THE SHOFAR B'nai B'rith Youth Organization ALEPH ZADIK ALEPH (AZA) B'NAI B'RITH GIRLS (BBG) March, 1977 FORECAST GOING HOME JEWISH MUSIC FESTIVAL Continues through the eve of Passover. by Dr. Leivy Smolar Get your copy of BBYO SINGS, the tape and booklet of over 50 songs you sing at Conventions, Institutes, etc. EXTENDED FORECAST Dr. Smolar, President of Baltimore behind the glass of the huge exhibit cases Hebrew College, is a long-time friend that line the walls of the houses. There are PASSOVER. Sundown April - Sundown, April 10. See the articles of BBYO. Besides authoring the valises with the names of their owners still on pages 3 and 7 of this issue. BBYO Judaism Pamphlet, "Lest We YOM HA'ATZMAUT (ISRAEL INDEPENDENCE DAY) April 23. See preserved in paint which has not even faded. Forget: The Murder of The Six Million There are lists of names of people who were the BBYO Israel Independence Day Program Guide for loads of Jews of Europe," Rabbi Smolar is also carefully registered so that not a soul would ideas to help your Chapter celebrate Israel's birthday. the author of the BBYO program disappear between the transports and the REGIONAL CONVENTIONS AND INSTITUTES Does your Region or guide, "Youth And The Living Sab- ovens. On one of these lists which includes Council have a mass program next month. If so, make plans to bath." Dr. Smolar has been on the the names of the cities of the origin, there is attend. staffs of conventions, kallahs, and the name of a Jewish boy from Pittsburgh. YOM HASHOAH, April 15. The occasion for remembering the Holo- leadership training conferences on And you wonder, how did he get there? caust and the heroism of the Jewish people. Read the article, "Go- every level of BBYO. Where was he when he was picked up? ing Home" on this page and the BBYO Judaism Pamphlet, "Lest We Forget: The Murder of The Six Million Jews of Europe." Where was his passport, his protection? And the terrible question, why did he come back? The Shofar wishes you and your families a happy Not too long after the Day of Atonement, I learned a lesson. I learned that life had not and joyous Passover season. We had. in the final an- and yet passed me by with all of its technologies and cynicisms and power struggles that dull alysis, lost our identity the senses and blind the heart to the nuances his as a Jewish people. for- of existence. What tore the veil from my eyes ita was a voyage I made-a four day voyage- The to the land of my father; not to Israel, but to A Call To Action! Poland. What is lacking are any references that I had come to Poland to prepare to lead a this was a tragedy of the Jewish people group of Jewish leaders to the historical sites above all others, that three million of the four which remain in a land that is almost en- million were Jews. The identifications of the tirely bereft of Jews. There were three places victims were made according to their political er of I came to see. The first was Auschwitz. There and geographical nationality-and within ssion It was the first night of International Convention 1976. The dele- are no words to describe what Auschwitz those categories the identities of the Jews tates gates of the AZA and BBG had been split-in order to hear the means in the history of the human con- were hidden. And it occurred to me how we presentation of the States of The Order. As the words flowed through science. It is different from all similar experi- had, in the final analysis, lost that identity as an the lips of Joel Kaplan and Shari Miller it became clear that the ences because it was deliberately planned. It a people and that the loss of our identity was opu- messages were ones of importance. Membership was the word- was not the mad outburst of crazy, blood- almost as formidable as the loss of the lives well word to be etched upon the hearts of the International BBYO lead- hungry troops, or even an act like Hiroshima of the millions of Jews who perished at agri- that was rationalized as saving the life of Auschwitz. ership for months to come. lead- others. There was a brief movie shown at Ausch- earch The renovation of the barracks of the witz, one which thousands of Poles see every real With the need to build AZA and BBG membership in mind, we the leader- Polish Home Guard at Auschwitz into a month, for they do visit the camp. There uses, ship of International BBYO, began a huge program to promote membership death camp and the refashioning of some were the photos of Churchill, of Roosevelt the recruitment and retention. In the first five months of the program year hun- hundred of animal stables for bunkers in the and Stalin and Marshall Zhukov and a refer- tions dreds of releases and letters were sent around the world (most in North death camp of Birkenau were the results of ence to the millions of Poles, Hungarians, d by America) to Regional and Council leaders. These publications made it very the carefully wrought plans, long-range and and others who had perished and the few nally omi- clear that the importance of membership was never greater. The leaders detailed, designed to exterminate the whole who remained alive to be rescued. But there of the Jewish population on the face of the was no mention of the Jews in the film rec- late. seemed to respond well to our cries and began to start work on their particular earth. European Jews were to be followed ord of Auschwitz. There was a memorial to d by membership program. And work they the leaders of your BBYO area by American Jews. the martyrs of Auschwitz along the execution who have put hours of time and effort into getting more Jewish kids into the stream wall between Barracks Ten and Eleven. But hen" of the BBYO lifeline. the memorial was of flowers and perfumed f the With a good part of the BBYO year behind us, and the membership statistics candles placed there by the Polish Catholics ed in most areas in front of our eyes, we on the International AZA and BBG The Nazis truly believed who sincerely believe that Auschwitz was ation executive Boards have finally come to realize a very important fact. This fact that no one would want the death camp of Polish Catholic National- nade ists. Oddly, there is a hall of nations in the shown very plainly by Uncle Sam in the words- NEED YOU. Yes, fellow to protect Jewish people. turn, BYO'ers, after hours and hours of time and effort in trying to boost the mem- camp and a flag for every nation. There was and, a flag representing the Jewish nation. It is oership of the AZA and BBG we have come to know that we are not effectively hed, now the flag of the State of Israel, the flag the using our best resources-YOU, THE MEMBER. We on the International Moreover, the Nazis truly believed that the that was flown over the remaining houses of this Boards, and your District and local leaders, represent only a small fraction of Western powers would reluctantly but none- the Warsaw Ghetto in the last days of the the 30,000 members who make up the B'nai B'rith Youth Organization. We theless effectively hand over their Jews to Rebellion. h the can only do so much talking and only so much of spreading the message of Germans, that no one would want to protect The second place I went to was Cracow, ed a AZA and BBG throughout North America and the world. What is the message the superfluous Jewish people in their lands. the earliest capital of the medieval Polish BBYO, you ask? Auschwitz is a collection of World War I monarchy, home of one of the most dis- ed to Our message is many fold. BBYO's is a message of proud traditions-a red brick houses, filled with exhibits. Only tinguished universities in western civilization, mple, message of over 50 years of serving the Jewish people. It is a message of serv- one house was left standing to show that which had remained untouched, unbombed alled, rather large orifice that looks like a baker's during the war. We were there to have din- as AZA and BBG serve as one of the largest community service groups on itical oven but which consumed Jews by the car- ner with the leader of the Jewish community. lobe. It is a message of friendship-as through BBYO thousands of young SF-a- load. It is a small traditional looking house. I cannot tell you his name. We have no idea ewish adults have become close friends, and have remained so for life. It is a What was, however, awesome was not only why he is allowed to function. But we had message of the Jewish people-past, present, and prospects for the future. It is what there was to be seen; but was lacking. dinner with him and eight more Jews of tion lob, message of leadership-as BBYO has served to train leaders of the com- What was there were heaps of eyeglass Cracow. Only he spoke about his peculiar frames. And thousands and thousands of MD (Continued on page 2) shoes. Just shoes that were dried and dusty (Continued on page 3)