THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

•

Lubavitch Dispute ConservatiVe Version of Incident

(Continued from Page 1)
li-berately misled". by the dren and their parents
asserted were all Sephardic, volunteer rabbi.
"they had been misled, that
were "visibly upset" when
their celebration had been
the volunteer Conservative
• Spectre's version of the inauthentic, that Jewish
rabbi sought, at the cere- "disruption" was that the Law did not permit it cal-
mony, to introduce new cus- Lubavitcher Hasidim came• ling women to the Torah
toms which he asserted to the ceremonies and asked and so forth." •
were "alien to Sephardic for and received permission
Jews" and which such Jews to join the proceedings.
Volpa's version was
" consider to be sacrilegious Spectre has asserted that that, after -receiving per-
and disgraceful." Volpa said Volpa, "at the moment for mission to speak, he had
that the children were "de- the blessings," told the chil- done so "briefly," declar-

'

Friday, July 1, 1983 11

ing that Torah Law does
not permit the new cere-
monies "being intro-
duced by the Conserva-
tive Rabbi" and that the
ceremonies
were
"counter" to ancestral
tradition.

servative Jewish leaders in calling a press conference
both Israel and North here to _accuse the
America, "the response was LubavitchrHasidim at the
traumatic" as it was, he Kiryat Gat event of disrupt-
said, for the Kiryat Gat ing it, committed "an out-
children and parents.
rageous distortion of the
Volpa flatly disputed this. facts."
He said the children and
He also said that for
parents at the ceremony Rabbi Spectre to refer to
Spectre asserted that "rose and applauded him for Lubavitch Hasidim as "less
when reports of the Kiryat his courage in speaking out enlightened" than non-
Gat incident reached Con- and articulating their own Hasidic Orthodox Jews
* * *
feelings and the uneasiness "does not enhance the
they were being subjected to image of the Conservative
during the ceremony. They movement."
Editor, The Jewish News:
throughout the community. enthusiastically.
quite the reverse, demon- were not traumatized —
It has come to our atten-
Members of the Con-
Germane points: The strably supportive. The they were grateful."
tion that a number of servative Movement re- ceremony was not in a Con- Chabad-niks did not "in-
Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky,
highly-placed individuals, cently organized a joint servative synagogue, but in vade," "intrude" or "dis- spokesman for the
Attorney At Law
whose identities and mo- Bar Mitzva and Bat a "neutral" public building. turb" the ceremony. -
Lubavitch movement in-
FAST,
COMPREHENSIVE
tives are unknown to us, are Mitzva ceremony in a Rabbi Volpa was an invited
Rabbi Yitschak Kagan ternational headquarters in
LEGAL
SERVICES
attempting to sow dissen- school for children with speaker. The parents were
• Chabad Lubavitch Brooklyn, charged that the
• phone 333-1474
sion and misunderstanding learning disabilities. not angry at Chabad, but,
Conservative movement, in
of Michigan
between Chabad-Lubavitch Many of the children at
and its supporters — most of the ceremony had been
whom are members in Con :- pupils of Chabad schools,
servative and Reform con- and most of the parents in
g=regations. -
attendance were typical
One serious step in the — . in their religious
above direction is the re- standards — of the lower .
lease of a news item con- economic and educa-
taMing several significant tional classes of Sephar-
distortions about a small dic Jewry: i.e. ignorant,
local incident in Israel, in only partially observant,
the town of Kiryat Gat. We but extremely tradi-
have contacted the local tional.
rabbi there and the follow-
Since the girl Bat Mitzva
ing is a brief but true ac- celebrants were called to
count of the incident:
the Torah, the local
The Chabad network of Lubavitch community did
' TABLE
schools in Israel has estab- not actually participate in
AND
lished a vitally important the service, but danced,
