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Friday, August 16, 1985

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

The Jewish people will split apart within
decades into two hostile groups
who are unable or unwilling
to marry each other.
Unless we act now.

IN there be
one Jewish people by the year
2000?"
Until recently, this question
would have been dismissed as mis-
chievous. The normal, ongoing social
dynamics of the Jewish community
worked to keep us one people. From
time to time, divjsive actions by
militants from different groups have
threatened to disrupt the unity, but
"We Are One" appeared to most

BY JRVING GREENBERG
Special to the 4leioleh News

Jews to be as eternal and solid a
truth as the ageless hills.
There has been a decisive chal-

lenge to this truth in the past
twenty years, though. The pattern of
current demographic change and
negative social interaction is leading
to grim consequences. If sociological
forces are left to operate unchecked,
within decades, the Jewish people
will split apart into two, mutually
divided, hostile groups who are un-
able or unwilling to- marry each
other.
It will take determined, con-
tinuous action to reverse the combi-
nation of demographic trends, par-
ticularly in the areas of conversion,
patrilineal descent' and mamzerim

(halachically illegitimate children),
that is creating this disaster for
Jewish survival. (See Sidebar)

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