Ohio Jewish Chronicle, 1961-03-31

              COLUMBUS EDITION
msi
JgRONICLE
Servmg Columbus. Dayton and Central Ohio Jewish Communities   \\7AR
COLUMBUS EDITION
Vol. 39, No.  13
;iuv-fi^   lyiiic
39
Devoted to American and Jewliti  lde«ll
3HDtfV
rent Divisions
Of Fund, Council Show Big Increases
since the dawn of time, man has slowly and painfully learned never to underestimate the power of a woman. She moves mon and mountains with  equal  ease.
This simple but powerful fact has been made quite evident by an interim report of the United Jewish Fund and Council on thc cur¬ rent campaign for local, national and Intemational welfare agencies.
THE REPORT contains preliminary estimates of the Increases
In giving by thc fund's different divisions.
The Young Matrons have held five area parties and reported increases In giving ranging from 25 to 365 per cent. At two Young Matrons • events, Leading Ladles and Workers RaUy, donations In¬ creased 21.6 per cent for the former and 55 per cent for the latter.
THE WOMEN'S division has also achieved encouraging, results. The Beileringers affair netted a IQ'A per cent increase, the Pace¬ setters a 6.8 per cent Increase and the Keynoters a 2.3 per cent in¬ crease.
This Is not to Imply that the men have been exactly Idle. Ex¬ cellent results have been obtained by   the   breadwinners   beginning
with a substantial W) per cent Increase on thc part of a new group known as the Maccabees. Sparked by Jerald O'Koon and Gordon Zacks, this group of young men training for future leadership of community affairs has set a shining example by Its generosity. Other divlsiorts reporting in¬ creases Included Ohio State Uni- versity-Battelle, 24 per cent; com¬ munity workers, engineers in¬ cluding North American Aviation, 22 per cent; pharmacists, six per cent; Advance Gifts, three per cent; food and building, 20 per cent; mercantile, 25H per cent and attorneys, accountants and insurance, 28 per cent; and scrap and .itcel, graphic arts, manu¬ facturing and miscellaneous, 10 per  cent;
UJFC President In Conimunity Message
Universal Message Of Passover Is Given
BY Dr. HELEN HIRSCH
(Standard Feature Syndicate)
The miraculous delivery granted by the Almighty to the torment¬ ed children of Israel from Kgypt's cruel bondage meant much more tlian a mere emancipation from abject physical enslavement. It waa, above all, a glorious redemption from a spiritual submisslvement to the immoral character of the Egyptlaji way of life.
The fetters of the mind and sipirit that were shattered by IsraeJ'o physical delivery and cast off for ail times by Israel's ready accep¬ tance of the Torah way of life,
heralded a new conception of freedom for aU future genera¬ tions. It is expressed gratefully in the blessing spoken over the sec¬ ond cup of wine at the Seder table: "... and we shall thank Tliee in a new song for our re¬ demption and for the deliverance of our souls. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, whQ hast redeemed Israel." (Quoted from the Passover Hag¬ gadah.)
"And Thou Shalt Chooae Life ..."
THIS OPTlMIsnO quotation culled from D'vorim 31:19, im¬ presses upon us that freedom is the essential aspiration of man's soul, the hallowed meeting ground of man and His Maker. But such freedom oan never be accomplish¬ ed by the mere escape from the phylscal taslnnaster.
"Wie heavy chains of oppression
may burst asunder, yet the form¬ er captives will atlll remain slaves unless they fully understand and accept their physical freedom as the God-sent opportunity of a self-imposed, freely accepted dis¬ cipline. Without the deliverance of our souls the redemption from Egypt's physical bondage would have been In vain.
POUR EXPRESSIONS of free¬ dom and deliverance are found in the record of the exodus from Egypt; they are piously recalled over the four traditional cups of wine. "The last and most Impres¬ sive of these blessings announces the glad tidings: "And I shall take you unto me as a people" (Sh'- moth 6:7). And when did the Is¬ raelites become the "chosen peo¬ ple?" Our sages answer: On Siiial, when Moses brought down the two Tablets of the Divine Law.
