Mixed Marriage Dilemma Faces American,Rabbis
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, June 23, 1972-17
Mapam evicted from the coalition.
findings on mixed marriages. He ' supported the Hausner bill, she
also accused the Conservative rab- and her cabinet would resign. Labor would have to give in to
binate of adopting a "double Thereupon, the vote on the bill the demands of the Orthodox. The
standard in associating itself with was postponed at the request of latter would be true because Labor
those who sanction intermar- Mapam, whose leaders said that would need them as partners for
26001 COOL,DGE HWY
riage" by joining the Reform ef- the decision for its postponement their economic and political goals,
543 3343
OAK PARK
fort to urge retention of Israel's was made at the Mapam's 48-man the younger members argued.
liberalized conversion procedure." secretariat and that this would
Taking the opposite view were have to be approved by the 100-
Skidpan Point, Starnt•rd, Conn. 04902 • 12031 325-2231
three rabbis of the Society for man party political bureau which
ra'AUr-students rate 1 to 7
Humanistic Judaism, including is to meet at some unspecified
O-ED COLLEGE PREP SCHOOL •
Ile claimed that by "allowing Rabbi Sherwin T. Wine of Birm- later date. Dov Zakin of Mapam
Supervised Study ♦ Help
GRADIS 7-12 AND POST GRADUATE
this condition to proceed uncon- ingham Temple.
• Individualised Scheduling
' proposed postponement on the
American-Pr.01
Cultural Home L•le
..
Cultural. Athletic and
demned and unchallenged," the
A statement signed by Rabbi ' vote after Hausner presented his
Areal Prestr•ms
PA Sck war•schild, Ds
CCAR was "a silent accessory to Wine, Rabbi Daniel Friedmann bill. The House. after heated de-
those rabbis who in the interests of Deerfield, Ill., and Rabbi Philip bate, agreed to the postponement.
of 'humanitarianism' are abetting
Schecter of Westport, Conn., de- Observers said that what all this
the liquidation of Jewish life in Glared that they "affirm the right meant was that since the Knesset
America."
of individuals to marry whomever goes into recess in less than a
Nevertheless, at least half of the they wish to marry. We also af- month, the issue will be discussed
Reform rabbis statistically listed firm the moral obligation of among coalition party leaders in-
as having performed mixed mar- clergymen to uphold this right by formally until some acceptable
riages said they will do so only treating individuals as individuals formula is found and then brought
under extreme circumstances, such and not as religious labels."
to the house, again at some un-
as a union between an elderly
The statement added:
specified later date.
couple or a pregnancy to protect
"For Jews who believe that
The observers said, however,
the offspring.
the preservation of Jewish iden•
that the postponement was not a
Rabbi Schaalman said that the
tity is the most important Jew-
solution. The issue will have to be
study on the rabbinate shows in
ish enterprise, the ban on inter-
faced. they said, unless Mapam
a breakdown of the 41 per cent
marriage is a rational restric-
can find some way of withdraw-
that 2 per cent officiate for mem-
tion," the three Humanistic
ing its support or touch off a
bers only and 18 per cent only
Judaism leaders said. "How-
cabinet collapse by voting for it
when special circumstances exist.
ever, for those Jews who do not
when it comes up again in the
He said this, therefore, leaves 21
accept this value system, the
Knesset.
per cent who will officiate with-
ban on intermarriage is both
A sharp debate within the young-
out any special conditions.
irrational and immoral.
er element of the Mapam was re-
Rabbi Schaalman said the sta-
"We do not accept this value ported to be a major factor in the
tistics "do not reflect the human system. We dissent from the be- outcome. Some of the younger
9
dilemma and agony that occur lief that the primary moral obli- Mapam members, including kibutz
when a man makes a rare excep- gation of every Jew is to promote representatives, contended
that
tion in officiating at a mixed • and sustain Jewish identity.
