Congregation Beth Shalom and C.B.S. J.E.F.F. present an Erev Tu B'Shvat - m4Nq.q h , h WILD WEST ADVENTURE Sunday, February 4, 1996 4:30 pm - 7:00 pm at Beth Shalom Remembering Heritage Defines Our Being 14601 W. Lincoln, Oak Park (Social Hall) RABBI IRWIN GRONER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS Watch "The Indian in the Cupboard" (rated PG) and eat a Kosher pizza dinner. T Enjoy a special Tu B'Shvat dessert "°" and more! co, $10 per family - families of all shapes and sizes throughout the community are welcome. (Cowboy hats are optional.) SeFEVIES.;:s. 11116„ Co-sponsored by Jewish Experiences for Families, a division of the Agency for Jewish Education For more information call Beth Shalom at (810) 547-7970. Reserve your space before January 29, 1996 te,t, PUR M DRESS UP Trunk Show 1 Day Only Saturday, February 3 10 am 5 pm Early Selection of the Newest Crowns, Hats, Dresses, Capes, Boas, Shoes and Jewelry For Every Boy and Girl To Try On. Bring Cameras... Fun For The Whole Family Free Face Painting Marmel Gifts & Toys 28857 Orchard Lake Road Farmington Hills, MI 48334 (810) 553-3250 Nlt")44 7144 .74te ee Get Results... Advertise in our new Entertainment Section! E JEWISH NEWS (810) 354-6060 he sedrah recounts the final hours that the children of Is- rael spent in the land of Egypt. After the most griev- ous of plagues, the slaying of the firstborn, befell the Egyptians, Pharaoh, in despair, called upon Moses and Aaron and declared, "Arise, go forth from among my people. Leave the land." An astute commentator points out a singular phrase in the text: "Depart both of you and the Chil- dren of Israel." Up until that mo- ment, the ruler of Egypt had referred to the Hebrews by the word "am," people or masses. This was the first time that Pharaoh called these slaves by their name — "Children of Israel." Pharaoh finally recognized their identity. They were persons; they had an ancestry; they were "B'nai Yrsroel." A very important insight is com- pressed in that comment which il- luminates aspects of contemporary Jewish life in our time. In 1947, the British evacuated Palestine, and the State of Israel was de- clared shortly thereafter in 1948. But the British government was not as yet ready to recognize the independence of that state, so they sent messages addressed to "the Jewish authorities in Tel Aviv." Ben-Gurion, the first prime minister of the Jewish State, re- fused to respond. He declared, "I represent the State of Israel and until you recognize that State by name, we shall not accept your communications." Forty-eight years later, until the Peace Process was launched by Oslo I & II, Arab spokesmen continue to refer to the 5 million people who are their neighbors as did the British in 1947. In the United nations, one would hear references to the "Zionist entity" as though a whole generation of Israel's independent existence had never occurred, as thought there was no State of Israel. The greatest difficulty in bring- ing peace to the Middle East has been deeper than the issues of boundaries, treaties or refugees. It is the recognition of the legiti- macy and reality of the State. The nations of the world re- quired of the Arab countries, 'The State of Israel exists. You must recognize its identity and call it by name and negotiate with its rep- resentatives." As we look at our people's past, we see another dimension of this truth. Although the identity of the Jewish people has, through the Irwin Groner is senior rabbi of Congregation Shaarey Zedek. centuries, been a mystery to oth- ers, the Jew was always aware of who he was. He knew his name. The Jew never forgot his origin, his lineage and his mission as a member of "Am Kodosh," a sacred people. He had a God-given re- sponsibility to lead a life of purity and holiness. No matter what the Czar said or the peasants believed or the Church declared, no one could deprive a Jew of his most precious possession, which was his identity. If you cherish your heritage, no suffering or tribula- tion can crush your spirit. Challenged by the impact of modernity, ours is the only gen- eration in the panorama of Jew- ish history that has asked the question, "Who is a Jew?" It was Sahbbat Bo: Exodus 10:1 - 13:16 Jeremiah 46:13 - 28. not asked in the period of the Tal- mud, in the Middle Ages, in the many lands of the Diaspora. But in the last 50 years, this question has been asked repeatedly. It con- tinually surfaces in a free society where Jews have integrated ex- tensively in every aspect of our col- lective life. "Who are we?" forces us to confront our relationship with our past, our distinctive way of life, our unique existence. Before a couple gets married, they usually meet with the rabbi who discusses with them aspects of the wedding ceremony. One of the questions asked is, "What is your Hebrew name and what are the Hebrew names cf your par- ents?" (In the course pf the cere- mony, the ketubah, marriage contract, is read identifying the bride and groom by their Hebrew names.) At that point in the in- terview, a look of puzzlement of- ten appears on the faces of the couple and an embarrassed pause ensues. Some vague childhood memory is recalled, but very often no precise knowledge is provided because the couple doesn't know or hasn't used or perhaps hasn't even been informed of their He- brew names. Consider this a par- adigm of the uncertainty and confusion that often marks Jew- ish identity in our own time. These young people know they are Jews and they are proud to be Jews. But they are not sure of their own names. To know one's name is to know one's individual- ity, uniqueness and the fact that one is different from others. Such