38 Friday, September 9, 1983
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Conservative Leader Hits Reform on Issue of Patrilineal Descent
NEW YORK — Reform
Judaism's recognition that
the Jewishness of both the
father and the mother can
be accepted in the case of a
mixed marriage has been
challenged by the president
of the Rabbinical Assembly,
Rabbi Arnold M. Goodman
of Atlanta. The RA is the
international organization
of Conservative rabbis.
"The Rabbinical Assem-
bly does not agree that a
child born of a Jewish father
is presumed Jewish nor do
we view this issue in terms
of whether Jewish status is
conferred matrilineally or
patrilineally. The issue is to
be seen in the context of
Judaism's perception of the
consequences of a mixed
marriage: a marriage be-
Sol, His Family and the Staff of
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DEPARTMENT OF MICHIGAN
& LADIES AUXILIARY
JEWISH WAR VETERANS
OF THE UNITED STATES
OF AMERICA
EDWIN A. (AL) ROSE
DOROTHY COHEN
Department Commander
Auxiliary President
LT. ROY F. GREEN
POST NO. 529
LT. HENRY J. BODZIN
POST NO. 414
SILVERMAN-DETROIT
POST NO. 135
Marvin M. Revich, Commander
Limbs topileff, Auxiliary President
LAWRENCE H. & JOSEPH JONES
AUXILIARY NO. 190
Jerry Gilbert, Commander
Ruth Klein, Auxiliary President
Milton Mohan, Commander
LT. RAYMOND BLOCH-
GEN. MAURICE ROSE POST NO. 420
Marion Wendy, Auxiliary President
Saul (Messer, Commander
Gerry Feldman, Auxiliary President
UPSHAW-HOBERMAN
POST NO. 230
PVT. ROBERT J. RAFELSON
POST NO. 431
SOL YETZ-MORRIS COHEN
POST NO. 530
Sal Levin, Commander
Ann Weinstein, Auxiliary President
HARVEY DATER
POST NO. 559 (Lansing)
Abe Tompkhts, Commander
Frieda Sonless, Auxiliary President
Leslie Fleischer, Commander
Corrine Oppenheim, Auxiliary President
FLINT POST NO. 231
PFC. JOSEPH L. BALE
POST NO. 414
LT. LARRY S. WEIL-
OAK POST NO. 116
Rubin Zissman, Commander
Isadore Binder, Commander
Adele Upson, Auxiliary President
SGT. CHARLES SHAPIRO
POST NO. 510
PFC. DORAN GOLDFARB
TRI-CITY POST NO. 121 (Saginaw)
Max Under, Commander
LT. RAYMOND ZUSSMAN
- SOUTHFIELD POST NO. 333
Sye German, Commander
Beatrice Knight - Martha Hauptman
Aexillery Presidents
Ben Winter, Commander
Helen PHskoo, Auxiliary President
Bernard B. Friedland, Commander
Dr. Lewis !merman, Commander
WILLIAM GREENBERG,
National Executive Committeeman
'.....................
VISIT THE MEMORIAL TO OUR HEROIC
JEWISH WAR DEAD
JEWISH WAR VETERANS MEMORIAL HOME ASSOCIAMION
16990 W. 12 Mile Road, Southfield 559-5680
DIANA JOFFE, President
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
tween a Jew and a gentile
where there is no conver-
sion," Rabbi Goodman de-
clared.
Rabbi Goodman, in com-
menting on the statement
on patrilineal descent
adopted by the Central Con-
ference of American Rabbis
at its annual convention in
Los Angeles this year, as-
serted, "The survival of the
Jewish people — and of the
Jewish religion -- is not to
be achieved by extending
Jewishness on a wholesale
basis but in defining it in
terms of its uniqueness as a
`holy nation and a kingdom
of priests.' "
Goodman's
Rabbi
analysis of the patrilineal
declaration was outlined
• in an article in a recent
issue of the Jerusalem
Post. The RA president
observed that while he
was expressing his own
views on the question, his
conclusions are based
upon a consensus of the
majority of the RA's 1,200
members.
Rabbi Goodman stated
that the Reform rabbinate
has every right to deter-
mine its own interpretation
of Jewish law. He indicated
that Reform rabbis do not
follow a strict adherence to
traditional law in their con-
version practices.
Furthermore, Rabbi
Goodman noted, although
the official CCAR position is
against the practice of a
rabbi officiating at a mixed
marriage, they grant the
right of the individual Re-
form rabbi the freedom to do
so. As a result, there are Re-
form rabbis who officiate at
marriages where the non-
Jewish partner has not been
converted.
The Rabbinical Assembly
does not permit its members
to solemnize mixed mar-
riages. Furthermore, the
Conservative rabbis, as part
of the conversion, in addi-
tion to a course of study, in-
sist upon the prospective
convert participating in the
ceremony of Tevilla (ritual
immersion) and brit mila or
hatafat dam brit (circumci-
sion), as required.
Turning to the rights of
Conservative and Re-
form Judaism to_praetice
and achieve full status in
the state of Israel, Rabbi
Goodman said, "We will
continue to fight for our
rightful place in the role
of the religious life of Is-
rael. We further believe
that our Reform col-
leagues should be
granted that same right
and status.
"We in the Conservative
Movement are well aware,
of course, that the Israeli
rabbinate and the religious
establishment in Israel will,
at the present time, con-
tinue to reject the move-
ment and its leadership. We
know , that both our
halakhic credentials and
our halakhic commitment
are challenged.
"Our movement, how-
ever, will continue to press
in Israel for an acceptance of
what it advocates in the
United States: that religion
be removed from the politi-
cal arena and that Jews be
given the right to express
their Jewishness by opting
for whatever they regard as
an appropriate Jewish life
style."
The
SHEL ROTT
ORCHESTRA
Contemporary—Big Band Sounds
Featuring
T.V. & Recording Artist
VICKIE CARROLL
"Professional Entertainment"
354-0110
354-0711
Freda (Fritzi) Goldberg
Wishes to inform the community
That her private piano instruction
Will resume for the 1983-84 season
For a limited number of children and
Adult beginners.
368-1385
Military Gets
JWB Calendar
NEW YORK — The 5744
(1983-1984) Jewish Calen-
' dar for the Members of the
Military Community has
been published and distrib-
uted by JWB to Jewish mili-
tary personnel throughout
the U.S. and bases overseas
in time for the High Holy
Days.
The calendar lists the
major Jewish holy days and
festivals for 5744 (1983-
1984) and 5745 (1984-1985);
provides brief explanations
of major and minor holy
days; lists Yiskor dates and
provides space for indi-
vidual Yahrzeit records;
contains prayers for times of
illness and prayers after ex-
periencing danger and for
loved ones back home, and
gives Sabbath candlelight-
ing times and weekly Torah
portions.
Exhibit Honors
Stern on 60th
JERUSALEM (JNI) — A
collection of illustrations by
Israeli artist Yossi Stern
are currently on display at
the Jerusalem Artists'
House. The exhibit is a
tribute to Stern, who re-
cently marked his 60th
birthday.
..oe • •••••••••■0
'Pr* Pi'd
44 hi
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