6 Friday, March 21, 1975
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Contemporary Jewish Education Raises Consciousness of Youth
By ROBERT H. ARNOW
(A Seven Aits Feature)
The time-honored phase
"next year in Jerusalem" is
a stirring portion of the Pas-
sover seder. It reminds us
of Israel's centrality in Jew-
ish life and its importance
in the Jewish consciousness.
It was with this in mind
that the American Associa
tion for Jewish Education,
in keeping with its philoso-
phy to "contemporize" Jew-
ish School curricula, pub-
lished an innovative series
of classroom texts which
presented divergent views
on major issues confronting
Israel.
With no little trepidation,
there were fears that the
10-unit study program, ti-
tled Viewpoints, might be a
bit too daring for the Jewish
high school audience at
which it was aimed. Reason:
Its content touched on such
thorny problems as state-
religion controversies, the
"rights" of Palestinian refu-
gees, and whether priorities
should be set between immi-
grant absorption and rais-
ing the standard of living of
Israel's deprived peoples.
It now appears that the
AAJE's curricular gamble
has proven justified. Since
its publication, Viewpoints
sales have been recorded
among hundreds of Jewish
high schools in the U-nited
States and Canada. Mo-
reover, the series has been
employed in Jewish camps
and adult study groups,
utilized in Catholic paro-
chial schools and had eight
of its texts included in the
New York City Board of Ed-
ucation's Approved Text-
book list for use in social
studies courses in area high
schools.
This only means that
Viewpoints is achieving
what it set out to do: pre-
sent a balanced selection
of fact and commentary on
contemporary issues fac-
ing Israel, rather than
advocate categorical or
partisan approaches to
various areas of study.
The AAJE selected this
Tormat, because young peo-
ple will no longer accept
dogmatic, force-fed conclu-
sions from an adult estab-
lishment whose authority
they're prone to challenge
and whose motives, rightly
or wrongly, they frequently
find suspect.
Just as the average teen-
ager - would question the le-
gitimacy of a course on con-
temporary American life
that failed to mention the
pressures of the economic
crunch or newly-accepted
mores of lifestyles, so the
Jewish teenager would
question the legitimacy of a
course on modern Israel
that excluded or glossed
over such issues as the
The Passover Seder
By RABBI SAMUEL FOX
(Copyright (975, JTA, Inc)
It
treatment of Israel's Arab
minority or the disposition
of territories taken in wars
with the Arabs.
The series draws on reli-
gious, historic, cultural, so-
ciological and geopolitical
gada. Some -gay they repre-
sent the four corners of the
earth from which the people
of Israel will be gathered
when the Messiah comes.
ROBERT H. ARNOW
material to provide a com-
prehensive perspective on
contemporary events — un-
like most curricula in the
area, which are almost ex-
clusively "past-centered."
For this reason View-
points can be used effec-
tively by the imaginative
teacher in helping stu-
dents understand day-to-
day development.
The 10 books in the series
include the events from bibl-
ical times to the present, the
vision of Israel's pioneers in
creating a new lifestyle, for-
eign policy actions — and
potential future alterna-
tives, a selective tableau of
Israel youth from various
is fequired to drink
four cups of wine at the Pas-
sover seder. These cups cele-
brate the four phases of sal-
A special cup, in addi- Hebrew U. Finds
- vation arci redemption for tion to the four cups, is
the Jewi.Th people as ex- filled and placed on the New Metals Law
pressed in the Bible in the table during a special
JERUSALEM — Three
Book of Exodus. These four place in the haggada al- scientists
at the Hebrew
are "I will take you out . .
though no one drinks it.
I will deliver you . . . I will This is often referred to as University's Racah Institute
of Physics have succeeded in
redeem you . . . I will take the cup of Elijah.
demonstrating the presence,
you as my people." Spread-
One of the basic reasons under certain conditions, of
ing it into four separate
cups signifies that the proc- for this cup is that while we extremely rapid charge fluc-
ess of salvation and redemp- follow the tradition of tuations in the ions of met-
tion is, indeed, a gradual drinking from four cups allic compounds.
one and takes place in there was an opinion in the
Their results will be re-
Talmud which required five
stages. •
cups. Since the fifth cup is a ported at the annual meet-
Others claim that the four subject of disagreement and ing of the American Physi-
cups correspond to the four debate, we do fill the cup, cal Society in April. The
kingdoms which oppressed but we do not drink it. This three researchers are Profs.
