36—Friday, October 24, 1969
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Boris Smolor's
'Between You
... and Me'
(Copyright 1969, JTA Inc.)
Reception Set by
Alpha Omega
'Greatest Show on Earth' Coming to Detroit Nov. 12
The all-new 1969 edition of Ring- Sunday. Tickets are on sale at
ling Brothers and Barnum and
Bailey Circus, now completing the
Henry Levy, social Work admin- western segment of its annual tour,
istrator, who played a key role in is heading for Detroit and a nine-
the rescue and rehabilitation of performance engagement at Cobo
Arena, commencing Nov. 12.
Jewish survivors
Evening performances at the
in Europe. will
arena are scheduled 8:15 Wednes-
be the guest
day
through Saturday, and at G:30
speaker at a
Sunday. Afternoon performances
leadership recep
will start at 4:15 Thursday and
tion on behalf of
Friday, and 2:30 Saturday and
the Detroit.' - 4)41, „,i
Alumni Chapter.
1
of Alpha Omega # 1IPW
Prague Symphony Sets
F r aternity.
American Debut Here
hosted by Dr.
The Prague Symphony will come
George A. Rosin
to Detroit Tuesday for its Ameri-
and Dr. Norman
can debut at 8:30 p.m. at Ford
Segal at 8:30
Aud itorium .
Nov . 4. at
The concert is a benefit spon-
Town and Coon-
sored by Brookside School Cran-
- Ae
try C 1 u b. Cock-
Levy
brook.
Tickets are available from
tails will be
the Ford Auditorium box office
served from 8 p.m.
The reception is being held in and all Grinnell's and J. L. Hud-
advance of the second annual Al- son stores.
Under the direction of Dr. Va-
pha Omega Israel dinner dance.
clav Smetacek, the orchestra
At the inaugural dance last year.
will
perform Mozart's 41st Sym-
$100.000 in Israel Bonds were sold.
phony in C Major ("Jupiter"),
Alpha Omega Dental Fraternity
Beethoven's Second Concerto for
has taken a leading part in the
establishment of a dental school Piano in B Flat Major (Opus 19),
and Dvorak's Third Symphony in ,
in Israel affiliated with Hebrew
E Flat Major (Opus 10).
University and Hadassah Hospital.
Czechoslo-
Bernathova,
Eva
It has established scholarships for
vakia's
leading female pianist, will
students at the 'University of
Michigan and the University of be featured soloist.
Following its Detroit perform-
Detroit dental schools and has
aided in the establishment of re- ance, the orchestra will perform
in 24 cities including New York's
search facilities.
Lincoln Center during its four-
week American tour. This season.
Love
It is better to love wisely, no the orchestra, which has performed
doubt: but to love foolishly is bet- throughout most of Western and
ter than not to be able to love at Eastern Europe, also will travel
to France, Portgual, Spain and
all.
—W • M. Thackeray. Holland.
A BIG QUESTION: Has not the time for the Reform and Conserva-
ive religious movements in this country to explore the possibility of a
merger? This question is now being posed in connection with the
biennial conventions of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations,
central body of Reform Judaism. The UAIIC is opening its biennial
assembly this weekend in Miami Beach, and the United Synagouge is
meeting during the same weekend in Kiamesha, N.Y.
In the light of the rising of a more homogeneous generation of Jews
in America, the proposal for unity of the two denominations in Ameri-
can Jewish religious life is considered of great importance. It is also
believed that, with religion in general losing ground among the younger
Jews"; the Jewish religious community stands much to gain by such
unity. The less denominational separatism, the more effective could be
the efforts against the existing widespread non-affiliation, apathy and
religious ignorance, it is argued.
Those who would like to see a Reform-Conservative merger, point
out that there is already a steady thawing of rigidities in both camps,
and that there are visible evidences of a reciprocal attraction between
the two movements. Each of these movemnts have during the last
decade given up quite a number of their traditional differences which
existed for many years. To many, they seem well on the road to. be
drawn closer together. There are. of course, still vital ideological dif-
ferences between them, but they are lessening.
On the other hand, there are some who doubt seriously whether a
merger—confronted with the present positions held by both groups—
would bring real unity and strengthen Judaism. The Conservative
movement is more Halakha-centered, more traditional, while the
Reform movement is hardly inclined to surrender its basic position of
being free from the binding authority of Halakha.
VISIBLE CHANGES: Whatever the views among rabbis and lay
leaders of each of the two movements are—and the views differ within
the ranks of each camp—the fact remains that there have been sub-
stantial changes in the practices of the Reform movement as well as in
the Conservative movement.
The most visible change in the Reform movement is in the attitude
toward Zionism. Opposition to Zionism was almost a basic tenent of
the Reform rabbinate. There were, of course notable exceptions such
as Dr. J. L. Magnes, Dr. Stephen Wise. Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver, but
the great majority of the Reform rabbis in the country were anti-Zionist
only about a quarter of a century ago. Today, no Reform rabbi shuns
Zionism: and this started with many of the younger rabbis even before
the establishment of Israel.
