Friday, August 23, 1946.
THE JEWISH WESTERN BULLETIN
Hebrew In America And American Higher Education
iLibby JUazaxson Zsiritsky
There was .tiirmoil in Jerusalem two thousand years ago. Conflict followed conflict. Engagement succeeded engagement. The seige was the last stage in the battle, the ihopeless battle to preserve the Jewish nation. Outside the gates of the beleaguered Jewish capital, the Roman officers were biisily engaged planing the final attack. The troops were merry. They sang. They damk. Tommorrow victory would be theirs: In side the gates the scene was desolate. There was no drink. The populace was sick-sick in body and soul. Tomorrow would bring defeat: So the night was spent. Revelry from without. Mourning from within.
But there was one among the Jews who refused to moTim. He was busy making plans—plans on ■how to escape the city—on how to gain an audiencewith the Roman general. Only the dead were allowed out of the city. So it was annonuced that Rabbi Joachim Ben Zaccai had died diiring the night. His followers dressed him in the traditional white burial clothes. He was laid in the coffin ktid a-midst tears and blessings led out of the city.
Once outside Jerusalem, he rose from his coffin. The mystified Roman soldier did not tarry long and brought this "supernatural being" inunediately to their General.
Rabbi Joachim stood before Vez-pasianus. He conceded that the Jewish land was lost. He conceded defeat. He knew the Jews would be scattered and so he asiked to be granted one request. Outside Jerusalem there is a little town called Yavneh. "Spare this little town." The General puzzled over this request; couldn't imderstand the interest of the conquered in a mere trifle. But in a spirit of condescension he granted it.
Yavenh, however was no more trifle. There the Hebrews transported their seats of learning. There they built up great universities. There their culture flourished. Palestine fell. The people were in bondage. Bu the Jewish . culture, through Yavneh, v/as preserved—preserved to be a present to world civilization.
"The most exemplary contribution of Judaism to world civilization is the Bible," Dr. AbraJhiam I. Katsh, profesor of Hebrew and Jewish education and executive director of the Jewish Cultiure Foundation at New York University, told this writer at a recent interview, "Indeed world culture has its roots in the Bible."
All madem literatures have borrowed imspaiiringly from the scriptures. The teachings of the Bible (its morality, the feeling of brotherhood of the prophets) have found their way into every human heart.
The American people especially owe more to the Ancient Hebrews than to any ancient peoples. The fovmders of America were guided by th Mosaic rulings in their Colonial legislation, legislation from which grew the system of constitutional law of .the present day. The first code of laws drawn up at the general court of Massadhaus-settes was taken entirely from the Old Testament, It is interesting to note a case where the court was divided over the ownership of a cow. The question of precedence v/as raised whether a small nxmi-ber of magistrates coiild lawfully hamper the decision o fa large nimiber of deputies. Winthrop wrote a thesis on the subject claiming' that there were the magistrates forbidden to vote the action of the deputies, the colony woud not be a democracy and there was no such govenunent in Israel."
"The spirit embodied in the scriptures," continued Dr. Katsh. "finds ample expression in American life. The abhorence of monarchy expressed in the Old Testament had its ^/Jqepce In +he establishment of the goverrnnent of the United States of America. Inscribed on the Ijbery bell is the Bibical verse taken from Leviticus, "proclahn liberty throughout the land and to all the mhabitants therof." Columbia imiversity has chosen the Hebrew Tetragammatan Yahven as its emblem." The mfluence of the Hebrew lan-
guage has found its way into American speech. About half the verses of the book of Psalms have virtually become English idioms. Almost all the phrases of Proverbs, Job, Song of Songs, Ec-caesiastes and others have been domesticated by the English speaking peoples. For example: "A voice cries out in the wilderness", "the four comers of the earth", "keep the fortress", "ordained of God". The men of letters and oratory have, by virtue of invoking high imagery, attamed classical value. Most of his high imageryhas its (antecedence in the Bible, in the Old Testament. Take from Lui-coln's Gettysburg address the biblical flavored words and phrases and much of the "solem music has g died out forever from this inspiring Battle hjnnn of consecration to the Republic." Hebrew words like bath, bedlam,, jot, jug, gause, kaddish, racket, rabbi, sack, vermilion have become part of the Eglish vernacular. Cities with Hebrew names or derivatives can be fotmd in every part of th United States: Canaan, Ark; Mount Hebron, Calif.; Joseph, Idaho; Herod, 111.! Gilead, La.; just to mention a few.
