B'nai Shalom's n

spring 1997

A Journal of Jewish Culture, History and Genealogy from a Latter-day Saint Prospective

In This Issue:AnnouncementsPresident's MessageMasada and the Dead Sea ScrollsTime Line of HistoryB'nai Shalom is now on the InternetThere is great affinity for the JewsJewish Genealogy ResearchMusic and CelebrationDid you hear the one aboutB'nai Shalom mission statement

The Shofar is a publication of the B'naiShalom.

The B'nai Shalom is an organization ofmembers of the Church of Jesus Christ ofLatter-day Saints (LDS) of Jewishancestry and others devoted to learningabout their ancestors and cousins, thewonderful Jewish people, their culture,history and genealogy.

The Shofar is published quarterly anddonations are solicited to cover printing

7The Publishing Office

217 North 685JjfestOrem, Utah 84057

Editor: Charles Smith

Announcements:April meeting:

Time again for our April Conference get-together which starts at7:30 pm on Friday, April 4th. It will be held in Lehi in the chapellocated at 200 North Center St. Please bring your families favoritepot-luck dish for sharing time.

Our speaker will be John Welch. He is the Co-Director of theMasada and Dead Sea Scroll Exhibition currently on display atBrigham Young University. He is also the founding director of theFoundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS).

www.inconnect. com/chas/b'nai_shalomB'nai Shalom is now on the World Wide Weft! See page 4 of

details.

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGEI believe most of us have had the experience of making a phone

call only to receive a busy signal. This can be of great concern in timeof emergency. However, there is a call we can make where the otherparty is happy to receive our call at any time. This is our Father inHeaven. More important, He can help us.

This is especially true as we have been referred to Him by His son,Jesus Christ. This line is open and clear for our use at anytime. Thereare no charges for these long distance calls. Rather we may receive acredit. Our Father wants us to call frequently so He can help us. Thatis why His son gave His very life so that we could receive help,infinitely! The use of these calls makes for a happier as well ashealthier life.

One call we need to make is in behalf of our love ones who haveproceeded us and helped us get here. Another call is to help us locateother Jewish member who may find B'nai Shalom of help inbrotherhood.

This conference we are most fortunate and grateful to have JohnW. Welch who is responsible for us having the Masada and Dead SeaScrolls exhibit from Israel come here to speak to us.

Alfred QstrafT

B'nai shalom shofar Spring 1997 Page 1 of 11

Culture

The Masada and Dead Scrolls ExhibitJohn Welch was

traveling in Israel twoyears ago when he firstsaw the Masada exhibitand was immediatelyconvinced that it shouldcome to B YU.

The good relations between theHebrew University and the BYUJerusalem Center was a major factorin allowing the exhibit to travel to theUnited States. This is the first time ithas ever left Israel.

Take the opportunity to gain apersonal dimension of learning aboutthis ancient time. Visiting theexhibition will help patrons become apart of this ancient experience andgain a new empathy andunderstanding for these people of longago.

Try to determine for yourselveswho these people were. These peoplehave been described as zealots, sicariirobbers, cowards and bandits. Oneman's robber is another man's hero.And don't discount the religiousdimensions of these people's lives.These people generally served onlyone master and lived at Masada andbelieved in the survival of the soulover the flesh.

The artifacts at the exhibition

teach us about the daily life in theNew Testament times. Looking at thewine jars may suggest to you thewords of Christ speaking of notputting new wine into old containers.Keys will be on display which willhelp viewers to understand what Petermay have thought about when Jesusgave him the keys of the kingdom.

Brother Welch has posed for us acouple of questions we should thinkabout before and during our visit tothe exhibition. First: What kind ofperson was Herod? Herod had thereputation as a brutal man who killedmany of his family members andpolitical opponents, however he wasalso a incredible architect andpolitician who great enhanced theenvironment in ancient Israel. ButHerod learned that no success inRome could compensate for failure inthe home!

Second: Where did Herod get themoney to fund architecturalexpeditions? Revenues, taxes, rents,and monopolies helped to provideHerod with the massive fundsrequired to execute his grand buildingexpedition. Photographs ofsynagogues will be on display whichcan help patrons to imagine whereChrist taught.

Accompanying the exhibit will bereplications of some of the Dead SeaScrolls. They are similar to the

B?nai Shalom

replications which are on display atthe Shrine of the Book at the IsraeliMuseum.

Brother Welch has produced theEnglish edition of the Masada catalogwhich will have beautiful pictures anddescriptive text explaining some ofthe artifacts more completely. Asecond manuscript, published byBYU Studies wall detail artifactsfound at Masada and how they relateto the world of the New Testament.

Tickets for the exhibition are onsale at the Marriott Center ticketoffice. Prices are $6 for adults and$4 for BYU students, employees andMOA members. The exhibition runsthrough September 30th

A little background on ourspeaker Brother Welch: Afterstudying history, the classics,philosophy, and law at BYU, Oxfordand Duke University, he practicedlaw in Los Angeles.

The author of many books andarticles about scriptural topics, he isnow the Robert K. Thomas Professorof Law at the BYU law school.

He is married and has fourchildren. He likes to ski, playracquetball, and says he thinks bestwhen he is mowing the lawn.

