January 16, 1987 N.E.A
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R. I. Jewish Historical Inside: Association 1 1 "Living In An Age of 1 30 S essions Street P rovide n ce , RI 02 906 Treachery And Deception," page4 ..> .. .:., . THE ONL:Y ENGLISH-JEWISH WEEKLY IN R.I. AND SOUTHEAST MASS. VOLUME LXXIV, NUMBER 6 FRIDAY. JANU ARY 16, 1987 35¢ PER COPY ADL Report: Fundamentalist And NEW YORK (JTA) - The National Conference on Sovi et Evangelical Attitudes Toward Jews Jewry (NCSJ), in its year-end NEW YORK (J T A) - The president of the Southern Baptist It wa s found that 49 percent of report, rebukes the Soviet Union results made public last week of a Convention, the Re v. Bailey those between 18 and 34 years of for "a year of dramatic, but largely nationwide survey of evangelical Smith. Only 12 percent agreed age agreed with at. least. one of the disappointing developments'1 in and fundamentalist Christian with this statemen t. anti-Semitic characterizations human ri ghts and Jewish attitudes towa rds Jews challenge Sixty-ei ght percent sa id Jews compared to 34 percent of those 55 emigration. some commonly held assumptions, are viewed by God " no differently and ove r. In an 18-page wrap-up of Soviet accord ing to the Anti-Defamation than other non-Chris tians" The survey noted a statistically moves and statements on human League of B'nai B'rith which because they have not accepted significant relationship between ri ghts, released last Thursday at a commissioned the poll. Jesus, 20 percent said they may be belief in a literal reading of the press conference in Washington, Conducted telephonically judged " more harshly" and 12 Bible and expression of one or the NCSJ assails the new policy of among a sampling of 1,000 percent were "unsure." more secular anti-Semitic views. what is being call ed "glasnost," or reli giously conservative Christians Part Of An Ongoing Analys is The seven statements reflected openness, in the USSR since concrete new emigration in September and October by the AOL national director Nathan stereotypical attitudes towards Mikhail Gorbachev assumed regulations wh ic h we nt into effect Houston-based Ta rrance, Hill, Perlmutter said the survey is part Jews, including the fo llowing: leadership as merely a tactical ,Ja nu a ry I, which " fi xed in law the Newport a nd Ryan research oft he agency's ongoing analyses of " because Jews are not bound by shift, more cosm,etic than real, and narrowly defin ed fa mil y" of orga ni zation, the survey revealed Christian attitudes toward J ews Christian ethics, they· do things to decries the new Soviet parents, children a nd siblings who t hat most of them do not a nd that many of the fi ndings of get ahead that Christian s "humanitarian campaign" as may invite relati ves to joi n them "consciously use their deeply-held this particular poll are significant generally do not do," 27 percent " hollow." ahroad, "condemning hu ndreds of Christia n faith and co nviction as in view of the increased agreed; ··Jews are tight with The NCSJ reports that Jewish thousa nds of .Jews fr om ever justi fi cation for anti-Semitic views prominence in recent years of money,'' .51 percent agreed; "Jews emigration dropped 20 percent applying fo r, much le ss recei ving, of J ews." reli giously co nservative Christians want to remain different from from the a lready low 1985 figu re, permission to emi grate." The survey sampling was made in this country - "a group about other people, and yet they are with only 914 J ews leaving the The NCS.J report says t hat up of 36 percent Baptists, 12 which .Jews have expressed touchy if people notice these Soviet Union last year as " nearly 380,000" have begu n the percent Methodists, 10 perce nt apprehension.'' He added: differences." 39 pe rcent agreed; compared to 1,140 in 1985. process of applying to emigrate. Of Lutherans, 7 percent members of " While there are a reas of "Jews are more loyal to Israel than The NCSJ also accuses the the 380,000, the NCS.J identifies the Church of Christ and the import.ant disagreement between to t he U.S.," 27 percent agreed. USSR of attempting to "close the over 11 ,000 as refu senik s. These remainder included other the J ewish community and Some 'Positive' Traits book" on Jewish emigration by cases, states the NCS.J , have been Protestant evangelicals such as evangeli cals and fundamentalists, But, sizeable percentages of making statements such as that at repeatedly rai sed with Soviet Pentecostal, Mormon and such as prayer in schools and the those who accepted these the Bern fo ll ow-up conference on offi cia ls, notably hy President Assembly of God. te.