DOCSLIB.ORG

I Am Here to Talk About the Young Ernie That Many of You Most Probably Do Not Know Much About

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
I Am Here to Talk About the Young Ernie That Many of You Most Probably Do Not Know Much About Soviet Jewry Memories Haim Solomon 2008 Involvement in Soviet Jewry Struggle My name is Haim Solomon. I was born on November 5, 1924 in a small shtetl (200 Jewish families) in North-Eastern Romania called Bivolar. Under the astute leadership of my father I (we) survived the Holocaust by hiding, moving, bribing and other defense mechanisms. After the Germans were defeated and the Russians came to Romania, reality set in and on December 1947, I joined a large illegal aliyah to go to Israel (Palestine). But, our ship was captured by the British Navy and took us to the island of Cyprus where I was interned for 1 year. Later, in December 1948 I escaped from Cyprus on a fishing boat and arrived in Israel on January 3 1949. I went directly into the army and because I indicated my intention to study medicine I was assigned to the military hospital at Tel-Hashomer where I spent 30 months – 24 months as a soldier and six months as a paid civilian. I held a few other jobs while enquiring about higher education in consultation with my older brother Henry who invited me to come to America. I arrived in Detroit, Michigan on November 2, 1952, registered and began classes at Wayne State University to study microbiology. I also attended the Hebrew Teachers Midrasha and taught Hebrew in the United Hebrew Schools system. At Wayne State I received a BS and MS degrees then moved on to Michigan State University for a PhD degree. We did some pioneer work with a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in Washington, DC invited me to join them as they have just opened a laboratory for this organism. I arrived in Washington on July 12, 1965. I sought out the Jewish Community Center on 16th and Q Streets and offered to teach Hebrew as I did in Detroit. It didn’t pan out but instead I became the chairman of the JCC single adults club – “the Coffee House.” It was there, late in 1967, that I met Moshe Brodetzky and Aaron Braunstein who recently moved here from New York. Moshe Brodetzky It is now fully recognized that without Moshe there would have been no organized effort on behalf of Soviet Jewry in the Washington area. Or it would have taken many, many months to do Solomon Memoir Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington Page 1 Voices of the Vigil so. His regular job as an engineer was at the HUD building on 7th Street, SW and mine with the FDA was on 3rd Street SW. First he invited me to the daily minyan he organized there, always ending with a plea to protest at the Soviet embassy. After weeks of discussions on strategy and recruitment of participants we were ready to start. Lenore Sigelman, also working at the HUD, made up some large posters plus some leaflets and we drove up to 16th and K Streets NW (we were informed of the 500 feet moratorium). There, we marched in a constricted circle with the posters and handing out leaflets explaining our cause. I remember Ernie Shalowitz holding up a poster and telling me with a smile that this was the first time in his life that he carried a poster. The officers at the TWA office in that corner didn’t know what’s going on but they didn’t mind. We were far enough from the Soviet embassy located on 16th Street between L and M but close enough for the Soviets to find out. More and more people from various government agencies plus concerned leaders of Jewish organizations joined in to make it a daily occurrence. The Vigil One day, while we marched at 16th and K Streets, David Amdur of the Jewish Community Council walked up on the western side of 16th Street and just stood in silence facing the Soviet Embassy. He did that many times and soon more people joined him and that was the start of the “Daily Vigil,” on the steps of the Electrical Workers Union building. When the Union’s president Mr. Fitzmaurice was asked for permission, he said: ”By all means, I’ll join you when I can”. The 500-foot moratorium was challenged and people from around the country in addition to all important people right here in Washington came to stand in silent protest across from the Soviet embassy. The vigil lasted for many years and while we could not hold any posters we gave out leaflets explaining our protest and describing the plight of Soviet Jews. We just needed to make sure that it took place every day at 12:30. On Shabbat and Jewish holidays Reverend John Steinbruck of the Luther Place on Thomas Circle would bring members of his congregation to attend. The Washington Committee for Soviet Jewry Throughout all the above