Letter, the Mantinbands to friends; January 1958

              Letter, the Mantinbands to friends; January 1958
Transcript

THE MANTINBAND MEGILLAH - MERE MISHAGOSS

JANUARY 1958

Dear Friends:

The big stories during 1957 were Sputnik and Little Rock. The former threw the nation into hysteria. Even at this writing, there is a mad missile race and no possible good can come of it. And though perhaps President Ike told us where government authority lies, the feeling about states' rights and defiance of Washington is stronger than ever throughout Dixie. Who knows how long "with all deliberate speed" will take.

We continued our interest in the race question. Rabbi is back on the board of the Southern Regional Council. In early January the Mantinbands traipsed up to Poughkeepsie, N.Y. for 2 weeks, while the young Rabbi of that community took over in Hattiesburg, to see at first hand what the south was like. It was at Vassar Temple in Poughkeepsie that we had our start thirty years ago. And of course we visited the college, Hyde Park, and had a taste of Broadway. Attended a session in Washington en route, urging the National Conference of Christians and Jews to extend their program of brotherhood from inter-faith to inter-racial lines - all in vain. Another interesting project during the spring was our setting up at Passover a Sedar service for the Christian clergy, which even the Catholic priest attended. Rabbi Goldenson, emeritus of Emanuel in New York, who graced the occasion, confessed that he had never experienced the like in his ministry.

Early in June we toured Florida with one-night stands, like old-time troupers. At Gainesville we had a reunion with the Delton Scudders. He heads up the department of Religion on the campus. And met there Dean Joe Weil of the Engineering Department, a rare character. In Orlando with the Tysons, with much good talk. The climate and scenery made to order. At Crystal Springs we enjoyed the Aquacade. At St. Petersburg visited with family and friends, picking up one old association of long, long ago. Had a day in Sarasota, then on to the east coast, Hollywood and Miami. A full week in Nassau, staying at the Royal Victoria, bathing at Paradise Beach, visiting the Pelican Farm, etc. Later the Conference of Rabbis at the newest Americana Hotel. Oh so plush and extravagant.

July found us back home, the children from Shreveport visiting. No sooner had they departed than some bug brought us down, and the months that followed were rugged - Anna had three weeks in one hospital, Rabbi a month in another, and convalescence was very slow. For the first time in 35 years, Rabbi could not officiate at the Rosh Ha-Shona services, and Rabbi Leipziger of New Orleans came up as a substitute. How we managed the Atonement Day and Succos (Tabernacles), from a wheel chair in the pulpit, is a story. October and November came and went, and Rabbi was still unable to navigate, so off to Hot Springs we went for December. The Leo Levi Hospital, with its facilities of physio- and hydro-therapy, finally restored him. During all this