The Detroit Jewish News October 26, 1984 Page Image 31

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Friday, October 26, 1984

BOOKS

i►

Author's allegory written for kids
carries a message for everyone

BY JEFFREY GUYER
Staff Writer

Over the years, our sages and
N, rabbis have often told stories or
parables to explain concepts from
the Torah or Judaic lore. They
have used various components of
their stories, including the char-
acters, incidents, names and other
, details, to refer to those very con-
cepts which need elaboration.
Every so often, a good book comes
along which does the same thing.
The King Who Came Back is a
story told in this classic Chasidic
genre. Avraham ben Yaakov has
woven a clever fantasy for young
readers and uses it as an allegory,
teaching the basic tenets of faith
in God.
That faith is a concept thought
to be most inherent to our culture.
The King Who Came Back _suc-
cessfully- puts the concept of faith
into a perspective which children
can understand and from which
they may learn a valuable lesson.
The story is about the Jewish
people, whose king — our God —
has given them wise rules and
wise advisers. He then asks the
people to choose between wisdom
and foolishness. The catch is that
they have to make their choice
without his help; he has taken an
indefinite leave of absence from
his kingdom, leaving the choice
completely in their hands.
After all, choices influence faith
and faith is what The King Who

Came Back is all about. Reading it
as only a story of faith, however,
does not tell the whole story.
In addition to teaching or ex-
pounding, a story may go a bit
further and attempt to portray a
society or group, or describe the
mind or soul of a single person.
This narrative does both. In a
natural progression, the story
seeks to paint a picture of our
society and how it came to its cur-
rent state.

The King Who Came
Back," by Avraham
ben Yaakov,
Feldheim Publiikeri

The progression begins with the
king leaving for an unspecified
length of time. The faith, which
until now had been so strong,
dwindles and eventually dies.
Enter David, who, helps lead the
people back to their faith. It is a
story of their quest for truth.
The King Who Came Back is
also an attempt to look into the
minds of individuals. Faced with
choices every day, we are always
trying to choose between the good
choice and the bad choice. Ben

We urge you to RE-ELECT ALL FIVE JUDGES
of the Circuit Court on November 6.
Their experience, sound decisionS, common
sense, and dedication to public service
demonstrate that they merit retention as
Judges of the Circuit Court.
We urge your support.

Alan E. Schwartz
Victor J. Baum
Gordon Gold
David Lebenbom
Jeffrey M. Leib
Stuart A. Gold
Dr. John Alter
Howard B. Abrams
Alan T. Ackerman
Elliott Parr
Denise Parr
Abraham Seleskny
Marvin Shwedel
Arnold Gordon
Paul Groffsky
Richard L. Groffsky
Martin J. Leavitt
Sheridan V. Holzman
Jerome B. Greenbaum
Richard S. Victor
Peter L. Wanger
Norman Sommers
Robert S. Rollinger
Howard Rosenberg
Richard E. Segal
Joel Serlin
Peter Alter
Louis E. Barden
Herschel P. Fink
Marsha Fischer
Betty Lowenthal
Eugene Lumberg
William C. Edmunds
Harry S. Ellman
Joyce E. Rosenthal
Jerry D. Luptak
Frank T. Mamat
Robert B. Weiss
Jimm F. White
Ronald P. Sandler
Sheldon M. Scharg
Denise Alexander

Norman N. Robbins
Harvey Babcock
Robert M. Carson
Stephen C. Cooper
Dr. Mark Diem
Noel Gage
Edward Gold
Michael Pianin
Balfour Peisner
Robert Goldschmid
Stuart Goldstein
Howard Silver
Elaine Grand Stulberg
Bernard N. Portnoy
Dr. Harold D. Portnoy
Irving Tukel
Lee I. Turner
Joseph M. Fischer
Dr. Paul Forman
Gerald L. Portney
Wendy Potts
Stanley S. Schwartz
Steven J. Schwartz
Hanley Gurwin
Gregg E. Herman
Joel Hoffman
Robert L. Biederman
Stephen L. Redisch
Arthur H. Rice
Susan Feldstein
Michelle Friedman
Anne Gonte Silver
Elizabeth A. Silverman
Helene B. Simon
Barry L. Howard
Norman Hyman
Paul D. Sherr
Jeffrey N. Shillman
Joseph Shulman
Roger J. Siegel
Leslie H. Kutinsky
Sheldon Larky

Yaakov teaches this lesson and
the need to make that "right
choice" through the people of his
mythical kingdom, who must
choose between the Wise and
Foolish advisers. The advisers be-
come tangible substitutes for the
good and bad inclinations in man.
the King Who Came Back is a
fine attempt at teaching young
readers both the how and the why
of faith. Written with children in
mind, the narrative carries an
important message for adults as
well. This "how-to" book about
faith by Avraham ben Yaakov is
one of the good choices.

