62a FIMay, Seger* 19, 1911I THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Israel Education Official Dies TEL AVIV (JTA) — Leah Porat, a former senior offi- cial of the Education Minis- try who exerted a strong influence on cultural life in Israel, died here at age 58. Born in Czernowitz, Russia, Ms. Porat came to pre-state Israel as a child. She began her career as an announcer on the British-controlled Voice of Jerusalem Radio, the Hebrew section of the Palestine Broadcasting Service in the Mandate period. Later she was a producer and director of various pro- grams, mainly children's hours and programs of poetry and literary readings. In 1961, she was appointed director of pro- grams of the Israel Broad- casting Service. From 1968 to 1970 she served as Consul for Cul- tural Affairs at the Israel Consulate in Boston. After returning to Israel she joined the Education Ministry and was placed in charge of its cultural activities. In that capacity, Ms. Porat headed a public com- mittee on art and culture which decided such matters as grants and allocations to various institutions of art and culture. She retired last year after completing 10 years in that post. Harold Clurman, Theater Critic NEW YORK — Harold Clurman, theater director, critic, author and teacher, died Sept. 9 at age 78. Mr. Clurman brought to the attention of theater- goers the plays of Clifford Odets, Irwin Shaw and William Saroyan and intro- duced the acting method of Constantin Staislaysky to the national stage. In the commission of evil, fear no man so much as thy- self. Wfat F4)°1 THE JEWISH NEWS has something for everyone -- no matter. what the age or sex To: The Jewish News 17515 W. 9 Mile Rd., Suite 865 Southfield, Mich. 48075 Please send a year's gift subscription to: NAME ADDRESS FOR: ZIP state occasion FROM 1111 $15 enclosed .a to her then, at the Franklin Hills Country Club, to call attention to her absence. Miss Prussian, who re- . tired in 1976, founded the Detroit Service Group in 1926. She later was elected its secretary. She was involved in fund-raising and com- munal planning throughout her career and helped in the de- velopment of the Federa- tion Women's and Junior Divisions. Miss Prussian helped or- ganize the first DSG mis- sion to Israel and the DSG Stag Day. On the 60th anniversary of the United Jewish Charities, Miss Prussian was honored "for her service to the community." Born in Boston, Miss Prussian came to Detroit in 1922. She leaves nieces and nephews, including Charles David and Gordon Prus- sian, Mrs. Ruth Skulsky, Mrs. Elaine Foreman and Mrs. Delphine Wein. ESTHER PRUSSIAN Ben Wigder, Distinguished Reporter, Volunteer in JNF Services, Dead at 81 Benjamin F. Wigder was among the most distin- guished reporters in De- troit's journalistic history. The name Ben Wigder was like a password opening doors to the most important offices, to the leaders in the judiciary and politics. He became known for the accu- racy in his reporting and his ability to analyze develop- ments in the areas he covered for the Detroit News for 40 years, the, last 28 as chief of the Federal Jason Bradley Kott, a sixth grade student at Warner Middle School in Farmington Hills, was kil- led Tuesday afternoon at Adat Shalom Synagogue when a 1,000-pound billiard table top, temporarily stored in a hallway, fell on top of .him. Jason was wait- ing in the hallway for his Hebrew school- class to be- gin. He was 10 years old. He leaves his parents, Dr. and Mrs. David (Charlene) Kott; two brothers, Ian and Jeiemy; his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Ben (Sally) Kott and Mr. and Mrs. Sid- ney Peller; and his great- grandmother, Mrs. Mollie Steiner. giachine! STATE Esther Prussian was the symbol of community build- ing. The structuring of the Detroit Jewish Welfare Federation, the rise of the Detroit Service Group, were linked with the services she rendered here for more than half a century. Her death, on Tuesday, at age 86, ended a career of distinc- tion. The Detroit Service Group annual Stag Day on Sept. 3 was the only one she had missed in her long career, and honor was paid Jason Kott, 10 -ALL THE NEWS VS/4,v CITY Esther Prussian, Pioneer in Detroit Jewish Community Structuring, Agency Builder news staff. He died Sunday at the age of 81. Although his special interst was the Detorit News Federal beat, Ben Wigder gave much of his free time to Jewish inter- ests. He was ready to write a story about Jewish de- velopments and for a number of years he was a regular at meetings and public rallies of the Jewish National Fund, serving the cause in a volunteer capacity, in behalf of JNF and often for other Zionist causes. He was a volunteer worker for the Detroit chapter of the Federal Bar Association, of which he was an honorary member and served as an