Page 8 - The Canadian Jewish News, Friday, January 21, 1977
sparks
the torah
'One has
to talk fire,
not words'
By RABBI MEIR GOTTESM AN Parshat Va'aira
Va'aneeakshe et laiv Pharaoh...And I will harden Pharaoh's heart....
You don't have to be a niohel to be sharp — the word of G-ii.cuts deep into your neshama....
Once a Russian Chassid visited a Polish Gerer Chassid. The Gerer Chassid asked the Russian to describe his rcbbe. The Russian boasted proudly of his rabbi's saintliness. and how his Torah — teachings — reach the throne of G-d itself....
The Gerer tugged his beard. "Your rebbe's Toraii reaches up to the seventh heaven — but our reBbe's teaching reaches down to the depths of the heart...." (Sipuray Hassidim)
A Jew has to talk fire, not words — he has to feel what he says. Imagine...when G-d chose Moses to speak to the Jews, he cried — "V'and aral sifatayim — 1 have uncircunicisedlips....Of all the messengers you could send, did it have to be a schlemiel who can hardly put two words together?"
But the .-Mmighty reassured him. "Listen, that's exactly why I chose you....If you would be an orator, the Jews would all complain — 'He has us hypnotized with his fancy words...." Better vour lips should be shaky — but they know that vour words come from G-d...." (B'air Yitzchak)
But how can you give a sermon to a chicken — how can you wake up someone if he doesn't know he's asleep'.' Consider...G-d roared to the Jews — "1 will take you out from the sivlos — the burden — of Egypt...." Sivlos means burden, but...
...sivlos also means patience...G-d warned — "I'm going to take away the patience you've shown in Egypt...." The Jews wondered — what does He want to do. make nervous wrecks out of us? Why can't He let us rela.\ and he patient?
But the Ribono shel 01am shook his head. "Listen. Yiddelech...it's bad enough that you are slaves, and live in galut — exile. The worst thing is that you don't even mind it. You patiently let yourself sink deeper and deeper in the mire. The first thing is for you to wake up and feel that you're missing something.... (Rabbi Bunim of Pershis-cha)
A king was once angry at his son. so he drove him from his.palace. The son, not having learned a trade, fell from level to level, until he became a simple wagon driver, sleeping on a straw mattress.
Years later, the king relented, and searched out : the former prince. He asked him what he wanted. "Your majesty," the son pleaded, "perhaps your guards can spare me a little extra straw for liiy mattress?" When the king heard it. he wept.
When are we Canadian Jews going to wake up from the galut that we're in? Who is holding us back from returning to Israel? Instead we settle for a little Toronto and Montreal straw....
Money is not the answer to everything. A rich man boasted — "When a collection is made, I'm the first one to put my hand in my pocket...."
','1 know," his friend shrugged, "and you keep It there until the collection is oyer."
But you can't teach the devil how to use a pitchfork., Moses wanted to frighten Pharaoh, so he turned his river into blood. Pharaoh took one look and laughed....
"You call that a trick? For years we've been taking Jewish children, slaughtering them — and turning our rivers into blood. So what's the big deal...." (Rabbi Yitzhak Volozhiner)
The only language a rasha knows is a bang in the head.
May our children live securely in theirown land. Shabbat Shalom.
uestions. about [iyah
Movie industry pioneer honored by his peers
By BEVERLEYSTERN
TORONTO —
In 1921, when Lionel Lester ushered at the King Theatre on College Street, movies were five ceiits for ihe kids and 15 cents for , adults.
For the price of admission, the King crowd got a full-length feature (if they were lucky, a six-reeler special with Mary Pick-ford), a comedy (usually Oux Gang or Little Rascals), a newsreel, and best of all, one more plate from the ever-popular "Indian Tree" collection of dinner-ware.
"Sometimes we' were more in the distribution of dish>\are than films." recalled Lester. "People often bought a ticket just to help complete the 104-piece set. Sometimes, they did not even go to see the'film."
About 450 members of the national Canadian Picture Pioneers gathered recently at the Hotel Toronto to honor Lester for his life-time career and contributions to the Canadian motion-picture industry.
He,was recognized as the "Pioneer of the Year." and acclaimed for his im-p r c s s i V e community achievement. He was subsequently named a director of the Motion Pictures Theatres .Association of Canada.
The Lester family, well-known in Toronto because of its days in the movie business, arrived in Toronto in 1912 from Bristol. England. Jane and Angel Lester opened the Royal Theatre on College Street in 1915, and earlv in the 1920s, bought the King Theatre, also on College.
