JUDAICA - Wisdom In Torah

Current Reform Responsa (1969), index. Add. Bibliography: BAT
MITZVAH: J. Weissman Joselit, “Red-Letter Days,” in: The Wonders
of America: Reinventing Jewish Culture 1880–1950 (1994), 89–133; S.
Barack Fishman, A Breath of Life (1993); C. Koller-Fox, “Women and
Jewish Education: A New Look at Bat Mitzvah,” in: E. Koltun (ed.),
The Jewish Woman: New Perspectives (1976), 31–42; A.S. Cohen, “Celebration
of the Bat Mitzvah,” in: The Journal of Halakhah and Contemporary
Society, 12 (Fall 1986), 5–16; B. Sherwin, “Bar Mitzvah, Bat
Mitzvah,” in: B. Sherwin, In Partnership With God: Contemporary
Jewish Law and Ethics (1990); P.E. Hyman, “The Introduction of Bat
Mitzva in Conservative Judaism in Postwar America,” in: YIVO Annual,
19 (1990), 133–46; idem, “Bat Mitzvah,” in: Hyman and Moore
(eds.), Jewish Women in America, (1998) pp. 126–128; Erica Brown,
“The Bat Mitzvah in Jewish Law and Contemporary Practice,” in: M.
Halpern and Ch. Safrai (eds.), Jewish Legal Writings by Women (1998),
228–54; L. Katz, “Halakhic Aspects of Bar-Mitzvah and Bat-Mitzvah,”
in: Journal of Jewish Music and Liturgy, 9 (1986), 22–30. I.G. Marcus,
The Jewish Life Cycle: Rites of Passage from Biblical to Modern Times (
2004) 105–23; R. Stein, “The Road to Bat Mitzvah in America,” in: P.
Nadell and J. Sarna, Women and American Judaism, (2001), 223–34;
S. Friedland Ben Arza (ed.), Bat Mitzvah: Collected Writings and Reflections
(Heb., 2002). O. Wiskind Elper, Traditions and Celebrations
for the Bat Mitzvah (2003); N. Joseph, “Ritual, Law, and Praxis: An
American Response/a to Bat Mitsva Celebrations,” in: Modern Judaism,
22:3 (Fall 2002); idem, “When Do I Get To Say Today I Am a
Jew?” in: D. Orenstein (ed.), Lifecycles, vol. 1 (1994), 92–93; M. Meyer,
Response to Modernity: A History of the Reform Movement in Judaism
(1988). A. Reiner, “The Attitude Towards Bat-Mitzvah Ceremonies
– A Comparative Study of Contemporary Responsa,” in: Netuim,
10 (2003), pp. 55–77.
BARNA, VICTOR (Vic, formerly Gyozo Braun; 1911–1972),
table tennis champion, winner of 22 world championships in
singles, doubles, and team play. Born in Budapest to a printer,
Barna learned table tennis playing at the local sports club before
joining the Hungarian national team that won the 1929
Swaythling Cup. Barna won his first world singles title in 1930
in Berlin, eventually winning five world singles titles, including
four consecutively in the 1930s, plus 17 others in men’s
and mixed doubles and team championships for Hungary.
He also won several open tournaments in North America,
Europe, and Australia. Barna’s singles career ended when his
right (playing) arm was severely injured in an auto accident
in 1935, though he continued playing doubles and indeed won
the 1939 world championships in mixed doubles. Barna moved
to France in 1936 and played there professionally, before moving
to England just before the outbreak of World War II. He
adopted British nationality and competed for Britain the rest
of his career. He played his last world championships in 1954,
when he was runner-up in the men’s doubles. Barna was noted
for his legendary backhand drive, known as the “Barna Flick,”
and for being extremely agile on his feet, with terrific powers
of anticipation and concentration. He is credited with popularizing
the sport of table tennis worldwide. He was recognized
in his native Hungary as “the most successful Hungarian
sportsman of the twentieth century.” He wrote Table
Tennis Today (1962).
[Elli Wohlgelernter (2nd ed.)]
barnato, barney
BARNACLE GOOSE MYTHS. The barnacle goose is a migratory
bird, whose winter habitat is the Arctic region, when
it is seldom seen outside the Arctic circle. In summer, however,
large flocks are found on the western shores of the British
Isles and other parts of the temperate zone. According to a
popular medieval fable, the barnacle goose was produced out
of the fruit of a tree, or grew upon the tree attached by its bill
(hence called the tree goose), or was produced out of a shell.
This fable – the origin of which is obscure – was taken quite
literally by both Jews and non-Jews, and in consequence it was
a matter of doubt whether it was to be regarded as bird, fish,
or a completely distinct species. *Isaac b. Moses of Vienna (Or
Zaru’a) quotes R. Tam – who was the first to deal with the subject
– as ruling that it may be eaten after ritual slaughtering
like poultry. This decision was in opposition to the views of
contemporary famous scholars who permitted it to be eaten
in the same way as fruit. Samuel he-Ḥasid and his son *Judah
he-Ḥasid of Regensburg agreed with R. Tam. R. *Isaac b. Joseph
of Corbeil forbade it (Sefer Mitzvot Katan no. 210), as he
regarded it as a species of shellfish. The Zohar (3:156) states
that R. Abba saw a tree from whose branches grew geese. The
Shulḥan Arukh (YD 84:15) rules that birds that grow on trees
are forbidden since they are regarded as creeping things. The
fable was disputed, however, by various scholars but as late as
1862 R. Bernard Issachar Dov *Illowy in New Orleans quoted a
conflict of authorities whether it might be eaten and vigorously
denounced those who would permit it. He too referred to the
belief of many early naturalists that it grows on trees.
Bibliography: J.G.T. Graesse, Beitraege zur Literatur und
Sage des Mittelalters (1850), 80; Lewysohn, Zool, 362f., no. 515; Ginzberg,
Legends, 1 (1909), 32; 5 (1925), 50f.; Zimmels, in: Minḥat Bikkurim…
Arje Schwarz (1926), 1–9.
[Harry Freedman]
BARNATO, BARNEY (Barnett Isaacs; 1852–1897), South
African financier and mining magnate. Born in London, Barnato
was educated at the Jews’ Free School and went to Kimberley,
South Africa, in 1873, during the diamond rush. He
joined his brother Henry and they began buying diamonds as
well as claims which were becoming unworkable as separate
units. Within a short time the mines were bringing in an income
of $9,000 a week. In 1881 the Barnato brothers formed
the Barnato Diamond Mining Company, with capital of over
$500,000. It soon rivaled the De Beers Mining Company of
Cecil J. Rhodes, who was aiming at control of the diamond
fields. The struggle between Rhodes and Barnato ended in
1888 with the amalgamation of the two companies into the
De Beers Consolidated Mining Company, in which Barnato
became a life governor. In the same year he was elected to the
legislative assembly of Cape Colony. With the discovery of the
Witwatersrand gold fields, Barnato acquired large holdings in
Johannesburg, where the Barnato group eventually became
one of the big mining units. In 1895 his optimism and business
acumen saved the Rand from a serious slump. He denounced
the Jameson Raid of that year which was aimed at
ENCYCLOPAEDIA JUDAICA, Second Edition, Volume 3 167