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Southern Israelite
5
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, < ourtlawd SC. N.E.. AlluU. (Mrtu. MM. Pboaee m~KM. S7W-
*24*. b'ecsud dan po>U(r paid at Atlanta. Georgia. Yearly Mibernp-
ij tiaa. tlt.5*. The Southern Israelite invite* literary coatributaoas and
correspondence but is not considered as sharing the views expressed by
j, writer*. Deadline is 5 p m Friday, but Material received earlier will
g have a much better chance at pubiicatoa..
Adolph Rosenberg. Editor and Publisher
^ Vida Goldgar. Assistant Editor
Kathleen Sense. Edward M Kahn. Kathy Wood
3“ Hazd Blackburn. June Sen mark
Off the Editor’s Chest.
bv ADOLPH ROSENBERG
H
Na
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L Jewish Telegraphic .Agency
Georgia Press Assn
PER Seven Arts Features
World Union Press
Association - Founded 1B8S xjpx Fesiurc*
c Enough s Enough
| This week's United Nations Security Council session finds
g-the United States exercising one of its rare vetoes over an
2 irresponsible resolution condemning Israel for its Lebanese
ws raids.
— Not that the U S. action means approval or disapproval of
3!the raids But it does indicate that the resolution took no
notice of the vert- straightforward and indisputed fact that
the raids were brought on by terrorist actions out of Lebanon
in the first place
Siding with the terrorists is nothing new for the United
Nations. This is what has happened with recognition of the
FLO. Not a single one of the terrorists acts has brought forth
any disapproval from the obscurantists in the U. N\, but
Israel s efforts in self-preservation always seem to be a no-no.
The enemy’s savagery never.
We cannot regard our country's veto at this time as in
dicative of any change in policy and the United States
reportedly is pressuring Israel to participate in next month’s
conferences. We hope Israel will not yield. But the veto at
least is indicative of a certain amount of even-mindedness
and that for what it is certainly contains plus factors.
Franco and the Jews
Spain’s Generailisimo Francisco Franco will go down in the
annals of history as a fascist dictator. While citizenry of his
nation may have regarded him and his politics as essential for
their surv ival during the crisis of the past several decades, his
regime is not apt to inspire any admiration among the free
nations.
There is however an episode in his record which is worthy
of recognition — and even of praise — by the Jewish people.
Hans Goldberg, correspondent for New York’s “Algemeiner
Journal," writes as a reminder from Madrid that Franco must
he given credit for saving thousands of Jews from Nazi death
camps during world War II. >
Franco, it is recalled, remained neutral during WWII in
spite of Hitler's pressure. Thousands of Jews who managed
to escape from France and other European countries
found refuge in Spain. Franco ordered his own police not to
arrest the Jews who arrived in Spain. Later he permitted
their passage to Portugal where Salazar gave them haven.
Correspondent Goldberg concludes “The two dictators
Franco and Salazar should be considered saviors of many
Jews who escaped from Hitler's claws."
His comments are well received.
An unseemly Pandora's box
has been opened in Atlanta over
whkt classically could be termed
the mohel mishegas
So vehement and dogmatic are
the pros and cons that divisive
opinions have arisen that seem
tragically insurmountable.
The writer has been warned
on the one side not to touch the
subject with a ten-foot pole and
on the other asked to react since
the matter has erupted in the
public ken and what, after all,
does the newspaper think about
the matter
The situation is somewhat
reminiscent of the days when a
Supreme Court precipitated a
controversial subject called
"Desegration" onto this nation
of ours. Each side wanted to slit
the throat of the other. A
colleague, Harry Golden, per
formed a great service by a
series of comments, some of
them so utterly satirical and
ridiculously humorous that both
sides somehow found themselves
smiling. And that was the crack
in the iron curtain which broke
the ice and made possible the
backdrop for some of the
denouement which followed.
We claim no such journalistic
genius as Golden and nothing we
can find in the Atlanta situation
is even faintly comical to us.
Perhaps some of our readers will
find a lay reaction so contrapun
tal, they may be willing to look
at the matter less emotionally.
For those who may not have
known the specifics, a review is
very well in order.
The trouble started about two
years ago when Rabbi David
Epstein, the mohel, was called in
to perform a circumcision for a
child born to a mother converted
three years earlier by Rabbi
Harry Epstein.
Now Rabbi David Epstein is
Orthodox. Rabbi Harry’ Epstein
is Conservative and there is a
difference of opinion there over
what constitutes the strictest
kind of conversion in Orthodox
eyes.
At the time Rabbi David Ep-
sein explained to the mother
what a layman would term the
“effshireness" of the situation.
Effshire. effshire and four times
more effshire — if, if, if and four
times if — it could happen years
later that the child makes aliyah
to Israel, the Orthodox recogni
tion of who is and who is not a
Jew might bar him from the
holy land. And if, if, if, if, the kid
should grow up and fall in love
with a frumer madel, then her
parents could call the marriage
off.
So to circumvent those
possibilities, the Mohel advised
that the child be converted. This
could be accomplished by a sim
ple visit to the mickve.
The parents acquiesced,
agreeing to the mohel’s sug
gestions, to ward off any pos
sible doubt, which was that
the child at age 2 or 3 undergo a
simple conversion ceremony, far
less stringent than for adults.
However a member of the
father's family was not so
amenable. Who said what to who
becomes indistinct. What emerg
ed was a strong statement in
Rabbi Harry Epstein's con
gregational bulletin to the effect
that there was no qualified
mohel in the city and his con
gregants were-urged to call in a
mohel from Birmingham. Some
of them did. Some did not and
even used the Atlanta mohel. It
is relatively costly to import a
mohel from Alabama. Besides
transportation, the fee or
volunteer conribution was likely
higher than in Atlanta. Sheer
economics dictated in some in
stances use of the Atlanta mohel
and not any faint desire to dis
regard or flaunt their spiritual
leader’s advice.
