he Muddled 'Una Eitani Case
BULLETIN
(Direct JTA Teletype Wire to The Jewish News)
JERUSALEM — The Interior Ministry has withdrawn its
emand that Mrs. Rina Eitani, a member of the Upper Naza-
reth City Council. should hand in her passport pending clari-
cation of her nationality status. The investigation has sparked
a controversy in Israel.
By JOSHUA H. JUSTMAN
Chief JTA Correspondent in Israel
(Copyright. 1965, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)
of the Law of Return and left this
question to the Minister of Interior,
and in the last resort to the Court."
Mrs. Eitani is now refusing to hand
in her passport and her case may
well be brought before the Su-
preme Court.
The fact is that the Interior
Ministry continues to record the
particulars of immigrants on the
basis of their own declaration with-
out further investigation and there
is no kind of cross-examination on
the status of their mothers. The
approach followed is one aimed at
causing as little hardship as pos-
sible and avoiding an open clash.
It is an approach that takes into
account the realities of the post-
holocaust Jewish world on the one
hand and the dictates of Jewish
law and tradition on the other. It
is an approach which may lack a
full measure of consistency, but
which endeavors to strike a "bal-
ance" and avert a head-on clash on
this strange-sounding question of
"Who is a Jew?"
The Eitani case, like other sim-
ilar cases in the past, poses some
hard questions especially in the
secular and legal realm and, no
doubt, they will have to be resolv-
ed. Yet, they cannot be pressed
too hard and their solution seems
to lie on the road of evolution and
transition requiring time and pati-
ence rather than on the short-cut
and clear-cut road which may prove
neither short nor clear.
U.S. Jewry Warned It Must Help Save
Sephardic Heritage From Assimilation
NEW YORK—Jewry throughout of Sephardi traditions that exist
the United States must establish here . . .
an organized educational, religious
Sephardic Jews in the United
and economic aid program to save States have inherited a tradition
Sephardic Judaism here and of disunity which has been a tragic
abroad from assimilation, Dr. Sol- quality of Sephardi history since
oman Gaon, chief rabbi (haham) of the expulsion from S p a i n, he
Sephardic Jews in the British stated. Sephardic Jews today com-
Commonwealth, declared.
pose 12.5 per cent of all Jewry
Dr. Gaon, currently visiting the throughtout the world.
United States to direct the Yeshiva
University Sephardic Studies Pro-
Water, Fire Often Mix
gram and the institution's second
When a grease fire breaks out
annual Sephardic Leadership Con- in the kitchen, your first thought
ference, urged that American might be to douse it with water or
Jewry should band together in a flour. Don't — because you'll only
communal effort to help establish spread the flames. You must cut
new S e p h a r di c congregations; off the fire's air supply. The best
should establish scholarship as- and quickest way to do this is to
sistance programs for the training use a small, dry chemical extin-
of new rabbis, teachers, and lay guisher, available as a 21/2-pound,
leaders; and that a joint effort partially disposable unit. It can be
should be made by Jews in this
stored for years without losing its
country to save the rich traditions
fire-fighting ability. The best units
and heritage of Sephardism.
are approved by Underwriters'
Speaking before some 250 peo-
ple from all parts of the United Laboratories.
JERUSALEM—Rina Eitani came
to Israel in 1947 after having spent had been born a Jew but converted
a year on Cyprus in a detention to Catholicism—who in 1962 claim-
camp for illegal immigrants. She ed Israel nationality under the Law
served in the Israel Army, then was of Return. The Court admitted that
married (by a rabbi), lived for according to Jewish law he was a
some time in a frontier settlement Jew, but pointed out that for the
and now, a mother of two, she is purposes of the Law of Return
a member of the City Council of the term "Jew" was not to be
understood in the religious sense
Upper Nazareth.