'And how great is the influence of the Talmud, of the creations of the Golden Age in Spain: When the world was spiritually stagnant the Jews were plaving the way to Western civilization."
Although the influence of Jewish culture on civilization is recognized by scholars, the laymen is oblivious of such a contribution. In this world of today, where as-similitary forces are so powerful, too few Jewish students take pride in their backgrounds. They lack the knowledge of their inheritance. They lack the imderstanding necessary to its appreciation. For them it is paramount to become acquainted . with this heritage. They dare not turn their backs upon it. They come in contact with it in every walk of life. If they enter a synagogue a Hebrew word is spoken. If they attend a B'rith, a Bar Mitsvah or a wedding a Hebrew word is spoken.
Supply knowledge. Open for Jew and non Jew this new world and understandmg will supplement misunderstanding," Prof. Katsh s£id with asiurance. "Offer students the knowledge in the places where they come to study. Supplement college cTuriculimis with Hebrew studies —the history, the language, the cultture contributions the literature. Let them enrich themselves with these treasures that are so sorely minimized in the studied curriculuiua ^r left cut altogether.
"Hebrew is a modem, living language. The literature is as interesting, as important as French, German, or Spanish. If the courses are offered the students will be at-triacted. Hebrew wil no longer appear as a strange, antique cultiure.
"This work can be accomplished in Universities throughout the land. In attemptuig to leam the attidues of college administrators," Dr. Katsh expained, "I sent quest-ionaires to the various colleges requesting information concerning the status of Hebrew in these institutions. The inquiry revealed that 300 of them recognized He-brey for admisions credit and 150 were ready to give credit for Hebrew as soon as the demand arose. Another discovery was that 159 universities and colleges of liberal arts either offer courses in Hebrew or recognize such courses as elec-tives if taken in. one of the theological schools. Eight colleges vol-imteered to institute such, courses if fimds were made available for that ptupose. This interest is encouraging. With proper approach much can be accomplished. Just look at N.Y.U.'s great achievements. And our university was totally disinterested when we first attempted to fester the Hebrew cutural movement on the campus!'
Let us interview for a moment the progres N.Y.U. has made. In 1937 Dr. Katsh, then an instructor in the division of general education in the School of Education, conceived the idea to bring to the students Jewish life and culture in all its diversiCed aspects. He started out .single handed. Materi-
Wash. Considering Compromise Partition Proposal
WASHINGTON (WNS)—Under-Secretary of State Dean Acheson is working on a compromise Palestine partition plan that would prove satisfactory to Britain and acceptable to President Tnmian, according to informed circles here.
While there has been neither official nor imofficial intimation as to the President's reaction to the Washington conferences last week on the Palestine issue, it is belived the partition supporters in the State Department hold the upper hand. Sovu-ces dose to theWhite House said that Mr. Acheson's compromise provides for a greatei degree of Jewish autonomy in their zone.
Although London reports indicated that the Foreign Ofbce was expecting President Truman's answer over the week-end. the President said last Friday at his press conference that he woidd not reach a decision by that time. At the same time he asserted that no question of constitutionally was involved imder the partition pro- , posal. He denied that he had been in constant contact with the British Prime Minister on the Palestine question and he showed ir-i'itation at the publication of the Grady Report while negotiations were still going on. Mr. Truman refused to comment on the action of the latest measures taken by the , British Goverment to halt "illegal immigration into Palestine.
al means for carying out the work effectively were lacking and as-sistence was secured from a smaU group of interested persons who realized the importance of the endeavor. The Jewish Cultvue Fovm-dation, one of the outsanding and most successful student bodies on any American camptis today, was thus set up.
