by Samuel Spiegler # Jact iSt Opinion

JEWS-RELIGION OR RACE?-A the Jewish Advocacy Center, whose pur­ NON-ISSUE? pose is to support cases involving anti- Semitic acts, argued that the test of the In the course of defending the Orrhodox laws' applicability to the instant case was contention that the chief souice of current whether the perpetrators of the acts were divisiveness in is the Conservative motivated by racial prejudice. and Reform departure form Halacha, one The court demurred, reasoning that ac­ of 's chief (the other concur­ ceptance of the synagogue's interpretation ring) declared recently: "The Jewish peo­ would allow "charges of racial discrimina­ ple is not a race, it is a religion." tion to arise out of nothing more that The quotation is from the transcript of the subjective, irrational perceptions of an interview at the Israeli consulare in defendants." New York last April with Israel's Chief Should the congregation appeal—which Rabbis (Ashkenazic) and was not known to this writer at the time (Sephardic). It was the of wilting —it is unlikely that the Israeli latter who uttered the words. rabbis will be summoned to testify or that By a coincidence of timing, the state­ their statement will be submitted in ment had relevance to a ruling by a U.S. evidence. The question raised by their Court of Appeals a few weeks earlier, a statement, anyway, goes deep to the ruling from which a congregation in nature of Jewish peoplehood and is far- suburban Washington, D.C, was con­ more important than the relevance of a sidering an appeal at the very moment centuries-old law to an act of anti-Jewish that the was speaking. vandalism. But it is important chiefly The court ruling stemmed from a because raising it intensifies destructive in­ criminal charge and a subsequent suit for tramural conflict. Pragmatically, in the damages initiated by Congregation Sha'are contemporary world, it is a non-issue. Ex­ Tefila of Silver Springs in Maryland, cept in Israel, where the idiosyncracies of following defacement of the synagogue's politics endow the Orthodox views with exterior by swastikas, Ku Klux Klan sym­ grear influence on public policy, most bols and anti-Semitic slogans. The Jewish communities recognize as part of criminal case resulted in the conviction of the community all who identify one of eight defendants. themselves as Jews by whatever actions, But what is relevant to the present ac­ asseverations or acknowledgments. And count are the grounds on which the civil any effort to impose other criteria can only suit for damages were based. The suit cause divisiveness and dilution of unity. cited two post-Civil War federal statutes. One prohibits attempts to interfere with lawful activities of another person on ac­ ABOUT THE POPE'S VISIT TO count of race. The other guarantees pro­ THE SYNAGOGUE tection of property rights "as is enjoyed by Members of the Conference of Jewish white citizens." The synagogue's attorneys, Communal Service—of all people—surely in a brief prepared with the assistance of need no augmentation in these columns

