RABBI ABRAHAM BESDIN DISCUSSES SAMSON RAPHAEL HIRSCH AT FINAL ADULT INSTITUTE LECTURE The Adult Institute Open Lecture Series came to a close last Wednesday All men are cordially invited to attend the evening when a surprisingly large group of students braved the six de¬ gree temperature to hear Rabbi Abra¬ er an d(Son Win yan ham Besdin discuss "Samson Raphael ■Specia/ 3atli Hirsch and the Challenge of Modern¬ and ism." Rabbi Besdin was the concluding speaker of our four part series on the subject "Problems and Personalties in J CLl $ranch ^lijeetin (j Jewish Philosophy." This Sunday Morning, 9:30 o'clock The lecture series this year attracted many members of the congregational — Guest family who had not participated in Speaker at Meeting — such forums previously. The attendance RABBI ISIDORE MEYER at the first three lectures averaged between 90 and 130. We are happy to — Topic say that nineteen people attended each of the four lectures and will, therefore, THE AMERICAN THE be entitled to receive course credit JEW IN CIVIL WAR' for the series. Their names appear at the conclusion of this article. "Torah Im Derech Eretz" — the fusion Americanism and rooted in Jewish A New Interest in Hirsch . of the principles of the Torah with the traditions, is both desirable and neces¬ Rabbi Besdin cited the resurgence civilization of the modern world. sary. of interest in recent years in the philo¬ In the Day School, religious subjects Below are the names of the students sophy and program of Samson Raphael were taught and general knowledge who will receive credit for having at¬ Hirsch. This founder of Modern Ortho¬ was dispensed. The general know¬ tended each of the four lectures. doxy, born in the early years of the ledge, however, was presented from Jerry Bruss 19th century, was confronted in Ger¬ the Jewish viewpoint. This approach Randolph Chester many by a Judaism which had deviated was criticized from the right and from Mrs. Charles Cohen far from the traditional stream. When the left. The extreme religionists ac¬ Dr. Charles Cohen he came to Frankfurt in the mid 19th cused Hirsch of bringing too much Mrs. Victor Helfand century he was summoned by a small secularism into Jewish Life. The intoler¬ Victor Helfand splinter group of Orthodox Jews. The ant reformers charged him with over Mrs. Joseph Hostyk rest of the community was controlled emphasizing Judaism. Abraham R. Kirshon by the proponents of classical Reform The American scene bears witness Edward Lebowitz Judaism. The Jewish Community Coun¬ to the keen foresight of Samson Mrs. William Lebowitz cil which was recognized by the Munic¬ Raphael Hirsch. The spectacular rise of William 'Lebowitz ipal Government was most unfriendly the Day School movement in America Mrs. Haskel Lookstein to Orthodoxy, or Torah True Judaism and the development on these shores Dr. Louis I. Posner as Hirsch called it. The council prohibit¬ of a Yeshiva University are eloquent Mrs. Frank Roth ed teaching of Talmud. Violators of this testimony to the fact that the synthesis Mrs. Joseph Roth prohibition were fined heavily. of Judaism and contemporary civiliza¬ Joseph Roth tion are both feasible and practical, Jacob P. Shulman the this great leader died By time and that the integrated personality of Dr. Miriam E. Trachman there were 500 members in this Torah an American Jew, who is at home in Dr. Sadie E. Trachman True community; a new synagogue had had been erected and the first modern Rabbi Joseph H. will 11:00 Jewish day School had been planned, Lookstein preach this Sabbath at A.M. "...AND THEY THE conceived and erected. In this school, SAW GOD OF ISRAEL..." Hirsch was able to fulfill his ideal of What Did They See? 2 KEH1LATH JESHURUN BULLETIN THE WEEKLY PORTION WITHIN OUR FAMILY 38 BRAVE SNOW TO ATTEND FATHER AND SON MINYAN Mishpatim, Exodus 21:1 - 24:18 Birthdays — Last "The Institution of the Hebrew Slave" Many happy returns to Maks L. Sunday, despite the 17 plus Birnbach, Mrs. Adolph Citron, Edward inches of snow which covered New In the view of the Torah, there is Lebowitz, Alexander Lichtman, Joseph York City and without regard to the no such institution as a Jewish slave. A. Perlman, and Mrs. I. Jerome Riker, state of emergency announced by Although our portion this opens week Anniversaries — Mayor Wagner, 38 boys, girls and men with a detailed account of the rules Warmest greetings to Mr. and Mrs. braved the elements to attend the regu¬ concerning the "Hebrew slave", our Alexander A. Bernstein, Mr. and Mrs. lar service of the Father and Son Min- opening statement is not to be con¬ Herman Davidowitz, Mr. and Mrs. Jack yan. One by one the worshippers