THE ULTIMATE DRIVING MACHINE I are more active and committed than -ever. That's due in part to the emphasis on Jewish private schools for kids and adult Jewish education. With that edu- cation comes a more rigid ideological bent, meaning more infighting. • Feminism has yet to make its impact. Women's Rosh Chodesh groups, or study and fellowship clubs, are gaining popularity. Jewish women's writings are flourishing. People are seek- ing a connection to Judaism's spiritual side that fits portions of their identity. • Israeli Jews are becoming more American and American Jews are becoming more Israeli. They want our materialism and we want their spiritual- ism — particularly from groups such as the Sephardim, or Jews from Middle Eastern countries. They are comfortable \/- with Jewish prayers and rituals as well as the paradoxes of going to synagogue Saturday morning and driving to a soc- cer game in the afternoon. • The way to stop worrying about intermarriage is simply stop worrying about it. Spend more time making Judaism fun, relevant and interesting. What's a better use of dollars and ener- gies: Seminars on how 85 percent of intermarried couples don't raise their kids as Jews, or a family Sephardi cook- ing festival two weeks before the High Holy Days? • The looming question still not being addressed comprehensively: Why be Jewish in an open society? After all, particularism is against the grain of America, as is stopping intermarriage. The Catholics do it with the Protes- tants, and the Episcopalians with the Baptists. We Jews, history teaches, aren't good at swimming against the stream of American society. There was much more: many chil- dren of the intermarried are being con- verted to Judaism so never give up on any Jew; if the 20th century marked American Judaism's phenomenal rise, the 21st could mean rapid demise as the best and brightest move to Israel — nothing is preordained; and we must defeat the conspiracy of consensus, which has most Jewish leaders afraid to openly debate the important issues of the day, something that could attract those on the fringe. Most important, the program marked the start of a new generation of Jewish journalists being trained to ask probing and critical questions of and for readers. That will keep our editorial pages and communities places where debate with integrity, something at the heart of any successful Jewish polity, a living reality. \ /- \ MAKING THE ROAD TO SUCCESS MORE FUN TO TRAVEL 1998 BMW 528ia NO SECURITY DEPOSIT Equipped with: Moon Roof, Heated Seats & Steering, Plus too much more to list. $1686 due at inception NO CHARGE Scheduled Maintenance provided 36,000 miles or 36 months ERHARD BMW SALES OPEN SATURDAY 10 A.M.-4 P.M. Michigan's Largest and Most Experienced BMW Dealer Family Owned and Operated Since 1964 Monday & Thursday (248) 642-6565 MAPLE 4065 Maple Just E. of Telegraph Bloomfield Hills 36 Until 9 p.m. month closed end lease subject to approved credit with BMWFS. Title. license and use tax additional. 10.000 miles per year limit. 15 cents per mile over limit. Scheduled Maintenance provided by BMW of North America. Detroit Jewish News 7/3 1 1998 35