Community Views

Editor's Notebook

Now Our Thinking Must Change As
We Strengthen Home Institutions

RABBI DANIEL POLISH SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

Sermon On
The Mound

PHIL JACOBS EDITOR

Paradigm shift. No a hindrance to Jordan's econom- concern about what we in Amer-
For those of us drome, won a Special Olympics
phrase is more ic well-being. Peace, on the oth- ica call "continuity."
who find struc- medal for bouncing a basketball
popular in the cur- er hand, opened up vistas for
The Israelis are alarmed at the
ture, serenity 21 times. This was more im-
rent
rent vocabulary. It economic development that were intermarriage rate in America
and yes, spiritu- portant than two World Series
implies a radical irresistible. The outcome was in- and their projections for a shrink-
ality in the wins and a 20-victory season.
change in the way evitable. It was only a matter of ing Jewish community here.
grandstands of a
Clem Labine, another pitch-
we perceive the time before Jordan acted, as one They talk about sending task
baseball stadi- er, talked about his son, Jay,
world. And, like it government official told our forces to American communities
um, the decision and the bitterness he felt be-
or not, the Ameri- group, "in its own best interest." to help us build our educational
to strike or to cause Jay had lost a leg after
can Jewish com-
Now that moment has come. institutions. There is more than
continue the cur- stepping on a land mine in Viet-
munity is on the brink of a With remarkable swiftness, a touch of irony in this. Behind
rent championship season holds nam . Baseball, according to
paradigm shift. The Jewish com- decades of living under a state of the triumphalism and self-con-
a station of major importance. Clem Labine, took him on the
munity must struggle to come to siege are receding. Israel becomes gratulations is a significant truth.
Oh no, not another sappy road and away from a close re-
terms with the fact that our col- with each passing day less and Israel has much to offer our corn-
baseball column. No, it's just a lationship with his son.
lective life is entering a radically less the besieged cousins needing munity. Israeli Judaic studies
reminder of what for me was
Then there was slugger
new age. Are we prepared for it? our support. Indeed, peace en- and popular Jewish culture can,
one of the most outstanding George Shuba, a clerk-typist in
For almost two generations hances Israel's economy dra- in truth, enrich the life of the
messages ever learned during a Ohio. Baseball isn't that impor-
now, American Jews have virtu- matically. Israel, in the words of American community.
Yom Kippur sermon when my tant anymore, he would say in
. ally built our collective life around a new truism, is becoming the
It will be hard for us to shift
rabbi and friend, Ken Berger, the book. Raising my family,
our embattled brothers and sis- fastest growing economic area in from being a benefactor to a ben-
spoke to his congregation about that's what life is all about.
ters in Israel. However it hap- the world.
eficiary. But in some areas, that
a book he had read, a baseball Teaching them about God and
pened and for whatever reasons,
Already Israelis radiate a new is exactly what we need to do. We
book.
values, that's what is really im-
we have virtually neglected de- sense of ease and even prosperi- have not had much time to brace
This was not an attempt to portant.
veloping our own collective life ty. Israeli society is no longer ourselves for the rapidity of this
reduce the messages of Yom
The book chronicled Jackie
and strengthening our own in- characterized by the spartan pi- change. But ready or not, it is
Kippur. Instead, it was a learn- Robinson's lasting dignity —
stitutions in the name of devot- oneer quality that endeared it to here, and we must be prepared
ing experience that should have and the challenge of becoming
ing our resources and our so many of us. In its place, we to adapt.
been called "Getting Your Head the Major Leagues' first black
energies to that vital task.
The paradigm shift will
On Straight 101."
player versus life after his son
We have viewed Israel as
change our own character.
Roger Kahn's classic baseball died in an auto crash.
the recipient of our largesse,
For so long, our collective life
book, The Boys of Summer, has
Rabbi Berger's message was
and as a nation surrounded
has focused around reaching
much to teach. It is a book di- clear: Baseball, or any other
by adversaries committed to
out to Israel and building a
vided into two major segments, sport or activity that we turn
its destruction, in dire need
Jewish community there. As
the first tracing the author's into a religion, must be checked
of our assistance.
Israel needs us less and less,
at the door when it gains more
Now all that has changed.
we will have to refocus our
importance
than our relation-
In its own way, the agree-
energies and our priorities.
ships with God, with our fami-
. ment by Prime Minister Ra-
For there is a community
lies, with our friends. Baseball
bin and King Hussein of
that is in serious need of
players who average $1.2 mil-
Jordan is even more signifi-
building: our own. With less
lion in salaries a year, and own-
cant and far-reaching in its
