'Air.••• ■
22 Friday, December 18, 1981
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Hebrew Writing Expert Is Honored by Canadian Jewry
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Canadian scholar Prof. opened up several new
Solomon Asher Birnbaum, areas of research. One is
who will be 90 Thursday, Jewish languages. His
will be honored by latest book, entitled "Yid-
academic, spiritual and dish," was published by the
community leaders Sunday University of Toronto Press
in Toronto. The Canadian in 1979.
He is an authority on the
Jewish Congress and the
Toronto Jewish Public Lib-
rary are sponsoring this
community celebration.
Birnbaum's first research
was printed when he was
only 13 years old. In the 77
years since then, he has
-
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PROF. BIRNBAUM
development of Hebrew
writing, on which he wrote
the first comprehensive
work, a two-volume study
entitled "The Hebrew
Scripts."
When the Dead Sea
Scrolls were discovered
in 1947 by a shepherd boy
in the desert caves of
Qumran, not far from
Jericho, a great con-
troversy arose as to their
age. Dr. Birnbaum was
able to date them.
Prof. Birnbaum was born
in Vienna in 1891, eldest
son of Dr. Nathan
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Birnbaum, a seminal
Jewish thinker and activist,
whose stormy career took
him from the struggles of
the early founders of
Zionism (a term he coined)
long before Theodor Herzl,
to the discovery of his re-
ligious roots and the crea-
tion of a new order of
spiritual renascence, the
"Olim" ("the Ascenders") in
his later years.
Solomon Birnbaum con-
ducted research in Central
and Eastern Europe, and,
after escaping from the
Nazis, in England. He
taught at London Univer-
sity for more than 20 years.
With his wife and col-
Dr.
Irene,
laborator
Birnbaum settled in
Canada in 1970, to join their
sons, Toronto University
Prof. Eleazar Birnbaum, a
specialist in Middle Eastern
languages and literatures;
and David Birnbaum, an
environmental expert, city
planner and architect.
His eldest son, Jacob
Birnbaum, founder and
(U.S.) national director of
the Center for Russian and
East European Jewry and of
the Student Struggle for
Soviet Jewry, lives in New
York, and his daughter, Eva
Guttentag, lives in Eng-
land.
Jewry Told to Encourage
Participation of the Deaf
NOW!
BEN SHECTER
•••:• -•••••k,•••••••!•000.
NEW YORK (JTA) — . He suggested a new word
Members of a panel of deaf derived from the biblical
leaders and professional ex- term describing Moses. "In
perts at a conference here by the story of Exodus, Moses
the New York Society for goes to the Pharaoh, accom-
the Deaf called on the panied by his brother,
Jewish community to take Aaron, because he is 'hard of
the initiative to enable speech,' " Feldman said. "In
Jewish deaf persons to par- other words, Moses needed
ticipate more fully in an interpreter. Yet look at
what he accomplished."
Jewish life.
The experts asserted that
Feldman's words were
Jewish religious law and translated into both Ameri-
tradition assign those Jews can sign language and
born deaf "a second-class signed English by two in-
citizenship."
terpreters flanking the con-
Dr. Jerome Schein, presi- ference podium. Deaf
dent of the society and pro- speakers communicated in
fessor of rehabilitation at sign languages and were
New York University, said simultaneously interpreted
that what was at issue was orally.
the talmudic lumping of the
Elyse Goldstein, a stu-
deaf with "minors, idiots dent rabbi at Temple
and lunatics." The society is Beth-Or in Flushing, N.Y.,
a member agency of the described at the conference
Federation of Jewish as one of three accredited
Philanthropies.
congregations for the deaf
Rabbi David Feldman in the United States, told of
of Brooklyn decried the unique . religious dilemmas
"religious stigma" still at- she encountered.
tached to deafness
The student rabbi stres-
among Jews and sed the rich visual vocabul-
criticized the Hebrew ary of Judaism, including
term for that affliction, the colorful Seder plate and
"Heyresh," as one he be- the beauty of the Torah
lieved was too full of scrolls. She suggested it is
negative implications to
not always necessary to use
remain in use.
spoken words.
The participants were
told that earlier genera-
tions of rabbis had feared Yemenite Chants
deaf Jews would be vulner- Detailed in Book
able to exploitation if they
were not protected in busi- from Bar-Ilan
ness and personal dealings.
RAMAT-GAN — Dr. Uri
'Restrictions were there-
Sharvit, of the Department
fore established barring
of Musicology at Bar - Ilan
equal participation for them
University, in co-operation
in Jewish society. Confer-
with the Ministry of Educa-
ence participants asserted
tion and Culture, has pub-
that the result has been that lished "A Treasury of
deaf Jews have suffered
Jewish Yemenite Chants"
centuries of inequity.
containing 100 chants for
The conference was told
the rich heritage of Yeme-
that Bar Mitzvas and the
nite music.'
Jewish education of deaf
The choice, presentation
children have long been
and
evaluation was done
neglected. Traditional Jews
Dr. Sharvit from the recorv_
still do not count deaf adults
ings by the late Yehiel
for a minyan and the Tal-
Adaqi. The book contains an
mud bars deaf Jews from
extensive introduction by
buying and selling prop-
Dr. Sharvit with explana-
erty.
tions regarding the con-
In discussing these
struction and performance
bans, Rabbi --Feldman
of Yemenite traditional
said "those traditions
music in general.
and interpretations of
For information on ob-
law need to be reconsi-
taining the book, which is
dered. The deaf have
written in English and He-
been cut off from adult
brew, contact Bar - Ilan
responsibility so long
University, Dept. of Public
that the Hebrew word for
Relations, Rant - Gan, Is-
deaf sounds tainted to
rael.
us."