SEOONDSBCnON
The Canadian Jewish News, Friday, December 6, 1974 - Page 13
Chanukah 5735
Thousands of Jews around the world next week will be celebrating Chanukah and the candles of menbrahs. Here, Michael and Helen Rubinoff of Toronto and their
lighting David, 4 1/2, Toya 10 1/2 and Yosi, 9, take part in this ancient holiday tradition. The children first day of Chanukah is Monday, Dec. 9. It runs through till Monday, the 16th. (El-Baz photo)
Month,
prompted by need to presence Judaism
By Dr. Israel Frankel
This IS an abridged version
of Dr: Frankei's article
The theme of this year's (32nd) Jewish Book Month; as suggested bv. the National Book Council of America is: "Know Thyself: ReadJewish Books." This theme was (besides . the fact that it IS a most fitting one for Jewish Book Month) undoubted-. Iv. prompted by the great .concern among our people throughout the world for Jewish survival'or, rather, the .'Survival of Judaism.' Never before in the history of our people have we been confronted with such a des-perate groping for 'Jew- .
ish identity.' Our fathers never questioned 'What:
■ or who IS a Jew,' nor did thev ever worry about the •vanishing Jew." ■: .
To read. Jewish books, to learn and study our Jewish heritage is made mandatory m view of the fact that for years the strange question of "'Who IS a Jew.'/ has been, and still IS. a Ixjne of con-
; tention among our people. As a result, Gerut (conversion) and Mamzerut (bastardy) have reallvbecome problems capable of shaking the very foundation of government, as is now taking place in Israel.
For decades we have been, and still are. closing our eyes to the ris-
ing tide of intermarriage among our people. .'M one time, the rare intermarriage of a Jew wascon-
, sidered a tragedv and a heartbreak to the entire family. Nowadays, to our sorrow, it is a common practice, arousing within some families; not even so much as a feeling of guilt.
This plague, in mv opinion, is as dangerous to Jewish survival as was the threat faced bv the almost three million Jews in Israel in the Yom Kip-pur .War. We have defin^ itelv lacked foresight in outv failure to recognize the: prolonged menace of
• intermarriage. which threatens the survival of. the entire Jewish people
1974 Chanukah com will feature old menorah
JERUSALEM -
"The 1974 Chanukah coin.to be issued by Israel will feature a unique - 18th century menorah." according to the Israel Government Coins and Medals Corporation;
The menorah is on exhibit at the Tel.Aviv Museum, Made in Damascus, it is carved in silver, —showing a candelabra with the following inscription above it: "Facing the menorah the seven candles will shed light," Two
197 4
birds, facing one anoth-erj rest on. climbing plants on both- sides of the candelabra, at the bottom two flower, urns bear, the inscriptions: "Blessed be you who. Cometh"- and "Blessed be you that Go Forth."
This 1974 Chanukah silver coin with a face" value of IL 10 will be issued m two^ varieties: 125.000 BU (Brilliant uncirculated) minted with a Star of David, will have a smooth edge; and 75.000
Proof, minted with the Hebrew letter "mem"; will have a milled edge:
The distribution of the Chanukah coin will follow the Ben-Gunon Commemorative coins due in
December/.January.
Further information IS available from the Israel Government Goins_ and Medals Corporjftion. Liaison Office for North America; 850 Third.Ave-nue. N,Y;, N.Y. 10022.
V
.: the work! over., Indeed, the painful spiritual problems that have befallen our generation as enumerated above: What,, or who.IS a Jew?; Gerut and Mamzerut: Jewish Survival; The vanishing Jew ■ etc. etc. --all of them are nothing but logical and natural results of the widespread menacing cancer of intermarriage. . The verv Langer case, which has embroiled us so long and generated so much- bitterness among, our brethren even in.the Diaspora, was the outcome of an intermarriage . combined with an artific-. lal conversion.. .
It IS my deep conviction that the source and ; roots of the perilous spiritual position ofour generation are to^ be found . m.the Ignorance and lack of knowledge of ourselves — our heritage .--ahenT ; tage. now almost..4,000-years old. "It is one of the great tragedies of . modern Judaism that it knows itself so little," wrote Solon Schechter. (Studies in Judaism, 1908 p.156). The study of Jewish tradition, our culture, cannot but inspire a sense of overwhelming pride in belonging to a nation with such rich spiritual treasures.
