I NOTEBOOK
Major Story of '90s
Continued from Page 3
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counter the growing Arab
population, the average
citizen is also concerned
about putting food on his
table. And the Soviet Jewish
influx is perceived of as a
drain on the already troubl-
ed Israeli economy.
Unemployment is high, peo-
ple are going hungry, and
now the Russians are corn-
ing — will they be getting all
of the financial breaks at the
expense of native Israelis?
That is the concern, and it
needs to be addressed. Al-
ready there have been pro-
tests by some poor Sephardic
Jews who are urging that
the government limit the
number of Soviet Jewish
emigrants. And such sen-
timents are fueled by reports
of an American community
telling its Project Renewal
sister city in Israel that it
will be unable to complete a
local project because it must
re-assign the funds for its
Soviet Jewry campaign.
These are not simple prob-
lems with simple solutions.
But all of us need to be
reminded of the paramount
importance within Judaism
of the concept of pidyan
shavuim, or the rescue of
captives. When priorities are
established, that respon-
sibility comes first. And
when we think of our
brethren in the USSR, we
must think of them in terms
of captives who must be res-
cued.
If we succeed, we will look
back on this period with
great pride. If we fail, God
forbid, and the darkness of
repression returns to the
USSR before we have com-
pleted our mission, we will
never be able to forgive
ourselves. ❑
INEWS
I
Gay Synagogue Keeping
Negotiations Alive
INC.
JEWELERS
32940 Middlebelt Road • Farmin • ton Hills, MI • 855-1730
TAC
Parents for Torah for All Children
MICHIGAN CHAPTER
Cordially invites you to its
9th Annual Dinner
Honoring:
RABBI ERIC GREENBAUM
for his years of dedicated service.
For your musical enjoyment:
Lenny Zimberg Orchestra
Sunday Evening • January 14, 1990
Cocktails 6:00 • Dinner 7:00
Congregation Dovid Ben Nuchim
14800 West Lincoln • Oak Park, Michigan
R.S.V.P Sarah Fordonski
968-1207
Couvert: $50.00 per person
20
FRIDAY, JANUARY 5, 1990
Gail Perczyk
967-4475
No Solicitations
ELLEN BERNSTEIN
Special to The Jewish News
C
ongregation Bet
Haverim's an-
ticipated rejection of
a restricted membership to
the Atlanta Synagogue
Council never materialized
Dec. 17 as the gay and les-
bian synagogue voted to
defer the decision to next
year.
On Jan. 21, the congrega-
tion and their rabbi Sharon
Kleinbaum plan to discuss
the Council's proviso that
Bet Haverim stop publiciz-
ing itself as a "gay and les-
bian synagogue," said
Sherry Emory following the
closed-door meeting. Emory
is the immediate past presi-
dent of the 80-member con-
gregation, which affiliated
with the Reconstructionist
movement last year.
Rabbi Shalom Lewis of the
Conservative congregation
Etz Chaim will be invited to
represent the Council at Bet
Haverim's January meeting,
said Emory, who ended her
one-year presidential term
last week.
Phillip Kaufman, who was
elected president of the five-
year-old synagogue Sunday,
said, "We still are interested
in gaining entry into the
Council."
Betsy Goldin, one of three
Bet Haverim members who
initially rejected the re-
Ellen Bernstein is a writer for
the Atlanta Jewish Times.
stricted membership offer at
the Nov. 29 Synagogue
Council meeting, agreed
that interest in negotiating
with the Council has
heightened with an un-
written proviso that Bet
Haverim could advertise
itself as a Reconstructionist
synagogue "with special
outreach to the gay and les-
bian community."
"[The Synagogue Council]
is grappling with a way to
reach a compromise because
they do want us to be a part
of it. I think that our con-
gregation heard that this
weekend," said Emory, who
spearheaded the gay
synagogue's controversial
efforts to join the city wide
organization of synagogue
presidents and rabbis.
But Rabbi Lewis of Etz
Chaim was cautious about
extending any promises that
"special outreach or serv-
ing" the gay and lesbian
community would be formal-
ly accepted by the tradi-
tional wing of the Council.
Lewis is leading the difficult
negotiations between the
Council and Bet Haverim.
"If Bet Haverim would be
willing to accept that proviso
in their definition, then
discussion in the matter will
continue. It will not be a
dead issue," Lewis said.
If Bet Haverim refuses the
Synagogue Council's
membership offer, two
leading Reform congrega-
tions, The Temple and Tem-
ple Sinai, may quit the year-
old Synagogue Council. ❑