100%

Scanned image of the page. Keyboard directions: use + to zoom in, - to zoom out, arrow keys to pan inside the viewer.

Page Options

Share

Something wrong?

Something wrong with this page? Report problem.

Rights / Permissions

The University of Michigan Library provides access to these materials for educational and research purposes. These materials may be under copyright. If you decide to use any of these materials, you are responsible for making your own legal assessment and securing any necessary permission. If you have questions about the collection, please contact the Bentley Historical Library at bentley.ref@umich.edu

November 04, 1994 - Image 53

Resource type:
Text
Publication:
The Detroit Jewish News, 1994-11-04

Disclaimer: Computer generated plain text may have errors. Read more about this.

Israel's Coming
Identity Crisis

Labor Party's Avraham Burg sees peace creating the
dilemma of Israelis no longer defined by their
enemies.

ERIC SILVER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

vraham Burg confides inition of themselves and they
that he is "scared to death" evaporated. We in Israel had an
about the peace process. immunity against assimilation,
of because Mr. Burg — mixed marriages and evapora-
number three on the Labor slate tion."
after Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon
But peace, says the only Labor
Peres in the 1992 elections — is Knesset member who graduated
against the deals made so far from the national religious B'nei
with the Palestinians and the Akiva youth movement and still
Jordanians, or has lost faith in wears a knitted yarmulke, could
his leaders.
change all that.
The 39-year-old Knesset mem-
"We, as Israelis, will face a sit-
ber was an early Peace Now cam- uation where we'll have to define
paigner. In February 1983, he ourselves. We shall have to ask
was one of 10 demonstratorS ourselves, 'Who are we? Jews?
wounded outside Prime Minister Middle Easterners? People with
Menachem Begin's Jerusalem of- a new Israeli identity, not the tra-
fice when a right-wing fanatic ditional Jewish one? How do you,
flung a grenade into a vigil Avraham Burg, define yourself
without the help of the outside
enemy?"'
All this in an age where the
global village, CNN and MTV,
Coke and Nike, has invaded the
Jewish state.
"For an observant Jew like
me," Mr. Burg shudders, "for
whom the taste of life was my
faith, my morality, my tradition,
my normative way, it is a shock-
ing experience to go into a school
and ask the children what is the
taste of life. The answer is always
Coca Cola.
It is a stronger symbol of com-
munal longing than my tradi-
tional one."
Knesset Member Avraham Burg: The
As if brooding on the future of
taste of life is now Coke, not religion.
Israeli Jews were not enough, Mr.
against the Lebanon war. No, Burg also frets about the future
what frightens him is the dilem- of the Middle East. Israel, he con-
mas peace will pose for Israelis. tends, cannot disconnect itself ge-
We talked less than a week af- ographically, economically,
ter Israel and Jordan sealed their politically or culturally from its
peace treaty in the gritty Arava region. But where is the Middle
desert. It turned rapidly from a East going?
conversation to a seminar. Mr.
Israel, he maintains, inherit-
Burg, father of four and chairman ed the legacy of three revolutions:
of the Knesset education com- the French (civil rights), the Eng-
mittee, is a natural teacher. Like lish (industry, one's relations to
the best of them, he offers more one's environment, one's work
questions than answers.
and to nature), and the American
"We are now walking the last (one's relationship to democracy).
steps of the good old world we
"Modem Israel," he says, "went
knew," he says. "That world was through all three revolutions.
a world of known enemies. Our
The Middle East did not. It is
identity was defined from outside. still a pre-revolutionary region.
I knew who I was because I had It is like the Roman empire with
an external enemy.
one world inside the walls and
"Whenever 'Who is a Jew?' was the barbarians outside. Espe-
debated in the Knesset, some- cially if you add the qualitative
body always said Hitler knew edge between the within-the-
who was a Jew. The enemy de- walls world (high-tech and infor-
fined who I am. In recent years mation) and the outside-the-walls
American and other Western world (low tech and lack of infor-
Jews had less and less of an ex- mation).
ternal enemy. Half of them didn't
Israel will be like a bridgehead
find a i alternative, internal def- of Western culture in this world.

AN

For some
children, visions
of growing up
may be simply
that. Visions.

Furniture
FREE In Home Estimates
Refinishing,
Upholstery
Fabrics,
and Restoration Custom Paints,
Wall Coverings
and Window
Treatments

-

• Children with cystic fibrosis
want to grow up. They have
dreams of the future just like
every other child.
More than half of them will
live into their twenties, but that's
when life should be beginning
not ending.
You see, cystic fibrosis is an
hereditary disease that attacks a
child's lungs and makes it very
hard to breathe. Eventually, it's
fatal. And there is no cure. So far.
But there is hope. Recent
discoveries in genetic research
can lead to stopping cystic
fibrosis once and forever.
The Cystic Fibrosis Founda-
tion supports this research. But
we need your help. The money
you give today will be used
immediately to continue the
research. And it will go a long
way in helping find the cure.
Your gift of 515, 525, or even
more will give a child more than
just a vision of hope. Give the
future... call 1-800-343-4300,
ext. 321 today VISA/Master Card
accepted.

810-548-9515

•All Foods Are GLA1T KOSHER
•All Foods Are Homemade & Prepared on Premise
•Specializing in Shiva Dinners
4 • Deli Trays & Fish Trays For All Occasions
1 • Small Parties Home Or Office
•Delivery Available
dt
Unique Kosher Carry Out
25270 Greenfield, Oak Park • 967-1161

Yes, I accept
the challenge.

Here is my tax-deductible
contribution of S
5100 ❑ , $50 ❑ , 525 ❑

Name

Address

City

State

Zip

Phone

a

Cystic
Mail to:
Fibrosis
Cystic Fibrosis
Foundation
Foundation P.O. Box 96305
Washington, D.C. 20090 TR,

r

.0)111.11-T'(()N.!

This coupon will entitle the holder to:
1. Bring the Government Back to Basics
2. Reduce Wasteful Government Spending
3. Attract Businesses to the State and Create Jobs by Eliminating the Single
Business Tax
4. Keep More Money in YOUR pocket, not Governments, by Reducing Taxes
5. Improve Education by Involving Parents and Teachers in Choice of Schools
and Curriculum

To redeem this coupon, take to Voting Precinct
Tues., November 8, and cast vote for:

Michael David Warren

COATS
UNLIMITED

Oak Park

Paid for by The Committee to Elect Warren to State Senate, 29280 Pointe o' Woods, 1/208, Southfield, MI

Lincoln Center 26150 Greenfield Road
Oak Park, MI 48237 (313) 968.2060

West Bloomfield

Orchard Mall 6337 Orchard Lake Road
West Bloomfield, MI 48322 (313) 855-9955

Troy

Troy Commons 871 E. Big Beaver Road
Troy, MI 48237
528-9966

Find It All In
The Jewish News
Classifieds
Call 354-5959

imstakscfflig

Coupon Valid in Bloomfield, Southfield, Oak Park, Berkley,
Bingham Farms, Franklin, Bevery HINs and Pontiac ONLY!

Donate
Your Car

Truck • Motorboat • RV • Motorcycle
Almost any condition. Tax deductible.
Call (810) 352-5272



A Jewish Association for Residential Care for persons
with developmental disabilities
28366 Franklin Road, Southfield MI, 48034

Back to Top

© 2024 Regents of the University of Michigan