30
Friday, May 9, 1986
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
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TEMPLE BETH EL
BIRMINGHAM, MICHIGAN
32nd ANNUAL HEBREW MUSIC FESTIVAL
OUR MUSICAL HERITAGE
Through the Years
Guest Choir-The Madrigal Chorale of Southfield-Carolyn Eynon, Director
Three Temple Beth. El Choirs, Mrs. Jason Tickton, Conductor
Dr. Morris Hochberg
Shalom Kalib
Carolyn Eynon
Violin Soloist
Composer
Conductor
Traditional and Modern Responses from the Hebrew Liturgy
Special Anthems
* * Adon Olam by Soloman Rossi (1600)
* * Psalm 23 by Shalom Kalib (1985)
* * Psalm 150 by Shalom Kalib (1977)
* * Psalm 23 by Leonard Bernstein (1965)
accompanied by a Chamber Orchestra
FIRST PERFORMANCE AT TEMPLE BETH EL
Rabbis Donne' I. Schwartz and Norman T. Roman, Narrators
Professor Jason Tickton, Music Director and Organist
FRIDAY EVENING, MAY 23, 1986 AT 8:30 P.M.
Sponsored by SANDRA T. BLOOM MEMORIAL MUSIC FUND
... Barbara and Douglas Bloom
NO ADMISSION CHARGE - EVERYONE IS WELCOME
.
The Jewish Heritage:
An Earlier Chapter
BY RABBI M. ROBERT SYME
Special to The Jewish News
A few months ., ago, I attended
an interfaith meeting. Seated
next to me was a Christian cler-
gyman of a Protestant denomina-
tion. The meeting took place one
day after a bomb had exploded in
Jerusalem, wounding several in-
nocent bystanders. Immediately
after the bombing, an Arab ter-
rorist group claimed credit for
this vicious deed. The clergyman
wanted to know my reaction.
I controlled myself to the best
of my ability, and expressed my
concern for the families of the
wounded. My friend was not con-
tent to let it go at that: "I hope
that the Israelis will not react to
the Old Testament's teaching of
`An eye for an eye.' I pray that
they will practice the New Tes-
tament counsel of 'Turn the other
cheek.' " By now, I could feel my
blood pressure rising, but I must
admit (in all humility) that I con-
trolled myself admirably. Instead
of lashing out in anger, I told him
one of Tolstoy's famous stories.
It seems that at one point in his
career, Tolstoy was studying the
New Testament with a rabbi.
Every time they came across a
gentle verse in the New Testa-
ment that dealt with love, or
mercy or compassion, the rabbi
would turn to Tolstoy and say:
"This verse is also found in the
Hebrew Bible."
Then, one day, they came
across the verse in the New Tes-
tament which says: "You have
heard it said: 'An eye for an eye
and a tooth for a tooth. But I say
unto you: Resist not evil. Turn
the other cheek.' " This time,
Tolstoy says, the rabbi did not
say that the verse was found in
the Hebrew Bible. Instead, the
rabbi turned to Tolstoy and said:
"You Christians are so fond of
quoting this verse: 'Resist not
evil. Turn the other cheek.' Tell
me, when did you Christians
practice it?" Tolstoy concludes
the story and says: "I was deeply
embarrassed by his question, be-
cause precisely at that time, the
Christians in Russia were smit-
ing the Jews on both cheeks."
When I finished telling the
story, my Christian friend was
rather taken back. He mumbled
some unintelligible remarks and
excused himself. I never saw him
for the rest of the meeting.
I tell you this incident because
I feel that, all too often, Jews be-
come apologetic when they are
confronted by the lofty and noble
teachings of the New Testament.
Let me hasten to assure you that
these very same lofty and noble
teachings are found in the He-
brew Bible — specifically in the
portion of the Torah which is read
on this Sabbath.
Open your Bible to Chapter 19
of the Book of Leviticus and you
will read some of the most beauti-
ful and noble verses in recorded
history.
"Thou shalt not curse the deaf
nor put a stumbling block before
the blind; thou shalt not go up
and down as a tale-bearer among
thy people; thou shalt not hate
thy brother in thy heart; thou
shalt not take vengeance, nor
bear any grudge, but thou shalt
love thy neighbor as thyself."
Yes, these verses came from
the Hebrew Bible, and were later
inserted into the New Testament.
Unfortunately, too many Jews
are unfamiliar with their heri-
tage, and are therefore unaware
of the fact that many of the
idealistic verses in the New Tes-
tament were borrowed from "the
mother religion."
Throughout the age, the non-
Jewish majority constantly at-
tempted to humiliate us, to de-
base and to degrade our religion.
Some Jews succumbed to this
propaganda and surrendered
Kedoshim:
Leviticus 19:1-20:27,
Numbers 28:9-15.
Isaiah 66:1-24.
their religion. But the vast
majority of our people put on the
armor of Jewish learning and
joined the parade of those who
understood that it was "a tree of
life to them who held fast to it."
Most of us are familiar with the
quotation: "You shall know the
truth, and the truth shall make
you free" (John 8:32). I would
amend that quotation somewhat
and say: "You shall know the,
truth, and the truth shall make
you proud!"
Only when Jews study the
teachings of their past, only when
Jews become knowledgeable in
their heritage, only then will
they comprehend the magnificent
truths that have been be-
queathed to them, and they will
have reason to be proud.
Won't you join the parade?
Soldiers Wounded
Tel Aviv (JTA) — Three Israel
Defense Force soldiers were
wounded, none seriously, in a
clash in the eastern sector of
south Lebanon last week in
which two terrorists were killed.
Military sources said the inci-
dent occurred when an IDF
patrol spotted what its com-
mander described as apparent
infiltrators near Shouba village
in the foothills of Mt. Hermon.
Equipment and food supplies
found near the bodies of the
dead men indicated that they
were on either a terrorist or a in-
telligence gathering mission.
The sources said IDF units
have recently foiled several in-
filtration attempts by the Syria-
supported Palestine Liberation
Organization dissidents led by
Abu Moussa.