LDS contacts with Judaism have led to an exchange of converts. Salt Lake's synagogue Kol Ami has beenattended by some ex-Mormons. Perhaps a few hundred Jews have become Latter-day Saints. Like Evangelical Jews,most have continued to emphasize their Jewishness, and fellow Mormons have welcomed them and considered them"of Judah." Convert memoirs have appeared; for honesty and literary quality probably none surpasses Herbert Rona'sPeace to a Jew. Jewish Mormons formed B'nai Shalom in 1967 to function as a support group and to facilitategenealogical research .Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Vol.4, WORLD RELIGIONS

B'nai shalom shofar Spring 1997 Page 2 of 11

History

Time Line of History

If your curious about whathappened to the Jews after Masada,study this historical time line fromAdam down through history to theestablishment of the State of Israel:

1700-1600....Patriarchal period: Abraham, Isaac, Jacoband his 12 sons.

1500-1400....Egyptian slavery.1300....Moses; Exodus; Entry into Canaan.

1200-1020...Judges.1020- 928....United monarchy: Sual, David, Solomon.928- 721... .Northern Kingdom, Israel.

732... .Israelites exiled for the first time.721....Fall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel.

928- 586....Southern Kingdom, Judah.800- 600....Great prophets: Amos, Hosea, Isaiah,

Micah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel.586....The fall of the Southern Kingdom of

Judah; Destruction of the First Temple ofJerusalem; Babylonian Exile; the beginningof the Egyptian Diaspora.

538....Edict of Cyrus; first group of exiles returnsto Jerusalem.

516.... Completion of the Second Temple.458....Ezra arrives in Jerusalem.445....Nehemia arrives in Jerusalem.332....Palestine conquered by Alexander the

Great. The beginnings of Jewish Hellenismand of the Diaspora in the Hellenisticworld. Jews settle in Alexandria.

300- 200....Translation of Bible into Greek(Septuagint).

200... Jews settle in Italy165....Maccabean revolt in Palestine and

rededication of the Temple. Hanukkah.The Hasmonean period. Emergence of thePharisees. Sadducees and Essenes. TheSanhedrin

54-40 AD....The Jewish Temple in Leontopolis in LowerEgypt.

40- 4 AD....Herod king of the Jews, vassal of Rome.20 BC-50 AD....Pbilo of Alexandria. Hellenistic Jewish

philosopher30- 33.. ..Ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. The

beginning of worship in synagogues100- 200... .Diaspora communities established in Asia

Minor (area between the Black Sea and theMediterranean), Parthia, Cyrenaica,Numidia, and Mauretania.

66.... Outbreak of the revolt against Rome,Masada

70....Titus destroys Jerusalem and the SecondTemple. Traditional date of the beginningof the second exile.

37- 103....Josephus Falvius, Hellenistic Jewishhistorian.

132- 135....The revolt of Bar Kokhba.200....Rabbi Judah HaNasi compiles the Mishna.

Abt .425....Palestine (Jerusalem) Talmud completed.Abt. 500....The Babylonian Talmud completed.500- 600....Jewish kingdom in Himyar, Southern

Arabia5 8 9-103 8....Babylonian Gaonate and Talmudic

academies of Sure and Pumbedita.635....Eastern Diaspora come under Muslim Arab

rule.740- 965....The Jewish Khazar kingdom.Abt. 760....The Karaite schism.

800....Earliest mention of Jews in the Caucasus;Possible arrival of Jews in India

892- 942....Saadia Gaon, translated Bible into Arabic.900-1200....Golden Age in Muslim Spain.

Abt. 1000....Rabbenu Gershomis synod in Mayenceoutlaws polygyny.

1013-1103....Rabbi Isaac Alfasi, first codifier of Jewishlaw.

1040-1105... .Rashi of Troyes, greatest commentor ofBible and the Talmud.

1096-1189....Crusaders massacre Jews.1135-1204....Maimonides, greatest of medieval Jewish

• philosophers, second codifier of Jewish law.1166-1171....Benjamin of Tudelais travels in the

Diaspora.1200....First references of Jews in Ethiopia.

1194-1270....Nahmanides.1275-1286....Moses de Leon writes Zohar in Castile

Spain.1290....Expulsion of the Jews from England.

B'nai shalom shofar Spring 1997 Page 3 of 11

1270-1340...Jacob ben Asher, third codifier of Jewishlaw.

1400s....The age of terror for West and CentralEuropean Jewry. The Jews are severaltimes expelled from France and invitedback again. They are expelled fromGerman towns and then invited back.Intensification of Jewish migration toEastern Europe.

1500s....Spanish Inquisition burns Jews on thestake.

1492....Expulsion of the Jews from Spain. TheSephardim begin to settle in Turkey,Greece, North Africa, Italy, Holland.Several Jews are among the crew ofColumbus on his first voyage to America.

1525....David Reubeni, the pseudo-Messiah fromArabia appears in Italy.

1540... Jews expelled from Naples, Italy.1569....Jews banished from the Papal States.

1600s....The Safed Kabbalists.1488-1575....Rabbi Joseph Karo, mystic fourth and last

codifier of Jewish law (the ShulhanArukh).

