JUNE 21, 1985 Ao, PER COPY Spreading the Word "Precious Legacy" in Hartford
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R. I. Jewish Historical Association 11 Inside: 130 Sessions Street Hope Street Pullout Providence, RI 02906 Section THE ONLY ENGLISH-JEWISH WEEKLY IN RI AND SOl'THEAST MASS VOLUME LXXII, NUMBER 29 FRIDAY, JUNE 21, 1985 ao, PER COPY Spreading The Word "Precious Legacy" In Hartford: by Wendy Elliman Hebrew language contained the potential Exhibit Of Czech Jewish Life UJA Press Service to help Jewish exiles from 102 lands Ben•Zion Fischler opens a thick file of become more united in the future State of letters at random. Israel and that the language of the Bible " I not know your language. J not know would become a cornerstone of J ewish Hebrew. I want learn. I not have money," national rebirth. reads the first, written by a I 6•year-old Unspoken for 1,700 years, Hebrew may Caribbean islander. be the only language in history that has Fischler turns the page to a letter in been reborn. But a language so ancient carefully printed Hebrew, with a that Abraham spoke it to Isaac, needs photograph attached. It comes from a adaptation to the era of high technology. Romanian priest, who teaches at a For not only did the language lack words Romanian Catholic seminary. "Thank you for the material you sent," ' he writes. " It's very useful. This is a . picture of the synagogue. I took my - Hebrew students there for the exercise of translating all the Hebrew on the synagogue walls." T he priest's letter is followed by a lengthy exchange between Fischler and a Soviet langtlage professor from a remote area of Russia. "Dov is very interested in your letters," writes the professor. "We thought, at first, that Dov - which is Hebrew for 'bear' - was a code word for the KGB, the Soviet Secret Police, and that the professor was giving us a veiled warning," smiles Fischler. "But Dov turned out to be a young Jew, seeking contact with Israel. When his father died, he wrote asking us to have someone recite Kaddish. Now, he tells us, he's applied for , a visa to Israel." There are two questions that Fischler neve r asks his correspondents. One is Ben-Zion Fischler whether they are Jewish. The second is for "computer," "helicopter" and "vacuum why they want to learn Hebrew. cleaner" - it had no wo rds for even such "If you're Jewish and you learn Hebrew everyday items as penci l, newspaper, shirt - whether it's 500 words or 5,000 - and sidewalk. T he rebirth of Hebrew into you're linked with Jews all over the a living language is one of the more world," he says. "If you're not Jewish, spectacular achievements of cultural and learning Hebrew will give you a better linguistic history, and Fischler has played understanding of Jews." a role in it fo r 38 years. Fischler, as Director of the World The Bible's 8,000 word vocabulary has Zionist Organization's Hebrew Language grown to 120,000 words in the century Division in the Department of Education since the scholar, Eliezer Ben Yehuda, and Culture in the Diaspora operated what began to revive the language. Today the he describes as a clearing house for the number of modern Hebrew words Hebrew language. His division evaluates increases by about 100 words a year. Part Synagogue clock , made in Pisek, Bohemia, ca. 1870 by Joseph Vogel, pa rt of printed and audio-visual materials and of his division's job, says Fischler, is to the "Precious Legacy" exhibit. keeps teachers, students and some 600 ensure that innovations in Hebrew, when the first museum of Judaica was university Hebrew departments approved by Israel's Academy of the by Robert Israel established in Prague in the early 1900's. world-wide - from Ghana and Zaire to Hebrew Language, are made known. HARTFORD, Connecticut - Walking But there are also many items on exhibit Cost.a Rica and Korea, and behind the "We have active contact with about 600 through the gallery of the Wadsworth that date from the period of the 1940's Iron Curtain - in touch with what is institutes worldwide, as we ll as with Atheneum here, where "The Precious when the Nazis succeeded in deporting the available. innumerable students and teachers who Legacy: Judaic Treasures from the entire Jewish population to Terezin, a When new immigrants come to Israel, keep in touch with us,'' said Fischler, Czechoslovak State Collections" is on concentration camp 35 miles from Prague, and turn for help to the Jewish Agency, "Every six weeks or so, we circulate the exhibit until July 28, one feels the eerie and to other death camps to the East. Fischler's unit helps them get to first base: ch8nges, so people can keep up with new sensation of having entered onto familiar it helps them learn Hebrew. Language settings. After orienting the viewer to the Before these individuals were deported