THE .,JEWISH WESTERN BULLETIN
Friday, August 23, 1946.
and
RUTH TCTJBMAN — Society Editor — BAyview 4210
Mr end Mis. H. Shechtr, accompanied by Mrs. Sheohteir's brother, Mr. Merton Keel, left on an extended motor trip to Seattle and San Francisco.
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Miss Jeanne Silverman iias just returned from a holiday in Winnipeg where she visited with: her family.
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Mr. and Mrs, Bob Block of Seattle have been weekend visitors at •the home of their grandparent's, Mr. and Mrs. M. Parker.
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Miss Rosalind Chodorcov of Winnipeg is staying v/ith he t!a= cle H. A. Safian for the coming two weeks.
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Miss Rita Diamond Netty and two week holiday dh Winnipeg, Man.
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Miss Sybil Frantkin of Edmonton is visiting Vancouver, guest of her brother and sister-inlaw, Mr. and Mrs. L. Franskin.
Miss Bes Sedorsky of Calgary is visiting in th city, guest of Miss BeDe Rubin.
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Mr. and Mrs. Hainy Tall of Seattle, wash with their two daughters were the guest of thee Hotel Vancouver for the past week.
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Mrs. Borsch of Seattle and Mrs. Mendlestein <rf California were guests of the Hotel Vancouver for
the past week.
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The Messrs. Bernard Reed , Mit-diel Snider, Beny Chechick and Leon Holt spent the past week
holidaying in Bowen Island.
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Miss Rita IMamon, Netty and Jean Rosenberg and Mitzie Green Wash.
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Mr. Leon Lotzkar has been vacationing in Soap Lake, Wash, the past week.
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Mrs. I Wiseman is a guest at the Hotel Vancouverfi from Los An-geles Calif._^
Music 0£, By and For The People
Talmud Torah Announces School Opening
With sthe summer vacation nearing an end, the Vancouver Talmud Torah this week announces plans for the coming School Term 1946 - 47. The exact dates on which cjiasses will be begun wUl be anoxmced shortly but it will be about the first week in September.
An excellent teaching staff is being worked out to ensure all ciasses enrolled the best Jewish education that can be offered.
Frz the very yoimg children, of pre - scQiool ages, again this year Kindergarten classes are being arranged. Vancouver Talmud Torah is pleased to announce that Mrs. Hannah (Milner) Cohen has been engaged as Kindergarten teacher. Mrs. Cohen is an accredited Kindergarten teacher with several year's teaching experience and a profoimd knowjedgte of Jewish and Hebrew. Please read the advertisement in another section of the "Bulletin' for the annoimce-ment of the Registration dates next week.
The Vancouver Talmud Torah requests that those who plan to enroll their children with their School, please do so early so that classes and programs, as well as transportation schedules can be worked out at the earliest pos^ble dates.
Queen Esther Youth
Aliyah Club
The Queen Esther Youth Aliyah Club are planning to hold a social at the Community Centre on Sat-iirday evening, September 14th, at 8:30 p.m. Everyone welcome.
Sale of Personal New Year's Cards By Jr. Hadassah
Rosh Hashanah is drawing near, and with it comes the opportunity to remember your friends with a New Year's Card. Perhaps you have neglectM writing to some of your friends for the past year—or even for years - but the opportunity has come for you to show them tliiat they have not been forgoten.
Members and non-members can purchase beautiful personal cards from the Junior Hadassah organization. By doing this you are not only purchasing distinctive cards, but you are helping Junior Hadassah save lives. Forty per cent of the proceeds from the sale of cards goes to the Junior Hadassah organization. Help raise money for Baby Creche and Youth Aliyah!
A member of the organozation will cal at your home with a book of samples if you telephone Shannon Shatsky, BAy. 4019 or BeUa Weiss, ALma 2145L. WUl members please get in touch with these, girl please get in touch with these girls so they can obtain the sample books. Every member lis expected to assist with the sales. Thi is the first project of the year. Show what we can do.
Orders must reach the publisher by Septmebr 10th — so don't delay —order yoiw cards now.
Schara Tzedeck Ladies' Auxiliary
The Ladies' Auxiliary to the Schara Tzedeck Synagogue are planning to hold a social at the Commtmity Centre on Saturday evening, August 31st, at 8:30 pjn., the proceeds of which are to go towards the purchase of a new Canopy (Huppa) for the Synagogue.
Everyone is requested to contribute towards this endeavor.
Talmud Torah
Mrs. Hannalh MUner Coihen, former kindergarten teacher at the Hempstead Child care Centre in New York, has been appointed •teacher of Vancouver's Talmud Torah kindergarten, it was an-noimced today.
Mrs. Cohen received her first teaching diploma from the Edznon-
ton Noirmal School and then began iier teaching career in Nothem Alberta. After two years in that school, she took over the school in Hanna, Albeita.
Some time ago she left the prairies for New York and there took special courses in nursery school work, including child psychology, welfare work and specialized education.
Not long after she completed these special courses, Mrs. Cohen was invited to teach at the New York Child Care Centre. She was later appointed head teacher for the school age group of children of working mothers.
