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Subscription $15.00 per year; two years, $27.00; three years, $36.00; out­ The Case of the Non-Conserving Conservatives, side of the United States, US Nisson Wolpin . , •.......•............... , .... , ..... , . 4 funds only. $20.00 in U.K. and Israel. Single copy, $2.00. Computer Teaching in the Yeshiva, Bernard Fryshman ........14 Printed in the U.S.A. Achieving a Higher Consciousness in T efilla, Aryeh Kaplan ?"t .......... , .... , , .... , ..... , .. , , , , , , , 10 !tABB! N1ssoN WoLPJN Editor Holocaust Literature Revisited, a review article .... ,., ..• , , , , .18 Britain and the Jews of Europe, 1939-1945/Solomon Editorial Board Shonfeld, His Page in History/Scroll of Agony/The DR. ERNST Boo£NHEIMER Unconquerable Spirit/Chasidic Tales of the Holo­ Chairman caust/The Auschwitz Album/The MacMillan Atlas of RABBI NATHAN BULMAN RABBI JOSEPH ELJAS the Holocaust/About the Holocaust/The Black JosEPH FRIEDENSON Book/Wallenberg-the Man in the Iron Web/The RABBI MOSHE SHERER Belarus Secret Management Board The Russians Are Returning, Menachem Zahavi, , , ........... 25 NAFTOLI H!RSCH Faith or Fate: Purim and Yorn HaKippurim, A. Scheinman ... ,29 iSAAC K!RZNER NACHUM 5T[IN Second Looks at the Jewish Scene Saving Jewish Kids the "Y" Way .............. , .... 34 Business Mdnager PESACH H. KONSTAM The Jewish Talk Show is With Us, Manny Weisbrod , .. 35 Marking the Conclusion of a Beginning, Tttr Jrwistt OBSERVER does not assume responsibility for the Hanoch Teller ......... , .................... , .. 38 Kashrus of any product or ser­ "The Daily Forvetz" is Dead, Long Live Yiddish ..... 40 vice advertised in its pages. Letter to the Editor ....... , ........ , .................... 41 © Copyright 1983 ADAR, 5743/FEBRUARY, 1983 VOLUME XVI, NUMBER 8 $200 Nissan Wolpin The Case of the Non-Conserving Conservatives Do You Take This Rabbi? temporal affairs, spreading the power of decision and responsibility among the masses. Judaism, however, is The Conservatives have come out fighting. As part of religious government. The criteria for decisions are G-d's, their new militancy they are attacking the rabbinical and the power of interpretation of His intentions is establishment in Israel, and claiming that the only rea­ vested solely in those who are immersed in His teach­ son the Orthodox object to the conversions, marriages ings and adhere to His word. The call for determining and divorces over which they officiate is because of religious policy by democratic principle is not only out of power considerations. (See box for quotes from a sym­ place, it is simply ridiculous. posium in Sh'ma Magazine) The arguments are specious. Democracy may well be Moreover, the Conservatives' claim to be "conducting a noble form of political government, for determining marriages, etc., in accordance with Halacha" is a hollow 4 The Jewish Observer/February, 1983 The Conservative Offensive from Sh'ma In Sh'ma, Eugene Borowitz's journal of opinion and to fall into fine with Orthodox procedures, he says dissent, Rabbi Shubert Spero of Cleveland Heights nothing of the position of Orthodoxy towards Con­ declared that various groups ca nly work together if servative, Reform and ReCofJStructionist rabbis, who Reform and Conservatives follow Orthodox guidelines. for the sake ofthe unity of Kia/ Israel, have employed His reason: halachic procedures ... which leads me to suspect "Reform and Conservative can accept Orthodox that something other than the logic. of halacha procedures without violating principle while Ortho­ allows Orthodoxy to exclude the tradition of Con­ dox cannot accept Reform and Conservative proce­ servative, Reform and Reconstructiotlist Judaism." .dures without violating their religious and legal And Seymour Siegel (Professor of Theology and Ethics, commitments." Chairman of the Department of Jewish Philosophy at the In response, a trio of Shma's contributing editors-all Jewish Theological Seminary, and Chairman of the Conservative rabbis-rose to the offensive: David Novak Committee of Jewish Law and Standards of the Rabbinr­ (Rabbi of Cong. Darchei Noam of Far Rockaway, N.Y., cal Assembly) adds his stones· to.. the heap of con- and member of the Rabbinical Assembly) argues: demnation: .... "All of Rabbi Spero's