M-T
The Canadian Jewish News, Thursday, October 13, 1988-Page 11
Opinion
-By
J. B. SALSBERG
Under a 3-column headline, a front page item in the Globe and Mail of Sept. 24 informed its readers that, "Rule requiring school prayers thrown out by court." To most intelligent readers that report, brought either satisfaction or regret, depending on the point of view they hold on this significant issue. But to me it uncorked a bubbly flow of vintage memories. For I was the youngster, the bar mitzvah boy, who started a "sfhool strike" of Jewish pupils in old Lansdowne School, in Toronto's College-Spadina area, some 70 years ago, against the obligation to sing "Christian songs" (Christmas carols) in the classroom. • .
It must have been in the year 1915, early in the First World War. when the relatively small Je^vish community was of predominantly immigrant stock. It was the time when the first significant migration from the "downtown"—-the Yonge St. to University Ave. and College to Queen St. area — began moving westward, along Dundas (then called Agnes St.), Anderson St., St. Patrick St. and Arthur St.; all of whieh-were later gobbled up by the westward
J.B. Sklsberg
march of Dundas St.
But, whjle the Jewish population movement went westward most of our community was still in the older^ the University-Yonge area. Most institutions,-like synagogues, shtiblech (a sort of store-front place of worship), the Yiddish theatre, etc., were still mainly in the downtown. Spadina took over superiority following that ■ war. •■
One of the irritations that the budding.community had to contend with at that time wa.s the crude and pesty Christian missionary focus on the immigrant Jews. Their headquarters was on Centre Av:, just below Dundas St, and opposite the Romanishe shuK That Christian mission was headed by Rev. Singer (his first n^me was never used by us) and generally referred to as Singer the Meshumed (convert, apostate).
Singer gave Jewish children candies; but they had to enter the mission to get them and I'll never forget the beating that a friend of mine received from his father whenjiomeone snitched on him to his father after the first and only lime that he sneaked in to get a few candies' .. ■. . , •■■-/■ ^
Now, that Singer the Meshumed also delivered street corner missionary sermons in Yiddish at the southwest corner of Centre Ave. and Dundas on Sunday afternoons' He was, of course, heckled on such occasions by aunique Jewish personality, always referred to only as Chooneh, who later moved to New York and whom I met in Israel many years later. Chooneh was always engaged in one or another battle on
behalf of. Jews and Jewish causes. Singer the Meshumed was Chooneh's main target. He would make Singer the Meshumed's life quite miserable when the latter took to the street comer on Sunday afternoons. _
Well, this was on: the eve of Chanukah. around 1915. and in order to outmaneuver Singer our hero, Chooneh, waited for Singer to start and then, outshouting the missionary, he called on :all the kids to follow him to a Chanukah party in the Goel Tzedec Synagogue around the corner, on University Ave., where gifts would be given to every child. 1 and all Other children cheered and followed him leaving Singer without an audienceto speak to.
At the Goel Tzedec (later to become the well known Beth Tzedec on Bathurst.St.) we all received gifts and listened to an address by the rabbi of that synagogue (Rabbi Price, I think). The rabbi urged us all to refrain from singing Christmas carols in our public schools, something that was done routinely in all public schools; even in'those where Jewish children were in the majority.
I was fully convinced and motivated by the rabbi's appeal and resolved to lose no time in implementing it.
The next morning I came to school earlier than usual and convinced my Jewish classmates to stop singing that very morning. We also managed to pass the word along to the girls of our class. When our teacher, pointer in hand, began the singing exercises there was dead silence in the room, for the few
ears ago
non-Jewish students iii the class never did sing much anyway. ' ^
The teacher, somewhat surprised, tried again but with the same result. Angered she called a Jewish girl student in front of her to stand up and tell why we didn't sing. The flustered, girl replied by saying "Joe (that's me) told us not to sing." The teacjier then asked me to explain why I did it. I rose and told her the truth: "The rabbi told us not to sing GhrRtmas carols." Upon which the teacher said those who won't sing will please leave the room; 1 got up to leave and all Jewish students followed. The fat was in the fire . ■
We waited in the schoolyard till recess and told as many of the kids as we could of what happened and we, never even having heard the word strike, decided then and there to go home ... to ask all other kids to do the same until we were called back.
