Moshe Davis - The man, his Educational and Cultural activities

Yaakov Cohen talks about his friend Moshe Davis. Davis came to Israel in 1959/60 and started work at the Hebrew University. He influenced Yaakov to make aliyah in 1961. While Moshe was studying at the rabbis seminary in New York in 1939-1943, he organized the study of Hebrew among the Jewish youth. He founded the Histadruth Hanoar Haivri, and conducted regular discussions with about ten students in his home. (Some names are mentioned.) The students were requested to read certain books by Hebrew writers which were then discussed. Another subject for debate was the strengthening of the Hebrew youth movement, which led to the establishment of camp "Massad" by Shlomo Shulzinger. Yaakov talks about the relationship between Mordechai Kaplan and Moshe Davis. Despite differences of opinion, Kaplan had great respect for Davis and valued highly Davis' contribution to Judaism. When Kaplan became ill, he expressed his will to die in Israel. But Yaakov and Moshe convinced him to return to his family in New York. Yaakov talks about one of his first teachers at the seminary in New York, Lea Kepler, who taught Hebrew within the framework of Israel Friedlaender classes for adults. ; Moshe and Yaakov kept their friendship with her until her death in Jerusalem and established a memorial fund in her name. Moshe, who was already ill, was the driving force in this project. Yaakov describes the tribute paid to Mordechai Kaplan on his 95th birthday. Yaakov remembers the conflict arising from the wish of workers at the seminary to join a Communist labour organization. The seminary's leadership, including Moshe Davis who had already been given some task, did not allow this, while Yaakov thought this was a mistake. That was the only time that the two friends found themselves disagreeing publicly.