The Southern Jewish weekly. [volume], November 21, 1952, Image 1

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THE OLDEST AND MOST WIDELY CIRCULATED JEWISH PUBLICATION IN THIS TERRITORY
VOL. 29 NO. 44
The Weizmann
Story ...
By Nathan Ziprin
The late President Weizmann.
like Lincoln, was a great story
teller. He could thrill audiences
and intimate gatherings with
characteristic Jewish humor and
he would often overpower his
opposition with anecdote and
parable where logic and persua
sion seemed to fail.
When Weizmann rose into
world prominence, press and peo
ple naturally began referring to
him as a great diplomat and
statesman, an appellation he ab
horred. As far back as 1919 he
wrote in the Haaretz of Tel Aviv:
“I am not a diplomat. If I have
achieved anything for Zionism it
was precisely because I was not a
diplomat. Lord Balfour in his
days met greater statesmen than
I am. I came to him as a simple
Jew. I depicted to him the senti
ments and wishes of our people
simply and honestly. And it was
because of this that he understood
me.”
Weizmann and Vladimir Jabot
insky, revisionist leader, had al
ways been on opposite poles on
almost all issues at World Zionist
Congresses. Jabotinsky was a
great admirer of Weizmann
though in later years they were
not on speaking terms. At an inti
mate gathering of friends during
one of the Congresses Jabotinsky
once said of Weizmann that he
had such an uncanny way of
proving himself right that there
i i no other explanation for it un
less it were assumed he had "a
direct telephone line to heaven."
Though raised in a religious
home and in an atmosphere of
Jewish tradition, Weizmann could
not be called an Orthodox Jew,
yet he ideologically considered
himself suth. Some years ago he
attended Rosh Hashonah services
at Rehoveth despite his physi
cian’s warning that the strain
might be too much for him since
he would have to be on his feet
during many portions of the serv
ice. He promised the doctor he
would spend only an hour in the
synagogue. But once he got there
he forgot about his health and
his promise. He remained to the
end, standing on his feet almost
throughout the four-hour-long
service.
Weizmann's most beloved book
was the Bible. He counted the
day lost if he did not have the
chance to read at least one chap
ter from the Sacred Book.
Weizmann had no special love
for reformed Judaism, for re
formed rabbis and the so-called
“good will” movement. Discuss
ing one of those rabbis, he re
marked that he reminded him of
Disraeli’s famous saying about
the “withered leaf between the
Old and New Testament.”
Ona of his profoundest observa
tions on Jewish life he made at
Tel Aviv some years back when
he told a laughing audience: "I
am not a philosopher, but accord
ing to the way I observe the
world—and I saw enough of it
(Continued on Page •)
Hadassah Convention Set For
Orlando November 22-24
Delegates from Hadassah chapters throughout the state will
attend a three-day conference in Orlando. Florida, beginning on
Saturday, November 22 through the 241 h. Headquarters will be in
the San Juan Hotel, it was announced by Mrs. Herman Klausner,
state chairman.
A well-planned program of dis
cussions, workshops and enter
tainment has been completed, ac
cording to Mrs. Albert Morrell
and Mrs. Gustave Bear, confer
ence chairmen. The sessions and
luncheons will feature outstand
ing national and local figures.
National speakers scheduled in
clude Dr. Miriam Freund, Nation
al Vocational Education chairman
of Hadassah since 1948. Dr.