The response was almost universal. Our parents were told of oQr action and the news spread like wildfire in the Jewish community. The next morning the news was in the daily Hebrew Journal where J was referred to as the ringleader. Similar action was taken in the McCaul School at University and Elm.
Who in the community took the matter up with the Board of Education I didn't know, but somebody did and an official announcement was soon made that "those children who wish to refrain from singing may do so." -
We won!
And now, 70 or so years later, the courts finally upheld our rights. Hurrah again!
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Letters are welcome if they are in English or French, no more than 200 words, typewritten with lines double spaced, and. of interest to our reading public. Readers are cautioned not to make sweeping claims against persons or institutions whichthey cannot verify, as libel laws are very stringent. We reserve the right to edit letters, which must bear the sender's address, phone number and handwritten signature.
RESENTS JEWISH "VOTE-CATCHER''
I am a Canadian senior citizen proud of my Jewish heritage. /
As such I disagree with those who are applauding Prime Minister Brian Mulroney for bestowing a "distinct status" on us by creating a ne>v ministry of multiciilturalism headed by Gerry Weiner.
I feel humiliated and used.
I resent the federal government's use of our ethhic background to woo our votes in the upcoming elections'
: Pearl Miller Toronto :
ish immigration — even innocent children.
True, they were not citizens of this country, as were the Japanese. But judged on moral grounds, every country that refused to admit thie pitiful few who were able to escape the Nazi iiiferno — every country that refused to allow the refugee-laden ship, St. Louis, to dock at its shores — stands indicted and condemned by history of murder. And that includes our own country or Canada.
I respect the claim of the Japanese commiinity for an apology. But I shall continue to withhold support, until they and others unite with us to demand of oilr government that it publicly renounce the discriminatory pblicy against Jews during the Mackenzie King era and apologize to the Jewish community of Canada. v Max Goody Toronto
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WAR ORPHANS THANK CANADA
Forty years have elapsed since we, the first contingent of yoUng orphans, remnants of the disaster of World War II, set foot on Canadian soil ... bereft, destitute, the transients of yesterday.
Today, 40 years later, we are proud citizens of our adopted country — Canada.
It is with profound feelings of gratitude that we express our thanks to all who were instrumen-. tal in transforming a mere possibility info an accomplished . fact — to the Canadian Jewish Congress, to the Jewish Child & Family Services, to the 'V^M-YWHA, and to the Jewish families in Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Vancouver, who opened their homes to us and provided that much needed and longed-for family. environment. •■ ■•
Forty years later, we thank you!
Michael Kutz . Montreal
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JEWS AND JAPANESE SUFFERED . Jews have supported the Japanese demand for compensation and an apology for Canada's World War II action in incarcerating more than 20,000 Japanese and confiscating their belongings.
The Japanese commjonLty has now been .promised both — about $290 million in compensation and'ah apology in the House of Commons.
I agree that the government of the time was certainly guilty of a blatant indiscretion when it withdrew the rights of legitimate citizens, simply on the grounds that racial identity with an enemy was cause for suspicion of disloyalty.
For this, the Japanese community is owed.an-apology:,But it should be borne in mind that, bad as it was. no one was gassed, bludgeoned or starved to death.
During that same World WarH, the Canadian government slammed the door on Jew-
CALLS RABBI'S ATTACK "CHILDISH"
I am writing in response to the Sept. 22 letter headed "Rabbi hits rabbi's 'humility.'"
In it Rabbi J. Immanuel Schochet attacks the view of Rabbi Howard Joseph concerning the divinity and truth of other non-Jewish world religions.
Like some of his Christian and Moslem counterparts, Schochet believes that "mine is the only truth."
The absurdity of his logic comes out in his fears of conversion and intermarriage.
His retort that Rabbi Joseph may be just ias willing to serve as a priest in a church or imam in a mosque is downright childish.
Remember, Rabbi Schochet, that God pervades this whole universe— even in the heart of a Gentile. One may love one's own religion and love and respect the religion of others. Is not love boundless?
Moshe Handelman Toronto
CALLS RABBI "INTOLERANT"
What a pleasure to read on Sept. 1 about Rabbi Howard Joseph's speech on ecumenism. And how sad to read Rabbi Schochet's letter on Sept. 22 about Rabbi Joseph's "falsification of religion." J.
