!NEWS I
Be Part of an Historic Event*
during the
V.I.P. CULTURAL ARTS TOUR TO ISRAEL
sponsored by
AMERICAN-ISRAEL R FS
EDUCATION INSTITUTE
004k/
74
SEPTEMBER 1.10, 1990
$2450.00
JAMES D. BESSER
Washington Correspondent
HIGHLIGHTS:
*Festivities for dedication of 20th Century wing of the Israel Museum.
Special recognition for Detroiters' contribution to this wing.
• Art
• Theatre/Film
• Archeology
• Music
• Fashion
• Ethnic Groups
• Dance
• Writers
• Religion
UNIQUE TOUCHES:
• Dine in the cafes where Israelis dine
• Visit the artists in their studios and workshops
• Home hospitality with members of Israel Forum — dynamic leader-
ship of Israel in the arts, government, business and society
Immediate Deposit of $200 per person — Final Payment by June 20
PAYABLE TO:
AMERICAN-ISRAEL EDUCATION INSTITUTE
6600 W. Maple Rd., W. Bloomfield, Ml 48322
For further information, contact Shelly KomerJackier, Executive Director
(313) 661-1948
Agverg
lic0f, 0631
US
took the bite out of the
1g Apple
COATS
UNLIMITED
Sterling Heights
Sterling Place
37680 Van Dyke at 16 1/2 Mile
939-0700
Oak Park
Lincoln Center, Greenfield at 10 1 h Mile
968-2060
AIRFARES
West Bloomfield
Orchard Mall, Orchard Lake
at Maple (15 Mile) • 855-9955
Round Trip
bruce m. weiss
Custom Jewelry
Y WITH THE BES
it and Hotel Packages Availa • e:
• Plaza
tel • New York elmsle
• Ma i ix
a •
Call Hamilton, Miller, Hudson & Fayne
Travel Corporation
at 313-827-4050 (Ext. 224)
0 WANTED 0
Families with young children for a
meaningful travel experience together
in
0 ISRAEL
American Jewish Congress Interna-
tional Travel offers this K•I•D•S
program and other special trips
worldwide.
Call
62
High Court Church-State
Rulings Could Hurt Jews
559-3977 for brochure and information
FRIDAY, JUNE 8, 1990
26325 Twelve Mile Rd.
in the Mayfair Shops
At Northwestern Hwy.
Mon., Tues., Wed. & Fri. 10-5:30
Thurs. 10-7, Sat. 10-5
353-1424
YOUR CAR IN ISRAEL
eldan 77N711
RENT-A-CAR
FROM
EC GM:
bPAI
3.31-111mun
81* PER WEEK
Oalipid Mileage
Monthly Rates from $750
incl. C.D.W.
USA & CANADA
RESERVAT & PREPYMNT
800-533-8778;
IN NY: 212-629-6090
VALID 23/4 • 21/7 AND 27/8 - 31/10/90
We are winning.
11 ,AfiliERICAN
CANCER
SOCIETY'
T
he Supreme Court
handed down two
decisions last week
that could have major
implications for the Jewish
community.
"It was bad news for our
side," said Richard Shevitz,
assistant director of legal af-
fairs for the Anti-
Defamation League, after
Monday's burst of church-
state rulings.
The first decision involved
the Equal Access Act, passed
by Congress in 1984. The
legislation required public
schools, under certain cir-
cumstances, to allow school-
sponsored religious clubs to
meet on school premises.
"This is an activity which
ADL has traditionally
opposed," Shevitz said,
"both on constitutional
grounds and as a matter of
sound public policy. The in-
terests of minority religious
communities are threatened
when the majority faith is
able to enlist support of
public institutions to prac-
tice their faith."
This was the first constitu-
tional test of the legislation.
Jewish activists were par-
ticularly disturbed that the
decision was written by
Justice Sandra Day
O'Connor, who has, in the
past, displayed sensitivity to
minority religious concerns.
The other decision in-
volved the so-called "Peyote
Case," in which the Court
ruled against a Native
American who was fired
from his job after admitting
that he had used peyote as
part of his religious rites.
"Traditionally, religious
liberty cases have been
decided by using a particular
framework," said Abba
Cohen, Washington repre-
sentative for Agudath Israel
of America. "If the govern-
ment wants to infringe on
religious liberty, it has to
show a compelling interest.
It's a very high standard
that has guided religious
liberty jurisprudence for
many years. We assumed
that was the kind of analysis
that the court would apply.
Instead, they basically did
away with the standard.
Everybody was shocked."
That shock galvanized the
Jewish community into ac-
tion. The result was a peti-
tion for a re-hearing,
organized by the American
Jewish Congress and incor-
porating the views of a wide
range of religious groups.
This week, the petition
was denied.
The precise implications of
the decision are still unclear.
But Jewish activists specu-
late that the ruling has the
potential to affect a number
of Jewish practices, in-
cluding ritual slaughter and
circumcision.
"It literally puts into ques-
tion every religious liberty
we have," said Abba Cohen.
"The court didn't say you
can't have religious exemp-
tions; it said you're not en-
titled to them by the Con-
stitution."
A number of groups, in-
cluding ADL and Agudath
Israel, are beginning the ar-
duous process of examining
state statutes to determine
just how vulnerable Jewish
practices will be as a result
of the ruling. Several Jewish
groups are consulting with
legislators, including Rep.
Stephen Solarz (D-N.Y.),
about legislation to remedy
this week's decision. ❑
I TRAVEL I
AJCongress
Hosts Egypt Tour
For travelers who have
always wanted to see the land
where Pharaoh ruled or the
river where Moses floated as
a newborn child or the
Temples where Charlton
Heston and Yul Bryner duel-
ed as Moses and Ramses, the
time has come.
The International Travel
Program of the American
Jewish Congress will offer a
tour for those who want to
follow in the footsteps of the
Ancient Israelites in Egypt.
"The Israelites in Ancient
Egypt: A Discovery of Jewish
Heritage," an eighteen-day
tour, was created for
AJCongress by Egyptologist
Leslie Slote, who will escort
the tour and deliver a series
of lectures on his specialty:
the history of the Jews in
Egypt.
The tour will begin with
five nights in Cairo, including
a trip to the Egyptian
Museum, in whose galleries
Slote discovered little-known
Egyptian-Jewish artifacts,
and where he will discuss
highlights of 4,000 years of
Egypt's ancient Jewish
history.
During the stay in Cairo,