NOTEBOOK 1 PASSAT JANUARY CLEARANCE GARY ROSENBLATT OVER DEALER INVOICE Editor Passat GL Passat GL Wagon ZOW- wMniNn* - 15 1992 PASSATS IN STOCK - METRO DETROIT'S LARGEST SELECTION uburban *Applies to in stock units only VOLKSWAGEN FAHRVERGNUGEN IT'S WHAT MAKES A CAR A VOLKSWAGEN. 1800 MAPLELAWN •TROY MOTOR MALL. 649-2300 TABLES FILLED WITH SHOES! GET YOUR NEXT PAIR OF SANSABELT slacks at a sensible price. Why pay more when we offer them at discount? We even include FREE tailoring. Discount prices start at: plenty of free parking behind our store $ Greg 856 pairs SHOES ORCHARD MALL 851-5566 W. Bloomfield Serving the Community for 35 Years • Bloom (1116 Bloom • sizes 32-60 JOHN R MEN'S WEAR 543-4646 M-Th 9:30-6:30, Fri. & Sat. 9:30-8, Sun. 11-5 IP mils & John R Take 1-75 to 9 Mile FREE • Registered Electrologists • Municipal Bonds Listing Come and let us remove your unwanted hair problem and improve your appearance. Receive Weekly Report Near 12 Mile Rd. bet. Evergreen & Southfield AG Edwards & Sons, Inc 559-1969 30 Appt. Only. FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 1992 Ask For Shirlee or Debby NVEST:VE.4S SINCE 1887 MEMBER SIPE #AN-BM-&EDA BOB MORIAN 313) 336-9200 The Responses To Intermarriage 1-800-365-9200 Everyone in the Jewish com- munity seems to agree that the way to respond to intermarriage is through out- reach. That's what makes me nervous. Since when do Jews all agree about how to counter something as serious and controversial as intermar- riage? But not to worry. After do- ing a bit of research, I've found that while "outreach" is the buzzword in the Jew- ish community, there is little agreement on what it means or how it should be put into effect. There is agreement that, with the current rate of intermarriage at 52 percent, it has become the No. 1 do- mestic concern of American Jewry. But how do we respond? The extreme traditional ap- proach has been that we should simply write off those who intermarry and focus on quality rather than quanti- ty; the extreme liberal camp has said that we should ac- cept the reality of increasing intermarriage in a pluralistic society and make it possible for the offspring of such marriages to be con- sidered Jews. Both sides acknowledge that intermarriage is the symptom, not the problem, and that more and more Jews care less and less about being Jewish. And both sides emphasize the importance of prevention — providing a quality Jewish education to as many young people as possible, promoting visits to Israel, family retreats and intensive Jewish camping experiences. That's all fine and good, but how do you deal with the reality of a young couple, a Jew and a Christian who are in love and getting married? The Reform movement's approach is to try to bring the couple closer to Judaism and to let it be known that, contrary to Halachah (tradi- tional Jewish law), the child of a non-Jewish mother is considered Jewish if he or she is raised as a Jew. Advocates of this view- point say that it deals with reality and that it is better to try to embrace intermar- ried couples than to bemoan their fate. But for all its logic, this at- tempt to stem the tide of assimilation may not only create a permanent split between halachic and non- halachic Jews but could dilute the quality and prac- tice of Judaism. Orthodox and Conser- vative leaders bemoan the fact that there is no conver- sion process required by the Reform movement for the children of non-Jewish mothers to be considered Jews, thus changing the standards of Jewish defini- tion after thousands of years. But until now, other than criticizing the Reform ap- proach, the Orthodox and Conservative communities have been little heard from in the way of response to intermarriage. For the most part, the Or- thodox community has steered clear of the issue, Who's going to change who more the Jews or the non-Jews — in the process? and Rabbi Marc Angel, pres- ident of the (Orthodox) Rab- binical Council of America (RCA) thinks that is a mistake that must be cor- rected. "We've always said inter- marriage is someone else's problem. We haven't been been out front when it comes to outreach, and retreating from that responsibility is one of our major shortcom- ings." He cited an upcoming series of regional con- ferences, sponsored by the Rabbinical Council, on the subject of intermarriage. Topics of discussion will in- clude exploring ways for Or- thodox rabbis to consider outreach to intermarried couples while maintaining a strong posture against intermarriage, and acting more positively in the area of conversion without corn- promising standards of con- version. The dilemma is clear: how do you take a step toward the intermarried without appearing to condone inter- marriage? An article by Rabbi Jack Simcha Cohen, an Orthodox rabbi in Los Angeles, has