One Orthodox rabbi goes beyond intolerance, and another immediately accuses him of betraying "truth." ;•';
Orthodoxy, as taught by Rabbi Schochet and others, is a distortion of Judaism. V :—
It is time for real self-assertion by those who treasure the Jewish values of intellectual openness and the equality of all human beings.
If nhe. Orthodox follow leaders like Rabbi SchoGhet, let them dwindle away like other sects which have cut themselves off from humanity and the Jewish people. ■ ; Justin Lewis Toronto
LIKES FILM, BOOK REVIEWS
This note is to let you know I like the movie reviews by. Sheldon Kirshner and the book reviews by my rabbi — Rabbi Bernard Baskin of Temple Anshe Sholom in Hamilton.
Geraldine Shapiro
Hamilton, Ont.
Photo of Dobrish Pincu of lasi, Romania in The CJN ad helped him locate missing members of her family in Canada.
AD FINDS ROMANIAN RELATIVE^
Your ads certainly are well read.
I want to thank you for the. results of an ad I placed in your Sept. 8 edition, searching for the family of my father's sister, Dobrish Pincu, who emigrated from lasi, Romania, to Canada some time between 1925 and 1935.
I send yoii this note to tell you how astonishingly well it has worked out.
1 had been searching just for two people — a cousin and her son. Through two pictures in my ad, I found both the cousin and her daughter-in-law.
And then, through these two, I have located not only the cousin's son, but also at least 40 or 50 more previously unknown relatives!
I will how attempt to locate the farnilies of my father's two oldest half-brothers, Fischel and Yonkel Pincu. . : ■
^ Pearl Atkin
Briacdiff ManocTJNV
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PROF. SHALONWAS FIRST -
Your issue of Aug. 25, which has just reached me, describes Amira Dotan as being "the first female to be appointed vice-president of an Israeli university."
With all due respect to the competent lady, who is in charge of fund raising and publicity at Ben-Gurion University, this is not_so. _
That historic first belongs to Prof. Rahel
Shalon, of Haifa, who in 1963 was elected vice-president for research at the Technion, and then, in 1965, senior vice-president (for academic affairs).
Prof. Shalon has had a long and distinguished career spanning more than half a century, begin-nmg with officer's rank in the Haganah. She is still actively engaged in academic and research projects at the Technion. Carl Alpert Haifa
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THREE CHEERS FOR CHINSKY
Re Miriam Chinsky's Sept. 8 review of my Torah-inspired paintings ; headed "Jewish . Heritage inspires artist" and subheaded "Yan-nai pulls viewer into picture":
It's impossible for me to adequately convey my appreciation for the way in which she captured the essence of my work;
I have rarely seen anyone describe my style and Judaic purpose so eloquently, forcefully and exactly.
Yannai Ben Yitzchak Reuven Minneapolis - -
RASKY STORY BOOSTS CAREER
Thank you for Frank Rasky's recent Showbiz Mishmash article on musician, singer and entertainer Bobby Wi.seman.
It was a well-written piecb and it provided a well-needed boost for Bobby Wi.seman.
Your readers should be on the lookout for Bobby's new solo album releaised this month titled Bobby Wiseman' Sings Wrench Tuttle In . Her Dreams. .
Sari Coh Toronto
ISRAEL GREAT FOR STUDENTS!
"You're crazy to go to Israel, there's a war going on!" ;
That was the general response I received from people when I told them of my plans to come to Israel. .
Having had prior experience with the press, I was fully aware of their propensity to blow situations totally out of proportion, and thus far have not encountered even so much as a bomb scare.
I reasoned that there is much more to Israel than the politicalsituation and after the usual "umming" and "aahing" over the various ul-pairoptions available to me, I decided upon WUJS (World Union of Jewish Students).
It appealed to me for a variety of reasons. Not only would it be an ideal opporturiity to travel abroad and acquaint myself with a completely different culture, but it wpUld also enable me to learn Hebrew; to associate myself with my Jew- • ish roots and answer many Unanswered questions; to meet graduates frdiri many different countries
Desiree Silverstone Arad, Israel