Jewish Post, Indianapolis, Marion County, 18 June 1982 — Page 13

i

Digest of The Yiddish Press

Irony: Judaism's Stress On Joy

Silver

By RABBI SAMUEL SILVER Judaism is sprinkled with miracles, but one of the most amazing is the stress on joyousness despite the sadness which mars and marks much of

its history. This thesis is

I eruditely elab1 orated on in a long essay by

Rabbi Heshel Klepfish, of Panama, in the Passover issue of the Yidisher Kempfer. Hebrew has more synonyms for joy than most other languages, and the need to be cheerful is virtually a mitzvah, a command, dating to Biblical times when the Israelites were mandated to “rejoice in your fes-

tivals.’

Brightness virtually evaporated in Judaism in the seventeenth century due to opression and poverty, but a renascence of cheerfulness was introduced by Chasidism, whose mark is still felt on all of Jewish life, even among those groups who don't call themselves chasidic. Klepfish feels that is is one of the secrets of Jewish survival. His essay is replete with Talmudical reminders of the need for song and dancing: the holy day of Yom Kippur was even featured by the dancing of maidens, we read in the Talmud. With many citations from Jewish lore, the author traces the bounce and bouyancy of the Jewish spirit, even quoting

one rebbe who, doomed to die in a death camp, told his followers, “If it is decreed that our ashes should serve to cleanse the world of evil, let us be glad,” and inspired them to go dancing to their death. One rabbi pointed out that the letters in the Hebrew word, b’simcha (with joy) are the same as the word for thought (machshavah) and deduced that the cerebral person must see the salutary effect of optimism even in the teeth of dolorous vicissitudes.

2 Mexican Jews Chaim Lazdyski, who covers Mexico for the Algemeiner Journal, wants us to know that the two sub-cabinet posts in his country are occupied by Jews. One official is Nathan Warman, vice-minister for industrial development, who doesn't work at his Jewishness. The other one, Gregoria Wolner, vice-minister of labor, is very much involved in Jewish life and speaks Yiddish to boot. Wolner’s son. Jorge Sandor Wolner, 21, is a prodigy in science and in engineering who spent two years at the Weizmann Institute in Israel. Jorge is also an amateur magician and an accordionist. The Jewishness of these two men has never been mentioned in the Mexican press. They are so able, writes the reporter, that they will in all likelihood

Israel Leaping Ahead In Medical Equipment

(Continued From Prev. Page) Medical Equipment Manufacturers Association), Laser Industries, Medix Israel, Nuclear Research Centre-Negev, Ramin-Koor Metals, Salvaplast Industries, Sci-Lab Precision Instruments, Telkoor, Ltd., Travenol Laboratories, etc. The large Elcint exhibit displayed the world famous body scanner, the most advanced on the market. Among the new “sensational” finds were included a machine which deals a death blow to the germs of the common cold within one day, laser eeppment enabling a gynecologist to remove growths without the necessity of hospitalizing the patient, a spine “straightening” machine for a scoliosis patient and many other innovations. MEDAX ‘82 indicates once again that the bright future of Israel’s industry lies in the areas of science-based enterprises wherein Israel’s brain power can be utilized to its unlimited capabilities. Both the 12th World Congress of the Israel Medical Asso-

be held over from the regime of the current president, Jose Lopez Portillo, to the next,one, which will be headed come Dec. 1 by his designated successor, Miguel de la Madrid Hurtado.

Amends For Father? Dr. Kalman Singer lived in Vienna, Austria for 30 years. Then, in 1938, he was brutally expelled by the Nazis. A few weeks ago, his son, Dr. Israel Singer, an Orthodox scholar who is the executive director of the World Jewish Congress, was in Vienna for its meeting. The mayor of Vienna, Dr. Leopold Gratz, sought out Singer and, to make amends, offered him the City Medal. Singer accepted it, but expressed his doubts in his response to the mayor. Said Singer: “I have mixed feelings. I don’t know whether I really belong here. Certainly, my acceptance of this honor does not mean that I have forgiven those who were so malicious to my father. Nor do 1 seek revenge, for, as we Jews say, vengeance belongs to God.” At the Vienna WJC gathering, Edgar Bronfman, president, notified those on hand that he had a conference with Bruno Kreisky, the self-hating Jew who is the chancellor of Austria. During a Eu opean tour, Bronf-

ciation and the MEDAX ‘82 lent tremendous prestige to Israel’s medical organization and to the sophisticated widespread industry producing medication, equipment and aids to improve medical care everywhere. (Samson Krupnick may be reached at 22 Pinsker St, Jerusalem, 92228, Israel)

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The Lox Box

The Lighter Side By MARTIN MOSKOVITZ Everybody knows the dollar today doesn’t buy what it used to, and constant reminders of that fact have become boring and sometimes sad. However, I’ve run across a few references M to this situation which are interesting. For ” t JJH instance, when Paul Getty, one of the richV wV est men in the world was interviewed re- \ garding the inflationary impact on him, he ' casually admitted, “Weil, all I can say is 'V* that a billion doesn’t go quite as far as it JA " used to.” ** ' And then there’s my friend, Gerson’s exMoskovitz perience. He went to his family doctor for a physical examination and the doctor pronounced him “sound as a dollar.” So Gerson quickly went for a second opinion. The best yet came from a hobby publication which is regularly mailed free to my neighbor. In the last issue there was a notice from the publisher which read: “In the past few years, our printing and mailing costs have doubled. As a result of this our publication now comes to you twice as free as before.”

man and Singer also saw the prime minister of Rumania, Nikolai Ceauscecu, and German 'Chancellor Helmudt Schmidt. No sooner did Bronfman return to this country (where he also is to address the United Nations) than he met with the King of Morocco

who was visiting the United States. The King invited Bronfman to Morocco during a friendly tete-a-tete. The King also okayed the re joining of the Moroccan Jewish community to the World Jewish Congress. (From the Forward.)

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POSITIONS WANTED

CANTOR — Young European trained Cantor, with 12 years experience, seeking full-time position. Qualifications; Torah & Megilah reading, Shofar blowing. Choir directing & Bar-Bat Mitzvah training. Educational Director, Hebrew school teacher and Youth

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POSITIONS OPEN RABBirTEACHER —Midwestern community desires the services of a conservative Rabbi/teacher beginning in October of 1982. Send inquires to: Edward S. Neuman, 2330 Adams, La Crosse, Wl 54601. TEACHING POSITIONS - Available in Hebrew language, secondary and/or elementary and in Jewish History and Textual Studies for academic high school program. Contact Hillel Academy of Dayton, 100 E. Woodbury Drive, Dayton. OH 45415. 513-277-8966. JUDAIC SUPERVISOR - Experienced in teacher and program development. Part-time or combined with half-day teaching. Solomon Schecter School.

Resume to: Evelyn Weiss, Hebrew Day School, 110 S. Poughkeepsie, NY 12603.

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CANTOR — Keneseth Israel Congregation of Louisville, Kentucky, is now seeking a full-time Cantor. The successful candidate should be personally observant, know nusoch and be able to train a choir. He would be responsible for bar and bat mitzvah training and the desire and ability to teach would enhance his salary. Oghar skills and the ability to relate to both young people and older congregants would be desireable. Keneseth Israel Congregation is the largest traditional synagogue in the area. Previous cantor served thirty (30) years before his death. Salary negotiable depending upon experience and abilities. Contact Cantor Search Committee. Keneseth Israel Congregation. P.O. Box 5295, Louisville, KY 40205.

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