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Community Views
Editor's Notebook
Bar Mitzvah Lesson
In Yankee Stadium
Outpost For Judaism
Breaks Ground In Troy
RABBI DAVID NELSON SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
PHIL JACOBS EDITOR
It was a clear,
crisp fall day, and
Jeff Maier was
delighted to have
an afternoon out
of school.
An outing
with family and
friends to
watch the Yan-
kees play the Orioles was an
exciting opportunity. Though
his teachers would probably
have understood, his mother's
note said, "Please excuse Jeff
for an orthodontist appoint-
ment." He had even brought
his baseball glove in case a pop
fly came into the stands.
And sure enough, in the
eighth inning, Derek Jeeter hit .
a line drive down the right field
fence. Jeff probably didn't give
it much thought; he just
reached out his glove to catch
the ball as it whizzed in front of
him. The ball deflected off his
glove and was scooped up by
another fan from Connecticut.
Actually, Jeff was probably as
surprised as everyone else was
when Rich Garcia, the umpire,
called it a home run despite the
David Nelson is rabbi of
Congregation Beth Shalom.
Television programs vied for
an appearance. Hotels and lim-
ousines were a standard part of
every offer. People asked for Jeffs
autograph, and the media made
Jeff Maier a hero.
That's what worries me. How
is a bar mitzvah boy to under-
stand all of this? In fact, how
are all the youngsters who fol-
lowed the game going to un-
derstand the events of the day?
When we talk about the val-
ues we want our young people
to have, I worry. I want to tell
Jeff that his parents should not
have shown by their example
that lying was acceptable as
long as it gets you what you
want. I'd explain to Jeff as well
as other young people that our
society has confused "infa-
mous" with "famous." It should
be that heroes are recognized
for doing something brave,
something worthy of acknowl-
edgement. -
This could very well be a
defining moment in the life of
But this is where it all began to young JeffMaier, but there are a
go wrong. Instead of being told by lot of bad lessons that he's learned
those around him that he shouldn't so far.
Jeff missed the ball that day in
have interfered with the path of
the ball, instead of being chastised Yankee Stadium; but his parents,
by the umpire, Jeff Maier sudden- teachers and those around him
shouldn't miss the point. ❑
ly found himself a hero.
protests; the Yankee victory
stood.
So Jeff had an afternoon play-
ing hooky, an exciting moment
when he almost caught the ball,
a great treat now that all the cel-
ebration for his bar mitzvah had
ended.
Comment
Closet Conscious
NECHEMIA MEYERS SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
I
C
srael's gays and lesbians now
have their own television pro-
gram; and the Orthodox, who
regard homosexuality as an
abomination, are hopping mad.
Shlomo Benezri, a prominent
Knesset Member who belongs to
the Orthodox Shas Party, is unim-
pressed by the fact that psychia-
trists no longer define
homosexuality as a disease. He
does. Mr. Benezri claims to have
personally "cured" a number of ho-
mosexuals and lesbians of their
"affliction," and suggests that more
"cures" could be effected if funds
were allocated for that purpose.
Meanwhile, he stridently op-
poses the gay TV show because it
may persuade impressionable
young people to become "de-
viants." Shas, he declares, will call
on the government to ban the pro-
grarn, perhaps even threatening
to vote against Israeli Prime Min-
ister Binyamin Netanyahu should
he fail to accept their demand.
Israeli gays were allocated their
own weekly slot on public-access
Nechemia Meyers writes from
Rehovot, Israel.
televisiOn after the Cable TV
Council decided that their orga-
nization — the Society to Protect
the Rights of the Individual —
represented a significant segment
of the community. The council
even provided a small sum of
money to help cover production
costs, though most of the neces-
sary funds for making the pro-
grams came from gay donors.
A new show about
gay life in Israel.
The first two telecasts, screened
last month, were devoted to an
analysis of how the current po-
litical situation affects homosex-
uals and lesbians and to the
raising of children by same-sex
couples.
Other topics on the agenda in-
clude, among other things, the
question of "coming out of the clos-
et" and the economic clout of gays.
If the early programs are any
indication, the new show will be
anything but sensational. The top-
ics it treats have long ago been dis-
cussed by the media and the way
they are presented — mostly by
use of talking heads — is rather
dull. However, the fact that Israeli
gays and lesbians now have their
own TV program is significant in
itself.