7' 72. / Journal of Jewish Communal Service of the singularity and significance of the Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger. By a coin­ Pope's visit to the Rome Synagogue last cidence (that some might tegard as due to April. The shortest of his many voyages extra-terrestrial intervention) the Jewish since his installation, it was amongst his Mayor of New York, Ed Koch, was involved most widely publicized and analyzed. in a vehicular collision on his way to the Your editor ventures here only a few sub­ luncheon. (He was shaken but unhurt.) sidiary observations. One, An interesting exchange in the THE YARMULKE QUESTION IN Letters-to-the-Editor columns of The New THE SUPREME COURT York Times: A Christian divinity scholar, Professor A nationally known manufacturer of Aldan Kavanagh, suggested that the kosher frankfurters built a publicity pro­ uniqueness of the visit might have been gram several years ago about an acknowl­ exaggerated, since in the late Middle Ages edgment that other hot dogs (as did his it was the custom rather than the excep­ own) conformed to U.S. federally man­ tion for Popes, upon assuming office, to dated standards; but that he had to go go forth for the purpose of showing beyond that for, being ruled by the stan­ themselves to the people and, in the dards of Kashruth,—and here the radio course thereof, greeting members of the voice intoning the message took on a Jewish community and even, at times, portentous tone — "we answer to a higher paying respect to the holy scrolls, which authority." were ceremoniously brought forth from The claim may have sold hot dogs, but the synagogue for the occasion. as an argument against a U.S. Air Force This evoked a response from Rabbi order to an Orthodox officer to remove his Gilbert Rosenthal of Cedarhurst, Long yarmulke while on duty it failed to move Island, who pointed out that, while the a majority of the justices of the U.S. Pope on such occasions blessed the Jews Supremene Court. (as he did others who greeted him, it The officer involved, Captain S. Simcha must be supposed), he also exploited the Goldman (an ordained rabbi), is an Air opportunity to admonish the Jews that, Force psychologist. The Air Force regula­ while paying due reverence to the , tion on the strength of which he was the church deplored the persistent blind­ ordered to remove the skull cap—which he ness of the Jews to the truth of the testified without refutation he had worn Gospels. "Sometimes," wrote Rabbi for many years while on duty — prescribes Rosenthal, "the popes would drop scrolls that "headgear will not be worn . . . while to the ground to emphasize their point, indoors." much to the horror and consternation of The Court decided the issue by the nar­ the Roman Jews." He appraised John rowest of margins, 5-4. The minority Paul II's visit as historic and significant, scoffed at the argument of the Air Force hopefully a harbinger of "an end to a long that Captain Goldman's yarmulke, setting night of hatred and horror," but "nine­ him off from other military personnel who teen centuries overdue." (We are a stiff- went bare-headed indoors in conformity necked people, we Jews.) with regulations, somehow threatened Air Two: One of the more enthusiastic ap­ Force discipline and esprit de corps. praisals of the significance of the papal But the majority ruled on a much nar­ visit was that given at a press luncheon in rower issue. In effect, what the majority New York by the Catholic convert from opinion says is that making of military Judaism who rose in the church to become dress regulations is the province of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Paris — military and that the courts have no Fact and Opinion I 7 j business trying to second-guess the • Meanwhile, back ar the ranch: in military authorities in that matter. It did Kfar Shmaryahu, Hecht's butcher shop, not say the Air Force was right, wise, sen­ which specializes in pork products, adver­ sible, reasonable; only that, injustice tised specials for the High Holy Days. Rehnquist's words for the majority, the Well, business is business. Hecht is a good appropriate military officials who make the Jew. He closes early on Friday and stays regulations "are under no constitutional closed Saturday. mandate to abandon their considered pro­ • A rabbinical court has ruled that fessional judgment." observant Jews should not ride in Incidentally, Rabbi Emanuel Rackman automobiles with dtivers who disobey (in The Jewish Week, May 16, 1986), traffic rules. And a rabbinic group has while suggesting that anti-Semitic pre­ drawn up a guide for yeshiva students judices in the Air Force may have had condemming jaywalking and parking some part in raising the issue of Captain where parking is forbidden as violations of Goldman's yarmulke, observes that Torah. Also, an Orthodox Jew in a "neither biblical nor rabbinic law requires spaceship will not be required to place a a Jew to cover his head, not even in mezzuzah on whatever corresponds to prayer. The time-honored practice doorposts on a spaceship, a rabbi ruled, developed as a matter of custom, and, because a spaceship is no more the for Jews, a custom often has the status astronaut's home than an airplane or an of law." auto. • What prompted his research is not known—possibly it was the eight cases of OF THIS AND THAT, FROM tourists in who were hospitaliz­ ISRAEL ed after insisting that they were John the • Israeli laws tend to provide for all Baptist — but the head of the psychiatric contingencies, however remote. The Na­ hospital at Kfai Shaul collected data on tional Social Insurance regulations provide nervous breakdowns among tourists in grants to women giving birth to a first Rome, Athens, Paris and London, as well child. They also stipulate that this grant as Jerusalem. You guessed it—Jerusalem will not be forfeited by a women just led all the rest. So far as is known, the because she is eligible for the automatic researcher has no theory to explain it. grant to the elderly, enritlement to which occurs at age sixty. CATHOLIC-JEWISH • Kashruth, as is to be expected, is COOPERATION TO DEVELOP strictly supervised in Israel. In Ramallah HOLOCAUST CURRICULA and Nablus, various meat products are produced by Arab enterpreneurs. Recent­ A joint Catholic-Jewish program has been ly, some of them asked the tabbinate to established to develop and provide certify their products as kosher, so they teaching material about the Holocaust for could market them to Jews in Israel as all levels of the Catholic educational well as abroad. The rabbis were hesitant system —parochial schools, colleges and but, after reflection, decided to comply universities, parish education and with the request, teasoning (among othet seminary training. considerations) that the Arabs were not Co-directors of rhe program are Dr. likely to be inhibited from marketing Eugene J. Fisher, Executive Secretary of their products in any case; and discretion the Secretariat for Catholic-Jewish Rela­ therefore would counsel making certain tions of the National Conference of that the stuff really is kosher. Catholic Bishops, and Rabbi A. James 74 / Journal of Jewish Communal Service

