850 Words Aleph Zadik Aleph SAM BEBER T HE Order of Aleph Zadik Aleph of Finally, the program of the A. Z. A. is the Independent Order of B'nai itself attractive. It is well rounded and B'rith is the newest Jewish youth runs the gamut of young men's needs and movement in this country. There was or- desires. It is not a playground for youth ganized at Omaha, Nebraska, on May 3, in any sense of the word; it mixes play with 1924, the first chapter of A. Z. A. So serious work and everything is done in a strong has been its appeal to the boys 16 Jewish environment. Its cultural program to 21 years who compose its membership is varied, unique, and interesting. Debat- that 76 chapters are now to be found ing and oratory on Jewish subjects are done throughout this country and Canada. on a national scale. Each year a tourna- A. Z. A. aims to give Jewish youth an ment, which also includes basketball, is understanding of Jewish history and Ju- held. First local and then district elimi- daism; to develop in him a sympathetic nations are held. After these are over, appreciation and love of his religion and the winning debaters, basketball players his people; and to inspire him with a de- and orators meet at some central point for sire to help and to serve his people and the finals. Debates and orations are on humanity. subjects of Jewish interest. How well A. Z. A. has succeeded in For the past two years we have sponsored carrying out its purposes can best be as- national essay contest which has dealt certained by actual contact with the boys with "The Jew in Many and "The who constitute its membership. Just to Future of Judaism in America." Each have watched the boys at one of their con- chapter sponsors cultural programs period- ventions or tournaments would convince ically, and annually on the third Sunday even the most skeptical that there is some- in December, "National A. Z. A. Day" is thing about the very atmosphere surround- observed by public ceremonies in each ing A. Z. A. that inspires the boy and at- locality. taches him more closely to his people. The ritualistic services have a cultural See how well it is equipped to do its value and make a strong impress on the work. In the first place it rests on a foun- members. They portray the story of Juda dation that is psychologically sound. It Maccabeus and his brothers, and are sym- takes the boy at the impressionable stage bolic of the age old combat of darkness and places him in company with other boys and intolerance versus enlightenment and of the same age. It does not make the mis- liberality. include in Denverthe take of trying to mix boys of widely vary- At the last A. Z. A. convention, Dr. Boris ing ages. Neither does it mix boys and D. Bogen, secretary of the B'nai B'rith, out- girls in the same group. lined a program of work for the A. Z. A. Each chapter has an advisory board that was instantly adopted. It includes a made up of senior B'nai B'rith men who study of religious rituals by visitation to serve in a purely advisory capacity. Thus, all the various temples and synagogues; the the boy is furnished with guidance and establishment of national A. Z. A. Sabbath, counsel. on which occasion special A. Z. A. ser- 34