THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Dissident Reform Group Organizes The Association for a Pro- gressive Reform Judaism, an organized dissident group within the main Re- form body, the Central Con- ference of American Rabbis, held a caucus during the CCAR national conference in June in Cincinnati. The group elected officers and a board of trustees. Rabbi Richard C. Hertz of Temple Beth El was elected to a two-year term on the `board. The APRJ "was organized last year by a group of Re- form rabbis from through- out the U.S. and Canada, to counteract what they per- ceive to be a regressive, par- ochial tendency within Re- form Judaism," the group said. The APRJ said several hundred Reform rabbis at- tended their meeting. The group objects to a recent vote of the Central Conference which would prohibit Reform rabbis from performing inter- faith "mixed" marriages. They said some Reform Marx's 'Mayer and Thalberg,' Worthy Volume on Film Moguls "Mayers-Ganza-Mish- .. poka" was what one sarcas- tic observer dubbed the Met- ro-Goldwyn-Mayer movie conglomerate headed by Louis B. Mayer, a Russian- Jewish immigrant junk dealer who rose to be one of Hollywood's most awesome but respected movie moguls. Mayer's accession to that position combined with Irv- ing Thalberg's tole as MGM's chief producer, and their joint making and breaking of movies and stars is the topic of Samuel Marx's "Mayer and Thal- THALBERG AND MAYER berg: The Make-Believe The author recalls how Saints." In his Random House- the omnipotent Mayer could published volume, Marx, he viewed by his contempo- who was a former story edi- raries as a father, friend, tor and later producer at teacher, a god or an SOB. MGM,.recalls with care and He also recalled how Mayer, intimate detail the 13-year the chief espouser of pro- association of Mayer and priety, turned in the oppos- Thalberg, an association ite direction and announced which ended with Thal- to his cronies his infatua- tion for starlet Jean How- berg's death. ard for whom he would di- Thalberg was the sickly vorce his wife, Margaret. son of a German Jewish However, a relapse from immigrant father and a Margaret's recent surgery first-generation American and the starlet's plans to mother. He began his ca- marry a Hollywood agent reer in the movie profes- turned Mayer's affections sion as secretary to Carl hack to his wife. At the same time, Marx Laemmle, head of Univer- sal and later became his describes Thalberg's quest producer. However, when for integrity and perfection, Laemmle feared Thal- and although he recom- berg's rheumatic heart mended frequent salary in- may kill him and leave creases and benefits for Laemmle without a produ- himself, he never allowed cer, the movie executive his name to he included gave Thalberg a jolt to his among the credits of any of ego. Thalberg was so in- the films he produced. Marx's "Mayer and Thal- censed, that he left for another job — he joined berg: The Make-Believe Saints" is a worthwhile ad- Mayer's company. In an easy-to-follow dition to the volumes on chronological summary', Jewish contributions to Marx recalls the Thalberg- American culture. — H.P. Mayer creation of stars in- eluding Norma Shearer, 'who later became Thal- Monument Cites berg's wife; Clark Gable, Israel Brigade Joan Crawford, Greta Garbo, Jean Harlow and JERUSALEM — Veter- John Gilbert. Marx recalls ans of the Harel Brigade, a that when the studio signed unit which fought many Garbo, Mayer complained decisive battles in and ar- that her name should be ound the city of Jerusalem changed because it sounded during the War of Inde- too much like "garbage." He pendence, and the Jewish was overruled. National .Fund, have set up With much knowledge of a memorial to the Brigade his subjects and their pro- on "Radar Hill," above Ma'- fession ; Marx gives the un- aleh Hahamisha. acquainted a look into The monument is built in the movie industry of the the form of a gateway late 20s and 30s. He traces through which one can see in simple terms the making the city of Jerusalem, the of a film from the story surrounding Jerusalem idea, through casting and hills, and a forest of over filming to the final result — seven million trees planted by the JNF. the motion picture. - officials are pushing "toward an unthinking and uncritical return to a paro- chial tradition." "In a broader sense, we are concerned with the in- creasing substitution of the image of the Orthodox Jew as the only true or authentic form of Judaism. "We are aware of the many limitations of liberal- ism, but the unquestioning acceptance of Orthodox norms of belief and practice in Reform cannot help but raise the issue of what it means positively to be a Re- form Jew in the way of be- lief and practice," they said. The group also voiced ob- jections to "the fact that the Israeli government has in- cruded in its coalition an extreme Orthodox party and has legalized and sanc- tioned Orthodox Halakha on the question of personal sta- tus, thus reinforcing and maintaining policies that are contradictory to basic Reform Jewish principles and alien to the spirit of Jewish tradition as well." They went on to say, "The fact that the Israelis are themselves divided into con- flicting factions, the major- ity of whom are non-practic- ing Jews indicates that it is we who must help them de- velop a non-Orthodox Juda- ism congenial to Israel rather than to make Israel the sum and substance of our Jewish identity." You're Invited Friday, July 25, 1975 19 20% Off •invitations •centerpieces •stationery Phyllis Billes 559-4343 Ah in otweler SELECTED JEWELRY COMPLETE JEWELRY SERVICE 13720 9 Mile Rd. Ne a r P i e.t Office Oak Park. Nli•h. LI 7-5068 Doug offrnan on selected merchandise Suits, sport coats and slacks from the foremost designers of fashion clothing, like Tiger of Sweden, Cardin, Rafael, Van Giles and Franck Olivier. Shirts in fantastic colors and prints by Cassini, Roland and Cardin. And the most contemporary neckwear from famous makers like Courcheval, Franck Olivier and Panchaldi. 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