events and because the established Jewish community represented by the JCC would not initiate any vigorous protests we established the Washington Committee for Solomon Memoir Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington Page 2 Voices of the Vigil Soviet Jewry (WCSJ). Moshe was the President and I became the Treasurer/Secretary/Driver/Doer of all things Moshe couldn’t find someone else to do. Treasurer To run a non-violent protest organization one needs funds for written materials that will describe our cause and express our concern. We established five-dollar annual dues to pay for all the expenses we incurred in our growing activities. We were affiliated with the Union of Councils for Soviet Jewry located in Cleveland, OH,. From them we bought materials to spread our message, like: bumper stickers, buttons and bracelets with names of refusenicks, greeting cards for Jewish holidays – 10 cards plus 10 addresses of Russian Jews – and especially the newspaper, Exodus. Pretty soon our five-dollar dues became insufficient and we ran out of money. Our first big break came from Rabbi Joshua Haberman of the Washington Hebrew Congregation. At one of the JCC meetings he told Moshe that one of his congregants gave him a big donation for a meaningful cause of his choice. The following Sunday when we drove up to see him he gave us $1,000 check which in 1970 was a lot of money. The next even bigger break came from Leo Bernstein (z”l), president of Washington National Bank on 18th and K Streets. Someone arranged for me to go see him. He listened to my story and our problem and then called in one of the directors who took me to his office to solve my problem. Up to that point I kept the WCSJ income in a savings account and paid with money orders or transferred money to my checking account and used my checks. My bank couldn’t open a checking account for the WCSJ unless I bring a certificate of incorporation of the organization. The director at Washington National Bank made me a checkbook on my name /WCSJ plus deposit slips and repeated what Leo Bernstein told me when I left him –“don’t worry about money, just go out and do what you need to do.” From then on our financial management was simpler as we ventured into greater income producing affairs. For example: when sportscaster Warner Wolf left Washington to go to N.Y., Irene Manekofsky (z”l) with Warner’s approval organized a special dinner at the Shoreham Solomon Memoir Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington Page 3 Voices of the Vigil Hotel where Gordon Peterson was the main speaker. Warner gave a fiery speech about those Russian bastards and we realized a lot of money. Another affair Irene organized took place at the house/studio of Phillip Ratner, who produced for us 50 copies each of his special paintings depicting the Soviet Jewry Struggle. This also produced a lot of money, sufficient for us to hire a part-time secretary, Irene’s daughter-in-law. Secretary/Doer At Moshe’s insistence I reluctantly wrote letters to officials of importance. I remember typing a letter to President Nixon before his trip to Moscow and another letter to Zelda Fichlander of Arena Stage before the theatre went on tour to Moscow. We received responses to both letters, the one from the White House was signed by Alan Shepherd, the astronaut assigned to the White House and from Zelda a very heartfelt response. Some of Arena’s actors asked some embarrassing questions of their hosts in Moscow, and on their return were very supportive of our efforts. On October 20, 1971, Rabbi Meir Kahane held a large rally on K and 16th Streets where 1,500 people attended. Moshe suggested we should participate but leave it to the members to decide. When the police asked the people to disperse everyone sat down on the floor. When the policeman asked me what I plan to do, I told him that the next day I fly to Israel to get married and so I left. The above mentioned trinkets we purchased from the Union of Councils we either sold in bulk to Jewish organizations or individually at various community affairs. The more difficult situation was related to the distribution of the newspaper Exodus. The newspaper was shipped to us from Cleveland and delivered at the Ohev Sholom congregation on 16th Street. There, Jack Spiro, the Executive Director, made me some little plates with the addresses of our membership to fit his addressograph machine. We bundled up the addressed papers and I took them to the main Post Office across the Union Station and mailed them to our members.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • MS-603: Rabbi Marc H. Tanenbaum Collection, 1945-1992. Series C: Lnterreligious Activities
