attempting the mind-boggling task of writing new Those who choose to have children—whether they live j liturgy. As the proliferation of Rosb-Hodesh (new in traditional family structures or not—need the full moon) celebrations attests, that route can be a fruitful support of the community in raising them. Jewish one. For others, the strategy may be to develop the community centers and Jewish organizations should equivalent of kabbalistic kavanot (meditations said pioneer in providing day-care both for employees and j before or after some parts of the traditional liturgy) for community children. They should also take a lead inj which imbue old words and symbols with dramatically developing flexi-time schedules and shared jobs, and in new meanings. But if women—and men—whose making paternity leaves available to men. Jewish consciousnesses are shaped by living in the modern communities must start thinking about taking our world are to be able to pray, then the form and content women and our children seriously. If the raising of of those prayers must begin to respond to the reality of Jewish children is a communal priority, it must be our lives. Beyond what has already been said, that recognized as a communal responsibility. means we ought also to consider the development of a liturgy which can address a genderless, non-personal None of these issues, of course, is an issue only for God. women. Nor are they concerns that can be solved if only women address them. The agenda of equal access has . 3. Family structures provide another arena of current not yet been achieved, and it must not be abandoned. ' difficulty—and of potential new strength. The lives of There is much that both Jewish women and the Jewish ' many of us differ from the Jewish norm of a traditional community can gain by according women equal access nuclear family. The Jewish family—as the American to positions of responsibility and respect within that family in general—is in crisis. Large numbers of community. American live their lives apart from such families. But the failure of the Jewish community to recognize But if women are truly to be included in the Jewish that reality makes it difficult, if not impossible, for us community—if that community is to be responsive to to express our spirituality and to participate fully in and reflective of the needs of all its members—a more Jewish community life. How long will our community fundamental transformation is required. We must deny that some people may choose to remain single or move beyond "equal access'' to a vision which to live communally, and that these are valid long-term incorporates the diversity of both women's and men's choices? How long will it be before the Jewish experience in the contemporary world. The task is a community will recognize the existence of gay Jews? large one. It is our hope, in opening this dialogue, to We cannot continue to ignore people who choose to live engage the wider community in making this vision a differently from the norm. Both for the health and reality. -tt growth of the community and for the possibilities of fulfillment for its members, it is imperative that the No to a Palestinian state: a reply Jewish community find ways to affirm and support those who are single, those who live communally, those who Avraham Weiss are single parents, and those who choose to love persons of their own sex. In an op-ed article entitled "The West Bank's Future" published by (June 30, 1981), Issues of Child Raising Arthur Hertzberg calls for the creation of a 4. Children are a concern for all of us. places a Palestinian Arab state in Gaza, Judea and Samaria, high value on children and their care. It is often stated contending that if these areas were integrated into that the most crucial commandment for Jews is p 'ru ,' 'the high Arab birth-rate would produce an ur'vu (be fruitful and multiply). But the American Arab majority in the 'undivided Israel'; this majority Jewish community, which speaks often about the would eventually coalesce into one political force.'' importance of giving birth to and raising Jewish Rabbi Hertzberg is not the first to present this children, has rarely recognized the provision of quality argument. Within the spectrum of Jewish opinion it child care as ajewish issue. Nor has it respected the has been espoused by a very small but vocal minority. choices of those who decide not to bear children. The Hertzberg position, however, neither squares with the facts nor with reality. Those who choose not to have children deserve the support and respect of the community for their According to the authoritative Central Bureau of decision. But they should not, as a consequence, be Statistics in Israel, (Statistical Abstracts of Israel, Vol. denied the opportunity to develop relationships with 31) in 1967, 36.3% of the population between the young children or to support those who have children. Continued on page 128

