Pago 12-THE NEWS-Docember 1982
Big Doings By A
Small Hero
K’tonton in the Circus. By
Sadie Rose Weilerstein; il
lustrated'by Marilyn Hirsh.
Jewish Publication Society
of America, 117 South 17th
‘Street, Philadelphia, PA
19103. 1981. 85 pages. Age 6
up. $8.95.
Reviewed by
Rita Frischer
One year, after his fiftieth
birthday, Sadie‘Rose
Weilerstein’s: thumb’Sized
hero rides again — this time
off to the circus, mounted in
front of an advance man in
full costume on a white
horse, whom Ktonton ; has
mistaken for the Prophet Eli
jah.
Displayed in the side show
as a novelty, “a bigger sen
sation than that human can
nonball,” he manages to
keep kosher, teach * his
unusual new friends about
Shabbat and Jewish tradi
tions, and introduce them to
the joys of Jewish folklore.
They, in turn, treat K’tonton
to a surprise Hanukkah par
ty when he grows increasing
ly homesick at holiday time,
anci with their help and an
obliging carrier pigeon, 'he is
finally reunited with his
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Best Wishes for a
Happy Healthy
Chanukah
scon BUICK-GMC
U3SB
mucKS
501 SOUTH CALDWELL ST
CHARLOTTE. N C 28202
Thoughts From The Lubovitcher Rebbe
Chanukah — Self Sacrifice
parents. At the end of the
book, our small hero and his
family are living in Israel,
doing good deeds and
awaiting the real Elijah.
This book is in the tradi
tion of the old familiar
K’tonton tales, which are
still popular with today’s
children. Marilyn Hirsh, il
lustrator of The Best of
K’tontoh, has added spice
with her exuberant pictures,
making this work a suc
cessful blend of the talents of
an award-winning author
and artist.
Rita Frischer is Librarian of
Sinai Temple in Los
Angeles, California.
By Rabbi Yossi Groner
The idol-worshipping
Greek rulers of the Holy
Land, in collaboration with
some Jewish sympathizers
(called “Hellenists” because
they acclaimed and emulated
Greek culture) entered the
Hechal (Inner Danctum of
the Beis Hamikdosh - Holy
Temple) and defiled all the
oils. When the Hasmoneans
defeated them, one cruse of
oil was found, which evident
ly had not been touched by
the Greeks. It contained
enough oil for one day. The
Menorah was rekindled and
the oil miraculously lasted
eight days, until new oil
could be prepared.
Chanukah celebrates the
miraculous victory over the
Greeks which culminated in
the cleansing and rededica
tion of the Beis Hamikdosh.
The Hasmoneans, who
brought about the miracle of
Chanukah by their
resistance against over
whelming odds, had a secret
weapon - mesiras nefesh or
self-sacrifice.
The purpose of all our
festivals is to take the
lessons of the ancient events
which the festival com
memorates, and apply those
lessons to the present day —
to the daily life of the Jewish
individual and the Jewish
community. When we apply
the lessons of the ancient
Chanukah miracle to the pre
sent day, several points
stand out in bold relief.
First, we see that even so
holy a place as the Beis
Hamikdosh can be made im
pure under certain cir
cumstances, though out
wardly remaining intact. Se
cond, in such a case, cleans
ing and rededication of the
Sanctuary can be achieved
only through Mesiras
Nefesh, a self-sacrificing
determination to resist the
“forces of darkness”
without entering into any
calculations whatsoever as
to “what the odds are” in the
struggle. For, since there can
be no compromise with an
enemy bent on defiling that
which is sacred in Jewish
life, the only Jewish answer
can be unconditional
resistance, leaving the final
outcome of the struggle to
the Divine Will However, it
is a perennial lesson of our
history that, when we
possess the "secret weapon”
of the Mesiras nefesh at
titude. the outcome of the
battle is never really in
doubt.
The ancient events of
Chanukah emphasize yet
another “fact of life” for the
Jew; namely, that in Jewish
life, material welfare is
always linked to spiritual
well being. Thus, in the case
of Chanukah, although the
Greek persecution started
with a spiritual assault, with
an attempt “to make them
forget Thy Torah and to
transgress the statutes of
Thy Will,” it was soon
followed by a policy, of robb
ing the Jews of their material
wealth also — and of their
children. The same link of
physical and spiritual
welfare was again evident in
the deliverance of the Jews.
When, under the leadership
of the handful of Hasmo-
neai^s, the ,.Jews resisted
assimilation with steadfast
faith, G-d helped them to
completely get rid of the
enemy, thereby saving their
souls but also their wealth
and children.
Nowadays, as often
before, Jews who want to re
main loyal to the heritage of
their fathers find themselvs
outnumbered and en
dangered by the “forces of
darkness” threatening to
engulf the world in general
and the Jewish world in par
ticular. Nowadays, our
“sanctuaries” are the
Jewish home, the Yeshiva
V.
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CHMLOTTE,IOITHCJUIOUM 21212
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52S-37I7
Owntd & Opmttd bf.
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ITorah-school) and the
synagogue. These Sanc
tuaries of G-d are not im
mune from defilement, and it
still requires the same kind
of Hasmonean determination
to' preserve their purity and
holiness. But although the
odds may seem overwhelm
ingly unfavorable, the
reward for resistance is more
than worth the effort — for,
with G-d’s help, the outcome
of the “battle” is certain to
be miraculous, the victory is
certain to be complete
(spiritually and materially)
just as it was in the days of
Chanukah.
Lani Levine
(Continued From Page 1)
enable the audience to
understand the feelings of
Israeli families during war
time and of how the real
needs of the people of Israel
are helped by the American
women caring and giving
commitment.
Lani lives and works in the
Arab village of Tamra in the
Western Galilee. She is there
on a program sponsored by
Interns for Peace, an inter
national organization whose
purpose is to promote better
relations between Jews and
Arabs. Lani has been living
in Israel since July 1981. For
six months, she studied
Israeli culture, politics and
tradition as well as Arabic
tradition and language at
Kibbutz Bar Kai. Then she
moved to Tamra.
Lani, who was born in
Charlotte 25 years ago, has
had several experiences in
Israel that led her to seek her
current position. In the sum
mer of 1973, she participated
in a United Synagogue
Youth Pilgrimage to Israel
led by Dov Kentof who was
then Youth Director of Tem
ple Israel. Lani was so in
spired on that trip that she
yearned to return to Israel.
Between her sophomore and
junior years of college, she
took a year off and studied in
Arad, Israel with WUJS
(World Union of Jewish
Study). She attended Ulpan
in Natanya during the sum
mer of 1978, taught in a
school in B’nai B’rak, and
lived in the home of a friend.
Lani graduated from UNCC
in 1979 and taught at the
Hebrew Academy in
Charlotte for one year. She
also taught Sunday School at
Temple Beth El, was an ad
visor to B’nai B’rith Girls,
worked at the JCC Day
Camp, and served as N’siah
of District 5 BBYO.
Women’s Division is
especially pleased to be able
to present this first-hand ac
count of life in Israel by one
of its own Charlotte women.
A minimum gift of $250 to the
Federation Women’s Divi
sion 1983 Campaign entitles
a woman to attend. For
reservations, call Maxine
Levine (366-1887).
'We are One'