page 3--THE NEWS—April 1979
Passover
Passover is one of the three'
great pilgrim feasts. It marks
the passing of winter into spring
and no doubt it began as a
nature feast. The name Pesach
comes from a Hebrew word
meaning skip or dance, and is
thought to refer to the skipping
of the young lambs. In earliest
times this was very likely a feast
the shepherds kept before star
ting out to look for new pastures
for their flocks. Later, when the
wandering shepherds became
farmers and settled in Palestine,
offerings were taken to the Tem
ple at Jerusalem. It is in the
Book of Leviticus that the
Israelites were commanded to
bring as their offerings a lamb
one year old without any
blemish and a sheaf of grain
from the first harvest, which
falls earlier in the warm climate
of what is now Israel than in
this country.
But the historical beginnings
of the Feast of the Passover are
much more important. Pass-
over falls on the fifteenth day of
the first month of the Jewish
calendar; Nisan was made the
Speaking
Hebrew
By Rabbi Sandy Tucker
Have you ever noticed how
some things work better outside?
Like learning Hebrew, for exam
ple. We call it a Hebrew Hike. It
might be a walk into a local
stand of trees, a forest, a shop
ping center, or a little used side .
street. The main point is that
ENGLISH IS FORBIDDEN.
Only Hebrew can be spoken.
Sure it is difficult and
somewhat frustrating. There is
so much everyone wants to say
about the sky, the plants, the
thenanimalSy'the cars, the
people and the weather. But
everyone accepts the rule:
ENGLISH IS FORBIDDEN.
And, so they ask many
questions, “Aich Omrim (How
do you say) lake?” and “Aich
Omrim motorcycle?” But little
by little the sentences start pour
ing out. Simple ones at first,
then more complex and more ex
pressive ones.
Other techniques are used at
the Academy to promote
Hebrew speaking. We might, for
example, play Monopoly. Bu»^
we play it by speaking only
Hebrew.
Another method we are using
is the Hebrew contest. The
children vie to see who can try
the hardest to speak Hebrew. It
is thrilling to watch and help
them as they play the contest. It
may take two minutes for a child
to compose a sentence. But the
pride of achievement is intense
and lasting.
The result of all these ac
tivities is that the children at the
Academy are speaking a sec
ond language, the language of
their ancestors. What better
way is there for them to be proud
of their being Jews!
r
“Whoever teaches his
neighbor’s child Torah is
considered as his parent.”
— Rashi (Numbers 3:1)
Ex-Nazis
Acquittals
BONN — Because of insuf
ficient evidence, the prosecution
in West Creripany’s last major
concentration camp trial will
recommend acquital of four
former Nazi guards accused of
participating in the murders of
250,000 Jews, a court source
said. The four worked at the
camp at Maidanek, near Lublin
in occupied Poland. Prosecutor
Dieter Ambach wouldn’t com
ment on the report.
first month because it is the
birth month of Israel as a na
tion. It marks the beginning of
our history as a free people, for
the name Passover suggests
how the Jewish people, escaping
from their Egyptian slavery,
passed through the Red Sea,
“from darkness into light, from
slavery into freedom.” The
name also refers to the story of
the Angel of Death, who slew
the first-born of Egypt, but pass
ed over the first-born of the
Israelites, whose houses were
marked with the blood of .the
newly sacrificed paschal lamb.
We all know about the seder,
the matzoh, Elijah, the seder
plate, the four questions, and
the afikomen, but did you know
that the Song of Songs is read
during the synagogue service?
It is a story of spring in Israel
and is appropriate for a spring
time holyday. Because it tells
the love story of a beautiful
shepherdess and contains
several marriage songs, it also
reminds us of (jod’s love for
Israel whom He led out of
Goodbye & Hello
Judy Dustin, secretary at
Temple Beth El, after serving
the congregation two years, has
resigned for an executive posi
tion with Gould, Inc. Judy was
also the editor of the Temple’s
bulletin and her delightful dis
position and expertise will be
very missed. She’s not only, as
she puts it, “a career woman, but
a very busy single parent, hav
ing four children, ages 8, 12, 13
and 17.” The new secretary is
Kay Wilkinson, who has a four
year old daughter, Angela, and
was formerly employed by the
Red Cross.^-^ '->• • ^
Judy when she left said, “I feel
my association with Temple
Beth El and the Jewish com
munity has been a very rewar
ding experience and I shall
treasure all the friends I have
made. I feel very fortunate also
to have had an opportunity to
learn first hand many things
about your beautiful religion,
that as a Christian I normally
would not have had time to do.”
