41 BAHM page 3 SI-31,-- C1IAIL IF 0 R ? s cover a it rto Jercea.447:74an anvil cozi tee-rore * Di - icis S IBSCRIIIKRS Subscribe Now! See what you've been missing. For only $46.00 - that's just 88 a week - save more than 36% over •r if ■ ■ ■ the regular newsstand price. 111 f 11 111111 111.0.1111 • 52 big issues of The Jewish News. • 12 issues of The AppleTree, our new, exciting monthly magazine for families. • Special seasonal pull-out supplements including Celebrate, Summer Pleasures, our popular Gift Guide and more. 5 Issues of Style Magazine, Oakland County's premier lifestyle publication. Cr) LLJ Ci) k TR • I UCTI ON SU BSCRIPTION • if • Free AppleTree Gift. "I Magazine for only $46 Stie plus five issues of Jewish News ❑ YES! Receive 52 issues of ($63 out-of-state). Plus 12 issues of AppieTreel ano w4 or paid subscription, a FREE AppleTree Gift. ❑ Please Bill Me. ❑ Payment Enclosed. Charge my: ❑ VISA ❑ MasterCard Exp. Date Card # Name Address Signature (required) Zip State City My Name Phone My Address Gift Card Message: State city Zip Send AppleTree Gift to Phone UJ ❑ I'd like to send a subscription as a gift to: Giftcard Message: L ❑ Me New subscribers only ❑ Recipient DAT1 CD CC LLJ LJ 20 e ie iii1ANG JE,JiSH FAMILIES CiP.OTe nee Please send all payments with this coupon to: Box 2267 4 Southfield, Ml 48037-2267. The Jewish News c, Allow 2-3 weeks fa- delivery. • THE JEWISH NEWS read from the Torah. But sever- for women. Whether for socio- al do not count women in a logical reasons or due to a long- time custom of men-only on the minyan. Beth Israel of Flint, Beth Is- bimah, Rabbi Epstein says a con- rael of Ann Arbor, Oak Park's gregation may choose not to af- Beth Shalom, Congregation ford women equal worship privileges. Such a con- Shaarey Zedek in South- gregation may acknowl- field and West Bloomfield Rabbi Aaron and the Isaac Agree Bergman is thrilled edge that there is "no Downtown Synagogue in that women will halachic impediment," now participate but say, "'it isn't right for Detroit afford female us. ,,, equally on the members full worship bimah. For those who observe privileges, including aliy- Halachah, allowing ot and being counted in a women to read from the Torah or minyan. Adat Shalom in Farmington be counted in minyan is "a com- Hills and B'nai Moshe in West plex issue," Rabbi Epstein says. He paraphrases a talmudic Bloomfield allow women to read from the Torah but do not count tractate which states that all them in a minyan. And Beit Jews may read from the Torah, Kodesh in Livonia counts women including women, but women in a women's minyan but not in don't, because the congregation would not be comfortable with a mixed minyan. The Conservative movement such a move. Rabbi Epstein says as a whole does not have a stan- Conservative Jews in favor of dard policy regarding women on calling women to the Torah the bimah, says Rabbi Jerome M. might interpret the passage as a Epstein, executive vice president sociological statement, with egal- and chief executive officer of the itarian decisions based on con- United Synagogue of Conserva- text. Those who oppose the idea would insist that the tractate is tive Judaism. `The policy is one of pluralism law. Rabbi Steven Weil of Young in which the rabbi, as the spiri- tual leader of the congregation, Israel of Oak Park says the ha- has to help set the direction for lachic prohibition against women the congregation. Congregations, reading Torah on the bimah can with their rabbis, have to inter- be found in the Talmud, tractate pret what is their appropriate in- Megillah, 23A. "The reading of the Torah is terpretation of Halachah (Jewish a re-enactment of the Mt. Sinai law)." A recent national study con- experience. That's why we need ducted by the Conservative a minyan for it; it was a public movement shows a continued event," Rabbi Weil explains. 'The trend toward egalitarianism. Of Talmud asks: If that's the case, those surveyed, 84 percent of why can't women and children men and 85 percent of women fa- [read from the Torah]?" The answer is: "kavod hatsi- vored women's complete partici- pation in the synagogue. A bur — which means you choose greater gap appeared, however, someone from the community on the issue of hiring a woman who reflects the obligation of tsi- rabbi — 65 percent of men. and bur," Rabbi Weil says. "Men re- flect the system of 613 mitzvot; 74 percent of women approved. Across the country, Conserva- women are not obligated in as tive synagogues exhibit egalitar- many mitzvot." But he emphasizes that there ianism in varying degrees, "from allowing women to have some is "no such thing as a man or roles along with men to having woman being more holy. This is strictly a legal statement complete equality," Rabbi Ep- not a philosophical statement. stein says. Sometimes, despite a rabbi's Women are not less Jewish, God green light, a congregation may forbid.' LI object to expanded worship rights