UP FRONT
Conference Focuses On Ties
Between Jews, Christians
In Jewish tradition God is treated
ELIZABETH KAPLAN
Features Editor
t wasn't the ordinary crowd
usually found at a temple. The
sanctuary was filled with hun-
dreds of priests, ministers and Chris-
tian leaders.
The clergy gathered last week at
'Ibmple Beth El for the 47th annual
Rabbi B. Benedict Glazer Institute.
The event brings together Catholics,
Protestants and Eastern Orthodox in
a symposium designed to help re-
ligious leaders better understand
each other's faiths.
The first speaker was Rabbi W.
Gunther Plaut, senior scholar at
Holy Blossom Temple in Ibronto, who
spoke on "Exploring the Word: The
Use of Midrash for Biblical Inter-
pretation."
Rabbi Plaut first discussed the
meaning of the Hebrew word drash,
which he described as a combination
of seeking and asking. Yet in asking
one is also waiting for a response, he
said.
So, too, are Jews seeking answers
when they turn to the Bible, Rabbi
Plaut said. And while the written
word is static, it is not limiting.
"The text is never exhausted and
0 is always fresh," he said. He compared
the Bible to a prism which, when held
to the light, shows hundreds of colors
in unending patterns. "That is the
secret of scripture. As you turn it and
turn it, it reveals new insights."
The Jewish approach to scripture
is different from that of Christianity,
Rabbi Plaut said. In Christianity, "it
is the person of Jesus who stands in
the center of the query." Yet Jews
"start with the text in order to reach
God; they do not start with God to
reach the text."
I
with great respect, "very distant but
at the same time utterly familiar,"
Rabbi Plaut said. And Jews are per-
mitted to argue with God through the
text.
He cited the case of Abraham's
dialogue with God at Sodom and
Gemorrah. "The act is significant,"
Rabbi Plaut said of Abraham's asking
God how He could kill the righteous
with the unrighteous. "A human be-
ing is questioning God's justice and
God's wisdom?'
He also cited a midrash on Moses,
who argues with God when he is not
permitted to enter the Promised
Land.
God, Rabbi Plaut said, tells Moses
he will not be allowed to pass into the
Promised Land because he killed an
Egyptian without allowing him a
trial.
"Wait a minute," Moses responds.
"What about you? What about all
those Egyptians you drowned in the
Red Sea?"
Man is permitted to argue with
God, Rabbi Plaut said, but he may not
always receive the answer he wants.
God's response to Moses' comment is,
"You're man and I'm God and that's
the end of it:"
Rabbi_ Plaut recalled another
midrash in which a group of rabbis
are debating the most important
verse in the Bible.
Throughout the night they each
utter verses from the text, finally set-
tling on a verse in Genesis, "This is
the book of the generations of man."
It might seem curious that the
rabbis decided on such a seemingly ir-
relevant verse, Rabbi Plaut said. But
the message in the verse is important,
Continued on Page 22
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Steelwork and cement block walls for the Rosenberg athletic building at the Jewish
Community Center have begun to rise on the site of the old tennis bubble behind the Center.
The building will house a multi-purpose room, three tennis courts, two areas for tennis,
basketball or classes, a lounge-snack bar, and have a terrace connecting to three outdoor
tennis courts and the outdoor swimming pool.
Trenton Seeks Reform Ties,
Hires Woman Student Rabbi
Leizerman said the younger families
have 20 youngsters age 6 13, making
RICHARD _PEARL
-
Staff Writer
B
eth Isaac Synagogue of Tren-
ton, which has been a Conser-
vative synagogue for most of
its 36-year history, has applied for
membership with the Union of
American Hebrew Congregations, the
Reform branch of Judaism.
Congregation officials said a ma-
jor reason for the change is that the-
large number of interfaith marriages
among members — particularly those
with children — created special needs
which the membership felt best would
be served by UAHC affiliation. Of-
ficials declined to give exact figures
on the number of intermarriages.
Beth Isaac President Paulette
it the congregation's largest Sunday
school class in 15 years, and the
parents have been calling for more
professionally trained leadership. The
synagogue's membership of less than
100 includes 45 families plus some
single adults, she said.
The congregation has hired Deb-
bie Pipe-Mazo, a third-year rabbinical
student from Hebrew Union College
in Cincinnati, to conduct Shabbat ser-
vices one weekend per month.
Pipe-Mazo next will conduct ser-
vices at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 24 and at 9:30
a.m. Feb. 25, followed by an instruc-
tional Torah class.
Pipe-Mazo is believed the first
woman rabbi hired by a Detroit area
congregation.
ROUND UP
Brother Can You
°' Spare A Hoop?
New York (JTA) —
Basketball-playing brothers
at Yeshiva University have
carried their sibling rivalry to
the top of the school's all-time
scoring list.
Earlier this month, Y.U.
senior Ayal Hod broke the
mark for most career points —
a record set last year by his
brother, Lion Ayal, a center,
contributed 31 points to his
team's winning effort against
St. Joseph's, bringing his
total to 1,563 with nine
games still to play.
The performance broke
Lior's record of 1,541 points,
a mark snapping a record
that withstood challenge for
eight years.
The brothers' record-
breaking performances have
contributed to some uncom-
mon success for the Y.U. Mac-
cabees. Last year, the team
earned its first post-season
playoff berth in the 53-year-
old basketball program.
Sara's Deli
Makes Its Move
Don't worry. Be kosher.
That pareve cheesecake will
still be there. So will "Marty's
Rennovation" sandwich and
the steak with mashed
potatoes. Only the location
will change.
Sara's Kosher Deli this
week announced plans to
move into the facility oc-
cupied by the Sunshine Cafe
in the New Orleans Mall at
Ten Mile and Greenfield
roads. Sara's owner Morris
Goodman said he hopes to
open in about a month at the
new facility.
The Dexter-Davison shopp-
ing center, where Sara's is
located, is slated to be
renovated with increased rent
rates.
Goodman said his first con-
cern in finding a new location
for Sara's was to remain near
his customers. He had con-
sidered moving in the Jimmy
Prentis Morris branch of the
Jewish Community Center,
but Center officials were not
interested in having the
restaurant at the facility, he
said.
in Beirut, the hijackers
demanded the expulsion of all
Palestinians from Lebanon.
Terrorist's Thal
Begins In U.S.
Rep. Maxine Berman, D-
Southfield, last week rein-
troduced in the state
legislature a proposal that
would allow families to stop
autopsies on deceased
members for religious
reasons.
Berman first introduced the
proposal last June.
The proposal would not
cover cases of suspected
homicide or public health con-
cerns such as AIDS.
The trial of the first ter-
rorist to be brought from
Lebanon to face American
courts began this week in
Washington.
Fawaz Yunis, who is
Lebanese, faces charges in the
1985 hijacking of a Royal Jor-
danian airliner .
During a 30-hour trip that
started in Cyprus and ended
Autopsy Bill
Is Reintroduced
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
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