    MS-603: Rabbi Marc H. Tanenbaum Collection, 1945-1992. Series C: lnterreligious Activities. 1952-1992 Box 43, Folder 8, Protestants and Israel, 1977-1978. 3101 Clifton Ave, Cincinnati, Ohio 45220 (513) 221-1875 phone, (513) 221-7812 fax americanjewisharchives.org >--- -- ------- 3une 29, 1977 Rabbi Marc Tanenbaum Rabbi A. James Rudin \ . ~The 189th General Assembly (1977) of the United Presby­ terian Church in the USA calls upon the United States Government to reaffirm its support for the concept of Palestinian self­ determin.ation and to encourage the Arab states with PLO partici­ pation, to seek means for Palestininn participation in negotia­ tions in a manner consistent with the principles of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 242. '' \\ The following paragraph was deleted,to seek means to in· elude the PLO as the currently acknowledged spokespersons of the Pale,stinians, devising means to include the FLO in the ne­ gotiations.•• The vote was approximately 75% to 25% in favor of the substitute motion. It uas the only minority report accepted by the General Assembly. Rev. John Craig of Houston noted that "secure and recog• nized boundaries for Israel" is a critical issue and Rev. Donald Hyer of Michigan declared that "the Church mce-·'r''!.. Baptize the PLO." Rev. Linda Harter said the Church ~~ ~ engage in "directive politics' and that its "effectiveness in reconciliation would be ~dermined by the original paragraph 2-c. AJR:FM \ ANll l>l I i\MAllvN I LAl..olll 1,.)1 ll NAI ll'Rl 111 US L x an~lun Av•, i°ll<wYurk NY llHlJ(i Ml lrtoy l1 11l <1 /-1-0ll Lynne lanmello Director, />ublrc Rclat1on8 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE New York, NY.
    [Show full text]
  • My Name Is Bert Silver
    Soviet Jewry Memories Bert Silver 2009 My name is Bert Silver. I was born on June 30, 1931, in Scranton, Pennsylvania, a community of 140,000 people of whom about 5,000 were Jews. I lived in Scranton until I left to attend Penn State University in 1949. After college I was drafted into the army and for all intents and purposes never returned to Scranton to live. After the army I went to the University of Minnesota to get a master’s degree. I then worked for the State of New York in Albany. After getting married Nancy and I lived in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania where I worked for the state. We moved to Washington in June 1961, when I was offered a job with the Department of Labor of the Federal government. We first lived in an apartment in Adelphi, Maryland. In 1962 we bought a house in Wheaton, Maryland, and in 1973, we moved to our present home in Potomac, Maryland. We joined B’nai Israel Congregation when our first son was old enough to attend Hebrew School and have been members since. At the time we joined the synagogue was still located on 16th and Crittenden Streets but had a Hebrew school building on Georgia Avenue in Wheaton. B'nai Israel is of course now located in Rockville, Maryland. I don’t remember exactly when I became involved in the Soviet Jewry movement but it was probably in 1969. I first got involved with the Washington Committee for Soviet Jewry (WCSJ), but I am not sure exactly how.
    [Show full text]
  • Spiritual Heroes Rabbi Sid Schwarz Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation, Bethesda, MD Kol Nidre Sermon-October 11, 2016
    Spiritual Heroes Rabbi Sid Schwarz Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation, Bethesda, MD Kol Nidre Sermon-October 11, 2016 For many years, the organization that I led-PANIM- ran 4-day seminars on Jewish values and social activism for teens who came to Washington D.C. from around the country. When I would speak to the students, my lead-off question would be: Who are your spiritual heroes? It was a question that gave pause. Most American teens would have fairly quick answers if I asked them to name their favorite lead singer in a band. Or their favorite movie star. Or their go-to sports legend. Each of those answers could have come back affixed with the label “hero”. But “spiritual hero” was not a word combination that they expected. I’d wait a minute or two and usually a few hands would go up in the air. Before I called on them I offered a definition so as to make it possible for more students to get a person in their mind’s eye. My definition: “A spiritual hero is someone, either living or deceased who, by virtue of their words and/or deeds, led a life that inspired others and was worthy of emulation.” Let me take a moment now and ask you to think of one person who has served for you as a spiritual hero. I hope most of you have thought of someone. If not, don’t worry. This sermon might give you some ideas. Tomorrow, during the afternoon break discussion, we will have a chance to share thoughts with one another.
