Yeshiva University High School For Boys - Elchanite Yearbook (New York, NY)

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Finally, build up the congregation. Begin extensive campaigns if you wish to keep the synagogues alive and kicking. Give the youth a chance to run services, make speeches, organize clubs and educational and social affairs. Begin Sh-miros-Slzabbos campaigns. Get older men and Women to come and especially beg and force them to send their children to ser- vices. Forgive mistakes and misunderstandings. Explain, rather than threaten. Hold various types of classes for youth, older men, and women. Print magazines and papers. Yvake up and work to preserve our Jewish way of life. But one thing will remain foremost in our mind. We are working to foster Orthodoxy, the belief in God and Torah, the belief in the ideals set forward for us by our European brethren. With that view in mind, our compromises and innova.tions will be made in an Orthodox fashion, and Will further Orthodox traditions. ev ight by Solomon Katz How bewitching is the magic secrecy of night, The whisper of its mysterious power and might. Be parted thou glare of day with thy gaiety and bright light, For the sweet compulsions and bewilderment of night. Day is but a cheating gleam, Night a strange fascinating dream. Day, a mild penetrable sight, Night, a vast shadow full of stealth and flight. Bored am I by the garish and gaudy day, And long for the passionate silence of the night - mystic and grey. 8

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Now, that is over. The European mother is dead and there will never' be one like her. Wie are left to face for ourselves. And we are ill-prepared. YVe have depended for too long on European Jewry for new members for our congregation. We have looked too much to them for higher knowledge. As the orphan lacks the essentials of self-planning and progress, so we lack the necessary analyzation and methods to implant Orthodox Jewry forever in America. From what I hear and see, we are losing the battle. Knowledge be- comes more scarce and the basic bottom of our Jewish society is not only religious observances but the knowledge of the whys and wherefores of these observances. Too many seemingly Orthodox people consider it only as a front and something their parents taught them. European Judaism was an armed camp of Orthodoxy, armed, that is, with knowledge of its history and its Talmud. In America, we are but an ignorant people who do not even realize the extent of o-ur ignorance and the dangers it entails. The Jewish religion is curious in one respect, and perhaps in truth it is not so strange. The more we know, the more our belief and striving grow and we become better Jews. The less we know, the less we understand and the less we care. That is our danger. Wie have no content and it may de- stroy us. What then is the remedy? This question must remain. I myself can offer only these suggestions. It is clear that every Jew must support the basis of American Ortho, doxy, the Yeshivos. To the older members of the American Jewish com- munity I can say: Support Yeshivos with money and by sending your children there. To the Jewish youth: G0 to the Yeshiva and gain an ink- ling of your religion. Yeshiva. students: Study industriously and prepare for aid to the American Jewish community. Let your actions always re- flect good on the Yeshiva. For out of Yeshivos come those who must lead, teach and guide the congregations of America. Out of the Yeshivos come those balabati-my who are willing to cooperate and understand the rabbi who will represent their congregations. Secondly, support your Talmud Torahs. Organize them on the most efficient basis. Include those ideas which will attract the youth. and will indoctrinate them with the necessary beliefs and fundamentals of religion. Every child must go to a Talmud Torah at least. An intensive campaign must be started to maintain boys and girls in Hebrew schools for many years after their thirteenth and twelfth birthday. You must stress Hebrew and lengthen hours. Cultivate an active interest in the Jewish field of studies. The majority of students, who usually care, can do with some extra hours of study. 7

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The Great Expertnratinn SCHMEIL - ZEv1 was only 18, but he had earned for himself the reputa- tion of being the village jokester. And so, when Schmeil's wedding to Shari was announced, every soul in the entire village turned out in antici- pation of an hilarious and joyous time. To add to the great .s-itmcha, it was also rumored that the Emperor was nearby and that he might come and give the young couple some sort of a gift. Amidst the frolicking' gaiety, Yosef, Shari's former suitor, stepped up with a mug brimming over with wine. Come, Schmeil, drink! Show everybody you're a man. Empty the mug. Yosef's eyes gleamed mischievously and Schmeil unsuspectingly lifted the mug and drank it down in long groughts. Now for some toasts. Chosan Schmeil, welll drink some toasts. Here's to your bea.utiful wifef' Schmeil downed the wine as vigorously as before. Here's to your in-laws. May they .... And down poured the intoxicating drink. To your beloved parents. Again Schmeil drank. He was gay and laughing loudly. Shari tugged at his shirtsleeve. Look! , cried Yosef. She is trying to show who of the two will wear the plants. Come, Schmeil, yo-uire a man. Aren't you?. Here's to our wonderful villagef' Yes, I'm a man. Yes, to our village. The brimming mug was soon empty. To our country. Yes, to our country, Schmeil shouted thickly as he drank once more. To the Emperor. No, not to the Emperor. I'm a m-an. I spit on the Emperor. And Schmeil spat with gusto. You don't mean that? Why! you're just a little ...... i' I do mean it. I'm a man and I spit on the Emperorf' And again he spat. A hush fell on the assemblage. The villagers slowly drifted away. The wedding was over. -X' -X' 91- Two days later, the Emperor sent his guards to take Sc-hmeil away. Somehow he had found out. There was great mourning in the village. Many tried to console Schmeil's parents and' Shari, but in vain. Then someone spied ai lonely figure approaching the village. Schmeil had returned. He was uncombed and dissheveledg his fa.ce was drawn and his eyes were staring. The crowd opened to let the man pass. Slowly they followed him to his house. There was a deadly silence. No one spoke. Then Shari, unable to stand it any longer, whispered hoarse-ly, Schr11eil, what did he do to you? Two large tears rolled down his face. He - - he - - he spat back at me! by Harry Pinvh 9