Community Views
Editor's Notebook
From War To Peace
To Religious Pluralism
Winning In A Word:
Sip-e-1-1+111
RABBI ARNIE SLEUTELBERG SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
PHIL JACOBS EDITOR
Having traveled
to Israel many
times, and hav-
ing gained so
much from my
experiences, I fi-
nally feel that
I have given
something back
in a tangible
way.
Israel is going through a ma-
jor transformation — from
wartime to peacetime, from eco-
nomic difficulties to materialis-
tic opportunity. Major changes
in society require constant tend-
ing to make sure the people and
their leadership are in sync with
one another.
Israel is fast surpassing the
standard of living of Europe and
over the coming years will ap-
proach and perhaps surpass that
of the United States. With the
promise of mining magnesium
from the Dead Sea for use in au-
tomobiles, Israelis economy holds
great promise.
I believe, however, that, just
like in the United States, Israelis
will come to know that materi-
alism does not bring true fulfill-
ment in life.
Real meaning comes through
connection with God in ways
that guide our thoughts and ac-
tions while elevating our rela-
tionships with others.
Orthodoxy, despite its mo-
nopoly in Israel, has not suc-
ceeded in sharing this vision
with 80 percent of Israelis. As Is-
raeli society evolves, I believe
that Israelis will turn to avenues
of spirituality that speak to them
in relevant ways.
This was the reason behind
my most recent mission to Israel.
Accompanied by 50 other Re-
form rabbis, we spoke in every
way possible in order to help
Israeli government officials
understand the value of religious
freedom and pluralism. Ameri-
ca, because of this constitution-
al freedom, is one of the most
religious countries in the world.
Arnie Sleutelberg is rabbi of
Congregation Shir Tikvah in
Troy.
MEDITERRANEAN SEA
Countries which try to dictate
religion, like Israel, have fewer
takers.
Give Israelis real Jewish op-
tions, and they will, just like
here, adopt Judaism into their
lives. Orthodoxy is a perfectly le-
gitimate expression of Judaism
for those who can connect with
it.
But for the vast majority of
Jews (90 percent or more), oth-
er equally legitimate expressions
of Judaism may be more accept-
able. In no country but Israel
does the government discrimi-
nate against these other expres-
sions and prevent rabbis from
serving their congregants at
weddings, conversions and fu-
nerals.
Israel is the only country in
the free world where Jews do
not have religious freedom. Is-
rael is the only country in the
free world in which a group of
rabbis needs police protection in
order to pray. Israel is the only
country in the world in which the
government is considering leg-
islation which would disallow
Reform and Conservative con-
verts from being counted among
our people.
Someday, Israel will come to
understand that religious plu-
ralism is a necessary component
of being a free country, and as
that transformation unfolds, Is-
raelis will flock by the thousands,
perhaps millions, to expressions
of Judaism that can make real
and meaningful contributions to
their lives.
We in America must use every
opportunity to reinforce religious
pluralism in Israel. We must
make perfectly clear that we're
not going to the back of the bus
anymore.
❑
6355360 @MCIMAIL . COM .
11
Do You
Mat
/ Think?"
So, what's your feeling on this
cloning issue? Is it worthwhile
or should we beware?
To respond: "So, What Do You Think?"
27676 Franklin Road, Southfield, MI 48034
Quick. Look at missed in the national champi-
the following 10 onship finals from 1996:
words and ask
accessit
the person sit-
ullage
ting nearest to
tombolo
you to spell
strychnine
them back to
pastiche
you.
lacertilian
intonaco
suffrutescent
endoradiosonde
The study booklet for the
sfumato
1997 spellers is titled "Paideia,"
procellous
which according to the dictio-
bradyseism
nary, means the training of the
lachrymose
physical and mental faculties in
entablature
such a way as to produce a
syllogize
"broad, enlightened, mature out-
angwantibo
look harmoniously combined
myrmecologist
with maximum cultural devel-
OK, so you can't even pro- opment."
Holy cow!
nounce these words well enough
When my child came home
to have someone spell them
back to you. Their meanings? from school and announced that
Get a dictionary, and with any she had won the spelling bee for
her grade, I, like so many of my
luck they'll be listed there.
Moreover, if the person you colleagues in parenthood, came
asked to spell these words is out with a "that's nice, dear."
I didn't realize that this was
over the age of a middle-school
going to be the beginning of a
student, he wouldn't qualify
process that would max out my
Qualify? Qualify for what?
We're talking spelling bee computer's spell checker. Re-
here, the National Spelling Bee. member the days before spell
Students from all over Detroit, check? Ws a lot like doing com-
from Michigan and all over the plex addition without a calcula-
country began second-round tor.
Here are some of the winning
spelling bee tournaments re-
cently. I only know this because words from over the years:
my oldest daughter qualified for
1996 — vivespulture
the district tournament along
1995 —xanthosis
with other children from our
1994 — antediluvian
community.
1993 — kamikaze
For a couple of weeks now,
1992 — lyceum
our evenings have been filled
1991 — antipyretic
with getting her to spell words
that in my 43 years I have only
There is a catch for this year's
passed en route to other words
in the dictionary. She has spent spelling bee, at least if you are
time spelling in between meals, Jewish and observe the S-a-b-b-
during meals, before bedtime, a-t-h. The state championship
in the car, after school. She has round is scheduled for a Satur-
even fallen asleep with a word day.
The organizers probably
in her head, only to wake up
suddenly asking for another should have known better.
Why?
word.
Well, one would just assume.
The Scripps Howard Nation-
After all, the 1983 national
al Spelling Bee offers a study
guide, of sorts, with thousands winning word was:
P-U-R-I-M.
of words to go over.
No kidding. ❑
Here are some of the words