It IS ;obviously impos--sible' to . expound all of what our rich heritage incorporates, within the confines of an article: in a newspaper. However* to merely appreciate the rich treasures within Judaism; as reflected in the Bible, Midrash, Taj^mud, Zohar and in the Jewish classics written through the centuries, one would have to diligently learn and study books of 'special' content;
The great Jewishbooks are not like current novels; great Jewish books ar^y inexhaustible and mustv constantly be re- ' read.y Referring to the study pfTorah, a disciple of Hillel>in^the first century B.C.E.Nstressed the importance of reading and rereading thje books —
I.e., books - divmelv inspires, (Pirke Aboth, 5, 25). Indeed..ail great books are in a way, divinely inspired.
The key to safeguarding Jewish survival, fighting intermarriage, and counteracting assimilation among our people, lies m the art of getting to. 'know. ourselves'. ,:Know thyself does not necessarily imply chauvinism: On the contrary Dr. J.H. Hertz, comnient-■ ing on Isaiah. 1, 3. states: •Know thyself IS:a moral ■obligation, for nations as well as for individuals.
For. 19 years, in my official capacitv at the Toronto Jewish Public Library, I have been preaching to our readers, m their search -for enlightenment on Judaism, . that thev should resort to non-fiction, to the clas-, sics in Jewish literature, to the writers of theGreat Jewish Books which 'teach* one gradually to 'Know himself. Jewish fiction does not teach Judaism. ■: ■
Books of fiction, in my opinion, are often amusing and sometimes excellent diverting literature. Generally speaking,the Anglo-Jewish fictionists, ■with very few exceptions,, do not bestow upon our people either glory or Nachas. The Philip Roths, the Mordecai Richlers and •even the Saul Belows etc. etc. merely blacken the name of our people. They pick for their fiction the lowest .characters found in Amer-iean Jewry and present them to whom? To the non-Jew and. to the younger generation both of whom do not read Yiddish or Hebrew,
These books, presenting the Jew in the darkest colors, are the only source of information of what:;the"~Jew really is to the Gentile and young Jew, and by disgracing our people, they become 'best sellers'. Indeed; according to IsaacBashevis Singer;, the greatest contemporary authority on Jewish literature, there
Rabbi Dr. Israel Frankel
are 'very few' fiction writers in.English who.could : be classified as 'Jewish' .writers.
In answer to the question, by Rabbi W.Ber-kowitz, as to who and what IS a Jewish writer. Singer replies: "I will speak only about fiction because this is the field in which I have experience. There area number of American writers who call themselves Jewish writers or are called Jewish writers. But 1 would not call them this.^ To me a man is not a Jewish writer merely because he is a Jew or because he writes about Jews. He must have a very deep background m Jewish. tradition to be a Jewish writer. From my own point of ;view, this excludes a man who does not know Yiddish, _ who does not know Hebrew, who does not know our history, who does not know our customs and our-laws.
I would not call such a man a Jewish writer, even, if he happens to write about a Jewish storekeepr er or a Jewish worker or a Jewish doctor. From this point of view^Iwould say that there are very few fiction writers in English whpm I would call Jewish writers. To me a Jewish writer is a man Rabbi Dr. Israel Frankel is
like Agnon, like Pinski. a. man who has reallv lived in Jewishness aU of his life andwho breathes its very air," (Let us reason together, Kabbi W. Ber,-... kowitz ed., p. 105). .Israel's •spiritual, trouble, throughout history, was.alwavs ascrib-,. ed to Ignorance and lack of understanding of our heritage. About 2.750 years - ago, the prophet Isaiah; presenting G-d's complaints against our people for being ignorant and ,not even trying to understand its basic tenets, exclaims: "The/OX. knoweth his owner, and the ass hismaster'scrib; but Israel -doth not know; my people doth not understand' (Isaiah; 1,3). He _ further exhorts- our people to "Look unto the rock whence ye were hewn ,. look unto Abraham your father' (Isaiah 51, -1-2).
. And we are now, in 1974 once again being urged to 'Know ourselves', to read Jewish books, to learn, to study the great' Jewish
.classics. Through a ;book' we, the Jewish people, were born and emerged upon the scene of human history.
The survival of our people, both spirituaUv as well as physically, lies in our own hands.
