8 —- The Canadfon Jewfsh News, FrtJoy Nov. 17, T96T
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
MRicomi m mm
By HENRY S. ROSENBERG, O-C.
The Gonodion Jewish News has received many letters of comment concerning our position on the Huron Ghurch News column. Excerpts from oil letters — pro and con —will be published in the next issue. -
Dear Editor:
I agree with your stond on' Reverend Rokebz-rhomas' artide. I was also pleosed with your stand on T.V. the other night agolnst the United Nations tneeiing at the Granite Club.
r enclose herewith a -opy cf a eMer -Uhat lhave sent to Reverend Rokeby-Thomos.
Sir:
I do not represent any Jewish organization or any other Jews. I am writing this purely as an individual . citizen. I do not know who you are or where your hyphenated name comes from. I assume >ou are secure in the feeling that no one will suggest that you be deported. It seems that if you had the courage you would turn your "sweet reasonableness" into ari admission that you are a disciple of Haman, Torquemada and Hitler. Now you suggest sending only <he Je^vs to South West Africa. Tomorrow, if they refuse, I assume you would advocate torture, rape, plunder and death as did the Eichmann about whose capture you shed such tears.
If you send out the Jews, would you bring back to life the thousands of Jews who died on battelefields to protect their, and your Canada? Would you send out the teachers, authors, artists and builders who did so much for the Canada into which you are tr>'ing so hard to introduce dissention? Would you expel Senator Croll, who fought the war as a private and earned promotion? Would you send out Louis Rasminsky or Nathan Phillips or Allan Grossman or Dr. Markowitz, the surgery professor who saved so many Canadian lives in Japanese prison camps? Would you banish Nathan Cohen and Berris and Saltzman and Susskind? Would you expel Zellerbach and Justices Bat-shaw and Friedman and Ni-ta Caiserman and Judge Factor, who has given a lifetime of service to his country, including enlisting in two wars? Would you send but the Jewish doctors and
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surgeons who saved thousands of Christian lives? Would you send out Dr. Sig-mund Samuel and the other Jewish benefactors to universities, museums, hospitals and art galleries? Would you send out. the Nordheimers and the Moses and others whose forebears were good Jews and who are now living as respectable Christians, Hitler went back three generations — how many would you go back? Would you send out the Jewish holders of the D.F.C., and D.S.O. and other decorations won in battle?
You must be mad if you think we do not recognize the theme of the discredited "Elders of Zion" and of the infamous Goebbels in in your urlicle.
What branch of Christianity are you speaking for. Do you wish to keep the Roman Catholics and the Lutherans and Unitarians, while you deport the Jews? And what if they or some of them opposed your idea of religious training in the public schools? Do they go too? And what do you intend to do with the Chinese, Japanese, Indians, Buddhists, Bahai and atheists in order to keep your Canadian race pure? They are not Christians so why are you afraid to suggest that they be deported also? Are we wrong in saying you are an anti-Semite when you pick only on Jews? Even Totalitarian Khrushchev is more human than you are. He wants everyone to think alike so he outlaws all religions but keeps his citizens at home.
And when your Canada is clear of Jews and sorneone has an idea different than yours, would you than send them out — Catholics, Russians, Negroes, etc. Remember thousands of oiir boys
gave their lives on the battlefield just to stop this kind of thing. You^have a short | ^-^'T^'j;'^^^yj^^
If Canada Is to be a one-
Indians, French, English, Scotch, Irish, Germans, Italians, Danes, Russieiris, Poles, Sweds, Japanese, Chinese, Negroes, Spaniards and rnany. others. We have Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Buddhists, Moslems, atheists and many others. They all contribute their cultures, traditions and ideas. No citizen has any more rights here or any less obligation than any other law-abiding citizen and you, who are but one of our eighteen million Canadians, should be i punished when you use a Church paper to insult a large segment of your fellow-citizens and suggest that they are disloyal and that they should be deported.
I am, however, angry with the Rt. Rev. George Luxton who refused to disown your statement or to discipline you, who allows the statement to stand in an official Church organ and nonchal-ently answers a challenge by saying "This is merely an expression of a private opinion". So are all expressions in the pulpit. How long would expressions from the pulpit go unchallenged if they were contrary to Church beliefs?
I am disappointed in our political leaders who do not pass a law to make such libellous statements unlawful. If you attacked the loyalty of General Vanier or of Her Majesty, the Queen, would Rev. Luxton keep quiet? If you libel an individual he can take action against you. Our laws should provide that if you libel a group, any one of that group should be able to take action against you. You would then be so busy defending yourself, you would have no time to attack your fellow citizens.