Rudin, nadonal director of interreligious Halachah so that he would be an authen­ affairs of tiie American Jewisii Committee. tic Jew. He submitted to ritual circumci­ Rabbi Rudin called "This pioneering ef­ sion and mikveh, and took his new name. fort . . . potentially one of the most im­ Last spring he went back to Mexico City portant projects we have ever under­ to enroll in a yeshivah because he felt he taken." The Holocaust, he said "raises the needed to learn more Torah. Then back to most profound moral and theological as Vera Cruz to finish high school and get well as historical and cultural questions." his diploma. And then—with the aid of Coordinating the project will be Sister some 50 Hebrew-Spanish haggadahs (Dr.) Carol Rittner, R.S.M., of Mercy Col­ (wheedled out of a Brooklyn rabbi) 100 lege of Detroit, where she is Associate bilingual prayer books (also donated), six Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies. She pairs of tefillin and 60 sets of tzitit (which also is a consultant to the United States he bought with his own money)—to fulfill Holocaust Memorial Council. Members of his mission of teaching his people authen­ the steering committee are Sister Rose tic Jewish practices, persuading them to Thering, Seton Hall education professor; undergo conversion and to make . Judith H. Banki, Rabbi Rudin's associate He thinks of himself, he said, as a director at AJC; and Rabbi Alan shaliach to his community, the members Mittleman, AJC's interreligious program of which, he asserts, want to be more associate. Jewish but don't know how. He expected The program is expected to be com­ to encounter resistance, he told Steve pleted within three years. Lipman, who interviewed him in Brooklyn for an article in The Jewish Week, because back home his Marrano family and the FROM MARRANO TO YESHIVAH others regard the practices and observances BOCHER TO MELAMUD that are parts of their tradition as No, not a triple play; the saga of authentic. Yehudah ben Avraham, age lo, formerly His mission once accomplished—his op­ (prior to undergoing conversion to timism no less firm than his zeal—he Judaism in Israel last year) Alfredo Diaz plans to return to Israel to continue his Perez of Vera Cruz, Mexico. Jewish studies. Ultimately, he wants to be Yehudah was born into a Marrano fami­ a rabbi. ly, one of about 80 in Vera Cruz. He was in the final semester of high school when . . . AND ALSO, THERE WAS THAT he decided he had a mission —to lestore INDIAN BOY his people fully to Judaism (or Judaism in it fullness to his people). So, he dropped Israel Oren, who practices accounting in out of school, borrowed the price of a bus Kiryat Malachi in the northern Negev, is a ticket, and migrated to Brooklyn. There chasid of the Lubavitcher movement, he took a job in a restaurant to earn whose conversational Hebrew draws occa­ money for plane fare to Israel, managing sionally on Talmud, the Bible and somehow to find time to study Hebrew writings of the sages for phrases to but­ and Talmud and English. Once in Israel, tress his thoughts. he joined a , tramped around the Yet (believe it or not!) he did not know country finding odd jobs and studied at a that Jews still lived in the contemporary succession of yeshivas. After much world until, as a teenager, he heard on pleading, he succeeded in convincing the television about the Arab-Israel war and Orthodox rabbinic authorities that he was he met his first Jew after joining the U.S. worthy of conversion according to Navy at age 17. Fact and Opinion I 75

Ethnically, Oren is an American Indian, participants—Milton Himmelfarb, recently a full-blooded Cherokee, born James Ray retired editor of the American Jewish Year Faddis. With his family he fled the Book, Charles Silverman, author of Arkansas dust bowl to settle in northern (among other works) A Certain People: California, where his introduction to American Jews and their Lives Today, and Christianity at the local Sunday school left Marvin Schick, professor of political him skeptical. It was there that he learned science at City University of New about the Jews of biblical times and was York —agreed that America is far more fascinated by the stories of their ex­ open to and accepting of Jews than ever periences. While in the Navy, stationed at before, Mr. Himmelfarb went so far as to Stockton, he occasionally visited a Conser­ suggest that Jews (two-thirds of whom, in vative synagogue and was attracted to a 1984 survey, disagreed with the state­ Judaism. When the Yom Kippur War ment that virtually all positions of broke out, he felt sufficiently identified influence in American society are open to and moved to volunteer for service in the Jews) are so inured to the idea that anti- Israeli army. Afterward he joined kibbut­ Semitism is inherent in the social order zim, learned Hebrew, experienced what that they distrust the observable absence he took to be a revelation in a dream, of anti-Semitism as "unnatural." Mr. entered upon a period of intensive study Schick, for his part, mistrusted surveys and eventually underwent full Halachic and statistical analyses of trends in anti- conversion. Semitism. Jews had full acceptance in Weimar-era Germany, he noted. It is tfue, he responded to Mr. Himmelfarb, ANTI-SEMITISM REVISITED that Jews are "potentially paranoid at any Diverse appraisals by Jews of the nature time ... a mutation of our psyche ... a and extent of anti-Semitism in contem­ result of odious treatment." Moreover, he porary America were mirrored in com­ said, historical experience teaches that ments by three authoritative speakers at a anti-Semitism can erupt during periods of symposium in New York last spring. The economic or political stress.

EDITOR'S MEMO The magnificent new look of this issue of the Journal is rhe fruit of Joel Ollander's ini­ tiative; the designer's craft of The Bookmakers, Incorporared — through which produc­ tion house this and subsequent Journal issues will be printed; the approval of the Publications and then the Executive Committees of the Conference; and, of course, the Conference membership's dues which paid for it. We hope you enjoy it. Let us know if you like (or don'r like) it. ^ ^

We have a new Book Review Editor! Louis Levitt, after over two years in the position, had to tesign because of demands made on him by a new post at Wurzweiler School of Social Work. We welcome Leivy Smolar to the job to replace Levitt. Dr. Smolar is Presi­ dent of the Baltimore Hebrew College. He is a past contriburor to this Journal. His other credentials? They are many, but it suffices merely to refer the reader to his book review (signed by his initials) in this issue to reveal his felicity of thought and woid!!!