    [Show full text]
  • MS-603: Rabbi Marc H. Tanenbaum Collection, 1945-1992. Series D
    MS-603: Rabbi Marc H. Tanenbaum Collection, 1945-1992. Series D. Internationalional RelatiRelationsons Activities.Activities. 1961-1992.1961 Box 56, Folder 12,, CCarter,arter, JJimmy,immy, 1977-1980.1977-1980. 3101 Clifton Ave, Cincinnati, Ohio 45220 (513) 221-1875 phone, (513) 221-7812 fax americanjewisharchives.org Ci)..._ .. 0 ~~~~. ~ ~dr~¥'~~ 4fi/~kk~4 ~~~ -<m/~~~b,&7.9 A~~#~ ~~~~~~~ ~~ ~~_# ~~h $1;.kd~? ~~~ ~~,/h~~~~· LK NOT TRANSFERABLE .......... r. ~ . .• ' . \ / "*''.~.• ..... · :tjf\ ·. '..I) \ ...: ..... Y . ... ....... · ----.... , _ THE WHITE HO U~E ~ F\ WASHINGTON December 18, 1979 Dear Mar9, Thanks for your letter of December 3. I am pleaseq that you plan to join us and participate in January. Your presence will be appreciated. Your continuing support and commitment to the President has, and will continue to be, very helpful, and very important to us all. Thanks for your help. With best wishes, r-8· i~~~re ly, \ n. \ . , ~ ~ Assistant to the President Rabbi Marc H. Tanenbaum National Director Interreligious Affairs The American Jewish Committee 165 East 56 Street New York, New York, 10022 THE WHITE HOUSE .·, WASHINGTON August 4, 1978 To Rabbi Marc Tanenbawn Thank you for sending me your book on Evan·ge·1i·c·a-1·s· ·and Jews 'in Conversation. I appreciate your inscription; I need your prayers in the search for peace. I am grateful for your contribution to the foreign aid meeting. I _ hope that this meeting can be the beginning of a fruitful dialogue. · Sincerely, Rabbi Marc H. Tanenbawn American Jewish Committee 165 East 56th Street New York, N.Y. 10022 THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTOl')I August 17, 1978 To Rabbi Marc Tanenbaum I appreciated the opportunity to discuss foreign assistance · issues with you on July 31.
    [Show full text]
  • REMEMBRANCES of VIGIL for SOVIET JEWRY—Dec
    Remembrances of Vigil for Soviet Jewry John Steinbruck Pastor of Luther Place Church 1970-1997 2009 There is so much to recall over the 20-year stretch of the vigil for Soviet Jewry, I will try to telescope from my perspective. For me the journey began in Easton, PA, where I was pastor of a historic downtown center city congregation, St. John’s Lutheran Church. I was called in 1960 and the prospects were dire. We, my spouse Erna and I, decided to focus on the community, and the glaring issues of injustice back in that economically segregated time. We did so, and I came close to being cancelled out of the ministry by Christian vigilantes who were on my case for being too sympathetic and friendly with Easton’s blacks and poor whites. St. John’s Lutheran Church was a prestigious and reasonably affluent congregation, but felt neglected when community needs became the focus. To do an end run on the critics, and maintain a broader vision, we invited the nearest priest and rabbi to our home for dinner. Rabbi Norton Shargel of B’nai Abraham and Father Frank Connelly of St. Bernard's Church responded. Before the evening ended, ProJeCt (Protestant/Jewish/Catholic) was born. Easton, PA and Phillipsburg, NJ (across the Delaware River) responded with stunning enthusiasm. It was 1966 and we knew a new era had been born. In the process of that extraordinary successful experience in an interfaith coalition, I learned the Jewish story through history. Rabbi Shargel pointed out how, through friendship, we learned of one another’s pain.
