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TOLERANCE

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denominations. I don't think it will
benefit the discussion to point fingers
or to decide who is the most guilty. We
all are guilty.
What we really need to do, both as
individuals and as a community, is to
decide why we need to work together
while respecting our differences.
During Israel's infancy, the strug-
gling, embattled Jewish state was raison
d'etre for all organizations and syna-
gogues. But it is not that way anymore
in an American Jewish community
beset by assimilation or by a turning
inward to address local problems as
Israel proves that it can handle her own.
As American Jews turn inward, no
single group can adequately handle the
problems of assimilation, education,
the Jewish poor, the elderly. We depend
on each other, through Jewish charity
and Jewish input on Capitol Hill, to
address the needs of the community as
a whole.
Yes, we disagree. Some of us cele-
brate Rosh Hashanah for two days,
some of us celebrate one day, and some
of us are more concerned about the
World Series. But we need each other,
no matter how we mark Rosh
Hashanah, Shabbat or any other day in
the year.
And its about time we grew up and
recognized that fact, and become a little
more tolerant of those who call them-
selves Jews even though they don't prac-
tice their Judaism the same way we do.
Rabbi Marla Feldman of the Jewish
Community Council described the
Council's Unity Committee as "a group
that was very diverse. As people contin-
ued to meet and know each other, their
perspectives changed over time."

Bert Schreiber, Unity Committee
chair, says Jewish pluralism and unity
"is not just something you can con-
stantly harp on. People have to be
reminded on a regular basis of its sig-
nificance.
"What's going on in Israel [the reli- _
gious pluralism issue] tests our ability
to maintain a posture of tolerance. The
Israelis need to listen to people from all
sides without too much pressure from
Jewish elements in this country. We
need to let the Israelis settle their own
problems, and I think they can."
The problem is that any Israeli solu-
don will affect Jews here. And if Jews
here don't have a formal vote, they cer--1—\
tainly do with their pocketbooks. As
harsh as it sounds, United Jewish
Appeal leaders nationally — and Allied
Jewish Campaign leaders here in
Detroit — know that an adverse deci-
sion on Jewish pluralism in Israel will
have a huge, negative impact on Jewish
fundraising in the United States for any
cause that is linked to Israel. It will take
years to recover, and we will all be
affected.
So, the decision in Israel should be
based on money? No. But fundraising
is a factor, one of many that needs to
be considered. Just as Israeli politics
played a major role in the pluralism
issue rising again at this time, so does
money enter the equation. The prag-
matism can't be turned on and off
when convenient.
But Bert Schreiber prefers the higher
road: "There needs to be a climate of
tolerance and we need to listen to all
sides. The unity of the Jewish people is
a fundamental issue that can't be sacri-
ficed." ❑

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