1520-1572....Rabbi Moses Isserles of Cracow, annotatorof the Shulhan Arukh

1548....First Jews settle in America (Brazil).1600-1800....The East European Talmudic academies

(Yeshivot). The Kahal and the Jewishregional councils in Poland.

1648-1658....The Chmielnicki massacres in Poland.1604-1657....Manasseh ben Israel, leader of Dutch

Jewry.1654....First Jewish group arrives in New

Amsterdam (later New York).1655....Jews are allowed to return to England.

1632-1677....Baruch (Benedictus) Spinoza.1625-1675....Sabbatai Zvi, the pseudo-Messiah of

Smyrna.1740....Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov (1700-1760)

begins to teach Hasidism.1720-1797....Elijah, the Gaon of Vilna, opponent of

Hasidism.1729-1786....Moses Mendelssohn,late 1800s - \9QOs...Jfaskala, the Jewish Enlightment.

1806....Napoleonis Sanhedrin.19th Century....Emancipation of the Jews in Europe.

1810... Beginnings of Reform Judaism.1819....Beginnings of the Science of Judaism.

1794-1886....Leopold Zunz.1870....The Cremieux Decree confers French

citizenship upon Algerian Jews.1882....Beginnings of the Hoveve Zion movement

and the First Aliya to Palentine.1891....Baron Maurice de Hirsch (1831-1896)

establishes the Jewish Colonization Assoc.1894-95....The Dreyfus Affair in Paris.

1896....Theodor Herzl (1860-1904) launches theZionist movement.

1903... .The Kishinev pogrom.1904-14....Second Aliya to Palestine.

1917... .Balfour Declaration.1881-1943....3,500,000 Jews leave Europe, 2,550,000

them go to the United States of America.1939-1945....The Nazi genocide: six million Jews die.

1948....Israel becomes independent.1948-1966....1,231,023 Jews immigrate to Israel.

www.inconnect.com/chas/b'nai shalom

B'nai Shalom now hasa site on the Internet'sWorld Wide Web.

Sometimes referred to the WorldWide Wait, our URL number iswritten above. You can visit any timeday or night. The site is still "underconstruction" but should be up andrunning by the middle of April.

Webmaster - Charles SmithYou friendly "webmaster", has

tried to have a selection of "links" tosuch Jewish sites that you might findinteresting.

There are also links to LDS sitesas well. I have also included sitesthat deal with Jewish Genealogy aswell. You will be surprised at howmany there are.

Out site will also included a date

base of writings by LDS churchleaders on the Jewish people andprophecies about their future.

The site will be alwaysundergoing changes and additions, sowe hope you will visit often.

If you would like to contact tomake comments or suggestions, youcan contact B'nai Shalom at our E-mail address "chas@inconnect.com".

B'nai shalom shofar Spring 1997 Page 4 of 11

There is a great affinity for the Jews by the MormonsStatements by Ezra Taft Benson

There is a greataffinity for the Jews bythe Mormons. The Jewshave endured great

/persecution andsuffering. This weunderstand, for ourpeople have alsoundergone severepersecution andextermination.

Indeed, the man we revere as amodern prophet, Joseph Smith, wasmartyred for his testimony in 1844. In1846 our people had to leave theUnited States in exodus because ofthe threat of annihilation. We settledin a desert region similar to thetopography around the Dead Sea andthe Sea of Galilee. There wedeveloped our "land of promise." Yes,we can empathize with the sufferingof the Jews, for we have co-sufferedwith them. But our affinity towardmodern Judah is not prompted out ofmutual suffering; it is prompted outof a knowledge of our peculiarheritage. Jeremiah has prophesied thatin the latter times, "the house of Judahshall walk with the house of Israel,and they shall come together"(Jeremiah 3:18). (This Nation ShallEndure, p. 131.)

From the very inception of thislatter-day work, which claims to be arestoration of the covenants given byGod to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,the Church has had a deep interest inthe remnant of the house of Israel, thedescendants of Judah.

hi 1836, the Saints completedtheir first temple at Kirtland, Ohio. Inthe dedicatory prayer offered on thatoccasion, Joseph Smith petitioned the"Lord God of Israel":

0 Lord . .. thou knowest thatthou hast a great love for the childrenof Jacob, who have been scatteredupon the mountains for a long time. .

We therefore ask thee to havemercy upon the children of Jacob,that Jerusalem, from this hour, maybegin to be redeemed.

And the yoke of bondage maybegin to be broken off from the houseof David.

And the children of Judah maybegin to return to the lands whichthou didst give to Abraham, theirfather. (D&C 109:60-64.) This wassaid during the Passover Season, 27March 1836.

Before the Prophet was killed, hedispatched an Apostle by the name ofOrson Hyde to dedicate the land ofPalestine for the return of the Jews.This concern for a homeless peopleand the sending of this Apostle weredone at a time when the Mormonsthemselves were virtually homeless,having been dispossessed of theirlands and possessions in Missouri.Orson Hyde left on his assignment inthe fall of 1840 and arrived inPalestine in October 1841. (ThisNation Shall Endure, pp. 132-33.)