From time immemorial, there has been a characteristic Jewish way of commemorating glorious occasions of miraculous deliver¬ ance through danger-fraught mil¬ lennia. When bhe children of Israel saw the glory of Egypt, the flower of its manhood and military might drowning helplessly In the billow^- ing waves of an angry Red Sea tiiat, but a short while ago meek¬ ly divided its floods at the lifting of Moses' rod to let them pass through unharmed, they burst In. to an exultant song of triumph and' gratitude: "Then sang Moses and the children of Israel thla song unto the Lord and spoke saying:
"I wIU sing unto the Lord, for He is highly exalted. The horse and his rider hath He thrown In¬ to the sea."  (Exodua 16)
AND WHEN ISRAEL suffered from thc hot rayS ot the sun, God spread a cloud for a covering. When they were hungry, He sent them bread from heaven, and when they were thirsty and mur¬ mured against Moses, saying: "What shall we drink?", the Lord said to Moses: "And thou shall smite the rock and there shall oome water out of it, that the peo¬ ple may drink."    (Exodua   17:6).
And Moses lifted his od and .struck a big bare rod And lo, clear,   cool   water  ru..iied   forth.
Passover, the joyous festival of liberation, which begins on 15th of NIsan (March 31) and lasts ?lght days, Is also the great fes¬ tival of Spring, of Nature's peren¬ nial renewal after an ley winter. It Is a festival most unique amohg nations for Its ancient, time-hon¬ ored rituals. The two Seder nlglita remind us that the Lord has brought us forth from bondage to freedom, from sorrow and hard¬ ship unto joy, from servitude unto redemption; hence Its name: "ze- man heru-thenu" — the season of our liberation.
Dr. Theodore H. Gaster, Pro¬ fessor of (Comparative Religion at Dropsie College, Philadelphia, maintains that "the real nature ot Passover reflects In the succes¬ sive stages of its development Man's elementary quest for free¬ dom. It starts as a festival of physical freedom — a crude and primitive ceremony designed to free man from year to year from the hurt and hazard of life and the mischief of nature.
IT DEVELOPS into a festival of social freedom cammemoratlng the liberation of a particular peo-
(ContlnuAd    on    p«qs    *)
Dear Friend and Neighbor:
It seems only fitting and prope- as we observe the Passover Holi¬ days that we give some though; to its significance not only as an historical and religious event In the life of our people but equally as significant, its importance and value to ua In 1961.
The Exodus ot our people from Egypt, from bondage to freedom, more than 20(X) years ago Is no less true today. While we enjoy for ourselves and for many of our people the fruits, of freedom in Anierlca and In other lands, there are thousands of Jews who are %vithout frcdom or the oppor¬ tunity to live out their lives In dignity, aecurlty and without re¬ ligious persecution.
DURING THB PAST several years our people have fled or been driven out of countries under peril of life and with the loss and destruction of business and prop¬ erty. A few short years ago such circumstances could only mean many years of destitution, loneli¬ ness and self destruction.
Today, through world wide or¬ ganizations of the United Jewish Appeal, which Includes the Jewish Agency, the Joint Distribution Committee and United HIAS Ser¬ vice, our people are provided the means to be taken to a new coun¬ try, In most Instances Israel, al¬ though some have gone to other countries Including the United States, where a new life of op¬ portunity is provided.
THXiSE  UNFORTUNATES who
could very well have been anyone of us, members of our family or friends, have found renewed hope as did those who fled Egypt.
Just ^recalling history and re¬ minding ourselves of this event during the Passover Seder or synagogue services Is not enough. Prayers for tliose in flight and in distress, must be accompanied with the means which will make it i>osslble to relieve and resolve these problems.
FORTUNATELY WE oan help them through a generous gift to
WUUam V. Kahn
the United Jewish Fund and Council which Is now conducting Its annual drive. Through the UJFC you make It possible for Columbus Jewry to express its concern for Its people In distress In other lands through the United. Jewish Appeal.
In 1961 our gifts to the drive must be greater If we are to do justice to thc valid requirements of our agfencies and institutions which look to us for their support, support for the needs of our peo¬ ple whether they be overseas, in America or in (Columbus Itself.
Only when that has been done can we be true to ourselves and the  faith  of  our  people.
Annually Columbus Jewry has responded well. I am sure that 1961 win alao be a year of gener¬ ous support.
Sincerely, WUUam V. Kahn President, UJFC
SENDS MATZOH JERUSALEM, (JTA) — A ship¬ ment of matzoh has been sent by the Israel Chief Rabbinate to the CJhlef Rabbi of Moscow for distribution in Jewish commdni- ties where matzoh was not baked this year.
Best Wishes For A Joyous Passover - The Chronicle