-NEBRASKA STATE HISIWTHAL C , Neuraaka 4S.EP.I9 '69,
Serving Council Blu ft a, Bes Moines, Lincoln, Omaha, Sioux City VolLXVHt-*
OMAJIA, NEBRASKA, FMDAV, SEPTEMBER 10,
"YonrKippur" from the suite of lithographs "The Jewish Holidays" by Chalm Gross (1904—). This study of the "Yom Kippur" holiday is one
Second Class Postage Single Copy IS Cents Paid at Omaha, Neb.- Annual Kate 5 Dollar*
of four-that will remain at the Joslyn Art Museum as part of the Aueiv bach Memorial Collection. ^
fheChoice is Ours — Choose born, who by fire and who by water, who by . . ." I shall never cease to marIndeed, Jews were always so vel that Jews associate their moved by this prayer that they most solemn festivals of the forgot both the prayer's proyear—the-New Year and-Day - loguo and epilogue which place of Atonement—with fatalism. the accent on man's ability to Fatalism i&_ not only_ Hellenic, avert evil decrees. Tl ey Jorgot_ rather tlian Hebraic in origin "that the author of ".the 'prayer. describes how man affects the but it is also the very antithesis verdict at least as much as of what the holidays are de- God. signed to inspire. . Why must one stress, espeIf the holidays' have any cially today, Judaism's insismeaning at all it is that every tence that man Is not the helpman is the master of his fate less victim of forces or situaand captain of Ms destiny. tions which engulf him? It What we cannot rationalize or would appear to many that a control we attribute with a generation that has placed a sense of frustration and rcsig-; man on the moon would be nation to God, to "mazel", to least in need of reassurance fate. But our tradition insists about its capacity to do the rethat almost everything is with- markable and to fulfill virtualin our power—even Cod re- ly anything it craves. sponds to our will, bur thoughts, Yet, paradoxically, it is this our actions.same generation that so often It is this theme that I deem avoids any kind of action, or most important for many of even decision-making by reour contemporary dilemmas— sorting to the excuse that one • personal, national and interna- can hardly do anything that tional. It begs for reaffirma- will affect the overwhelming tion today and continuous ap- forces or currents in which one plication to numerous prob- feels "trapped." lems that besiege us. We are constantly justifying . That Jews associate the High Inertia and non-Involvement by Holy Days with fatalism is un- - paying that we are too puny, derstandable. The most ap- too. insignificant, to influence pealing hymn in the liturgy is the course of events. the "Unsanek Tokcf." We behold the mad rush of "On the New Year there shall nations to bankrupt themselves be inscribed and on the Day by (he manufacture and purof Atonement there shall be chase of munitions. Who are sealed—how many shall pass we to stop It? Huge sums of money are diaway and bow many .shall be By Rabbi Emanuel Rnckman
verted to expensive projects whose usefulness is altogether problematic while health and urban needs are sorely neglected. Who are we to reverse the trend? Anti-Semitism, and especially antUsrael propaganda, Js. onthe increase, What can one Jew do? ' The powers, or the activities' of which we disapprove, are so collossal that we deem ourselves impotent to do anything about it. ; But Judaism—especially as reflected in the prayers of the New Year and Day of Atonement—prescribes differently. Faith moves m o u n t a i n s . Righteousness moves even God. Evil, decrees can be averted if man will but take the right steps. True, what we do may also be to no avail. There is no assurance of success. But even to speak up for the right is already to act righteously. And we need some such acts for own self-esteem, our own conscjences. • Moreover, who knows but that one such voice will be joined by a multitude, or evoke a miracle, or even reach the ears of those who have the power to" make a change." Judaism urges protest and action against evil. ••.: ; Did any nation ever; face a more formidable array of power than did Israel on the eve
of its Six-Day War? Was any- volvements which do not ao» one's situation ever more hope- cord with one's most basic as* less? pirations or commitment. Yet, Israel made a decision, What stops us from seekingacted and experienced a miracle; -,- -—- _.chang&.jr___guldanca_that-wiii— So, too, must all human be- help to reshape our lives and ings feel in the face of what ap- - open^new-vistas for- us? True,— pear to be the insuperable odds much may be absolutely- fixed of evil. Even if-we are alone V and unalterable. in our protest against injustice, But forty years of counseling or the mad course of a major- with people has convinced me ' ity, we must speak up. that so many people can help Call to Action themselves to improve their lot. Our Days of Awe beckon us They must first be made to to righteous action—not resig- Verbalize their discontent and nation. We must never accept then from their own articulaevil as Inevitable. Evil is to be tion of their plight there extirpated. Sin must be brand- emerges the discovery of silver ed as such, and a new direction linings which can be used to reconstruct relationships. given to human affairs. . So long as we are alive, we However, it is particularly with regard to our interperson- can convert frustrations into al relationships that we are in- challenges and challenges into clined to be inert and resign meaningful achievement, ourselves to a fate with which In essence, this is the call, of we are unhappy but feel help- the High Holy Days. Sin or failless to alter. In our homes, in ure need not be permanent. No our occupations, in our com- one is altogether doomed bemunal set-up, we feel "trapped" cause of earlier mistakes. Ona . and nothing is more destructive can do something about every of human personality: than the situation for a tomorrow that sense of destiny that accom- is better than yesterday. panies that feeling. The prayers are our stimuli. Yet are we really as unable The sounds of the shofar ara to act as we think we are? our goads. The time we spend • Given a marital situation that in the synagogue is for introbegs for improvement. Given spection. ;The choice is ours— parents and children who are we can choose the gooS and alienated from .each other. >Giv- live meaningfully, abundantly, en,a career or a position which or we'can choose, evil-and die, > affords one! with too satisfac- spiritually if not physically. tions. Given community inLet us choose life!