liBLISHER'S NOTEBOOK OLICY from page 33 Great Styles Great Service • sieria Great Savings Leather s3x ssol 20% Off Entire Stock Nov. 28-29-30 .w,0 Fri. - Sat. - Sun. 4Y4 a A PI' kes Nccg. 44 17(1 -reh, arc • VN)"\le: esinyahu, the master of the • erican sound bite who used his nited Nations ambassadorship as a ully pulpit inside and outside of he Secretariat, hasn't initiated a ommunications campaign aimed t American Jews that focuses on what nites us with Israel, rather than lowing differences to shake, and otentially break, the partnership? Laster Dore Gold, a Connecticut ankee in King Bibi's court. Gold is urrently serving as Israel's ambassador o the United Nations. With master's and doctoral degrees om Columbia, he is knowledgeable, iculate, wise to the ways of erican Jews and has Netanyahu's ar (though he has a streak of arro- ance). Unlike Israel's ambassador to • the U.S., Eliahu Ben Elissar, Gold doesn't come across as a party hack who storms out of meetings (as Ben Elissar did at the recent Reform bien- nial in Texas) when discussions are not going his way. Dore Gold needs to be deputized to make Israel's compelling case with American Jewry, and fast. The United Nations General Assembly can wait. What's important is the maintenance of the "special relationship" between Israel and the U.S. Israel needs America's Security Council veto, and lots more. Israel needs Dore Gold to make sure American Jews feel they have a stake in Israel's future so they remain in Washington's political trenches. Otherwise, everyone loses. ❑ luralism And Jewish Unity: Outside-the-Box Approach AVID ARNOW ecial to The Jewish News he agreement for a cool- ing-off period until Jan. 31 in the conflict over reli- gious freedom in Israel has ulled the Jewish people back from he brink of a grave crisis and offers n opportunity for a bold move that ould unite us. The elements of a solution build n and expand Prime Minister etnyahu's recent approach in ppointing a special committee head- d by Finance Minister Yaakov e'eman to hammer out a compro- ise on conversion and related mat- ers. The committee included five rep- esentatives of Orthodoxy and one ach from the Reform and onservative movements. After many otths, they reached a groundbreak- ng compromise on conversion and arriage. The essence of these proposals is hat while they preserve Orthodox ertification of marriage and conver- ion, they provide meaningful partici- ation for Reform and Conservative abbis in Israel without violating even he most stringent interpretation of ewlish law. Nonetheless, the Ne'eman pproach requires the Orthodox to elinquish their exclusive control over David Arnow is a vice president of ew York UJA-Federation. religious life in the country. That is a big step. From the non-Orthodox perspec- tive, accepting the necessity of any official Orthodox role in marriage or conversion represents an enormous concession. Why can't the Likud, Labor and any other willing parties simply agree to pass legislation along the lines of the Ne'eman Committee's recom- mendations? To overcome the fears of political betrayal and of losing such a potent bargaining tool, I propose that parties supporting the new law — the Ne'eman committee recommenda- tions — enact legislation in a cere- mony witnessed by representatives from Jewish communities from around the world. Israeli legislators would pledge to the entire Jewish people never to repeal the freedoms granted therein. While this outcome would no doubt appeal to the vast majority of world Jewry, it would_certainly prove difficult for the Orthodox in Israel and elsewhere. Orthodox rabbis in Israel might simply refuse to partici- pate in ceremonies in which Reform or Conservative rabbis had any role. The new law would need to include a clause to the effect that if Israel's reli- gious establishment refuses to partici- pate, then the state would recognize marriages or conversions performed by duly ordained rabbis from other denominations without any Orthodox presence. ❑ • u25 6.111 eaters • VA\\83‘).(° • Norn? VOAS‘ kathryn scott fine apparel for women 148 Pierce Street, Birmingham • 248-642-3064 Mon — Sat 9:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Thurs. 'til 9:00 p.m. Sun. 12:00 noon — 5:00 p.m. Makes Your Life Easy. Our Exclusive Service Offers: • Home Space Planning • Packing • • Unpacking • Deluxe Move Packages • "Everything In Place The Day You Move" Ruth Schwartz ASID - IFDA • (248) 352-2264 House To House EZ Move Space & Home Planner Professional Interior Designer, 30 years' experience Call for a detailed brochure! Clinical Teaching • Testing/Evaluation • Therapeutic Tutoring 545-6677 • 433-3323 LYNNE MASTER, M.Ed Owner, Director Oak Park Bloomfield Hills http://www.metroguide.corrillynne Call The Sales Department (248) 354-7123 Ext. 209 TERMIQ Advertise in our Entertainment Section! 314 11/28 1997 35