r :/---- .....—.„ THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 18 Friday; Aprill1 , 1986 CLOSE-UP •PAPER, PLASTIC RETAIL & HANDLE BAGS ALL IN ASSORTED COLORS • WRAPPING PAPER • RIBBONS • YARN • BOWS • ZIP-LOCK BAGS • • BUBBLE SHIPPING ENVELOPES & ROLL STOCK • TRASH BAGS • GIFT WRAP CAPITAL TIRE STORE FIRST SIGNAL LIGHT X • INDUSTRIAL PACKAGING AVAILABLE • NO MINIMUMS MADISON NATIO AL SANK MANDOLINE ❑ 00051 BADER RAG Ask For Cathy 585-3200 Bader Bag Co.83 CASH & CARRY WAREHOUSE OUTLET 800 E. 'MANDOLINE • MADISON HGTS • M-F 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. HILLEL DAY SCHOOL cordially invites you for Dinner and Dancing on Tuesday, the thirteenth of May Nineteen hundred and eighty-six Adat Shalom Synagogue Music by The Smiling Faces Cocktails at six Dinner at seven Couvert $100 per person Special Honorees Mike and Mary Must Amy Cutler Dinner Chairman Jack Liwazer Honorary Chairman Saul Waldman Honorary Chairman Ronald Riback. Patron Chairman Sara Greenberg Ad Journal Chairman For Reservations Call Hillel Day School 851-2394 In July 1985, an estimated 30,000 Jews (mostly Orthodox) protested at the Wes- tern Wall against the Mormon Center, in- sisting that the new buildings would be used as "missionizing bases" aimed at young, impressionable Israeli Jews. Similar, smaller demonstrations have taken place—involving secular as well as religious Israelis—and hardly a day goes by without a letter to the editor or some other mention of the Mormon project in the Israel press. In the last few months, paid newspaper advertisements have appeared supporting both sides of the debate—including one, signed by 96 Hebrew University profes- sors, which declares: "The Mormon sect . . . is known world-wide as a missionizing sect . . . we are convinced that this group wishes to `Mormonize' the people of Israel ... We call on the Government of the State of Israel to stop the Mormon missionary project now." Political columnists and poli- ticians themselves have taken up sides on the issue, most notably Jerusalem Mayor Teddy Kollek, who views the present con- flict as a challenge to his administration's commitment to an ethnically-diverse and tween being a Jewish State and a full- religiously-tolerant Jerusalem. •fledged Democracy. For those who value Israel primarily as A new organization, ironically named a living memorial to the Holocaust and as ("Hand to the Brothers"), Yad L'Achim a. guaranteed safe-haven for oppressed has staged numerous demonstrations and Jews everywhere, Israel's existence as a is engaged in a major propoganda campaign Jewish State—in which even the poorest against the Mormon Church—which, they and most infirm Jews can be governed by claim, will missionize in Israel regardless of their fellow religionists—is the overriding any guarantees to the contrary. In the consideration. leader, "When L 'Achim words of one Yad For them, an Israel unencumbered by you talk about the Mormons, 'educational Christian missionaries and unthreatened and religious purposes' can only mean one by a growing native-Arab population would thing: missionary activity." be the ideal situation. The rights of non- Part of the recent upsurge in anti-Mor- Jews in Israel—while these may be of some mon activity has been fueled by the dis- concern—are clearly of secondary impor- covery of several Church documents from tance. (Meir Kahane and his "Kach" move- the mid-1970s which suggest that once the ment are an extreme example of this posi- Jerusalem Center is completed, the Church tion.) will indeed engage in missionary efforts.. On the other hand, there are those for While the Mormon Church officials ac- whom Israel's democratic tradition (indeed, knowledge these documents as authentic, Israel is the only country in the Middle they insist that the papers are out of date. East with free, democratic elections) is the To be fair, the documents which have greatest source of pride and national self- thus far been discovered—by Yad L'Achim "spieS," according to one Church official—. respect. According to this view, it is Israel's wes- are "out of date" insofar as they were pro- tern-style democratic government which duced before any formal Israeli admoni- enables the country to be, at once, econo- tions against Mormon missionary activity mically and militarily secure (due in large were made. All public statements issued by the Mormon Church and BYU since 1980 ' part to its reliance on another democratic state, the U.S.) and also a "light unto the have included a positive declaration that no nations," guaranteeing freedom and sec- Mormons would engage in missionary work urity to all its inhabitants. in Israel. Despite such assurances, forceful With regard to the Mormon Center issue, opposition to the Morthon project contin- it would be fair to say that most anti- ues. The Mormon issue has divided Jerusalem Mormon activists come . from the first - —not to mention other Israelis and non- group, with most Mormon supporters be- Israelis as well—into two distinct camps. longing to the second. (Note: There is also In many ways, the debate over a Mormon a small group of ultra-Orthodox Jews who, Center in Jerusalem is part of a greater, for their own religious reasons, do not sup- fundamental issue confronting the Modern port the existence of 'Israel as a legitimate State of Israel; the inherent conflict be- state at all. According to this marginal he Mormon sect . . .is known world-wide as a missionizing sect . . . we are convinced that this group wishes to Mormonize' the people of Israel." . ,