Page Four
JEWISH WESTERN BULLETIN
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1935
rhe Lord is Merciful and Gracious^ Slow to Anger and Plenteous in Mercy, He Will Not Always Chide;
Psalms cm, 8-9
Jewish Education Necessary To Face Life
MOST BEAUTIFUL CEMETERY IN CANADA
Congregation President
By J. BARUCH, Principal Vancouver Talmud Torah
Though there are no reliable statistics available, those familiar with the situation estimate that there are about 350 children in our commimity between the ages of six and twelve, that is, of the Jewish schooling age.
Of these 100 are registered in our Talmud Torah (55 in the Talmud Torah and 45 in the Commvmity Centre), some 50 or 60 in the Sunday School and some 50 take lessons from private teachers. There are, therefore, some 200 children who receive some kind of Jewish education. There are, therefore, about 150 children who receive no education at all. The situation is tragic. A hundred and fifty children deprived of Jewish education through no fault of their own will be alienated from their people, torn from their brethren and left in ignorance of their own ancestry and history, their culture and their age-oid heritage. It is a crime that is being committed impremeditated by the parents against their own children. They rob their children of the greatest moral sustenance that will strengthen them in their struggle as Jews against the eternal and increasing tide of anti-semitism.
They rob their children of their self-respect, of their sense of self-righteousness as Jews.
"If my parents did not think it necessary to bring me up as a Jew," the child thinks, "Judaism cannot be such an important matter, and being a Jew cannot be such an honor."
And when such a child is afterwards attacked or insulted by anti-semites as an inferior creature, he is ready to believe in his inferiority and is thus led to spiritual and moral degradation.
How great this tragedy is can be seen from the case of German Jews who lived for centiiries in Germany, considered themselves Germans, educated their children as Germans and made them strangers to the Jewish people.
suicide.
Many of them live a veritable tragedy when they return to the Jewish culture with empty hands and hearts, torn with regret, conscience-stricken.
PEDAGOGUE
T. T. PRESIDENT
J. BARUCH Principal of the Talmud Torah
"We bullL palaccS for alien peoples, and let our own homes fall itno ruins," they feel. "We gave treasures to our enemies, and return to our own people poverty-stricken, in need of support."
And lonely, abashed, they begin at an advanced age to study the ABC of Judaism and to come close to their Jewish brethren.
This is not the first and not the last time that Jews experience this tragedy. This has happened many times before, in Spain, in France, and in Germany.
Jewish parents! Before the Days of Awe, before Days of Repentance, when every Jew considers his actions and his Jewish life, we call you. Do not let your children become strangers to the Jewish people. Let them study what Judaism is. Plant in their hearts love and respect for the Jewish people, familiarize them with Jewish life, with the treasures of Jewish culture. Let every child receive a Jewish education, and if they are to remain Jews, let them be educated and self-respecting with an intelligent knowledge of their own people "that they may not be abashed when they meet their enemies in the gates," (Psalms CXXVII, 5).
5
Cemetery Board Appeals to Community for Support
With the passing of the old year and the advent of the new, it is customary for all business to organize its activities for the coming year. Thus, too, even communal, non-profit organizations must review their position and organize to meet their requirements.
The Schara Tzedeck Auxiliary Board has carried out fully the wishes of the Community.
The old Mountain View Cemetery has been beautified and is now better cared for then ever before in the history of Vancouver Jewry.
The new East Marine Drive Cemetery has been completely paid for and the community is not fastened with outstanding debts for capital expenditures.
The new East Marine Drive Cemetery has been renovated. New shrubs and trees have been planted, and the soil has been re-fertilized. Recent visitors from Eastern Canada and the United States have remarked that this is the finest Jevdsh cemetery they had ever seen.
Perpetual care is given to EVERY grave in both cemeteries.
Throughout the whole year the Cemetery Board has ordy one source of income with which to carry on this work. This source IS funeral services. This never nets anywhere near the required budget, as many of the feunarls are conducted for needy families from which a very small compensation, if any, is derived to pay for the bare burial expenses. Thus the income derived is only a fraction of the absolutely necessary expense and the Cemetery Board is forced to conduct an appeal at the beginning of each year.
Today the Jews of Vancouver can point with pride to the care of their departed ones. Certainly every Jew must feel keenly the absolute necessity of helping this Holy work.
The Schara Tzedek Cemetery Board appeals for a kindly
reception and generous support, and extends its best wishes to all for a Happy and Prosperous New Year.
W. J. LEVIN, Chairman.
(Continued from Page 3) Coming and Going
When the Chofetz Haim once came to a town to collect for his academy his host informed him that they would not need to call on any contributors as arrangements had been made to have the contributors call to give their contributions. But the Chofetz Haim was not satisfied. "We must call on the contributors. Through coming to us they perform half their good action."
THE CHOFETZ CHAIM
tured in the after world for desecrating the Sabbath." He refused to take the money offered him for the academy until he promised to observe the Sabbath in the futiure. To the astonishment of all present the host did so and ever after the Moscow millionaire closed his office on the holy day.
