20 Friday, March 21, 1986 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Gifts for CLOSE-UP Birthday • Bat Mitzvah Sweet Sixteen • Confirmation Jerry Falwell Continued from preceding page 'im= AwyrD411 wAlmmumn- tilkA ,immil •• "V' ' 111 Hunters Square Orchard Lake Rd. at 14 Mile 855-6566 TABLES Parson's or Cube Table up to 36"x60" , 19 995 FREE PEDESTAL WITH EVERY ORDER FUTURISTIK 1260 D Rankin Troy 585-7990 Deal Direct with the Manufacturer Call for Appointment The campus of Liberty University, where Jerry Falwell is chancellor, is populated with neatly dressed students, none of whom affect the extreme fads sometimes seen at more secular institutions. • A tribute: the gift that brings joy before it's ever received. When you honor someone close to you with a JARC tribute — for a bar mitzvah, birthday, anniversary, memorial, or special occasion — you'll be bringing them joy. But before they ever open their tribute, your gift will be bringing joy to people you've never met. People at the Jewish Association for Retarded Citizens. You'll be helping those people realize their dream of living a life of quality, pride, and dignity. And helping keep hope alive for the hundreds of others waiting for a home. Send a JARC tribute today. It's ayery special gift that brings joy before its ever received. Order your tribute from Call Today the following: ■ Brick ($50) Jewish Association for III Double Chai ($36 Retarded Citizens 17288 West Twelve Mile ■ Chai ($18) Southfield, MI 48076 ■ Regular 11-ibute Sponsors of Haverim Homes (Minimum $5) A non-profit, non-sectarian organization. 557-7650 MICS 4206 • rabbi based in Chicago and is nationally known as the president of the Holyland Fellowship of Christians and Jews, an organization that seeks cooperation and discussion of sensitive issues among Chris- tians and Jews. Some of those issues in- clude the fundamentalist Christian move- ment, proselytizing among Jews and the role of Messianic Jewish movements. With regard to Falwell, Rabbi Eckstein has a strong track record. Indeed, Falwell has spoken at his Chicago synagogue, and Rabbi Eckstein probably has a more sen- sitive finger on the pulse of the Christian right than any other Jew in the land. "Falwell is a lightning rod for Jewish criticism and at times unfairly so," Ecks- tein said. "The company line is that he's a symbol of those who are trying to Chris- tianize America. Jewish fears and anxie- ties on this question tend to latch on to him, partly because of the media attention he's gotten. "People like Falwell have evolved into symbols in this country," Eckstein added. "In the last election, I heard people look- ed at the election as more of a choice be- tween Jerry Falwell and Jesse Jackson than Walter Mondale and Ronald Reagan. Falwell doesn't command the broadbased Christian support people give him. I think that of the various Christian figures in the news, he's come most to the left of center. He's shifted as a result of public exposure. By getting people in dialogue, you'll see them shift to the left, and I believe that happened to Falwell. His left is still to the right, but there are a lot of other Christian fundamentalist leaders with a greater fol- lowing who could turn against us unless we give them the opportunity to interact with us and hear our concerns. "I think as right wing as he is, Falwell is extremely sensitive to Jewish thought." Eckstein pointed to Falwell's speech last year to the Conservative Rabbinic Assembly. It was an apology for any reference he might have made to the "Christianization of America." "The term Christian nation is somewhat unfair as applied to Falwell," Eckstein said. "Falwell has become sophisticated enough to know not to talk in those terms. On the other hand, he espouses a conser - vative position on a variety of issues such as the role of religion on public policy, an that is something we have to contend with He wants to moralize America, no ' necessarily Christianize it." Make no mistake about it, though, Fal- well is in favor of missionizing to non- believers in Christ, whether they ar Jewish or unsaved Gentiles. He believe that Jews and Israel will take more of role in the return of Jesus. In Jerry Falwel and The Jews, Falwell said that th e Messiah that is looked for by both Jew • and Jesus are one in the same. "Here's another area where we reall take it in the neck," Falwell commented