HUD administrator
is

— Judith Brachman,
manager of the HUD Columbus,
Ohio, field office, has been ap-
pointed acting regional
administrator-regional housing
commissioner for HUD's Region
V.
The region includes Michigan,
Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois,
Indiana and Ohio.
Mrs. Brachman was a trustee of
Heritage Village, a model non-
profit community organization
providing housing for the elderly,
and a trustee of the Columbus
Jewish Federation.

KEEP THE BEST PLAYERS ON THE BENCH.

17..?"412'Nk.k..

t

RE-ELECT THE.

OF THE CIRCUIT COURT.

PAID FOR BY THE COMMITTEES TO RE-ELECT JUDGES TEMPLIN, ANDREWS, SCHNELZ, La PLATA AND MESTER, Fi0. BOX 12304, BIRMINGHAM, MI 48012

J. Leonard Hyman
John D. Lazar
David Haron
Harvey I. Hauer
Harvey Heller
Dr. Norman J. Rotter
Marc Schulman
Leonard B. Schwartz
Max E. Klayman
Sheldon S. Toll
Dennis F. Tomorsky
Marvin I. Wolf
Harvey J. Zameck
Rob Zinkel
Les Greenwald
Howard Gurwin

Murray Weintraub
Scott F. Smith
Edward Sosnick
Lee Stein
Alan Finer
Doreen Finer
Robert G. Portnoy
Mark Reizen
Shelley D. Roberts
Linda Munson
Stuart Sinai
Stuart Small
Martin Doctoroff
Jeffery Appel
Donald R. Epstein
Eugene Epstein

Morris Brandwine
Stuart V. Rice
Michael A. Robbins
Warren Kifferstein
Lawrence A. Kilgore
Stephen Bernstein
Marvin L. Berris
Dan Berry
Alan Greenberg
Fenei Greenwald
Asher N. Tilchin
Michael Alan Schwartz
Steven L. Schwartz
Robert Z. Feldstein
Robert A. Fineman
Bruce F Rosenthal

David K. Page
Alvin Sallen
Jeffrey Ehrlichman
Michael H. Fabian
Jeremy L. Winer
David J. Winter
Pat Orloff
Edward H. Pappas
Robert Orloff
Alan Gorosh
Samuel Graber
Richard K. Graham
Rhonda Klein
D. Michael Kratchman
Franklin D. Gettleson
Gail Gettleson

Jack Milen
Minna K. Katz
Herbert L. Kay'
Leon M. Schurgin
Leonard Schwartz
Howard Weiner
Lisa S. Miller
David Muscovitz
Lawrence G. Kaluzny
Alan Jay Kaufman
Bart Feinbaum
Marla E. Parker
Joseph S. Rodd
Steve Munson
Frederick D. Steinhardt
Cary A. Storchan

Burton Farbman
Arnold M. Gordon
Henry S. Gornbein
David R. Kratze
,
Gary A. Krochmal
Samuel J. Bienenstock
Solomon Bienenfeld
Lawrence J. Breskin
Harvey D. Geller
Sandor M. Gelman
Irving Kroll
Stephen N. Leuchtman
Stewart C. Weiner
Louis L. Weinstein
Mark Grant
Beverly Scharg

Harriet Rotter
Theodore Sallen
Shirley A. Saltzman
William J. Weinstein
Robert Weisberg
Gerald A. Freedman
Diane M. Freilich
Steven A. Menken
Mayer Morganroth
Barbara Cohn Norman
Norman D. Tucker
Allen J. Wall
Lawrence Warren
Melvin R. Schwartz
Stuart H. Teger

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