Freund, aside from being an in
spired lecturer and speaker, has
been a brilliant worker in many
phases of Jewish life in the coun
try as well as in Israel. She is
the author of “Jewish Merchants
in Colonial America,” and is one
of the founders of the Women’s
Division of Brandeis University,
and the moving spirit behind the
growth of Hadassah Youth Serv
ices programs in Israel. She is
The Growth of American Reform Judaism
by Dr. Samuel S. Hollender,
General Chairman, 1952-53 Combined Campaign
(Editor’s Note: Throughout the United States
in the coming weeks and months, local communi
ties will be conducting special drives in behalf of
the Combined Campaign of the Union of American
Hebrew Congregations and the Hebrew Union
College-Jewish Institute of Religion—the national
institutions of American Reform Judaism. To pro
vide our readers throughout the South with a basic
understanding of the significance of Reform or
Liberal Judaism, we present the following article
by Dr. Samuel Hollender, of Chicago, General
Chairman of the 1952-53 Combined Campaign.)
Reform Judaism is the adaptation of ancient
Hebrew precepts and traditions to suit the needs
of modern times. Though allowing changes in
practice. Reform, or Liberal Judaism as it is
sometimes termed, holds fast to the principles
which have characterized history's oldest monothe
istic faith.
Reform was born in Germany a century and
a half ago, but has reached its greatest popularity
in the United States. Founded as a layman’s move
ment, it sought to free Judaism from ancient cus
toms which were no longer suitable to the era
when Jews mingled freely with their fellow-citi
zens in free lands. It also strove to remove from
the Jewish faith all elements of the superstitious
and those elements of the mystical which might
obscure the ideals which it felt merited priority.
The most illustrious name in American Re
form Judaism is that of Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise,
known as the master builder of the movement in
this country. Dr. Wise came to the United States
a little over a hundred years ago. and in the course
of a stormy and highly fruitful career, created the
three institutions which still bear the banner of
Reform Judaism. Those institutions are: the He
brew Union College, of Cincinnati, now merged
with the Jewish Institute of Religion, of New York,
where Reform rabbis receive their education; the
Union of American Hebrew Congregations, a vol
untary federation of liberal congregations; and the
Central Conference of American Rabbis, a nation
wide assembly of Reform religious ministers.
The ideas which animated Dr. Wise were the
belief that Judaism had a mission in the modern
world to disseminate the doctrine of God’s unity
and the conviction that the contents of religious
teaching should be intelligible to its adherents.
To actualize the first idea he preached greater
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1952
' 'A ' ■ „ .
fc * m i ' m Bl
ft- , jijjg
Mrs. Herman Klausner
largely responsible for the voca
(Continued on Page 8)
emphasis upon the prophetic portion of Scriptures,
with its vision of a united world dedicated to jus
tice and equality, than upon the Mosaic section
with its preoccupation upon ceremonials. To
make Israel’s teachings clear to its followers as
well as to others, he advocated the introduction of
the English language into the prayers, hymns, and
sermons which were formerly uttered only in the
Hebrew tongue.
Dr. Wise, and his disciples, felt that Judaism
in the United Stales could conform to the spirit of
America's "low" churches, that is, those which dis
pensed with formality and pomp. He rejected the
idea of a Jewish hierarchy, and retained the con
gregalionalist pattern in synagogue government.
He discarded the notion of a personal Messiah and
substituted for it the belief in a messianic age
which could be achieved by the application of
religious ideas to daily life.
In the field of synagogual practice, Wise and
his followers introduced a number of departures
from previous forms. In Reform congregations,
worship is conducted without hats. Since the origi
nal basis sos covering the head was to show re
spect, the hats were removed to accomplish this
end in modern fashion. In traditional synagogues,
men and women sit separately, but Reform
abolished this practice in keeping with modem
accent on sex equality. The Reform prayer-book
omits many references to the miraculous restora
tion of the Biblical priestly system, since Reform
no longer clings to tjie hope that Israel’s destiny
is exclusively centered upon the Holy Land. Re
form no longer subscribes to the belief that the
first five books of Scriptures were divinely author
ed, but attributes them to inspired'human writers.
Since the days of Dr. Wise, the other groups
in Judaism, known as Conservatism and Ortho
doxy, have adopted many of the innovations which
he introduced.
