46 Friday, November 22, 1985 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS STERLING SILVER FLATWARE AT REAL SAVINGS LIMITED TIME OFFER BRAND NAME SALE Sale Includes All Active Patterns Place Settings and Open Stock Available -4p4sri ■ QF o Mormons In Israel: Testing The Tolerance Over 250 patterns on' display and Hundreds more to choose from. .164,-;rra & Silversmith, pine* WLE OBSERVATIONS COMPARE OUR LOW PRICES AND SAVE ON STAINLESS & SILVER-PLATED FLATWARE 1916 Diamond Brokers, Importers, Jewelry Manufacturers DOWNTOWN BIRMINGNAM ANFADOWSRON VILLAGE MAGI WORST@ RSNER DWG. DETROIT 210 N. Womiworti 642-7137 Wabowl a:A at Adams 375-9100 123 Rotate Buiform 172-3360 ells" Sisterhood of Mat Shalom Synagogue presents GALA ART AUCTION Sunday, Dec. 8, 1985 Preview 7-8 pm Auction 8 pm Adat Shalom Synagogue 29901 Middlebelt Road Farmington Hills, MI 48018 Admission: $1.50 per person Includes Reception and Gift Lithograph to each attending family For Reservations Call: 851-5100 Tickets also available at the door 1/ hilsum's Misses and Petite Fashions 2-12 4-16 HUGE SALE FALL/WINTER FASHIONS 75% OFF • Previous Purchases Excluded • No Layaways • No Charges Our Regular Hours: Mon. thru Sat. 10 to 6 Thurs. 10 to 8 Harvard Row Mall,11 Mile at Lahser 354-4650 BY CARL ALPERT Special to The Jewish News Haifa — On a recent visit to Jerusalem there were two events of some significance. They were completely different from each other in tone and at- mospehre, yet there was a con- necting 'ink. Both dealt, directly or indirectly with the same vital issues — yet neither was given much attention in the local press. One event was the colorful Christian celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles, under the auspices of the Christian Em- bassy in Jerusalem. Some 5,000 Christians, from more than 40 countries, assembled in the capi- tal for a week of religious fes- tivities, the highlight of which was an outdoor program at the Sultan's Pool, an amphitheater just outside the walls of the Old City, and below the Tower of David. The spirit was one of complete and utter identification with Is- rael in all its problems,. in- tertwined with an evangelical Christian fervor. Hebrew songs, patriotic Zionist banners and slogans, speeches. endorsing na- tional policies of Israel, all left no doubt that these people are loyal true friends of the country. Yet, as the words of welcome to the Israeli guests pointed out, this was essentially a program for Christians, and it therefore had a Christian content. It is this content in all the organiza- tion's activities which had in- vited the charge that it is a front for missionary activity. Hymns to Jesus and an evangelistic atmosphere made it quite clear that this was not a Jewish organization, albeit Zionist to the core. Instructions issued to the 5,000 visitors from abroad were quite explicit with regard to their contacts with Israelis: "Please do not leave tracts or at- tempt to proselytize. This can cause great offense." The official attitude of the government was perhaps indi- cated by the fact that Prime Minister Shimon Peres appeared and addressed the gathering. He was given a warm welcome. With it all, we were left with mixed feelings of gratification for this international support, and strangeness in the exalta- tion of the evangelical atmos- phere. The second event in Jerusalem was billed as a "Great Debate" series, and it dealt with the question: Is the Mormon Center good or bad for the Jews?" Brigham Young University is now building a branch on Mount Scopus alongside the Hebrew Univer- sity, and there have been charges that it will become a center of Mormon proselytizing activity. In the debate, Yosef Goell, of the Jerusalem Post, gaVe a low-key reasoned exposition of the case that Jerusalem must be an open city — open to all faiths. Any attempt to deny a presence there to any religious group would adversely affect Is- rael's reputation. So long as the Mormons obeyed the laws, he said, they should be welcomed here. Jews should have suffi- cient confidence in themselves to be able to reject all mission- ary efforts. He was supported by the director of the Mormon Cen- ter, speaking from the floor, who noted that his church had given its pledge, both oral and writ- ten, that the school would be only a center for education to its own youth brought here from abroad, and would not engage in missionary work. . The assault on the Mormons came from the other member of the panel, Yehuda Schwartz, editor of the Jewish Press, in New York, a religious-oriented publication which has long had an association with Rabbi Meir Kahane. The case against mis- sionary activity can be pre- The case against missionary activity can be presented effectively and logically, but Sch wartz's frenzied and hysterical onslaught departed from all norms of public debate. sented effectively and logically, but Schwartz's frenzied and hys- terical onslaught departed from all norms of public debate. Some members of the audience who opposed the Mormon Center nevertheless took pains to dis- sociate themselves from Schwartz's ill-tempered ranting. Whatever evidence he may have had with regard to the true in- tentions of the Mormons was lost in the turbulent outpouring of insult and invective. A relatively large number of impassioned and intolerant young people however, noisily identified with Schwartz. The atmosphere took on the "lynch" aspects of what has come to be known as `Kahanism." Two meetings in Jerusalem: the shadow of the threat of mis- sionary activity hung over each, as well as question about Is- rael's ability to accomodate to the presence of non-Jews in the holy city. The gathering of thousands at the Sultan's Pool was a demonstation of good will support for Israel. The debate, on the other hand, was turned into an exhibition of intolerance in the worst of taste.