THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Friday, September 14, 1984
Rabbis push for a contemporary
application of Jewish values
Palo Alto, Calif.(JTA) — Two
prominent rabbis urged Jews to
return to the basic moral values of
Judaism, and to apply those val-
ues in dealing with the social
problems that concern the general
society today.
Among those problems, they
cited the condition of the poor and
the unemployed, schools, housing,
nuclear proliferation, the right of
privacy, capital punishment,
abortion and the definition of
death.
Rabbi Harold Schuiweis, of Val-
ley Beth Shalom, a Conservative
synaggue in Encino, Calif., and
Rabbi Saul Berman, who will as-
sume the post of senior rabbi at
the Lincoln Square Synagogue in
New York, an Orthodox
synagogue, were the principal
speakers at the first plenary ses-
sion last week of the ninth annual
Conference of the Coalition for Al-
ternatives in Jewish Education
(CAJE). Rabbi Brian Lurie,
executive director of the Jewish
Federation of San Francisco,
Marin County and the Peninsula
served as moderator of the
dialogue.
Berman, while agreeing that
"there is a need for re-emphasis on
the universalism of Jewish obli-
gations," added that he "would
not, however, predefine the
Jewish approach to social issues
as necessarily consonant with
what passes for American
liberalism." He said he did not
think that "the Jewish approach
on issues such as abortion or defi-
nition of death, or even equality,
would necessarily conform to
what we would describe as liberal.
The issue is not a return to
liberalism as much as it is an hon-
est return to Jewish roots."
Jewish involvement in the so-
cial problems that confront
society, Berman declared, is "not
a matter of philosophical or esthe-
tic preference, but is a matter of
religious obligation."
As an example of how Jewish
law. relates to contemporary is-
sues, Berman turned to the sub-
ject of abortion. The contempor-
ary debate on this issue, he said,
"has been conducted between
those who, on the one hand, insist
that the fetus is a living person,
and those, on the other hand, who
insist that the fetus is entitled to
no protection while the mother is
entitled to use her body in accord-
ance with her own will."
Jewish law Berman said, "has
traditionally rejected both these
opinions. It insists that the fetus
becomes a living person at the
moment of birth, while
simulataneously insisting that no
human being is fully entitled to
injure or destroy any part of her
own body at will."
"While eliminating these ex-
treme positions," he continued,
"Jewish law affirms the need for
careful case by case evaluation of
the rights of the potential person
as against the needs of the living
mother. While Jewish law does
describe certain patterns of situa-
tions in which abortion is not
permissible — such as for purely
socio-economic reasons, and
likewise describes certain situa-
tions in which abortion is cer-
tainly permissible, such as where
there is threat to the life of the
mother — nevertheless most situ-
ations require case by case deter-
mination based, on the
peculiarities of the needs in-
volved."
Berman declared: "We must
draw on that Jewish wisdom to
enrich the public debate in
America and to elevate the moral
standards of the country."
UCSJ blasts Hebrew teacher arrests
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Washington — The Union of
Councils for Soviet Jews (UCSJ),
meeting in Washington this
week, issued a statement deplor-
ing the recent arrests of four He-
brew teachers in the USSR and
urging the American Jewish
community to send telegrams and
letters condemning the Soviet ac-
tions to President Reagan and
Secretary of State George Shultz
prior to their scheduled Sept. 28
meetng with Soviet Foreign
Minister Andrei Gromyko at the
White House.
The UCSJ statement calls for a
"cessation of harassment and ar-
rests of Soviet Jews" and for
Soviet authorities to allow an in-
crease in emigration of Jews from
the USSR.
The arrests of the Hebrew
teachers have taken place in var-
ious Soviet cities during the past
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More than 200 persons participated in last year's Freedom Run for Soviet
Jewry at the main Jewish Community Center.
Judith Grant Granader, chair-
man of the 1984 Freedom Run for
Soviet Jewry, announces that
registration applications are still
month, according to Detroit available for the six-mile run to
Soviet Jewry Committee spokes- start at the Jewish Community
man Nissen Uten, who was in Center on Sept. 23.
Washington for the UCSJ gather-
Last year over 200 runners par-
ing. The most recent detainees are ticipated in the Freedom Run. The
Yaakov Levin, who was arrested Detroit Soviet Jewry Committee
in Odessa last week, and. Mos- of the Jewish Community Council
cow's Yaakob Goredetsky, de- (DSJC) and the Jewish Commu-
tained by Soviet officials two nity Center Runners Club are co-
weeks ago when he refused to tell sponsors of the run.
police his place of employment.
At the close of the run, at about
In a related development, after 11 a.m., young people and their
serving a three-year sentence in families who have participated in
Stantsi Vydrino labor camp for al- the Soviet Jewry bar-bat mitzvah
legedly "defaming the Soviet twinning program, will dedicate a
state," Aleksandr Paritsky was freedom grove in the area sur-
released, the National Conference rounding the walking track at the
Olt Soviet Jewry reported.
Center.
Paritsky, 46, was arrested on
Call the DSJC, 962-1880, or the
Aug. 28, 1981, after a long cam- Jewish Center phys ed depart-
paign of KGB harassment culmi- ment, 661-1000, ext. 180, to ob-
nated in the search of his home in tain Freedom Run registration
Kharkov.
forms.
In Moscow, refusenik Alex-
I
COMPLETE LINE OF
GLASS DISHES
sandr Yakir, recently convicted
on charges of alleged "draft eva-
sion, has been transferred from
Butyrka Prison to another prison
within the city, pending his ap-
peal. After receiving the official
transcript and verdict on Aug. 28,
Yakir's attorney had until this
week in which to file an appeal.
Meanwhile, only 83 Soviet Jews
were permitted to emigrate in
August, according to the Greater
New York Conference on Soviet
Jewry. This brings the total for
the first eight months of 1984 to
652.
Freedom run
seeks athletes
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399 3094
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