Other important changes have taken place in the Reform rabbinate
during the last years, with more ritual and ceremonial practices being
introduced in the Reform temples. Purim, for instance, was not recog-
nized as a Jewish holiday by the Reform movement and was not cele-
brated. Today, Purim is one of the merriest holidays celebrated by
youngsters in almost every Reform temple in the country. Bar Mitzva
and Bas Mitzva is today practiced in almost all the Reform syna-
gogues, whereas 20 years ago only about a third of the congregations
endorsed the ceremony of Bas Mitzva and only 88 per cent of the
Reform rabbis stated that they believed in Bar Mitzva.
For many years the Reform movement was opposed to some of the
traditional practices in connection with weddings. Only six per cent of
the Reform rabbis insisted upon a cupa for a wedding ceremony; few
would ask for a hat to be worn at the ceremony, and a great majority
,of the rabbis objected to the ceremony of breaking a glass at the
wedding. Today this is no longer the case. Twenty years ago no Reform
rabbi considered that a religious divorce was necessary in addition to
a civil divorce. Three years later seven per cent in the Reform rab-
binate changed their mind. Today, the number of Reform rabbis sup-
porting the idea of religious divorce to supplement the civil divorce is
quite large.
Less than 50 per cent of the Reform rabbis wore a talith during
the prayers in the temples sonic 20 years ago. Today, almost every -
Reform rabbi wears a talith or a stole. Most of the Reform rabbis
today believe in saying Kaddish for the dead for 11 months and in .
sitting Shiva for seven days. In recent years there has been an in-
crease in the number of Reform temples which have introduced "yar-
mulkes" and one can find today Reform synagogues in the United
States which use as much. if not more, Hebrew in their liturgy than do
the Conservative ones.
BASIC DIFFERENCES: In the Conservative movement there were
also a few courageous changes noticeable. Driving an automobile on
Sabbath to come to the synagogue services is no longer banned. Men
and women sit together in synagogues. Innovations are being intro-
duced such as discarding by the rabbi of the traditional black robe for
a business suit, reduction of the length of service by presenting during
the service period scenes from Broadway plays and by introducing
violin concerts. Pre-martial counselling and education have also now
become an accepted part of the Conservative program.
There are, of course, still basic differences between the Conserva-
tive and the Reform movements. Kashrut, for instance, is not being
recognized by. the Reform movement, although a small number of
Reform rabbis observe dietary laws in the home. On the other hand.
there are quite a few Conservative rabbis who don't. The latter, how-
ever, refrain from eating shellfish and one cannot see them ordering a
ham sandwich, as I have seen a rabbi of a large Reform temple doing
it in a restaurant in my presence. Of course, not all Reform rabbis eat ,
ham and pork.
Not all Reform c rabbis fast on Yom Kippur and some of them—
although a small percentage—eat bread during Passover. Among the
Reform rabbis one can find some who approve card-playing on Friday
nights. More than half of the Reform rabbis smoke on Sabbath. There
Is also a sharp difference between Conservative and Reform rabbis on
sanctioning mixed marriages, although more than two-thirds of the
Reform rabbis now oppose marriages of a Jew to an unconverted
Christian.
Nevertheless, those who consider an eventual merger of the Reform
and Conservative movements desirable are of the opinion that as time
goes, there will remain in the United States only two Jewish religious
movements—Orthodox Judaism and a unified Liberal Judaism born out
of the fusion of Conservative and Reform Judaism. Time will show
whether this will be the case.
■
In some ways, electric heat is
better than warm summer sun-
shine. For one thing, it's even the
year around. And it stays that way
during weather changes. Also,
with electric heat, drafts and cold
floors become a thing of the past.
With flameless electric heat,
you'll never wake up in the morn-
ing feeling dried out.
You even get an operating cost
guarantee. In writing.
If you'd like a free estimate of
installation and operating cost,
we'll arrange for an Edison Ap-
proved Electric Heat Contractor
to call on you. Naturally, there's
no obligation.
Convert to electric heat. Winter
will never be the same.
and Judge Roy llofheinz are co-
owners of Ringling Brothers and
Barnum and Bailey.
A host of international circus
performers make their American
debuts in the 99th edition of the
Greatest Show on Earth. Among
them: Naidenoy, Europe's famed
hand-balancer, Hungary's Donnert
bareback riding family; the Koleks
and their acrobatics on horseback;
and the flying Osiers, South Africa's
comedy flying trapeze performers.
1nterlochen Students
to Perform Next Month
Students of the Interlochen Arts
Academy Orchestra will lend their
talents to the support of the Detroit
Symphony Orchestra by present-
ing a special concert at 3:30 p.m.,
Nov. 16. at Ford Auditorium.
Under the direction of Nicholas
Harsanyi, the 84-member Academy
Orchestra will mark its first major
concert in Detroit, with all pro-
ceeds to benefit the symphony's
maintenance fund.
The program will include the
Mozart Overture to "The Abduc-
tion from the Seraglio" and the
Carl Nielsen Symphony No. 2.
Even the madness of gifted peo-
ple is not that of fools or nobodies.
Honore de Balzac.
DREAM HOME
YOUR HOUSE
WITH ELECTRIC
HEAT
"Electric heat
is like having
warm summer sunshine
inside your home,"
said Mrs. Noah Cochreum
of Troy.
Cobo arena and at all Hudson's
and Grinnell's ticket outlets.
The super-show was last seen in
Detroit in fall 1967, when its five-
day engagement broke its own De-
troit record for attendance.
The production is under the
supervision of Irvin Feld, who,
with his brother Israel S. Feld