Chicago Jewish Academy - Memoirs Yearbook (Chicago, IL)

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7 Spmzagfde 741mm lt IS almost all 11nposs1b1l1ty to convey to one who IQ 11ot llllllSClf a student of th1s remarkablv volummous and complex work the Talmud, wh1ch took centurxes for 1ts completlon an ldea of llS nature and character At best we can only vet a n11nute gl1mps of 1t The f1rst thmg whlch smgles out the Talmud as a unlque work, d1st1nUu1sh1ng 1t from other llterarv endeavors 1 the breadth of 1ts scope It IS not mere l1terature where only an 1nfltes1mal port1on of human l1fe 1s reflected but a whole world unto ltself The var1ed currents of centur1es of the l1fe of the ,Iew1sh people flow Slde by s1de 111 lts volumes and at tlmes mmgle and cross one another lt IS qUllC true that the Talmud IS the opus magnum of ,lew1sh law The law contained therem IS not the hard ened law of the court and lawyer but It IS the l1v1ng law of every dav ex1stence of the Jew 1n hlS soc1al rela t1ons 1n hls home hls synagogue, and school Perhaps the term law IS a mlsnomer, for lt IS 1n realltv a com IJl'Cl'lCIlSlWC f'u1de to ,lew1sh conduct and llilllg The Talmud deals wlth the llfe of the Jew 1n all of ltts varlous phases fron1 a halach1c po1nt of vlew ln Hddlllllll the emotlonal and psychologlcal aspects of llfe are not overlooked 1n the Talmud It deals often wlth a host of quest1ons wb1ch 1n lxfe are lmked dlrectly and 1nd1rectly wlth the feelmvs of every day man expressed 1n adaves proverbs maxlms and eplgrams Several factors are co11tr1buted to the all embraclveness of thc T1ln1ud The first was the polltlcal dlld econo1111c cond1t1on of the Jews 1n Baby lon1a Thev had ln a great measure of autonomv 1n the1r mternal affalrs as exemp llfled bv havmf' thelr own exllarc hs KNDWJ 'WXTJ a11d thelr own Cltll courts Thelr mternal llfe was so well orvamzed that they were able to w1thsta11d the 111 llue11ce of forelf ll culture They felt 111o1eover that the B3lDXl0IllEiIl and Perslan cultures were on a lower level ll lllPlI' own er suc 1 ea co11 1l1o11 1 1 wonder that jew 1sh l1fe was able to create uch a 10111 ptehenslve work as the Tal111ud The econd factor wa the concepuon of Torah SShlLll they c'ons1dered to be the very center of .lewlsh culture and sp1r1tual llfe Th1s conceptlon has 1ts twofold a pects Flrst Torah was concelved as the sum total of all good wlsdom as reflected 111 the words of the Tanna 1n P1rke Avmh .-:1 xuwx 1:1 vm nn 11-. Study 1t agam and agam, for evervthlnv IS to be found ln It Secondly the Torah was regarded a the 117 1 the wav of llfe for the 1nd1v1dual and the ffroup Lndcr such Lflfldlllfllli the studv of Torah was both a means md a11 end Thls vlew of Torah was responslble for the educat1on of the laymen ln the tlme of the Tal1nud a cond1t1o11 unlque IH the anclent world Men of trade and worldly to1l took to the study of the Torah 'Vlen of all profes s1ons and vocatlons flocked, especlally durmg the perlods of Kallah to the great schools of learnmg at Sura and Pumpedlta to exchange op1111ons and to dlscuss sp1r1tual questlons There they brought thelr dally expenence of trade and avrlculture and utlllzed th1s store of knowl wonder that the Talmud, bemg an exte11s1on of Torah ffrew and developed lIll0 1ts present for111 A th1rd lmportant factor was that studv was oral A such 1t knew no llllllli and had no bounds There was but one stronv and clear purpose an1111at1ng the students of the Taln1ud namely 'l1'Y8'I51 FI't1h 5 r1f17 to Ulorxfy the Torah and make lt ffreat Due to the 11ature of the oral dl5tl13qIOlt9 IOPILQ whlch seemed super flc1ally to be u11related are lnterwoven 1nto a mosan pattern In lhlg 1na11ner the Halacha and Affadah portlons of the Tal111ud were co11s1dered to have been mtegratecl Thu the Talmud co11t1nued to flourlsh w1tb each gen erat1o11 makmg 1ts co11t11but1on to the sum total of knowledge e above th1cc factcns mc '1 lllllllllllff' cf o 91 l1 nc co11tr1b11ted 111 1 large de frce to tl1e poc1t1o11 uf lhf- llalmud a u1 gf'Il6I'IS DAVID LEHRFIELD Flfty flVE I C . B . N. . . , b 1 b y .g S A . 