Despite the growing power of
the Orthodox, gays are seldom dis-
criminated against in Israel, and
when they are, the courts will usu-
ally rule in their favor. It is true
that single-sex marriages aren't
sanctioned in Israel, but then nei-
ther are heterosexual marriages
performed by Conservative or Re-
form rabbis. What remains to be
seen is whether the union of a gay
couple wed abroad will be recog-
nized in Israel (as are other mar-
riages that take place overseas).
However, quite apart from the
legal standing of gays, they are
bound to be outsiders in a soci-
ety that still, for the most part, be-
lieves in the nuclear family and in
having children.
Gays and lesbians are hoping
that the attitude of the general
public will change as a result of
their new TV show. ❑
Lauren Hertz built a reputation as a place
held the blue where judgment is left to God,
and white trow- and people are invited to search
el in her hand for their place and role in our
and scooped up Jewish community.
'We're living in an age where
some soil. It was
fun, this digging. community is hard to find,"
It was some- said Rabbi Arnie Sleutelberg,
thing like play- Shir Tikvah's one and only rab-
ing in the bi during its history. "Subdi-
visions don't have sidewalks,
sandbox or going to the beach.
While the 5-year-old daugh- the organizations that lured
ter of Barb and Steve Hertz our parents from Rotary to
knew that she wasn't in Troy on Hadassah tend not to appeal to
a recent Sunday to build sand large numbers of younger peo-
castles, her scoop of earth rep- ple. And what happens is
resented dream building of even young families are finding lit-
tle connection to the larger con-
bigger proportions.
Congregation Shir Tikvah, nection.
'What we've done
which has held
services in a Uni-
is assembled a
tarian church, a
group of congre-
gants who embrace
Lutheran church
ulone another and
and a Presbyter-
who embrace new-
ian church during
comers with a real
its 14 years, will
g feeling that we care.
open its doors next
This unifies us and
year in time for
helps us grow."
High Holiday ser-
The thing is, Shir
vices with its own
Tikvah might be, for
$1.2 million build-
now, the only Jew-
ing at Wattles and
ish address in Troy.
Northfield Park-
However, it might
way in Troy.
also be way ahead of
Check out that
its time. It is doing
address, and you'll Lauren Hertz " breaks
exactly what estab-
see that Shir Tik- ground" for Sh it Tikvah.
lished synagogues
vah isn't really lo-
cated in the "Jewish and Jewish organizations such
neighborhood." It's not anywhere as Federation are spending time
close. Yet, 240 Jewish families, and money on: attempting to at-
with 80 member households tract younger people.
"An overwhelming 90 percent
headed by young, single adults,
of our members are young, mar-
choose to call it home.
There's a lesson to be learned. ried families with children," said
Especially when we use buzz- Rabbi Sleutelberg. "Everyone is
words such as "continuity" and welcome here. We don't ask if
"unity" so freely. Shir Tikvah couples are intermarried or not.
used to be thought of as a con- It's not that we don't care. If they
gregation out on the Jewish want us to know, they'll tell us."
Shir Tikvah is an outpost for
"frontier." There aren't too many
Jewish neighbors living in Troy. Reform Jewry. Whether or not
It is a synagogue that is outside we agree with its religious phi-
losophy or even the composition
of the box.
While our thinking is so at- of its membership, this congre-
tuned to Jews living in Oak Park, gation is what's happening now.
West Bloomfield, Southfield, It is inclusive instead of exclu-
Farmington Hills and other sive. It had 10 of its students go
places, it is important that we on the Teen Mission to Israel
understand the message and the last summer. Its educational pro-
success of a place such as Shir grams are crowded with chil-
dren.
Tikvah.
There's something different,
The Jewish neighborhood is
changing. It is moving "out something we can all learn from
there." With intermarriage rates this congregation. At the ground-
climbing and assimilation no breaking, 250 blue spruce
longer a buzzword but yester- saplings were handed out. Con-
day's news, the continuous tug gregants will bring them back af-
of war has us redefining our ter a year to plant on temple
view of the Jewish family.
proPerty.
What I really want to see,
One family that considers it-
self "Jewish" might involve an though, is Lauren Hertz eight
intermarriage. Another family years from now, learning from
that considers itself "Jewish" has the etz chaim, the tree of life, dur-
a single parent. Still another ing her bat mitzvah.
That will be a real ground-
combines or blends two families.
A single Jew will consider him- breaking event. Something
started from a hole she dug in
self a "family unit."
For years, Shir Tikvah has some soil in Troy. ❑