On Women Rabbis and C oke Tenders
By CILARLOTTE DUBIN
— A month or so ago, the
Reform branch of Judaism
graduated a woman 'rabbi.'
.4 few weeks before that, on
national TV, a young lady
was shown studying to be a
'rabbi' at the Reconstruction-
in Phil-
ist rabbinical college
adelphia.
- What is the world coining
to! What hare we when a
woman, :•hose role in life
has been set for thousands
of years in the Oral Torah,
suddenly reverses it. with
the help and approval of so-
called 'liberal' religionists?"
And so begins the '!pro-
vocative column" (his words)
by Rabbi Jacob J. Hecht,
executive vice president of
the National Committee for
Furtherance of Jewish Edu-
cation.
Writing in the newsletter
Focus, Rabbi Hecht assails
rabbis who are allowing
women to train for the rab-
binate, adding: "What possi-
ble good are they doing for
religion, except to contradict
its basic tenets and to blas-
pheme it?
"Women were simply not
meant to be rabbis. If so,
why have the rabbis, for
more than 1,000 years been
men? Why does not the Bible
mention women as religious
leaders? Why does the Tal-
mud specifically define the
roles of men and women,
and by its definition sepa-
rate—forever and complete-
ly—the roles of men and
women? Why do men and ,
women sit in different sec-
tions of the synagogue?"
And getting to the heart of
the - matter: "Obviously,
women wanting to become
rabbis are yet another mani-
festation of the women's lib-
eration movement. Although
frequently we tend to ridi-
cule the women activists in
these groups, we must rea-
lize that they themselves are
deadly serious. They fully
expect to push their way
into every occupation and
field presently dominated by
But here's our favorite:
"A woman 'rabbi!' A wom-
an leading a congregation,
preaching to devout Jews,
guiding those in need of
religious advice, providing
spiritual enlightenment!
"It is almost as ridiculous, -
he says, "as a woman tend-
ing a coke oven at Bethle-
hem Steel or trying to pitch
for the New York :Stets.
"Women were not made
for heavy steel work, nor
for baseball, nor—for reli-
gious leaders! And those who
think otherwise are trying to
play G-d."
Rabbi Hecht devoted most
of his five-page essay to the
breakdown of family life.
which he attributed to tht
changing roles of men and
women in modern society.
Much of what he said with
regard to parental responsi-
bility was relevant, and we
salute him.
Salutations over with, let's
get on with the battle, start-
ing with the last point.
Tending a coke ov en
Bethlehem Steel and pitching
for the New York Mets are
strictly physical acts. Since
when does a rabbi have to
perform purely physical
acts? If this were so, there
are many rabbis — Rabbi
Ilecht will surely agree —
who would not be rabbis.
The pale yeshiva bohur so
esteemed in Jewish tradition
rarely performed anything
more strenuous than walking
to heder, or picking up a
book to study.
After all, the mind and
heart are fragile. Who bet-
ter to handle them than a
woman? '
Rabbi Hecht would argue
that bringing up children
is a sacred task. Indeed,
our religious leaders re-
ceived their first training
at their mother's knee. If
women are to be entrusted
with this all - important
guidance role among chil-
dren, why, then, are they
considered incapable of of.
fering spiritual guidance to
adults? We an know wom-
en whose great wisdom and
compassion would be of
benefit to others.
His claim that family life
has broken down in contem-
porary society has some val-
idity. But it does not
strengthen his arguments
against women rabbis. In
fact, young girls who cannot
communicate with the ir
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, Sept. 1, 1972-29
mothers now may turn I,
.INF Israel Projects I mpress Australian
female rabbis for the es
JERUSALFM The
71i
possibilities of exchang
amples they need.
information. research and
s ter of agriculture of Ne's
Ti) argue that a ninth,
s
w
ere discussed in
South Wales. Au-tr.dia, U.
must be with her c-hildrel
formally with Crawford.
every waking hour of the day •
R. Crawford, a nd hi. wife
_ .
doesn't hold up. It has been
One with the law- is a ma-
recently called at th 'C Jewish
proven that the quality o
--Calvin Coolid_te
National Fund's head office jority.
, time spent with her children
and were received by its di-
is as important as the quan
rictor, General S. Den-
tity. Anyway, we don't hear
Shernesh, and senior forestry
Rabbi Hecht making a case
and organization division of-
against the woman so in
ficials.
volved in volunteer activity (
After sisiling agricultur-
that she has little time for
al and afforestation develop-
her children.
ment projects in arid and
If women's role in life has
mountainous parts of Israel,
been set for thousands of
the minister expressed great
years in the Oral Torah, then
admiration for the achieve-
its indeed unfortunate. Why
ments he had witnessed.
must they be bound by an-
THE IRVING RUBINS
Cooperation between New
cient strictures when their
South
Wales and Israel in
On
Aug.
20,
exactly
50
men are not similarly bound?
/ %MCI I'
Just as there are allow- years to the day, Mr. and fields of land development
t:2.
