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Nimoy's Free Speech
Is Not The Issue
Whether or not Leonard Nimoy should
have been allowed to appear at the JCC's
Jewish Book Fair, you need a lesson in
the meaning of the First Amendment.
Contrary to your assertion of Mr.
Nimoy's "free speech rights" in your edi-
torial ("The Art Of Compromise," Nov.
1, page 37), he has no more right to
appear at the Book Fair than an anti-
Semite or any individual who wishes to
appear there.
The right of free speech is exercisable
in public fora and as against the govern-
ment. It is the property rights of private
organizations, such as the Jewish
Community Center, which you seek to
abridge when you declaim "free speech"
rights for Mr. Nimoy.
David Arm
West Bloomfield
Absurd Reaction
To Nimoy Work
Regarding the Nov. 1 article
"Community Consensus" (page 24)
concerning Leonard Nirnoy's book
Shekhina — let me get this straight.
The leaders of our community have
clarified the purpose of the Jewish Book
Fair — to promote Jewish literary and
artistic expression as long as it does not
offend anyone, that is.
Also, the leadership has identified a
proper forum for a book depicting nude
women wearing tallisim and tefillin — a
synagogue. If I were Leonard Nimoy or
his publicist, I'd be laughing all the way
to Temple Shir Shalom's doorsteps.
Rabbi Spolter is correct; this isn't
Hollywood. But, it sure feels a lot like
Disneyland right now
Laurel Stuart-Fink
West Bloomfield
Valiant Response
To Offensive Book
Kudos to Rabbi Reuven Spolter for his
principled stand concerning Shekhina
("Community Consensus," Nov. 1, page
24).
His courageous leadership lends digni-
ty to the Detroit rabbinate and augurs
well for the community. The rabbinic,
professional and lay committee should
be commended for recognizing the
offensive and incendiary nature of the
book.
If, according to Hannan Lis, Leonard
Nimoy is a "very religious Jew," I hope it
is manifest in more than supporting
"Israel and [doing] a lot of fund-raising
around the country." His scholarship
seems suspect, starting with, as Rabbi
Joseph Krakoff so eloquently states, "a
distortion of the beauty of the tallit and
tefillin ... [and] the Jewish values of
modesty."
Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, author of
Meditation and Kabbalah, offers an alter-
native method of evoking the divine
spirit that lives in all of us": "[T]he
Shekhinah ... only resides in Israel
through the merit of observing God's
commandments with joy." (Shabbath
30b; Zohar 1:216b, as cited in The
Handbook of Jewish Thought, vol. 2,
Moznaim.)
It is surprising that Nimoy's publicist
was surprised at the local controversy.
Even more surprising, and dishearten-
ing, is that there was so little protest
until now Perhaps leaders were afraid of
being considered not "open-minded" or
"intellectually empty and culturally
frozen."
Alas, perhaps the Detroit community
is now doomed to a reputation of not
being a "cosmopolitan, educated, open
society." I'll take provincialism any day.
Fayge Young
Oak Park
Nimoy Photos
Degrade Women
. Regarding the Leonard Nimoy articles
(including "Community Consensus,"
Nov. 1, page 24): Proponents of Nimoy's
"art" try to present this as a free speech
vs. censorship issue.
Censorship is not the issue — there
Menorah House Leader Leaves On A High Note
Having spent the past nearly nine years as
administrator of Menorah House in
Southfield and as I now leave that posi-
tion, I felt obliged to thank your fine com-
munity for allowing me the opportunity to
help serve your elders and to work with so
many of you
As a stranger to your faith and culture
Dennis
on my arrival at Menorah House, I feel
Hayes
absolutely blessed to have been exposed to
each of you over these past several years.
At every turn, I was met with a welcoming kind-
ness from residents, families and your community
leaders alike. Never once was I made to feel less
than a full partner in the mission of caring for so
many of your elderly.
I should like to mention several individuals who
nurtured me, showed patience with me and helped
me throughout both good and less good times.
First among these is Rabbi Hershel Klainberg,
who served as a mentor to me on the ways of your
faith and culture. Each and every day, it seemed,
we would discuss one point or another that
allowed my eyes to be opened and to allow me to
11 /8
2002
6
better understand how to serve. He is some-
one I consider a true and lasting friend.
I would like to thank Mark Davidoff, your
exceptionally talented executive director [and
chief financial officer] of the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. He was
at all times a strong supporter of the efforts
made at Menorah House to provide needed
services to frail elderly persons in a facility
with a Jewish flavor and feel.
I thank him publicly for the generous gift
of an exquisite Kiddush cup, which he, [Jewish
Home and Aging Services Executive Director]
Margo Parr, [JHAS Associate Director] Carole
Rosenberg and [Commission on Jewish Eldercare
Services Director] Linda Blumberg arranged to
present me recently. I shall cherish that gift. Each
time I gaze upon it, I will recall and savor the
memory of my time with your community.
I would like to thank the generous volunteers of
both the auxiliary of JHAS and of the Bikur
Cholim group, who so dutifully served residents of
Menorah House either by their direct financial
support, daily staffing of the shop and nosh nook,
are far more authors and artists vying to
display their work than there are promi-
nent public forums for them to do so.
If [Nation of Islam leader] Louis
Farrakhan wanted to talk about Judaism,
would Temple Shir Shalom or Hebrew
Union College grant him the prestige of
their platforms? If not, would that denial
violate the Constitution?
Rather, Shir Shalom and HUC, the
worldwide center of the Reform rab-
binate, have endorsed Nimoy's "art" as
being within the appropriate and accept-
able range of Jewish religious expression.
Besides, these institutions themselves are
both censoring Nimoy — Shir Shalom,
through the sponsoring National
Foundation for Jewish Culture, is refus-
ing to allow people younger than 18 to
attend Nimoy's presentation and HUC
is refusing to publicly display "full-
frontal nudes.
In my view, this is anything but
appropriate Jewish expression — there is
almost nothing more debasing or
degrading to a woman than to ask her to
disrobe and pose for photographs to be
publicly exhibited. The shame and dis-
grace inherent in a woman taking her
clothes off for a camera, presumably to
earn a buck, is not something that any
Reform rabbi should publicly embrace,
let alone showcase to their students and
congregants as an expression of Judaism.
In the words of (Reform) Rabbi
"
LETTERS on page 10
running of bingo or their direct service in helping
feed dependent residents at meal times. Their
kindness and tremendous humility is unparalleled
in any other nursing facility of which I am aware.
I would like to recognize the young men and
women, boys and girls of the various yeshivot in
the area Their visits, with the unbridled encour-
agement and support of their faculty and their
individual families added a tremendous breath of
life for the residents. These young people are your
future and thus it seems that the future is
undoubtedly bright if their acts of kindness are any
measure.
There are so many others who could and should
be named, but this brief note is not the place for
that Let me close by simply saying thanks to the
residents, their families, the many friendly visitors
and volunteers we enjoyed on a daily basis and the
excellent staff of Menorah House for letting me
work with them these past years.
I am convinced the team at Menorah House,
under the leadefship of my successor, will continue
to acquit themselves favorably by providing a
homelike, comfortable and culturally sensitive
home for your elders.
Dennis Hayes
Allen Park