-tt·hinl:! ol rt>v11 lut i1m . 1h ei-.e renecl characterizations felt they were the Helsinki Accords in April, Reagan at the Reykjavik summit Some Of The Attitudes clillerin g- \'Riue~ . Tlwir suppor1 o f "' positive" t raits. For example, of when they said that "they could last October. Ninety percent disagreed with a vo luntary prayer in the school, for those who believe "Jews are t ight not permit the sending of Jews to The NCSJ report , t itled "The statement that "Christians are instance, is no more necessarily with money," 60 percent thought the 'war danger zone' of Israel." Illusion of 'Glasnost ': A Survey on justified in holding negative ant i-Se mitic than our opposition that was a positive trait. On t he Such statement s have been the Status of Soviet ,Jewry in attitudes towa rds Jews since the 10 prayer is anti-religious. In a statement about greater loyalty to fo ll owed, says t he NCSJ, by the (Continued on page 7) .Jews killed Christ," five percent culturally pluralistic society, it is Israel, 49 pe rcent of those who agreed and fiv e percent said they possible to be at opposite ends of agreed thought it was a positive we re "unsure.'' an issue without religious bigotry I rait and 30 percent of those who Schechter Students Exhibit Artwork Twent y-four percent felt that bei ng operative." Perlmutter cited saw Jews as wanting to be God views ,Jews " more favorably as ''troubling" t.he survey's finding "different," viewed the 1 han other non-Christians" based that although 57 percent of the characteristic positively. on their belief that ''Jews are sa mpling revealed no secul ar On their perceptions of how God's chosen people" and the fact a nti-Semi tic attitudes as much power is wielded in America that ,Jesus was himself a J ew. Ten measured by their responses to today by six selected groups - big percent felt that God views J ews seven statements in an business, organized labor, Arabs, " less ra vorably than other "anti-Semitic index," 22 percent Cat holies, Blacks and Jews - 67 non-Christians." agreed with one of the percent thought big business has Eighty-six percent di sagreed anti -Semitic characteriza tions too much power; 55 percent cited with the asse rtion that "God does and a nother 2 1 percent with two organized labor; 38 percent, Arabs; not hea r the prayer of a Jew," a or more. Only five precent of those 23 percent, Catholics. 11 percent statement that was ori ginally surveyed accepted four or more of said Blacks have too much power; made in I 98 I by the then the statements as valid. (Continued on page 7) "Be A Book Mensch" At Emanu-EI==== J ewish Book Month in the T emple Ema nu-El Library tradit ionall y covers the time from the beginning of Religious School Solomon Schechter Day School students admire their classes until Hannukkah. This postcards of R.I. landmarks on display in the R.I. State Room of year a special reading incentive the Children's Museum of R.I. program was created. "Be A Book Mensch" encouraged all students Original a rt postcards of Rhode special exhibit opening for these to read books from the collection Island landmarks, created by young artists and their families on and explain the Jewish values in students of the Solomon November 4. Exhibits Director, each story. Schechter Day School, are on Randi Harelson, said1 "'This is an As each story was read and di splay in the new State Room of exhibit about 'us,' whether we evaluated, a picture of the student the Children's Museum of Rhode were born here or not. The was raised from limb to limb on Island, Walcot.t, Street, Pawtucket. paintings on the wall reflect how the giant family tree in the The postcards are serious and artists interpret Rhode Island . corridor outside the library. These intense; others are humorous and Thanks for adding your smiling faces of all the religious tongue-in-cheek. All depict interpretations and making the school pupils are a bright focal favo ri te Rhode Island landmarks display of Rhode Island kids' point in the hall. seen through the eyes of first postcards possible." In conjunction with the school, through sixth graders. Jan Newman, art teacher at the special classes were scheduled in Among the landmarks Solomon Schechter Day School, the library, allowing every child to Seated (I to r) are Jennifer McCrary, Nikki Parness, Sara portrayed are:' Brown University added, "Rhode Island was founded participate in this program, McCrary. Standing (I to r) are Joseph Allen, Richard Suls, Bear - Ze~ Alexander; The on the . principle of religious reinforcing the importance of Meryl Mactas, Stephanie Wexler, Amanda Jackson and Aaron Arcade - Hyla Kaplan, Sam freedom and tolerance.