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PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Editor and Publisher
ALAN HITSKY
News Editor
CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ
Business Manager
HEIDI PRESS
Associate News Editor
DREW LIEBERWITZ
Advertising Manager
Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the 22nd day of Adar I, 5744, the following scriptural selections will be read in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion, Exodus 35:1-38:20.
Prophetical portion, I Kings 7:40-50.
Candlelighting, Friday, Feb. 24, 6 p.m.
VOL. LXXXIV, No. 26
Page Four
Friday, February 24, 1984
THE TERRORIZED WORLD
Whatever the result of the state of horror in scene. That's what happened with Mubarak in
Lebanon, no matter what the effects on futu re Washington and he served as one of the poison-
international developments, however the m is- spreading evil-doers in a nasty situation.
eries affect Israel, situations change so rapid ly,
This is not a major factor. It looms in impor-
so frequently, that prophecy assumes naive te. tance because a person who could have helped
An old Yiddish saying that "a Novi is a Nar — a create a peaceful atmosphere added bitterness
prophet is a fool," summarizes the current pr e- in a disruptive atmosphere.
dicaments. Prophets emerge as people wi th
* * *
visions fulfilled — when they guess right the re
So many factors are involved in what is
is real fulfillment. But only then!
happening that it is impossible to separate the
Therefore the realism is not judging t
many evils.
quickly, not prejudging when the situation is oo
so
There is a suicidal diplomacy in the Middle
grave.
East that is no help. It may lead to many wars,
Therefore recognition of an indisputab
logic uttered by Secretary of State George le some already raging. It would be calamitous if it
at . forced Israel into additional conflicts.
Shultz: "I can't resist using that old image th P
the light you see at the end of the tunnel may be
There is -no avoiding horrible confronta-
the train coming toward you."
tions in which Syria proceeds to acquire the
That horrendous threat has been comin g power and the territory that is its aim. The
toward Jews through the centuries, with nev er Syrian record of mass murders and indifference
an era without a crisis. Therefore, the Je w to world public opinion is so horrifying.
should consider himself well-prepared for th e
Who can predict the result of the Iranian-
oncoming calamities. The regrettable fact is Iraqi war and its effects on the entire Middle
that the world hasn't learned that lesson.
East, with the additional danger of a Khomei-
Therefore, the lack of preparedness. Ther e _ nian domination in Lebanon?
fore, the disrespect for agreements and treatie
The entire world is in danger, in the admon-
and approaches to peace. Only the quest fo ✓ ition of Secretary Shultz, of a train coming
power dominates. Only the selfish motives ar e toward it at the end of a tunnel. It can be applied
paramount in what should be an adherence t O
to the entire Middle East most effectively. It is
highest principles in human relations but in
experienced by Israel. Addressing the Confer-
stead becomes a predominance of fratricide an d ence of Presidents of Major American. Jewish
terror.
Organizations in Jerusalem last week, Israel
It is not an exaggeration: the entire world i s Minister of Defense Moshe Arens warned the
terrorized. Else, why would an aim for peace b e
Druze and Shiite communities in Lebanon
sacrificed in the brutalized Lebanon where
against an alliance with the PLO and that it
every effort at creating good will would lead to
was "bound to bring us (Israel) into conflict with
benefits for the Islamic as well as Christian
two
communities with whom we had no conflicts
communities?
whatsoever."
An even more serious question leads to
That's what's happening: unnecessary con-
Cairo. No other people has benefited as much
flicts are being created and trouble spreads from
from a Jewish emphasis on good will and the
need for peace than Egypt. Many lives were lost such sources. That's the contributing Mubarak
evil. That's the comfort given to the PLO and
on her borders prior to 1977. Then came a man
Arafat.
Perhaps that's what panics Hussein
who himself was all-too-often brutalized in the
media under a portrayal of terrorism — even if he meets and fraternizes with Mubarak
and the President of the United States.
