Seeking A New
Understanding
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Green Sunday is Jewish National Fund's Pledge Day!
New York conference
struggles with
Israel's dilemma.
RONA S. HIRSCH
Special to The Jewish News
New York
erusalem's standoff between
religion and democracy rever-
berated thousands of miles
away at a posh, hotel ball-
room in Manhattan this week as more
than 1,500 modern Orthodox Jews
convened to stake their claim in the
struggle
"We are a democratic religion as
well as a communal religion," Rabbi
Shlomo Riskin, chief rabbi of Efrat,
told the group. "We must retain both
aspects together with understanding
),
and common sense.
Rabbi Riskin's panel, "Making
Democracy and Orthodoxy
Comfortable Partners in Israel," was
part of the two-day conference led by
Edah, a 2-year-old modern Orthodox
group based in New York.
His words were echoed by pan-
elists such as Dr. Aviezer Ravitzky, a
professor of Jewish philosophy and
chairman of the Department of
Jewish Thought at Hebrew
University, and Leah Shakdiel, an
Israeli women's rights and peace
activist, and the first woman on a
local religious council.
Judaism and democracy are not
only compatible, said Rabbi Riskin,
reeling off supporting sources in
halacha, or Jewish law, but the "will
of the people is an important
halachic imperative." He noted that
the medieval scholar Maimonides
wrote that in the absence of a
prophet or Jewish supreme court,
leaders must choose according to
such a will.
Rabbi Riskin quoted an early 20th
century talmudic scholar who
explained how Jewish law can be
enforced only if the transgressor
accepts it. This, Rabbi Riskin said, is
akin to a speeder who runs a red sig-
nal, though he or she recognizes the
need for traffic lights.
"Based on this, unless Israelis over-
whelmingly want to keep ritual law,
there is no way ritual law can be
11
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Be a Raininaker...Please Take the Call and Give Generously.
Date: Sunday, February 21, 1999
Time: 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Address: Zalenko & Associates,
26211 Central Park Blvd. #220, Southfield MI
Green Sunday Chair
Regional President
Robert H.-Schwartz
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Volunteer, call
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