In the heart of Jewish Toronto amidst the sights, sounds and pungent smelJs of Eastern European bakeries, butchers, fish markets, small clothing and retail stores, the King Theatre became a
Lionel Lester — Toronto's movie pioneer.
social and entertainment centre for Toronto's growing Jew ish community.
"Most of our crowd was Jewish, and had rather specific tastes." said Lester, who was a former national president of Canadian Picture Pioneers in 19''4 and 1975; "Of course, our customers loved all the Al Jolson musicals, but they were not partial to westerns or certain comedies with Bob Hope. Bing Crosby or Will Rogers.
"The tear-jerker melodramas, such as Seventh Heaven with Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell. were always successful. It did not matter if the same formula was repeated over and over again; if the stars were popular, the film worked. "
Movies were the best, the cheapest and in fact, practically the only outlet for escaping the grind of poverty and hard work, he added.
"In 1928." Lester con-
tinued, "when sound came to the King, it was the biggest thrill of my life. When I heard thai rooster crow for the news-reels, and the train hooi. 1 felt that movies, technically, really began to grow up." -
He became an assistant projectionist, and his job was to accurately synchronize the sound with the image. "But 1 could never get the needle on the record fast enough. The rooster crowed after the rooster was gone, and the train whistled long after it left the station. My father used to get furious."
In 1928. Lester started working for the William Fox Film Company, (later known as the Twentieth Century Fox Corporation), and first in world distribution of films. Starting aS a shipper and publicist, Lester later became a film salesman throughout Ontario. Toronto, even then, was an important centre of
film distribution and exhibition, he said. Today. Lester added, it still sets world records for film attendance.
After 19 years with Fox, Lester left to form the National Booking Company in 1947. A unique Canadian company, it bought and booked films for about 40 independent Toronto exhibitors more cheaply and efficiently than they could ever do on their own.^
By 1949. the ethnic character of the King Theatre's neighborhood had changed from Jewish to Italian. With his brother. Robert, who was manager of the Odeon Theatres. Lester renovated the King Theatre, renamed it the Studio, and started importing ethnic films, primarily Italian, German and even Russian.
The Studio eventually became a social centre for the Italians. It also became a handy mailing address for new Italians who as yet had no fixed address. Letters and parcels from home arrived at the box-office. Tlie staff became completely Italian, and one of its original Italian members eventually formed the large, well-cstahHshed Crupi Bakery after getting his start at the Studio as a doorman at the age of 14.
To assure a  How of
Research grant awarded to Weizmann professor for study of disease
QUESTION: What are tne possibilities for nurses in Israel?
ANSWER: Israel isv critically short of nurses in every field of specialization. Nursing jobs are available in all parts of the country.
Israeli health and medical authorities are prepared to train nurses at full stipend. The aliyah of nurses and nurse trainees is greatly encouraged. Comprehensive help and guidance is extended in the solution of the prob-leins of relocation, housing, Hebrew study, etc. that are connected with aliyah.
An Anierican or Canadian nurse 'with a B.S. in nursing and/or an R.N. will be recognized upon presentation of proper documents as a qualified nurse in Israel. A new graduate with an associate's degree will be recognized as qualified after a year of on-the-job training. . .
Just recently, the new Hadassah Hospital on Mount Scopus has opened its doors to receive its first patients. A rare opportunity awaits nurses to become part of this new modem hospital. -—-^
The 300-bei hospital
will have a staff of 600 and will serve the population of Jerusalem.
Hadassah Hosphal has an urgent need for registered and licensed practical nurses in all specialties. Openings iexist in every department. Placement will be according to training and departinental requirements. -o
The hospital will provide attractive accotfimo-dations for single nurses at a reasonable rental. The Ministry of Absorption will provide housing for married couples and families.
Hadassah, in co-operation with the Israel Aliyah Center, will^arrange a group flight for hospital personnel who wish to make Israel's future their own. The entire group will be enrolled in a six-month ulpan to gain command of the Hebrew language.
Whether nurses accept positions at either Hadassah or the numerous other hospitals throughout the country, special arrangements will be made to insure the nurses' absorption into Israeli society and job.
If you have a question pertaining to aliyah, submit it to Israel AHyah Centre. Toronto.
REHOVOT —
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society of the U.S. has awarded a six-month research grant of S25.000 to Professor Ruth Arnon. head of the Weizmann Institute's Chemical Immunology De'partment.