Things rocked along and seem
ed in balance for several months.
Then last summer, the mohel
was called in again for the briss
of a child of a mother converted
by Rabbi Harry Epstein. Again
the mohel explained the
Halachic view which
acknowledges all those remote
contingencies. This time, the
mohel wrote on the back of the
briss certificate the words This
circumcision is for the purposes
of conversion only."
If Rabbi Harry Epstein’s first
pronouncement had seemed
severe, his mid-summer declara
tion appeared angry and bom
bastic. Not only did he challenge
the mohel’s medical training,
but there were points raised over
his rabbinic smicha. Moreover, a
Understanding and Survival
by DR. WILLIAM A. SCHATTEN
These com merits xcere dehxered last Sunday exentng by Dr.
H xliiam A. Schaffer, at the concluding fund-raising event oj
his significant fxe-yiar sernce as Atlanta Chairman for
Israel Bonds The exenf teas Sheanth Israel Congregation's
Israel Solidarity dinner honoring Ed Knck. During the
speakers dedicated and deleted chairmanship, exery con-
gn'gation in the city has been in relied in the program for
helping Israel fnannaily through purchase of bonds. Each
year, he has led the community to greater heights, particular
ly attracting nexc and young leaders and participants in this
sphere of sendee. — THE EDITOR
Recently, Barbara and 1
attended a United Synagogue
meeting in New York. I learned
many things but I have thought
continually about the theme of
the meeting — a phrase taken
from Moses' speech to his people
prior to his death: “Remember
the past but understand the
Deeds of every generation.”
Daily, when we recite the
Shema we repeat the command
to teach our children diligently
when we are in our homes, when
we walk, when we lie down and
when we rise up so they will
know that God made a covenant
with Abraham that his people
would dwell in the Land of Ca
naan, that Moses and the
Children of Egypt were Zionists,
that Ezra and Nehemiah leading
exiled Jews back from Babylonia
were Zionists, that Zionism is
more than a political
phenomenon — it is a profound
spiritual expression of Jewish
faithfulness to the Biblical cove
nant which links a people, a
faith and a land in an indissolu
ble religious unity.
Yes, we must know our
history so we can teach others to
evaluate propaganda, a powerful
weapon that Hitler used so effec
tively. However, in addition to
knowledge of our past and love
of our tradition, we must un
derstand the needs of our
generation
We must know our immediate
would-be oppressors, the Arabs.
We must understand the cove
nant of Omar written by the
Caliph 1300 years ago, at the
beginning of Moslem rule of the
Middle East. The Caliph of Omar
instituted the wearing of a
yellow star on the clothing of
Jews — this was not original
with Hitler.
The Caliph dictated that Jews
could only build synagogues un
derground. This form of dis
crimination was not original
with the Spanish who, until
recently, would not allow syn
agogues to occupy the ground
floor of a building.
Today we see the Arab idea of
coexistence by the persecution of
—TURN TO PAGE 12
surgeon had been designated
locally to conduct brissim
although the continued use of
the Birmingham mohel was
strongly urged.
The situation prompted a re
cent statement, published in this
newspaper on November 28, by
all thp spiritual leaders of Atlan
ta except those of Ahavath
Achim, unanimously endorsing
the mohel.
It was a statement issued, it
seemed to us, in the interest of
Klal Yisrael, although there are
considerable theological
differences quite naturally
between the rabbis of the three
different Jewish denominations.
This writer holds points of
variance with both the Rabbis
Epstein. We cannot impress
enough upon any of our readers
that our views in no way should
be regarded as though they were
handed down at Mount Sinai and
in no way constitute any refuta
tion of Halacha, nor any effort
to pose as a Halachic expert
That we are not — even faintly.
But we differ with the mohel
on at least two scores. First he
was called in as a mohel and not
as a rabbi and this should be his
bailiwick, and this alone, when
asked to perform a briss. If he
regards himself as a professional
— and his training is certainly
adequate preparation for the
mitzva he performs, then he
should limit his role to that of
the mohel.
Just as a doctor called in to
treat a person should not limit
his advice or services because of
the patient's political, religious
or racial status. If he does not
wish to perform this role, then
he should remove himself from
the scene and hopefully a
suitable replacement can be at
tracted to the city. ^
The other point concerns
whether the mohel should be the
one to determine who is and who
is not Jewish. This role, in our
deep conviction, is one primarily
of personal commitment, but in
the broad sense if there is doubt,
the matter should be the subject
for a Bet Din of rabbis. Certain
ly not for the mohelim.
Uur reaction on the other side
of the coin is more of sadness
than of difference. Certainly, the
mohel did challenge the rabbinic
authority of the dean of the
Atlanta rabbinate But then
Judaism itself is constantly one
compromise after another with
the diversions and nitty gritty of
life and what has enabled us to
survive these many millennia
—TURN TO PAGE 12
9«wlt
CatexdaM
•TU B'SHVAT
Saturday, Jan. 17
•FAST OF ESTHER
Monday, Mar. 15
•PURIM
Tuesday, Mar 16
•PESACH
Thursday, Apr. 15-
Thursday, Apr. 22
ISRAEL
INDEPENDENCE DAY
Wednesday, May 5
LAG B'OMER
Tuesday, May 18
•Holiday Begins
Pravtocs Evanlng