To L fe !
GENERATIONS
PORTION
Visual Remembrances
Two exhibits feature
pre-Holocaust photos.
The Bergmann
family from the
"Neighbors Who
Disappeared"
exhibit
Suzanne Chessler
Special to the Jewish News
T
wo historical photo exhibits
— both showing images of
European Jews before World
War II — can be seen at Farmington
Hills venues.
"Neighbors Who Disappeared;' a
collection organized by the Jewish
Museum of Prague, was created by
Christian high-school students and will
be shown Sept. 6-29 at the Holocaust
Memorial Center, 28123 Orchard Lake
Road. The photos, associated written
materials and catalogue honor Jews
who had built their lives in the city of
Litomysl but were lost in the Holocaust.
A group of personal pictures found
by Oak Parker Olek Karpenchuk in the
basement of his grandfather's Lemberg
48
August 31 • 2006
(Lviv) home will be on view
through September at the
Farmington Community
Library on 12 Mile, west of
Orchard Lake Road.
The "Neighbors" exhibit
was developed into 19
posters with informa-
tion and photos on each
person or family students
chose to memorialize.
Originally shown at the
Czech Parliament and the
Jewish Museum of Prague,
the written materials were
translated into English and
arranged as a traveling
exhibit. The Karpenchuk
photos, placed along a
ramp in the new wing of
the library, were taken at
the end of the 19th century
and the beginning of the
20th century. They cover a period when
the control of the city moved between
Poland and Ukraine and therefore
brought different names to the urban
area.
Karpenchuk, who was born in the
city where the pictures were taken and
moved to the United States in 1999,
took charge of his grandfather's glass
negatives and processed them so oth-
ers could see the Jewish quarter of the
town. Besides capturing synagogues,
schools and cemeteries, the collection
offers some images that show religious
ceremonies.
The library rounds out the display
with Karpenchuk pictures that do not
relate directly to Jewish observances. In
effect, they extend the understanding
of the larger environment and popula-
tion of the town. 0
Inner Sanctity Leads
To Outer Strength
Shabbat Ki Tetze:
Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19;
Isaiah 54:1-10.
0
ur portion
corporal punishment and
begins and ends
the death penalty have all
with war.
slipped out of practice via
In our day, as in ancient
either regulation or benign
times, war dominates the
neglect. Is this dramatic
news and the conscious-
evolution of Jewish law
ness of a nation. What is
a sign of strength, or of
remarkable, therefore, is
internal atrophy?
that between the book-
The marriage of a
Rabbi Daniel S.
ends of Ki Tetze is a rich
woman to her deceased
Nevins
tapestry of domestic law
husband's brother (levirate
Special to the
on topics as diverse as
marriage) was intended
Jewish News
marital harmony, proper
to protect her; but later
parenting, animal hus-
generations found that it
bandry, safe building codes, criminal
increased discord, so it was eliminated
law, human dignity, social justice,
from practice.
poverty relief and business ethics. It
The rabbis affirmed the Torah's idea
seems that the Torah is emphasizing
of the rebellious son, but eliminated it
that a holy society must maintain
in practice. Having accomplished this,
internal order even when contending
they reasonably asked, "The rebel-
with evil external foes such as Amalek. lious child never was and never will
Why is it essential to focus on
be Then why was it written? To study
domestic policy when the nation is
and receive reward:' (Sanhedrin 71a)
besieged from without? War tempo-
A close reading of the Torah and its
rarily unites a nation, but internal
subsequent rabbinic interpretation
corruption can quickly undermine
demonstrates a remarkable balance
that solidarity. During the recent war
between continuity of biblical law and
in Lebanon, Israelis were particularly
its adaptation to contemporary social
discouraged by three scandals, two
needs.
sexual and one financial, involving top
Not only does the Torah care about
political and military leaders of the
domestic policy, it also provides the
nation. At the same time that IDF sol-
mechanism for that policy to evolve.
diers were bravely fighting against the Last week, in verse 17:9, we learned
external threat, domestic turpitude
that it is the contemporary judge, not
weakened the national resolve.
his ancient forbears or even the Torah
itself, who determines Jewish law. The
I don't claim that these scandals
caused the difficulties that Israel had
law must be based on precedent, but
with Hezbollah, which was extremely
there is an expectation and a mecha-
well armed and ruthless in its use of
nism for development.
civilians to shield its weapons. Still,
When domestic policies are ethical
a society needs internal cohesion in
and just, then the nation is inter-
order to face its enemies effectively.
nally secure. Internal sanctity ensures
What does our portion teach us about
external success. 0
domestic law?
Daniel S. Nevins is a rabbi at Adat Shalom
As We look at the list of laws in Ki
Synagogue in Farmington Hills.
Tetze, some are remarkably apt for
our day, while others seem utterly
foreign. Indeed, some of these laws
Conversations
have been effectively eliminated over
How can the American nation
the past two millennia through the
project greater strength across
process of rabbinic interpretation.
the globe? What values must we
Levirate marriage, execution of the
guard internally in order to be
rebellious son, exclusion of illegiti-
respected abroad?
mate children from Israelite society,