UP FRONT
Who Is A Jew?' Discussion
Continues On Local Level
tity, and the public proclamation by
Special to The Jewish News
an Jewish groups sit down and
work out their differences on
the "Who is a Jew?" issue?
There is a local effort to at least sit
down and talk about the problem,
sponsored by the American Jewish
Committee.
Panelists at a public meeting
recently at United Hebrew Schools in-
cluded Dr. Zvi Gitelman, a professor
of political science at the University
of Michigan, representing the Or-
thodox viewpoint; Barbara Cook, an
attorney and vice president of Adat
Shalom Synagogue (Conservative);
Walter Shapero, attorney (Reform);
and Miriam Jerris, executive director
of the Society for Humanistic
Judaism.
The meeting, part of a year-long
effort by the Detroit chapter of the
American Jewish Committee to en-
courage dialogue between the dif-
ferent movements, sparked lively
discussion on the "Who is a Jew?"
issue as it relates to the recognition
of converts, intermarriage and im-
migration to Israel. Also discussed
was Reform's recognition of
patrilineal descent as a valid claim to
Jewish identity. Only matrilineal des-
cent is recognized by the Orthodox
and Conservative movements in
deciding who is a Jew.
Barbara Cook said the recogni-
tion of patrilineal descent makes it in-
creasingly difficult for Conservative
rabbis, who are forbidden to marry
Jews to non-Jews, to know who they
may and may not marry. Dr.
Gitelman added that "the adoption by
the Reform movement of patrilineal
descent as a criterion for Jewish iden-
large numbers of Reform rabbis that
they will sanctify and bless marriages
of Jews to non-Jews, automatically
separates us and threatens not only
our unity in practice, but now our
agreement on who is a Jew and what
is a Jew. It thus threatens our future
unity."
"My children," he said, "if they
continue to be observant, will be
halachically forbidden to marry ever-
increasing numbers of people who
consider themselves Jews but who are
not considered such by traditional
Jewish law."
Variance in practices among the
Jewish branches, it was pointed out,
will create a future situation where
one group of rabbis will not be
recognized by another group. Dif-
ferences in rabbinical practices have
already created tension between the
Orthodox and Conservative
movements. Orthodox rabbis do not
recognize the Conservative move-
ment's converts as a result of doubts
as to how the conversion process is
carried out.
In response to comments criticiz-
ing changes implemented into Reform
practice, Shapero stated, "The fun-
damental question is, 'What will best
assure the perpetuation of the faith
and belief of the Jewish people over
the long haul?' I think Reform Jews
believe that a flexible response to a
changing world is the best way to
assure that."
Jerris, on the issue of the
Humanistic movement's willingness
to accept mixed marriages, explained
that this acceptance is often a last-
ditch attempt at "leaving the door
Continued on Page 16
NS
c Ar no ld G lick 1 985
LINDA ROMAN
c
SHMOOZIN
"Children! Don't eat so much chazarai!"
21-Member Panel To Study
Jewish Education Needs
DAVID HOLZEL
Staff Writer
ewish Welfare Federation
president Dr. Conrad Giles
completed the appointment of
members of the Study Committee For
Jewish Education last week. The
21-member body will study the educa-
tional needs of the Jewish communi-
ty and draft a plan to implement its
findings, Dr. Giles said. The commit-
tee's initial meeting is slated for
January.
Dr. Giles announced Federation's
decision to form the committee in Oc-
tober. Joel Tauber was named com-
mittee chairman at that time. The
decision to reexamine the Jewish
j
education system came in the wake of
the departure of United Hebrew
Schools superintendent Dr. Gerald
Teller in August and the subsequent
search for his replacement. Ofra
Fisher was named acting
superintendent.
"We have made this [study] pro-
cess more comfortable for the com-
munity by having Ofra Fisher in
place," Dr. Giles explained.
He emphasized that the commit-
tee would not only examine UHS,
which is closely connected with the
area's Conservative congregations.
"Since Federation is an umbrella
organization, we should attempt to
assure as best we can Jewish educa-
Continued on Page 16
ROUND UP
Beth El Rabbi
Departs Early
Temple Beth El Rabbi Dan-
nel Schwartz may be stepping
down as spiritual head of the
1,500-family Reform con-
gregation eralier than
planned.
Schwartz, who under an
agreement worked out with
the temple's board of directors
was to lead the state's oldest
congregation through June
30, 1988 before taking a
year's sabbatical, announced
at services last Friday night
that he was departing
immediately.
A spokesman for Beth El
President Jerome Ash said
this week that Schwartz's ac-
tion was unexpected and a
surprise, since the rabbi and
the temple board were active-
ly engaged in discussions that
would have started his sab-
batical this January.
Schwartz, who has been
senior rabbi since 1982, was
unavailable for comment.
Backers of Rabbi Schwartz
had won seats on the temple's
board last July as petition
candidates, and positioned
their victories as a referen-
dum in support of retaining
him. At a board meeting later
that month, an effort to ex-
tend Rabbi Schwartz's con-
tract beyond June 30, 1988
was unsuccessful.
Boesky Enrolls
In Seminary
New York (JTA) — Ivan
Boesky, sentenced Dec. 18 to
three years in prison for his
role in illegal insider trading,
enrolled as a master's can-
didate at the Jewish
Theological Seminary of
America.
Arab Americans
React To Riots
Washington (JTA) — As the
Palestinian rioting and
Israeli countermeasures in-
tensified in the administered
territories, the Council of
Presidents of National Arab-
American Organizations
recommended that the
United States approach Israel
about creating a domestic
riot-control force.
Council President Khalil
Jahshan said the council op-
posed Israel's current reliance
on "soldiers who tend to
resort to the use of live fire in
tense situations." Israeli
forces have not, however, us-
ed live ammunition against
the rioters within Israel's
borders.
They also asked for U.S.
statements of concern over
the situation to be "supported
by action," such as by suspen-
ding the U.S.-Israeli
Memorandum of Understan-
ding signed Dec. 14, Jahshan
said.
Israeli Arabs
Stage Strike
Tel Aviv (JTA) — The
general strike called by
Israel's Arab citizens in
solidarity with their fellow
Arabs in the administered
territories was virtually 100
percent effective Monday.
The strike shut down Arab
shops, businesses, manufac-
turing plants, schools,
municipalities and all public
services. It spread to East
Jerusalem, whose Arab
residents are not Israeli
citizens, to Arab villages near
the capital and the West
Bank and Gaza Strip.
It reportedly was joined by
Druze residents on the Golan
Heights who heretofore re-
mained aloof to such
demonstrations. The strike
was accomanied by scattered
incidents of rock-throwing
and tire-burning, some in the
heart of the country.
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
5