Newspaper Page Text
THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE November 7, 1986 Page 7
Cutting Edge
Continued from page 6
refused to let us sit on the re
gional scouting board, and when
we showed up for meetings, they
said we couldn’t enter the room.”
Shortly thereafter, the Reform
Scouts were evicted from the
community center they had been
working in for over a year.
Even in death, the Reform find
themselves isolated. When one
Orthodox group discovered a
Reform rabbi buried in a Jerusa
lem cemetery, they constructed a
wall around his grave to isolate
him from other Jews.
Unwilling to accept the situa
tion, Regev, an attorney, filed a
lawsuit four years ago against the
Rabbinate seeking to overturn
its prohibition on Reform mar
riage ceremonies and other Re
form practices. But that contro
versial litigation, still in Israeli
courts, has a tortuous future
before any denouement.
Regardless of any civil ruling,
however, the ultra-Orthodox
community here will never accept
Reform Judaism. Rabbi Zalman
Quittner, personal assistant to
Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Avraham
Shapira, expressed the Orthodox
view. “It isn’t that we don’t rec
ognize Reform Jews as Jews,
that is people born Jewish who
later joined the Reform move
ment,” explains Rabbi Quittner.
“We just don’t recognize their
rabbis, nor their halachic actions.
How can they be rabbis when
they don’t believe in the Ten
Commandments, when they drive
to schul on shabbas, when they
eat hazer (port). If they want to
start a new religion, and not call
themselves Jews, they can do it.
Fine. But in that case, a new reli
gion needs no recognition from
us anyway.”
When verbalized, Orthodox in
tolerance can often seem repug
nant. But from the Orthodox
view, the Jewish people spent
centuries striving to maintain
and adhere to Judaic beliefs. To
do so required perseverance over
dispersion, occupation, assimila
tion, and extermination. The price
was not cheap, and is measured
in blood among the generations.
Now the faithful have come to
the wellspring, to Israel. If it is
indeed a Jewish State—even
nominally, in their view—it is a
disavowal of Jewish history to
recast Judaism as a mere shadow
of its former sense, which is what
critics assert Reform Judaism
seeks to do.
In a more contemporary con
text, Israel’s Orthodox see
Reform Judaism as “false adver
tising,” as one Mea Shearim store-
owner called it. “If I said that
‘pork is kosher,’ this would be
false advertising and should be
stopped. To say that this new
form of religion is Judaism is
also false. It is something, yes,
but it is not Judaism.”
After all, Reform Judaism,
only emerged about a century
ago as compromise between Ger
man Jews drifting into Lutheran
ism, and those hoping to retain
the salient aspects of their Mos
aic heritage. Since then, Reform
Judaism has become a major
alternative for American Jewry,
struggling to maintain their iden
tity in a society that breeds assi-
miliation like a disease. “This
movement is well-established in
America,” concedes Rabbi Quitt
ner. “In Israel, however, it is new.
All these questions will take time.”
But Reform Jewry is tired of
waiting. And Orthodoxy believes
never is too soon. Consequently,
the Baka incident set the stage
for a long awaited confrontation,
just as did the Petah Tikva cine
mas operating on Friday and the
sabbath drivers on the road to
Ramot.
® 1986, International Features
Continued next week.
Conservative delegates desired
at 31st World Zionist Congress
AJCC
GALA
NOV. 15
875-7881
MERCAZ, the United States
Zionist organization for the
Conservative movement, has an
nounced the launching of a mem
bership drive to sign up as many
Conservative Jews as possible.
The goal is to increase the number
of Conservative delegates to the
31st World Zionist Congress
(WZC) to be held in Jerusalem in
1987. All members who have
enrolled in MERCAZ by Feb. 1,
1987, will receive a ballot enti
tling them to vote for delegates.
Representation at the WZC
will enable the Conservative
Movement to bring about the
recognition of Conservative/
Masorti Judaism in Israel,
according to Simon Schwartz,
MERCAZ president. “The
strength of MERCAZ will assure
an equitable allocation of funds
for synagogues and institutions
in Israel,” he said. The Conservative
movement in Israel, known as
Masorti, has a major center in
Jerusalem, a kibbutz, a moshav,
educational institutions and over
40 congregations.
— Chagall film honored again
' TORONTO (JTA)—Harry Rasky’s 10-year-old documentary
film on the late artist Marc Chagall has won an International
Emmy, the Canadian Jewish News reports.
“Homage to Chagall: The Colours of Love” won following its
television release in the United States. Last spring, the film received
the Best Director’s Award from the Director’s Guild of America.
Ct
S.A.L.T.” Talks 3 3
(Study a Little Torah)
Chabad of Georgia Adult Education Series
5065 Highpoint Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30342.
The following courses will be available from Monday, November
17, through Thursday, December 18. No Hebrew background
necessary for any of the classes. The instructor will be Rabbi
Yossi New.
MONDAYS: Chassidic Philosophy. Time: 8:00 p.m.
We will study a “Mamor", a deep and often mystical dis
course which will highlight and analyze a broad range of
issues such as manifestation of G-dilness, good and evil, free
choice, prayer, commandents, the Jew’s role. etc.
TUESDAYS: Portion of the Week. Time: 10:30 a.m. (Women only)
We will chooose a parsha (section) of the weekly sidra. Study
it verse by verse discovering the rich and thought-provoking
insights of the classical and contemporary commentators on
the Chumash.
THURSDAYS: Around the Year. Time: 8:00 p.m.
This class will discuss the historical and contemporary sig
nificance of Hanuka, with emphasis on the laws and customs
of the festival. The Talmud and Code of Jewish law will be the
texts used.
Classes open to everyone. Call 843-2464 for further information.
Chabad of Georgia is offering a Teens N Torah study program
for high schoolers. The class meets every Tuesday from 7:30 to
9:00 p.m. The class studies classical Jewish texts as well as
open discussion on contemporary issues such as cults, drugs,
Israel, etc. Call 843-2464.
Rabbi Benjamin Z. Kreitman,
executive vice president of the
United Synagogue of America,
the congregational arm of Con
servative Judaism, said, “The
United Synagogue is privileged
to undertake the administration
of MERCAZ. The rabbis of our
affiliated congregations are sup
porting this effort and seek to
enroll a major portion of their
membership for MERCAZ.”
MERCAZ is endorsed by the
major arms of the Conservative
movement — the Rabbinical
Assembly, the Jewish Theologi
cal Seminary, the Women’s
League for Conservative Juda
ism, the Federation of Jewish
Men’s Clubs, the World Council
of Synagogues and the United
Synagogue of America.
weekly
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Empire Turkey or Chicken Franks 1.29 lb.
Filet Chuck Steak 2.29 lb.
Ground Veal 2.29 lb.
Try our Delicious Luncheon Specials
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252-4396 634-6881
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