Today, the Reform movement, as represented
by the Union of American Hebrew Congregations,
numbers over 450 affiliated congregations. Over
100 of them have been founded in the last decade
as a result of the Union’s efforts to bring hitherto
unaffiliated Jews into their ranks. The American
Reform movement through the College-Institute
has also supplied rabbinic leadership for congrega
tions in every English-speaking nation of the
world, so that today there are liberal congregations
•modeled on the American temples, in Canada,
England, Ireland, Australia, and Israel.
WORLD m TRIBUTE TO
DR. CHAIM WEIZMAM
(By The Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
The world this week joined in the last tribute to Jewry's
scientist-statesman as the mourning people of Israel said farewell
to Dr. Chaim Weizmann, first President of the Jewish State.
In all the capitals of the West
ern world, flags were at half-mast
as heads of states and outstand
ing personalities in the field of
science and learning joined Jews
ewarywhere in tribute to the Is
raeli leader and in messages of
sympathy to his family.
President-elect Dwight D.
Eisenhower, in a statement, term
ed the death of Dr. Weizmann "an
irreparable loss" and, in a mes
sage of condolences, told Mrs.
Vera Weizmann that "millions of
people throughout the world who
shared his love of humanity,"
would mourn the passing of her
husband.
President Luigi Einaudi of
Italy cabled Acting President
Josef Sprinzak that the Italian
people “joins me in mourning the
death of President Weizmann.”
President Vincent Auriol of
France telephoned his personal
condolence to Israel Minister
Maurice Fischer and the Foreign
Office announced that "the Gov
ernment of France joins the Gov
ernment and people of Israel in
mourning the death of President
Weizmann."
Mrs. Weizmann received per
sonal messages of condolence also
from Emperor Hirohito of Japan,
Emperor Haille Selassie of Ethio
pia, President Theodor Heuss of
West German Republic, Prime
Minister Louis St. Laurent of
Canada and Prime Minister Hol
land of New Zealand. Other mes
sages were received in Israel
from President Theodore Koerner
of Austria, President Juan D.
Peron of Argentina, Dr. Daniel F.
Malan, Premier of South Africa,
Gen. Fulgencio Batista, President
of Cuba and Queen Juliana of
The Netherlands.
Scientists Join In Tribute
Scores of messages from many
of the world’s leading scientists,
including a number of Nobel
Prize winners, conveying their
sympathy and condolences on the
death of Dr. Weizmann were an
nounced.
In a message to Mrs. Weizmann.
Prof. Albert Einstein declared: "I
feel the great loss with you and
with our people. Chaim Weiz
mann devoted all his strength for
his people and he lived to see the
fulfillment of his dreams."
Among the Nobel Prize winners
who sent messages of condolence
were: Prof. Selman Waksman of
New Jersey, 1952 winner in medi
cine; Prof. Sir Robert Robinson,
who is also a former president of
the British Royal Society; Felix
Bloch of California, this year’s
winner in physics; Prof. James
Franck of Chicago; Prof. George
Hevesy of Sweden; Dr. L. I. Rabi
of New York;-Prof. Arne Tiselius
of Sweden; and Prof. Sir Eric
Rideal, another former president
of the British Royal Society.
Trygve Lie. Secretary-General
of the United Nations, and Dr.
Ralph Bunche, who. as UN medi
ator, arranged the Rhodes armis
tices, sent messages to the Israel
Government and to Mrs.
mann. The United Nations Gen
eral Assembly, which had heard
a warm tribute to Dr. Weizmann
from - its * presiding officer, re
ceived expressions of the "deep
gratitude" of the people of Israel,
delivered by Israel Ambassador
Abba S. Eban in a moving eulogy
of his late leader.
The Speaker of the Dutch Par
liament, Dr. L. Kertenhorst. and
Acting Premier Beel delivered
eulogies of Dr. Weizmann at a
sitting of Parliament in The
Hague. The former described the
Israel president as “a world citi
(Continued on Page 8)
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