6 Winter 1985
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E' H D DO Contents 24 Tony Bayfield riow Humane ls Kosher Killing? Jonathan Magonet `Every Wolf Whistle ls An Assault Upon A Woman's Self-Respect' 68 Lionel BIue lnklings Michael Freedland Why The Jewish Moguls Of Hollywood Were Afraid To Make Jewish Movies 1012141516 Lynne Reid Banks Red Alert On New Laws David Cesarani Israel And The Diaspora Should Be Equals Julia Bard Giving Their Blood To A Friend David Goldberg King David On The Pill Alan J. Unterman Past ln Present - The Jewish Way With Time 1819 Fred Morgan Finding The Clues ln Torah Nicholas Tyndall `Don't Leave Me Daddy When You Split From Mummy' - As O.thers See Us 2021 Letters David Goldberg's Last Word Editor: Rabbi Tony Bay field; MANNA 7 (Spring 1985) will in- Deputy Editor: Rabbi William clude a symposium on the moral Wolff. dilemmas posed to doctors by severe deformities in new-born babies. Editorial Board: Rabbi Colin in-mTj_u-Jbl Eimer, Rabbi Dr. Albert Fried- U-I,- lander, Rabbi David Goldberg, Dr. The Sternberg Centre for Judaism, Wendy Greengross, Rev. Dr. Isaac The .Manor House, Levy, Rabbi Dr. Jonathan 80 East End Road, Magonet, Rabbi Dow Marmur, London N3 2SY Rabbi Dr. John Rayner, Professor Telephone: 01-346 2288 J. 8. Segal, Dr. Alan Unterman, The cover picture is an ink-wash Isca Wittenberg. called `A Study of the Talmud' MANNA is the Journal of the (1941 or 42) by the distinguished ar- Sternberg Centre for Judaism at the Subscription rate: £4.50 p.a. (four tist Josef Herman. An exhibition of Manor House and of the Manor issues) including postage anywhere Josef Herman's work will be held at House Society. in the U.K. Abroad: Europe - the Centre durirlg March and will in- £8.00; Israel, Asia, Americas, clude this work (for details see back MANNA is published quarterly. Australasia -£12.00. cover). Editorial Future Leadership Of Anglo-JeuJry.. NORepresentationwithoutToleration not, in fairness, go un- hard to find to challenge both WHO not SAID: believe in `1 legislat- DO challenged. the legitimacy and the ac- ing religion. I believe religion For they are based upon curacy of his claim to repre- should come from the con- assertions and assumptions sent all Jews in Britain and the science'? that wither under examina- Commonwealth. For that But who wrote that mini- tion. Primarily the insistence claim is dangerously fragile. sters should `not allow their that those in the Reform and If he still claims to represent presence, or their names to be Liberal sector are in need those of us in the Reform and used for promoting or sanc- of legitimacy. We neither seek Liberal movements and our tioning any activities which nor need legitimacy from the independent friends then he could be construed as accor- Chief Rabbi or anyone else ex- must cease to lambast us as ding legitimacy to non- cept the God of Abraham, `dissidents' or `priests of an traditional Judaism'? Isaac and Jacob. We find the alien religion'. Each statement was made roots of our beliefs and prac- If he is to demand our by Sir lmmanuel Jakobovits, tices in Torah and Talmud. acceptance of his office, he the Chief Rabbi of the United And we find support for our must not interfere with our Hebrew Congregations. The stance among some of the right to talk Torah with open- first statement was made in a greatest scholars that Judaism minded men and women from Radio Four discussion with has produced in the last 200 all sections of the community. the Archbishop of York, and years. If he wishes to speak for us, the second was contained in a We in our turn challenge then he must have some letter to his own rabbis and not the legitimacy but the regard for our conscience and ministers. In the first, speak- sheer accuracy of Sir our sincere interpretation of ing about Israel, he added that Immanuel's claims and those Judaism. he did not believe majorities of his supporters. Take the If he continues to choose to should impose their will upon assertion by Rabbi Cyril Har- do the opposite, then the minorities. ris that in Judaism there are delicately balanced edifice at It is a matter for sorrow no varieties. And then tell it to whose pinnacle he now stands and regret that Sir Immanuel the followers of the Luba- will assuredly collapse. keeps his attitudes to events in vitcher Rebbe, the Gerer, the That need not necessarily Israel, which he does not con- Satmarer, to those who wear frighten anybody. Facing trol, and to those in this coun- streimels and those who sport reality is the first step towards try, over which he has some the canonicals of the United robust communal health. We say, in such different