developments in Hebrew. and exterminated, all their worldly cou rses at absorption centers of the history of the Czech Jews - the first Jews "Jews have a long memory, so our possessions were confiscated and housed Jewish Agency, which receive most of its settled in Prague during Medieval times, language never truly died," reflected in Prague as part of the ''final solution," funds from United Jewish Fischler. Then he added with a gleam, with the first synagogue havi ng been built Appeal/Federation Campaigns, are among in 1270 - the exhibit moves into the the establishment of a museum which " It's only one example of how we are would show "an extinct race." 1,200 it offers worldwide. Some of its nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The tenacious." By the time one walks past the newer classes are designed fo r UJA's portraits of Jewish men, women and resplendid display of Torah curtains Young Leadership Cabinet. children, painted in a simple, almost embroidered in velvet, silk and leather: ''We also make shidduchim (matches)," primitive style, look like one's own after one stares with fascination upon an says Fischler. "When professors from grandparents. There are Torah curtains magnificently brocaded, as well as Torah alms box of silver and brass that shows an Kyoto, Japan, and Nancy in France wrote outstretched palm with a small slit at the telling us they were working on Hebrew crowns, shields, and pointers made of fine silver, gold and brass, the same items one palm for the depositing of coins for the word-processing, we made the match, and poor; after walk ing past the eyes of the they now maintain a lively academic sees in one's own synagogue during services. There are over 350 treasures: children in the portraits who hold correspondence." Torat Yisrael Bus Trip butterflies or bunches of wild posies, one Fischler's involvement with the Hebrew ornate grillwork gates. synagogue clocks, notices a small , black suitcase, no bigger Language began in 1947, when he was 22. To "Precious Legacy" sconces, menorahs, brass shivit plaques. The Czech Jewish community is like our than a bread box. with a photograph He was arrested by the British for trying Temple Toret Yisrael is taking a bus looming behind it. Upon close inspection, to enter the future State of Israel despite a own Jewish community here in Rhode trip to Hartford, Conn. on Tuesday, July Island and Massachusette. People live, the suitcase has a name written on it in ceiling on Jewish immigration and was 16, 1985 to view the Precious Legacy white paint: Otto Schwarzkopf, number interned on Cyprus. But he began holding work, prey to God, participate in cult.ura\ Exhibit, at the Wadsworth Antheneum. activities, perform brit melahs, weddings 351. The enlargened photograph behind daily Hebrew classes in the detention From there we will go to the Univett1ity of this suitcase shows a man and his son with camps whkh were filled with others who and fune ral services, light Sabbath can Hartford , have lunch at their cafeteria, dles. don festive clothing, light menorahs similar sized suitcases being deported had also attempted to make aliyah and then view the exhibit entitled Image from Prague, waitinR for the train that " I didn't really know Hebrew then," he and spi n dreidels. and Reality: Jewish Life in Tere~in. The would bring them to the death camp. They recalled. " I just kept one lesson ahead of "The Precious Legacy" is at once a cost for the trip is SI 5, not including were allowed on ly those belonRinp that my students.~ testimony to Jewish life and culture and e lunch. Anyone interested in joining us memorial to a race of people thet were led would fit into that suitcase no bigger than lmpriMned on Cyprus, he learned more please get in touch with Arlene Bochner a bread box. Their rem&ininR possessions than just the mechania or Hebrew to their deaths at the hands of the Nazis. through the Temple office 785-1800. \Contmued un pftgl! 9) e-.pre98K>n. He recognized that the Meny or the items date back to the t.ime 2 - THE RHODE ISLAND HERALD, FRIDAY, JUNE 21, 1985 Majestic Senior Guild Camp Gan Israel The Annual Luncheon & Installation of Summer Food Officers of the Cranston Senior Guild was Rabbi Yehoshua Laufer, Director of the held on June 19 at the Venus de Milo, Chabad Lubavitch of Southeastern New Lo~al News Swansea, Mass. · England announced that nutritious, I The following officers were installed: kosher lunches and snacks will be available Presidium, Helen Forman, Bessie Lett, at no separate charge for all the children Sally Levy; Treasurer, Betty Foster; enrolled in Camp Gan Israel during the Financial Sec'y, Jennie Uffer; Recording summer session JFRI Urges Divestment economic sanctions against South Africa Sec'y, Harry Portney; Corresponding has passed the U.S.