A FEW VIGNETTES
Rabbi Rifat
Sonsino, Ph.D
In the 60’s, first and second year rabbinic students
were required to lead services in the Chapel. Upper level students preached on
Shabbat morning, and then on Monday there was a sermon evaluation. When it was
my turn to lead the service for the first time, I realized that I had a slight
problem. Even though we all studied modern Hebrew in class, the minhag
(“custom”) of the Chapel was to recite the Hebrew passages of the liturgy in
Ashkenazic. I did not know how to do that, nor did I want to learn it. It
sounded strange to my ear. So, I went to see Dr. Glueck, and told him that,
being a Sephardic Jew, I did not know how to read Hebrew with Ashkenazic
pronunciation. He demurred for a minute but then said, “Rifat, OK, you can read
Hebrew in Sephardic.” From then on, using me as an example, other students
pressed him for a change. Within a short time, all services in the Chapel were
switched from Ashkenazic to Sephardic Hebrew.
- Many prominent scholars passed through the College.
Among them one person stands out: Prof. Gershom Scholem, the great German-Israeli
scholar of Jewish Mysticism. One year he came to do some research at our
library. He was by himself and stayed in the dorm, in the room next to mine. On
the weekends, because there were fewer students around (they were either at
their by-weeklies or with their families), Prof. Scholem and I became kind of
friendly. I am saying “kind of” because, he was a stern man with a dry sense of
humor. He spoke English well, though with a heavy German accent. Once in a
while, he and I used to go out to the movies. I must be honest that at the time
I did not realize what a giant he was in his field. Now I know better, and I
will always cherish the times we spent together.
- Another person whose memory stayed with me was
Hiroshi Okamoto, later Rabbi Okamoto, originally from Japan. He and his family
came to the College to pursue graduate studies in Judaism. After a few years,
however, he decided to convert, and underwent circumcision. His wife, too,
converted. I befriended Hiroshi and his family. I remember going out with them
to drive-ins on Saturday nights. One summer, Hiroshi and I were teaching at
“Towanda” (the preparatory summer Hebrew classes at the HUC)- he dealing with
beginners and I with more advanced. When his students transferred into my
section, I noticed that they were not pronouncing the Hebrew letter “R” (the
letter “resh,”) correctly, saying “L” (the letter “lamed”) instead. For
example, they would say “Losh” instead of “Rosh” (“head” in Hebrew). They were,
in fact, copying Hiroshi who did not pronounce his “R’s very well. (Japanese
does not have the equivalent of the American “r.”). When I realized that, I
told Hiroshi, “Let me teach the beginners, and you handle the more advanced.”
He agreed, and we made the change. Now the students had a solid foundation.
After his ordination in 1964, Hiroshi took an academic position in Florida.
Sadly, he died a few years after that. He was a wonderful man, one of the most
decent human beings I knew.
- Another person I remember was Prof. Abraham
Cronbach, who had by that time retired from the faculty. He was a saint! He was
also a pacifist. After the Rozenbergs were put to death in 1953 for spying
against the US, it was Dr. Cronbach who officiated at their funeral. One
Saturday afternoon he came to the College and met with a group of us in the
“bumming” room, a foyer outside the dining room. His message to us stayed with
me until now. He told us not to judge another without knowing all the facts,
and gave us two examples: At a ball game, everyone stood up for the National
Anthem, except for one. A spectator got mad and insulted him, until he realized
that the person who remained seated was in a wheel chair. Another story: he had a luncheon date with
his son-in-law who came half an hour late. He did not say a word. His
son-in-law asked, “Aren’t you going to get mad at me because I am late?” “I
will,” answered Dr. Cronbach, “after I find out the reason why!”
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