MACRON L'TORAH
The Jewish Learning Network
of Michigan
is pleased to announce
A Grand Sefer Torah Dedication
a good son or a good
daughter or a good hus-
band or a good wife has
less to do with the tradi-
tional virtues of character
— kindness, empathy, sen-
sitivity — and more with
economic, social, pro-
fessional success. lb be a
good husband is to be a
good provider, to be a
good wife is to run a good
home, to be a good son is
to bring home good
marks, to be a good
daughter is to be popular.
What is at stake is a
profound struggle of
values. Middle-classism
and Judaism have uncon-
sciously been identified
and are popularly viewed
as two sides of the same
coin. The equation is false
and dangerous.
Middle Classism
Jews in America are
overwhelmingly middle
class. And while there are
compatibilities between
middle class values and
those of Judaism, Jews
have reached a point
where the value conflicts
between the two cannot
be dismissed.
Intellectuality, worldli-
ness, and individualism
are three middle class
values said to be found in
Judaism. Certainly Jud-
aism encourages belief in
the rational mastery of
the world, in the convic-
tion that the world can be
transformed by knowledge
and effort.
But the distinctive
character of Jewish intel-
lectuality lies in its attach-
ment to moral purpose.
When a Jew offered
thanks to God for gracing
him with knowledge and
understanding, it was not
for the knowledge to be-
come smart, to gain de-
grees, or to accumulate
wealth or fame. Jewish in-
tellectuality was directed
towards maasim tovim,
the practice of good
deeds.
Many young people have
become more concerned
with the motivation and
purpose of intellectuality
than their parents' gen-
in memory
of
Rosi
Young
and
eration. The distinction
between middle class smart-
ness, calculative intelli-
gence, and Jewish moral
intellectuality must not
be blurred.
The same need for dis-
tinction applies to the
worldliness of Judaism.
Jews celebrate life and the
goodness of life. A Mid-
rashic parable compares
the denial of the joys of
this world to an invited
guest who sits at the ban-
quet table touching noth-
ing. But again, Jewish
worldliness was connected
to moral purpose. That
the earth is given to man
means that man is re-
sponsible for preservation
and repair. This kind of
responsible worldliness is
of a different order from
that of exploitative mater-
ialism and hedonism.
Jewish this-worldliness is
not in the culinary "gor-
gies" at Bar Mitzvahs
and weddings.
The same applies to the
values of individualism.
From Abraham at Sodom
throughout our history the
dissent of the wronged
against the oppressive
authority is repeatedly il-
lustrated and proclaimed.
But that religious auda-
city against those who
trample the divine image
is a far cry from the indi-
vidualism that ends in
self-centered privatism.
lb preserve the ideals of
the Jewish family requires
a reappraisal of the roles
superimposed upon its
members. It needs an ap-
preciation of the values of
Judaism which have been
twisted out of shape. It
requires collective courage
and intelligence to live
against the grain of mid-
dle classism. As difficult
as that may be, it has
history on our side.
In eras of violence, Jews
did not shed blood. In en-
vironments of illiteracy,
Jews read and wrote.
Amidst drunkenness,
Jews remained sober
without vows of absti-
nence. Surrounded by
murder and suicide, Jews
cherished that sanctity of
life. In a society riddled
with mindless material-
ism, purposeless pressure,
joyless hedonism and dev-
astating loneliness, Jews
can restructure the family
to oppose the shallow
ethos of mass culture.
But it cannot be done
alone. No family is an
island entire of itself. The
traditional Jewish family
did not live against the
grain of mass society by
isolating itself from com-
munity. It will not save
itself today without the
cooperation and planning
of the community.
In our times the Jewish
family is under-institu-
tionalized. It needs
Jewish institutions to of-
fer wisdom and therapy,
to provide innovative
vehicles to help the family
bind itself in dramatically
new circumstances, the
chavurah and the pararab-
binic professionals are two
such instruments for fam-
ily empowerment. Reviv-
ing the moribund JewiSh
family must be placed
high on the Jewish do-
mestic agenda.
in honor
of
Max
Young
By their family and friends
Mr. & Mrs. Allen Charlupski
Mr. & Mrs. Lazer Dorfman
Mr. & Mrs. Henry Dorfman
Mr. & Mrs. Louis Glazier
Mr. & Mrs. George Weiss
Mr. & Mrs. Harry Young
Mr. & Mrs. Gary Torgow
Mr. & Mrs. lzaak Blechman
Mr. & Mrs. Samuel Weinberger
Mr. & Mrs. Fred Blechman
Mr. & Mrs. Martin Gene
Mr. & Mrs. Eddy Barak
Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Goss
- Sunday, June 3, 1990 -
Procession will begin at 1:00 p.m.
from the Young Family Residence at
24520 Radclift, Oak Park
Proceeding to Machon L'Torah
15221 W. 10 Mile Rd., Oak Park
JOB HUNTING?
Can't seem to get interviews?
Changing Careers? Re-entering
the workforce? Feel you are too
old, inexperienced, not sure of
what job you want or should be
looking for? Not satisfied with
current employment?
Phone TODAY for o free informational session
ELLMAN & ASSOCIATES
(313) 737-7252
(not an employment agency)
❑
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
29