750 Celebrating 50 years of growth with the Detroit Jewish Community Li i j 1 9 4 2 1 9 9 2 2 TAMMUZ 5752 /JULY 3, 1992 Court Reignites Abortion Debate Jewish groups on both sides are upset with the Supreme Court. Inside CLOSE-UP iltAi OWN.. No Prince Prince of peace is not the title for Yitzhak Rabin. page 7 JENNIFER FINER and KIMBERLY LIFTON STAFF WRITERS hether pro- choice or anti- abortion, Jew- ish groups and elected officials were unhappy with the U.S. Supreme Court ruling this week upholding the right to an abortion. In a 5-4 decision, the High Court upheld a Pennsylvania law that reaffirms a woman's right to abortion and, at the same time, estab- lishes restrictions. Pro-choice groups be- lieve upholding restric- tions marks the begin- ning of the end of abor- tion rights. And anti- abortion forces suggest the court should have used this case to gut the landmark 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision, which le- galized abortion in all states. For Jewish groups, the abortion issue is never black and white. Ac- cording to Halachah, Jewish law, abortion is permitted when the mother's life is endan- gered. Still, Conserva- tive, Orthodox and Re- by ExA, 11r..mull COP VM11 ,, ‘ 1990. form rabbis and secular Jewish groups are in constant disagreement over when — or if — abortion is a right. Rabbi Avraham Ja- cobovitz, of Machon L'Torah in Oak Park, speaks of the gray area surrounding abortion. "It needs to be deter- mined on a case-by-case basis," he says. "No rab- bi is going to say it is al- ways OK. It is a very detailed and complicated issue. It involves a mat- ter of human life." Rabbi Lane Steinger, of Temple Emanu-El, be- lieves it is important for a woman to make her own decisions about abortion. Any legislation that upholds a woman's rights will be well re- ceived by the Jewish community, he says. 'We oppose the view of those who advocate abortion as a right that needs no exceptional jus- tification," says Rabbi Ronald Price, director of the Union For Tradi- tional Judaism in New York. 'We also oppose ABORTION/page 26 D.rob,log.1 Lo, Ann.! , 7.rn, ynOc at r Race o The Bench Four Jewish candidates are among seven vying for 47th District Court. page 45 Lucky Break The continuing fight to resuscitate B'nai B'rith International. A broken hand couldn't stop this 10-year-old state champion. On The Ropes page 51 Contents on page 5 page 22 Maccabi Housing Shortage Baltimore organizers are 300 homes short and on the verge of telling some Detroit athletes to stay home. MELINDA GREENBERG sense of crisis has spread pen if enough homes are not found for the ath- over the Baltimore Jewish letes. Large delegations — like Detroit which Community Center: The is bringing 172 youngsters to Baltimore — would North American Maccabi be asked to leave some athletes home. "We re- Youth Games are just sev- ally, really don't want to face that," he said. "We en weeks away agreed to give these and about 600 kids some hospital- athletes from ity and not house across the coun- them in dorms, mo- try and around the world don't have tels or hotels." places to stay in Baltimore. But Detroit's del- Maccabi organizers hoped that mem- egation head, Alan bers of Baltimore's Jewish community Horowitz, said he would come forward on their own and "is not cutting his volunteer to house at least two athletes, delegation" and if it ages 13-16, during the week of the comes to that, or- Olympic-style games. But 300 homes ganizers from Bal- are still needed and time is running out. Annette Du rante won a medal in 1990. Would timore would have The JCC is just a few weeks away from she be cut fr om the team in 1992? to "tell the kids admitting defeat and telling some ath- themselves," he letes not to come. said. "You can't tell kids who've already planned "We'll know in mid-July if we have to tell the their summers and made the commitment to the larger delegations to leave kids behind," said games that they can't come." Morton Plant, general chairman of the games. Phonathons are being held almost nightly in Mr. Plant hates to think about what will hap- MACCABI/page 26