In the 1948 census Mrs. Eitani but had "a secular meaning, that
was recorded as being of Jewish is, as it is usually understood by
nationality. When the Citizenship the man in the street." If so, they
Law was adopted in 1952 she re- argue, that Mrs. Eitani — by the
ceived Israeli citizenship under the mariner in which she led her life
article granting. automatic citizen- --should be considered a Jew with-
States and Canada who attended
ship to immigrant Jews under the in the context of the "common
Gray hairs are a glorious crown,
the one-day conference, the rabbi-
Law of Return. In 1961 she ap- usage" and her status cannot be
which is won by a righteous life.
determined
by
the
halachic
cri-
nical
scholar
declared
"American
plied for and received a passport
Jews of Sephardic heritage must
which was renewed early last year. terion.
What this argument omits is the
play
a major role in saving Sep-
The CARIBE MOTEL
Suddenly, last December, Mrs.
opinion of Justice Berinson who
hardic Judaism because of their
PROVIDES YOUR
Eitani received a request from the
while concurring with the majority
numerical strength and the variety
Interior Ministry's Population Reg- judgment in the Brother Daniel
OUT-OF-TOWN GUESTS
istry to hand in her passport. The
WITH . . .
case, pointed out that "the Knes-
Hydraulics Pioneer
notification stated that doubts had
CONVENIENT LOCATION
set did not choose to express a
arisen regarding her status as a clear opinion as to who is to be
Rudolf Abraham, a 19th century
Woodward near 7 M:le Rd.
Minutes away from everything
Jew and that hence her citizenship considered a Jew for the purposes
German-Jewish scientist, was a
LUXURIOUS ROOMS
status had to be revised according
leading pioneer in the field of hy-
• Phones • Air Conditioning
to the law.
draulics and is credited with de-
• Complete Kitchens
• Wall-to-Wall Carpeting
veloping many devices in use in
It was disclosed that Mrs. Eitani's
COMPLETE
agriculture and shipbuilding.
mother was not Jewish and so, ac-
ACCOMMODATIONS
cording to the Halacha, she was
OM mil MN NM IN MN MI NI IN NI
AT NO EXTRA COST
not Jewish and thus not eligible
YOUNG ISRAEL NORTHWEST
• TV and Radio • Parking
for citizenship under the Law of
Walter Russell Bowie, eminent whom it has belonged thought
• Continental Breakfast
Return.
Christian scholar, who has auth- more of God, tried harder to be
PHONE
These are the facts of the "Eitani ored a number of books on biblical obedient to his Spirit, and so were I
17376 WYOMING
SUNDAY, MARCH 14
TO 8-2662
Case."
subjects, pays a glowing tribute inspired to express his truth more I ALL DAY
BARGAINS GALORE
*
Reduction with
to the Jewish people in "The Liv- fully than any others in their
Were it not for the political ing Story of the Old Testament," world. Accordingly it has come to I
This Coupon
feuding between the National Re- published by Prentice Hall.
pass that the Bible is not only a ■ NI MI MEI NI MN SI NE MI MO in Moderate
ligious Party and Mapai in Upper
Scores of illustrations and many story of yesterday, it is a living
Rates
Nazareth, the whole case might full-color pictures by Douglas Word of guidance for all the days
Start at
MUM CREAM
have passed unnoticed. Indeed, at Rosa add immeasurably to the to come."
$8.00
Retail 69c
the beginning Mrs. Eitani appear- book's impressiveness.
All the important stories in the
DISCOUNT
ed to have been ready to be con-
"In the Book of Psalms, as
PRICE
verted to Judaism and has sub- well as in much else of the Bible are told in this volume with
clarity, and the young people for
mitted an application to the Tiber- Bible, the spirit of Jewry went
G & M DISCOUNT
Woodward
whom the book is intended will
KE 5.4910
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ias Rabbinical Court. She could
out to find contact with all man-
Near 7 Mile Road
learn
much
from
the
noted
Chris-
have also applied for naturaliza-
kind," Dr. Bowie sums up one tian's approach to the biblical
tion.
of the chapters.
stories.
