Competition February 24Th
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February 16, 1973 Volume XLI Number 12 Adar I 14, 5733 Three Ramaz Seniors FOR YOUR ATTENTION AND ACTION Declared Finalists in National Merit Last week's New York Times carried an extraordinary development in the Competition struggle for freedom for Soviet Jewry. I refer to the unprecedented support for that struggle from the Chairman of the Flouse Ways and Means Committee, We are proud to announce to the Representative Wilbur Mills. Kehilath Jeshurun family that three seniors in the current graduating class Mr. Mills gave his unqualified support to the so-called Vanik Bill, which was of the Ramaz Upper School have just introduced in the House of Representatives by Charles A. Vanik (D-Ohio) as a been notified of their position as counterpart to the well known Jackson Amendment introduced in the last session Finalists in the National Merit Com¬ in the Senate. The Vanik Bill would withhold "Most Favored Nation" status from petition. They are: Ron Cohen, Samuel countries who violate international standards, specifically including the Gamoran, and Laura Shragowitz. Five charging of exorbitant exit fees for citizens who wish to seniors had originally placed as semi- emigrate. The Bill would also finalists. These three remain in the withhold loans, grants and credits from those nations which perpetrate such competition in this august position. violations. The National Merit Competition in¬ The Vanik Bill is the key pressure point for American Jewry through which cludes all seniors throughout the coun¬ we can gain repeal or weakening of the ransom tax which is now being charged try. Each finalist is one out of 14,500 to all educated Soviet Jews who wish to students. The honor is a remarkable emigrate. Until last week, it was ex¬ one for the students themselves and pected that the Jackson Amendment would pass in the Senate but that the Vanik represents quite an extraordinary ac¬ Bill was in serious danger in the House. In effect, this would mean that our effort complishment in a school whose senior would have been unsuccessful. class numbers 64 students. Mr. Mills' public, adamant statement in support of the Vanik Bill and in op¬ We congratulate the students, their families and the entire Ramaz family position to Most Favored Nation status for the Soviet Union because of its restric¬ tive on this outstanding achievement. policy on emigration, represents a major breakthrough for the Jewish com¬ munity. It is a result of months and years of work on the part of the National Seudah Shlishit Conference on Soviet Jewry and its various member organizations, including our own New York Conference on Soviet Jewry. This single act by so important a In Honor of Rena Ranells member of the House may do more for the easing of emigration opportunities for Shabbat Afternoon, educated Soviet Jews than any other combination of acts. February 24th Our Task A Seudah Shlishit will be held in honor of Rena Ranells on Shabbat af¬ It is up to you and me to support vigorously the stand of Representative ternoon, February 24th, in commemo¬ Mills and the passage of the Vanik Bill. Please write a letter today to your con¬ ration of her reaching the age of reli¬ gressman in order to enlist or approve his support for the Vanik Bill. The chances gious responsibility and becoming a are that he is Bat Mitzvah. Mincha services will be already among the 250 signed supporters. Write another letter to held on that afternoon at 5:10., fol¬ Representative Mills applauding his support of human rights for Soviet Jews. lowed by the seudah and ma'ariv. Impress upon him your own sense of urgency in this matter. If there are several members of Rena, a student in Form I at Ramaz, your family, including children, let each write his or her own letter. is part of the Ranells family who are The fate of thousands may literally be said to depend upon the passage or regular worshippers in our synagogue defeat of this one bill. An important legislative voice has now been heard in and who participate in actively all of support of the bill. No Jew who cares about his fellow Jews in Russia can afford our functions. We are happy to be able to be silent at this time. Please do your part today! to this celebrate significant milestone Rabbi Lookstein in the family's life. Rena will give a D'var Torah at the seudah on February 24. A cordial in¬ ON SHABBAT MORNINGS, FEBRUARY 17th and 24th Rabbi Haskel Lookstein will vitation is extended to all our friends continue his series on: — "STANDING BEFORE GOD" — A teaching sermon on to join us in celebrating this religious occasion in Rena's life. the Shmoneh Esreh. 