    [Show full text]
  • I Am Here to Talk About the Young Ernie That Many of You Most
    Ernie’s Shloshim Haim Solomon July 19, 2008 Ernie Shalowitz, a long-time Soviet Jewry activist in the Washington, DC area, died in June, 2008. He thus was not able to contribute to the compilation of the history of the Soviet Jewry Movement in Washington. So that Ernie’s remarkable contribution not be forgotten, the following, based on Haim Solomon’s Shloshim talk about Ernie at Ohev Sholom Synagogue, are being submitted to the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington. I am here to talk about the young Ernie that many of you probably did not know. In the mid-60’s when I first met Ernie, he was very involved in numerous Jewish causes: he was President of the Brandeis chapter of the ZOA [Zionist Organization of America], a member and Vice-President of the Jewish Community Council (JCC). I will mainly address the very important role he played in the struggle of the “refuseniks” and in the founding and activities of the Washington Committee for Soviet Jewry (WCSJ). With the movie by the same name currently playing downtown, most of you probably know that this was the name given to Russian Jews who were refused an exit visa to emigrate to Israel. Ernie’s passion for politics and Jewish causes came from his parents. His most precious possession was a 1943 issue of The Washington Post with his mother’s picture in front of the White House holding a big sign asking the President to do something about the plight of European Jews... Just a little historical background.
    [Show full text]
  • November 27, 1980 30¢ Per Copy
    R . I . J ewish Hi s torical ? Assoc iat i on 11 130 sessions stre e t Provide n ce , RI 0 2906 Support Jewish Read By Agencies More Than 40,000 With Your ·· ISLAND People Membership THE ONLY ENGLISH-JEWISH WEEKLY IN R. I. AND SOUTHEAST MASS VOLUME LXVIII, NUMBER 2 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1980 30¢ PER COPY Prov. Man Elected Begin May Resign, Call Early Elections Head Of Schechter Day School After Another Narrow Confidence Vote ,\ ltchael Bohnen. son of Rabbi and Mrs J E R US AL E M ()TA) - Premic· r dectdC'd •t the la>t m1nutr t,, ,h,tatn m .. n and 1t app,•Jrs thJt his da\S are num­ El, Bohn,•n. has been elected President of the Mc nachem Begin wou ld be inclined to resign Eltahu. Ah,·a s chairman, .,.,d toda\ h.­ bc·rrd "' J m,·mht-r of lfrnit Solomon Schecht,,r Day School of Greater Boston and call earl y ei<'ctions if his government is had no e,planat,on for Assad \ b.. hav1nr, al­ uibor Part, edun,t lo Topple Bej(in "nee again reduced lo a slender maiorily of tC'r the three lact,on m mbt-" d=dcd un­ '-lean" h,k tbe uihor PJrt, oppos1t1on 1 three, as happened when ii ba rely su rvived a animou1" to vote a,z;ainsl the j?;OH'ffim(_ nl prq·,.1nnsc lo loppl, Rt·~in 11; ,R:OH·mment no-confidcncf' vole in Kn esset last week J f \ \:e11mJn I\ ou,tc--d from J ft.nil a_\ d Shimon Pn, • the part,, liad,r, said toda1 w,ult of his volc JRJ.m,t the go,emmt'nl_ one This was made clear by a ,ource close to thJt 1t I urizcnt tn hnn~ Israel "b,d, under morl' Knl'\<<·I vote h3\e to I,., c,-,untcd Begin foll owi ng the .S7-.S4 vo te on moti ons of .-,II pro~·r t"'('Onom1c m.inajtcmenl •• no-confidence in t hC' ~OVl'rn ment · s econom ic a1sa1n,t the coal1t11m "hen!"•cr the· chanCf' lk <tatcd that " "c intend to mtmduc-,, J poli cies ariS('s lo force 1h H-<-iRnat,on and tngR:er earl~ planned N.nnom,.
