THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Boris Smolar's `Between You . . . and Me' 1 Editor-in-Chief Emeritus, JTA , (Copyright 1979, JTA, Inc.) THE FAMILY CRISIS: The ever-increasing disinte- gration of Jewish family life in this country is provoking grave concern among Jewish leaders. Some of them are now dined to consider the growing erosion of family life as /en a greater danger to Jewish continuity than mixed marriages. Six major national Jewish organizations have held conferences or symposia on this subject. The American Jewish Committee has placed the problem on its list of major priorities. The American Jewish Committee is preparing the is- suance of a call to other Jewish organizations — both reli- gious and secular — to consider the strengthening of the Jewish family a major communal priority. The call will urge organizations to evaluate the impact of all their policies, programs and practices on Jewish family life. Communities will be asked to support quality child-care programs and local agencies, organizations and synagogues whose programs have an impact on family life will be urged to coordinate their activities through intera- gency consortia on Jewish family concerns. A policy statement emphasizing that helping Ameri- can Jews to retain and strengthen their religious and cul- tural identity has always been a major objective of the American Jewish Committee will be adopted at the AJ- Committee's four-day National Executive Council meeting which is being held next week in San Francisco. THE GREAT CHALLENGE: The Jewish family is in trouble. Its problems are usually thought to reflect those the American middle class family in general — skyrocket- ing of divorces, dramatic growth of the number of "single parents," low birthrate, preference to have no children at all, living together without being married, geographic mo- bility which negatively affects family ties, the two-career family which deprives children of all ages of adequate pa- rental care and of normal contact with parents, the ten- dency by some feminists to consider their careers as being more important than home-making and raising children. AJC ACTION: Anticipating the danger which the erosion of Jewish family life holds for Jewish continuity, the American Jewish Committee has now created a Na- tional Jewish Family Center to serve as a clearing house for information and research on the Jewish family. The center will develop policies and programs in this area, and offer training seminars for lay and professional leaders. It will also initiate and sponsor needed research. It hopes to facilitiate coordinated approaches to meet the needs of the American Jewish family. Strauss Tells U.S. to Keep Out of M.E. Autonomy Talks WASHINGTON (JTA) — President Carter's special ambassador to the Middle East, Robert Strauss, de- clared to Congress that the U.S. should not attempt to impose itself in the Israeli- Egyptian talks to speed au- tonomy plans for the West Bank and Gaza Strip, even though not a single decision has been achieved in four months of discussions. lep. Paul Findley (R-I11.), a leading proponent of U.S. recognition of the Palestine Liberation Organization without preconditions, op- posed "letting the dust set- tle over the Dayan resigna- tion" and waiting for months because the U.S. Presidential primaries are _ advancing. "You are advis- ing caution," he told Strauss, when the Israeli situation calls for "daring and imagination." Strauss replied, "I'm cautious about too much daring. I don't want to jump out of windows. It would be great domestic politics for President Carter to kick the hell out of somebody, but in the end he won't he very further ahead in the peace process." With May 1980 the target date for the establishment of the autonomy machinery on the West Bank and Gaza Strip under the Israeli- Egyptian treaty, Strauss testified that if "only half" of the necessary ar- rangements are completed by that time, the talks can be considered successful be- cause of the complexity of the issues and the "vast, vast differences" between Egypt and Israel. Tel Aviv Grants Land for Temple NEW YORK — The Tel Aviv Municipal Council has granted a plot of land to a Reform congregation for the purpose of erecting the first structure in Israeli history which will be built specifi- cally as a Reform synagogue. The 19-5 council vote climaxed a 12-year battle waged by Kedem Congregation and its rabbi, Moshe Zemer, to find adequate quarters. Kedem is one of 13 Re- form congregations in Is- rael. Friday, October 26, 1919 11 BETH YEHUDAH SCHOOLS 65TH ANNIVERSARY DINNER MEMORIAL TRIBUTE TO DANIEL A. LAVEN To be -held at THE FAIRLANE MANOR 19000 Hubbard Drive, Dearborn (across from the Fairlane Town Cen ( er) SUNDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 18, 1979 CO-CHAIRMEN Guest Speaker David B. Holtzman I. William Sherr Cocktails at 6:00 p.m. Dinner at 7:00 p.m. The Honorable Chaim Herzog (Former Ambassador of Israel to the United Nations) For Reservations, Please Call: 551-6150 FOUNDERS Samuel Hechtman George Hill David B. Holtzman Arnold Joseff Mrs. Morris Karbal The Laven Family Lopatin, Miller & Bindes (in memory of Esther Hecker) Abe Malzberg Sol & Anna Nusbaum Family Foundation Irving I. Palman Jack Peitz Alvin Reifman Marvin Berlin Harold Beznos Max Biber A. Howard Bloch - Ivan Bloch Stuart Bloch Borman's, Inc. Jack J. Carmen Ernest L. Citron Irwin I. Cohn Dr. Arnold Eisenman Dr. Elmer Ellias Louis H. Golden Nathan I. Goldin Dr. Joseph Goodstein Martin L. Abel Norman Adelsberg Norman Cottler Henry Dorfman Reubin Dubrinsky Alan Feldman Kenneth Fischer Sidney Fischer Dr. Phillip Friedman Martin Goldman William Goodman Louis Haas Peter Heiman David Hermelin SPONSOR _ S Honigman Foundation (in memory of Sarah Honigman) Dr. Joseph M. Jacobson Alex Joseph Frank W. Kerr Company Eugene Kraus • Sol Lessman Mrs. Marlene Mandell Midwest Clayman Co., Inc. Paul Newman Dr. Lloyd J. Paul David Pollack Julius Roteoberg Mrs. Gertrude Reifman Alex Saltsman Mrs. Emma Schaver Robert A. Schwartz I. William Sherr The Stewart Family (in memory of Dorothy Stewart) Max Stoliman Philip Stoliman Mr. & Mrs. Marvin M. Tamaroff Mrs. Morris Yassky Samuel Zack Dr. Arnold Zuroff Joseph Roth (in memory or William Roth) Solomon Rothenberg Jack Shenkman Alvin Spector Joseph Stewart Lawrence J. Traison Mel Wallace Harold Warren Irving Weiss Paul Zuckerman Guardians . . . Mr. and Mrs. Norman Allan