FOUR
and influential school sys- sang and "made freilech"
tem in the Negev develop- outside the building. Rabbi
CHAIRS
ment town of Kiryat Gat, Volpa had been invited to
$900 Value!
boasting over 1,000 pupils, speak, and in his remarks
most from poor Sephardic he explained to the parents
ONE WEEK ONLY!
families from the North Af- the un-traditional and un-
THE
MOMENT
YOU SEE this truly
rican countries. Director is- halakhic nature of the
magnificent set you'll know it's an
Rabbi Sholom Volpa, a ceremony, which he
young intellectual and criticized.
unsurpassed value! The table is
framed in solid oak with fluted ed-
dynamic personality who is
The assembled parents
ges. The clear glass top is ultra-
greatly loved and respected applauded
-
him
thick. The table base and chair
frames are oval-shaped, with a
rich brass finish. Cushions are
100% textured velvet that defies
By ALAN HITSKY
middle school.
wear and tear!
The outside of the West
Mrs. Hollander said her
Bloomfield home of the family has lived in the home
president of Cong. Bais nine years "and nothing has
I THICK!
Chabad of West Bloomfield ever happened before. I
was severely defaced Sun- can't visualize anyone hat-
700
day morning, as vandals ing us so much . . . It is not
TO
SELL.
struck at five homes on that its degrading. I'm not a
Edinborough in the Der- baby. I'm not afraid of what
rfield Village subdivision.
they would call me."
She said insurance would
The exterior of the home
of Erwin Hollander was cover the damage "but I'm
most severely damaged, ac- afraid to take it down; they
cording to West Bloomfield could come and do it again. I
police. Mrs. Hollander told was so lonely Sunday."
I
Mrs. Hollander said
The Jewish News that the
I
I
vandals spray-painted some neighbors "looked
1 Personal
anti-Semitic slogans and at the damage and then
I
swear words on the doors, went back in their
I FM STEREO RADIO 1
windows, brick, and alumi- houses. But most have
I
I
num siding. A car parked in rallied around us.",
I ADULTS $
Value!
the driveway was also de-
She said some neighbors
• 1
$250 1
ONLY!
faced, outside mirrors urged her to leave the paint
1
$40
Value
EXPENSIVE QUALITY in workman-
broken and glue poured into on the house for a while, to
ship and finish! Holds yourport-
doorlocks.
serve as a reminder. One
A STUNNING WAY to display
1 "CONCERT HALL" sound quality I
able TV, modular stereo, video
Police said another home neighbor has started a re-
your art objects, treasured
. anywhere you go! Features a I
cassette player—even has stor-
photograph, plants, etc. Fea-
suffered similar damage, a ward fund for information
I handy belt clip, L.E.D. indica- I
age for records and tapes.
third home, owned by an In- leading to the capture of the
tures thick, clear-glass shelves
I tor, and includes high-fidelity •
I
Measures 16 x 50 x 68:"
dian couple, had a window vandals. Another corn-
and gleaming brass accents.
head-phones:- "
-
broken, and two other mented, "This is the way
L_________- J
homes on Edinborough had Nazi Germany started."
deep automobile tire tracks
across the lawns.
Intern Position
Police say the name
MILWAUKEE (JTA) —
Sale Prices Not Retroactive. Some Items Pick-Up Price
W. BLOOMFIELD • 33080 Northwestern
855-5777
one of Hol- A student summer intern-
of
NORTHWEST • 2165,1 West 8 Mile Rd.
537-2422
lander's daughters was ship program with the
WEST • 26400 Plymouth Rd.
937-9700
sprayed on the Hollan- community newspaper, the
EAST • 2034 East 8 Mile Rd.
892:1122
SOUTH
•
3626
Fort
Street
der home; the name of Wisconsin
- 383-8003
Jewish
a
soialftENNETTES
WARREN
•
27854
Van
Dyke
573-8020
the son of the second fam- Chronicle, has been funded
E
WAREHOUSE OUTLET • 1576 Union Lake Rd.
363-3003
ily was sprayed on his by the Jewish Community
(Not all adv. items at Warehouse Outlet Store)
home. Both children are Foundation of the Mil-
SHOP DAILY 10 to 9 • Sat. 10 to 6 • Closed Sunday
students at the sarhe waukee Jewish Federation.

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