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Get In the Club
enforced," Rabbi Riskin said: "That
has to be understood as a fundamental
principle of civil law in Israel.
Coercion and religion can never come
together.
Ms. Shakdiel, however, called for
Israel to forgo liberal democracy and
its stress on individual rights and free-
dom, in favor of a republican democ-
racy in which citizens focus on various
subgroups.
"It opens up the possibility to dis-
cuss the dignity of the groups," she
said.
That's because liberal democracy
was appropriate in 1948 when
Orthodox Jews were but one of a
handful of minorities in Israel. Today,
however, "the discourse of democracy
has changed," she said. "We are a
multi-cultural society without multi-
culturalism."
"Coercion and
religion can
never come
together.
— Rabbi Shlomo Riskin
Ravitzky, however, had yet another
take. Secular Israelis value three ideals
— freedom, peace and law or justice.
But they consider Israel's fervently
Orthodox haredim enemies of these
values. That comes from their per-
ceived religious coercion, opposition
to the peace process and, more recent-
ly, vehement stance against Israel's
Supreme Court.
Attempts by the Orthodox, he said,
to eradicate what they consider evil —
such as the Supreme Court's authority
— will create more evil.
But Orthodox leaders cannot, he
said, refer to past Jewish political
models because Jews lived without
political power for nearly two millen-
nia and democracy in its modern form
did not exist in ancient times.
Israel's founders created a state
without any precedent — "political
Jews in the heart of the Holy Land
before the Messiah, led by transgres-
sors of the law. Add to that a modern
state and democratic regime."
In the end, Dr. Ravitzky said, there
is not one classical source. Therefore,
he added, "We need to develop a new
Midrash."
TIRED OF DRIVING
Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth across town
for this class and that program and her match and his workout?
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IT'S ALL UNDER ONE ROOF AT
The
Sports
/Club
WHERE KIDS LEARN SPORTS
Tennis
Swimming
Gymnastics
Taekwondo
Dance
Sports Camps
WERE ADULTS GET FIT
Aerobics
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Weights
Tennis & Swimming
Spinning & Kickboxing
Personal Training
Yoga & Water Aerobics
Saunas & Steamrooms
THE SPORTS CLUB OF WEST BLOOMFIELD 248-626-9880
6343 Farmington Rd. (Just north of Maple)
THE SPORTS CLUB OF NOVI 248-735-8850
42500 Area Dr. (Off Novi Rd., just south of 10 mile)
2/19
1999
Detroit Jewish News
21