Concern Growing for Future of the Family

By BORIS SMOLAR

creation of a climate of opin- internalize the concept.
ion favorable to the family.
The commandment,
As a first step towards "Honor thy father and thy
NEW YEAR — Th e
achieving this goal, it mother," like other Jewish
Jewish family — a majo
r recommended that every
values, must become part of
pillar of Jewish continuit
the individual's values sys-
for generations since Bibl Y Jewish educational institu-
cal times -1- has been a sub 1- tion should include in its tem, the AJC leaders advo-
ject of growing concern t • curriculum achieving this cated. Their policy state-
American Jewish leader goal, it recommended that ment empasized that only
ship. The concern is no w every Jewish educational by sharing concerns within
stronger because the factor 5 institution should include the family constellation can
obstructing Jewish famil in its curriculum instruc- foundations be provided for
tion on those aspects of concern for the larger com-
life in this country are mul
tiplying. The continuity o Jewish values which affect munity.
The AJCommittee policy
organized American Jewish f the family. Toward this end,
life hinges on the extent to the AJCommittee urged statement stressed particu-
which the Jewish family that teaching materials be larly that throughout his-
tradition and Jewish family created for every age level tory, Judaism has stead-
from early childhood fastly maintained the fun-
ties are unimpaired.
All leading national through college. For high damental importance of
organizations are today school and college-age stu- family life. "The Torah," the
engaged in seeking ways to dents, these educational statement said, "gave early
expression to the Jewish be-
strengthen Jewish family programs should be rein-
lief that marriage and the
life. A major agent today in forced by an intensive,•en-
undermining the Jewish sitive approach to premari- family provide the most ef-
family is the fact that Jews tal counseling and family fective framework for
human love, companionship
are becoming demographi- preparation.
In addition, the AJ- and perpetuation of species.
cally more mobile. Jewish
parents are separated from Committee board Judaism regards the family
their children who move recommended that a as essential to individual
from one part of the country more organized program development, social mat-
▪
to another in search of new in Jewish family life edu- uration and commitment to
opportunities and life cation should be de- the continuity of the Jewish
styles. So are brothers and veloped to help Jewish people."
The American Jewish
sisters. The family is no families on two levels.
longer a knit unit and its First, family education Committee has also estab-
members become more and should provide his- lished a National Jewish
torical background and Family Center. The center
more estranged.
Adding to the decline in the contents of Jewish will serve as a clearing
the. Jewish family is the low rites, rituals and celebra- house for information about
birthrate among Jews — tions through printed the state of Jewish family
lower than among non-Jews materials and personal life. It will report on the con-
— the decline in Jewish instruction. Second, fam- temporary needs of Jewish
marriages and the increase ily education should con- families and on the innova-
in divorces, the number of vey the traditibnal tive and responsive pro-
single parent families Jewish concept . of recip- grams in support of Jewish
which is growing with every rocal caring, so that each family life.
The center will also con-
year, the mounting number member of the family can
of intermarried and unmar-
ried Jews. It is predicted
that one out of two Jews who
marry this year will be di-
vorced within seven years.
TEL AVIV — The first
The New York Federa-
tion of Jewish Philan- Beth Shalom Aleichem-
thropies, seeking to es- Schaver Prizes were
tablish the Jewish family awarded last month at the
patterns in greater New Shalom Aleichem House in
York — a region that con- Tel Aviv.
Endowed by the Morris
tains more Jews than any
and
Emma Schaver Found-
other in the country —
commissioned an ambiti- ation, established by De-
ous. empirical study by troiter Mrs. Schaver and
experts. A preliminary her late husband, the prizes
report bears out the find- were awarded to Prof. E.A.
ings of other scholars Orbach, president of the Is-
about the shrinking size rael Academy of Science
of the American Jewish and Humanities, "for his
family. It shows that the life's work of research on
MORRIS SCHAVER
average Jewish house- Judaism"; Abraham tion containing the archives
Sutzkover,
Yiddish
poet
and
hold in New York City in-
of Shalom Aleichem, a li-
cludes 2.2 individuals. editor of Die Goldene Keit, a brary, a gallery and publi-
Yiddish
liberary
periodical,
The average is somewhat
cation section.
higher, in the suburbs. "for his poetic works"; and
Judges for the prizes
to
Gidon
Shemer,
Israeli
ac-
The combined average of
included Aryeh Dulzin,
tor.
Jewish households in the
honorary chairman of
New York metropolitan
the institution; Tamara
area is 2.4.
Kahana; Hanna Maron,
At a meeting of the Coun-
Israeli actress; Dr. L.
cil of Jewish Federations it
Prager of Haifa Univer-
was reported that curtail-
sith; and Judge Meier
ment of federal funds for so-
Rubin.
cial services and the sub-
Abraham Lis is the direc-
sequent reduction of pro-
tor of the Shalom Aleichem
grams by Jewish social
House.
service agencies, have con-
tributed toward stress in
Nuclear Strategy
family relationship. This is
NEW YORK (ZINS) —
increasingly seen in the
Dr. Shai Feldman of Tel
Jewish Family Service
Aviv University's Center
marriage counselling cases.
for Strategic Studies has
The American Jewish
written a book advocating
Committee board of gover-
the
development of a pub-
nors has adopted a policy
licized Israeli nuclear capa-
statement emphasizing the
bility against the Arabs
centrality of the family in
combined with a policy of
EMMA
SCHAVER
Jewish life. It called upon
withdrawal from most of the
Jewish communal institu-
The Shalom Aleichem
tions to set as a priority the House is a cultural• institu- administered territories in
an effort to assure peace. •

(Editor-in-chief emeritus, JTA
(Copyright 1983, JTA, Inc.) )

duct an ethnographic study
of the impact of divorce on
development of Jewish
identity among- children
and on the effects of inter-
marriage on the children. It
will also study the attitudes
and plans of Jewish college
students with regard to get-
ting married and having
children. A study will be
conducted of the impact of
kinship ties on the family
and of efforts that can be
made to replace lost ties.

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Friday, March 4, 1063 25

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Tuesday,
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