In earlier research. Professor Arnon, in association with Professor Michael Sela, president of ihe Weizmann Institute and a leading immunolo-gist. studied the suppression of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) by the use of a synthetic basic copolymer (Cop I), a substance made up of a chain of identical, repeated amino acid units.
EAE is a man-made disease of the central nervous system. It can be induced in certain laboratory animals by inoculation of small amounts of a basic protein (BP) present in the myelin sheaths of ner%e fibers of the brain and spinal cord.
To induce the disease, BP is inoculated with .■ 'Complete Freund's adjuvant" (a water-in-oil emulsion containing tubercle bacilli). Subsequent injections of larger doses of an aqueous solution of the same BP. before onset of symptoms, are known to prevent or suppress EAE.
^ The current project involves investigation of the cellular mechanism of immune reactions involved in EAE and its suppression.
Using a sensitive tech-niqueto observe the interaction between antibody and liposomes (artificial globules of fat. microscopic in size, to which antibodies may attach), the scientists hope to learn moi^ about imrnune reactions specific towards pro-
tein and lipid (fatly) components of myelin.
This knowledge might then be useful in the development of a diagnostic test for early detection of muhiplc sclerosis.
In addition, they plan to study the relationship be-
tween EAE and EAN (experimental allergic neuritis) to increase understanding of neurological disorders so that improved modes of treatment for the neurological, symptoms of multiple sclerosis can be devised.
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Or Phone Toronto (416) 961- 1527
International Rally for World Freedom
_   FEBRUARY 5,1977
ComiTionwealth Ballroom - Holiday lnn_ 89 Chestnut Street (behind City Hall)
21 COUNTRIES REPRESENTED
Program - 2:00,-5:00 p.m. a Entertainment by Go World Brass Band • Opening Address by Chairman Coiigratulatory Speakers • Keynote address by Dr. P. B. Bilaniuk, U. of T. ■ Songs by Lucille Loring • Delegates Address • Resolution • Communique
FOR FREE TICKETS Call 923^9
European films, the enterprising Lester brothers formed Italia Film (Canada) Limited, and contacted Itati?fn film distributors directly. Italia sold its films across Canada to other ethnic movie houses.
Subsequently, the testers bought four more theatres to serve newer ethnic markets: the Playhouse Theatre in' Hamilton, and the Royal George. St. Clair and Pylon theatres in Toronto.
As well as being active in the organizational life of the motion picture industry (he was also past president of the Motion Pictures Theatres Association of Ontario). Lester has energetically served the community.
As a past chief barker for the Variety Club of Ontario, he became a dynamic force in that club's valuable service work for crippled children. He is a member of the Holy Blossom Temple and served on the board. He was also a past master of the Mount Sinai Masonic Lodge.
Lester is married with four children and five grand-children. His mother, Jane, who ran the Studio side-by-side with her husband, is still an alert. independent lady in her 90s who can recall the "days of the King Theatre" with clarity and humor.
PERSONAL ADVISORY SERVICE
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ORTHODOX GIRL
WE CHALLENGE YOU!!!
Do you really want to DO something for Israel (and for yourself)?!
A combined group of Israeli and. American Orthodox girls set up to help the needy in Israel by means of education and social work. The girls will live in the Torah environment of Kibbutz , Sha"alvim, and work 3 days a week in neighboring settlements.
Torah observant'girls over 18 with basic knowledge of Hebrew are eligible (Hebrew Ulpan is available). Please write or call; ,
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Adult Study Commitee and
Adath Israel Sisterhood & Brotherhood Preseat
DR. VICTOR GOLDBLOOM
The only Cabinet Minister to retain seat in recent Quebec election and "saviour" of the ^'<^i   Montreal Olympics.
Topic:
"Quebec - Where is it going?"
SUNDAY, JANUARY 30, 8:00 P.M.
Discussion & Refreshments No Charge
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THE JOSEPH AND GERTIE SCHWARTZ LECTURES COMMITTEE AND
THE JEWISH STUDIES PROGRAMME of the University of Toronto
present
ARNOLD BAND
Professor of Hebrew' unci Comparative Literature University of California at Los Angeles.
LECTURE:
SEMINAR:
Kafka And The BeiUss Trial
Thursday, January 27, 8:00 p.m. Room 202,
McLennan Physics B|dg.. 255 Huron Street
Three Novelistic Responses
To The Holocaust:
The Fixer, The Slave,
Only Yesterday
Friday, January 28, 10:00 a.m. Room 142,
Ramsay Wright Zoological Bldg., \25 Harbord Street
Admission is free and the public is welcome.
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