arguments are against Re­ "The fact thatthe Orthodox establishment refuses form, even though he lumps Reform and Con.serva­ to honor Co.nservative or Reform conversions done tive together. On what Orthodox grounds would he according to the halacha means that it is not princi­ either accept or reject Conservative conversions ple which is at stake, but the retention of the and divorces which, as the head of a Conservative Orthodox monopoly, especially in Israel." Beth Din, I can assure him are as traditionally pro­ -except that control of Yichus-affecting procedures is cessed as any Orthodox ones? not a matter of power politics. True, politics are there, but But they forget that an "Orthodox" conversion and only as the means for assuring th.at t.he sanctity of Kial divorce Is not a traditional ritual process; it IS a mitzva Yisroel remains inviolate. activity that is built on the ideological commitment of the Finally, Siegel draws on our proud American heritage of principals. democracy: Concludes Rabbi Novak: "It is the democratic view that when we all adhere "... we have sadly come to learn that the Orthodox to a basic, overarching set of commitments, we can establishments in virtually all their varied forms are differ in the application of these principles without interested only in compliance with halacha which risking delt>gitirnation. This may be a new concept will give them political hegemony over all of Jewish in traditional Judaism, but it is the fruit of ourdemo­ fife." cratic spirit. I am, for example, a fervent Republican. This is echoed by Harold M. Schulweis (Rabbi of Con­ I do not believe, however, that Democrats are not gregation Valley Beth Shalom in Encino, California, and entitled to respectful and courteous consideration." member of the Rabbinical Assembly}: -pitting the sanctity of American Democracy against "While Rabbi Spero calls for non-Orthodox rabbis Divine directlves from Sinai! one. Presiding over conversions, marriages, and divor­ their breaches in the sanctity of Judaism are ever more ces is not simply a matter of serving as a "pastoral brazen, the implications of their breaches are ever more master of ceremonies." The rabbi's role in these rites of far-reaching, and their stance has become ever more personal identity can be so crucial that, whether he aggressive. serves as one of the witnesses involved in these cerem­ onies or as a member of the beis din that directs the conversion or divorce, the rabbi's status as a member of The Source: Torah From Sinai?' good standing in religious Jewry must be impeccable. *(Question mark, theirs) And it is precisely as such that Conservative rabbis are As part of their "trust me, I'm religious" campaign, found wanting, no matter how they may protest; for as the Conservatives would be forced to violate their own a matter of course, the Conservatives deny basis tenets democratic principles and reject full partnership with of Judaism-most essentially, the Divinity of every Reform in matters such as conversion, marriage, di­ word in the Torah. vorce, (see box B) and other matters of Jewish identity. How can one take their claims to preserving tradition They, too, would exclude Reform converts from recog­ seriously when-as we have so often cited in the past­ nition as Jews in Israel by the Mihu Yehudi Law of the Conservatives promote violation of Sabbath laws by Jewish Status, for they do follow the form of halachic encouraging their congregants to drive to synagogue on procedures in many matters (even when invariably Shabbos; and actually officiate over the transgression of missing the essence). Yet, in both doctrine and action Torah laws in marriage of a Kohein and divorcee? the Conservatives have been edging progressively Now, however, more than ever, it is essential that we toward Reform. They have not yet ordained women, take stock of how far the Conservatives are going, for while the Reform already have 75 women rabbis-but The Jewish ObsenJ1'r!Felinrnry, /983 5 how far off can this be? The Conservative Committee A most significant case in point is the Conservative on Jewish Law and Standards has been debating this response to The Torah: A Reform Commentary published by matter for years now, and its advent appears to be just the (Reform) Union of American Hebrew Congrega­ over the horizon.