UP FRONT
Jewish Organizations Battle
Christian Group In Yellow Pages
ALAN HITSKY
Associate Editor
T
,Th
wo Jewish organiza-
tions don't mind if
your fingers do the
walking through the Yellow
Pages. They just don't want
them to stop next to a mes-
sianic (Christian) organiza-
tion when searching for a
Jewish synagogue.
The Jewish Community
Council and the Detroit
chapter of Jews for Judaism
are pressuring Ameritech to
change a listing for a mes-
sianic group that meets in
Southfield. The JCCouncil
won a partial victory this
year when the 1990-91 Nor-
th Woodward Area Yellow
Pages listed Congregation
Beth Messiah under a
separate, Synagogues - Mes-
sianic heading.
Last year, a Christian
parent group of Beth Mes-
siah, Shema Yisrael, was
listed with Jewish congrega-
tions under the synagogue
heading. The new Yellow
Pages, distributed this mon-
th, has a general heading for
Synagogues and separate
headings for Synagogues -
Conservative; Synagogues
Messianic; Synagogues - Or-
thodox; and Synagogues -
Reform.
The Jewish Community
Council is pleased that Con-
gregation Beth Messiah now
has a separate heading, but
wants Ameritech to take the
separation one step further.
"We have been working
with the Yellow Pages for
some time now," said Coun-
cil Executive Director David
Gad-Harf. "We asked them
not to place Beth Messiah
Shema Yisrael last
week sent out
mailings to Jews
linking Passover
and Jesus.
with Jewish places of wor-
ship."
Gad-Harf would like to see
Beth Messiah listed com-
pletely away from Jewish
synagogues. The Council's
request, however, conflicts
with Ameritech policy.
"We accept any headings
for churches that are sub-
mitted," said company
spokeswoman Lori Jones.
"We cannot keep up with or
govern churches. If there is a
dispute between two
customers, it should be set-
tled by the customers."
The Yellow Pages does not
take complaints from out-
siders about the listings. Ac-
cording to the company, only
the advertisers can change
the listings. One correction
that will have to be made
next year will be to move
Adat Shalom Synagogue
from the Orthodox to the
Conservative heading.
Jews For Judaism's
Ronnie Schreiber is also
proposing a change. Since he
cannot convince Ameritech
to eliminate or move the
Beth Messiah listing, he
wants to put a Jews For
Judaism ad near the Mes-
sianic heading, identifying
Congregation Beth Messiah
as a Christian missionary
group.
"Then our ad could tell
people to call Jews for
Judaism for further infor-
mation," Schreiber said.
"I have better things we
can spend that money on,"
Schreiber said of the $500
cost for placing the smallest
advertisement in the Yellow
Pages. "But if it keeps one
person from calling them,
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then it would be money well
spent."
Loren Jacobs serves as the
spiritual leader of Beth Mes-
siah and is director of Shema
Yisrael, which he describes
as "an outreach organiza-
tion" aligned with the Union
of Messianic Jewish Con-
gregations in Los Angeles
and the International
Association of Messianic
Congregations and Syn-
agogues in Philadelphia.
Jacobs says the groups are
similar in purpose to Jews
for Jesus, headquartered in
San Francisco.
Shema Yisrael last week
and last year sent a Passover
mailing to area Jews, link-
ing Yeshua (Jesus) to
Passover and requesting
that people send money for a
copy of The Jewish New
Testament.Jacobs said con-
tributions from the
estimated 35 people who
meet each Saturday as Beth
Messiah at Birney Middle
School help to pay his salary.
But, he says, "a number of
individuals and organiza-
tions help pick up the tab."
As for his Yellow Pages
listing, Jacobs is satisfied
with the separate heading.
"There is some distinction.
We're not with the others.
As a messianic congrega-
tion, we maintain a level of
Jewish identity along with
the faith that Yeshua is the
messiah."
❑
ROUND UP
NCSY Publishes
Yeshivah Guide
New York — The National
Conference of Synagogue
Youth recently completed a
guide to help young men and
women interested in re-
ligious colleges and yeshivot
in Israel.
The Israel Yeshiva Guide
For Overseas Students,
which offers in-depth details
about 36 institutions, in-
cludes information about
curriculum, student popula-
tion, ideological outlook and
credits. Brief details are in-
cluded for another 31 col-
leges and yeshivot.
For information, contact
NCSY, 454 W. 36th St., New
York, N.Y. 10018.
Hear The Latest
News From Israel
A new hotline allows
Americans to get the latest
news and weather in Israel.
The hotline, which costs $1
a minute, was created by
former CBS radio correspon-
dent Bruno Wassertheil and
U.S. businessman Harry
Saal. Called Dateline
Jerusalem, the service
operates out of Palo Alto,
Calif.
The phone service includes
actual broadcasts from
Israel Radio and Army
Radio, The Jerusalem Post
reports. Wassertheil said he
started the hotline because
many U.S. media reports
about Israel are unfair.
Listeners may hear the
broadcasts, which run about
three minutes long, in Eng-
lish or Hebrew. The number
is 1-900-568-NEWS (6397).
Dutch Groups
Promote Hebrew
Amsterdam (JTA) — A
group of some 100 Jews and
non-Jews was established
late last month in Amster-
dam to promote the teaching
of Hebrew in Dutch high
schools. The participants
want to raise modern Heb-
rew to the popularity of
Spanish or Russian among
languages students can elect
for their final exams.
At present, Hebrew is
taught at the Maimonides
Lyceum, the only Jewish
secondary school in Holland.
It would be introduced in
non-Jewish schools if suffi-
cient demand exists.
Hendrik Heikens, a non-
Jewish Hebrew teacher, took
the initiative to bring Heb-
rew to the high school cur-
riculum. Heikens organized
the new group at a meeting
attended by 100 Jews and
non-Jews who have taught
Hebrew.
Art Is Growing
In Israeli Forests
The next time you visit a
forest in Israel, don't be sur-
prised if you see a giant
crane among the birches and
pines and willows.
The cranes are being used
to unload massive stone
Carl Levin Joins .
Commemoration
Sen. Carl Levin is among
the local politicians joining
the 75th Commemoration of
the Armenian Genocide,
April 21-27. Levin, who will
discuss "The Genocide
Resolution" April 21 at
Groves High School, will be
a guest speaker with Sen.
Donald Riegle Jr. and Reps.
William Broomfield and
David Bonior.
More than 1.5 million
Armenians perished from
1915-1923 in pogroms
organized by the Turks.
Artists work on a stone sculpture
to be placed at an Israeli forest.
sculptures that members of
the Association of Israeli
Sculptors are creating for
Jewish National Fund
forests around the country.
The artists have selected
stones from quarries just
outside Jerusalem, and are
creating each sculpture from
three cubic meters of basalt
or Jerusalem limestone.
Entries Sought
In Poetry Contest
The Anna Davidson
Rosenberg Award for Poems
on the Jewish Experience is
accepting entries April 15-
August 31, 1990. Sponsored
by the Judah L. Magnes Mu-
seum in Berkeley, Calif.,
and descendants of Anna
Rosenberg, the contest offers
cash prizes, including a
youth commendation (open
to those 18 and younger).
Those interested should
write for an entry form and
guidelines, available
through July 31, to: Poetry
Award Coordinator, Judah
L. Magnes Museum, Berke-
ly, Calif, 94705. Include a
self-addressed, stamped
envelope.
Compiled by
Elizabeth Applebaum
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
5