* - WHATEVER THE THE BOOK SAYS YOUR TRADE IS WORTH $7 MEL FARR WILL PAY PLUS . . . DRIVE ANY OF THESE CARS FOR JUST 1/ THE PRICE!' I COMMENT Simchat Torah Marks End Of Fall Holidays LEONARD WINOGRAD Special to The Jewish News FORD O Mel Farr Ford 967E3700 24750 Greenfield Rd. Oak Park, MI 48237 MIKE SCHNEIDER •...4,,,,,,,„t s",wiLzmi ck‘Z ,...aw NEW '91 ESCORT DRIVE TODAY AT 1/ PRICE! /2 NEW '91 TAURUS MMO N, 11,W , ••• DRIVE TODAY \ w x , .\\ • 1'N. AT 1/ PRICE! • •`..M /2 • • - Mel Farr Toyota TOYOTA 1951 S. Telegraph Rd. Bloomfield Hills, MI 48013 333E3300 JAY PUZIO NEW '90 CELICA DRIVE TODAY AT 1/ PRICE! /2 NEW '90 CAMRY ........ DRIVE TODAY • AT 1/ PRICE! ••!,N•L• '••••••\• MERCURY Mel Farr Lincoln Mercury LINCOLN 4178 Highland Road (M•59 near Pontiac Lake Road) WATERFORD 683E9500 LOU GORDON OR MICKEY GOLDBERG NEW '90 TOWN CAR DRIVE TODAY AT 1/ PRICE! NEW '90 CONTINENTAL DRIVE TODAY AT 1/ PRICE! :/2 • The Plan is available at all 3 Mel Farr locations. All Fords, Mercurys, Lincolns and Toyotas qualify for 1/2 Price Program. • The Plan is a Company Authorized 2 year lease previously unavailable. See dealer for details. Customer must qualify. New '90 and '91 vehicles in stock only. 1/2 Price refers to MSRP. Prior sales excluded. Offer ends two weeks after last ad. 34 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1990 I ne of the helpful points of discussion for Jewish children living in an overwhelmingly. non-Jewish community is "Who has the right calen- dar?" Our New Year begins in the fall, while the commun- ity calendar gives Jan. 1 as the start of the next New Year. It is an undeniable fact that all the calendars recog- nize that the real work year begins in September or Oc- tober, after we take our vacations in August. It is also the traditional time for the school year to start, as well as for our civic clubs and service organizations, which follow a calendar of events that begins right after Labor Day and con- tinues to early summer. Our fall holiday season, which ushers in a new year of Jewish community activi- ty, comes to a close with the end of the week long Sukkot festival. The seventh day of Sukkot is called Hoshanah Rabbah, because on this day seven processions are made around the bimah. The eighth day of Sukkot is Shemini Atzeret, the eighth day of solemn assembly. The following day brings the holy season to a joyous climax. We call it Simchat Torah, and little children adore the parades in the sanctuary with little paper flags as the Torahs are car- ried lovingly. Among less traditional Jews, who observe Simchat Torah in combination with Shemini Atzeret, it is one of the largest throngs of the year as we complete the reading of Deuteronomy and begin the reading of Genesis once more in our never-ending quest for wisdom and in- spiration. One family is honored to represent the eternity of Torah, as a grandfather takes a scroll from the ark and hands it to a married child who in turn hands it to a third generation, usually a youngster who has been bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah. All three generations are honored by being called to the Torah to recite the prop- er blessings. Rabbi Leonard Winograd is retired and living in Pitt- sb urgh. Another lovely practice is that of consecration of the new class of Hebrew School students. They recite signifi- cant passages in Hebrew and sing them also in transla- tion, for which they receive miniature Torahs and cer- tificates as well as a special blessing from the rabbi. About 20 years ago, Sim- chat Torah emerged as the favorite holiday of Soviet youth. The streets outside of the synagogues were crowd- ed with young Jews who could not read a word of Hebrew, but who cheered and sang the equal of any youth group in the free world. This did not happen on Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur or Pesach. It seemed It also explains why it is that anti-Semitism has survived in Russia. especially poignant that these young people, who had never been to Hebrew school themselves, would find meaning and joy in celebra- tion of that one Jewish book which more than any other had been denied to them for most of their lives. There is an important lesson for us all here. Governments, even the most ruthless and mighty, can ban the public teaching of religion, but religion is also taught from one father to one son at a time. This is very difficult for a govern- ment to combat, especially when the love is deep and the children understand that there are things going on in the home which are not safe- ly discussed outside the home. This works two different ways. It also explains why it is that anti-Semitism has survived in Russia despite the intention of Soviet leaders to stamp it out as a vestige of an outmoded so- cial order. It is always helpful to re- member that the same aspect of social change that works in our favor can also work against us. With the re-emergence of Soviet anti- Jewish propaganda, we are reminded of the ancient ad- monition: Be careful what you are praying for; you just might get it. ❑ Jewish Telegraphic Agency