2 KEHILATH JESHURUN BULLETIN Couples Club Holds The Sisterhood Invites All Ladies to a luncheon meeting Lively Taharat Monday, February 26th at 12:00 Noon Ha-Mishpacha Meeting in the Social Hall The featuring Couples Club met at the Blum- enthal residence last Saturday night "TRAVEL IN THE SOVIET UNION" for one of the most vibrant discussions a slide presentation in its history. Dr. Lawrence Bryskin by and Dr. William Major delivered AUDREY LOOKSTEIN papers on the medical and psychologi¬ cal aspects NECHI SHUDOFSKY of the laws of Mikveh and Rabbi Haskel Lookstein presented the AMI TEXON religious principles and ideas involved Hostesses: Elise Kirshon, Fanny Popkin and Eve Zessman in the practice. The discussion that ensued involved almost Rabbi Haskel Lookstein Discusses Man's Self- every member in the room. Why is mikveh so poorly observed by Awareness in Prayer in First Teaching Sermon Jews who are in other respects quite religious? Why did so many couples In the first of a series of teaching standing before God in praise, petition avoid the meeting entirely? Why do sermons on the and Shmoneh Esreh, Rabbi thanksgiving is logically as absur¬ mothers who teach their children Haskel Lookstein discussed last Shab- dity. How can finite and sinful man kashrut and Shabbat avoid the subject bat address the infinite and morning two aspects of man's self- perfect God, of mikveh entirely? awareness in prayer. Citing the com¬ passing judgment upon His world On a more mentators who define the word "I'hit- (praise), petitioning Him for his petty positive note: why are more young marrieds paI lei" (literally to pray) as meaning needs and thanking Him for the gift today far more receptive to the practice than were to judge one's self, the Rabbi ex¬ of life and health which are quite be¬ the ten years plained that in prayer we are aware yond simple thanks? newlyweds of ago? What educational of the following feelings: It is out of this second aspect of techniques can we employ to teach children who are otherwise self-awareness that man, when he 1. The feeling of needfulness or does feel the need to very well informed sexually to be creature consciousness. Man pray, must ask prays sensitive to religious teachings and for God's in formulating his pray¬ because he has to pray. He calls to God help er. He does so in the practices that pertain to marriage and "out of the depths" and out of a deep introductory the verse to the shmoneh esreh when he family? sense of helplessness in the face of opens his prayer with a prayer: This was a difficult meeting to the many problems which he faces in "O plan, Lord, to the struggle of life. Of the three parts open my lips and let my mouth present and to attract participants speak your praise." This for. It was, however, an of prayer: praise, petition and thanks¬ phrase re¬ extremely flects on the one hand, the worthwhile evening for those who giving, petition is the core and it rep¬ deep need that man has to came and who resents this great feeling of need. The pray and, on the other, participated in a valu¬ man's realization that able extent to which modern man finds it essentially the exchange of information and act of standing before God borders on ideas. difficult to pray is perhaps attributable the absurd. It is to his inability to recognize the need only God's grace that makes the act of which exists in himself to seek help prayer possible. The Rabbi will continue his series from a supreme being. Jn this Shabbat morning with a discussion Utettutrtam 2. The second aspect of man's self- of the first three blessings in the awareness in prayer is his feeling that Shmoneh Esreh. Nettie Binstock The passing of a splendid Eishet WITHIN OUR FAMILY Chayil is mourned by the Congre¬ gation this week. Nettie Binstock Birthdays- Stuart Feldman, son of Mr. and Mrs. was sweet and gentle, pious and Many happy returns of the day to Jerome Feldman of Queens. Congratu¬ courageous, refined and compas¬ Mrs. Michael M. lations also to Barany, Benjamin Marco Wachter, who is sionate. Bartel, Arthur Brown, Mrs. Benjamin visiting America for the Bar Mitzvah Brown, Mrs. Helen F. Dayton, Dr. Wil¬ of his nephew. Born into a learned Jewish fam¬ liam Etra, Mrs. Al Feiner, William B. ily, she made her home a miniature Anniversaries- Fischberg, Bernard D. Fischman, Dezso sanctuary. She and Victor gave their Warmest Goldner, Dr. Frank Goodman, Mrs. greetings to Mr. and Mrs. sons Lanny and Marvin a Ramaz Joseph Greenberg, Mrs. Alex Herbst, Harry Green, Mr. and Mrs. Martin G. education and derived joy and Haber and Mr. Maurice N. Jaffe, Dr. Robert M. Richter, and Mrs. Walter nachas from every minute of it.