**********

The Prophet Joseph and theleaders of the Church sent OrsonHyde and John E. Page to dedicatethe land of Palestine for the return ofthe Jews. Elder Page did not completethe journey but Elder Hyde went onand in 1841 he went atop the Mountof Olives and dedicated that land forthe return of the Jews. It had been

predicted ten years before in ablessing upon his head that he wouldgo. He was told that in due time hewould go to Jerusalem the land of hisfathers, because he was of Jewishextraction, and be a watchman on thetower in helping to bring about thegathering of dispersed Judah. Theland was again dedicated by PresidentGeorge A. Smith in 1873. And so, wehave been looking forward asLatter-day Saints for a hundredyears, confidently expecting that inthe Lord's own due time theseprophecies made in the dedicatoryprayers as well as in the scriptureswould be fulfilled; and the promisesmade that this land would againbecome a fruitful land, that thesterility would be removed and thesprings of living water would burstforth; that these too would befulfilled. We knew that kings of theearth would be inspired to look with afriendly eye, as Brother Hyde prayed1

on that visit to the Holy Land, thatthe powers of the earth would lookwith a friendly eye upon the gatheringof Judah. It was even mentioned thatthe nation of Great Britain wouldplay a very important part in thegathering of Judah.

It was shortly after thisdedication that the first organizationsprang up, dedicated to the promotionof the return of the Jews to Palestine.And about this time also PresidentWilford Woodruff made hisremarkable prophecy and statementregarding Judah when he said:

The Lord has decreed that theJews should be gathered from all theGentile nations -where they have beendriven, into their own land. .. andthis is the will of your great Elohim,O house of Judah, and whenever you

B'nai shalom shofar Spring 1997 Page 5 of 11

shall be called upon to perform thiswork, the God of Israel will help you.You have a great future and destinybefore you and you cannot avoidfulfilling it; you are the royal chosenseed, and the God of your father'shouse has kept you distinct as anation for eighteen, hundred years,under all the oppression of the wholeGentile world. You may not waituntil you believe on Jesus ofNazareth but when you meet withShiloh your king, you will know him;your destiny is marked out, youcannot avoid it.

Then he concludes by saying thetime is not far distant when the richmen of the Jews will be called upon touse their abundant wealth to gatherthe dispersed of Judah and purchasethe ancient dwelling places of theirfathers in and about Jerusalem andrebuild the holy city and temple.("The Jews Return to Palestine inFulfillment of Prophecy, "Washington D. C. Stake Conference,3 March 1957.)

Ben-Gurion and I discussed theOld Testament prophecies. I told himabout some of the references to thereestablishment of the Jews in ourbook of Doctrine and Covenants (seeD&C 77:15; 109:61-64). I mentionedthat many years ago in Elder Hyde'sprayer of dedication on the Mount ofOlives, he prayed that the barrennessand sterility of the land would beremoved, that springs of water wouldburst forth, that the land wouldbecome fruitful again, that the Lordwould subdue their unbelief and"incline them to gather in upon thisland." He also prayed that God wouldinspire the kings of the earth to helpbring about the promises made toJudah.

Ben-Gurion was most interestedin this account; he knew somethingabout it already. I left, convinced that

he is a noble soul with a deep love forhis people and a determination to givethem faithful and courageousleadership.

In Israel I met hundreds ofgovernment officials, farmers,business and trade people and leadersin the professions. We drove by autointo rural and urban areas and flew ina small plane at low elevations overmuch of the country. We viewed suchhistoric places (outside Jerusalem,which we covered thoroughly) asNazareth, Jaffa, Cana, MountHermon, Mount Tabor, the Sea ofGalilee, and Tiberias.

Obviously, great progress wasbeing made in Israel — more than inany country of the Middle East.Capital was flowing in, thepopulation was growing rapidly bothfrom the influx of people and fromnatural increase. This nation, in spiteof its political problems, was rapidlybecoming the leading industrial centerof this entire politically unstable area.

The greatest advancements of allwere being made in agriculture. Thedeserts and hills were blossoming,becoming green and productive again.(See Isaiah 35:1.) Hills on either sideof Galilee, for generations denudedand eroded, were being covered withforest trees and citrus and olivegroves. Already, Israel was exportingmillions of boxes of citrus to northernEurope. Swampy areas were beingconverted into fish farms as aprincipal source of protein. A widevariety of crops adapted to dry andirrigation farming were producingabundantly. Israel was on the move.(Crossfire: The Eight Years withEisenhower, pp. 368-70.)

*********

We need to know more about theJews, and the Jews ought to knowmore about the Mormons. When weunderstand one another, perhaps wewill understand why David

Ben-Gurion said to me on one of myvisits to Tel Aviv, "There are nopeople in the world who understandthe Jews like the Mormons."

Among the kindred doctrines ofthe Mormons and the Jews is ourmutual belief in Jehovah, a God ofrevelation. We share a common beliefin prophets. We hold a commoncommitment to the return of the Jewsto the "land of Jerusalem," infulfillment of the words of the ancientprophets. There are many otherdoctrinal and social similarities. (ThisNation Shall Endure, p. 131.)