Books In Review
News Watch
The
Jewish
Calendar
CANDLE
LIGHTING
TIMES
Friday, April 6 —
6:32
Friday, April 13 —
6:37
Friday, April 20 —
6:43
Friday, April 27 —
6:48
April 11 — Passover —
1st Seder
April 12 —
2nd Seder
PASSOVER CANDLE
LIGHTING TIMES
April 11 — 6:35
April 12 — 6:36
April 17 — 6:40
April 18 — 6:41
“War and Remembrance” by
Herman Wouk, pub. Little,
Brown.
Let me warn you that you will
need two things to tackle Her
man Wouk’s latest best seller,
"War and Remembrance”: a
strong right arm to hoist the
volume and the tenacity to wade
through and to finish 1000 plus
pages. The story is engrossing
and tells a beautiful and warm
tale of the Henry family
members’ experiences through
out World War II.
“War and Remembrance” is
the companion novel (in two
volumes) to “Winds of War.”
However, you do not have to
read both to enjoy each one
separately, as each is a story in
itself. The scenes of naval
battles have the same genuine
quality as those I enjoyed in
Wouk’s early novel, “The Caine
Mutmy. ” They make the reader
feel that Wouk has been there...
on a ship, a submarine and a
naval plane. Through it all he
tells it realistically and makes
one feel as though one is right
there with* the characters.
In essence, what Wouk tells us
is that war makes many
changes. Not only does war
change countries geographical
ly and politically, but it effects
the lives of all who are touched
by it. He brilliantly brings out
the changes in each character
and shows that none of them
will be quite the same
afterwards. The scars of war
never seem to heal.
The presence of some of the
world leaders as well as the saga
of the Henry family make for ex
cellent reading. I found it in
teresting to note the different
reactions and responses to the
“holocaust” carried out by the
Germans by the characters in
the book. If you are patient, I
believe you will be well reward
ed by reading "War and Remem
brance. ”
— A. Lahgman
Recommended
Reading
THE HOLOCAUST YEARS:
SOCIETY ON TRIAL, edited by
Roselle Chartock and Jack
Spencer, paperback, Bantam
Books, 295 pp., $L95.
BEN-GURION, a biography,
Michael Bar-Zohar, Delacorte
Press, $12.95.
A BOOK OF HEBREW LET
TERS, Mark Podwal, 22 draw
ings, $12.50 hardbound, limited
edition; $5,95 paperback.
Available at bookstores or from
The Jewish Publication Society
of America, 117 S, 17th St.,
Philadelphia, PA 19103.
A JEW TODAY, Elie Wiesel; a
warm, moving collection of
letters, dialogues and exquisite
parables. $10.00.
THURSDAY THE RABBI
WALKED OUT, Harry
Kemelman; Another baffling
mystery faces David Small, rab
bi and amateur detective. $8.95.
New Basic
BB Guide
• Bringing Jews Together, a
new sixteen-page illustrated
pamphlet describing the history
and operations of B’nai B’rith,
has just been published. It is
designed to serve as a basic
public relations tool for the
organization everywhere,
answering the basic questions:
“What is B’nai B’rith?” and
“What does it do?” Single copies
are availabale free at the B’nai
B’rith International Center in
Washington. The brochure may
be purchased for $15 plus
postage per hundred copies from
the B’nai B’rith Publications
Distribution Center, 1640 Rhode
Island Avenue, N.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20036.
Edited by Marta Carelik
By Marta Garelik
EL AL TO BEGIN SERVICE
TO MIAMI, CHICAGO THIS
MONTH; NEW YORK (JTA) -
El A1 has decided to avail itself
of two of the four additional
destinations granted to it based
on the bilateral agreement
between the United States and
Israel, it was announced by Y.
Shrem, senior vice-president for
North and Central America.
The first two destinations to
which service will commence in
the early part of April will be
twice-weekly service to Chicago
and once-weekly service to ’
Miami.
CAN ISRAEL BUILD ITS
OWN N-POWER PLANT?
Jerusalem Post Reporter —
HAIFA — A government
authority has quietly started a
study of options for a nuclear
power plant.
The authority will examine
possibilities of acquiring a
nuclear station from countries
other than the U.S., it vyas learn
ed, and the feasibility of Israel
building a power reactor of its
own. The^latter course has been
strongly promoted by Israeli
nuclear scientists — to ensure
independence in the field and
also to further the country’s
technology.
