NATIONAL COUNCIL OF JEWISH WOMEN Greater Detroit Section 14th annual fashion spree Fashion Spree '94 Sale of Gently Used DESIGNER CLOTHING... Plus 3 DAYS ONLY • Saturday Evening, November 5th 6 pm — 10 pm $5 admission • Sunday, November 6th Free Admission 12 noon — 6 pm • Monday, November 7th Free Admission 12 noon — 6 pm Men's • Women's • Children's Clothing Furs • Costume Jewelry • Sweaters • Handbags Trendy & Vintage Michigan State Fairgrounds Community Arts Building *Enter Gate 5 VISA & MASTERCARD Welcome NO CHECKS $5 admission fee Saturday night only NATIONAL .1 COUNCIL OF JEWISH WOMEN n11 Grimm D.troit Soction Proceeds go to help support NCJW's many community services Including Meals on Wheels, SPACE, CASA, Education Assistance, Up &Out SAFE PLACE, Jewish News on Tape, Passport to Israel Adopt-A-School for additional information 810 258-6000 'ENTERTAINMENT '95 BOOKS ARE NOW AVAILABLE AT THE NCJW OFFICE' CONGREGATION B'NAI DAVID (ALIVE AND WELL AND GROWING IN WEST BLOOMFIELD) cordially invites you to attend our VAYERA SERVICES on SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1994 T HE D ETRO I T J E WIS H N E WS • 42 at the JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER/MAPLE-DRAKE/SHIFFMAN HALL • Cantor Usher Adler will chant the liturgy • All the favorite melodies and familiar davening • Traditional services in the Sefard Nusach. Services every Shabbat • Kiddush will be served following services • The community is invited - children are most welcome School Prayer Rejected, Groups Declare Victory Washington (JTA) — Jewish or- dude school prayer language that ganizations declared a major many view as unnecessary, it is victory after Congress over- nonetheless "very reasonable," whelmingly defeated a last-ditch Mr. Pelavin said. Under the bill, in order for the effort to link federal education funding to prayer in public Education Department to cut off funds to a school, a federal court schools. Both the House and Senate would have to rule that the school staved off proponents of school "willfully violated" a court order prayer by passing the Elemen- to allow "constitutionally pro- tary and Secondary Education tected" prayer — a term not yet Act without reopening the debate defined. Activists on both side of the de- on school prayer in the final days bate agree this scenario could al- of this session. The $12 billion education bill most never happen. Although this year has marked is the federal government's pri- a surge in activity by school mary vehicle for dispensing aid prayer advocates, AJCongress to public schools. Jewish groups across the spec- Executive Director Phil Baum trum opposed an initiative by said last week's votes should Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C., who "sound the death knell" of Mr. sought to cut off federal funds to Helms' proposal. Jewish groups also succeeded states and school districts that prevent participation in what he in blocking another Helms considered to be "constitutional- amendment that would have pre- ly protected" prayer in public vented schools from spending any schools. What, if any, school prayer is Many found the protected by the constitution is a matter of spirited debate that has language especially not yet been resolved. Jewish groups opposed Mr. troubling. Helms' proposal, fearing that it threatened the separation of church and state, as well as local money on counseling or educa- control of education. "This marks the death of ef- tion programs, for example, if forts to get such coercive school those programs did not paint ho- prayer language passed by Con- mosexuality in a negative light. Many found the language es- gress," said Mark Pelavin, Wash- ington representative of the pecially troubling in light of the fact that suicide is the leading American Jewish Congress. Michael Lieberman, associate cause of death among high- director and counsel of the Anti- school-age homosexuals, and the Defamation League's Washing- bill would have tied counselors' ton office, painted a less hands at the risk of losing fed- optimistic picture. He called this eral funds. In its place, Congress adopted year's battle a "harbinger of what language that prevents schools we can expect in the future. "This shadows the kind of from promoting homosexuality. struggle that a Congress with a The cutoff of funds also posed cen- different dynamic could mean," sorship problems for a wide range he added, referring to predictions of education advocates who that the next Congress may be feared Congress would try to link other funds to such restrictive much more conservative. AJCongress, the ADL, the In- proposals. Not all of the Jewish commu- stitute for Public Affairs of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Con- nity's attention was focused on gregations of America and the negative aspects of the education Religious Action Center of Re- bill. Measures to combat hate form Judaism and other groups launched the largest grass-roots crimes through grant and edu- effort on a domestic issue to date cational programs drew wide- to defeat Helms and his sup- spread support both inside the porters, according to many ac- Jewish community and in Con- gress. tivists. The bill aims to prevent crimes In February, the House adopt- ed restrictive school prayer lan- by encouraging the teaching of guage. Jewish groups then tolerance. It includes model pro- mobilized in Washington and grams for schools to follow. Mr. Lieberman of the ADL across the country in an effort to have the amendment removed praised the initiative for "insti- tutionalizing prejudice-preven- from the final education bill. Although what the Senate and tion as a means for crime- House passed last week does in- prevention. , Call (810) 557-8210 for further information. A Perfect Family Gift... A Subscription to the Jewish News. 810-354-6620