*********

The prophecies of so-calledexperts, of economists, of statesmen,of military people, have failed in theface of the prophecies which the Lordhas made through His prophetsregarding the future of thedescendants of Judah and the futureof that great nation, the great littlecountry of Palestine. And a veryinteresting observation is the fact thatthese people, these Jewish people inPalestine, are virtually unanimous, Iam told, in their feeling that thevictory, the military victory of 1949,cannot be explained in any otherterms except that it was a miracle.

May I refer to some of theseprophecies briefly. There are many ofthem, not only regarding thedispersion of Judah and Israel butalso the gathering. Jeremiah said:"Thus, saith the Lord of hosts;Behold, I will send upon them thesword, the famine, and the pestilence,and will make them like vile figs, thatcannot be eaten, they are so evil."Then he tells how they will bepersecuted and driven, how they willbecome a hiss and a reproach "amongall the nations whither I have driventhem: Because they have nothearkened to my words, saith theLord, which I sent unto them by myservants, the prophets." (Jeremiah

B'nai shalom shofar Spring 1997 Page 6 of 11

29: 17-19.) You remember the wordsrecorded in Luke when the Lordpredicted the fall of Jerusalem: "Andthey shall fall by the edge of thesword, and shall be led away captiveinto all nations: and Jerusalem shallbe trodden down of the Gentiles, untilthe times of the Gentiles be fulfilled."(Luke 21:24.) This time of theGentiles is being fulfilled and theprophecies regarding thereestablishment of Judah and Israelare likewise coming to pass. ("TheJews Return to Palestine inFulfillment of Prophecy, "Washington D.C. Stake Conference,3 March 1957.)

There is great conflict yet to comebefore the millennial reign, before theChrist comes. If you want to get someindication of just what this conflictwill be, you may wish to turn to thefourteenth chapter of Zechariah andthe eleventh chapter of the book ofRevelation, which make it very clearthat nations will be pitted againstJudah; that there will be great wars,great conflict; that at least twoprophets will be raised up amongthem; that they will make predictionsbefore Christ comes. I have no doubtbut what these prophets will beassigned, by the leadership of thepriesthood, because the Lord's houseis a house of order. The gospel will becarried to the Jews and many of themwill accept it. ("The Jews Return toPalestine in Fulfillment ofProphecy, " Washington D.C. StakeConference, 3 March 1957.)

**********

I was in Czechoslovakia just lastSunday (29 September 1946),meeting with a group of Saints. Inspeaking with President Wallace F.Toronto of that mission, he told me ofsome of the Jews leaving their formerhomelands. To some of them he said:"Why don't you stay here or stay insome other country? Why do youwant to be moving to Palestine?" Theanswer he received was: "We dontknow, except we have in our heartsan urge to go to the Holy Land." Andthey are going there by the thousands.

Elder Orson Hyde dedicated theland of Palestine for the return of theJews and made great promisesconcerning their going there. TheBritish nation is playing a great partin making these promises come true.General Allenby of the British forces,helped open that land for the return ofthe Jews in 1918. We know that theleaders of the nations do not fullyrealize why they are doing this, butwe as Latter-day Saints know. It hasbeen one of the missions that thisgreat nation has had — the bringingabout of the return of the Jews toPalestine in fulfillment of the Bibleprophecies that are very clearly madeconcerning this event. We know theywill gather there. They will become astrong nation. They will have theirwars with outside nations. They willhave their prophets (Revelation 11).Christ will appear to them and theMount of Olives will cleave in twain(Zechariah 14:4-5). The enemies ofthe Jews will be overcome as Christappears to them and then they will

recognize for the first time that He isin very deed the long-looked-forKing. Then they shall say, "What arethese wounds in your hands and inyour feet?" And He will answer:"These wounds are the wounds withwhich I was wounded in the house ofmy friends." Then, for the first time,they will realize that He is Jesus theChrist whom they crucified. That isall revealed to us. Read the forty-fifthsection of the Doctrine andCovenants. ("/'// Go Where YouWant Me to Go," Church News [23September 1946]: 8.)

**********

We look forward to the day offulfillment of God's promise when"the house of Judah shall walk withthe house of Israel" (Jeremiah 3:18).As one who, by special assignment,has been given authority in the houseof Israel, I ask the God of Abraham,Isaac, and Jacob to bless my brethrenof Judah and have mercy on them;that the land to which Judah hasreturned after a long night ofdispersion shall be fruitful,prosperous, and become the envy ofher neighbors; that the nation Israelshall be delivered from all heroppressors and enemies; that Judahwill "draw water out of the wells ofsalvation" and fulfill all thoseprophecies that God declared throughHis prophets Isaiah, Ezekiel,Jeremiah; and that "the Lord shallinherit Judah his portion in the holyland, and shall choose Jerusalemagain." (Zechariah 2:12.) (ThisNation Shall Endure, pp. 141-42.)

How many times has Palestine been dedicated to the return of the Jews?