However, the matter soon flared
Dr. Bowie speaks about the Old
Promise YOU the Finest Deal,
up into a full scale controversy Testament as being "the story of
To Dr. Bowie, "the first of the
that reached the Knesset floor; a people who could not be destroy- five Books of the Old Testament,
the Finest Service in the Area ! ! !
and as in so many other instances, ed — the people of Israel, who together called the Pentateuch,
EARL ORR'S
the tension evoked obscured the
seemed little amongst the nations were lifted in the thought of Israel
relevant points of the issue.
to
supreme
authority
as
the
Torah,
The Interior Ministry officials but whose greatness was that they or the Law."
themselves admitted that the whole had a covenant wiht God." He de-
Oakland County's Largest Dodge Dealer
Dr. Bowie has avoided Christo-
case was a regrettable one. They clares:
logical
approaches.
His
book
is
a
"What makes the Old Testament
made it quite clear that Mrs. Eitani
volume suitable for all faiths, and
was not being accused of making different is that the people to young people are properly intro-
Sales Manager
a deliberately false declaration
duced here to the biblical stories,
when she stated that she was Jew- Social Workers' Trade
23000
WOODWARD
AVE., FERNDALE
while their elders will find equal
2 Blks. No.
ish. However, they pointed out
U 1-3032
inspiration in the stories that are
of 9 Mile
that they could not ignore the Planned for U.S., Israel
told
so
well.
An exchange of professional
directives which state that the fol-
lowing persons shall be registered social workers between the United
at Jewish: a person born of a Jew- States and Israel aimed at
ish mother who professes no other strengthening the Jewish program
religion, or a person who has been of Jewish Community Centers and
converted to Judaism in accordance YM-YMCAs in this country will be
with the Jewish law. The case of undertaken this summer by the
Mrs. Eitani, they said, was not the National Jewish Welfare Board
first that had come up; there were and the Jewish Agency for Israel.
One part of the- exchange plan
others like it and they have all
been settled quietly, as would have calls for a select number of edu-
been this case were it not for the cators and communal workers
"small minded pbliticians." The from Israel to be employed as
whole issue, they said, was a "tem- staff members of Jewish Commun-
ity Centers in the United States
pest in a teacup."
* *
for two years. The second half of
Those up in arms against the the plan provides for 20 center
Ministry's action argue that in the workers from the United States
first place the Ministry directives to participate in a seven-week
were issued after Mrs. Eitani de- study and travel seminar in Israel
clared herself to be a Jew and during July and August.
This -year enj6T7r13 1/2-day Purim Holiday- PuiiiiAasks and nVAtingitrtritfor- - filt
hence the Law of Return—which
4 J ladies
afloat in the exciting carnival atmosphere of voting for "Queen
does not express a clear opinion Rep. Reid Introduces Bill
as to who is to be considered a for Liberal Immigration
the luxurious Shalom as you cruise teethe sun-, in-waiting.
Jew for the purpose of this law—
drenched ports of the Caribbean.
Fares start at only $4101d thiarIncluClel
WASHINGTON (JTA) — Rep.
was and should remain applicable
all the facilities of the Shalom including three
Leave New York on March 17 and sail to
Ogden
R.
Reid,
New
York
Repub-
to her. Moreover, they cite the
St. Thomas, Antigua, Martinique, St. Vin- swimming pools, dance orchestras, nightclubs,
majority ruling of the Israel lican, introduced a bill which
a sauna bath and much, much more. But bet-
cent, Curacao and San Juan. You'll enjoy the
Supreme Court in the case of Bro- would liberalize immigration laws
ter hurry. Accommodations are going fast.
most delicious strictly kosher cuisine you've
ther Daniel—a Catholic monk who by abolishing the discriminatory
national origins quota system.
For information call Zim or see your travel
ever tasted (this is the only all-kosher cruise
He said that "for too long we
agent and say, "Shalom(
to the Caribbean this season) prepared under
BE AlEST7..G0
have been content to permit a dis-
the supervision of a mashgiah. And you'll ex-
criminatory and outdated law be
perience all the festivities of Purim just as it's
the basis of immigration into the
celebrated in Israel—lavish costume ball, free
United States."
Tributes to Jewry in Bowie's Volume,
`Living Story of the Old Testament'
BAZAAR
10%
54c
19630
HODGES DODGE, INC.
IRV KATZ
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
t-riday, February 26, 1965
Representative: American Israeli Shipping Company, Inc., 327 S. LaSalle Street, Chicago, 427-7482.
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