    [Show full text]
  • Presidential Files; Folder: 10/13/78; Container 95
    10/13/78 Folder Citation: Collection: Office of Staff Secretary; Series: Presidential Files; Folder: 10/13/78; Container 95 To See Complete Finding Aid: http://www.jimmycarterlibrary.gov/library/findingaids/Staff_Secretary.pdf ·:,g~zk>t'>/ THE PRESIDENT'S SCHEDULE Friday October 13, 1978 7:30 Breakfast with Vice President Walter F. Mondale, (90 min.) Secretaries Cyrus Vance and Harold Brown, Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski, and Mr. Hamilton Jordan. · The Cabinet Room. 9:00 Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski The Oval Office. 9~30 Signing Ceremony for S. 2640, Civil Service (15 min.) Reform. (Mr. Frank Moore) - State Dining Room. ~ . 9:45 Mr. Frank Moore The Oval Office. 10:00 . Senator Daniel P. Moynihan. (Mr. Frank Moore). (.15 min.) Tile Oval Office... • 10:30 • Mr. Jody Powell The Oval Office. • 11:00 Mr. Charles Schultze The Oval Office-. (20 min.) 11:45 Private Luncheon - The Roosevelt Room. (60 min.) 1:15 ~- Editors Meeting. (Mr. Jody Powell} - Cabinet Room: · {30 min.) ,, " I\ 2:30 Drop-by Annual Meeting of the National Alliance {15 min.) o.f Business, Inc. (Mr. Stuart Eizenstat) • Room 450, EOB. 2:45 Depart South Grounds via Helicopter en route Camp David. EledmetatJc eQ~JY Made ~or Preiervatl~n Pull'pOHI THE WHITE HOUS·E WASHINGTON October 12, 1978 MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT FROM: Walt WurW SUBJECT: Your Q&A ses:sion with non-Washing.ton editors and broadcasters -- 1:15 p .. m.. Friday, Oct. 13', Cabinet Room. Stu Eizenstat, Scotty Campbell and Sarah Weddington will brief this g.roup before they mee.t with you. Zbigniew Brzezinski and Lyle Gramley are on the a·fternoon agenda .
    [Show full text]
  • Journal of Academic Perspectives
    Journal of Academic Perspectives The American Jewish response to Christian clergy advocating for persecuted Jews and Christians in the Soviet Union, 1972-1976 Fred A. Lazin Professor Emeritus, Ben Gurion University, Israel ABSTRACT The proposed paper is a case study of the National Interreligious Task Force on Soviet Jewry (Task Force) established in 1971 by the National Catholic Conference for Interracial Justice (NCCIJ) and the American Jewish Committee. It sought Christian support for the effort to end the cultural and religious persecution of Jews in the Soviet Union. Sister Ann Gillen directed the Task Force from 1971 through 1988. In advocating for Soviet Jews, Task Force leaders became aware of Christians (Catholics, Adventists, Baptists) being persecuted in the Soviet Union. The Task Force took up their struggle for religious freedom. This conflicted with the position held by mainstream American Jewish advocacy groups who followed the Israeli policy of focusing exclusively on Soviet Jews. Israel's Liaison Bureau tried not to be anti-Soviet. They demanded that the Soviet Union give its Jews their religious and cultural rights or allow them to emigrate. In contrast, persecuted Christians often overlapping with 'captive nation' groups favored regime change. The paper analyzes the response of the AJC, the major American Jewish advocacy groups and the Israelis to the Task Force, taking up the cause of persecuted Christians. Eventually, many in the advocacy movement supported the Task Force's wider concerns with Christians as well as Jews. A major factor influencing many parties was the Helsinki Final Accords (1975), which put the issue of human rights on the agenda of East-West relations.
    [Show full text]
  • Personal Reflections on Soviet Jewry Activity In
    Memories of the Vigil Rabbi Arnold Saltzman December 2010 A few days ago, as I sat with the parents of a bride discussing the bride’s wedding, it became apparent that the couple had left the former Soviet Union in 1986. They had been Refuseniks, and in order to leave Russia they had to agree to give up four university degrees between the two of them, and leave behind their parents and extended family in the Soviet Union. In the course of the conversation with them I mentioned that I organized the Vigil for Adas Israel Congregation and coordinated people attending the Vigil over a number of years. They said thank you to me, and I replied that ‘thank you’ to me personally was not necessary. What was done was done by many. How did this Vigil play a role in pressuring the former Soviet Union to open the gates to Jews who wished to leave? During my years at the High School of Music and Art, in NYC in the 1960’s I attended the first rally for Soviet Jewry organized by the Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry at Dag Hammerskjold Plaza, opposite the United Nations Building complex. Elie Wiesel spoke about the fact that millions of Jews in the Soviet Union were the victims of anti-semitic activity, and that if we ignored this we risked moving towards a dangerous and all too familiar situation. We took him at his word being the most famous survivor, his words were the warning to us that he recognized the patterns which led to the horrors which he had personally experienced.