4 S . I . b .- I 5 . ' . . L M . . . ' . h . M . 4 S- . D . V . . i 4U - y 4 I . 4 N K s v ' ' .w c- ' ' I D V ' ' - '- g 4 ' 1 ' , .' r - 1 -r,, . . . . . . , - as 4 - - - Y 4 - - K 5 - , ' V1 5 . . 1- . . . - - sv ff V y I A .. c ' . I' ' L ' , 1 ' ' 5 N . . . . .M h v ,,D , 'V - ' ' ,- , V ' . , , ' . Y I u n . l ' . Y.: . . . .M 4 4 4 i . 7 L . . . . . . 55 ev ' -' A -.M k' 4 i I ' -Q ' ' . a I 0 - ' l . , s I . Y I v Y . - . 7. ' ' .' . ' . . . l l l l . M at 19 c ,L Y,, . . . . . . 4 - y .V . V. . ' . I. ' 7 ' ' ' . H- M ' ' C '. I s v u V. u ' I C .D , . . . M I' G y ' H D H 4 . edge in the Halachaic and Aggadaic discussions. No . . rv ' l . - . . T . T . f l l h V N .V I ' S - r. ' D f ' ' 1 I . V . . v n I Q T l V N' N P -1 l su - -v -4- . ' ' 1 I' '- 5. v 1, Ill' ' 1'l' ' , . . . ' ,' , U ' . - es L t. ' --. L- F . 4 1 2 . - 'Q : - - 'r ., '-, N . 14 . . . . H V - ' 5 I F 4 S . l .-. A lm . . . 4 M S. D . .5 4, 7 - . P U . . 4 3 Y. . 5 n -Y u ' ' v ' . U ' . tha ' ' . l'11d . 'h 'd l ' d s 't 's no Th ' ' z l . ' l 1 th 's . S ' . N . . - V S , , ' i 1 - I ' E I 1 :' ' . ' N .44 - - as - x ' - x , s 5 .

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I Upon the occasion of the 300th amuversary o Iewzsh settlement ln Amencaj The first brlght hue of dawn revealed a small speck on the horizon It seemed to be maklng great effort to surmount the perilous waves For a moment tt dlsap peared behind the ragmg torrent which refused to relln qulsh its mastery However each battle brought lt nearer to nts destined goal the peaceful seaport of New Arn sterdam The usually bustlmg town was lymg sleepxly in the early mormng sun Any drowsy inhabitant who chanced to gave through the dewy wmdowpanes on that cool September morning in 1654 would have hurried eagerly to the wharf for the arrlval of a ship any ship was an exutlng event ln the monotonous life of these sec luded pioneers But would this ship be welcome? That was the foremost question ln the mmds of the hopeful llttle party on board the St Catarxna Thls group of Jews had fought persecution and death and had beaten these foes but it was a bitter victory for they had em erged poxerty stricken and possessed nothing but the clothes upon thelr backs They had battled with the elements of the sea storm and famine and had over tome them bow the group was preparmg for IIS final battle the battle for equality and freedom Would they find tt here? Alas' Matters dld not proceed so well for the 1m poverlshed travelers because of the brutal actions of the St Catarlnas captam Jacques de la Motthe demanded full payment for the miserable accomodations alloted their inability to meet his claims had them thrown mto prison Thls unhappy incident was luckily soon stralght ened out but before the Jews could enjoy their new free dom mlsfortune struck again The goyernor of New York Peter Stuyvesant was a harsh stern man who refused to allow anything or anyone to questlon hrs authority YVhen any matter displeased hlm ln the colony he Immediately disposed of lt The settlement of Jews m has colony was partlcu larly disagreeable to htm Because of this feeling h proceeded to send a mlsslve to his employers The Dutch East lndla