Photos by Bill Hansen

\k,

Rabbi Josh Bennett, Professor Alan Schenk and Rabbi Efry Spectre at a panel discussion on Jewish unity.

Divided We Stand

Panelists in a discussion on Jewish unity are untroubled by differing
viewpoints within the community.

JULIE EDGAR
Senior Writer

T

he conversation about
Jewish unity is as old as
Jewish life, opined Saul
Rosner, one of 325 people
who attended a panel discussion on
the subject last week at the Jewish
Community Center in West
Bloomfield.
"It was great," he said of the event,
which brought together four rabbis
and a lay religious leader from five dif-
ferent movements.
"We really are more unified than
people think. This discussion has been
going on for 4,000 years," Rosner
said.
"The beautiful thing is, we can talk
about it," added Al Fischer.
Co-sponsored by The Jewish News

10/3

1997

12

and the Jewish Community Council
of Metropolitan Detroit, participants
included Rabbi Joshua Bennett of
Temple Israel, Professor Alan Schenk
of Congregation T'Chiya, Rabbi Efry
Spectre of Adat Shalom Synagogue,
Rabbi Steven Weil of Young Israel of
Oak Park and Rabbi Sherwin Wine of
the Birmingham Temple. Jewish News
Editor Phil Jacobs moderated the dis-
cussion, entitled "Peace & Conflict In
The Family: Are We One Jewish
People?"
After inveighing against the bitter
exchanges that have characterized the
dialogue between religious leaders here
and in Israel, Jacobs introduced the
speakers, each of whom talked about
the movements to which they adhere
and their respective views on unity.
All agreed that Jews, regardless of
denomination, share a bond that tran-

scends theological beliefs. With the
exception of Weil, they all decried
both the Orthodox conversion bill lin-
gering in the Knesset and the argu-
ment for the conversion of Russian
and Ethiopian immigrants.
Reading from last week's Torah por-
tion, Bennett reminded the audience
that all Jews were part of the covenant
at Mount Sinai, not just a select few.
Then he repudiated a statement
issued by Reform and Conservative
religious leaders that slammed efforts
by the chief rabbinate of Israel to pass
a law that would recognize only
Orthodox conversions. Rather than
rail against such measures, the rabbi
suggested, non-Orthodox movements
should urge their members to con-
tribute to their counterparts in Israel.
Schenk, reading from principles
issued by the Jewish Reconstructionist

Federation, said his movement believes
in "unity based on diversity and
respect for divergent viewpoints.
"We keep an open mind. We
believe individuals should not have to
compromise intellectual integrity to
identify with the Jewish community,"
he added.
Similarly, Spectre and Wine agreed
that Jewish diversity does not mean
Jewish disunity.
"We are one people. We have to
recapture that oneness," Spectre said.
"It's time for Israel to re-examine its
religious laws," he later said.
"The definition of a Jew should be
generous, should be inclusive," said
Wine. Theological belief, he said, "is
only one aspect of Jewish identity."
Secular humanists, he explained, believe
Jews are bound by a "social fate."
Weil was the only panelist who did