    [Show full text]
  • Temple Rodef Shalom 2100 Westmoreland Falls Church
    ii H STREET TEMPLE RODEF SHALOM 2100 WESTMORELAND FALLS CHURCH. V$RGINIA 223 Te1eson.: 70-5322217 Interim Bulletin January 1983 #1A The correct date for the next Teinole Rodef Shalom Congregational Meeting is Mondaj,Janury 24, 1983 at 8:00 p.m. This date has been erroneously report- ed twice - our atoicgies, we hope it has not created a problem. The agenda for this meeting is as follows: Minutes ...............................Jeffrey Rosenfeld Treasurers Report ...................Peter Elinsky, Eleanor Linde Select Nominating Committee Slate • Sabbatical Report ....................Peter Latkin Reli gious Practices Report ...........Carl Checknoff Rabbis Contract .....................Carl Ch€.cknof, 1, Armand Weiss Announcements .........................1. Nan Rudin 2. Sisterhood Anyone wishing to add to this list, please call the Temple office as soon as possible. (532-2217) C MID-ATLANTIC CONFERENCE -- WILLIAMSBURG, 1982 From : Marian Goldberg, President - On December 2-5, Temple Rodef Shalom shared a memorable Mid--Atlantic Council meeting in Williamsburg. The following resolution was passed: Recognizing that Rabbinic students are given inadequate formal training regarding todays youth, a resolution was introduced at the plenary session by the Youth Committee of the Mid-Atlantic Council recommending that specific . coursework and/or practical experiences with youth he incorporated into the curriculum of FIUC-TIP, programs." The resolution was passed. Paraphrased by Judy Seiff Report by Ruth Checkoff (Past President) I served as chairperson of the MAC nominating committee, Leo Rosenbaum was elected as a delegate from the Region to the National Board of the UAHC, Hank Self f was newly elected to the MAC Board, Judy stepped down as secretary and I am moving into that position.
    [Show full text]
  • MS-603: Rabbi Marc H. Tanenbaum Collection, 1945-1992
    MS-603: Rabbi Marc H. Tanenbaum Collection, 1945-1992. Series A: Writings and Addresses. 1947-1991 Box 7, Folder 1, World News Service Religion commentary, 1969- 1979. 3101 Clifton Ave , Cincinnati, Ohio 45220 (513) 221·1675 phone. (513) 221·7612 fax americanjewisharchives.org , APOT.LO 11' WINS RELIGION COMMENTATOR , RABBI MARC H. TANENBAUM OF THE AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE The flight of Apollo, 11 to the moon has been quite rightly called ... , I I! most daring and most spectacular exploration in all the ages of man." Scientists from as varied fields as astrophysics to bi,ology have termed this incredible achievement the end of one era and the beginning of another. A break through of this magnitude quite obviously cannot be without major consequences for the ~hole sphere of human existence, including 'matters of philosophical, religious, and social importance • . From the perspective of classical Judaism, a unique sense of celebration for this triumph over nature is justified. Among all Oriental nations and pagan religions of antiquity the moon was wor­ shipped as a divinity. A cult of. lithe queen of heaven" existed in ancient times to whom sacrifices were· brought. The Book of Deutoronomy (17:2-4) expressly forbade such idolatrous practices on the pain of death. Triumphalist. as it. may sound, it is a fact that the radical monotheism of the Hebrew Bible and the Jewish prophets desacralized nature ..... and was responsible for creating the intellectual attitudes that .: ... ' . '. ': ",- .; .. , J '. , -2-I liberated man to mqnipu1ate nature and subdue her for human purposes._ The Ap9110 11 moonf1ight confronts man with another fundamental question.
    [Show full text]