The Prophet Joseph Smith sent Orson Hyde, an apostle, to Jerusalem, where in October 1841 he dedicated the landand prayed "for the gathering together of Judah's scattered remnants" (HC 4:456). Yet Palestine was subsequentlyrededicated for the Jews' return by several apostles in the Church: George A. Smith (1873), Francis M. Lyman(1902), James E. Talmage (1921), David O. McKay (1930), and John A. Widtsoe (1933).Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Vol.4, WORLD RELIGIONS

B'nai shalom shofar Spring 1997 Page 7 of 11

Genealogy

Jewish Genealogy ResearchThe following

paragraphs describe whatJewish records are knowto exist in variouscountries and which onesare in the possession ofthe Family HistoryLibrary in Salt Lake City.Austria

Before the 1918 boundarychanges at the end of the First WorldWar, the Austrian Empire includedareas now located in the CzechRepublic, Poland, Ukraine, Romania,Slovenia, Croatia, Italy and theRepublic of Austria. Austrian Jewswere required to keep vital recordsbeginning in 1788, but few recordsexist before the 1830s and 1840s.

The Family History Library hasonly a few Jewish records from thearea of Austrian Galicia (which isnow part of Poland). However, thelibrary has detailed maps andgazetteers of the Austro-HungarianEmpire on microfilm. They can helpyou located the exact place in Austriafrom which your ancestors came anddetermine what country it is in now.

Some Jewish records anddocuments from Austria may havebeen deposited in institutions inIsrael.Czech Republic and Slovakia

Czechoslovakia was created in1918 from parts of Austro-Hungary,including the Czech speakingprovinces of Bohemia and Monroviafrom Austria and the Slovak speakingnorthern counties of Hungary. Inthese areas, most records of Jewishbirths, marriages, and deaths dateonly from the early 1800s. During

the Second World War (1939-1945),Jewish records from throughoutBohemia and Monrovia werecentralized in the city of Prague. TheCzech records have not beenmicrofilmed by the Family HistoryLibrary. Jewish records in Slovakiaare presently being microfihned alongwith church records. These recordswill be listed in the Family HistoryLibrary Catalog as they becomeavailable. The records of both theCzech Republic and Slovakia are alsoreadily accessible by correspondence.

Jf your ancestor was from thearea formerly governed by Austria(Bohemia, Monrovia, Silesia), write:Czech Ministry of Interior andEnvironmentArchivna SpravaDr. Milday Horakove 13316621Praha6Czech Republic

If your ancestor was from thearea formerly ruled by Hungary(Slovakia), write to:Slovak Ministry of Interior andEnvironmentArchivna SpravaKrizkova 7811 04 BratislavaSlovakiaGermany

The former German Empire isnow divided between the FederalRepublic of Germany, Poland,France, Denmark, Lithuania, andRussia. Civil registration of Jewishbirths, deaths and marriages began atvarious time in different parts 'of theempire. Many places began keepingrecords on Jews in the early and mid-nineteenth century, and some areaseven before 1800. But registrationwas not consistent throughoutGerman until 1874.

The Family History Library has

microfilmed many German Jewishrecords in Germany and in Poland,and is continually adding to thecollection. For those areas not yetmicrofilmed, you may write to thelocal civil registration office. Furtherinformation about genealogicalresearch in Germany is provided inthe library is German ResearchOutline (Item #34061). Jewishdocuments and congregationalrecords from some Germancommunities may be available ininstitutions in Israel and the UnitedStates.

For Bavarian Jewish Records notavailable at the Family HistoryLibrary, you can write to:Landesverband der IsraelitischenKultus-gemeinden in BayemEffherstrasse 68D-81925 Muchen 81Federal Republic ofGennanJewish records of Wurttembergcontact:Israelitisches ReligiousGemeindschaft WurttembergHospitalstrasse 36D-70174 StuttgartFederal Republic of GermanyThe German government conducted acensus in 1938. Information on Non-Aryans (principally Jews) wasextracted from the cities and put intoa special supplement to the census.The Family History Library hasacquired this census supplement onmicrofilm. See FHLfiche 6001716.Hungary

Modern Hungary is much smallernow than it was before the end of theFirst World War in 1918. Theformer kingdom of Hungary includedareas now in Slovakia, Ukraine,Romania, Croatia, Yugoslavia(Serbia), and Austria. The FamilyHistory Library has filmed all

B'nai shalom shofar Spring 1997 Page 8 of 11

available Jewish vital records up to1895 for localities now within theborders of modern Hungary. Theseinclude birth, marriage, and deathsrecords of individual Jewishcommunities. For records after 1895,contact the consulate of theHungarian Republic. There areconsulates in New York City and inLos Angeles.

Records up to 1910 are presentlybeing microfilmed, but most are notyet available on microfilm. Thefamily History Library has alsoacquired the 1848 Jewish Census forseveral old Hungarian counties (FHLfilm 719823-719828), some of whichare now in Slovakia and Poland.Poland

Before 1918, Poland was dividedamong Austria, Russia, and GermanPrussia. After 1945 areas of easternPoland became part of the SovietUnion. These areas are now part ofUkraine, Belarus and Lithuania.

The earliest registration of PolishJews was in the former Austrianterritory of Galicia in 1787, but itwas not enforced until the mid-nineteenth century.

The Duchy of Warsaw, whichlater constituted the Russian territoryof Poland, began civil registration in1808. At first, Jews were included inCatholic civil registers. After 1826,separate civil registers were kept forJews.

In areas under Prussian rule,Jews were required to preparetranscripts of vital records beginningin the early 1800s.

