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PAGE 8 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE August H, 1986 Arthur D. Solus, Manager of Camp Chevrolet invites you to stop by and visit. New Car Sales/Used Car Sales Commercial & Fleet Sales Hours. Mon.-Fri. 9-9, Sat. 9-6 : Sun 12:30-5:30 . 4897 Buford Hwy., Chamblee, Go. (located 2 rmles inside I 285) A 1^ 457-8211 ,Jk runcn »=A'D K» «* '«» COMMlTTU totlfct MOW IS riNUV '31 Ponce Deleon Avr N{ Afionto GA 30308 She i a BrownMonomer Gold, e Hoe.b... !, Sec.eiory Phone 873 6590 873 659a Israel’s lukewarm reception won’t blunt UAHC’s aims by Jan Epstein TOM SCOTT Democratic Primary Marine Corps veteran Founder. Project Read past board member. Metropolitan YMCA. Past President. Arts In South DeKalb, Member. GSU Alumni Board. 8 years Pa.a tor by the Canoioate During my recent trip to Israel as a national board member of the Union of American Hebrew Con gregations. during which we met with top political leaders, it was made very clear to our mission of 36 Reform Jews that efforts to speak to the issues of Religious Pluralism and funding for our var ious institutions were greeted with an extremely cool reception; indeed an attitude of ignoring our case. Our mission was to have been led by Rabbi Alexander Schindler, president of the Union of Ameri can Hebrew Congregations. Unfor tunately. Rabbi Schindler's heart attack on the top ot Massada (trom which he has recovered) curtailed his participation. Rabbi Daniel Syme. vice president. UAHC; A1 Vorspan. vice president, and Cha rles Rothschild Jr., chairman of the board, ably led us. we perse vered to complete our threefold mission: 1. We expressed our solidarity to Israel by our presence: Muammar Qadaffi would not deter us from our travel plans. 2 We measured the growth of the Reform Movement in Israel and visited our congregations and rabbis, and worshipped with our members on Shabbat eve and with our students at Hebrew Union Col lege on Shabbat morning. We vis ited our Reform kibbutzim in the Arava; our new settlement in the upper Gallilee—such dedication, true pioneers We listened to the szudenu at the Leo Baeck School they ei.rresi.ed their positive Jan Epstein (second from right) with (from left) Charles Rothschild Jr., chairman of the board, Union of American Hebrew Congregations; and AI Vorspan and Rabbi Daniel Syme, UAHC vice presidents. feelings about their education and opportunities afforded them. We met w ith Ethiopian Jews w ho strug gle for their religious freedom. 3. We demanded our equal rights for Reform rabbis and our members. The results? Although politely welcomed by Prime Ministers Peres and Shamir, it was made crystal clear that their answer to our con cerns regarding the Law of Return debate in the Knesset, was to “bring 100.000 Reform Jews to Israel and you will eventually gain political clout.” How many times did we hear this statement? It seemed to ring in our ears as a musical chord out of tune! When our rabbis are not granted full recognition; when the govern ment fully supports Orthodox con gregations and rabbis and our con stituents must pay for our syna gogues and salaries of the rabbis; when our converts are not recog nized as Jews; when such degrad ing acts as building a fence around the grave of one of our Reform rabbis buried on the Mt. of Olives; w hen one ol our rabbis who has lived in Israel for 29 years and lost tw o sons in the fight for the safety of Israel is not considered a rabbi; w hen we have to argue our court case on behalf of Shoshanna Miller. A Reform convert w ho has opted to withstand the pressures beset upon her because she chose to become a Jew; when these are just a few examples of constraints put upon us as Jews, why then should we make aliyah? The opportunity to gain politi cal clout is in place in Israel with out transporting 100,000 people. Given rights and recognition, there is 80 percent of the “secular” popu lation from which to draw our constituents. Perhaps the recent actions of Interior Minister Peretz will attract the attention of Israel’s leaders; open their eyes to the fact action must be taken to come to grips with this unacceptable situation. So, as Reform Jews in the dias pora. we w ill continue to strive lor recognition; we will continue to support the state of Israel finan cially and morally; however, the approach to funding our syna gogues. rabbis and institutions may change in the upcoming years. We w ill continue to educate our mem bership in the United States; we w ill openly apply political pressure w ithin the leadership of Israel and no longer remain silent as to our goals. The American press has referred to our problems as a “rift.” If these actions continue. Qadaffi and Assad need not send in heavy tanks and military. They can sit back and wait for us to destroy ourselves from within. A1 Vorspan eloquently closed a press conference in Israel by stat ing: “In other democracies, such as the United States and Canada. Jews are a small minority, yet enjoy the rights guaranteed to every citizen.” If we can benefit from religious liberty in New York, why not in Netanya? If our rabbis are permitted to perform life cycle functions in Toronto, why not in Tel Aviv? EXPERIENCED — DeKalb State Senator eight years; delegation chairman six years Member. Appropria tions Committee Chairman, Federal. State and Com munity Affairs Committee. INDEPENDENT — Not beholdened to developers or any other special interest group. QUALIFIED — Graduate. Georgia St at e T n iversity wit h degree in accounting. Ac counting systems analyst in private sector. Town & Country - South has recently acquired Consign Mart featuring Antiques* Unique Collectibles • Consignments Accepted 3236 Roswell Road 233-9999 BBVO Serving Atlanta s Jewish teenagers is looking for a few good Volunteer Adult Advisors , N \[ for BBG (Girls) and / AZA (Boys) Chapters For more information, call 876-0343