I have lived here all my life and so have my children and grandchildren and I am tired of being pointed out as a different kind of citizen. How would you like to live with the feeling that someone is advocating the depor-
Wilferd Gordon; Q.C., and Manny Rotmon
OPINIONS
VATIVE RABBIS IN KASHBUW CONTROL
by MAX GOODY
It is sinbe 1954, with the formation of the Rabbinical Vaad Hakashruth, that any semblance of order has been restored to kashruth supervision in Toronto^ From the time; of the collapse of the former "kehUla" until that date, there.existed a chaotic condition with no central authority for the supply of kosher meat and other products. This state was no credit to the Jewish Community.
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memory, or do you think Canada was wrong in fighting Hitler and the Nazis?
And I assume you are now granting the right to India, Japan, Pakistan, Indo-China, Egypt, Algeria and other Moslem and non-Christian countries to expel all Christians to some nice tropical, {Malaria-invested mandated territory? I suppose you cheered Castro when he deported priests and nuns to Spain?
There are cranks and rabble-rousers in many places, and it doesn't matter whether they wear black shirts, brown shirts, swastikas or collars which button at the front or button at the back; just as there are people everywhere with lesser or greater degrees of mental illness. In a sense they are to be pitied and helped. You are one of them, and I am not really angry with you. You do not know that Canada is a symphony of cultureis and peoples, and that its strength and status comes from the fact that many people of different backgrounds have learned to live and work and create and" be friendly and happy tojgether. We have Eskimos,
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religion country and you want all Jews to become Christians or be deported, then Canada should say so and we should know where we stand. If we have equal rights as citizens here and ai:e welcome here regardless of our religion, if there is a separation between Church and State, if there is freedom of thought and wor-shipi, then you and your kind should be punished. Yotrare using your freedom of speech to cause strife. All freedom includes an element of restriction to avoid chaos. You are free to drive an automobile but you must not harm anyone with it. You are free to^ carry a cane but you must not strike aiiyone with it. You are free to think and write what you please but you must not generalize to insult-a group and hold them up to contempt and hatred, especially when you don't know the people ypii are writing about.
I hope you will see the light and apologize and so become a decent citizen worthy of teaching morals to others.
From Left to Right: Meyer W. Gosner, Leon E. Weinstein, Ben Wortsmon, Leon Pope, Sam Lyons, Ben Biback, Harris D. Gulko.
NUMEROUS COMMITTEES ACTIVE FOR TORONTO NEGEV DINNER
Wide participation of many segn^ents of the community in the forthcoming"Negev Dinner" is intensifying as the November 27th dote draws closer. Traditionally the largest community-wide event of the year, this year's event honors Mr. Samuel Feldt, leading Canadian Zionist, and also celebrates the Diamond Jubilee of the Jewish Notional Fund Organization, Shown in these photos are members of the committee in charge of program arrangements, and members of the Canvassers Committee who met ot the home of Mr. I. B. Weinstein. Chairman for the dinner will be Mr. LeonE. Weinstein, Guest artist will be the renowned Cantor Leibele Waldmdn.
national aiid regional executive members of the Canadian Jewish Congress, the Division of Orthodox Synagogues was organized in 1951 for the purpose of dealing with religious matters. It comprised representatives of most of the orthodox congregations in Metropolitan Toronto.
While its initial concern related to the problem of regulating kashruth practices, its activities today include a Beth Din which arbitrates conflicts among members of the Jewish community. In conjunction with the Orthodox Division, the Council of Orthodox Rabbis was organized. It consists of fourteen rabbis who, in turn elect a body of eight members to form the Rabbinical Vaad Hakashruth. The duty of this committee is the granting of "hechsher-im" and the supervision of kashruth in butcher shops, catering establishments and restaurants. In addition, the Orthodox Division and certification of other kosher products such as shortening, potato chips, baked goods and foul slaughter.
There is also a lay Vaad Hakashruth which deals solely with business matters. It has no share in the halakhic aspects of the committee's work.
The Orthodox Division, under the auspices of the Canadian Jewish Congress, has as one of its original aims the "fortifying of Jewish spiritual life in keeping with the highest ethical and traditional values." At the 18th Regional Convention, held in January, 1961, in Hamilton, the suggestion was made to include participation of other denominations of Judaism in the field
of religious welfare. The statement continued that Congress would "probably" establish this year a Regional Religious Welfare Committee. As a result of varied discussions, co-operation from all branches of Judaism woiild be assured.