Israel and from whom the is a procedure which some- Shimon Ofer, Rivka Bau-
Almighty has_redeemed Is- how satisfies both opinions. minger and Israel Nowik.
rael and the last one from
There is a Jewish tradi-
Ofer explained that
which He will redeem Israel tion which claims that Eli- the Prof.
valence of a metallic ele-
in the time to -come. Some jah will some day come and ment
is determined by the
also state that these cups re- resolve all differences of number of electrons it loses
flect the four cups of conso- opinion. When he comes, he when it becomes an ion. It
lation which Israel will be will definitely know was recently postulated
given in order to be consoled whether we should drink that in certain metallic com-
for all the difficulty and four or five cups. Some pounds the valence may
oppressive experiences claim the cup is not drunk change
or fluctuate rapidly
which Israel endured.
because our complete re- between various whole val-
demption is yet to be ful- ues. This prediction set ex-
It is also stated that the filled. It is, however, poured perimental physicists in
four cups represent the four because the Jew is asked to many scientific centers of
questions that are asked at always be prepared for the the world, to work on the ef-
the seder and four sons that redemption which - might fect of this concept on met-
are mentioned in the hag- come at any time.
als.
-
—
SAY
ethnic, economic and reli-
gious backgrounds; surveys
of the issues and conflicts
arising from the endeavor to
establish a modern demo-
cratic state based on pre-
cepts of Jewish law and
tradition-, =a probe of the
problems confronting Israel
in its attempt to integrate a
growing Arab, population
into the economic and social
fabric of a Jewish state, at-
titudes of U.S. religous, eth-
nic and political groups to-
wards Israel and the factors
that contribute to these atti-
tudes; Jewish ethical con-
cepts towards warfare and
non-violenbe as they apply
to Israel's military conduct
and Jewish immigration to
Israel.
Just as Passover remains
relevant and meaningful to
the Jewish people more than
3,000 years after the Exo-
dus, so the Viewpoints se-
ries is intended to make Is-
rael relevant and mean:
ingful to the Jewish
student. This, we hope, will
help instill in him a feeling
for the Jewish state all his
life. -
May This Passover Bring Joy, Peace
and Happiness to All Our Friends,
Customers and the World
Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Glassman
and Family
and
the entire Staff of
Sales • Service
on all makes
28000 TELEGRAPH AT TEL-TWELVE MAL
SOUTHFIELD, MICHIL3AN 48075 • 354-330
Spitzer's
GRAND OPENING SALE
HARVARD ROW, 11 Mile & Lahser Rd.
PASSOVER SUPER SPECIALS
* LARGE ISRAELI KIDDUSH CUP
reg. $5.95 — $3.50
* PASSOVER MATZO BASKETS
* ISRAELI SEDER PLATE
reg. $2.80 —
reg. $6:95 — NOW
1_.49
$4.95
Haggadahs-Matzo Covers-Egg Plates-Salt Water Dishes-
Kosher for Passover Cosmetics-Wine Decanters
and many more specials throughout the store
with any purchase of $4:95
and up a FREE GOLD PLATED CHAT
on Heavy 24" Chain,
Gift Boxed, a $4.95 Value
--OPEN ALL DAY SUNDAY —
HEBREW BOOK AND GIFT CENTER
21770 ELEVEN MILE RD.
SOUTHFIELD, MICH. 48076
PHONE: 356-6080
JEWISH RATIONAL Funo
22100 Greenfield Rd.
Oak Park, Mich. 48237
968-0820
OFFICE HOURS: MON.. THURS., 9 to5,
FRI., 9 to 4 ; OPEN SUN. LOAM -1PM
1
1