124 but as arising from God's di-polar nature. Some readers will be impatient with Cohen's K'ra inability to resist a linguistic cadenza—e.g., I thought "holocaustal" near blasphemy. They will find the heart of the argument in chapter 2, the last 4 pages of chapter The Sh iihi Book Review 3 and pp. 86-95. On Cohen's own terms, his argument failed. If THE TREMENDUM. Arthur A. Cohen. Crossroad. Schelling and Rosenzweig, with adaptation to be sure, $9.95. can be our teachers, was not a caesura. It A rthur Cohen's return to theological should have taught us, I suggest, that we should not writing is distinguished by his virtuosic rely on human rationality, and particularly not to use of language, his holistic cultural horizon, his describe God's essence. And while I share the passion to courage in proposing a new, post-Holocaust doctrine of save God's absolute sovereignty, one can square a God and, not the least, by his person, for he writes not di-polar God with Adonai's absolute oneness only by as a professor or rabbi but as a devoted Jew, serious the move back into kahallah. about understanding his faith. I think Cohen's case will mean most to those who Cohen builds his case around two key terms, have not lived with this issue for nearly two decades. For tremendum and caesura. He uses the former to something has now changed as a result of our highlight the substantive enormity of the Holocaust continuing discussions. Once we thought the Shoah was and the latter to assert that it represents a radical break the lens through which all reality was to be viewed. In with our received tradition. The Shoah, for all its recent years the ordinary has claimed its place in our significance for humankind, is unique only in its lives and now demands it in our thought. We cannot let meaning for Jews. Other peoples will have their own the Holocaust move too far from the center of our tremenda. attention; life remains too precarious for that. But His new notion of God stems from Luria's mystic increasingly it says more about the shattering collapse of image of God's tzim-tzum, self-contraction, so as to our post-Enlightenment messianic self-delusions than make place for creating the world. This answer to the about the ultimate nature of all history. It did not so problem of evil—when God withdraws, evil enters—is much break our continuity with our past as send us back assimilated to Schelling's theory of God being an to it. Not for simple acceptance—we remain too essential for-self as well as a loving for-others. modern for that—but to find better ways of adapting Rosenzweig drew from this his metaphysics of God as its message of hope and limits to our chastened sense of being Naught as well as Aught. Cohen now adapts humankind's extraordinary power for good and, as we these views of German transcendental idealism to have painfully learned, also for evil. "explain" the evil, not as due to God having limits, (Eugene B. Borowitz)

THE AMERICAN JEWISH WOMAN, 1654-1980. statements made in the main narrative, as well as a Jacob R. Marcus. Ktav. $15 means for every reader to be one's own historian. It is THE AMERICAN JEWISH WOMAN: A DOCUMEN- intriguing in its choice of entries, and serves its stated TARY HISTORY. Marcus, Ktav. $35 purpose well. {Joseph C. Kaplan)

he first book listed presents an overview of the history of the American Jewish woman from the first boatload of Dutch Jews from IMMIGRANT SURVIVORS. Dorothy Seidman Bilik. Brazil in 1654 to Dawidowicz, Abzug, Holtzman and Wesleyan. $15.95. Yalow. Although one can properly take issue with Professor Marcus' defense of his constant use of the eading this book has been like coming word "Jewess," and be somewhat confused by the Rhome to a family circle meeting. book's organization, any reader interested in studying Malamud, Wallant, Bellow, Roth, all are reviewed in the as yet untold history of a majority of the American this slim volume. Through the use of many quotations Jewish population will find the few hours needed to from their works and an excellent linguistic analysis of read this book well spent. The accompanying them, Ms. Bilik has proven her thesis that the emphasis supplemental volume, consisting of primary source in the new immigrant novel is on the tragedy of the material, is meant as a support and amplification of the Jewish historical past. (Alicia Seeger)