The Family History Library hasan extensive microfilm collection ofJewish vital records from Polandespecially from the former Prussianand German areas of Poland, makingit a significant resource for Jews withancestry in these areas. The library

has microfUmed very few Jewishrecords from areas formerly ruled byAustria.

Polish records that have beenmicrofilmed are generally available to1875. You can obtain informationregarding records not filmed and stillin Poland by writing to theheadquarters of the Polish StateArchives:Naczelna DyrekcjaArchiwow Panstwowychul. Dluga 6 s.p. 1005Warszawa, PolandRussian Empire

Many Jews trace some ancestrallines to areas which became part ofthe Soviet Union. The former SovietUnion included most of the historicalRussian empire as well as about halfof the former Austrian Galicia (whichis now in Ukraine). A large ar of theRussian empire with extensive Jewishpopulation became part of theRepublic of Poland in 1918, but in1945 the eastern parts of Poland wereceded to the former Soviet republicsof Ukraine and Byelorussia (Belarus).The Baltic republics of Lithuania andLatvia also include territory whichwas heavily populated by Jews.

The record keeping of Jews inRussia was inconsistent: in someareas, Jewish birth, marriages, anddeaths were recorded as early as thefirst decades of the 1800s; other areasstarted much later or not at all. Inmany cases, Jews avoided keepingrecords that might later be usedagainst them. The records kept werenot always accurate or complete.Prior to 1918, the Russian Empirehad not clearly establishedgovernment offices to keep vitalrecords. After the 1918 Russianrevolution, births, marriages, anddeaths were registered in local officesof the USSR Ministry of Internal

Affairs. The vital records that werekept have been preserved in Sovietarchives and, until only recently, weretotally inaccessible.

The Family History Library isnow acquiring records from therepublics of Russia, Belarus(Byelorussia), Ukraine, LithuaniaEstonia, Moldava, and Armenia. Theintent is to acquire record of allreligious and ethnic groups, but itmay be several years beforesubstantial number of Jewish vitalrecords are available. To determinewhether the records of any specificplace have been microfilmed, use theFamily History Library Catalog.Records are NOT available until theyappear there!

The records of the Republics ofRussia, Byelorussia (Belarus), andUkraine are now accessible throughthe services of the Russian-AmericanGenealogical Archive Service(RAGAS):Russian-American GenealogicalArchive Service192918th Street, NW Suite 1112Washington, DC 20009

Several other groups offergenealogical services in the formerSoviet Union. Several of thesegroups are discussed or advertisetheir services on the pages of Jewishgenealogical society newsletters andAvotaynu: the International Reviewof Jewish Genealogy. Their address IPO Box 900Teaneck, NJ 07666.

Some Jewish researchers havereported success in gettinginformation on their ancestors bywriting directly to various localarchives in the republic which nowcontrols the area their ancestor camefrom.

More countries will be discussedin the next issue of The Shofar.

B'nai shalom shofar Spring 1997 Page 9 of 11

MUSIC AND CELEBRATION

Over the millennia,the organ, the harp, aswell as the timbrel, tookon more sophisticatedforms, with the help ofthe developingtechnology.

However, from the Scriptures, wecan see that these instruments havealways been We are so fortunate asLatter-day Saints to have theScriptures! They teach us all thethings we need to know aboutHeavenly Father, His Son, and theHoly Ghost. They also teach usmany other subjects that areimportant to us, among them, music.

Early in the Bible, in Genesis4:21, it takes about Jubal; he was thefather of all such as handle the harpand organ. In Genesis 31:27, we readabout Jacob, who stole away secretlyfrom Laban, who wanted to send himoff with mirth, and with songs, withthe tablet, and with the harp. Exodus15:20 says: And Miriam the

prophetess, the sister of Aaron, tooka timbrel in her hand; and all thewomen went out after her withtimbrels and with dances. There are

by Christina Heathmany, many more references to musicin the Scriptures, used both inreligious ways and in secular ways.

In just these three verses, thereare several instruments mentioned:the harp, the organ, the tabret, and thetimbrel. The earliest form of the harpmay have been suggested by thestretched string of the bow. Theaddition of several strings would beanalogous to binding several reeds orwhistles together to form a syrinx, orearly form of the organ, or Panisflute. Originally, each string andeach pipe produced only one tone,depending on the length of the stringor the pipe.

Later, holes were made in thepipes, enabling one pipe to formseveral tones, and one string could bemade to sound different tones by theshortening to different lengths by thefinger. The tabret is an old word forthe drum or tambourine, as is thetimbrel. It consists of a shallow ringof wood covered on one side with skinand struck with the fingers or thehand. Since the origin of theinstrument, sometimes little bells ormetal discs, called jingles wereattached, or a cord of catgut wasstretched across the parchment head

to produce different sounds. Underthe Hebrew name Tof it waspresumably the instrument used byMiriam and her maidens to celebrateIsrael's triumph over the Egyptianfoe.

