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Jewish Opposition Grows
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1985, NYDC Co.

Washington Correspondent

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OUTSTANDING LUCITE DESIGNS

34

FRIDAY, SEPT. 11, 1987

ashington — Con-
gress is back from
its recess this week,
and the agenda includes more
than essays about how the
members spent their summer
vacations. In fact, a lot of
issues of special interest to
the Jewish community are in
the hopper.
The battle over the nomina-
tion of Judge Robert Bork to
the Supreme Court is shaping
up as an epic one, and several
Jewish groups have recently
jumped into the fray. The
B'nai B'rith Women, con-
cerned about how an altered
Court would affect equal
rights for women, is taking a
leading role in lobbying
against the nomination.
And recently, the Jewish
War Veterans broke with
tradition and came out
against the controversial
nomination—although that
position could be changed by
the group's membership at
their annual convention, tak-
ing place this week.
"This is the first time in my
recollection we've taken a
position on a Supreme Court
nominee," said Dr. Pearl
Laufer, a representative of the
Jewish War Veterans. "Ba-
sically, we are concerned
about the strict rigidity of the
policies on which he has
ruled. We are also very con-
cerned about his announced
intention to reverse some of
the decisions that have deter-
mined the course we've been
on for thirty years."
A dominant concern of the
group, she said, is the issue of
the separation of church and
state. "We have been sen-
tinels in that respect, we are
always alert to possible
changes—and we think Judge
Bork represents a clear
danger in that area!'
The group plans an inten-
sive lobbying campaign both
on Capitol Hill and in local
communities. Laufer em-
phasized that the organiza-
tion's membership still has
the power to repeal the deci-
sion of the board—but she
considers this unlikely.
The B'nai B'rith Women
have already been conducting
a serious lobbying campaign
against the Bork nomination.
"Basically, our decision was
made at the end of June," ac-
cording to spokesperson
Aileen Cooper. "Our presi-
dent has written to all the

Robert Bork:
An Epic Struggle

senators, we have sent out an
action packet to all of our
chapters, and we are par-
ticipating in a press con-
ference on Friday with other
womens' groups who are tak-
ing a stand against • the
nomination. We will also be
participating in a leadership
conference of major womens'
groups, working in coalition
with Jewish groups and civil
rights groups on this issue?'
The B'nai B'rith Women,
she said, has also asked to
testify at the hearings before
the Judiciary Committee to
consider the nomination.
Cooper denied that the
group is motivated only by
Bork's position on issues like
the Equal Rights Amend-
ment. "It's a broad spectrum
of things, really. We are con-
cerned that Judge Bork
seems to oppose many things
that our organization is for—
the right of women to choose
on reproductive issues, school
prayer, equal rights for
women, civil rights?'
Cooper expressed surprise
that more Jewish groups are
not committed to the fight
against Bork. "I don't know of
a single Jewish group that
isn't strong on the issue of
church-state separation.
Judge Bork really does have
positions in this area that
should concern us—and this
definitely is a crucial time for
the Court!'
This theme was echoed by
Mark Palavin,, acting Wash-
ington representative for the
American Jewish Congress.
"-More and more, there is a
consensus among Jewish ac-
tivists that this is something
we have to oppose. I find a big
difference here in Washington
from ten days ago. Bork's
position on church-state
issues is obviously preemi-
nent; his writings and
speeches indicate that he is

not going to very supportive,
although there isn't any
single decision you can point
to. It will be very close in the
Senate. And there's another
factor here: some people in
the Senate may be put off a
bit by all the hoopla."
Judy Goldberg, legislative
representative for the
American Civil Liberties
Union, said that the church-
state question was an impor-
tant factor in the group's
decision to take a stand
against the Bork nomination,
despite an unofficial policy
that has kept the ACLU out
of every confirmation battle
except for the 1971 debate
over Justice William F.
Rehnquist.
"You have all these
speeches that fit in with the
position that it's the right of
the majority to legislate
morality for the minority,"
she said. "This goes against
the fundamental guarantees
of our constitution. In one re-
cent speech, he said this:
`There may be in man an in-
eradicable longing for the
transcendent. If religion is of-
ficially removed from public
celebrations, other transcend-
ent principles, some of them
very ugly indeed, may replace
them! He said that he 'wel-
comes the reintroduction of
some religion into the public
schools and some greater re-
ligious symbols in our public
life! He objects to the in-
dividual's right to sue to stop
the spending of public money
for religious purposes?'
If Bork is confirmed, she
said, his position on the vital
"establishment clause" could
return prayer to schools,
allow nondiscriminatory
state aid to religious institu-
tions, and coerce personal
morality in a variety of ways.
Jews, she suggests, have
special reason to fear this in-
terpretation of the basic
rights of minorities.
The fireworks are scheduled
to start in earnest on Septem-
ber 15, when the Senate Ju-
diciary Committee—under
the chairmanship of presiden-
tial candidate Joe Biden-
begins hearings on the
nomination. A Senate vote
cannot take place until the
new Court term begins on Oc-
tober 5.

Vandalism Bill

Rep. Dan Glickman (D-
Kan.) is poised to introduce a
new version of his bill to put
teeth into laws prohibiting