125 THE ISRAELI LEFT. Peretz Merhav. Barnes. $15.00. We regret that we were unable to include reviews of the following books: erhav presents not strictly a history of the JEWISH AGRICULTURAL UTOPIAS IN AMERICA, Israeli left but also a leftist history of 1880-1910. Uri D. Herscher. Wayne State. $15.95. Israel. His discussion of the early stages of Zionism MEGILLAT HANUKKAH. Arthur A. Chiel. Rabbini- begins with Ber Borochov's synthesis of Marxism with cal Assembly. THE ALIEN IN THEIR MIDST. EstherL. Jewish nationalism. His analysis then goes on to Panitz. Fairleigh Dickinson. $18.50. DESTINATION consider the early divisions in the Zionist movement in PEACE. Gideon Raphael. Stein and Day. $16.95. general: the "declarative" Zionists with their meetings, congresses and debates, versus the practical Zionists of 1 the early aliyot\ the territorialists who were willing to PRISONER WITHOUT A NAME, CELL WITHOUT A. accept ajewish home in Uganda versus those for whom NUMBER. Jacobo Timmerman. Knopf. $10.95 Zionism meant only Palestine. He describes the battles T within and among the various workers' parties between J[ his book is the expression of a tortured the more leftist socialists and more centrist reformists soul. Timmerman seeks to analyze his and the establishment of the latter group as the experiences in an Argentine prison, and at the same time to deal with the anger and anguish he stills feels. strongest element in Ma'arab (Alignment of the Israel 1 Labor Party and the more left-wing Mapam). Merhav He writes on three subjects. In one he examines the also discusses the larger battles between the center-left political structure of Argentina and shows that the ruling coalition and the growing right-wing parties currently military, once envisioned as Argentina's savior, in power. It is unfortunate that Merhav's study perpetuates fascism and anti-Semitism. Two, Timmer- concludes with the election of the Likud government in man discusses anti-Semitism. He concludes that 1977 as his observations of the last four years would no education of gentiles will not still anti-Semitism; doubt be most valuable. (FredLawrence) education of Jews will help Jews learn to live in an anti-Semitic world. Three, he examines the relation of the tortured with his torturer, and the nature of torture THE STOLEN JEW. Jay Neugeboren. Holt, Rhinehart itself. This segment is most excruciating. and Winston. $14.95. This collage of pain is told in a style in which time and space lose their normal meaning, as if we too were rJ^his extremely well-written, absorbing in solitary confinement. novel has everything: an exciting plot, (Phil Cohen) historical interest, Jewish content, and psychological analyses. It's the story of two brothers and their complex relationship, and offers profound insights into A WOMAN'S PLACE. Leona Blair. Delacorte. $13.95 the nature of Jewish immigrant family life. Neugeboren has an excellent ear for dialogue and the book has many J f you have nothing to do for the next few moments of humor as well as tragedy. days, why not settle yourself into a (Linda Rosenfeld Shulsky) comfortable chair with this new drippy novel? It has TANNA DEBE ELIYAHU, The Lore of the School of everything: mush, sex, glamour, and it is eminently Elijah. Braude andKapstein. JPS. $27.50. readable. Travel from the Lower East Side to Palestine, from Nazi Germany to the plush boardroom of a rJ^bese accomplished translators have now powerful cosmetic empire. Relax and enjoy. beautifully rendered ' 'the jewel of (Sarah Tropper) Tannaitic literature.'' May they bless us so again.

THE JEWISH WOMAN: 1900-1980. Aviv a Cantor. ARTISTS OF ISRAEL 1920-1980. Wayne State. $9.50. Biblio. $5.25. TT his book catalogs a recent exhibit of ^^ comprehensive bibliography of material Israeli artists at the Jewish Museum in concerning the Jewish woman. Intended New York City. It is a well organized work about the as a companion guide to THE JEWISH WOMAN AND artists of Israel in this century and Jewish traditions that JEWISH LAW, the two bibliographies contain over have influenced the development of Israeli art. 2000 sources about the Jewish woman. An invaluable Beginning with clear chronologies that lend perspective research tool. to the development of Israeli art, the book continues

