The Ten Lost Tribes ANCIENT MYSTERY from page 83 among people along the Khyber It's a blessing your children You're a have given you grand- children. But you've got big responsibilities. Here's one: Give the parents a subscription to The Detroit Jewish News. They'll find lots of useful new ideas about raising children in a Jewish or interfaith household. The Jewish News is a "Book of Why" about the holidays, our heritage and the world we live in. The information a parent needs. Provide your kids with a great tool for life in the Jewish community. Give them a subscription to The Jewish News by mailing in the coupon below or by calling (248) 354-6620 today. See? Being a good grandparent is easy! grandparent. et usy • I'd like to send a 52-week Jewish News gift subscription Plus 5 free issues of Style Magazine Plus a free JN SourceBook - a S12 value A $ 76 value ...just Please bill me Payment Enclosed Card No. Exp. Date $ 48 ($65 our of stare) Visa MasterCard Signature (Required) Your Name Your Address Your City State were living in a multicultural envi- ronment and not in tribes. Rabbi Burton Visotzky, chairman of midrash and interreligious stud- ies at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, hasn't seen the film either but also takes a doubtful look at the subject. Zip Phone Gift Card Message: Send the Gift Subscription to: Name Address City State Zip Phone Mail to: Detroit Jewish News P.O. Box 2267, Southfield, MI 48037-2267 (248) 354-6620 or Fax (248) 354-1210 6/18 1999 Allow 2-3 weeks delivery of The Jewish News and 4-6 weeks delivery of the JN SourceBook. TRP998 84 Detroit Jewish News Pass really have only a superficial linkage with those described in the Bible, without any evidence to show a strong relationship. The researcher maintains that what is supposed to be Hebrew lettering in Uzbekistan actually is not Hebrew. He also asserts that what is presented in Afghanistan as the common script of Jewish people is in fact a script used by many people of different nationalities. Leuchter, who has begun making his own films, points out evidence that the tribe of Asher was not sea faring, at all. Rather, he contends, it is known that they were given ro the kin., of Phoenicia. "I don't think the film is really academic," says Leuchter, who recently completed an essay explain- ing why he believes Psalm 77 was written by a descendant of one of the 10 lost tribes. "The film is interesting for optimists and dream- ers. NX/hile Leuchter believes aspects of the film often represent too great a leap of faith, other scholars address the subject as pure myth. David Noel Freedman, professor of Hebrew and biblical studies at the University of California — San Diego, has not seen the film but considers the topic as myth making. "Serious scholars reject these claims," says Freedman, who is averse to discussing the issue because he thinks it tends to draw attention to a subject that should have no credibility. "The Bible tells us what happened to these tribes, and I don't regard it as a scholarly subject. John Kessler, who teaches Bible at Tyndale Seminary, a Toronto the- ological school of graduate studies, told The Globe and Mail that the word "tribes" can be misleading. He maintains that before the Assyrian conquest, Jews in northern Israel DETROIT JEWISH NEWS JN GPA-118 "This is totally speculative," says Rabbi Visotzky, who points out that Jewish practices of 2,700 years ago were vastly different from what they are today. He urges historical per- spective. In the time before the 10 tribes were dispersed, he notes, reli- gious practices focused on animal sacrifices and very limited Sabbath observances. Although Rabbi Visotzky's training makes him a doubter, he does think there can be a positive outcome from taking the subject- seriously, and it involves a message from the Bible. "Feeling a tribal affinity with a fellow human being is all for the good," he says. In defending his conclusions, Jacobovici points to a recent genetic study that linked the men of Lemba, a Bantu-speaking people of southern Africa, to cohanim, the Jewish priests believed to be descendants of Moses' older brother. Aaron. The Lemba believe that they were led out of Judea by a man named Buba, a leader who-is not recorded in Jewish history. They keep one day each week holy, practice circumcision and refuse meat from pig-like animals. While the link has nothing to do with the 10 tribes in Jacobovici's quest, the filmmaker thinks it opens the possibility that there could be similar findings. "The initial reaction of a lot of scholars [to the idea of finding descendants of the tribes] is to scoff," says Jacobovici, whose search cement- ed his personal religious beliefs. If you say 'lost tribes of Israel,' it's like saying 'Martian Jews.' 'I'm going to Mars and find Jews' sounds crazy. "Once they see the movie, people change their minds or are open to something new " he maintains. "Professor Havim Tadmor at the Hebrew University, who is in the film, initially laughed at this enterprise. But once presented with evidence, he doesn't say we've found the lost tribes of Israel. What he does say is that he will not say it's impossible." El , Quest for the Lost Tribes of Israel has its U.S. premiere 7:15 p.m. Tuesday, June 29, in the Scottish Rite Theatre at the Masonic Temple of Detroit. Doors open at 6:45 p.m. Proceeds benefit Children of Chernobyl, Bais Menachem Academy and Lev Achei B'Lvov. $36 general admission/$180 includes post- film gala with director Simcha Jabobovici and valet parking. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster or by calling (248) 932-2889 or (248) 855-4482.