Jewish Post, Indianapolis, Marion County, 5 January 1962 — Page 12

Friday, January 5, 1962

The National Jewish POST and OPINION

Parents/ Pupils and Pedagogues Teacher Looks To Past, Sees Its Kalo Fade Away

Recently, we began some studies vocating the melamed’s right to

into the history of Jewish educa tion. We discovered much to our surprise that Jews in the past, which we are so prone to idealize, suffered from many of the same problems which we have today. Our readings served to remove the halo from past periods of histo. ry and to make our own generation look much better than it is usually

pictured.

In the fourteenth century, a community in Salonika addressed a question to Rabbi Abraham Buton: •‘May a community fire a teacher who when initially interviewed represented himself as married but when he appeared for work left his wife in a different city?” (Tradition demands that a male teacher of young children be married.) Rabbi Buton advised the community to ‘‘look the other way.” Apparently fourteenth century Salonika suffered from a teacher shortage also! An observer of Yemenite education of a century ago notes that there is little difference in knowledge between beginners and long term pupils and that the curriculum is repeated with no change grade after grade. He also criticized school sanitary facilities and noted that parents were frequently summoned to school to aid the teacher on occasions when a pupil’s incontinence got the better of him. A question addressed to the Rambam (Maimonides 1135 • 1204) asks for his judgement in a case where a melamed moves into a town where previously all teaching was done in the synagogue by the local Dayan (judge) who apparently considered himself to have an exclusive franchise. The community was divided with some favoring the Dayan and others adSynagogue Suppliers' Catalogue Available By circling No. 304 on coupon A you will be asking for the new ‘‘Synagogue Beautiful” bulletin, now being offered by the J. Levine Company of New York. Edited by three rabbis, this bulletin is expressly designed and intended for the edification of other rabbis. A “News and Views” column has comments ranging from Molly Picon to the CCAR convention. Many other articles written by rabbis, should be found both informative and humorous. This truly worthwhile publication should not be missed by any Jewish minister.

teach at least privately on his own premises. The Rambam, with his typically common sense rational approach does not answer the question but asks another: ‘‘Who is the better teacher?” From the answer to this question he will rule further, for children and Torah are more important to him than the rights of any one individual. Other Responsa deal with teachers’ contracts, severance pay, the size of classes, the curriculum, classroom discipline and in fact with the whole range of educational problems. Yes, Rambam had his problems,

too.

(Reprinted from “Know Your Schools” by Jay B. Stern, Educational Director of - Temple Beth El, Rochester, N. Y., and published by the Jewish Education Committee of New York.)

Some Corrections on Sholom Aleichem House Editor Jewish POST and OPINION In your issue of Nov. 24, M. Z. Frank in his column on the “Amus- | ing Story of Sholom Aleichem House/’ tells your readers of the campaign to raise $100,000 to immortalize the name of Sholom Aleichem by constructing a Beth Sholom Aleichem in Tel Aviv which will house his archives, unfinished manuscripts and the numerous translations of his works into 60 languages, including Chinese. Mr. Frank reports of $6,000 that has been collected to date. The correct amount is $60,000. Still another correction: The Arbeiter Farband, in conjunction with a general committee is the sponsor of this campaign. The Histadrut has done far more than giving me a desk and a secretary. The Histadrut is actually conducting this campaign. S. J. RODMAN New York

Aged Massachusetts Congregation Temple Ohabei Shalom, in Brookline, Mass., is the oldest Jewish congregation in the state, founded in 1842.

