This Week

Guns And Jews

Jewish agencies rally around call for
tougher gun-control laws.

spearheaded the start of a yearlong
drive to acquire a million signatures
demanding Congress to pass tougher
gun-control laws.
merican Jewish Congress
"Children seem to be particular
President Jack Rosen
targets, which is why we are empha-
issued an announcement in
sizing them in our campaign," Rosen
September that now has
said.
become a chilling foreshadowing,
Phil Baum, AJC executive director,
particularly in our own state.
said the tagline of the
"Gun violence in the
project is, "Stop the
United States has reached
Guns: Protect Our Kids
levels that defy belief," he
— Americans Against
declared. "We were horrified
Killing." While gun con-
over Littleton. We were hor-
trol has been a longtime
rified over the North Valley
concern of the American
Jewish Community Center.
Jewish Congress, the peti-
We were horrified by all the
tion now is co-sponsored
shootings in between, and
by several other Jewish
who knows when or where it
agencies. These include
will happen next?"
the-Union of Orthodox
Unfortunately, the nation
David Gad-Harf
Jewish Congregations of
knows the answer all too
America, Union of
well again. In a Michigan
American Hebrew Congregations,
classroom in Mt. Morris Township,
United Synagogue of. Am=erica, North
near Flint, 6-year-old Kayla Rolland
American Board of Rabbis and Jewish
was tragically shot and killed last
Labor Committee.
week by her first-grade classmate.
Organizers hope to amass enough
Rosen's declaration in the fall

SHELLI LIEBMAN DORFMAN
Staff Writer

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Two Orthodox rabbis offer opposing
views of Jewish law on guns.

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hen it comes to gun control,
even the rabbis can't agree on
how to interpret Jewish law, With a
multitude of Jewish groups across all
lines of observance backing gun con-
trol, Rabbi Steven Weil's views appear
representative of most American Jews.
Referring to the words of the
Torah, the Young Israel of Oak Park
rabbi says the requirement of properly
gating a roof to prevent a fall
(Deuteronomy 22:8) is a general direc
tive to remove all safety hazards. This
includes chaining a vicious dog, safety
in the workplace and keeping guns
locked at all times.
The Talmud prohibits selling

W

• .

Shelli Liebman Dorfman can be reached
at (248) 354-6060, ext. 246, or by e7-mail at
selmfinan@thejewishnews.com

offensive weapons to suspected
criminals and the screening of
firearms buyers, but does not pro-
hibit the ownership of guns.
One Hartford, Wis.-based Jewish
organization not only supports this
right to bear arms, but also was
established specifically for that pur-
pose. Jews for the Preservation of
Firearms Ownership bills itself as
"America's Most Aggressive
Defender of Firearms Ownership.
Rabbi R. Mermdstein, an
Orthodox rabbi and member of the
JPFO, finds "no contradiction
between a religious Jew and firearms
ownership." He defends the words
of the Torah, which he says in the
original Hebrew state the prohibi-
tion, "Do not murder."
"The murder spoken of is pre-