NEWS Family Run Pharmacy FREE DELIVERY I SENIOR CITIZEN DISCOUNT WALDRAKE PHARMACY 661-0774 Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m. KEN JACOBS, R. Ph. I NOW A COMPLETE SUPPLY OF DURABLE MEDICAL SUPPLIES • • • • Power and Manual Wheelchairs • Hospital Beds and Accessories Walkers and Canes • Dietary Food Supplements Ostomy Supplies • Patient Care and Wound Care Supplies Incontinent and Urinary Supplies • Independent Living Aids • Bathroom Safety Equipment MEDICARE MEDICAID 5548 Drake Rd., West Bloomfield (corner of Walnut Lake, 1 mile north of J.C.C.) Reproductive Rights in Jewish Tradition and Law A PANEL DISCUSSION SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1987 3 P.M. JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER OF WEST BLOOMFIELD 6600 WEST MAPLE ROAD AT DRAKE SHIFFMAN HALL MODERATOR Prof. David C. Sobelsohn PANELIST Prof. Robert Sedler Attorney and Constitutional Scholar. Wayne State University Law School PANELIST Prof. Tikva Simone Frymer-Kensky PANELIST Rabbi Meilech Silberberg Department of Women's Studies, U of M Bais Chabad of West Bloomfield SPONSORED BY Jewish Community Center Labor Zionist Alliance Council Jewish Community Council of Metropolitan Detroit of Metropolitan Detroit Midrasha College of Jewish Studies Jewish Law Students Association National Federation of the University of Detroit of Temple Sisterhoods New Jewish Agenda of Metropolitan Detroit With the Assistance of The Council of Orthodox Rabbis of Greater Detroit For more information call 18 FRIDAY, OCT. 23, 1987 9 62 -1880 Jewish Agency Continued from Page 1 is simply not a clear thinker," explains Rabbi Alexander Schindler, president of Union of American Hebrew Con- gregations, a voting member of the board of governors. "He cannot articulate ideas. He goes on and on, and when he gets through talking, you don't know what he's said!' Others have less against Levinksy personally but feel that a change of leadership style is important now, and they view Levinsky as too similar in age, temperament and style to Dulzin, the cur- rent chairman who is not popular with Diaspora leaders. "There is now a definite feeling that the Jewish Agen- cy is on the cutting edge of an important change in Dias- pora-Israel relations," says Alan Marcuvitz. "People look at 70-year-old Akiva Levinsky,identified with the past, and do not see him as the man to take the Jewish Agency into the future." He compared Levin- sky's candidacy to that of Hubert Humphrey following the Vietnam War. "Hum- phrey was simply identified with something the country wanted to change!' Levinsky's image as "old guard" seems to be his greatest detraction. His skill as an administrator is hailed even by those who criticize his candidacy. "I have worked with Levinsky shirt sleeves rolled up," attests Marcuvitz. "There is no more competent person when it comes to handling financial affairs if he is left alone. Unfortunate- ly, when the [Labor] party puts pressure on him, he squirms!" Esther Leah Ritz, who sits on two Board of Governors' committees (though not a governor herself) echoes sup- port for his management skills. Ritz asserts that Levin- sky has made the treasurers' office the best department in the Agency, "attracting the youngest and most talented people anywhere in the Agen- cy? , The turning point came last month when outgoing chair- man of the Board of Gover- nors Jerrold Hoffberger con- vened an informal 90- minute caucus of approximately twenty American and Cana- dian governors at the Vista Hotel in Manhattan. "There wasn't a single voice in sup- port of Levinsky. When an in- formal poll was taken, Levin- sky was unanimously re- jected, " reports one JA Governor. Another in atten- dance - explains, "It wasn't a matter of raising hands, but more of a consensus vote!' Akiva Levinsky Rabbi Schindler, who him- self did not participate in the vote, immediately approached Max Fisher, of the Jewish Agency's nominating commit- tee and warned that if the WZO waited as expected un- til after the December World Zionist Congress elections to seek the consent of the Gover- nors, "it, would be terrible because 'they obviously will not consent. Therefore, the consent must be obtained beforehand to avoid any em- barrassment." Fisher con- curred, according to sources who heard the exchange. Schindler also lobbied Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres during his U.N. visit. At the same time, Levinsky was urged to write an open letter seeking support, not on- ly from the Governors, but from the larger Jewish Agen- cy Assembly. Several days later, on September 17, Levin- sky distributed a four-page open letter, publicly commit- ting himself to anew reform era for the Jewish Agency. "The Jewish world and Israel are both changing," wrote Levinsky, "the Jewish Agen- cy and the WZO must change as well and reflect the new Jewish condition worldwide!' Levinsky promised his elec- tion would deliver cohesive inter-departmental manage- ment, depoliticized personnel practices, checks and bal- ances between Agency de- partments and Diaspora leaders, and the involvement of more Diaspora people in decisionmaking. Levinsky's letter swayed some. "Before I received the letter, I was undecided," said Esther Leah Ritz. "I now believe him, and support him!' But many others, in- cluding traditional WZO stalwarts like Bernice Tan- nenbaum, are keeping their options open. Just after Rosh Hashana, the Governors' nominating committee selected South African Mendel Kaplan as