WhUe in Hemstead, she assisted at the Talmud Torah She did similar work in Seattle shortly before she moved to the eastern city.
Mrs Cohen was a member of the 'inter - denomination Text Book Commision which was organized in New York for the purpose of eliminating all anti-Semitic passages from school text books.
The new teacher will take over her duties at the Tahnud Torah in the first week in Sptember.
Alex Weiss
Last rites for Alex Weiss, age 57, of 3893 W. 9th Ave,, who passed away August 12 were held the following day from the Schaarai Tzedech Chapel with Rev. N. M. Pastinsky and Cantor Stolnitz officiating. Biurial was in the Schaarai Tzedech Cemetery.
Mr. Weiss had been a resident of Vancouver for 18 years. He was a member of the Beth Israel Congregation CBid an ardent Zionist. He leaves to mourn his pasang, â– his loving wife Sarah, and two daughters, Bella and Rose.
Naomi Chapter
The Naomi Chapter would like to drop a boquet to Lil Bolshine, cur Bazaar Chairman, who is doing such a grand and thankless job of looking after our booth for the bazaar. Your efforts won't be in vain, Lil, the girls are settling down to work now, and our booth will be such a success that you'U be as proud of us as we aore of you.
A big turnout is expected next Moaday evening at our regular sewing bee, held at the home of Rose Margolise, 1140 W. Pender No. 405, that's Monday, August 26 at 8:30 pjn.
VANCOUVER TALMUD TORAH ASSOCIATION
ANNOUNCES THE OPENING OF THE
1946 - 7 SCHOOL TERM
in September
EXCELLENT TEACHING STAFF — ELABORATE SCHOOL PROGRAM
It's the Sacred Duty of Every Jewish Parent to Give His Child a Traditional
Jewish Education
REGISmATION DATES: For AM Kp^Scluding Kindergarten S5ay Ciass^ MONDAY to THURSDAY evemngs — August 26 - 27 - 28 - 29 At The Talmud Torah School, 814 West 14th Ave.
Transportation will be pocovided, to and from classes, for Kindergarten
and Grade 1 pupils.
The first Jewi^ih amateur cultural group on this continent to bring Jewish professional artists closer to their own people is the Toronto Jewish Folk Choir. When Igor Gorin sang with the Toronto choir in 1942 it was the fiist tune he (had ever sung a Jewish folk song in Toronto. Since then Regina Res-rJck and Frederick Leaker, Jewish stars of the Mteropojitan, have al-B3 sung in concerts with this coral group. Last month the choir again igave one of its major concerts, this time with Ilezander Kipnis; fain-cus Jewish bass-baritone from the Metropolitan.
Acclaim of the press, the public and leading musical critics, as well as of its own people has been won by the choir. It has been called "A valuable asset to the Jewish community," by Sir Ernest MacMillan, conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Mendelsohn CJhoir.
Now in its twenty-second year, the choir has won recognition as ^ one o fthe outstanding Jewish cultural groups in America, and at tlie same time it is probably the leading cultiual group of any min-ortiy in Canada. The story of its origin and growth makes an in-terestingchapter in the history of Jewish culture in this part of the world.
Known as the Freiheit Gesang Farein upon its inception in 1925, the choir was one of about 35 choral groups organized by the Russian - Jewish composer, Jacob Shaefer, in the United Stetes and Canada after ihe came to America. The Toronto group had only35 members at the outset and followed a rather modest program during its lirst ten years, but tmder the direction of its first leader, H. Rigelhaupt, much of the groundwork was laid for the bigger and better things that lay ahead.
In 1934 the choir was iready for its first major effort, and Jacob Shaefer came from New York to lead the group in the singing of his own composition Tzvei Brider, based on a poem by J. L. Peretz. An outstanding success, the concert drew a capacity attendance at Massey Hall, largest Toronto concert hall, were the choia: was singing for the first time. Since then many more successful concerts have been given in Massey Hall and elesewhere and the group has v^on wide tributes and honors.
Its greatest distinction, howevet, comes from the fact that it remains strictly an amateur group. All its members are drawn from the ranks of Jewish shop and office—workers, store clerks and housewives. They are for the most part unskiled in music except for their training in the choir. In 1939, after one of its big concerts, a press critic deoribed lihe dioir as "an organization of non-profes-
By Abraham Arnold
sional musicians who work at trades or professions all day and do choir work in the evenliig. A majority of its members do not even read notes but no one could possibly have deduced that from their finished performance imder their new conductor , Fmi) Gartner, who comesfrom Vienna."
This was the choir's first concert under Mr. Gartner, who, althou^ he was but 26 years of age when he came to Canada a yejir earlier, had already biult up a reputation as a conductor in European musl-C£il circles.
