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THIS ISSUE 60(P
SERVING DETROIT'S JEWISH COMMUNITY
Baker Speech Stuns
AIPAC Audience
JAMES D. BESSER
Washington Correspondent
Secretary of state James Baker's
recent speech to the policy conference
of the American Israel Public Affairs
Committee (AIPAC) has given the pro-
Israel community a serious case of the
jitters.
_
But in private, administration of-
ficials insist that the speech, which
called on both Israel and the Palesti-
nians to show a greater flexibility in
pursuing the peace process, did not
represent any shift in U.S. policy, or
a deliberate attempt to put pressure
on the government of Prime Minister
Yitzhak Shamir.
"People have to understand that
we have been urging more flexibility
all along," said one high-ranking state
department official who attended the
AIPAC banquet later in the day. "The
United States clearly intends to play
a mediating role; you don't do that by
being a cheerleader for one side or the
other."
Other analysts point out that the
speech was even tougher on the
Palestine Liberation Organization. In
his remarks, Baker demanded that
the PLO "renounce the policy of
`phases' in all languages, not just
those addressed to the West." The
secretary also used blunt language in
insisting that the PLO amend its
charter, and find ways to turn the
violence of the intifada into a genuine
political dialogue.
"What he was saying is that 'we
agree with you about 80 percent, but
we want you to go further,' " said
Barry Rubin, a Middle East analyst
for the Washington Institute for Near
East Policy. "If people expected an
`image' speech, they were mistaken.
As a policy speech, it was realistic!'
Rubin pointed out that the
speech's key elements — including
Baker's insistence on some form of
Palestinian self-rule short of an in-
dependent state, and his strong war-
nings against annexation of the oc-
cupied territories — have long been
part of U.S. policy.
Continued on Page 18
Cantors Hold Off
Women Membership
ALAN HITSKY
Associate Editor
Proponents of admitting women
to the Conservative movement's Can-
tors Assembly outpolled tradi-
tionalists 108-82 last week, but fell 19
votes short of the two-thirds required
to admit women.
Last year, the vote to admit
qualified women cantors failed 95-97.
"This has been an ongoing debate
for two to three years," said Cantor
Chaim Najman of Southfield's Con-
gregation Shaarey Zedek and a
member of the Cantors Assembly ex-
ecutive council. "There are some
deeply felt emotional concerns here.
"We want to protect those
members who feel strongly about
changes in the profession. And there
is an overriding concern about the
women who have worked hard and
graduated from the Jewish
Theological Seminary."
Fellow executive council member
Cantor Larry Vieder of Adat Shalom
Synagogue said traditionalists oppose
women cantors because as shlichim
tsibor — messengers of the congrega-
tion — they would occupy a different
role as prayer leaders than women
rabbis do as speakers.
Other local cantors who attended
the Cantors Assembly meetings in
the Catskills include Max Shimansky
of Congregation Beth Achim, Samuel
Greenbaum of Congregation Beth
Shalom and Sidney Rube of Shaarey
Zedek. None of those contacted would
discuss their vote on the issue.
Representatives of the two oppos-
ing factions within the Conservative
cantorate will meet this year in an ef-
fort to resolve their differences, said
Cantor Samuel Rosenbaum of Buf-
falo, N.Y., executive vice president of
the Cantors Assembly. "It will be
harmful if we vote on this issue year
after year."
Cantor Rosenbaum said six
women qualify for membership under
Cantor Assembly rules requiring a
bachelor of sacred music degree with
a JTS diploma of hazzan.
A Cantors Assembly committee
studied the admission of women two
Continued on Page 18
NEWS
MAY 26, 1989 / 21 IYAR 5749
I CLOSE-UP
The Collectors
Fire memorabilia, miniature shoes
and antique matchstrikers — the one
thing they have in common: the
passion with which several Detroit
area residents collect them.