Important in the celebrating ofspecial occasions, such as thefarewell Laban had wanted to giveJacob, and the victory over theenemies of the church. Today, wecelebrate the opening and the closingof our meetings by joining in hymns,and the sacrament is celebrated by ahymn specially written to help usremind ourselves of its meaning, andthe covenants we take upon ourselves.We sing special hymns for Christmas,the birth of the Messiah, our Saviorand Redeemer, Jesus Christ, and forEaster, remembering His sacrifice forus, so we can return to our HeavenlyFather. At Thanksgiving, we think ofthe many blessings He has given us,by singing hymns. At baptisms, andin Primary, we sing songs. We teachour children about the Gospel throughthe words of songs, and at funeral wesing o remember what is in store forus in the next life, and to send off ourdear relatives and friends whom wewill meet again at a later time.

Did You Hear the One About,

Dr. Albert Einstein, the mosteminent physicist and mathematicianthe world has ever know, was on thepodium explaining the rudiments oftime-space calculations to anaudience of graduating students andguest.

In the back row, setting next totheir son who had just received his

diploma, were Mr. and Mrs. Meyers,ten years removed from their tinyshtetl in Russia. They watched withrapt if uncomprehending attention asDr. Einstein illustrated his commentson a huge backboard.

"The theory has been advanced,"said the great scientist, "that theneatest habitable star is four light

years from Earth.""So what is four years?"

whispered Mr. Meyers, sotto voce.His embarrassed son silenced his

with a fierce, "shhh!"Dr. Einstein continued: "There

are 60 seconds in a minute and 60minutes in an hour."

"This guy Einstein get paid for

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B'nai shalom shofar Spring 1997 Page 10 of 11

such information?", demanded Mr.Meyers.

His wife gave him a wifely elbowto his ribs. "Sharrop already, you'redisturbing the people."

"In a 24-hour day there are86,400 seconds," Einstein went on,chalk-marking the blackboard withfigures. "Multiply that by 365, thenumber of days in 12 months, and wearrive at a total of 31,536,000seconds in a year."

"Big deal!" muttered Mr.Meyers.

"Now then, we enter the realm ofastronomies," the scientist furtherexplained. "Light travels at a speedof 186,000 miles per second. If wemultiply that figure by 31,536,000,the number of seconds in a year, wefind that the resultant number ofmiles, 5,865,676,000, represents onelight year. And as the nearesthabitable star is four lights away, weknow it would take us23,462,704,000 seconds to get there,providing we are traveling at a speedof 186,000 miles a second."

"Who has gas for such a trip?"asked Mrs. Meyers.

Mr. Meyers nodded. "The farealone would set me back a whole

year's wages."Dr. Einstein now concluded his

address:"In other words, ladies and

gentlemen, relating those four lightyears to our own measurement ofitem, it would take us 744 years toreach another planet on which humanbeings could survive."

"I should live so long,"commented Mr. Meyers.

"Maybe this Einstein doesn't likeit in this country," surmised Mrs.Meyers, "so he's thinking efsher he'llemigrate."

Their son, who had been shushingthem throughout the scientist'sdiscourse, could no longer contain hisirritation.

"What's the matter with you two?Have you got something against thegreat Einstein?"

His mother stared at him insurprise.

"Why should I have anythingagainst him? He did me something?Personally, I think he writes verygood on the blackboards"

"Well, I have something againsthim!" snapped Mr. Meyers. "Herehe's standing up on the stage and he'sdirecting us like he's a traffic cop to a

place that's a billion-shmillion milesaway. But only an hour ago yourgreat Einstein stopped me in the halland asked me direction to the men'sroom!

An outstanding Jewish hero of theAmerican Revolutionary War wasBenjamin Nones. He emigrated to theNew World from France in 1776, andimmediately enlisted in the ColonialArmy. Cited for gallant action byGeneral Washington, Nones became amajor and commanded a company of400 men, many of whom were alsoJewish.

But we are concerned here withMajor Nones' piquant sense ofhumor. During the time of the FrenchRevolution, when the months inFrance were named Thermidor,Floreal', Novise and so forth, Nonesdecided that it would not be a badidea to make a few such changes inAmerica as well. He suggested theChanukah and Christmas beconsolidated Chamikmas; YomKippur and Thanksgiving Day beunited as Yomthanks; and Passoverand Waterloo be known as Passwater.

B'nai Shalom Mission StatementMEMBERSHIP IN B'NAI SHALOM is open to allmembers of the Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-daySaints interested in promoting the objectives of theOrganization, whether or not such persons are of Jewishancestry.

Objectives of this organization shall be carried onwithin the framework of existing LDS. programs and as afollows:A. To promote the faith and activity of Jewish members

in the ChurchTo encourage, assist and promote Jewishgenealogical research and Temple work among theHouse of Israel.To promote greater understanding of Jewish culture,language, traditions and attitudes through an

B.

C.

organized educational programD. To offer assistance in all authorized LDS Church

programs oriented towards Jewish peoples.E. To engage in other activities deemed appropriate in

carrying out the objectives of the organization

B'NAI SHALOM OFFICERSAlbert Ostraff, President 756-7953Jerome Horowitz, 1st Councilor 298-8720Elissa Moiling, 2 nd Councilor 224-5355Gwen Bardsley, Sec/Treas 374-2371Christina Heath, Music 224-6188Barbara Sorn Shpack, Genealogy 322-2577Charles Smith, The Shofar & Family History.224-1917Irving Cohen, Heritage/Holidays 489-6822

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