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Rush To Judgment
In The Middle East?

Little in life is certain but death and taxes, Ben-
jamin Franklin said. He could have added to that
list: packed synagogues and temples on Rosh
Hashanah, even in places otherwise virtually
empty.
So it wouldn't be surprising to hear that some
rabbis already are getting their sermons in or-
der for the Big Day, now just months away. A
likely subject would, of course, be the progress
of peace in the Middle East.
Newspapers don't give sermons (and thank
goodness for that), but we do have some thoughts
on the peace process.
It's easy to say on the face of it that peace is
wonderful, because in theory it is. Everybody
gets along, respecting each other's views and way
of life.
But the more careful, considerate mind knows
that peace is not a gift we should accept blindly.
Instead, it is a goal. And as we move toward that
goal we must make it a point to be ever watch-

We make a grave mistake if we believe every-
thing in Israel is settled. And we do a terrible dis-
service if we are ready to sit back and relax and
say, 'They're all our friends, or, if not, they'll come
around to the peace treaty."
They will not.
The peace process is only beginning, and there
has been nothing about its execution that should
make us feel so comfortable as to become com-
placent. Terrorist acts against Israelis contin-
ue regularly. The PLO has not completely abided
by peace treaty stipulations. And even the world's
greatest optimist cannot believe Hamas will ever
change its evil face or that it will vanish. There
has yet to be a single legitimate suggestion as to
what will be done with this terrorist organiza-
tion that continues to call for the destruction of
Israel.
Yes, peace is wonderful — but not peace at any
cost, and not without constant and stringent reg-
ulation.

ful.

Battle Of Semantics
Over An American Holocaust

A Jewish audience need not be instructed about
the Holocaust. The exploration of what befell Eu-
ropean Jewry between 1933 and 1945 has be-
come an integral part of modem Jewish identity.
The word "Holocaust," describing a unique event
in history, has also become something more: A
Jewish possession, a fulfillment of the horrify-
ing culmination of centuries of abuse and degra-
dation of Jews in Europe.
So this week, when the New York Times ran a fea-
ture story about something called "America's Black
Holocaust Museum," we could only wince from pain.
To Jews, the Holocaust can mean one thing only.
When used to describe something other than the
smoldering ashes of our people, we are angered.
But, after a deep breath, we are forced to look
again. Do we really own the word "Holocaust"?
U_ Webster's Dictionary describes a holocaust as "a
whole burnt offering," from the Greek word
holokauston. The entry includes a final line that
reads: "The Holocaust: the systematic destruc-
tion of over 6 million European Jews by the Nazis
before and during World War II."
In a subtle but crucial difference, the defini-
CC
tion associated with Jews, begins with a capi-
tal H. Although Jews are understandably
LLJ uncomfortable when the word does not relate to
their own experience, there were other tragedies
in history. None was the Holocaust. None
matched its scope, intensity and eternal pain.

4

Interestingly, it was the Holocaust that con-
vinced James Cameron, an 81-year-old retired
Milwaukee engineer, to open America's Black
Holocaust Museum. During a visit to Israel sev-
en years ago, this African-American male visit-
ed the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial. Moved
to tears, he turned to his wife and said, "Hon-
ey, we need a museum like this in America to
show what has happened to us black people and
the freedom-loving white people who have been
trying to help us."
The Holocaust plays yet another role in this
museum. Last year, someone described as "a
young Jewish man" was so moved by Mr.
Cameron's project, he donated $50,000 "with no
strings attached." The money has paid for an air-
conditioning unit, a new heating system, car-
peting and roof repairs. No doubt, that young
man knew that to commemorate the Holocaust,
one must remember past horrors and prevent
new ones. Education — formal and infoimal —
is the most effective way to do so.
We admire Mr. Cameron's ability to take the
legacy of the Holocaust — that good and evil can
be found in tragedy — and relate it to people in
other societies. Holocaust, with a capital H, can
mean only one thing. However, as difficult as it
may be, we must welcome the spread of its moral
lessons.

Letters

How Sacred
A Symbol?

The Senate is soon to take up the
question of whether or not to join
the House in passing a constitu-
tional amendment to protect the
flag from "desecration." This pro-
posal represents an unprecedent-
ed assault on Judeo- Christian
values, the Bill of Rights and the
dignity of those who have served
this country.
Till now, opposition to this
amendment has centered around
protecting the freedom of speech;
but the question of religious free-
dom is involved, too. If passed, the
amendment would declare the flag
to be sacred; and Congress would
be at liberty to decide what "phys-
ical desecration" of the flag is. This
amendment represents a clear at-
tempt to create a national idol. No
object can be desecrated unless
it is first sacred.
Are we going to allow the cre-
ation of a flag cult, empowered
with all of the force of the federal
government, simply to prevent a
tiny group of nut cases from burn-
ing the flag? What will keep Con-
gress from deciding a decade from
now that failure to bow down and
worship the flag constitutes "phys-
ical desecration"? The day this
amendment is ratified is the day
that separation of church and
state ends in the United States.
Congress has enough power al-
ready without making itself the
supreme ruling body of cult.
The flag protection amendment
would also represent the first
change to the Bill of Rights since
its ratification. For more than 200
years the Bill of Rights has
worked, however imperfectly, to
keep the government from tread-
ing on the rights of citizens. The
supporters of this "flag" amend-
ment seem to want us to believe
that we are currently facing the
gravest danger that our country
has ever faced.
We have managed to wage
eight shooting wars and the Cold
War without having to fiddle
around with the Bill of Rights.
What is the threat that now jus-
tifies such tampering? Are the an-
tics of a few dozen pyromaniacs
the real concern of the "flag"
amendment's major supporters?
I find such a conclusion hard to be-
lieve.
It is equally difficult to swallow

this amendment on the grounds
that it is a tribute to those who
have served the country in the mil- (
itary. To date, the military oath
requires that its takers defend the
Constitution, not the flag. Perhaps
a few veterans have forgotten the
object of their loyalty pledge; how-
ever, we should refresh the mem-
ories of these backsliders instead
of tampering with the very docu-
ment they swore to uphold.
The overwhelming majority of
persons who have fought for this
country do not want to see a na-
tional cult invented, nor the Bill
of Rights tampered with.
Vernon S. Archer Jr.

Every Jew
Is Welcome

Silver Spring, Md.

My family was featured in an arti-
cle in your newspaper in 1993. We
are in Southfield for our first visit
since making aliyah in 1992 and
came across "A Few Steps Beyond
Fantasy" in your June 30 issue.
My wife, Sarah, and I immi-
grated to Israel with three chil-
dren, two of whom were at the
supposedly difficult aliyah ages of
14 and 12. Both have acclimatized
wonderfully, speak Hebrew, have
native Israeli friends and feel per-
fectly at home in their Jewish
homeland.
I must admit that we did not
weigh the effects of dirty, stray
cats on our aliyah and subsequent
Israeli lives. Sorry to contradict
the aliyah emissary, but the cats
have very little impact on us.
Financially, we do not live on
overdraft and continue to pay our
bills, as we did in the United
States, on time, using only our
earnings from our jobs. People in
high fields with some experience
are in great demand and earn
good incomes in Israel.
I take issue with the statement,
"In the end, it is the shaliach's job
to approve or deny the aliyah."
Every Jew is welcome to make
aliyah.
Israel is the perfect and, in fact,
only place for Jews who wish to
play a daily role in the develop-
ment of the Jewish people. We
need people who want to make a
positive difference and who are
willing to let Israel contribute to
their personal growth. We are
waiting for you.
Chaim Forst

Rdanana, Israel