Israel should aim to supply
between 10 and 20 per cent of its
energy needs from sources other
than oil by the 1990’s, Prof.-
Arthur Shavit, head of the
Energy Ministry’s research and
development department, said
that at Tel Hashomer Hospital a
2,500 square metre solar collec
tor is to be installed this yean It
will provide all the ophth|ilmic
department’s heating, c6o]ing
and hot water needs, saving 10
per cent of the hospital’s fuel
consumption. ,
A1,000 dunam solar pond will
also be built within three years
in a shallow area of the Dead
Sea. If successful, solar ponds,
an original Israeli development,
may provide 5 per cent or more
of Israel’s total future energy
needs.
Another experiment is under
way to grow a special strain of
Dead Sea algae, which produces'
glycerole to stay alive, in salt
water ponds. The substance
may be used as an energy
source.
Billions of cubic metres of
saline water, at temperatures of
up to 130 degrees, were dis
covered at a depth of about two
km. This, too, may be used to
supply energy. Research into
Israel’s huge oil shale reserves
and into Hula Valley peat and
lignite deposits is also con
tinuing. They could be exploited
in an emergency, but at a high
environmental cost.
FRENCH TOWNS ADOPT
SOVIET JEWS; PARIS (JTA)
— French Socialist Deputy Jean
Poperen reported that more
than 40 French towns have sym
bolically adopted a Soviet Jew
wanting to emigrate and that
many others will adopt one
soon. He said he wished city
councils in other European
countries would follow suit.
POLAND CULTIVATES
RELATIONS WITH JEWS:
WARSAW — Announcement
•that a Polish-bom, American
trained rabbi would be coming
to minister to the Polish Jewish
community, and the attendance
of three Polish Jewish leaders at
the Fourth Congress of the
World Federation of Polish Jews
in Jerusalem were signs of the
interest of Poland in cultivating
better relations with the West.
There are estimated' to be
between 50-60,0(X) Jews in
Poland, almost all over the age
of 60.
500 INDO-CHINESE GET
HIAS AID; NEW YORK -
Employing the resettlement ex
pertise it has developed aiding
Jews to make a new life in the
United States, the Hebrew Im
migrant Aid Society (HIAS) has'
made it possible for 5000 Indo-
Chinese refugees to find new
homes and get adapted to the
new U.S. environment in the
past three years.
SENIORS CLUB OPENS;
BUDAPEST (JTA) - A Jewish
senior citizens’ club, the first of
its kind in Hungary, has opened
here. The club, where elderly
people will be able to hear lec
tures, play cards and even have
a simple meal, will be operated
by the Budapest Jewish Com
munity.
STUDENTS SING OUT
‘HAPPY, HOLOCAUST’;
WALTHAM — Two anti-
Semetic incidents involving the
Brandeis University soccer
team have all the indications of
more than just college pranks.
The most serious was when
Brandeis met the North Adams
State teahi. During the game the
players were called “kikes, dirty
Jews, etc.” and after the game
the Brandeis bus was surround
ed by hostile fans who pelted it
with cans and food and other ob
jects while one person lay down
in front of the bus to prevent it
from proceeding.
The second incident has been
resolved. It was at Babson
College in Wellesley when a flag
with the Star of David was dis
played in the school’s dining
room with a cross super
imposed and the letters KTJ,
K\\}k^ lVi6
derneath. The students
meanwhile chanted “happy
Holocaust,’! according to the
Brookline Jewish Times.
The soccer team issued a for
mal ' apology and the in
stitution’s president and
athletic director joined in, A
public meeting was then held on
the campus and plans include
programs to develop sensitivity
to Jewish concerns.
ISRAEL-MEXICAN DEAL
AT IMITATION LEATHER
PLANT; Jerusalem Post
Reporter — CARMIEL —
Plastic sheeting and imitation
leather in new colors and
designs are about to go on the
local export markets as the new
IL30m. plant just completed by
the International Plastics Car-
miel (IPC) starts production.
The company, an approved
enterprise, is the joint venture of
investors in Mexico, who hold 74
per cent of the shares, and in
Israel.
ISRAELI SOLDIER IS EX
CHANGED FOR 76 ARABS;
GENEVA, Switzerland —
Charlotte Observer — An Israeli
army reservist was traded for 76
Palestinian Arabs at Geneva’s
airport in the first official
Israeli-Palestinian prisoner ex
change.
Ten other Palestinians were
■freed in Israeli-occupied
territories.
The exchange at Geneva’s air
port was conducted by the Inter
national Committee of the Red
Cross, headquartered there.
Avraham Amram, 34, was
traded for members of the Pop
ular Front for the Libzration of
Palestine-General (Dommand
and other Palestinian units.
After a four-hour exchange at
Geneva Airport, Amram — who
has been flown there from
Damascus — was flown to
Israel. The Palestinians, who
had arrived from Tel Aviv, were
taken to Tripoli, Libya.