The Canadian Jewish Cout gress is responsible for the welfare of all Jews; for, if it assumes any charge in the field of religious welfare, this obligation in turn must
Then, at-the request of jpply to all Jews. Where the
possibility of promoting unity between some segments of the community exists, its advancements, within the "highest ethical and traditional values" of Jewish life.
Realistically, all Jewish life is comprised of divisions: for example the opinion of Rabbi Moshe Isserles disagrees with the Shulchan Aruch of Rabbi Joseph Caro, which view prevails for the Ashkenazhn but not for the Sephardim. There are well known differences of religious notions within Judaism. There are conflicting and contrasting political and ideological opinions within the Zionist movement. All of these differences are quite natural. Dissimilar backgrounds an^ traditions springing from the demands of time and place create such variations and they are all valid because Jewish life created them. The important fact. is that we have much in common. The force which tends to unite and find common ground is more valid than that which seeks to emphasize its own attitudes.
" No one attitude is so right that it dares exclude all others. Jewish life has room for a "house of Shammai and a house of Hillel", with the less stringent and more yielding attitude of the latter most often prevailing. The Torah is a "tree of life" to those who grasp it and, in it, one must find the inspiration and guidance to live a good and worthwhile life. But the Torah does not state its message simply. Hence the Prophets, Hagio-grapha and Talmud are devoted to the task of interpreting and translating it. The three pillars of the Hal-acha, RIF, ROSH and RAM-BAM, did not always agree upon what the halacha should be. Thus, in compil-
Toronto Points The Way To Orpized Giving
HOW THE CENTRAL FUND PROTECTS THE CONTRIBUTOR
(By a Special Correspondent)
Not long ago the, sight of meschulochim soliciting funds for traditional.institutions was a familiar one in Toronto. Although they are seen less and less frequently today this does not mean that our community has
withdrawn its much needed ently it was often difficult
support of worthwhile institutions. It does mean that many who previously subscribed to meschulochim are now consolidating their perhaps several times a year, gifts into one payment made annually through Toronto's Central Fund for Traditional Institutions.
When meschulochim were soliciting funds independ-
for the "contributor to tell which of the many traditional causes seeking aid were actually deserving.
This difficulty has been overcome since the Central Fund was formed three years ago. Contributors cian now be assured that their donations are being used to the best advantage because the Central Fund has a competent committee which
1oront& Gifts F^^
Mrs. John A; Sherman Vice-President of the Toronto Chapter,. Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University, announced the gifts which have recently been received
DEAR EDITOR,
Re-your editorial of Oct. 27 titled "Ehrenburg's Error". :
I, too, read his letter of the previous week. I did-not get the impression that "he "disowned his alleged" remarks about the young Rus-isian poet. It seems to me an editormight be the last person to Complain about "quoting out of context". There have been some very,effective uses made by newspapers in this "quotmg out of context" business.
Even if your inttepretati^n were true,. I would suggest
greater circumspection in "quoting" from our R.abbis of Old. I am sure that even our RabbisVof To-day would think twice and three time^ before placing Hya Ehren-burg iii the same category ias Men of Evil who most of us would imagine to be creatures like Eichmann.
r know we Jews are very sensitive but this name-calling without the full facts (and can there be any from Russia today?) seems to ine rather inadequate,'^ t6\^ say the least.
Shonshana Sharkey : Morden, Man.
SIMRROW the MAGICIAN
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for the Hebrew University in the form of Scholarships Bursaries, and scientific equipment. ';
A generous gift of Mrs. iEric Levitt made possible the purchase of a recording flame spectrophotometer for the Department of Experimental Medicine and Cancer Research. This gift was made by Mrs. Levitt in memory of her mother, Bessie Segal, and will enable this department to expand certain research efforts in the fight against cancer and other diseases. Dr. Jack Grpss; a former Canadian, heads this branch of the Hebrew Uni-
RICK HART TO LEAD RELIGION SCHOOL PANEL
Sterling Chapter of (B'nai B'rith are sponsoring a public meeting to discuss religious' education in the public school system — a subject apparently in which interest does not subside.