Mapam advocated civil marriage
marriage. This does not alter his
"We are convinced that it is and should abide by its public
basic position regarding most of subversive of human dignity. We
- - stand in reference to the Hausner
the marriages at which he offi- do not believe that individuals bill. But other younger Mapam
ciates."
exist in order to promote the sur- members warned that without the
Rabbi Louis Bernstein. the e vival of groups and institutions. Independent Liberals, the align-
newly elected president of the 1We believe that it is the function ment would be at the mercy"
of groups and institutions to pro- of the religious parties and that
Rabbinical Council of America
(Orthodox I, warned at the ! mote the survival and happiness Mapam would lose a "vital part-' .
RCA's annual convention in lof individuals. Individual Jews do ner" in keeping at least the status
Fallsburgh, N. Y., that intermar- I not exist to maintain Jewish iden- quo on religious Issues. The Labor
TELEGRAPH just SOET11 of 12 !RILE RD.
tity. Jewish identity is an ethnic Party would have to yield to the
riage and assimilation "consti-
:133-1300
%CROSS 1, 11011 TEL-TR 1:1.11.: 11%1.1.
and religious option available for religious parties because, with
tute grave perils to the survival
the fulfillment of individuals.
of American Jewry and to the
the Independent Liberals and
"We are pleased to officiate at
growth of a vibrant and visible
the marriage of any two people
Jewish community."
who
desire our presence, and by
Rabbi Bernstein said he was
"overwhelmed" at the CCAR our action, to affirm their freedom
and dignity.
"We hope that other rabbis will
choose lo do the same."
Israeli Ev'e Surgeon
•Private Measure Averts
Pays Visit ,u Detroit
' C-isis on Civil Marriage Bill
Prominent Israeli ophthalmolo-
JERUSALEM (JTA)—A series
gist Dr. Moshe Sheber, an sur- of complicated maneuvers among
• geon in Tel Aviv for the past 12 partners of Premier Golda Meir's
years. is on a brief visit here coalition government put to an
with his sister. Marguerite Ko- end Wednesday the threat of a gov-
ernment crisis over Liberal Party
zenn Chaies.
He chose the time for his visit efforts to introduce a limited bill
In attend a reception in honor of for civil marriages, which are not
the graduation of his niece, Lea permitted now in Israel.
Gideon Hausner introduced in
S:41Iman, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Irving Stollman. and grand- ' the Knesset a private members
bill
on behalf of his Independent
daughter of Mrs. Chajes, from the
1..mted Hebrew Schools High Liberal Party with the announced
,Import of Mapam, the Labor
it hoof.
Lea was valedictorian of her .,iig,nment's partner.
the
ir , Ircducine.
in
Hausner,
,lass in the UHS high school.
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A native of -Czernowit7. Roma- measure. insisted he was not seek-
nia, Dr. - Sheber studied in the ing a change in the status quo. in
whch the state recognized Ortho-
Czernowitz schools and that
It s
rabbinate controls on all such
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Dr. Sheber earned his medical barred from marriage to Israel
the
rabbinate.
Since.
he
run-
ogree at the 1.1iver-it: of Rome
Ferrara—the city made famous tended, his bill did not interfere
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.a the movie "The Garden of the with the status quo. there was no
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1 , reolory Cle".
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erals
should
be
evicted
from
the
ducted religious services and se.
cabinet on that issue.
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Dr. Sheber also studied violin - Mrs. Meir replied that the bill
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status quo. She said she agreed
12 languages.
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the
situation
was
a
"sorry
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While in the U.S., Dr. Sheber
visited his son, daughter-in-law one" for the Jews for whom the
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!Mrs. Meir said that if the Mapam
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(Continued from Page 1)
tamed for the time being to en-
able additional research and analy-
sis into the effects of mixed mar-
riages.
Prof Feinstein accused Rabbi
Schaalman of being "more con-
cerned with unity within the Re-
form movement than with the
future of American Jewry."
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