Company urging the expulsion of the Jews Howexer he had not reckoned with the lmlnclble Splfll of this mconquerable group To the great astonishment of the governor the reply was not what he had so smugly anticipated The com pany ordered hum to allow the Jews to settle ln New Amsterdam because of the considerable loss sustained by the Jews in the taking of Brazil and also because of the large amount of capltal which they have invested ln thls company' ' lmagme the exuberance and joy with whlch this hxth erto homeless communlty recelyed these heaven sent words' Now at last this wandering people had found a home There was nothmg the gruff Peter Stuyvesant could possibly do to harm them Naturally after so many years of looking down upon the Jew as an outcast of society the Christians of New Amsterdam would not immediately accept their Jewlsh neighbors as equals This was evident ln their attitude ln refusing the members of another rellglon to serve ln the Burgher Guard This small settlement ln the midst of the wilderness was exposed to frequent attacks by hostile Indians Spaniards and pirates therefore lt was the duty of every male cltlzen to stand watch over the town The Chrlstlans demanded a compensatlon for the exemption of the Jewlsh settlers from this duty smce ll was considered incredible for a Jew and Chrlstlan to stand guard together However the first taste of freedom tasted so sweet to the thlrsty lxps of this oppressed people that xt aroused their desire for complete equality with their neighbors With an assured but fearless volce so different from the cowerlng terror of his tyranmzed forefathers Asser Levy demanded full rights for his people as citizens of New Amsterdam Any able bodled man whether Jew or Chrlstlan should be allowed to defend the town that had become his home Agaln the governor and council had to concede victory to this unconquerable group Asser Levy had won the battle Wlth the coming of the English ln 1664- the Jews fought agam against mtolerance and won complete re llgl0US freedom The Implicit mstructlons of James II were to permit all persons of what religion soever quietly to inhabit w1th1n the government and to give no disturbance or dxsqulet whatsoever for or by reason of their dlfferlng matters of rellgxon This decree saw the establlshment of the first syna gogue on the North American contment lll 1728 The congregation assumed the appropriate name of Shealrlt Yisrael The Remnant of lsrael for thls small rem nant separated from thelr persecuted brethren IH Europe had found a new home The clty of New Amsterdam m the future lnlted States of America opened its doors to them extending them the liberty and equality which they had sought for centuries This fragmentary group con tmued to struggle and battle against hostlle enemles but neyer relmqul hed the field Through their relentless ness their stubborness against oxerwhelmlng odds this group was not defeated The Remnant of Israel became the Umanqulshed Community -the free American Jewrv of today ADA BABAD rmyfw . . 9 . ' - ', , ' . v. , . ' . n O , 7 9 K . , . . . Y . . V S f- 7 9 T 2 y . ' , , : , 7 . 7 ' 9 Q . 9 ' 9 Y . ' , .. , . - T ' ' a Q' u ' 1 T ' V . x . . . 5 L l ' . y , , . i . . ' U h to his uncomplaining passengers, and upon perceiving Q n , 0 u . T ' I ' , . x 9 ' . , - , - I . . . . - ' H . . . v ' , 9 Y 9 9 I V . . . . . . ,, l . ' 9 ' - - - y ' . l , I ' , e . ' ' . as ' - ' , ' ' ' - 77 as as . Q u n T , T . Y, . . .. , 5 , , 7 . , V . I. V Ay y L . ' U ' ' , V '. , , - 1 , . I , , , . . a , . y I ., ..... , , , , , Y Y . . . V V . 7 I., . . , -

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