Menahem Begin — and together with another
man, who had continually spoken of downgrad-
That's why it is so difficult to emphasize
ing Israel — Anwar el Sadat — they succeeded
accusations of failures at the United States. In
in ending warfare between two nations: Israel
the accumulating guilt there is a multiplicity of
gained from it because it prohibited slaughter.
identifications. Because the democratic powers
Egypt gained as much and more: an end to war
kept bowing to an inhuman PLO and to those
casualties and the attainment of territory —
advocating Israel's destruction, they are now
Sinai — and acquisition of oil wells.
themselves victims of a world terror that causes
casualties everywhere. Because, contrary to
But a successor to Sadat added more to tur-
warnings, the United States has given a meas-
bulence than many other persons in the era of
ure of influence to the Saudis, the oil-rich sul-
horror. Hosni • Mubarak came to Washington
tans contribute to a failure in cementing good
and betrayed a great trust, a peace pact. He had
will.
already embraced the PLO's chief who was
ousted only a short time ago from Syria. He
Because of all such occurrences, Israel
dined with the Jordanian king whose earlier
would be joining in suicidal pacts if it did not
relationships were solid irritations. He advo-
utilize every means available for self-defense,
cated, to the embarrassment of his hosts in this
always having in view the admonition when
nation's capital, negotiations with Arafat. Then
dealing with possible antagonists: "kabdehu
he rushed back to Cairo, apparently to continue
v'hashdehu — respect and suspect."
what may well be termed a betrayal of a great
That's when divisiveness raises an ugly
trust.
head. In Jewish ranks it must be rejected. There
There is another old Yiddish saying about
has to be a unified effort constantly to be on
evil, that an irresponsible person will spread
guard lest the oncoming train in a tunnel prove
disruptive gossip and then run away from the
destructive.
History of Conservative
Judaism in Current Phase
On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the
United Synagogue of America, the Conservative congregational
movement has issued an historical record of Conservative Judaism in
this country.
In a volume entitled "Conservative Judaism: A Contemporary
History," Dr. Herbert Rosenblum, who was ordained by the Jewish
Theological Seminary, points out that Conservative Judaism had its
foundation in the Haskala movement in the latter part of the 10th
Century with roots in Die Wissenschaft des Judentum. In this country
it had its foundation in the reorganization of the Jewish Theological
Seminary in 1902. From 22 congregations, the Conservative move-
ment has grown to 800 congregations in the United States.
Thus, this volume also has a share in the tracing of the history of
the seminary commencing with the important role played by Dr.
Solomon Schechter.
The Rosenblum histdrical record deals with tendencies as well as
personalities. It also utilizes figures regarding the affiliated, and in
that respect there may be some disputes, especially from the Or-
thodox. Dr. Rosenblum contends:
"Having, by 1965, forged to the front ranks of national Jewish
movements, with a membership in its 800-plus congregations of about
1,500,000 Jews, the Conservative movement now began to experience
a distinct easing of its rate of growth, and of the success of its institu-
tional programming. In that year, a typical demographic study
showed that 44 percent of American Jews self-identified as Conserva-
tive, compared with 27 percent Reform and 16 percent Orthodox.
By 1970, the National Jewish Population Study showed this
figure as being 40 percent, and by 1974, the above demographic study,
in a 10-year follow-up, revealed that only 35 percent self-identified as
Conservative, with Reform having climbed to 34 percent and Or-
thodoxy having slipped to 5 percent.
It should be noted that Dr.
Rosenblum makes reference to an ear-
lier book, "Architects of Conservative
Judaism" by the former Detroiter
Rabbi Herbert Parzen who, after a
half-century in the rabbinate, has just
resumed his residence in Detroit.
Rabbi Parzen dealt extensively with
the activities of three of the Jewish
Theological Seminary presidents,
Sabbato Morais, Solomon Schechter
and Cyrus Adler.
Dr. Rosenblum, describing the
trends and tendencies of Conservative
Judaism, deals extensively with the
developing activities of the Rabbinical
RABBI ADLER
Assembly Committee on Jewish Law
and Standards. The late Rabbi Morris Adler who, as chairman of that
committee, made this statement at the Rabbinical Assembly conven-
tion in 1948:
"We must face the truth that we have been halting between fear
and danger; fear of the Orthodox and dange -r of Reform. We have set
our watches by their timepieces. The time has come for our emergence
from the valley of indecision. We must move forward to a stage in
which Conservative Judaism revolves about an axis of positive and
unambiguous affirmations. This will require a measure of boldness
and vision on our part which, as a movement, I am sorry to say we
have not thus far manifested."