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! Page 6 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE December 5, 1986 Silberman brings bad news, good news by Carolyn Cold The Jewish people have an obsessive capacity to find a cloud in every silver lining. This is how Charles E. Silberman describes the Jew ish psyche even in Amer ica where they've never had it so good. His recent Atlanta lecture was aptly titled “Good News. Bad News." Silberman. author of the controversial book “A Certain People: American Jews and Their Lives Today." delivered the Sid ney Q. Janus Memorial Lecture to culminate the A.JCC weekend celebration of Jewish books. “American society is open to Jews today on every level." says Silberman. "yet we seem to fear that we have gained our achieve ments at too heavy a price. Some fear that anti-Semitism is on the increase: while others fear the absence of anti-Semitism, believ ing that anti-Semitism unfortu nately has been the glue that held the Jewish people together." The mild-mannered, profes sorial Silberman is difficult to picture as one who has stirred such a tempest. But he continued to arouse passions between those who agree with his long-range optimistic outlook for Judaism in America and those who fore see the worst. Both fears about anti-Semitism. Silberman thinks, are misplaced. He agrees that is has not disap peared. Anti-Semitism is evident now in the farm belt, in some country clubs and in certain resi dential areas; but there is less now and it is more “altitudinal than behavioral.” He points out that restrictions and quotas have largely disap peared. One crucial attitudinal change is that Jews are no longer seen as “strangers" or “guests" in this country but rather as “na tives" or “insiders.” Silberman says. “The United States has un dergone a transformation into a genuinely pluralistic society." The most profound change, in Silberman's opinion, is that Jud aism now is seen not as a faith but as an option. The openness of T.S. society gives Jews a sense of choice about remaining Jew ish. Therelore. he says, Jew s have to take decisive action in order to remain Jewish. "The enemy in this case is apathy." he explains. There has been a reversal of self-hatred that Jewishness once entailed. Silberman cites statis tics on how many Jews are now lighting Hanuka candles and at tending Passov er Seders. His critics, he concedes, des cribe these actions as diluted ob servances. Silberman. however. SOME OF THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE Cost-free Cataract Surgery for Medicare-B Patients. I he Citron Eye Clinic and Atlanta Hospital have begun an innovative program that permits a patient to have outpatient cataract surgery with no hospital charge. Special Benefits Include: Free Consultation free Post-Operative Check-ups f ree Transportation when needed 1 o enhance the quality ot your v ision, call the Citron Eye Clinic for a FREE booklet on cost-free cataract surgery. In Atlanta call: 8^2-0005 or Georgia toll free: 1-800-282-3884 IpSg* CITRON EYE CLINIC 705 Juniper St.. N.E. Suite 100 Charles Silberman maintains that as long as these Americans remain Jews, there is always the chance that they may become better Jews. The author describes many ev idences of a grow ing v itality in Jewish life. The Atlanta bookfair was one such example; the Jew ish women’s movement, another. He relates that in 1948 there were two teachers of .1 udaic studies in U.S. colleges and universities. Today there are 350. In spite of the gains, fear and guilt are serious problems: fear of anti-Semitism and its absence; guilt over what we are or are not doing. The author concludes that we must accept that this is the first generation to whom being Jewish is an option rather than a faith. This generation must be BATHROOMS SHOULDN'T BE BORING ■'PH ■■ 1 'T '■mm hhmiwh Complete bathroom renovations Plumbing repairs & installation Shower pans replaced mi 1*1 nM MAKING DREAMS COME TRUE 4he-mosiec-bolh-. (404)971-8162 MARK BRESSIER l TNN BRESSLER MA'.lf I? PlUVIBf R rOURM >\*AN RlUMBl R ■>1 sIC.Nt R-'BUU .Jf R Of s:‘oX ,Pf CIAU'.I convinced o! the “joy and beauty and meaning of being Jewish. in the question-and-answer period that followed his address, it was obvious that the audience shared some of the fears which Silberman had described. He ad mitted that there is a danger in the modern condition of Juda ism as a choice rather than a faith. "But all Jews today are Jews bv choice. 1 hat is the nature ol the world in which we live." he replied. Other questions touched on conv ersion, religious observance, assimilation, intermarriage. Israel and divisions among Jews. Sil berman s historical perspective gave an interesting dimension to his answers on these subjects: • Our tradition ot discourag ing conversion has only been true since the 15th and 16th centuries. Before that, he relates, Jews proselvti/ed extensively. 1 hen after suffering scorn and perse cution. they reversed their think ing and evolved the idea ol Jew ish genetic superiority. • Everv generation. Silberman believ es, has the problem of non observers. In fact. Eastern Euro pean Jews who came to this countrv were the least observant Jews of their communities. The rabbis were forbidding emigra tion to America, so those who came had mostly a mixture ol Viddishkite and superstition. A generation ago only one in eight Jewish children in this country was getting a Jewish education and that didn't com pare to the education of today. In I 1 addition, the synagogues were empty, says Silberman. so we should not believe that our par ents’ generation was more obser vant. • Silberman also refuted the projection as “utter nonsense" that by the year 2076 assimila tion and intermarriage will result in a minimum of 10.400 Jews ora maximum of a halt million Jews in this country. These projections have been disavowed over and over. Our real concern, he said, should be with the Jewish birth rate w hich has barely been at the replacement level for the last 60 to 65 years. • T he Diaspora was the root cause of our immature relation ship with Israel, the author be lieves. The establishment of a Jewish state was so miraculous that we have not been able to maintain any critical distance in how we see Israel and Israelis. It is necessary now to develop a more mature, open, honest and critical view —to love them, as we do family, in spite of faults. • Divisions within the Jewish community are not something new in Jewish history, acccord- mg to Silberman. There have been w orse disputes and “history suggests we will be able to over come" current ones. He suggests that we need good will, a com mitment to talk and the accep tance of the legitimacy of others’ convictions. We must accept that they are honest and sincere in their beliefs. Holiday Specials at Nails & Things Treat yourself to beautiful sculptured nails. JuSt 38 00 Reg. 51 50 -56 50 also 20% off all other nail services exp. 1/29/87 (must bring coupon in) Limelight Shopping Center 3330 Piedmont Road 262-1516 Romantic. Elegant. Enduring Over Time. formal Italic speaks your individuality. Only one ol our 22 styles, including Hebrew. 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