\;

t;:.•

\A"

Mk.,

\

-

lalnaattettlat

Recognizing A Fifth Son:
The Person We Did Not Hear

By now we have discussed at our seder tables
the lessons of the Four Sons. To remind you,
there's the wise, the wicked, the simple and the
son who does not know to ask.
When Rabbi Irwin Groner, the spiritual leader
of Shaarey Zedek, speaks to his congregation on
Tuesday, the final day of Pesach, he'll not let
them forget the holiday without a reminder of
the lessons of the sons.
But perhaps Rabbi Groner, the former presi-
dent of the Rabbinical Assembly and a nation-
ally beloved spiritual leader, should be addressing
all Jews.
Especially in light of the heightened tensions
between the Orthodox within Israel and in the
Diaspora and the Reform and Conservative
movements.
Rabbi Groner will talk on Tuesday about the
diversity of thought and the importance within
Judaism of each of the Haggadah's four sons.
Each son, he says, represents a different but im-
portant approach to Judaism.
He'll tell his congregation that the State of Is-
rael, not to mention the resurgence of Jewish

spirituality across the world, would not have hap-
pened had it not been for that diversity. In this
case, the word "diversity" means Orthodox, Con-
servative, Reform, Reconstructionist, Humanis-
tic, chavurot and others.
No matter where we find ourselves in Judaism,
what we aren't doing well, according to Rabbi
Groner, is "hearing' one another. We're doing a
great deal of listening, but because one person
is Reform or another is Orthodox, we are block-
ing out the common denominators.
That, says the rabbi, is why we're losing some-
one very important to Judaism.
The Fifth Son.
This is the person who not only does not know
to ask but does not care to show up or even iden-
tify as a Jew anymore. This is the person who
reads and hears about the infighting within Ju-
daism, Jew questioning the religious validation
of another Jew, and who walks away.
It is Rabbi Groner's fear, and it should be the
concern of all, that next year at the seder table
we'll be missing someone.
The person we didn't hear.

THE PROMISED LAND

THE CONTINUING STORY OF JEWISH LIFE IN THE DIASPORA

by Jordan B. Gorfinkel

I

SO FAR: Bernie confronts Louis, the atheist, with the reality of ther'r expereiences...1

Herzog served with the Guards Armored Divi-
sion before joining the Jewish underground in
Palestine. He later served as Israel's director of
military intelligence and as a Labor Knesset
member.
Many movingly recall him as ambassador to
the United Nations when in 1975 he stood be-
fore the General Assembly and
tore into pieces the infamous res-
equating Zionism with
k'' olution
.
■ = ' racism. The same leader later
told his nation that he was pres-
ident of the Druze and Arab
Israelis, who were as equal cit-
izens as Jews.
He was an advocate of soup
kitchens to help feed new im-
migrants. He was quick to crit-
icize Israeli state bureaucracy,
its voting system and its ever-
high number of vehicular-relat-
ed deaths.
But more than all that, Chaim
Herzog
was a connection. Active
A connection.
in Israel's founding, he remained
one who understood the mission
of Israel's founders, living it until his death.
Largely it is because he was there for it all, con-
sidering his outstanding national service simply
part of his life's mission as a Jew. History will
remember Chaim Herzog as one of Israel's great
leaders. And so should we.

- -

LOUIS ZAYDS SUBS
the
the
INa
RBI Tradhonadst

I • Thiet /94fAbox HAS HialLa)

rt

BACK / N

101//5 IWO Y44.4.3
TO nit FIRST P4.5ACII..

LOUIS -- NOW -MAT YOU'VE ACTIIIIIIY
IXIWZYCID THE EX0115 FROM f6YPt.

01101114

--

AND WI fNE55ED

604'5 GLORY
1/R511/AND-..

NOW WILLY011
RaURN TO

(-71/

NAAA H.-.

WHAT'S ALL 71-1A1 GOT TO

DO

JUDAISM?!

WITH me-e

o

Remembering Chaim Herzog
As A Leader And A Hero

"At this holy moment in the history of our peo-
ple, silent generations of our people are looking
at us tearfully and gratefully, generations who
were massacred and slaughtered and who of-
fered up their lives for the glory of the Almighty,
our sons and daughters, the 'silver tray' who gave
us our state. They all thank our generation for
not having forsaken the destiny
of Israel. This is the day which
the Lord has created. Let us re-
joice and be happy in it."
Those stirring words were
broadcast by Chaim Herzog to an
anxious Jewish world on June 7,
1967, only hours after the seem-
ingly miraculous liberation of
Jerusalem's Western Wall. Mr.
Herzog, one of Israel's forever he-
roes, died last Thursday.
No one could claim that Israel's
sixth president was an ordinary
person. To the Israeli citizen, he
was the connective tissue be-
tween the Zionist dream and the Chaim Herzog:
daily existence of the average Is-
raeli. Indeed, at his funeral he
was called the bridge from the past to the future.
To the Jewish world, he was one of those digni-
fied Jews as deeply rooted in Jewish tradition —
his father was a distinguished rabbi — as the po-
litical maelstrom of his days.
In the British army during World War II, Mr.

YAEL
BECCA BETH BERNIE
the
Fe
the
the
Lt.! Skeptic Ideas! Perplexed

COMMENTS? SUGGESTIONS? KVE WHES? EMAIL US AT >TPL@JEWISHC

kk \

P-
4,.."0'..1M,,, , -,-
y
.,,... 3.̀.

Should Chivalry
Be Dead?

I am writing concerning Lynne
Meredith Cohn's article "Is
Chivalry Dead?" (April 11). This
article, stating that the author
wishes the days of chivalry were
back, does not belong as a news
article. It should be in the edito-
rial section, if anywhere. The ar-
ticle is entirely the author's
opinion, even though it is im-
plied that all women wish the
same.
Even though Cohn claims she
is a feminist, she cannot give up
the idea that a man should in-
vite a woman on a date and pay.
The only reason she would stop
the practice of a man opening
her car door for her is because "I
haven't figured out how not to
feel awkward waiting."
Well, Lynne, the women I
know insist on true equality.
Equality means a woman can be
the pursuer, the payer or, ideal-
ly, both parties will share the re-
sponsibility for planning dates
and paying for them. Each can

.4,41

open the door for the other and
commit other acts of kindness to
show respect and just be nice.
Cohn states what she would
like out of a relationship: "little
gifts, an extra five-minute phone
call, a quick hello kiss on the way
in the door, a card in the mail."
All of that sounds wonderful!
I'm sure men want the same
consideration from a relation-
ship. In this request, I think
Cohn is confusing chivalry and
thoughtfulness.
Chivalry is a sexist system in
which men are expected to treat
women by a set of rules that un-
dermines women's equality as
human beings and puts an un-
fair burden on men.
Thoughtfulness, on the oth-
er hand, is desirable when re-
lating to others. And the beauty
of it is that women can partici-
pate as well.
Being "coveted" and being
equal are mutually exclusive. I
choose equality, as I hope most
women do.

Sondra Schwartz
Farmington Hills