Editorials
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Judaism's Birthday Message
I
n the aftermath of Israel's
hasty retreat from Lebanon, a
nation that would savor seeing
the Jewish state dissolve, the
Jewish people, fittingly, are preparing
to celebrate Shavuot.
Shavuot is the birthday of our
people. It marks
the time, 3,300
years ago, when
God gave the
Jews of Moses'
time the Torah
and they, in turn,
accepted the Ten
Commandments
as laws to live by.
While debate
rages as to
whether Israel
should have saved
face by phasing
troop withdrawal,
thereby blunting
the opportunity for Lebanese fanat-
ics to crow about pushing out the
IDF, Jews everywhere should heed
what the Torah has to say.
The Book of Ruth, which is read
on Shavuot, tells us that how we live
is what's most important. A good
and holy person, it says, lives by
rules that condemn evil. These rules
form the building blocks of freedom.
And they help justify Israel wanting
to protect its northern border from
Lebanese incursion.
Cover story: page 109
It takes great willpower to know
when to give up, however. Shavuot,
which begins at sundown on June 8,
the sixth of Sivan, reinforces our
responsibility as a people to do what
is morally right — a Torah lesson
imbedded in Israel's pullback from
the so-called
security zone
after 22 years of
occupation.
Like all Jew-
ish festivals,
Shavuot (mean-
ing "weeks") is
rooted in nature.
It is celebrated
seven weeks after
Passover and
marks the start
of the barley
harvest.
On Shavuot,
Jews once
brought to the Temple in Jerusalem
two loaves of bread, made from
newly harvested wheat, and, with
first fruits, served them up to God in
appreciation for divine gifts. That is
why the Shavuot morning service of
today is typically held. in a sanctuary
decorated with trees, leaves and first
fruits. Central to the service, of
course, is reading from the Torah,
notably the Ten Commandments.
Shavuot, the story of spring turn-
ing into summer, and of freedom
ripening through law — and a
reminder that a pious life requires a
partnership with God. ❑
IN FOCUS
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1 Encounter
Birmingham Temple unveiled a brand-new playscape on May 20 to better accom-
modate young families. Temple volunteers built the playscape with supervision from
a playground construction expert. The playscape will be dedicated to the memory
of Sally Klaske, a major playscape donor, on Sunday, June 4. Above, the playscape
nears completion. Below left, Jeff Voigt of Bloomfield Township and Arnie Damore-
Braver of Troy use duct tape to prepare a ride. Right, Michael Daniels, 4, of Bloom-
field Hills already knows he likes the playscape.
Women At The Wall Revisited
1NT
omen should be able to chant together
in prayer in the women's section at
Jerusalem's Western Wall — Judaism's
holiest site. We don't see how such a
prayer service, even if it includes prayer shawls and
the Torah, would desecrate the devout prayer of the
haredim (fervently Orthodox) in the men's section.
Guidelines surely could be drawn to lessen the
likelihood of the haredim hearing the voices of
women raised in prayer, a violation of Halacha (Jew-
ish law).
We respect the centuries-old tradition of separat-
ing men and women in prayer at the Wall and aren't
about to call for open mixed-gender prayer. But we
see no reason why fervently Orthodox tradition is
overriding when it comes to considering women's
prayer services.
Within this context, Jews of either gender should
be able to pray according to their tradition at the
only remaining wall of the mount of the Second
Temple.
Indeed, last week's ruling by Israel's High
Court of Justice to recognize the right of Women
of the Wall, a multi-stream group that includes
Orthodox women, to chant together at the Wall
is a positive step in the pursuit of religious plural-
ism in Israel. But it's a small step because the gov-
ernment must still figure out how to enforce it
without violence.
Without that security, the II-year court struggle
won't be over. Until now, women engaged in prayer
at the Wall have either incurred the wrath of hared-
im outraged by their actions or been dispersed by
police. Already, haredim lawmakers vow to circum-
vent the ruling.
Justices gave the government six months to create
guidelines for the prayer services sought by Women
of the Wall, whose members follow Orthodox litur-L
Israel's pluralism guru, Cabinet Minister Rabbi
Michael Melchior, branded the ruling "a mistake"
because, he said, it will force "one side on another,"
which will lead to a "terrible and violent disagree-
ment." Compromise and understanding, he said,
can come only "through joint dialogue."
We admire the rabbi's pluralistic efforts in the
Jewish homeland where the Orthodox Rabbinate
has ironclad control over religious affairs.
But we respectfully point out that government
enforcement will come only after Women at the
Wall guidelines are set. And if the Barak adminis-
tration has any sense of compromise and under-
standing, as we believe it does, the "joint dia-
logue" so passionately called for by Rabbi Mel-
chior should come, freely, in the drafting of those
guidelines. ❑
6/2
2000
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