energy directed to Israel, we
ers who want us to believe that
implications than the earli-
will be free to devote our en-
they
aren't making tens of mil-
er handshake on the White
ergies to building institutions
lions, have shown us all where
House lawn with Yassir
that enhance the quality of
their priorities really lie.
Arafat. For Jordan is a sov-
Jewish life on these shores.
The romanticism of Al Ka-
ereign country, with a com-
Our own institutions are
line's
game, of Brooks Robin-
petent army, that bestrides
in serious need of imagina-
son's passion, belongs to those
Israel's longest border. Peace
tion and resources. We have
fans who can still translate the
with Jordan offers opportu-
yet to develop an education-
meaning of baseball through the
nities that may forever
al system appropriate to the
times they had with their fa-
change the character of Is-
needs of American Jewish
thers and mothers, their friends
raeli society.
children. Our formal and in-
and even the players them-
When I was in Jordan this find an Israel filled with creature formal programs for transmitting
selves.
past January, the outlines of the comforts and Western amenities. Jewish culture are sorely out of
Tye thought of Rabbi Berger's
future were startlingly clear. Jor- Our Israeli cousins no longer date.
sermon often since I first heard
dan's policies were being driven need our hand-me-downs. In fact,
We have to find mechanisms to
it in 1978. Back then, we jok-
by no romantic visions or ideal- they are recycling their own cast- reach out and engage people who
ingly called his message the
istic commitments. The Jordan- offs and sending them to Third- have become marginal to our col-
beat-writing days covering the "Sermon on the Mound." In
ian government understood its World countries that have real lective life. It were as if, in an
glory of Ebbets Field and the 1994, we would say it's a wake-
financial realities and understood need.
emergency in the family, we short-
Brooklyn Dodgers. The names up call.
the dividends that would flow
The realities have already changed ourselves for a long time.
— Jackie Robinson, Roy Cam-
So, there is a strike. It's not a
from peace. This would be no shifted and so swiftly. The chal-
Now the crisis is ending, and
panella, Carl Erskine, Duke matter of getting ready for the
"cold peace" like that which char- lenge is now for us, the Jews of we can begin to address our own
Snider and many others — are Lions, instead. It's more like re-
acterizes the relations between America, to "shift our paradigm." needs. The millions of hours of
full of nostalgia and wonderful membering that our lives, as
Israel and Egypt.
The time has come for us to build volunteer time and the billions of
baseball stories.
Rabbi Berger said, must con-
Egypt has its own dire social new relationships with Israel. Is- dollars that were devoted to
But as Rabbi Berger sermo- tinue as the ex-Dodgers taught,
problems and its economy is no rael becomes less the recipient of building life in Israel are still
nized, the real message came in in a way that places what is re-
suitable partner for Israel. Jor- our largesse and increasingly an needed. With peace, we do not
the book's second half, when the ally important on top.
dan, on the other hand, has a equal partner in creating a life close our hearts or our pocket-
author revisited several of the
About five years ago while I
highly educated population that for the Jewish people.
books. That same time and those
players he first covered. They was on vacation in the Philadel-
would make a wonderful com-
We must learn to collaborate same resources can help keep
were away from baseball. They phia area, a news bulletin came
plement to the Israelis. Its econ- on areas other than self-defense. Jewish life alive in America into
had families, businesses, per- across the local TV station. A
omy, too, is developed, ready to Jewish culture is waiting to be the 21st century and beyond.
sonal success and difficult DC-10 crashed at the Sioux City
expand, and of a character that built in Israel and in America.
The paradigm shift allows us
tragedy. The priorities had airport, killing 109 people.
makes partnership with Israel We have much to offer one an- to build a strong and vibrant Jew-
changed.
There was a list of victims from
not only desirable, but possible. other. Already Israeli leaders are ish community in America. When
Carl Erskine (pronounced the area. Among them were
The perpetuation of the state talking about a diminished need we make that shift, the challenge
Oisken in Brooklyn), a fire- Rabbi Kenneth and Aviva Berg-
of war has become senseless and for American material support will not be easy. But it will be ex-
balling pitcher worn by time, er.
and about American Jews' need hilarating.
bragged about how his son, Jim-
He sure knew how to talk
Rabbi Polish is senior rabbi of
for cultural support from Israel.
Let us bend our energies to
my, inflicted with Down syn- baseball.
Temple Beth El.
Israeli leaders talk with some it.

Baseball, or any
other sport or
activity that we
turn into a religion,
must be checked
at the door when
it gains more
importance than
our relationships
with God, or with
our families.

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