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FRIDAY JANUARY 18 1991 and food to satisfy all your appetites. Orchard Lake Road at Lone Pine West Bloomfield 669-2010 42 Tempting fashions, gifts Herb's BUMP & PAINT INC. • Same location since 1970 • We Fix Rust • FREE Loaner FREE Estimate at Home Or Office SAVE YOUR DEDUCTIBLE * 48901525 493.0212 Free Pick-Up & Delivery Deals on Tires *Call for details Breast self-examination — LEARN. Call us. L AMERICAN CANk gr y, R N he sedra recounts the final hours that the children of Israel spent in the land of Egypt. The most grievous of the plagues, the slaying of the first born, befell the Egyptians. Pharaoh, in despair, called upon Moses and Aaron and declared, "Arise, go forth from among my people. Leave the land?' An astute commentator points out a singular phrase in the text: "Depart, both of you and the children of Israel?' Up until that mo- ment, the ruler of Egypt had referred to the Hebrews by the word am, people or masses. This was the first time that Pharaoh called these slaves by their name — Children of Israel. Pharaoh finally recognized their iden- tity. They were persons; they had an ancestry; they were b'nai Yisroel. An important insight is compressed in that comment, illuminating aspects of con- temporary life. In 1947, the British evacuated Palestine and the State of Israel was declared in 1948. But the British government was not ready to recognize the in- dependence of that state, so it sent messages addressed to "the Jewish authorities in Tel Aviv." Forty-four years later, Arab spokesmen continue to refer to the 3.5 million people who are their neighbors as did the British in 1947. In the United Nations, one hears references to the "Zionist entity" as though a whole generation of Israel's independent ex- istence had never occurred, as though there is no State of Israel. The greatest difficulty in bringing peace to the Middle East is deeper than the issues of boundaries, treaties or refugees. The nations of the world must say to the Arab countries, "The State of Israel exists. You must recognize her identity and call her by name." As we look at our people's past, we see another dimen- sion of this truth. Although the identity of the Jewish peo- ple has, through the cen- turies, been a mystery to others, the Jew was always aware of who he was. He Irwin Groner is senior rabbi of Congregation Shaarey Zedek. knew his name. The Jew never forgot his origin, his lineage and his mission as a member of am kodosh, a sacred pepole. He had a responsibility to lead a life of purity and holiness. No mat- ter what the czar said, or the peasants believed, or the church declared, no one could deprive the Jew of his most precious possession: his iden- tity. If you cherish your heritage, no suffering or tribulation can crush your spirit. Challenged by the impact of modernity, ours is the only generation in the panorama of Jewish history that has asked the question "Who is a Jew?" It was not asked in the period of the Talmud, in the Middle Ages, in the many Shabbat Bo: Exodus 10:1-13:16, Jeremiah 46:13-28. lands of the Diaspora. But in the last 40 years, this ques- tion has been asked repeated- ly. It continually surfaces in a free society where Jews have integrated extensively in every aspect of collective life. "Who are we?" forces us to confront our relationship with our past, our distinctive way of life, our unique existence. Before a couple gets mar- ried they usually meet with the rabbi, who discusses with them aspects of the wedding ceremony. One of the ques- tions asked is "What is your Hebrew name, and the Hebrew name of your father and mother?" (In the course of the ceremony, the Ketubah, or marriage contract, is read, identifying the bride and the groom by their Hebrew names.) At that point of the interview, a look of puzzle- ment often appears on the faces of the couple and an em- barrassed pause ensues. These young people know they are Jews, and they are proud to be Jews. But they are not sure of their own names. To know one's name is to know one's individuality, uni- queness and the fact that one is different from others. Such knowledge should be high on the agenda of the American Jewish community. For it is this knowledge that con- stitutes the necessary condi- tion for the redemption of our people, for the revitalization of our faith and for the renewal of our spirit. ❑