Opinion ZIONIST ORGANIZATION OF AMERICA-MICHIGAN REGION JOIN US AT THE 76th ANNUAL BALFOUR CELEBRATION A Precarious Moment from page 33 Covenant and Mission': which reject- ed a clear statement that there can be no attempts to convert Jews as part of the interfaith dialogue. Instead the U.S. bishops approved language that Catholic-Jewish dialogues could explicitly be used to invite Jews to baptism. They told us the change was directed by the Vatican. On Aug. 27, the bishops announced that the Vatican had officially affirmed its decision to jettison a teaching in the American adult cat- echism that the "covenant that God made with the Jewish people through Moses remains eternally valid for them." The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops had several options to update its adult catechism, but chose instead to no longer affirm the validity of the Sinai covenant. e Sunday, October 25 • 7:00 P.M. Congregation Shaarey Zedek, Southfield, MI Desreti /4 /1 /1 zAtt, General Admission $50 Student Admission $20 with student I.D. Troubling Trend There is no getting around that these two documents are a one-two punch against a continuing trust in the permanence of the Catholic Church's reform in its teachings about Jews. Why must the Bishops Conference, which has been a model to the rest of the world in forging a new relation- ship with the Jewish people, now issue documents that threaten to undo the dialogue's basic founda- tions? And why devalue the Mosaic cov- enant, which is central to Jewish self- understanding, by removing a clear affirmation of its eternal validity, therefore insinuating that the Mosaic covenant has been superseded? The Bishops Conference speaks for a church that claims to want honest dialogue with Jews. To issue state- ments about Jews that demonstrate little concern for Jewish self-under- standing would seem fundamentally at odds with that goal. These are challenging times indeed for the Catholic-Jewish relationship. Still, the process is not finished, and much work remains to be done. We will voice our concerns honestly and forthrightly, with every hope that the relationship will continue on a solid footing. We only ask that our interlocutors and friends in the Catholic Church listen to our concerns, take them seri- ously and try to understand why we are so pained. Safam, the Boston based six-man band, has dominated Jewish music in America with theiMewish-American Sound"since 1974,0ften copied, never duplicated,they are originals. Safam songs have become a fabric of our Jewish lives, Songs like Leaving Mother Russia, Amnesty,Just Another Foreigner, and Nachamu Anti by group composers Joel Sussman and Robbie Solomon have become classics and have kept Safam at the forefront of the Jewish musk scene, Satan's musk covers the wide breadth of American musical styles while maintaining a decidedly Jewish flavor. Safam creates a tapestry of musk with an eclectic approach that reaches out to Jews of all ages and denominations, Through its music, humor, passion and sensitivity, Safam instills in its audiences a sense of pride about being Jewish in America. Safam has already earned a vital place in mainstream Jewish-American culture. Laughter and tears• singing and dancing — nostalgia and hope are among the whirlwind of emotionat reactions that one experiences during a Safam concert. Safam remains for me one of the most vital and important Jewish musical groups on the scene today. I am particularly impressed with the respect they have for the Jewish musical tradition while leading the way for an 'American sound" to be part of the mix, Kol hakavod! — Cantor Jacob Ben Zion Mendelson President, Cantors Assembly Since the Boston based group formed in 1974, American Jewish Music has never been the same. The music of Safam has prompted people to make aliyah, join Jewish youth groups or simply dance for joy. This American Jewish Supergroup is at the top of its game. — The Baltimore Jewish Times JON US IN CELEUATING THIS YEAR'S RALFOUR HONOREES DR. MAR BOROFSKY AND DR, MARGO WOLL CHECK OUT OUR NEW-WEBSITE WWW,MiZ0a,Org * * -1 Acqw4rt Adiit 44, - - ZIONIST ORGANIZATION OF AMERICA, MICHIGAN REGION 6735 Telegraph Rd., Suite 350, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301 balfour2009@mizoa.org art Ala For information (248) 282-0088 1531950 34 October 8 • 2009 Abraham H. Foxman is national director of the Anti-Defamation League.