Executive Director Emeritus,
Recall joyous times celebrating Chanukah with the entire family
Jewish, Public Library of Toronto,
By G. GREENSTEIN :
Chanukah and dreidl games are synonymous. Even while tovmg with today's plastic version, my
.grandchildren chant the age old verse as we did years ago. "See the He-
■: brew, letters nun- gimei.^ hei and shin on the sides. Let s ask Grandpa about them again!" Grandpa answered with pleasure.-'The letters stand for Ness gadal havah sham,' which means "a great miracle happened there."
.Indeed the :great- mirr acle happened 21 centuries ago in Palestine. An-tiGchus' forces greatly
. outnumbered, the small army of Judeans led by
. Judah Maccabee and^ his four brothers: It took three years of desperate warfare for the deepiv inspired Judeans. to win their war of independence from Syrian rule by defeating their mighty foes. However, it took onlv days . to cleanse the temple of the Greek altar and idols:
A new altar was built. . A new menorah was made and lit. The legendary cruse of oil used to illumine the Eternal Light in the sanctuary was enough for onlv one but lasted eight davs. Since then on the 25th of Kislev, we celebrate Chanukah (Which IS Hebrew for dedication). .
The Festival of Lights is a verv happv.time. The. eight branched menorah has been designed most art 1 St 1 call v. Copper, brass,, chrome or silver: allovs have been used with designs of vines, lions, and other Jewishsvmbols decorating them. Each night the menorah is.light-. ed in memory of there-dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem. Prayers of thanks are recited for the great miracle of the sur^ vival of the Jewish people aeainst unrelenting persecutions and almost unending wanderings through the centuries;
The first night we light, one candle and one is added each night .until the ■ .eight are lit. The menorah actuallv holds nine.lights. The ninth is called -the • shames which is the svm-bol.that Jews are entrust-, ed to ;add light and enlightenment to all peo-: Dies. The candlesare lit' at.sundown.
. • All J e w 1 s h festivals-were exciting to mv brother, sister and me. Chanukah seemed even more: so. We could hardly wait for Dad to recite the bene-: ^ dictions as: he- lit . the calndles with the shames. Mother and we would answer •amen!:. Chanukah gelt was given to each of. ■us. Our dinners included cheese disliesand potato latkes; After dinner we plaved dreidl games. The.,, four winged, spinning top . was great fun..
Saturday evening during Chanukah W9S special. After Havdalah, both Bub-les and Zaidas would be with us for the candle lighting. Dad and both Zaidas were the Haza-. nim: chanting the benedictions; The rest of us-assisted inthelightin^while chorusing 'amen'. It was a beautiful, unforgettable experience. Together we plaved dreidl and amaz^ ingly, the adults lost every: game. Our Chanukah gelt: fairly multiplied. While we played, we heard Zai-die stones of Chanukah celebrations "in drehm" (the old country). They were youths again as they recalled those days with their "landsleite" (countrymen). We listened with delight.
The years pass. We matured, married and had children. Our youngsters delighted as- We did in Jewish holidays, Chanukah again was so special.
The children would place the menorah on the front window sill with :: the candles and impatiently, wait for Daddy. It was beautiful — the benedictions,- 'am ens'.Chanukah gelt and dreidl games. Mv dear parents of Beloved Memory, my husband and 1 met our match. The little ones won every game. Enid and Dennis delighted in . their "Cramps stories:"
Our grandchildren somehow seem unique. They love each .Yom Tov. The recitations of. the
Chanukah baruches are ^eing rehearsed. Isn't it amazing to see and hear little ones emote! Deri Beth has observed "Chanukah IS so much fun. Every night there is anr other present." Ban-Sue can only agree.
As we stand before the. menorah with our children and grandchildren reciting the blessings, the glisten-in our eyes will not merely reflect the candlelight.
How beautiful tradition
IS'
CEREMONIAL OBJECTS
Some, Of Chanukah's ceremonial objects, Top is mn illuminated page from the Enu Michael H«gg«<Uh showing a hanging star-shaped lamp used by German Jews in the Middle Rhhie around 1400. Centre to a silver dreidl firom 19lh century Poland. Botton is brass lamp for synagogue use from 17th century Poland.lls width is 42 inches,,(Encyclopedia Judaic*)