A. ROTHSTEIN
Everything that is Jewish was cast away as vmnecessary and useless. These Jews created a great German literature, a deep German philosophy, a sensitive German art, they enriched all phases of German culture and science. They gave their best brains and capital to the German people.
When the fateful hour of catastrophe came, they were all driven back to where they belong, to the Jewish people from which they have become estranged and which has become empoverished by their treachery.
Many of them could ont suffer this sudden "degradation" and committed
Collecting Contributions
When collecting for his academy he always stressed the benefit that would accure to the contributor. Once he said to a wealthy man, "God has helped you. You should now know how to help yourself."
The Sanctity of the Sabbath
Once he was speaking at some length to a very generous contributor in Moscow who increased his contribution through being affected by the sanctity of his caller. He spoke much of the Sabbath and its sanctity, and then suddenly burst into tears. The host was frightened at the unaccountable weeping of his guest. He asked him the cause:
"How can I help weeping," the Chofetz Haim sobbed, holding his host's hand, "when I know that such a wonderful hand as your will be tor-
Higher Than He Is
Once in a Shabuoth celebration at the academy when the holiday enthusiasm ran high, some of the students took the strange liberty of hoisting their beloved principal on their shoulders. The Chofetz Haim was not accustomed to such treatment and his usual equanimity was ruffled. He was almost angry.
Afterwards he apologized to the students and explained. "You see, no man should allow himself to be 'ifled higher than he is."
and prophesied to them there. You, too, father, may go to America yourself, though you advise others not to go there."
The next day the Chofetz Chaim said to his son: "Child, you were right. All night I could not sleep. It is dangerous to let Jews go so far without guidance; I am too old and weak to go .myself, but I have determined to write a book for them and to send it to them."
His volume, "The Scattered of Israel," proved very popular in the New World, and was a firm and effective encouragement to those who held to the orthodox manner of life.
FOR AMERICAN JEWS
Forty-five or fifty years ago, going to America was going to a desert land, unknown, heathen, inimical to to Jewish traditional religious life.
Only those who had to went.
Once his son said to him: "Father, you will be like Jeremiah who stormed against Jews going to Egypt, but when they went in spite of his counsel he followed them and counselled
Rothschild of Frankfurt
Here is how the Frankfiul Rothschild became a contributor to the Academy of the Chofetz Hayim.
Once the scholar sent a copy of his book ■ to the Frankfort millionaire. He received a cheque for 300 marks for it.
The scholar had a fixed price for his book based on the costs of production. So after deducting the value of the book he returned the money to Rothschild with a letter explaining that he did not accept gifts, but if the German patron wished to contribute to the academy he was welcome to do so.
The Rothschild sent him 3000 mark and became a regular subscriber. Continued on Page Two
BOARD CHAIRMAN
W. J. LEVIN
QiT-jtiQji nt Cemetery Board
MR. A. M. CHARCOW
President of Shaarei Tzedeck Congregation extends hoUday greetings to all.
self from the Holy Land. He therefore carried several pebbles that he
1---1 1---,.-1.4.
When Rabbi Kook came to America he did so in the interests of Palestinian funds, but he felt, nevertheless, that he was sinning in absenting him-
Israel, and would play with them continually, handling them even when engaged in the most serious studies, as he put it "to obtain the pardon of the rocks of Palestine."
[emorial Services
will be held in the
New Schara Tzedeck Cemetery
(East Marine Drive)
Sunday, Sept. 22,1935
at 2: 30 p.m., rain or shine
RABBI S. CASS, REV. V. PASTINSKY AND RABBI J. L. ZLOTNICK WILL OFFICIATE
Prayers will be offered for the following who have passed away during the past year,
Mrs. H. Porte Sept. 29, 1934
Samuel Kravitz ..............................Oct. 30, 1934
Morris Davis.................................. Nov. 18, 1934
Baila Misler Dec. 1, 1934
Benjamin Margolis..........................Dec. 3, 1934
Sarah Waterman...........................Dec. 12, 1934
Mrs. Tauba Rome Dec. 23, 1934
Herman Sirlin Dec. 24, 1934
Julius B. Miller Jan. 4 ,1935
Baby Baruch Jan. 6, 1935
Morris Schnider .............. Jan. 23, 1935
Louis A. Rostein........... ..............Feb. 20, 1955
Heinie Slavin..................................April 3, 1935
Louis Wener May 25, 1935
Samuel Stein (Branstein) ............ May 29, 1935
Emma Cohn..................................June 26, 1935
Ida Aran Aug. 27, 1935
Members of the Community are reminded that it is a duty to visit the Cemetry a week before Yom Kippur to honour the memory of our dear departed.
The Cemetery Board solicits the members of the Community who have cars to be at the Shaara Tzedeck Synagogue, Heatley and Pender) at 2 p.m. to co-operate in transporting all who are without cars.
Psalms CXI, 10