strued as mere apologetics. The institu¬ Lefkowitz, Mr. and Mrs. Simon Newell, trooped in and exchanged their boots tion of slavery, as the world knows it, and Mr. and Mrs. Sam Taffet. and overcoats for Tallith and Tephillin. does not exist for a Jew according to The service was, in point of fact, Get Weil - the Bible. one of the most beautiful of the season. We wish a speedy recovery to our The cantors were Noah Gurock, David Slaves as Property dear member, Mrs. Rose Kolker, who Kahn, Vinny Lloyd and David Popkin. Slavery exists when a man or a was recently taken ill. It was most gratifying to see the turn¬ woman may be sold as property and out and the enthusiasm at the Minyan. retained in the estate of the owner, CORRECTION The service was a tribute to the if the iatter so desires. This rule never In our last issue, while listing the popularity of the program of the Father applied to the "Hebrew slave". As a names of the students who have been and Son Minyan and to the Men's Club matter of fact, a woman could never regular in their attendance at the of the Congregation which sponsors be sold in this sense. A young girl weekly classes of the Adult Institute, this worthy activity. under twelve years could be sold to a we inadvertantly omitted the names wealthy man in the hope that he would of the following students who have AM HASEFER GROUP II ultimately take her as a wife — thus received credit for the fall term of the MEETS THIS MONDAY NIGHT ensuring her a future, devoid of pover¬ Sabbath Afternoon Class in The Com¬ The second ty. If the owner did not exercise his mandments of Judaism: meeting of the year marital option, she was automatically for Group II of the Am HaSefer Group Julius Hamburger freed upon reaching the age of twelve program will be held this coming Mrs. Samuel Lerner Mon¬ years. evening at 8 at the home Bernard Schiff day o'clock Even in the case of a man of Rabbi and Mrs. Haskel Lookstein, slave, Reuben Westerman 1235 Park Avenue. however, there were no significant Mrs. Israel Wachter rights of property. He could be sold by On that occasion the group will dis¬ the court in the event that he had stolen cuss "Conservative Judaism", a book THANK YOU something and could not make restitu¬ by Marshall Sklare, which describes tion. He could sell himself if he were The columns of this bulletin failed the religious life of American Jews hard pressed financially and could not to make note of the dedicated work from the viewpoint of the sociologist. All otherwise support his family. He could of Mrs. Eugene Hollander, in the re¬ members of the group are re¬ never however be sold by one owner cent Sisterhood theatre party, quested to complete their reading of to another. He could not be inherited "Exodus." the book and to arrive at the meeting on time so that the discussion by the owner's heir. He was auto¬ The movie was, of course, a stirring may be concluded at a reasonable hour. matically free after six years of work production, and the event was a finan¬ or upon the advent of the Jubilee year cial success. — whichever came first. We wish to thank Mrs. Hollander Moreover, if he wanted to redeem and her committee for the wonderful himself, the owner was obligated to job that was done. accept payment and to help him in the following manner. If he had been sold for sixty dollars and worked three mud could assert without years, the owner could charge him exaggeration thirty dollars for his freedom (antici¬ that "He who purchases a Hebrew slave has in pating that he had three more years reality acquired a master for himself". to work). It can thus be seen that what the The Torah itself gives the reason for Bible calls a "Hebrew slave" was in the incongruity of slavery in the case reality a man who accepted a six year of the Jew. "For the children of Israel contract during which time all of his are slaves unto me; they are my ser¬ labor was at the disposal of an vants whom I took out of the land of "owner". In return for this "exclusive Egypt; I am the Lord thy God" (Leviticus contract", the owner had to give him 25:55). The Talmud comments elo¬ food and shelter, provide for the quently on this verse, saying, that the sustenance of his wife and children, Jew must be a slave to God; it is in¬ and otherwise treat him as an indi¬ conceivable for him to be a slave to vidual with dignity. The rules for his another slave. treatment were so liberal that the Tal- H. L. KEHILATH JESHURUN BULLETIN 3 A SUMMER IN ISRAEL FOR STUDENTS Arrangements have been completed for the 5th Annual Yeshiva Univer¬ sity "Summer in Israel" program spon¬ sored by the Youth Bureau of the Uni¬ versity.