Aside from the cultural, educational, social and interfaith accomplishments, the Foimdation points vdth pride to its two major achievements. One is the Library of Hebraioa and Judaica, fotmded originaly from a miique private collection of the late Dr. Mitchel M. Kaplan and .the Wiliam Rosenthal! and Legarde collection. The material in the library dates from the oldest known manuscripts to the most modem pieces and cover fiction, non-fiction, Jewish education and all phases and aspects of Judaic life, custom and history. The second is the establishment of the Chair of Hebrew and Jewish Education. This department, headed by Prof Katsh is imique in being the first of its kind in any Aemrican university and carries accredited Hebrew and Education courses which meet ithe requirements for baccalaurate, master's and doctoral degrees.
The department of Jewish education, the Library are University contributions. The Foundations is an Integra part of University liEe. It is on the inside attracting and educating participants. It is no longer on the outside longing to attract and to educate.
With pride Dr. Katsh concluded:' "N.Y.U. has done wonders, it's true. But other Colleges need only encoiuragement to accomplish the same 'miracles'. Once the trend is established one University will copy from the other. Already other Universities have become interested in the accomplishments of N.Y.U. Hunter and Brooklyn have followed suit and instituted Hebrew courses. The University of Tennessee has estabished a library of Hebraica and Judaica, inspired by the New York University model.'
Monetary aid would hasten and facilitate this work. Funds sufficient to cover University deficits, would establish Hebrew Chairs in American imiversities. The Jewish community should, be viling to help. The Jewish commimity is charged with that responsibility. It must not forgt the wise words of Solomon "My own vineyards I have not kept." It must not fo;rget the story of the Jews of two thousand years ago, the Jews who in the face of annihilation thought only of Yavneih, of perpetuating the Hebrew culture treaures.
Answering The Nonsense That Yiddish Is A 'Jargon'
The Yiddish language began to develop in the Rhine provinces of Germany between the lOth and 12th centxuries. Out o fthe language of that period and region the Jews fashioned a speech which departed further and furtflier from its original sources untH it began to live a wholly independent life of its own. This development was na-ttu:al. At first Hebrew words were hitroduced into the German of the period; they dealt with religious life, with domestic matters, and with trade. The origuial German words themselves were Judaize<l in their syntax, and the senten^s structinre adapted to a Jewisih pn~ formation. As a result of the frequent contact between Jews in various coimtries, foreign words v/ere introduced. Folowing .the esatward migrations to Poland and Russia new words were assimilated into popular usage, while the people themselves created a wealth of new terms to express I>articular details of their material and spiritual life. The teacher whose job it was to interpret the Bible for the children, the rabbi who was required to adjudicate all kinds of problems, the merchant who had to carry on business correspondence, the artisan who needed terms to designate tools and materials of his trade, the mother who beguiled her child with story and song, the boy and girl pouring out their love — each of these made their contribution to the language and helped to shap and enrich it. There were, besides the historic memory of the people, the images and word-usages of the Bible and the Talmud; the disasters that befell the people, the hardsihips of daily Jife; ^ all of these foxmd expression in new inventions, idioms, word forms and word combinations forms and word combinations. Thus there was gradually formed a language which encompassed the whole life of* a people, its Torah, its customs, its sorrows and cares, it wisdom and wit.
But from its first fumbling steps Yiddish encountered the opposition of the religious aristocracy. This opposition arose from the fact tiliat, from the very beginning, Yiddish became the road to secular life, to amusement and relaxation. Tlirough it there were brought into the Jewish home the street songs and love songs, and especially the sentimental romances of knights and heroes which were popular among the Christian population. The rabbis looked with strong disapproval on the language of "women and idlers and common folk," but they.had to sign a truce with it, jiist as ^ centiu-ies before the spiritual lead-
ers in P^estine had found it necessary to make peace with Aramaic. /
But alien song and story covld not be alowed exclusively to stir the imagination of the 'common people, and thus religous songs in Yiddish began to come into existence. There are examples of such songs dating from the 14th century, and, in the same period, a translation of the Book of Esther, indicating that parts of the Bible were translated into Yiddish at that early date. The first printed edition of the Scriptures in, the Original Hebrew appeared at the end of the 15th centxury, and by 1544 there appeared a translation of the Pentateuch into Yiddish. Prom that time on the nxmiber of religious works in Yiddish increased. Original' Jewish epic works appeared, such as the famoiis "Epic of Samuel," competing with Christian romances. Yiddish became a language of original literary cre~ ation, not merely spoken tongue into which other original works had to be rendered. Then prestige of the language grew even greater with the rise of Chassidism at the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th century. This democratic-religious movement wfliidi sought to raise the lot of the common man through religion and which captured the imagination of half the Jewish population of Eiu-ope, became a powerful stimulus to the growth of the language.
