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March 28, 1986 - Image 75

Resource type:
Text
Publication:
The Detroit Jewish News, 1986-03-28

Disclaimer: Computer generated plain text may have errors. Read more about this.

75

comparative figures for dif-
ferent regions of the country,
but believes that if California is
"ahead," the cause may be
ascribed to three reasons.
—Many older rabbis come to
California for retirement, and
while they no longer have con-
gregations, still do weddings
and funerals.
—On the breakup of a Jewish
marriage in another state, one of
the partners strikes out for the
fluid social scene of California.
Such a person is likely to blame
the "Jewishness" of the other
partner for the failure of the
marriage and look among gen-
tiles for a new spouse.
—California has been hos-
pitable to religious "creativity"
since the turn of the century and
more open to experimentation
than the Middle West or East
Coast. This attitude applies to
all religions, says Blau, noting
that many Catholic refugees
from Central America have con-
verted to fundamental Pro-
testantism since coming to Los
Angeles.
Based on his own experience,
Blau also has some interesting
observations on the demograph-
ics of intermarriage. He points
out that half of a century ago,
practically all intermarriages
were between Jewish men and
gentile women. Now, he says,
the ratio is more like 60% male

and 40% female among the
Jewish partners, and the gend-
ers will probably draw even in
another few years.
By far the highest proportion
of Jews "marrying out" is found
among women over 40, who
discover that single Jewish men
of their age groups either marry
younger Jewish women or gen-
tiles. Because the over 40
women are past child-bearing
age, they have fewer guilt pangs
about taking gentile spouses.
With few exceptions, Reform
rabbis who officiate at mixed
marriages do not like to go
public with their stand or
names.
One cited as a reason that
"the demand for mixed mar-
riage ceremonies is so great,
I would be overrun with re-
quests" if his name were
generally known.
Blau, who says he maintains
cordial and respectful relations
with the Orthodox and Conser-
vative rabbinate, puts it dif-
ferently:
"I have no hesitation in giving
out my name," he says, but
privately rather than in print.
The reason, he says, is that "I
don't want to encourage counter
statements from the Orthodox
segment, which, however well-
intentioned, inevitably sound
racist. I don't want to put the
Orthodox in that position."

Remember the
1 1 th Commandment:

"And Thou
Shalt be
Informed"

r

r-N

rm /Th

r t•in

f-1 1(

Representative Retracts
'Inelegant Phrasing'

Washington (JTA) — Rep.
Robert Dornan (R. Calif.) last
Monday indicated regret for
remarks he made on the House
floor last week which one major
Jewish organization character-
ized as "anti-Semitic slander."
Dornan, a hardline conver-
ative" member of the House
oreign Affairs committee who
known to be staunchly pro-
srael, acknowledged that he
ad used "inelegant phrasing"
hen he attacked Radio Mos-
cow commentator Validimir
Posner who appeared briefly on
ABC Television after President
Reagan's nationally televised
speech seeking public support
for his military budget.
Dornan, expressing outrage
that the Soviet commentator
was allowed air time to rebut the
President, called Posner "this
disloyal, betraying little Jew."
Posner is Jewish on his father's
side, though the family had con-
verted to the RusSian Orthodox
faith long before his birth.
B'nai B'rith International ex-
ecutive vice president Daniel
Thursz demanded that Dornan
apologize for "a classic anti-
Semitic slander." "To call atten-
tion to Posner's Jewishness in a
defamatory manner is totally

reprehensible," Thursz said in a
statement issued.
Dornan, who had called
Posner's TV appearance "an af-
front to decency and to Jewish
people around the world," said
in a Cable News Network inter-
view that a pro-Israel group
called him saying he had no
reason to apologize for his
remarks. "I disagree with that,"
the California Congressman
said. "That was inelegant phras-
ing." He did not identify the
pro-IsMel group.

Holocaust
Writing Contest

Washington — The second an-
nual national writing contest for
high school students has been an-
nounced by the U.S. Holocaust
Memorial Council. Students may
write up to 2;000 words in any
category on the topic "What Does
the Holocaust Mean to Me?" The
contest is part of the 1986 obser-
vance of "Days of Remembrance,"
co-ordinated by the U.S.
Holocaust Memorial Council.
For information, call Marcia
Feldman, (202) 653-9154.

- •

• •

^:.-..s;.-2:.04104.44.04.4• 410.

Y

You've read the
five books of
Moses. Isn't it
time to try the
Fifty-Two Issues
of the Detroit
Jewish News? It
may not be
holy, but it's
weekly! And
such a bargain.
To order your
own subscription
call 354-6060.

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