Jerusalem is not only not
the spiritual center of the
Jewish People, it has made
itself famous for the brutality
of its scholars toward other
scholars and — of greater
weight — the uninformed,
unimaginative, uninteresting
level of its scholarship in
Jewish studies.
Then where? No where else.
No other place can take the
place of Jerusalem, however,
since the conception of a
spiritual center anywhere but
Jerusalem, in the age in
which the Jewish state en-
dures and Jerusalem is
Jewish, lies beyond anyone's
imagining. When Jerusalem
was destroyed, then, and only
then, did Yavneh form a place
of consequence — by no
means a "center" in any
event — and then for scarcely
a generation. American
Jewry cannot form the center
of world Jewry for any pur-
pose of culture or religion or
the life of the intellect, for the
simple reason that we are
altogether too American to
serve.
lb enter into our Judaic life
of heart and intellect, you
have to live in American
English, in American life and
politics, worry about our wor-
ries, dream our dreams; that
is altogether too particular to
serve beyond our borders. For
we dream in American and
about American things. Proof
of the deep American-ness of
our community is that we
cannot absorb Russian Jews
as Jews — until, first of all,
they become Americans and
so understand our Judaism,
its odd character and curious
compromises. And no other
center of Jewish life in the
world has a sufficient critical
mass, in numbers, and an
adequate intellectual gravity,
even to think in such terms.
So it is either Jerusalem or
nowhere, and today,
Jerusalem is, from an in-
tellectual viewpoint,
nowhere; a wasteland, un-
productive, arid, cruel.
Do we need Yavneh as a
source of Jewish wisdom? No,
but we surely could use a
Jerusalem, a place of wisdom
and moral authority,
enlightened learning and
humane, engaging values.
Has Jerusalem succeeded in
forming the spiritual center
for the Jewish people? No, but
Jerusalem also has not lost,
and can never lose, the oppor-
tunity to make of itself that
one center that Jewry can ac-
cept, admire, emulate.
Right now, the heart is
dead. But it can come to life
— it can always come to life.
And there is always hope, as
the Israeli national anthem
claims: always. ❑

,

To All Our
Friends, Family And Our
Communities of Homeowners,
A Wish For A
Year Filled With
Happiness, Health and
Everything Good In Life.

THE HERMAN FRANKEL ORGANIZATION

Simsbury Condominiums
Woodcliff Homes & Condos

851.3500
683.3502

To All Our
Relatives
and Friends,
Our wish for a
year filled with
happiness,
health and prosperity.

May the New Year Bring

To All Our Friends

and Family — Health,

Joy, Prosperity

and Everything

Good in Life.

SEYMOUR KAPLAN AND FAMILY
HOWARD NISKAR AND FAMILY
And The Staff

The Diamond People For Over 50 Years

MPIANVo ‘.;

30555 SOUTHFIELO RD CONGRESS BLDG SUITE 100

(ONE BLOCK SOUTH OF 13 MILE ROAD) SOUTHFIELD.

PHONE (313) 645-9200

so

0 , 0 01 LITTLE HEL N

BABY SITTING REFERRAL SERVICE

MURRAY, LINDA & LORI
GOLDENBERG

Warmest Wishes
For A Most Happy,
Healthy New Year

To All Our
Family, Friends
and Clients

JULIE SIKORA

Fine Arts Appraisers and Auctioneers Since 1927

BONNIE WEINTROB

851.0660

Wishes Everyone
A Healthy and Happy

"New Year"

409 E. Jefferson
Detroit, Michigan
963.6255 or 963-6256

(Across from the Ren Cen)

FREE VALET PARKING
ALL AUCTION DATES

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL
OUR FRIENDS AND CUSTOMERS

737-2450

• Cookie & Candy Trays
• Special Occasion
Baskets
• Custom Orders
Welcome

BERNIE & MARCIA
BUCHALTER

Wish All Their Friends &
Customers A Healthy,

Happy NEW YEAR!

WE DELIVER!

1

Orits9.— 113
e ft

Sandee Nabat
Elaine Kovinsky

HAPPY AND HEALTHY
— NEW YEAR —

To All Our Members & Friends

of Southfield

29179 Northwestern Hwy.

Franklin Shopping Plaza, Franklin, MI 48034

(313) 358-2333

Friends of Israel Cancer Association
Michigan Branch
and Hanoar Chapter

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

153