Elma+Ehrlich+Levinger

__**Elma Levinger**__ Naveen Rathi Elma Levinger (October 6, 1887-1958) was an author, nationally known for her plays and books on Jewish history and culture.She was born in Chicago. She was educated at the University of Chicago, and at Radcliffe College. Elma Levinger won numerous prizes for her plays and novels, including an award of honor for her outstanding contributions to Jewish juvenile literature by the National Jewish Book Council. Twelve of her books have been done in Braille. The Story of the Jew for Young People (1929) was one of the famous works tht Elma did. . Through her books and as editor of the magazine Jewish Child, Levinger actively sought to build a strong cultural identity among Jewish youth in the process of American assimilation. Her series of tales, In Many Lands (1923), emphasizes the role of different traditions in connecting Jews throughout the different parts pf the world. (Jewish Women's Archive) Combining her roles of community leader and writer, Levinger also attempted to cultivate Jewish identity among middle-class women. The Tower of David (1924), published for the National Council of Jewish Women, is a collection of stories that served a social purpose, especially for Jewish women’s organizations. Underscoring the ability of the short story to “amuse, inspire, and instruct,” the book offers suggestions on how to plan programs accessible to a variety of women. Elma cared a lot aout the people that she loved, sometimes even more than an artists. Elma showed the haracteristic of bringing people together, just like the Harlem Rennaisance was.

Bibliography: "Elma Ehrlich Levinger." //Jewish Women's Archive//. Web. 15 Apr. 2011. []. "Guide to the Elma Ehrlich Levinger Papers 1912-1958." //Northwest Digital Archives//. Web. 15 Apr. 2011. [].

"It was good to give thanks to the L-rd For the sun and the rain,  For the corn and the wine He bestowed,  For the golden-wreathed grain:  But now as the festal week ends,  'Neath the palms that we wave,  We cry thanks to the Giver of Good  For the Torah He gave.

For the Law of the L-rd it is good, And His precepts are right: The simple of heart He makes wise; His commandments bring light; More goodly His Words than fine gold, Ay, a treasure to save; And we thank with rejoicing our G-d For the Torah He gave.

O harvesters, rich in your spoils, Not alone by the bread Which we win by the sweat of our brows Are the sons of dust fed; Nay, we live by the Words of His mouth, And 'neath palms that we wave, We cry thanks to the Giver of Good For the Torah He gave."

Analysis: This poem talks about how the black community has worked hard and how they have gotten a good harvest this year. The people are thanking him for everything that he gave to help them get the good harvest. They thank him for the Torah that he gave. The people are thanking the Lord also because they say that His percepts are right(10)and that his commandments bring light (12) because what he told them proved to be helpful. They continue to thank him for the Torah that he gave throughout the stanzas but for different reasons. In the third stanza, the people talk about how they won with their hard work and because he gave them direction.

This poem is showing that the Jewish religion is not of any less value than other religions. It is showing this by comparing it to the simple harvesting on farms. The people keep thanking their Lord for the Torah that he gave. They cry thanks to the Giver of Good (23) because of the harvest that he gave them this year. The poem refers to the conept of working hard to achieving a goal, which showes that the Jewish people worked hard to achieve their goal for their religion. They are saying that they deserve just as much equality as the other religions of the world, because they have worked just as hard.