18 Friday, August 1, 197S I THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Pktfttatie4860111803iiiMIROltec )204.5%.10: :ilk: AM< :41V :NW ). s CATERING Jewish Rel igious Life in U.S. Depicted in 2-Part Anthology FOR ALL O CCASIONS Seating Up to 400 By ALLEN. A. WARSEN Call Our Banquet Manager 682-4300 • Shenandoah Country Club liftiMAIIMV/641411M41614MMIERVIIVAINW ALL OUR OLDSMOBILES NAVE SAKS APPEAL 35300 GRAND RIVER FARMINGTON HILLS 478-0500 • 478-6677 Res. 968-5048 "Understanding Ameri- can Judaism," edited by Ja- cob Neusner, published by Ktav Publishing House and the Anti-Defamation League of Bnai Brith, is i an anthology consisting of two volumes divided into units and chapters. Each chapter comprises an essay depict- ing an aspect of American Jewish religious life. The opening essay, "The American Jew and His Reli- gion" by Rabbi Herbert Hertzberg, traces the his- tory of the American Jewish religious movements and records their beliefs and practices. But it does not provide an account of their leaders. The essay, "Dimensions in the Contemporary Jewish Community" by Prof. Charles S. Liebman pro- vides such an account and analyzes the positions held by the leaders. Foremost among them are the rabbis, scholars and gate-keepers. The gate-keepers are "individuals who by virtue of their position in the gen- eral community, usually in government, play a special role in relating the organ- ized Jewish community." In ancient times, the "Naturei Karta" (gate- keepers) were the schol- ars, scribes, and teachers (see The Jewish News of July 4, 1975). In pre-world wars Eastern Europe, the "shtadlen" was the com- munity's gate-keeper. Correlating religious leadership with the congre- gation is Rabbi Wolfe Kel- man's essay "The Syn- agogue in America." A major concern of Rabbi Kel- man is synagogue affilia- tion. He states: "Many fami- lies join a synagogue only for a period during which their children are required to attend religious school, until Bar Mitzva or confir- mation . . . Thus, 'child- centeredness' became a fea- ture of postwar American Jewish life." Significant also is Rabbi Kelman's observation that some young people of af- fluent homes prefer the inti- macy and romanticism of LOWER INTEREST RATES ON AUTO LOANS 9%* the small Hasidic "shtibel" to the palatial and imper- sonal synagogue or temple. Timely is Rabbi Simon Greenberg's essay "The Rabbinate and the Jewish Community Structure." His proposal to relieve the rab- bis of administrative and public relations functions is of the utmost importance. Similarly, significant is his advocacy that the rab- bi's primary duty be "to help the individual Jew and the Jewish community to relate `Jewishly' to the awe and mystery of life, and to live comfortably as Jews amidst our non-Jew- ish fellow citizens." Appropriate also is his advice to the rabbis to be- come students and thinkers — "students, not profes- sional scholars; thinkers not academic philosophers." Of import is Prof. Jacob J. Petuchowski's essay "The Limits of Liberal Judaism." His revelation that the Cen- tral Conference of Ameri- can Rabbis includes a con- siderable number of rabbis who are agnostics and athe- ists will be shocking to many readers. Interesting is Rabbi Mor- decai Waxman's study "Ideology of the Conserva- tive Movement." It is posi- tive in approach and stresses in unequivocal terms that Conservatism is Judaism — not a denomina- tion. It states that Conserv- atism evolved "not a doc- trine, but a technique" for emphasizing certain "as- pects of the Jewish tradi- tion." Critical of ultra-Ortho- doxy and defending mod- ernist Orthodox thinking is Rabbi Emanuel Rackman's essay "A Challenge to Or- thodoxy," A good example to help explain some of the oppos- ing views of the Orthodox factions was the controv- ersy which arose over the acquisition of new terri- tory by Israel as a result of the Six-Day War. "Chi: Rabbi Nissim held that according to the Halakha, it would be forbidden to negotiate for peace as the `quid pro quo' for the re- turn of any of these areas." Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveit- chik disagreed with Rabbi Nissim's opinion. He claimed that it would be necessary to relinquish some of the land to achieve an enduring peace. He also maintained that "Statesmen might be in a better position to render a decision, which would be binding on rabbis precisely as the opinion of a doctor is binding on a rabbi in con- nection with the breaking of a fast on the Day of Atone- ment." Other areas of disagree- ment between the Orthodox factions concern such mat- ters as the nature and mis- sion of angels, the character of the world-to-come, the precise role the Messiah will play when he comes. Jacob Neusner, editor of the anthology and author of a number of essays, is hope- ful about the future of Juda- ism in America and predicts that it will flourish "in this land of freedom." Goren Critic Excommunicated by Chief Rabbinate Council NEED FINANCING FOR THE PURCHASE OF A NEW CAR DURING THE NEXT 30 DAYS? CALL US FIRST FOR DETAILS JERUSALEM (JTA) — The Chief Rabbinate Coun- cil excommunicated Rabbi Shlomo Lorincz, an outspo- ken Knesset member of the Aguda bloc for insulting Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi Shlomo Goren in the course of a Knesset debate last week. Rabbi Lorincz likened Rabbi Goren, who was chief chaplain of Israel's armed forces before he was ele- vated to the chief rabbinate three years ago, to Presi- dent Idi Amin of Uganda, a onetime friend but now a vi- triolic foe of Israel. COVENANT CREDIT UNION serving B'nai Brith Members 2171 1 W. 10 Mile Rd., Southfield, Mich. 354-6100 *Effective annual percentage rate until August 31, 1975 for the purchase of new 1975 automobiles with 25% down payment. 36 month maximum financing. 36 Monthly Payments Amount Financed Monthly Payments Finance Charge $5,000.00 $159.00 $723.93 4,000.00 127.20 579.13 9% 3,000.00 95.40 434.36 9% 2,000.00 63.60 289.56 9% Annual Percentage Rate 9% The decision rendered by the Chief Rabbinate Council — which accord- ing to some critics of Goren is completely con- trolled by the Ashkenazic chief rabbi — read: "This is an unprecedented scan- dal. Knesset member Shlomo Lorincz publicly denounced the chief rabbi of Israel in the Knesset and compared him to an enemy of Israel, a shock for every Jew in Israel and the Diaspora. The council, therefore, relied on the Rambam (the 15th Century Jewish theolo- gian and philosopher Mai- monides) saying that whoever humiliates the sages has no part in the olam haba (the next world). If there were witnesses to the humiliation, he must be excommunicated and charged with a penalty." UAHC Parley Unit Names Chairman NEW YORK — Robert L. Adler of Chicago has been named program chairman of the 53rd biennial general assembly of the Union or American Hebrew Congre- gations. More than 3,000 Re- form Jewish leaders repre- senting 715 member congregations and 1.1 mil- lion members are expected to attend. The five-day meeting, structured around the theme, "America's Third Century: Jewish Reality and Response," will be held in Dallas, Nov. 7-11. Many sessions will be held jointly with the Na- tional Federation of Temple Sisterhoods, a UAHC affi- liate, which will hold its 30th biennial assembly con currently.