126 i with three well written articles that give an overview of A P.L.O. State Would Threaten Israel issues in this field. Thirty-six artists are highlighted Let it be said very clearly: It is impossible to grant i, with biographies, exhibits, bibliographies, and pic- Palestinian Arab sovereignty in parts of Judea and I tures. The catalog appeals not only to those interested Samaria without the relinquished territories becoming a i in art but to anyone with an interest in modern Israel. P.L.O.-Soviet-Cuban State. There is no Jordanian (Beth Gamburg) option, as King Hussein himself has said. Yassir Arafat has not led the P.L.O. for years to transfer the mantle of leadership to Arab leaders in Samaria and Judea (whose mayors have publicly expressed the hope that the I CONSECRATE EVERY DAY: THE LIVES OF JEWISH P.L.O. flag will soon fly in the streets ofjaffa and AMERICAN WOMEN, 1880-1890. June Sochen. Haifa); his military connection with the Soviet Union is SUNY PRESS. far too powerful for anyone to challenge. ii * * T consecrate every day of the week," As a P.L.O. state, Samaria and Judea will never remain demilitarized; eighty percent of Israel's population will \ was NCJW-leader Hannah Solomon's be under the gun; and the P.L.O. will attempt to . retort when challenged for not consecrating the implement its avowed aim of using Samaria and Judea ] Sabbath. In this short book, based largely on secondary as a springboard from which to destroy the State of sources, an historian of American women writes Israel. Ultimately, peace will secure Israel. But peace | superficially about selected public figures like Solomon, will not secure Israel if it is the kind of peace which will | who were "inspired" by Judaism: trade union leaders, make it easy for the P.L.O. to attack Israel. radicals, volunteers, writers, actresses and professionals. , While a worthwhile endeavor, this book unfortunately It is perhaps a measure of Rabbi Hertzberg's isolation i is replete with undocumented generalizations, tauto- on this issue that no mainstream American Jewish logical sentences, lists of rhetorical questions and the organization (including the , ; unsystematic use of statistics. which he headed for many years) has ever supported the (Margaret Moers Wenig) creation of a Palestinian Arab state in Judea and Samaria. In the recent Israeli elections, the handful of fringe parties on the left that advocated such a step were completely shut out of the electoral process with the No to a Palestinian state Continued from page 124 exception of Shulamit Aloni and the Arab Communist list, who lost a significant amount of their previous < Mediterranean and the Jordan were non-Jewish. By support. Rabbi Hertzberg's position has been rejected I 1980, that figure dropped to 3 5.2 %. The prophecy of 1 by virtually the totality of those whose lives would be ! doom uttered by many in 1967 that, were Israel to most affected by its implementation - the inhabitants : retain control overjudea, Samaria and Gaza, Jews of the State of Israel. * I would become a minority in their own land by 1980 has not occurred. The number of Arabs in comparison to Rabbi Hertzberg and those few who support his view i Jews did not become larger, but smaller. should be reminded of the words written by Prime 1 Minister Begin in a letter to Dr. Leonard Fein, dated Had the founders of the Jewish State been concerned July 23, 1980: "In keeping with my conviction, Jews are with demography, there may never have been a State of entitled to criticize the government at whose head I Israel. At the time of the Balfour Declaration, for stand.. .But, I, too, have the right to ask them to example, there were 400,000 Arabs and only 58,000 understand one last thing at least: On matters that ji Jews in Israel. In 1948, after losing the major reservoir relate to the national security of the litde nation of j! of a/iyah (immigration to Israel) in the Holocaust, there Eretz Yisrael, let them kindly refrain from preferring i were 500,000 Arabs and 600,000Jews. Fortunately, no advice, at least in public, within earshot of our enemies r one raised the 'question of majority.' Had a view or those who wish us ill. Let them remember, please, similar to Rabbi Hertzberg's dominated the Israeli the simple fact that we care for our children and r scene then, the very establishment of the State would grandchildren. And they, these litde children, live | have been aborted. here." * The proposition that "it is in the Israeli's interest to create a Palestinian state," brings to mind a statement !i made by Hans Morgenthau: "No nation-state is We have invited a reply from Rabbi Hertzberg, which obligated to commit suicide." will appear in a forthcoming issue.

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