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A New Year Gift To YouTELLING IT IN GATHBy Rabbi Louis I. NewmanToday, as a New Year gift to readers,you, The Transcript presents an Author, radio commentator,added feature—'‘Telling It In columnist under San Francisco’sGath” by Rabbi Louis I. Newman, Fremont 01der| ex_ex-San Franciscan who now oc-cupies one of the nation's fore- assistant of Rabbi Stephen S.most pulpits, Temple Rodeph Wise, ex-president of the MenorahSholom in New York. Society, Reform Rabbi NewmanNo stranger is Rabbi Newman writes his column, uncensoredto Transcript’s pages. and free to have his say on anyHis hard-hitting column of com- subject he chooses,ment on the passing scene has Here’s his first column. There’ll been a favorite with Transcript be one every week.—The Editor.A NEW BOOK Jacob S. Minkin’s study of “AbarbanelYOU SHOULD READ and the Expulsion of the Jews fromSpain,” published by Behrman’s Jewish Book House, is the third volume which has come from this author’s pen within the past few years. The others were “Herod: A Biography” and “The Romance of Hassidism.”The story of Abarbanel has great timeliness, not only because of the anniversary celebration in his honor, but also because Jewries of today are suffering hardships comparable in a degree to the sufferings of Spanish and Portuguese Jewries in the days of Abarbanel.Dr. Minkin writes with great vividness of style, and is not sparing of his adjectives. His account of the career of the great scholar and tribune of Israel is graphic, readable and engrossing from cover to cover. Dr. Minkin has skilfully suggested points of parallelism in the tribulations of Abarbanel with those of Jewish leaders in our own time.The chapters of “Torquemada and the Inquisition,” “Columbus and the Jews,” and “The Eternal Road” are especially moving, and the reader is inevitably stirred to the depths by the anguish revealed by the historian and interpreter.We take it for granted that Dr. Minkin’s scholarship is impeccable, for he is a writer who does not commence his task without the research necessary for the accumulation of the salient facts involved.In the chapter dealing with Abarbanel as “Scholar and Thinker,” we come into the closest association with the personality, temperament, philosophy and practices of the great Sephardic Jew.It Is interesting to read of Abarbanel’s interest in “representative government.” “While medieval in his thinking, and clinging to a class and caste system like any grandee of his time, he made himself sponsor of a political philosophy, which must at least be considered striking for the day in which it was professed”, Dr. Minkin writes.Even though some scholars may think that Dr. Minkin’s enthusiasm may have prompted him to over-emphasize the virtues of his hero, nevertheless the writer has sketched a memorable portrait, which becomes indubitably an authoritative biography of the illustriousscion of the Davidic line.**** * * * *COURAGE IS Surely in these days of tribulationTOD A r SWA TCHWORD for Israel, it is the duty of every Jewto rally to our banner. The enrollment of Italy in the ranks of the anti-Semitic nations has created heavy-heartedness among Jews everywhere.I have heard it said: “No Jew should have children. Why subject them to these sorrows?”This, of course, is a counsel of defeat, unworthy of anyone who has been entrusted with the sacred gift of life.The rabbis tell us that before the coming of the Messiah, the woes of Israel will become almost unbearable. We have almost reached the breaking point now, and our Saviour is not at hand.We see how the world, like Israel, is in a state of utmost bewilder -(Continued on Page 8, Col. 2.)
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Seattle Jewish Transcript
Seattle, Washington, US
Fri, Sep 30, 1938
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USA 23 Apr 2025
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