AL HARRISON LUGGAGE OUTLET TORAH PORTION Luggage — Business Cases — Small Leather Goods — Handbags RECORDING STUDIOS EVERYTHING EVERYDAY 20-50% OFF 3116 W. 12 Mile • Between Greenfield & Coolidge • 545 - 7393 INVITES YOU TO SING AT YOUR NEXT PARTY CALL FOR DETAILS 851-9099 We May Be Able To Reduce Your Health Insurance Costs • Visit Our Studios at Tally Hall • Gift certificates (All recordings in full compliance with Federal copyright laws) OUR OFFICES ARE BARRIER FREE EE CONVENIENT PARKING CLOSE TO EXPRESSWAYS DISTINCTIVE INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP YOUNG OR OLD LAW OFFICES FOR LEASE American Community Mutual Insurance Company Individual or Suite Home Office — Livonia, Michigan 24724 LAHSER RD. Between 9 & 10 Mile Rd. Founded 1938 We offer a variety of plans through a Michigan-Based Company Call or write PHILIP HOROWITZ & ASSOCIATES 30555 SOUTHFIELD RD., SUITE 300 SOUTHFIELD, MICHIGAN 48076 313 644-6662 Southfield Share law library, equipment, services Parking close Beautiful ideal area MARVIN W. CHERRIN 352-0838 FRED GROSSMAN GALLERY requests your presence as our special guest for a major showing of recent works by nationally known MARY VICKERS Paintings, Paper Sculpture, Graphics rr *Saturday, November 15, 1986 7-9 p.m. *Sunday, November 16, 1986 1-5 p.m. ,. ARTIST IN ATTENDENCE! REFRESHMENTS! wed Grossman CAllery 29528 Northwestern Hwy. Southfield, Mich. 48034 (313) 350-1686-87 44 Friday, November 7, 1986 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS `Babble' Of Language Hinders Understanding =Nom RABBI IRWIN GRONER Special to The Jewish News I n the sidrah Noach, we read the fascinating story of the Tower of Babel. The Bible wants to explain how mankind came to speak many languages. The text relates that for- merly, all mankind spoke one tongue. A group of men de- cided that they could achieve lasting fame by building a tower that would reach the heavens. God was displeased with their plan, for their in- tention was to displace Him. So He confused their lan- guage; each builder began to speak a different tongue, forc- ing them to cease their proj- ect. The name of the area was then called Babel, mean- ing confusion, hence the word "babble". The story has fascinated people of all ages. It focuses our attention on the com- plexities and problems of communication. We wish we could all speak one language, but we suffer from a confu- sion of tongues. Communica- tion, despite technological breakthroughs of unprece- dented magnitude, remains our most vexing concern. Au- thentic communication is hard to achieve, for it needs a meeting of minds, and an emotional rapport that re- quires patience, sensitivity and empathy. Consider the family situa- tion where husband and wife are communicating on differ- ent wavelengths. They may both speak of the importance of security, but for one, secu- rity is understood in purely financial terms, and for the other, security is an emo- tional feeling of well-being. They both claim to love their children. For one, love means giving children material things and creature comforts. For the other, love is ex- pressed not so much in mate- rial possessions as in the gift of self. This is an iilustration of a larger truth recently dis- closed on the international scene. We want to know why the meeting at Reykjavk be- tween President Reagan and Secretary Gorbachev did not resolve the profound dif- ferences between the- two superpowers. But how can we expect nations with different cultures, different tongues and different ideologies to achieve instant agreement, when the problem of com- munication, even in the same language with people in the same family, is so difficult? When Americans say "Gov- ernment of the people, by the people, for the people," and refer to the term "democ- racy," we know what it Irwin Groner is rabbi at Cong. Shaarey Zedek. means. But when the Soviets call Poland "a people's democracy," do they mean the same thing? And what about religiou, social and ethnic groups in our own country? Is the majority sufficiently aware of the sensibilities and longings of minorities so as to be able to grasp their yearning and respond to their needs? When Rev. Jerry Falwell is challenged for his many references to "Christian America," he responds by ex- plaining that he means "Judeo-Christian." But is his understanding of America's Shabbat Noach: Genesis 6:9-11:32; Isaiah 54:1-55:5 freedom of religion and non- sectarian spirit the same as ours? Even the discourse that takes place between diverse groups in Jewish life reflects this "babel" of tongues. Do we all share the same under- standing of the most basic of terms: Judaism, Mitzvah and Torah? We can be enriched by the diversity of interpretations and by the range of differing views. But sadly, one often discovers that communication breaks down because of a failure in recognizing the legitimacy of diversity, the existence of pluralism and the different paths of Jewish belief and practice. We find that we are speaking differ- ent languages. The story of Babel chal- lenges all of us to create through trust, humility and love, a common language of the human spirit in every as pect of our shared lives. Reports Link Waldheim Jerusalem (JTA) — Israel has refrained from any official' comment on reports pub- lished last week that Austrian President Kurt Waldheim participated in Nazi atrocities against Yugoslavian civilians during World War II. A Foreign Ministry spokes- man said that the report, published in The Washington Post, would have to be studied in detail before a response is made. According to the report, Waldheim, a Wehrmacht intelligence of- ficer in the Balkans at the time, was directly involved in the massacre of civilians in what the Nazis called a "pacification" operation. Israel has still not decided whether to send an Ambas- sador to Vienna.