NOTEBOOK

New York Cloisonne'Artist
to Exhibit at Ohrenstein's

Jewelry lovers, collectors
and connoisseurs, mark your
calendars! Felicia Liban, noted New
York artist/jewelry designer, will be at
Ohrenstein Jewelers, December 7 - 9,
during their special Holiday Showing. Well known for
her cloisonne jewelry creations, Ms. Liban plans to
bring a large
collection of
recently completed
designs. Ms. Liban
literally "wrote the
book" about
cloisonne' enamel-
ing. She is the co-
author of Cloi-
sonne', The Art of
Cloisonne' Enamel-
ing and Jewelry
Making. Her list of
exhibits, profes-
sional awards and
commissions, reads
like a page from
Who's Who
Black Swan cloisonne pendant.
in America.
Speaking of her work on cloisonne' jewelry, Ms.
Liban says, "I photograph and-sketch an object of
interest and then reduce it to the size of the finished
object. Next I do the cloisonne' wirework. The outer
form of the jewel is shaped in metal and the wires are
set. Then the magic of color begins. After the enamel
is completed, I design and construct the setting in gold
or silver and embellish it with precious stones or
pearls."
Ms. Liban is scheduled to be the highlight of the
Ohrenstein Jewelers Holiday Showing, which will also
feature a selected group of jewelry designs, never
shown before, brought in especially for the showing,
as well as a large selection of watches, including the
new 14kt yellow gold Tissot watches, now available
for $495. Name-brand watches will be available at
spectacular savings. Refreshments will be served.

CERTIFIED GEMOLOGIST
MEMBER AMERICAN
GEM SOCIETY

Holiday ShowingHours:
Fri., Dec. 7, 1pm - 5pm
Sat., Dec. 8, llam - 5pm
Sun., Dec. 9, 12pm - 4pm

George Ohrenstein Jewelers Ltd.

Harvard Row Mall 11Mile Rd. & Lahser
Southfield, Michigan

353-3146

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32

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1990

The Balancing Act
Of Modern Orthodoxy

At the national convention of the Orthodox Union,
attempts were made to clarify a centrist position.

GARY ROSENBLATT

Editor

S

heldon Rudoff, the
newly elected presi-
dent of the Union of
Orthodox Jewish Congrega-
tions, is calling for greater
unity in the Orthodox com-
munity and an end to
"bashing ourselves."
Mr. Rudoff, a New York
attorney, told more than 700
delegates at the group's
biennial convention in
Washington, D.C., that
"Orthodox and America,
yeshiva and college," as well
as observant and Zionist
"are not oxymorons, but are
compatible and attainable
goals."
He said that the Orthodox
Union, or OU, as it is known,
comprised of 1,000 syn-
agogues, is "a force that
seeks to unite and represent
all elements of the Torah
community."
Until now, the OU has
represented that segment of
the Orthodox community
calling itself modern or
centrist, seeking to blend
Torah observance and
modernity. In the last
decade or so, it has been
eclipsed in numbers, clout
and intensity by the right
wing of Orthodoxy, which
includes the Agudath Israel
of America, certain Chasidic
sects and charedi, or ultra-
Orthodox. In varying
degrees, the right wing ad-
vocates separation from
secular society, non-
Orthodox Jews and, at
times, other Orthodox
groups as well.
Differences of approach
have led to a sense of rivalry
between the two factions.
But Mr. Rudoff, in his ad-
dress, urged that the OU
become "the leader in bring-
ing together" all elements of
the Torah community and
"that we put our differences
aside and recognize that
what unites us is so much
more fundamental than
what separates us.
"Enough of the rhetoric,"
he said. "Lower the volume;
end the stridency. Let us
preach tolerance, not tur-
bulence."

JTA correspondent Howard
Rosenberg contributed to this
report.

Mr. Rudoff succeeds
Sidney Kwestel, who served
six years as president. Mr.
Rudoff is considered more of
a moderate than his
predecessor, who called for
the OU to end its participa-
tion in the Synagogue Coun-
cil of America so as not to
compromise Orthodox prin-
ciples.
At the four-day OU con-
vention, held at the Ramada
Renaissance Techworld,
there was a sense of defen-
siveness in articulating the
modern Orthodox position.
Nathan Lewin, a Wash-
ington attorney, noted in an
address that modern Or-
thodox Jews "suffer from an
inability to discern, articu-
late and pursue our own
goals."
Others suggested that the
modern Orthodox, long used
to looking over their left
shoulders in worrying about
how the non-Orthodox view
them, have in recent years
become increasingly con-
cerned about looking over
their right shoulders, referr-
ing to criticism they receive
from right-wing Orthodox.
Speaker after speaker at
the convention decried
labels like "modern,"
"centrist" and "right"
before lapsing into their use.
Many acknowledged the
greater ideological intensity
and passion of those on the
right.
A common theme was for
modern Orthodox Jews to
adapt the fervor of their
right-wing brethren in terms
of Torah study and syn-
agogue prayer while cling-
ing to the conviction that the
modern world should be en-
joined rather than shunned.
Rabbi Aharon Lichtens-
tein, Rosh Yeshiva of
Yeshiva Har Etzion in
Israel, in a keynote address
on the strengths and
weaknesses of the Orthodox
Jewish community,
criticized the modern Or-
thodox for a lack of intellec-
tual and spiritual intensity.
He cited a failure to
cultivate and maintain
"first rate" Torah scholars
and urged parents to instill
in their children a desire to
become such scholars.
Rabbi Shlomo Riskin,
Chief Rabbi of Efrat, Israel,
echoed that theme when he
noted how few modern Or-

thodox Jews want their sons
to grow up to be rabbis or
Jewish educators.
In a discussion on
pluralism within and out-
side of the Orthodox com-
munity, Rabbi Riskin said
that while he welcomes the
opportunity to address Con-
servative, Reform and
Reconstructionist audiences,
he will not engage in dia-
logue on Halachic (Jewish
law) issues with represent-
atives of non-Orthodox bran-
ches. He also said that as a
religious Zionist, he does not
support institutions that do
not offer the prayer for the
State of Israel, celebrate
Israeli Independence Day or
support hesder yeshivot,
those yeshivas which corn-
bine Torah study and par-
ticipation in the Israeli
army.
In a spirited debate bet-
ween two Orthodox Jews on
how others view the Or-

Until now, the OU
has represented
that segment of
the Orthodox
community calling
itself modern or
centrist, seeking
to blend Torah
observance and
modernity.

thodox community, Gary
Rubin, director of national
affairs for the American
Jewish Committee, said the
OU could enhance its image
if it stopped vetoing policy
statements in its participa-
tion in the National Jewish
Community Relations Ad-
visory Council (NJCRAC).
Nathan Lewin, the at-
torney and founder of COL-
PA, a national group ad-
vocating the rights of obser-
vant Jews, argued vigor-
ously that it is the secular
Jewish organizations, like
the American Jewish Com-
mittee and American Jewish
Congress, who are at fault
for focusing on marginal
Jewish issues at the expense
of vital ones.
Mr. Rubin criticized the
OU for some of its actions at
meetings of NJCRAC, the
policy planning umbrella
group for 13 national Jewish
organizations and 117 local

