28 Friday, April 25, 1986 . THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS LICK YOUR WEIGHT PROBLEMS 11W 4624 Woodward Ave. .1 b ► k. 6. of 14 Royal Oak, Ml Peirielcoves Thinner), • Manicures • Pedicures P • I Tips • Nail Designs • Hair Styling • Blow & Curl, Perms Tints • Makeovers • SPECIAL OF THE MONTH Manion & Pedicere $20 Plus . . . 20% OFF (313) 399-8885 Noreen Green Weight Loss Counselor and All Acrylic Nails Nutritional Facilitator RAISING CASH FLOW! ALL SPRING & SUMMER . 0 OFF WOMEN'S MERCHANDISE . FRI., APRIL .25 THRU FBI., MAY 2 40 0 / MON.-FRI. 10-6 THURS. 10-8 • ALL SALES FINAL • NO CREDIT CARDS ,4% Lena Tanya Kheynson . Kaufman 1 WEEK ONLY! 1 WEEK ONLY! BOUTIQUE LOCATED INSIDE LA MIRAGE MALL 29555 NORTHWESTERN HWY. Spoil youpelf with a modem bath by Aqua Glass'. These units are handsomely sculptured with high styling for enduring quality. They are made of solid acrylic and they are equipped with a minimum of six jets, 3/4 horsepower pump, in-line heaters are available, and 1 OF 10,000 Refreshingly Different ( items AT . HERALD WHOLESALE 20830 Coolidge Hwy. just north of 8 Mile Rd. 398-4560 357-5424 they come in a variety of sizes and colors. Come view Aqua Glass at Herald Wholesale. And receive savings of 20% and more. HOURS: 9-5:30 MON/FRI, 9-3 SAT OR CALL FOR A SPECIAL APPOINTMENT ANYTIME PURELY COMMENTARY Jewish Unity Continued from preceding page sniping at each other, no group grows." Is the Greenberg proposal for an intra-Jewish dialogue at scholarly levels, at lay and rab- binic levels, possible? He insists: "Almost all of the outstanding divisive issues could be solved or at least reduced by policies and halakhic approaches already in existence. But first the commit- ment to each other must be strengthened enough to carry the burden of such an effort to a suc- cessful conclusion." Yeshiva Univer ity President Rabbi Norman La m, who is viewed as dealing w th the issue from the Orthodo perspective, endorsing the duty to strive for unity, commented that "no amount of goodwill posturing will resolve the problems facing Jews today. Although there can be more than one response. within Jewish law, a pluralism which accepts everything as legitimate can lead to spiritual nihilism. If everything is kosher, then noth- ing is kosher." Could this lead to a barrier to the discussion, to a monkeyw- rench in the discussion? Union of American Hebrew Congregations President Rabbi Alexander Schindler expressed concern lest some of the differing views lead young Jews to say "a plague on both of your houses." He called for concreteness in group relations, while recogniz- ing the differences over such matters as the Reform decision on patrilineal lineage. His pro- posal was improvement of group relations between groups, includ- ing exchange of ideas and pulpits, joint studies and a regular, non- binding religious forum where possible mutual compromises could be explored. This is where the great strain exists. In many local experiences, Orthodox 'will not step into a Conservative or Reform house of worship. In most instances, they will go to hotels to conduct their dinners and fund-raising events, although often most of the generosity is from the non- Orthodox. Does this undermine the unity dream? There is an interesting quota- tion from the Schindler speech to the Princeton conference: "Words like Orthodox, Reform, secular are adjectives. The noun is Jew." This is where the challenge re- ceives its most effective defini- tion: are the differing elements ready to accept the unifying Jew definition as a totality in Jewish life ? Unless the views expressed are treated seriously and respect- fully, the issue could tangentially develop into calamitous disunity. Therefore, although, the opinions thus resorted to are brevities, they must arouse serious con- cern. Especially thought-provoking have been the appeals for unity uttered constantly by Rabbi Emanuel Backman, chancellor and ex-president of Bar-Ilan University. His weekly column in the Jewish Week of New York is one of the most . thought- provqking in the Jewish media. He constantly urges conciliatory ' • .7.711,VORL ■ seracta approaches, adherence to the need for unity, calling for a cer- tain measure of "tolerance" -- that is not his term used in the discussion — by his fellow Or- thodox. Yet, "Yitz" Greenberg and Dr. Rackman are under constant at- tack by fellow Orthodox. There- fore, their roles in the unity de- bate are the most vital in efforts to erase inner prejudices. The issue is serious. It must not be shelved. Regardless of the obs- tacles, the aim must be pursued. The centrality of it,. the Jewish personality above destruction partisanship, demands self- respect, without which there can be no genuine unity. Additional Divisiveness Another threat to Jewish unity and to religious "tolerance" and self-respect was in evidence in Is- rael earlier this month when the official religious authorities re- fused to grant recognition to the marriage, at a public ceremony, of 15 new immigrant .Ethiopian couples in Tel Aviv. Israel's Chief Rabbinates would 'not recognize the authority of the Kessim, the Ethiopian community's leader. In spite, of the objections, the cere- mony was performed by the Kes- sim leaders. There are threats from differ- ing objectors to the evident enforcements by the Israeli reli- gious authorities that reach out into many of the existing and functioning Jewish organized community tasks. Extremism has already been widely resented in Jewish communities in this coun- try and in Great Britain. A letter published in the London Jewish Chronicle expresses the anger of a Leeds Reform rabbi who tempo- rarily withholds his contribu- tions to the JIA, the British equivalent of the UJA, because of the Orthodox prejudices. Leeds Rabbi Walter Rothschild expressed his protests against a rising tide of obscurantism and fundamentalism, not from the fringe of the community but, what worries me far more, from institutions at the "center." In this. assertion is incorporated an accusation that Israeli govern- ment authorities share in the guilt which causes him to with- hold gifts to the leading philan- thropic cause. These are factors not to be ig- nored. Responsibility for search- ing for changes and improve- ments and rejection of the charged fundamentalism be- comes a duty in Israel-Diaspora relations. A tragic note of dissention was introduced at the Israeli Consu- late in New York by Ashkenacic Chief Rabbi Avraham Shapira and SephardiO Chid Rabbi Mor- decai Eliyahu whi) described the Reform and Conservative move- ments in America as "creating a new Torah that can divide the. Jewish people. They must not change Halakha, the Jewish reli- gious law, and must stop convert-