Says "Uagkrsfanding" Not The Way To Brotherhood

By Shiah T. Director During the holiday season there is always some talk about interfaith celebrations of Chanukah and Christmas. Many people contend that by participating in the religious acts of our neighbors, we are promoting brotherhood and good will. They feel that by understanding another person’s religion we can learn to live better with him; and have a peaceful and congenial relationship with him. However, let us see if this is really so. We must know and understand if this is the necessary step that we must take in order to attain the lofty goal of true brotherhood and good will between men. True brotherhood is not understanding another persons religion. But, true brotherhood is: living peacefully with one even though we completely disagree with him. By promoting inter-religious celebrations one is taking away the

Chuetas Money-men 0( Majorca Underground Jews May Appear

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Dear Editor: Your story on the Chuetas of Majorca was of special interest to me as in several months’ time I will be settling in Barcelona, Spain with my wife and two children. It so happens that our sales representative on the island of Majorca is a Chueta. His second name is Pomar which is one of their typical names; others being Cavalen, Masti, Cortes, Vails. Pomar was of course born a Catholic but refuses to enter a church for as he puts it, “I wouldn’t be caught in one.” As for the majroity of Chuetas, they frequent to this day, two churches: Montesion and San Bortolcmi, formerly synagogues. Majorca must have had a rather large Jewish community at o n e time because of the number of interesting places to Jews that guides point out. The vast Belven Castle, where Jews were imprisoned, is one of them, as is Pluya Panila, where the auto de fe’s were held. The old Ghetto, too, still exists and is near the center of Palma. In the Cathedral, there is a treasury room where can be seen a large collection of objects d’art, religious vessels, etc. When I visited this room several years ago, I was immediately struck by Hebrew writing on two extremely beautiful sccptre-like objects, made

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presumabley of silver and encrusted with jewels. When I asked our guide for an explanation, he offered that they were presented to the Church by the Jews of Palma for having allowed them to convert to Catholicism.” I had occasion to visit Palma again several months ago and while riding in a cab, asked the driver if he knew any Chuetas. He almost recoiled at my query and with some motion of his fingers, indicating money, intimated that they were the island’s moneymen, a view not unlike that held by anti-Semites elsewhere in the world. Also on this last trip, I visited one of the newer hotels just outside Palma. It is a magnificent castle converted into a deluxe hotel with deocrations and appointments equal to the best anywhere. Meandering through this luxurious edifice, I happened to find myself in the library-den and came upon a rather large brass urn, being used as a trash can. Upon closer inspection, I recognized some kind of hammered Hebrew letters and together with a fellow tourist, a Jew from Teheran, we were able to see that the writing gave the names of the Twelve Tribes of Israel and underneath each was depicted the corresponding animal representing the tribe. I am cer-j tain that this very old, incredibly beautiful urn was wrought prior to the expulsion of Jews from Spain (how else did it get there?) and o more fitting place for it would be a museum. So far as the movement back to Judaism is concerned, these Jews in Spain with whom I have discussed it, know nothing about it, possibly due to the fact that censorship prevails to a considerable degree and consequently,- the movement is not “in the national interest.” However, I plan in my own small way to contribute my time and effort in that direction once I’m there. Who knows, but

someday in the not too distant future, the many Jews, who visit Palma from all over the world, may require a ticket to attend services as they do in Miami now... A Canadian Reader (The editors are withholding the name of the writer of this letter but will forward any letters addressed to the above reader.)

true feeling of brotherhood. Understanding our non Jewish friends is not brotherhood. Disagreeing with them and still living peacefully with them is true brotherhood. The Talmud praises Kab Yochanan for always being the first to greet someone when he saw him. He never waited for the next perso nto say hello; Reb Yochanan was always the first one to deliver the greeting. The Talmud considers this a commendable trait for it shows that Reb Yochanan was alert and cheerful when he greeted his fellow man. The Talmud adds that Reb Yochanan acted the same way when he met a heathen or an idol worshipper. H& did not do this because ho i felt that idol worship was right — Heaven forbid. He did not do this because he understood the other person’s religion. He did this because peace and good will is the core of the woild and civilization. Peace and good will are attained by simple understanding and common sense: and not by inter-faith rituals. Jewish Law commands us to give charity to needy non-Jews as well as Jews. This is not because Jewish Law condones or j understands other religions. It is obvious from the many volumes written on Jewish Theology, that we feel that Judaism is the only true religion for us. Nevertheless, we must be friendly and help all men. We must live at peace with all people. Peace is one of the pillars of the world. Without peace the world could not exist. Inter-faith rituals will not help us attain this goal. Common sense and self control will.

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