COMMUNITY VIEWS

Ever-Changing Parameters?

ed, using current practices and influ-
ynagogue 2000 is a program
ences.
that combines representatives
Unfortunately, the form he advo-
of the Reform and Conserva-
cates
seems to be based on the mem-
tive movements working
ories of the 1960s and '70s or on the
together to find possible alternative
youth of Rabbi Hoffman
directions to religious experi-
and Dr. Ron Wolfson of
ences in the coming century
the University of Judaism
("Cantor of the Future," June
in Los Angeles and Syna-
2, page 64).
gogue
2000. The objective
The only problem is that
is
the
development
of a
it is:
closer
Jewish
community.
• Reactive to the present state
But the direction is
of affairs in Jewish communal
towards the commune and
and congregational life.
the spirit of Jewish exuber-
• A research study that has
ance that followed the
not yet been completed
BURT ON A.
establishment of the State
(although preliminary results
ZIP SER
of Israel. Is the spirit of a
are already being introduced
hora or the pioneering
Spec
ial
to
into congregational experi-
Jews who settled in Pales-
the
Jew
ish
News
ences).
tine (pre-1948) to be the
• Seeking answers in all of
primary motivation for
the wrong places, beginning
finding a revitalization of congrega-
with the traditional American reaction
tional
activity? Is a communal per-
to a problem by swinging the pendu-
spective
possible when the members
lum to the total opposite of the cur-
of
a
congregation
may reside 20-30
rent model.
miles
from
the
sanctuary?
Rabbi Lawrence Hoffman of the
Hebrew Union College-Jewish Insti-
A "Dumbing Down"
tute of Religion in New York suggests
The reaction of both Reform and
"change-management" techniques. He
Conservative cantors has been that a
notes that organized Jewish worship
"dumbing down" approach to group
has historically reflected the time and
worship
may reach the younger mem-
place in which a model has been creat-
bers of the congregation, but also may
alienate the older members. One
Burton A. Zipser of Oak Park is a
Reform congregation has already
Jewish and public school educator and
informed their cantor that he will not
music educator. He has held positions of
be needed for half of the services each
leadership in the American and Jewish
month.
musical communities.

S

A second problem relates to the
curricula used in religious schools.
Neither the Reform nor Conserva-
tive movements has a specific cur-
riculum that is used in all congrega-
tions, although resource manuals do
exist. The melodies suggested for
youth religious experiences might
not be the melodies used in the reli-
gious services of the respective con-
gregations. In recommending that
new tunes be used, Dr. Wolfson has
failed to learn from the repercus-
sions of Vatican II, when the
Catholic Church stopped using
Latin and required that the service
should be in the local vernacular.
The result has been removal of some
of the mystery that contributed to
religious observance. Is Judaism to
tread the same path in trying to pro-
vide a "relevant" form of worship?
Dr. Wolfson wants the congrega-
tion to be involved via a "continual
flow" and with an "emotional arch"
to the service. Are we now to emu-
late the evangelical services on sever-
al local TV channels, where the
minister strides from one corner of
the congregation to the other, inspir-
ing the congregation to fervent reac-
tion using techniques that have a
certain similarity to a chasidic expe-
rience?

Music's Influence

Dr. Wolfson suggests that the can-
tors lead the congregation in learn-
ing and experiencing new melodies,

perhaps to the exclusion of tradi-
tional tunes. He forgets that one of
the basic strengths of the Jewish reli-
gion is the tradition, whereby similar
musical experiences can be found in
services throughout the world. What
happens when a visitor is invited to
services and finds few recognizable
melodies?
One comment not included in
the article noted that some congre-
gations, in analyzing and evaluating
the results of participation in the
Synagogue 2000 visitation, have not
even required the cantor to provide
an evaluation of the musical experi-
ence!
I am not suggesting that Synagogue
2000 is not a valid concept. However,
the basic objectives and premises have
not been clearly explained and pre-
sented to the Jewish community as a
whole.
The perspective of this "seven-year
research study" may have been formu-
lated without significant preliminary
consideration of the biases of the peo-
ple who are promoting the concept as
the model for the future. Is it possible
that the research parameters may be
changing as the study progresses, sug-
gesting that the final results may be
designed to prove the premises of the
creators of the idea?
Would such a method be accept-
able in university research? Is a Jewish
community to evolve with less diversi-
ty, which has always been one of our
greatest strengths?

❑

LETTERS

W . •
qfi dog

6/23
2000

34

Who Deserves
The Vouchers?

Church, State
And Vouchers

I understand the concerns expressed
regarding separation of church and
state in the school voucher debate
("The Voucher Debate," June 9, page
6). Why, however, shouldn't private
religious schools be eligible to receive
funding, via tax credits, vouchers, or
whatever, to cover the government-
mandated secular classes (math, Eng-
lish, etc.) provided to their students?
After all, parents who choose to
send their children to these schools
pay the same costly education taxes as
public school parents do. Aren't these
families entitled to something for their
tax dollars?
Mrs. PAert Tawil

Your article on school vouchers ("The
Voucher Debate," June 9, page 6) was
informative and well written. Howev-
er, views expressed by all the discus-
sants completely overlooked the
impact of vouchers on the entangle-
ment of church and state.
Using everybody's tax money to
operate religious and private schools
will undeniably cause the following
serious effects:
• Destroy the great principle of gov-
ernment neutrality.
• Increase discrimination between the
various religious and private groupings.
• Increase the discrimination between
persons of religious and non-religious
belief.

9ak Park

• Increase the entanglement between
government, religious and private
groups and individual. persons.
• Eliminate a whole body of consti-
tutional law protecting neutrality,
non-discrimination and non-entan-
glement.
In short, the great contribution of
the United States to the peoples of the
world of a compulsory, public, tax-
financed system of public education
would be diverted in principle and
against liberty of conscience.
Above all, the values of freedom of
conscience and political liberty will be
coerced and shaped into a mutually
dependent instrument of church and
state.
We should be strongly against
changing the Michigan Constitu-
tion. We should continue the separa-
tion of church and state to preserve

and protect religious liberty and
conscience.
Harold Norris

West Bloomfield

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