1 141 CLOSE-UP \\ALTER HERZ INTERI016 INC Diane Fishman, A.S.I.D. Attorney at Continued from preceding page Walter Herz Interiors 350 Pierce Street Birmingham, Michigan 48011 (313) 647-2100 Id EA custom contemporary furniture Deal Directly With The Manufacturer And Save! I d E • we design, manufacture & install custom laminate furniture • tables, desks, entertainment units, credenzas, bedroom furniture &more. 534-4550 Call Michael Slawski Mon.-Sat Stern FURNITURE SHOWROOM DELRAY BEACH FLORIDA OFFERS LARGE SELECTION THE FINEST QUALITY LIVING ROOM SETS MICA BEDROOM SETS CUSTOM WALL UNITS AT DISCOUNT PRICES 3 ROOM CONDO COMPLETE available for as low as $229500 5 IMMEDIATE DELIVERY AVAILABLE 1027 S. Congress Ave. — 1/2 Mile N. of Linton CALL COLLECT (407) 272-7974 The new look for 1989 now at LA ROCHE ! 13831 W. Nine Oak Park, MI (Next to Stage "My philosophy is that it is better to make my case before the Supreme Court and take my chances of losing," HE SALO Hair & Nails 30 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1988 drafted by Lewin for Agudath Israel, designed to protect Orthodox Jewish women in divorce cases. In Jewish law, a woman must rely on the good faith of her husband to obtain a get, religious divorce, since he must agree to and initiate the proceedings. In a number of cases, husbands have demanded large sums of money or refused to give a get for spite, preventing their wives from remarrying under Jewish law. Lewin's get bill, the first of its kind in the country, is an effort to prevent these personal tragedies by requiring the giving of a religious divorce as a precondition to obtaining a secular divorce. Critics (and there have been many, including some COLPA leaders) maintain that this is an incursion by government into the realm of religious liberty in violation of the First Amendment. But Lewin argues that the law does not violate the First Amendment because "it 'entangles' no court in any religious matter." He says the secular Jewish organizations have exaggerated and flagrantly misdescribed the law and that they are "trying to undermine legislative remedies secured to help religiously observant Jews." He used far stronger language in an exchange over Israel's Who Is A Jew controversy in the pages of the Washington Jewish Week several years ago. In defending the right of Israel's rabbinical courts to determine one's Jewish status, Lewin accused American Conservative and Reform rabbis of engaging in "consumer fraud." These rabbis, he wrote, "have not been warning their converts that they will not be accepted by the Israeli rabbinate as Jews." When some in the community vigor- ously protested Lewin's remarks, he wrote in again. "There is a short and complete answer to the assertion that what I said is libelous," he wrote. "My statement is true, and truth is never libel." Blunt, opinionated, independent, eager to do battle. Lewin's personality hardly seems to fit the mold for a leadership position in the organized Jewish commu- nity. So it came as a major surprise when he agreed to become president of the Jewish Community Council of Greater Washington in 1982. He acknowledges that his aggressive style did not always mesh with the consensus-oriented approach of a Jewish communal organiza- Soft-spoken in conversation, Lewin is known for his self- confidence and willingness to take risks. tion, but he says he enjoyed the experience and strove mightily to work in a demo- cratic way. "Sometimes it's frustrating to see how the Jewish community operates," says Lewin, "but I worked aggressively on specific problems, and had some success." A key issue during Lewin's two-year tenure was mustering support for Israel's war in Lebanon and dealing with negative media coverage. In a meeting with Wash- ington Post editor Ben Bradlee to discuss the newspaper's coverage of the war, Lewin prepared a detailed critique with story-by- story analysis. "Bradlee was impressed," says Michael Berenbauin, who headed the professional staff of the council at the time. "Nat was strong, but not too forceful. His presentation was masterful." Another hot topic at the time was voting on whether or not to accept the local branch of New Jewish Agenda, an organ- ization calling for Israeli accommodation with the Palestinians, into membership of the Council. Lewin favored their accept- ance but was outvoted. "Overall, Nat displayed an extraordinary level of tolerance during his tenure," observes Berenbaum. "He was a man accustomed to cross-examining, and he really learned to listen." Lewin has maintained a less visible role in terms of Jewish communal involvement in recent years, though he is said to have a hand in virtually every piece of Congressional legislation involving Jewish interests. "Nat is a pi:otal man in Washington," said one Jewish insider on Capitol Hill. "He has respect and tenacity." Or, as Michael Berenbaum puts it, "he makes a great friend and a terrific enemy." ❑