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18 Friday, January 17, 1986
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THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
TORAH PORTION
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BY RABBI IRWIN GRONER
Special to The Jewish News
This week's sidrah recounts
the final hours that the children
of Israel spent in the Land of
Egypt. After the most grievous
of the plagues, the slaying of the
first born, befell the Egyptians,
Pharoah, in despair, called upon
Moses and Aaron and declared
"Arise, go forth from among my
people. Leave the land."
An astute commentator points
out a singular phrase in the
text: "Depart, -both of you and
the Children of Israel." Up until
that moment, the ruler of Egypt
had referred to the Hebrews by
the word am people or masses.
This was the first time that
Pharaoh called these slaves by
their names — "Children of Is-
rael." Pharaoh finally recog-
nized their identity. They were
persons, they had an ancestry,
they were B'nai
An important insight is com-
pressed in that comment which
illuminates aspects of contem-
porary life in our time. In 1947,
the British evacuated Palestine,
and the State of Israel was de-
clared shortly thereafter. But
the British government was not
as yet ready to recognize the in-
dependence of that state, so they
sent messages addressed to "the
Jewish authorities in Tel Aviv. I
represent the State of Israel and
until you recognize that State,
we shall not accept your com-
munications."
Thirty-eight years later, Arab
spokesmen continued to refer to
the 31/2 million people who are
their neighbors as did the
British in 1947. In the United
Nations, one hears references to
the "Zionist entity" as though a
whole generation of Israel's in-
dependent existence had never
occurred, as though there is no
State of Israel.
The greatest difficulty in
bringing peace to the Middle
East is deeper than the issues of
boundaries: treaties, or refugees.
The nations of the world must
say to the Arab countries, "The
State of Israel exists. You must
recognize her identity and call
her by name."
As we look at our people!s
past, we see another dimension
of this truth. Although the iden-
tity of the Jewish people has,
through the centuries, been a
pora. But in the last 40 years,
this question has been asked re-
peatedly. It continually surfaces
in a free society where Jews
have integrated extensively in
every , aspect of collective life.
"Who are we forces us to con-
front our relationship with our
past, our distinctive way of life,
our unique existence.
Before a couple gets married,
they usually meet with the
rabbi to discuss aspects of the
wedding ceremony. One of the
questions asked is "What is your
Hebrew name, and the Hebrew
name of your father and
mother?" In the course of the
ceremony, the Ketubah, or mar-
riage contract, is read identify-
ingthe bride and the grooni by
,
Bo: Exodus
10:1-13:16.
Jeremiah 46:13-28.
their Hebrew names. At that
point of the interview, a look of
puzzlement often appears on the
faces of the couple and an em-
barrased pause ensues. Some
vague childhood memory is re-
called, but very often no precise
knowledge is provided because
the couple doesn't know, or
hasn't used, or perhaps hasn't
even been informed of their He-
brew names. Consider this a
paradigm of the uncertainty and
confusion that often marks
Jewish identity in our own time.
These young people know they
are Jews, and they are proud to
be Jews. But they are not sure
of their own names. To know
one's name is to know one's in-
dividuality, uniqueness, and the
fact that one is different from
others. Such knowledge should
be high on the agenda of con-
cern of the American Jewish
community. For itis this knowl-
edge that constitutes the neces-
sary condition for the redemp-
tion of our people, for the re-
vitalization of our faith, and for
the renewal of our spirit.
,
mystery to others, the Jew was
always aware of who he was. He
Set Up
Available
knew his name. The Jew never Station Denies
forgot his origin, his lineage, Hate Charge
and his mission 'as a member of
Am Kodosh, a sacred people. He
New York (JTA) — Radio
had a responsibility to lead a Liberty, one of three radio sta-
life of purity and holiness. No tions broadcasting programs
matter what the Czar said, or ' into the Soviet Union, last week
the peasants believed, or the dismissed as nonsense allega-
Church declared, no one could tions that it broadcasts anti-
deprive the Jew )of his most _pre- Semitic material, including ac-
cious possession', which was his cusations that the Jews were re-
identity. If you cherish your sponsible for the murder of
heritage, no suffering or tribula- Christ.
tion can crush your spirit.
"This is total nonsense," said
Challenged by the impact of Steven Miller, a programming
modernity, ours is the only gen- director with Radio Liberty and
eration in the panorama of Radio Free Europe. InTa tele-
Jewish history that has asked phone interview, he asserted
the question "Who is a Jew?" It hOwever, that similar charges
was not asked in the period of have been - raised in the past but
the Talmud, in the Middle Ages, that Radio Liberty had been
in the many lands of the Dias- cleared of the allegations.
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