unpaid publicist, and for the Michigan Heart Association. He was a friend of judges and often was seen having lunch with many of his friends in the judiciary at More Persecution in 20th Century In the wake of 20th cen- tury political developments — notably, the establish- ment of independent Arab states and the rebirth of sovereign Israel — persecu- Jacob Kaplan tion of the Jews was inten- Jacob J. Kaplan, a retired sified. They were deprived meat merchant, died Sept. of their elementary human rights, their property was 14 at age 81. Born in Scranton, Pa., confiscated, their citizen- Mr. Kaplan lived 61 years ship revoked, pogroms were in Detroit. He was a organized against them member of Adat Shalom with the tacit consent of the Synagogue, Jewish War authorities. They were expelled en Veterans Post 135, Perfec- tion Lodge of the Masons masse or, to save their lives, and a life member of the De- were compelled to flee, com- pletely destitute, leaving troit Consistory. He leaves his wife, Fan- behind incalculable per- nie; two sons, Dr. Earl and sonal and communal wealth Robert; two sisters, Mrs. and forfeiting their rightful Howard (Ruth) MacKinder share in the natural re- and Mrs. Dorothy Mazov of sources of their native land. Hawaii; six grandchildren and three great- Murray Sutkin grandchildren. Murray Sutkin, former owner of Murray J. Sutkin 0. Borenstein Insurance Agency in South- Oscar Borenstein, former field, died Sept. 16 at age 77. co-owner of Zeman's Bak- Mr. Sutkin founded his ery, died Sept. 16. company in 1925. He leaves two daughters, He leaves his wife, Sylvia; Mrs. Sam (Ethel) Last and a son, Richard; two daugh- Mrs. Herman (Beatrice) ters, Mrs. Donald (Aileen) Anchill; four grandchildren Cooper of New York and Ms. and four great- Judith Rich; two sisters and grandchildren. five grandchildren. Detroit area, in honor of his years of covering Social Se- curity stories. A native of Milwaukee, Wis., Mr. Wigder was graduated from the Univer- sity of Wisconsin and worked for the Buffalo Courier, the Buffalo News and the Minneapolis Tribune before joining the Detroit News in 1924. BENJAMIN WIGDER the Detroit Press Club. In 1966, he was issued the first Medicare card in the Mr. Wigder leaves a son, William; and a sister, Mrs. Adolph (Clara) Emerson of Two Rivers, Wis. Havdala Service Explained By RABBI SAMUEL FOX (Copyright 1980, JTA, Inc.) The Havdala ceremony is the ritual in which a Jew takes leave of the Holy Sab- bath and prepared to enter the weekday activities of the rest of the week. There are those who claim that this experience makes a Jew sad and regret- ful for having to take leave of the Sabbath. The spices_ used during' the -service brace him with a pleasant aroma to help him survive the change and continue his life during the week. Some claim that the sad- ness is possibly due to the fact that on the Sabbath the Jew acquires an extra spiritual dimension.called a "Neshama Yeseirah" which he regrets to lose after the Sabbath is over. Others claim that the fires of Gehenna (hell) are UN Resolution Calls for Solution to Refugee Issue United Nations Sec•ifity Council Resolution 24`,, the widely accepted basis of any future settlement of the con- flict in the Middle East, states clearly "the necessity for a just settlement of the refugee problem" as an es- sential precondition for the establishment of "a just and lasting peace." It specifi- cally refers to the "refugee problem" and not to the "Arab refugee problem." This formulation resulted from intensive negotiations at the time between United States and the Soviet Union — the latter pressing for the more restrictive formula. quieted during the Sab- bath and light up again after the Sabbath is over, thus threatening the soul with punishment after the Sabbath. Others are more practical and explain that the Sab- bath had freed the Jew from regular obligations of labor and after the Sabbath is over he has to look forward to going back to his tasks of labor after a pleasant re- spite. More Americans Visiting Israel NEW YORK — American tourism to Israel increased by 21% this June in corn- parison with June 1979. Air arrivals by Americans in Is- rael increased 23% over the previous year — as a result of the new low-cost charter flights available from New York to Tel Aviv. These statistics compare favorably with American tourism to Europe, many of whose tourist offices are re- porting significant declines in 1980. So far this yea - 143,000 Americans have sited Israel. Charter Flight NEW YORK — Air Florida is planning a weekly schedule of charter flights from New York to Tel Aviv beginning Dec. 18, 1980 using DC10 jet equip- ment. Business Class NEW YORK — El Al Is- rael Airlines has introduced a "Business Class" on its Miami and New York to Tel Aviv Boeing 747 flights.