The meeting is on Monday evening, November 20th, at
North view Heights
Colleg-
iate oh Finch at Bathurst. Among those scheduled to appear in the panel are R. Val Scott, Mrs. Doris Dodds, Rev. William Berrie and Rev. Morris Whidden. Moderator is Rick Hart, well-known TV commentator. versity-Hadassah Medica 1 School at Ein Karem.
"The Samuel S. Lemer Memorial Bursary Scholarship in Cancer Research" established by Mrs. Samuel S. Lemer of Toronto.
Dr. S. Diamond has in 1961 renewed "The Alta Bas Zion and Juda T5iainond Memorial Undergradtiate Scholarship" which he first established a few years ago in memory of his parents. At the same time, he has again made possible the awarding of "The Pepcia Diamond Memorial Scholarship Bursary" and has, in addition .,this year, established "The Sara and Adolf Adler Scholarship Bursary".
The Medical School at the Hebrew University Vas enabled to purchase a Centrifuge apparatus through the gift of Mrs. Sol Allen of Toronto.
screens applications from Canada, the United States and Israel. Budgets, facilities, enrollments, curricula — all are carefully studied before a decision is made based on objective needs. Since administration costs are covered by the United Jewish Welfare Fund the contributor is guaranteed that every dollai- collected is distributed to traditional institutions. The work of this cotnmittee is made considerably easier by authoritative reports on the validity of these institutions by experts who are actually on the spot.
In this way the Central Fund protects both the individual contributor and the traditionaL institutions, thus fulfilling the original purpose of ensuring the continuity of our rich traditional heritage.
The Annual Meeting of the Central Fund, to whicb all members of the community are inyited, will be held on Tuesday, December 12th at the; Associated Hebrew School, 3630 Bathurst Street,
ing the Shulchan Aruch. Rabbi Caro decided by majority opinions. While the third opinion differed it was nevertheless, a worthy one made within the framework of that author's understanding of the law. This is Judaism today, as it had been in the past — composed of such differences of interpretations each of which respects and observes the basic premises and teffets.
The standards, as set down by the United Synagogue of America (parent body of the Conservative movement), are as demanding in statement; in several instances, more so in practice than what one might find in some Orthodox Congregations. The point is not that one attempts to match the; standards of the other but, by their ver>' nature, they are very much alike. Wliat seems to divide them is, in most cases, either the mis-interpreted actions of an individual or a minor outward adjustment.
The institution representing the Jewish community certainly has the responsil> ility of setting the example or unified action. The Jewish conlmunity is a complex organism. It is made up of many components, each of which plays a valid part. Whenever and wherever, possible unity and co-operation must prevail between these various constituents.
Such understanding was not manifest, for instance, at a recent UJ.A. golf function when trafe meat was serv'ed. Congress officials were present yet, to my knowledge, no complaint was registered. The syna-gague teaches kashruth; other community institutions should respect this, and observe this principle accordingly- .
When the Orthodox Division of Congress created the Vaad Hakashruth, it did not invite the (Conservative movement or its Rabbis to participate. A request rnade by the Executive of the Ontario Region of the United Synagogue of America was ignored. Kashruth is as valid and important a principle to Conservative Judaism as it is to Orthodoxy, therefore it was up to Congress to invite them to participate in its work.
The Talmud quite clearly establishes the fact that all who wish to share in Judaism should be welcomed. Thus the Conservative Movement wished, through its rabbis, to share with its Orthodox colleagues in the task of restoring order in a field so important to both. They did not wish to control Kashruth, as was implied.
Such possibilities for discussion, the Talmud insists, are important for clarification. Obviously this committee would create standards based on the Shulchan Aruch which would bring some order back into the Kashruth situation in Toronto. If some couldn't agree with these standards they were free to withdraW. However, that Conservatism should work hand in hand with Orthodoxy on an important matter shared by 30th, is beyond question.
Congress has rendered the Jewish Community of Toronto, and Ontario in general, _ a valuable service through the Vaad Hakashruth. How much more gratifying it could have been had it dem-onstrated the practicability and workability of unified action by all Jews who share a common position. It is still not too late to comply.
JEWISH BOOK MONTH 1961
A SYMPOSIUM "LITERARY ANNIVERSARIES"
Featuring
Rabbi Dr. W. Gunthet Plcmt Rabbi Dr. Stuart E. Rosenberg Rabbi Dr. Walter S. Wurzburger
ASSOCIATED HEBREW SCHOOLS
3630 BATHURST
MONDAY. NOVEMBER 20, 1961 8 P.M.
Open to Public C No Admission Charge