When the TV
Is Used to
Distort Facts:
Setting the
Record Straight
Commentary, Page 2
THE JEWISH NEWS
A Weekly Review
Copyright
VOL. LXXX, No. 25
of Jewish Events
Saudi Gloating
Over Sadat's
Assassination
and the Corporate
Demoniacal
Role in AWACS
Editorial, Page 4
The Jewish News Publishing Co.
17515 W. Nine Mile, Suite 865., Southfield, Mich. 48075 424-8833
$1-5 Per Year: This Issue 35°
February 19, 1982
Congress. Sentiments Grow
in Justice Demands for Israel
Ron to Menahem .
•
Dear Menahem:
Recent press reports have presented incorrect and exaggerated
commentary regarding U.S. military assistance policies for the Middle
East.
I want you to know that American policy toward Israel has not
changed. Our commitments will be- kept. I am determined to see that
Israel's qualitative technological edge is maintained and am mindful
as well of your concerns with respect to quantitative factors and their
impact on Israel's security.
The policy of this government remains as
stated publicly by me. Secretary Haig's and
Secretary Weinberger's statements on the
public record are also clear. There has been no
change regarding our military supply rela-
tionship for Jordan and Secretary Weinberger
brought me no new requests.
Any decision on future sales to Jordan or
any other country in the region will be made
in the context of my Administration's firm
commitment to Israel's security and the need
to bring peace to the region.
RONALD RIAGAN
Israel remains America's friend and ally.
(Continued on Page 5)
•
• •
WASHINGTON (JTA) — Sen. Gary Hart (D-Colo.) has drafted a letter to President
Reagan urging him not to propose any sale of arms to Jordan without consultations with
Congress first. The letter was signed by at least 18 other Senators, including Michigan's Carl
Levin and Donald Riegle.
A spokesman for Hart, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said that the
Senator did not want U.S. arms sales to be announced in the Amman Airport, a reference to
Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger's discussion of the sale of F-16 fighters and Hawk
mobile ground-to-air missiles to Jordan while visiting Amman. The Hart letter said that any
arms sale should not be approved without first consulting with Congress and U.S. allies. The
letter also noted that such a sale would be escalation of the arms race.
President Reagan, in a letter to Israeli Premier Menahem Begin on Tuesday — which is
re-printed on this page — said that the U.S. has not made such an offer and that Weinberger
did not bring any new requests from Jordan back with him.
Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) also denounced the reported sale. He said
selling F-16s and Hawks to Jordan "will represent a serious and unacceptable threat
to the security of Israel, our most reliable ally in the Middle East. Such sales would
violate clear Congressional restrictions imposed in 1975 and President Reagan's
pledge last fall to retain Israel's qualitative military edge in the region."
Kennedy urged the President "to end his Administration's practice of pursuing an arms
policy at the expense of a coherent peace policy for the Middle East."
Meanwhile, Sen. Larry Pressler (R-S.D.) said he was drawing up a resolution to block any
sale of F-16s and Hawks to Jordan. He said he was preparing a letter to be circulated for more
Congressional signatures, telling the President he shouldn1 propose any such sale.
(Continued on Page 5)
and Menahem Begin's Appeal for Justice
Dear Mr. President:
The Knesset yesterday (Monday) adopted the following resolution:
The Knesset:
1. Expresses its profound concern at the U.S. Defense Secretary's
offer to supply F-16 aircraft and improved ground-to-air I-Hawk missiles,
from which the ban on their mobility will be lifted.
2. Declares that the supply of such sophisticated weaponry to the
forward state on the eastern front, of the states refusing even to negotiate
peace with Israel and maintaining a state of war with her, constitutes a
grave threat to Israel's security.
3. Calls on the U.S. government to refrain— in keeping with the
President's declarations and the resolution of Congress — from
thus gravely imperiling Israel's security.
Eighty-eight members voted in favor, three Communist members
cast their vote against and seven members abstained. I am able to state
that in absolute figures the 88 yeas actually represent 99. This is a rare
case in our free, democratic and rather vociferous Parliament of nonparti-
san consensus and, in fact, a vote of national unity. It demonstrates, as
stated in the Knesset resolution, the deep concern of our people and its
elected representatives.
Permit me to say, Mr. President, that I do not understand why it was
necessary for the Secretary of Defense to make his worrying statements
and, indeed, his anti-Israel declarations or, at least, innuendoes while he
(Continued on Page 6)
MENAHEM BEGIN
Fifty Years of American Judaism in Retrospect
Editor's note: Rabbi Max Weine retired and returned
to his home city of Detroit after serving as a rabbi in
Camden, N.J. for 29 years. He is an associate professor at
Midrasha College of Jewish studies and teaches mostly
courses in the field of Jewish thought. He is a member of the
_editorial board of the Midrasha Journal.
Rabbi Weine was chairman of the Publications Com-
mittee of "Sefer B. Isaacs," a volume of essays and stories by
the late Bernard Isaacs and articles of appreciation in his
memory. -
In addition, Rabbi
Weine teaches a course of
study for candidates for
conversion to Judaism
under the auspices of the
Conservative Rabbis of
Metropolitan Detroit. He
is chairman of the •Beth
Din of the Conservative
Rabbis of Metropolitan
Detroit and in charge of
the writing of Gittin
(Jewish writs of divorce).
RABBI WEINE
He is a discussion leader
of the Aliya Study Group of
Metropolitan Detroit
Hadassah and studies Tal-
mud with his colleagues
several days a week.
By RABBI MAX WEINE
For the past 50 years I have been involved in the affairs of the American Jewish community as a rabbi, educator,
and teacher. I have observed Jewish life in this country from many angles. I am both distressed and hopeful as I write
these lines.
Fifty years ago, more or less, the American Jewish community was growing in strength, resources and population.
It was estimated that at its peak there were some 6,000,000 Jews in the United States. It was the wealthiest community
in Jewish history, and its resources were adequate to finance and subsidize many Jewish programs both locally and
throughout the world. It supplied the leadership that helped implement the programs of the Zionist movement and the
creation of the state of Israel. During World War II the eyes of the entire Jewish world were focused on American Jewry
for guidance and help in those tragic years. (See Editorial, Page 4.)
Jewish life in the local communities was strong. Most of the Jews were still first- and second-generation
Americans. They were closely-knit communities with a visible Jewish life style. All of the needs of the
members of these communities were supplied from within. On the outside there was a strange Gentile world,
with its own life style. There was very little mixing and no great desire to mix.
Jewish education was on a firm foundation and produced results. Graduates of afternoon Hebrew schools were
acquainted with Hebrew as a spoken language and with the classics of Hebrew literature. Upon completing their
courses of study they had the basic skills needed to continue living a Jewish life, the kind of life they were familiar
with from their homes and the synagogues they worshipped in.
Secular Jewish schools had their programs with Yiddish as the cultural medium. A child entered the school with a
knowledge of Yiddish as spoken in the home and continued on from there.
As important as book learning was always regarded in-the Jewish community, actually it did not require a great
amount of knowledge to live a Jewish life. There were inadequately educated Jews in all ages of our history, but even
without proper preparation a Jewish life style was an ongoing affair. A pattern of Jewish living can be imitated and
followed through observation in the family circle and in the community. Knowledge is not easily transferable; a life
style is.
Jewish family life was strong and healthy. There was a fairly high standard of Jewish practice in the
average Jewish home in terms of kashrut, Shabat, holidays, prayer, etc. There was a strong feeling of
(Continued on Page 12)