It was in the sanie period that Yiddish encountered its formidable opponent — German enlightenment — they were later the founders of the movement for religious reform—the Jews had long ceased to be a people and. were merely a religious group, Germans of "Mosaic persuasion." Their political pogram demanded that they rid themselves of everything that had to do with Jewish mass culture and identify themslves with national German culture. To them Yiddish was nothing more than a 'corrupt German," a "bastard jargon." It was not until many gen^ erations had passed and a science of philologj' had developed that serioixs scholars, Christian as weU as Jewish, were able to study the language without pre-judgment and to reach the conclusion that modem Yiddish and modem Gfer-man were separate and independent languages which stemmed from a common source.
The denial of Yiddish by the Germian-Jewish propondents ot assimiliation was taken over by the leaders of the Haskalah (en-lightnmnt) movement in Austria Galicia, Poland and Rvtssia. But here, where Jews lived in large masses, the assmilationists were unable to stifle the language — as
had been done in Germany. On the contrary, in Eastern Europs the Haskalah movement itself h^ to conform to the folkways of the people and instead of lundermg it actually helped in the development of the folk tongue. "Whoever sought to reach the people had to use the people's speech-and, with the growth of a written Yiddish literature, there came a recognition of the individuality, richness and beauty inherent in the language. There are those who, undfer ithe influence of the German school. of thought, sought to "purify"and "correct" the language, attempting to substitute for it a type of elegant Judaeo-German. But those
who remamed rooted in the people sought in the masses the true riches of the folk tongue.
In the second half of the 19th century secular education, within the framework of a numerus clausus, had become fairly widespread among ,the Jews in. Poland and Russia. Jewish youth was seized by an irresistible urgfe foi-education and secular knowledge which the revolutionary and. demo-cartic movements supported and slrengfiiened. The last decade of the 19th century witnessed the political organization of the Zionist as well as the Jewish Social movements which were then maturing. This development awakened and released tremendously strong currents of folk energy. A large class of intelligenteia appeared—political leaders, teachers, writersi, publicists, novelists, poets. The first Yiddish newspaper had appeared a early as 1686 in Amsterdam, Holland. Later attempts were made to issue Yiddish periodicals at various periods and in various countries — Romania, Galicia, and Poland. In the 1890's Yiddish weeklies and special literary publications appeared. The press grew. Traveling theatrical troups toured the contment. Books without number began to pour from the presses, some inconsequential value, others of considerable importance and literary worth. By the end of the century the great classical Yiddish writers —Mendele Mocher Sforim, Sholem Aleichem, Yitzchok Lel-bush Peretzi—were known beyond the borders of Russia and Poland. At the opening of the 20 th cen-' tury there was a large Yiddish daily press with a circulation in the himdreds of thousands, a significant literature whidhi had found translation into other folk plays, and the beginning of the scientific work of collecting folk songs, folk tales and folk idioms, and o£ re^ search in the language and its history — all to the end of establishing Yiddish as an instrument and treasure of Jevdsh culture.
J.D.C. Children's Homes^ Rest Centers^ Shipments Aid Jews in Eastern Europe
These firsi pictures of Jewish life in Eastern Europe, scene of the \ Joint Distribution Commiitee^s most extensive programs this year, show the wide range of assistance work carried out by the majo American agency aiding Jewish survivors overseas. Above, yonn/: Jewish lads enjoying the Warm rays of the sun on the beach of a J.D.C.-supported lakeside children's home in Bunsania. Above • 'ffj^iftt,' 5fc-w»?ii irmSlis^ Siae »p fide a J.D.C office in Budapest, Hungary, where they are applyinf; for entrance into a rest cento' operated by the J.D.C for moth-es« and children. Rii^t, Bulgarian , Jews receive a shipment of cloth-; ing sent from the United States by the J.D.C, which receives i\a funds from the United Jewish Appeal.