11.1.
ances for men who are not Mrs. Irving Rubin of S. Nor- ---
T;UITION BILLS go , you down ,
folk
Dr.
celebrated
their
oriented toward study and
A., on con help y o u gel o u r 1,pn.
golden
wedding
anniversary
scholarship, there should be
under. Eon eoro cosh tot V our
at a reception in their honor
allowances for w omen
chidcollege e•n.
o dunng
398-2727
your free hours withou rw,en ■ ng
are not oriented toward tend- at the home of their daugh-
ter
and
son-in-law,
Dr.
and
fornily
routIne
Col
, so. detods
ing the hearth. To insist that
all women must fill identical Mrs. Gerald Michael of Brad-
CELIA KRIEG
The
roles is to demean the work ford Ln., Southfield.
352-2926
of the true "ballebusta - who couple's son and daughter-
applies great skills to her in-la w, Mr. and Mrs. Nor-
man Rubin of North Holly-
chosen field.
wood, Calif., were present
What of the woman who
for
the occasion. •
has skills and knowledge
that cannot be fulfilled at
Married in Detroit in 1922,
the Rubins
home? Is it not a blas-
have resided
410
tck To sci001,
Stride Rite
says fashion.
VilET MC roes
here since that time Mr.
phemy to force any indi-
vidual with God-given tal- , Rubin was -in the laundry
ent into the wrong mold?
business until his recent
retirement. The couple has
If Rabbi Hecht would agree
six grandchildren.
that the knowledge im-
planted in a human being
is God-given, then he would
LZA Elan Chapter
also have to agree that the
knowledge implanted in
Sets Garage Sale
Rabbi Sally Priesand was
Marvin Berris, president ,
God's doing. Where did
God say only men can be • of Elan Chapter of the
Labor Zionist Alliance of
rabbis? Forgive me. but
where did God mention the
Metropolitan Detroit, an-
rabbis at all?
nounces that the season will
When Rabbi Hecht asks,
"Why does the Talmud soe
cifically define the roles of
men and women . ' . '. he
argues in a circle. The an-
swer is obvious: Men wrote
the Talmud.
We appreciate Rabbi
Hecht's predicament. What
would happen if every Ortho-
dox Jewish girl suddenly de-
cided she wanted to attend
yeshiva?
Yet, in America. there is
a vibrant, new Orthodoxy
evolving to Et contemporary
needs. Rabbi Hecht pales at
the thought of mixed seat-
ng, yet many Orthodox syna-
gogues have it. And decorum
apparently hasn't suffered.
The mystique of the male-
dominated rabbinate may
vanish slowly, but it will
happen, and perhaps. one
day, in Orthodox circle's too
For a certainty. it won't
happen in Rabbi Hecht's do-
main. But that's okay, rabM
We women are very under-
standing about those things-
And patient.
Memorial to Father Helps Detroit ,
begin with a fund-raiser ga-
rage sale. It will be held 10
a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday at 19430
Goldw in, Southfield.
Elan Chapter is comprised
of single and married young
adults who are interested
and ccincerned about Israel.
Judaism and human wel-
fare. The organization and
chapter provides cultural,
educational and social acti-
vities.
For information, call the
Labor Zionist Organization,
851-1606.
('0(( 1 ,
yinE,
W2C10111IC
When it comes to fa-shion and fit,
come to us for Stride Rites.
We fit them to feel as good
as they look. Stride Rite.
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9
Forest Cites Filipino
Three Citrin sons receive a mayoral thank you for
establishing the annual Jacob A. Citrin Memorial Sem-
inars to provide a management development program
for city of Detroit executives. Shaking hands with Mayor
Gribbs (left) is Martin E. Citrin. Toby ('itrin (at Martin's
(right) and Robert M. Citrin also were guests at the first
of the seminars, held at the Manoogian Mansion. The pro-
gram was established by the Citrins to honor their late
father, Jacob A. Citrin, founder of ('itrin Oil Co. Twenty-
five city executives and department heads participated
in the opening sessions. Jacob Citrin was born in 1905
in a small village in rural Russia. In 1920, he came
to the United States, settling in Detroit. He began opera-
tion of a small one-pump gasoline station on Linwood
Ave. at Pingree. From that original establishment, he
developed Citrin Oil Co., one of the nation's largest petro-
leum distributors. The memorial trust establishing the
Carlo seminars provides an initial sum of 580,000.000
to finance the continuing educational events.
SHA'AR
— Philip-
pines National Day recently
was marked in Israel with
the planting of the Israel-
. Philippines Friendship Forest
in the Judean Hills. This 10.-
000 tree Jewish
National
Fund forest was named in
honor of the Filipino national
poet and patriot, Dr. Jose P.
Rizal. Philippines ambassa-
dor to Israel. Mme Rafaelita
Ifilario Soriano attended.
MILTON NIEL:WSMA of
Mahon Dc , Southfield, pub-
lic relations director at Si-
nai Hospital since 1969, has
resigned from his post to
accept a position with the
American Hospital Associa-
tion in Chicago.
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