Readers Call For
Tougher Standards
LESLEY PEARL STAFF WRITER
Computers Stolen
From Bais Chabad
JENNIFER FINER JEWISH NEWS INTERN
eaders often have spe- News maintains a policy of
cific ideas about how running interfaith wedding
they would run a par- announcements with a pho-
ticular publication tograph only if a Jewish cler-
[ . given the chance.
gy performs the ceremony.
One thousand Jewish Many local rabbis will not
" News subscribers recently officiate at such a marriage.
received the opportunity to
The Jewish News does not
"be the editor."
have a rule on gay and les-
Simmons Market Research bian marriage or commit-
Bureau aided The Jewish ment-ceremony announce-
'`. News by randomly sampling, ments. Yet 57 percent of
with a six-page survey, 1,000 reader-editors said they
readers in metro Detroit. Six would be very or somewhat
hundred surveys were likely to publish a wedding
returned.
announcement from a gay
In addition to learning 93 couple, both Jewish, who are
percent of subscribers read to be married by a rabbi.
every issue, 70 percent spend
Again, younger and
at least 30 minutes with the Reform readers were more
-ublication and 70 percent likely to run the notice.
.eep each issue around the However, 48 percent of read-
:$ me for at least sever., days, ers over 65 years of age also
Thejewish News also discov- agreed to publish the
ered the majority of its read- announcement.
ers would make hard-nosed
Although the Simmons
editors, deeply concerned study appears to show more
with issues of assimilation acceptance toward gay-
and alternative lifestyles.
Jewish commitment than
When asked if , - ;iey would interfaith marriage among
print a story eAiut Israel Jewish News
readers,
secretly buying tl freedom researchers are hesitant to
of Jews trapped - in Syria, make determinations on
most participf. .:',, 77 per- thought and behavior on
cent, would noz Ahe arti- numbers alone.
cle if it potent_ iy jeopar-
dized the oper;cion.
However, if, as editors,
they discovered a Jewish
communal agency was mis-
appropriating funds, 82 per-
cent were either very or
somewhat likely to print the
- story even if it might ruin
the agency and cause it to
close.
Gary Tobin, director of the
And if a prominent Jewish Cohen Center for Modern
leader were arrested for Jewish Studies at Brandeis
bank fraud and the story had University, having worked
already made the secular extensively with surveys on
media, 79 percent of would- Jewish opinion, offered the
be-editors chose to print the following:
story even if it might further
"Most Jews who accept the
embarrass the family to read concept of intermarriage
the article in The Jewish accept it with the condition
News.
children be raised as Jews. If
When discussing lifestyle a couple is getting married in
choices and issues, reader- a church, it's a pretty strong
editors split.
indicator the children will
Forty-five percent of those not be raised Jewish. That is
surveyed were very or some- not acceptable to most
' ihat likely to run an American Jews.
, announcement from a Jewish
"So when you compare the
man marrying a gentile results of these separate
woman in a church. An equal questions (acceptance of
number were not at all likely interfaith marriage versus
to run the announcement.
gay and lesbian weddings),
Younger readers, between the results do not necessarily
the ages of 25 and 44, and show so much an acceptance
Reform subscribers were of gays and lesbians, but pos-
more likely to print the sible dismay of Jews practic-
When discussing
lifestyle choices
and issues,
reader-editors
split.
notice.
Currently, The Jewish
ing other religions," Mr.
SIMMONS page 18
N
ine computers were
reported stolen from
Bais Chabad of
Farmington Hills last
week; and while police have
no suspects, Rabbi Chaim
Bergstein of Bais Chabad
has his suspicions.
The computer thief
entered the building on
Middlebelt north of
Northwestern sometime
between 9 p.m Aug. 9 and
6:30 a.m. Aug. 10. Entry
was through a back door
which had a weak lock in
need of repair, according to
Rabbi Bergstein.
The computers and com-
puter programs, worth an
estimated $4,000, were
taken from the basement of
Bais Chabad, where Bais
Chaya Mushka Girls
Middle-High School is locat-
ed.
Rabbi Bergstein is con-
vinced the thief was some-
one who knew what was
inside.
"Someone had to know
where they (the computers)
were," Rabbi Bergstein said.
The computers were
being stored in a closet,
according to Rabbi
Bergstein.
"He knew how to turn on
the lights that go down-
stairs, which is tricky
unless you know the build-
ing.
The rabbi believes
the thief was
familiar with the
building.
"He did not go in the
sanctuary, but directly
downstairs and he knew
exactly where we were stor-
ing the computers.
Apparently, it was someone
who knew where everything
was and was coming to col-
lect."
Farmington Hills police
have seen several computer
robberies in the area recent-
ly, but Rabbi Bergstein
believes this crime is unre-
lated. He believes the crimi-
nal is someone who is famil-
iar with the inside of the
building, but he doubts it is
a synagogue employee.
"We have so many people
coming through, so it's hard
to pinpoint who it might be.
It might have been someone
who worked here in the
past."
With classes beginning in
three weeks and insurance
covering only a portion of
the losses, Rabbi Bergman
is not sure how all the com-
puters will be replaced.
On Monday, Bais Chabad
took steps to prevent future
robberies by installing a
burglar alarm. ❑
Detroiters Start
Strong In St. Louis
ALAN HITSKY
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
D
etroit teams at the JCC
Maccabi Youth Games
in St. Louis this week
began the competition
on Monday by taking 30
medals. The sports events for
teen athletes concluded
Thursday and a separate del-
egation c' Detroiters will
compete next week in
Pittsburgh.
Medalists for Detroit on
Monday included:
In track, in the age 12-14
division, Jenny Adelson,
gold, 200 meters; Leah
Weiss, bronze, 800 and 1600
meters; Sam Polk, gold, 800;
Eugene Vyortkin, gold, 1600,
and bronze, 800; Jon
Berman, bronze, 1600.
Age 15-16: Adam Estrine,
gold, 800 and 1600; Chad
DeWolf, gold, high jump
(5'9").
In boys soccer, Detroit
defeated Chicago 6-1, and St.
Louis 7-0. In boys baseball,
Detroit defeated Chicago 9-5,
but was shut out by host St.
Maccabi Detroit's flag bearers: kneeling, Julie Golding and Heather
Rosenberg; and Elite Ben-Ozer, Erin Schwartz, Marty Maddin, Kim Geller and
Michael Redisch.
Louis 10-0.
In golf, Mike Bagdade shot
a 93 in a playoff for the gold
medal, but had to settle for
the silver in the age 14-15
division. Jared Rosenbaum
won his playoff for the bronze
medal by shooting 95. In the
12-13 division, Brad
DETROITERS page 18
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