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JCC And Shabbat

Twisted Church Logic

I read your Editor's Notebook titled
"Shabbat Dilemma' (Dec. 31, page 5)
with growing dismay. How can it be
that words can be both clear and con-
cise — and utterly confusing at the
same time?
The name JCC stands for the
Jewish Community Center. It is a
center of Judaism. Judaism is not
merely a culture. To be Jewish "at
heart" is not enough to sustain our
unbroken heritage. Now the JCC is
debating if they should further dese-
crate the Shabbos.
This is, of course, all in the pursuit
of "staying competitive." Oh, and
don't worry, the money will go to help
our schools and the elderly. See, it's
practically a mitzvah!
How did we get into such a state of
confusion? Who and what are we?
Where do we think money really
comes from? Do we actually believe
that by tossing aside the laws of
Shabbos, it will bring blessings to our
community?
We are commanded (in the top 10,
no less) to remember the Shabbos and
to sanctify it. To my limited knowl-
edge, that doesn't mean to work out.
In Berashis Rabbah 11:3, the Midrash
relates, not only is a person recom-
pensed for any financial loss he might
seem to incur for the sake of Shabbos
observance — but in fact, one who
honors this day is rewarded with
wealth and a good life."
To quote Editor Robert Sklar, we
need to "... look at the issue with a
longer, more focused lens and against
the backdrop of what's ultimately best
for our community of 96,000 Jews

The role of the Presbyterian Church
(USA) in the divestment campaign
against Israel is not surprising ("Wake-
Up Call," Jan. 7, page 14). Go to any
college campus, read activist papers or
listen to European academics: you'll
hear many voices that want to de-
legitimize the Jewish state.
Israel bashers and haters aren't inter-
ested in a peace process between
Israelis and Palestinians. In the case of
the Presbyterians, they want to convert
more Jews, such as Jews for Jesus, to
Christianity. Other activist groups are
part of Palestinian Arab, anti-Jewish,
Islamic, anti-U.S. propaganda.
Regarding the Presbyterian Church,
it clearly does not respond to the
needs of the Christian population in
the Holy Land: The number of Arab
Christians in the West Bank dropped
in four years to 35 percent of the pop-
ulation before the intifada with emi-
gration of 50,000 annually to Canada,
Australia, etc.
Divestment will hurt the
Palestinians, resulting in decreased
employment and imports and in a
transfer of Israeli trade from the U.S.
to China. It also will influence Israel
decisions regarding concessions to the
Palestinians.
Two more difficulties with divest-
ment: The Presbyterian Church did
not condemn Palestinian atrocities
such as homicide bombing and the
cold-blooded killing of Israeli civilians.
Israel did bulldoze Palestinian houses
that harbored terrorists or explosives,
but that can't be compared to the
deliberate blowing up of a pizza parlor
or a bus packed with women and chil-
dren.
The mild approach taken by the
Jewish community to the Presbyterian
Church, similar to the attitude when
Detroit Jewry had to deal with Henry
Ford (Henry Ford and the Jews, The

•• •

Do you realize what you just said?
Turn your own words around and
read them again. What's ultimately
best for 96,000 Jews is to spend
Shabbos studying Torah and recharg-
ing our spiritual batteries, not toning
our abs. Do that on Sunday.
Rochel L. Kranczer

Oak Park

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Mass Production of Hate," by Neil
Baldwin) cannot continue. Our com-

munity has to organize and demon-
strate before the Presbyterian churches
and send them a message: Divestment
is immoral and their attitude is unac-
ceptable since it can disrupt the peace
process in the Holy Land and coexis-
tence of Protestants and Jews right
here in Detroit.
Isaac Barr, M.D.

Southfield

nit

1/ 13

2005

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