EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK

So, Crucify Me

the dissipation of Jewish identity.
een on the job for a little
A way to begin halting this reli-
over a month and already
gious-cultural assault on American
I've been called "ignorant"
Jews is to stop using Anglo-Christian
by a reader. Not- a record,
(if not all non-Jewish) terms at home
but not bad either. And I must admit
and in public Jewish
that, for a New York trans-
forums.
plant like myself, it's very
comforting to move south
The New Commandment
and be welcomed by a Bronx
As for Jewish publications,
cheer.
our rule of thumb should be
The reader objected to our
based on "Guard Your
using, in a recent editorial,
Tongue" — the golden rule
the expression "keep our fin-
of our great sage, the
gers crossed," insisting there
Chofetz Chayim. Jewish
is no place for using Christ-
publications must, from
ian terms in a Jewish newspa-
here on in, refrain from
JA COB
per.
borrowing terminology
SCH REIBER
Mea culpa.
from the outside world
Con
tr
ibuting
We Jews have been so over-
because you never know
Ed
itor
whelmed by America's pre-
when some subversive reli-
dominant Anglo-Christian cul-
gious phrase might slip in
ture — hell, most of us even
and infect both baby and bath water.
use mayonnaise — that the last thing we
I know I'm preaching to the choir
need is to bring any of their treifver-
here." know you believe that, while we
biage into our sacred printed island.
now live, prosper and even putt freely
For too long, we've placed this cul-
amongst the gentiles, we still need to
ture on a pedestal for giving us things
maintain those good fences — lest we
like freedom, democracy and whole-
forget who we are and where we came
sale shopping. Such deification has
from. Lest our Jewish identity be corn-
lead to our assimilating much of this
promised by trendy things like multi-
foreign culture, and small parts of its
culturalism, pluralism and Sundays off.
religions, into our own. The conse-
Still, bad apples who think other-
quence, of course, has been the water-
wise remain among us. They argue
ing down of our Jewish culture and
that, throughout history, one of our
most impressive strengths has been the
Jewish people's uncanny ability to
Jacob Schreiber is editor of the
incorporate into our tradition the val-
Atlanta Jewish Times, sister paper of the
ues and cultures of other nations —
Jewish News.

B

and make them our own. They say we
should celebrate the fact that we can
walk the walk and talk the talk with
our neighbors, and still enjoy mean-
ingful American Jewish lives.
They think we should simply "cool
out" and worry about "more impor-
tant things," such as strengthening the
Jewish family, funding Jewish educa-
tion, developing ways to make mod-
ern Jewish life more relevant to our
youth, bolstering our institutions and
increasing our activities for tikkun
olam, repairing the world.
Hogwash.
While all that may be important,
history has demonstrated that we must
always guard against starting down the
slippery slope. First we start speaking
like them, then we start adding cran-
berry sauce to our Thanksgiving
turkey — and the next thing you
know, we're roasting a hog on a spit
for the Passover seder.

Confessing Sin

Look, I'm no saint. While I've generally
avoided littering my columns with
Anglo-Christian terminology (knock on
wood), I occasionally mess up. Every
now and then I write things like, "Holy
Grail," "Hallowed Ground" and "Hal-
lelujah" (wait, isn't that ours?).
I regret these slips, and confess
them to my rabbi. And I impose a
penance on myself every time I experi-
ence such falls from grace.
In line with the Jewish dictate of
mida k'neged mida (basically, counter-

acting a crime by using a similar mea-
sure), I regularly develop linguistic
avenues to distance myself from the
Anglo-Christian world. For instance, I
no longer call my dad, "Father." Too
confusing. And I've stopped cooking
with rosemary because it sounds too
much like the prayer beads.
Jews are not the only ones guilty of
crossing the boundaries and creating all
this confusion. The gentiles also are to
blame (another of our traditions).
I resent guys in Kennebunkport
and gals in Macon coopting tradition-
al Jewish terms like "chutzpa," "men-
sch" and "bagel" into the gentile lexi-
con — without bothering to pay roy-
alties. This only lulls us Jews into a
false sense of security and further blurs
the lines that God, in His wisdom,
created to separate us.
No wonder our children are inter-
marrying at a 45 percent clip.
I thank our valued readers for
understanding that I'm new at this job
— and for not crucifying me for my
ignorant shortcomings. After all, for-
giveness is what the Jewish religion is
all about, right?
This Shabbat, let us all unite
together and pray for linguistic puri-
ty. Let us redouble our efforts to
guard our tongues against using
terms from other religions and cul-
tures. Let us ensure the good walls
we have built remain strong, and the
good publications we produce
remain sacred.
And let us say, amen. ❑

LETTERS

Jerusalem School
A Worthwhile Visit

10,

ogd

7/21
2000

32

Thank you for our wonderful cover
story "A Pluralistic Approach" (June
30, page 6).
This past March, I was in Israel as a
participant in Hadassah's Young
Women's Mission and had the opportu-
nity to visit the Jean and Samuel Frankel
Traditional School in Jerusalem. I was so
impressed by what I saw and Barbara
Levin and her staff were so friendly and
eager to show us their approach to learn-
ing. I enjoyed hearing the students recite
their morning prayers and visited the
simulated jungle where they showed us
their favorite animals.
I did not realize until Ms. Levin
told us that the school was started and
continues to be funded by many in

the Detroit community. As the only
participant on the mission from
Michigan, I was so proud when I
heard this. The next time you are in
Israel, take the time to visit this jewel.
You won't be disappointed.
Sharon Fishman

Bloomfield Hills

Israel Is Not
Jewish Only

Danger! Hymie Cutler's comments last
week regarding Palestinian existence
are horrifying and devastating to the
human conscience ("Talestinians': A
Misnomer," July 14, page 39). They
brand all Arabs as a giant gob of peo-
ple with no regional differentiation.
How is "Palestinian" a misnomer?
Are these Arabs from Libya or Kuwait

or Iran? No, they have lived and died
in Palestine.
But this is beside the point. Most
unacceptable is Cutler's denial that the
Palestinians have a legitimate right to
some Israeli land. Arab, Palestinian or
whatever the nomenclature may be, it
is a recognized fact that this group has
inhabited Israel for over 1,000 years.
Whether viewed as a people or not,
Palestinian individuals and their
ancestors are as much a part of this
land as the trees and stones.
Of course, the Jewish people is no
stranger to this land either. However,
we must recognize the effects of our
2,000-year absence. In his letter, Cut-
ler asks, "Why eject Jews from their
home?" More appropriate: Why eject
Arabs from their homes?
For centuries, the Arabs have been
the majority in Palestine. Imagine hav-

ing your family ousted from the only
land you have known for over a mil-
lennium. Certainly, Arab terrorism is
appalling; but understand that they
are not turning violent for fun. The
world ignored the injustice done to
them as they fled their homes.
No, terrorism is never justified;
but the cause behind it must be
understood in order to end it. Let us
give the Arabs a reason to stop
killing us.
Diaspora Jewry did not return to
the same Israel it left centuries ago.
The rightful and age-old presence of a
non-Jewish majority in Palestine can-
not be overlooked by Jewish national-
ism. Mr. Cutler, let us not do to the
Arabs what so many others have done
to' us.
Scott M. Gitler

Walled Lake