In its more than two decades of sin^ng this group has acquired a broad and varied musical repetorle including niunerous classical works, famous Jewish conxpisi-tions Hebrew, indish and other folk songs. The works it has sung include the cantetas Rosh Has-» ihonoh Llanoth by Leo Low, and Der Ruf Fun Di Viiner Rabonim by Herb Haufrecht; the liijah ora-teria by Mendelson, On the Field of Kulakova by Shaporin, and the Polivetzian Dances from Prince Igor by Rimsky-Korsakov. Other well known Jewish works (have been Benyomin HI, Kein Einsekln Shapan, and the Moshiach Ben Yosev and Birobjan oratorios. Jewish folk operettas have been a speciality with the Toronto choir. A Bund Mit a Stachke, by Jacob Shaefer, one of the first operettas to be written around a group of folk songs, was sung by the dhoir in 1937, duplicated in 1941 by another operetta titled Album Lieder.
Three years later the choir produced the Goldfadden Spetecle, based on the works of Abraham Goldfadden, imder the stege direction of Jacob Mestel of New York.
These operettas proved tremendously popular but a major difBcul-ty in producing them was the need for much original composition and many new arrangements. The Jewish Folk Choir was deter-minded to give its growing Jewish following what it wanted. In 1945 Jacob Mestel again came to Toronto to collaborate with Emil Gartner in producing a new operetta, Frade Furt Kin Canada, built around no less than 50 folk songs.
On the basis of its success in this field the leaders of the choirare convinced that a fine repertoire of Jewih light opera can be developed aroimd existing folk music. They believe that folk operas can go a long way to ensure the future of Jewisih niusic and literature in America.
Through its music the Jewish Polk Choir has heli)ed to spread Jewish education and culture a-mong Jews and non-Jews alike. The choir itself for example, today has 120 members, 45 men and 75 women, ranging in age from 18 to 45. About 80 per cent of them are Canadian-bom and the majority had but a limited formal Jewish education. The gaps in their Jew* isih backgroimd have in many
cases been filled by what they have learned from the anging of folk songs and other Jewidi com* positions which make up at least 60 per cent of the choir's repertoire.
Besides its own concerts once or twice a year the choir sings whenever called upon, at concerts and meetings sponsored by other or-iganizations, both Jewish and Gentile. Thus the group has sung before conventions of the Canadian Jewish Congress and B'nai B'rith, for the Jewish Branch of the Can-adian Legion, and at joint concerts with chohrs of other minority groups.
MucJi has been done by the Jewish Folk Choir towards the promotion of racial harmony. Out-standmg in this respect has been the annual trip of the choir in the past two years to sing at the local Negro church. These afiairs have always ended with the Jewish and Negro congregation joining in the singmg of a hymn and a chasdish lied.
The choir's most consistent supporters down the years have been the member of the United Jewish People's Ored. Since 1936 that organization has been the only one to grant the choral gi-oup an annual subsidy. Today, however, the choir has the individual suport of members of many Jewish organizations. Two years ago a Patrons group was started and now it numbers 170, including Jewish professional and business men and shop-keepers.
The choir has won im'animous acclaim of the Jewish people and the public at large.
• When the group sang Judas Maccabeus, Edward W. Woodson, music critic of the Toronto Evening Telegram, said: "Handel's v/orik sung in Yiddish was never grander ... it was singing that belonged to a House of Prayer rather than a concert hall."
"The Jewish Folk Choir is an inspiring expression of Israel's collective spirit," Rabbi Abraham L. Feinberg of the Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto stated-Writing in the B'nai B'rith Digest publication of the local lodge. Dr. Louis Kazdan said of the choir: "Every Jew whose heart Is gladdened by any sign of culture and spiritual resurgence of our people will be thriled by the emergence among us of the Jewish Folk Choir."
Success has crowned the efforts of this Jev/ish dhoral institution because of the ancerity, devotion and faithful work of all its mebers. Ambitious plans are afoot for the futture of the Jewish GoUc Choir, whose leaders believe with good reason that mxisic can be used successfully to convey to the whole world a greater imderstanding and sympathy for the people of Israd.
British Embassy Picketed; Rabbis Lead Demonstrators
WASHINGTON (WNS)—Several hundred persons led by twelve rabbis, staged a demonstration this week in front of the British Embassy in protest against Britain's ruthlessness in handSling Jewish refugees seeking to enter the Holy Land.
The demonstrators wore black arm bands, as a symbol of moiun-
ing fro the two Jewish children v."ho died while they were being deported to Cyprus. When the marchers reached the Embassy, the rabbis offered prayers for the speedy liberation of the detained Jews, after which the marchers dianted in imison the traditional Jewish prayers far the dead. Among the inscriptions on the placards carried by the marchers were such slogans as "Open the gates of Palestine", "Neither Nazi nor British concentration camps," "Fight British tyranny in Palestine" and "From Dachau to Cyprus."
The demonstration was sponsored by the Washingt<m Jewish community.
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Card of Thanks
We sincerely wish to express our thanks and appreciation to our friends and neighbours for the many kindnesses and expressions of sympathy extended to us during our recent bereavement in the loss of our beloved husband and father.
Mrs. Alex Weiss, and daughters, Bella and Rose.
UNVEILING
Benjamin Mazeiow
SUNDAY, AUGUST 25 11:00 A.M.
Schara Tzedech Synagogue Rev. Pastinsky Officiating
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