I UP FRONT KIMBERLY LIFTON Staff Writer A case pending in the Califor- nia Supreme Court is prompt- ing more rabbis here and across the country to reevaluate the need for malpractice insurance policies. A 1979 lawsuit which alleged that a church was negligent in counseling a man who committed suicide return- ed to the national spotlight last month when the California Supreme Court heard arguments for the case. It had been appealed after a judge halted the trial in 1985, ruling that a judicial attempt to set pastoral stan- dards would violate the first amendment. Parents of the victim claim the church should have referred their son to a professional counselor. "You have to protect yourself," said Congregation Beth Shalom Rab- bi David Nelson, who does not have malpractice insurance. "A rabbi is a free ear. But what you get for free often is not enough." Rabbi Nelson said he has recent- ly thought about purchasing in- surance. He suspects it is necessary. "Many people aren't taking this issue seriously enough," he said. "Eventually, there will be enough frivolous lawsuits that rabbis will have to protect themselves." The California case — the first of its kind to reach a state's high court — has left some rabbis and congrega- tion officials fearful that unhappy worshippers might sue. "Religion is a messy issue within the American legal system — it's an undefined area," said Rabbi Elliot Pachter of Adat Shalom Synagogue, whose congregation purchases malpractice insurance for rabbis. "It is an unfortunate thing that rabbis need insurance, but we have to take a realistic approach. We were advis- ed to be be careful in rabbinical school. We were told to get malprac- tice insurance?' Officials from the Reform, Conser- vative and Orthodox movements um- brella organizations said no clergy malpractice claims are pending against rabbis. Still, executives from each group said their respective boards have discussed providing group malpractice insurance policies to member rabbis. "It used to be that you never sued your place of worship," said insurance agent Sy Warshawsky, who has writ- ten policies for rabbis from four metropolitan Detroit congregations. "Those days are goner Congregation officials would not disclose information about individual malpractice policies for covered rab- bis in metropolitan Detroit, but said policies average $500,000 a year. About 20 national insurance car- riers underwrite policies which give financial protection to ministers and other members of the clergy who do marriage counseling, career advising and psychological guidance. Warshawsky said malpractice in- surance for rabbis is relatively inex- pensive. He said an average malprac- tice rider can be attached to a synagogue's insurance plan for $50 a Continued to Page 28 C. Nu tkiew icz/Media Rabbis Reevaluate Need For Malpractice Insurance Crews put out one of 60 suspicious fires in Israel that authorities believe have been set by Palestinains. Jewish Foster Care Network Is Established ALAN HITSKY Associate Editor S ocial service officials and area rabbis have formed a commit- tee to guarantee Jewish foster children in Michigan placement in Jewish foster homes. The group has been meeting mon- thly as the Jewish Children's Foster Home Project and has a commitment from the state Department of Social Services (DSS) to treat Jewish children in the same way as native American indians. Under that model, officials will try to place Jewish children through Jewish institutions first. Officials of the state and Oakland County departments of social services and Orchards Children's Services have been working with Detroit area rabbis since last year when two Jewish children from Oak Park were placed with a Christian family in Flint. Eight to 10 Jewish children are believed to have been taken from their families last year and placed in foster care. According to Gerald Levin, executive vice president of the Or- chards, one-third of the 24 youngsters in the Orchards' residential care pro- grams are Jewish, and he forsees a wider need for Jewish foster care. Continued on Page 22 ROUND UP Soviet Jews Visit Israel Tel Aviv (JTA) — The number of Soviet Jews visiting Israel is growing rapidly. The Soviet policy of allow- ing Jewish citizens to visit relatives in Israel has brought more than 1,700 Jewish tourists from the Soviet Union to Israel in the first five months of 1988. That compares to 183 Soviet Jewish tourists in all of 1987. Although - they come primarily to see their families, the visitors are taken on organized tours of the country. Iburists from Moscow and Leningrad report that the visa offices in large Russian cities are flooded with re- quests for permits to visit Israel. They say the visas are given freely, with no difficulties. But there is a long wait, up to four or five months, because the clerks are hard pressed to deal with the large number of requests. Attacks Alarm French Jews Paris (JTA) — Alarmed by two incidents that occured within a 24 hour period, the Conference of French Rabbis urged the authorities to take all necessary measures to halt the wave of attacks on Jewish institutions in France. They also urged Jewish community leaders to be more vigilant in protecting Jewish property. Last week in the first inci- dent, a synagogue in the Marseille suburb of Allauch was burglarized. Ibrah scrolls and prayer books were burned and about $80,000 worth of ornaments were stolen. In the second incident, two shrapnel grenades were thrown at the Jewish com- munity center at Epinay-Sur- Seine, north of Paris. No one was hurt and there was no damage. Another incident happened earlier this month but was just recently reported. The grave of Alfred Dreyfus was desecrated, according to his grandson, Charles Dreyfus, who said the tombstone in the old cemetery in Montpar- nasse was covered with swas- tikas and anti-Semitic graffiti. Alfred Dreyfus was a cap- tain in the French army in the 1890s. He was falsely accused and convicted of treason in what was the worst anti-Semitic scandal in French history. He was even- tually exonerated and freed after years in' a penal colony. Chabad Starts Drug Program Bais Chabad of Farmington Hills on July 12 will begin operating a drug information and counseling center. Rabbi Chaim Bergstein recently participated in a drug training seminar in Los Angeles for 37 Lubavitch rab- bis from across the country. The Farmington Hills pro- gram is part of Lubavitch's Project PRIDE (Prevention Resources: Information and Drug Education). The program will be open to the public 7-9 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and will provide drug prevention literature, videotapes, profes- sional counseling and local referral. There will also be community presentations and workshops. Directors of the local pro- gram are Jerome Kaufman, Dr. Julian Kutinsky and Et- ta Landy. Speakers are Edythe Franklin and Dr. Michael- Fox, and founders are Seymour Karbal, Dr. Ar- thur Lieberman and Dr. Har- ris Mainster. THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 5