'Air.••• ■ 22 Friday, December 18, 1981 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Hebrew Writing Expert Is Honored by Canadian Jewry THE STADIUM FOR YOUR HOLIDAY SHOPPING NEEDS Large Selection of Warmup Suits, Hand Painted and Velours 20% DANSKINS FOR EXERCISE & AEROBICS LATEST FASHION LEG WARMERS Off MICHIGAN, MICHIGAN STATE- CLOTHING, SWEATS and NOVELTIES THE STADIUM Hunters Square, Orchard Lake nr. 14 Mile 855-4460 Farmington Hills Open Daily: 10 a.m., Sunday, 12 noon 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 - ORDER YOUR AMC/JEEP RENAULT ALSO FEATURING PONTIAC, FIAT AND LANCIA TY R 110IWI MOON EELEI i711111 110A0 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 Unlimited Visits, Vapor Steam Room, Rock Sauna, Dry Sauna, Whirlpool, Slumber Room, Wet Lounge with chaises and TV, Sun Deck, Designated Parking, Exercise Room, Game & Card Room (plus extras like Massage and All-Day Breakfast ► , 365 days a year, $395* a year. No initiation fee. Open 365 days a year from 6 AM. Limited offer for new members only. Racquetball, Squash & Handball Membership also available. *Full payment required on this special limited offer. EXECUTIVE ATHLETIC CLUB 103 TRAVELERS TOWER • 26555 EVERGREEN • SOUTHFIELD, MI 48076 • (313) 354-8080 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."