com- Synagogue. are prepared to represent our- partments. Let us remind Sir Immanuel selves. It is a matter for as much that his own writ can hardly We are strong enough to sorrow that in this country he be said to run in Gateshead face the challenge and from adopts intolerant attitudes and Stamford Hill. that position of strength we similar to those he condemns What, incidentally, is he shall continue to build in Israel. For instance, by per- seeking to achieve? Does he bridges. Is Sir Immanuel and sonally pressurising members think we will go away? That a his United Synagogue able to of the Manna editorial board quarter of all synagogue affili- respond? Does- the Chief Rab- to resign for expressing or- ations in Britain can be writ- bi in name wish to remain thodox views in our journal! ten off? That our members Chief Rabbi in reality? I Such attitudes damage by will be terrified into defec- causing division but they can- tion? Grounds would not be Manna Winter 1985 February Deadline In The Onslau ht On Shechitah HOW HUMANE IS KOSHER does not feel pain and that the at it again. Not for the first THE R.S.P:C.A. HAVE BEEN Bv Tonv Bay field movements of the animal are the time in recent years they have result of reflexes in the spinal mounted a campaign to persuade cord centers. The muscle contrac- parliament to introduce legislation than clear cut. A recent excellent tions are uncoordinated and can- banning srfechr.f¢fe, the traditional American publication AH;.mcr/ LJ/c not be considered defense Jewish method of killing animals j.# /cw.s¢ rrmc7j.fr.o# by Elijah Judah. movements by the animal. They for meat. The Farm Animal Welfare Shochet* (sic!) quotes at some are rather reactions due to the fir- Council, a Government appointed length from the research material. ing of different centers in the ner- body, is expected to report in Quite recently Dr. I. M. Levinger of vous system and are the result of February and all the indications are the Department of Life Sciences at the anoxia in these centers. that this report will not be Bar Ilan University participated in a An animal is incapable of sens- favourable towards s¢efe;.fafe. The study carried out at the Veterinary- ing approaching death and Council has already reported un- Physiology Institute of Zurich therefore it is unable to fear or favourably on aspects of more University on the subject of suffer from the danger of death. generally used methods of sfeeAJ./oA. The study - in a country It is likewise unable to recognize slaughter. which has banned sACAz./crfe - con- the instrument of slaughter as The subject of sfechj.fcrfe throws up cluded `in comparison with other such. It may be stated with the ut- a number of crucial issues and methods of slaughter, sAch!.foA is at most probability that an animal merits closer examination. The focal least as humane as any other does not suffer physically or point of the `discussion' between the method of slaughter'. Let me quote psychologically before, during, RSPCA and the Anglo-Jewish com- enough from the Zurich study to or a,£ter shehitah. The process o£ munity is, at first glance, quite give you a flavour of its findings: pain perception requires a given clear. Sfecfrr.fcz„ is performed by a `After sAefej./¢fe the central ner- amount of time but by that time sfeofecf, a trained official of the vous system undergoes certain the activity of the brain has been community, who cuts the throat of changes. Blood pressure as well greatly impaired if not com- the animal with a razor sharp knife. as CSFP rapidly drop and pro- pletely paralysed. ' Non-Jewish slaughter is currently duce shock reactions within the I know that I'm not in a position performed by stunning the animal animal. Within 8-10 seconds, the to evaluate such scientific evidence, electrically and then shooting a bolt c enters for in aint aiming and I suspect that many A4laH#cz into its brain. According to the equilibrium lose their regulatory readers will not be either. Further- RSCPA s#chz.fafe is cruel, causing capacity. Corneal reflex disap- more, I freely admit that the the animal pain, whereas, they pears in small animals, though in RSPCA can produce contrary argue, prior electrical stunning large animals it takes 20-40 evidence and experts. Nevertheless prevents pain. Electrical stunning is seconds before it disappears. what we surely can say is that there unacceptable to the Orthodox Since it is known that the neo- is sufficient respectable scientific Jewish community since, they encephalon is more oxygen sen- evidence tg suggest. that the issue is argue, it causes brain damage prior sitive than the phylogenetically highly marginal.