be-:
No Job Too Small
WEINTRAtti
Pizza at Purim
"Where the customer comes first"
Quality jewelers for 3 generations
A children's Purim party
can be enlivened by serving
new Chef Boyardee's Pizza
in a Skillet. Mixed in a bowl
and skillet, the new pizza
treat is ready in 20 minutes.
All bankards honored
Mon.-Fri. 9 to 5 Sat. 9-3
23077 Greenfield Advance Bldg. suite 389 Sfld.
557-5544
-
•
Samson &Delilah
JCC Health Club
Special
During the month of MARCH - the Jewish
Community Center is offering a "Samson &
Delilah" Health Club Special for ... $35
per person
You'll receive . . .
,/ 30-Day Trial Health Club Membership
,/ Complimentary Haircut with Mario in the
Center's Barber Shop
,/ One Free Massage
P.S. Our Samson got his haircut, our Delilah got her mas-
sage, and they BOTH enjoyed the Health Club Trial
Membership!
ONE TRIAL MEMBERSHIP PER PERSON
PER 12-MONTH PERIOD
Well, I sure
could usea
massage!
f