COMMUNITY VIEWS
The Jewish Ketubah:
Art Vs. Document
moment when the groom smashes
lyiE y younger brother is
the glass or lightbulb or whatever?
getting married this
There
are plenty of options, ranging
fall to a very nice
from
re-assembly
in a sort of explod-
attorney from a very
ed
pattern
suspended
in Lucite, to
nice family, and may I say how very
melting
the
pieces
down
and creat-
happy we all are!
ing
a
kiddush
cup.
Actually,
I think I
Having experienced the big Jewish
like
the
idea,
but
isn't
the
point
of
wedding as both a brides-
smashing the glass that
maid and a guest, I know
nothing's perfect? That
that weddings traditionally
you
have to remember the
are quite a departure from
fall
of
the Temple? That
the basic ceremony that sat-
into
every
marriage, some
isfies the bare bones legal
sadness
must
fall? What
and religious requirements.
does
holding
onto
the
Tradition says the event
shards
symbolize?
What
must be perfect, every
would using the shards of
moment fraught with emo-
glass for a new kiddush
tion and meaning. An entire
VIC TORIA
cup symbolize? And do
industry devotes itself to tak-
G REEN
the newlyweds really need
ing each beautiful moment
Spe cial to
yet
another memento?
and turning it into a tangible The Je wish News
If
I
can overthink the
memory, with engraving for
smashed
glass, and the
a small additional charge.
The newlyweds can emerge from a wedding industry can immortalize it,
what about a really meaningful part
four-hour wedding with more mem-
of the ceremony? What about the
orabilia (not just gifts) than both of
ketubah? A ketubah is a marriage
them managed to accumulate over
contract. It's one of the oldest parts
four years of college. The fact is, an
of a Jewish wedding ceremony and
American wedding, Jewish or other-
marriage. It's also become a senti-
wise, has morphed into an acces-
mental modern accessory. Have you
sorized extravaganza. Items with
ever actually read what a standard
symbolic meaning have been co-
ketubah
says? It's a prenup. It spells
opted by the wedding industry and
out
what
happens in case of divorce,
have been subjected to a sort of
separation
(intentional or inadver-
competition. Who has the cleverest
tent)
and
death.
It talks about
idea for what to do with the broken
money
and
expectations
for stan-
shards of glass from that climactic
dards of behavior and standards of
Victoria Green is a Bloomfield Hills
living. It's about as romantic as any
attorney.
American legal document you can
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AIIIIINIII
A Reform ketubah published by the Central Conference of American Rabbis.
imagine.
Go ahead. Read the closing docu-
ments from the purchase of your
house. Warm fuzzies? I think not.
When I was in law school at
Boston University, I took a class in
Jewish law. Professor Neil Hecht,
who was an Orthodox rabbi as well
as a "regular" law professor, taught
the class. Professor Hecht
approached Jewish law as a non-
American legal system; so rather
than just talking about the laws of
kashrut (kosher food rules), he corn-
pared the structure of Torah-Tal-
mud-etc. to the structure of Ameri-
can law. To illustrate Jewish legal
principles, he'd use various points of
Jewish law and cases, the same way
our regular classes used points of
American law and cases to illustrate
American legal principles. Along the
way, his pet peeves emerged, the
same way that every professor's pet
peeves emerge during a semester. I
loved Hecht's peeves because they
were always so specific. One of my
favorites was his ketubah peeve,
which I've adopted as my own.
We were discussing the laws of
ments, Rabbi Goldman presumes to
speak for all Jewry; and while I under-
stand his reservations, he certainly
doesn't speak for me.
troops out of the West Bank and the
continuation of the transfer of Israeli
and American money to the PLO. This
so Arabs will have less reason for mur-
dering Jewish citizens in Hebron,
Sh'chem, Ramallah, Jerusalem, etc., as
they "retreat in victory."
All this to demonstrate that the
United States remains as the "honest
broker" while being "Israel's best
friend." With such a suicidal policy,
who needs enemies?
The American policy undermines
and destroys the sovereignty of Israel's
presence in the Judean-Sarnarian hills
and in Tel Aviv. The Arabs can then
begin a "Palestinian" entity and pro-
claim that land as "the beginning" of
the end of Israel. In fact, the policy
destroys Israel's existence because it puts
a "Palestinian" state in the Judean-
Samarian hills and is unreasonable
KETUBAH
on page 28
LETTERS
between Purim and the current politi-
cal controversy.
I appreciate good political satire;
however, I certainly would not put
this in that category.
Our country is in the midst of a
political crisis. I am dismayed and
disturbed by The JN's lack of good
taste.
Karen Winshall
West Bloomfield
Cover Choice
Was Unfitting
We were appalled and deeply offended
by the lack of taste in your choice for
the March 13 cover.
It is not a spoof; it has nothing to
do with Purim, nothing to do with
the Jewish community, nothing other
3/20
1998
26
than a tabloid approach. Most unfit-
ting for The Jewish News.
Trudi and Martin Messer
Oak Park
Glenn Harris
Spokesman
Role Questioned
In a letter to the editor ("Overtures
Vs. Phraseology" March 13), Rabbi
Jack Goldman expressed his disdain
for the pope's recent conciliatory state-
ments.
What I would like to know is, who
died and made Rabbi Goldman the
Jewish pope? Aside from his futile
attempt to dismiss Jesus of Nazareth as
a historical figure, he also would have
us turn our back on a genuine (if
clumsy) overture of peace.
With his numerous "we" state-
Birmingham
Which Policy
Is Reasonable?
It is alarming to see The Jewish News
calmly recommend, in an unsigned
editorial, a "stronger" Mideast policy
("Pressure? What Pressure?" March
13). Further, The Jewish News sup-
ports the Democratic and Republican
presidents as if theirs were the only
policy that was "reasonable."
Our Mideast policy demands Israel
stop settlements in the Judean-Samarian
hills "for a while," redeploying Israeli