n ************~**CAR-RT SORT**C-027 2239 11/30/97 -- -- R.I. JEWISH HISTORICAL AbbO~:H 1.30 Sessions St Providence RI 0290£-3444 lll,11 ,,l ,ll,l,,ll,,,,ll,,,,ll,,l,,l,l,,l,l, ,l11ll,l l,,,,l,l,I Rhode Island Jewish Garden City PAGES 10 & 11 HERALD Healthwise PAGES 12 & 13 The Only English-Jewish Weekly in Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts VOLUME LXVII, NUMBER 30 SIVAN 7, THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 1997 35¢PERCOPY Creativity, Cooperation Are Key To Jewish Continuity, Says Brandeis Scholar Reinharz by Emily Torgan sea of being a regular Ameri­ d eis University President Jew ish Community Reporter can," she said. "That's because Jehuda Reinharz, Reinharz en­ hulamit Reinharz is one of of m issed opportunity after joys Jewish reli gious ceremo­ Sthose Jewish leaders who be­ missed opportunity." nies. lieves that America's Jewish Drifting, said Reinharz, may However, she said, there community has a fu ture. result from the lack of ti me pro­ must also be Jewish experiences On June 8, at a Center ofJew­ duced by the costs of educa ti on for those who have co me to fee l ish Culture-sponsored speaking and American emphasis on ma­ that such celebrati ons are dis­ engagement at University of terial goods. pensable. Massachusetts/Da rtmo uth, "Jews are the people of the "It's important to target one's Reinharz told about 150 people degree," she said, emphasizing audience," she declared . "We that leaders who think other­ Jewish interest in hi gher educa­ have to know what appeals to wise are not leaders at all. hon. "About 60% of American women and chi ldren, and what Jewish women finish co llege, appeals to men." and 20% is the nati onal average. Pointing to Jewishlyori ented A lot of money and energy is activities as varied as Israe.1- "The only leader people invested in ed ucalion." based programming, environ­ will follow is one Jews lo ng to prosper in mental work a nd Jewish America's money-driven soci­ women'sstudies, Reinharzsaid who has a vision for ety, she said, leaving them less Jewish organizations must un­ their children." time for Jewish practice. derstand thee needs of the those Shulamit Reinharz "The level of conspicuous they are trying to attract. cons ump ti on has risen," "Jewish peo ple love activ­ Reinharz said. " It takes ti me to ism, and even 2-year-olds love " It makes no sense to predict acquire means and purchase computers," she said. "Finding d oom and g loom," said goods. More time spent at one ways to meet the needs of indi­ Reinharz, a professor of sociol­ thing means less time at some­ viduals ca n be a fo rce agai nst Cranston Shopping Days ogy at Brandeis University and thing else. People are spending the drift." Throughout this week's issue we will highlight shopping in the director of the International more and more lime away from Reinharz then moved to Cranston. Don't forget that Fa ther's Day and graduations are Institute for the Study of Jewish home at work, and that contrib­ "barriers," her final category of ju?t around the corner! Herald photo by Tora V. Liscia11dro Women. " The only leader utes to assi milation." · problems. people will follow is one who This materialism has hurt the Many, she said, shy away has a vision for their children." Jewish organization as well as from Jewish involvement be­ A tall, commanding figure the Jewish home, she said. cause of financia l and cultural with silver hair and a classic style, " Many say they are very restrictions. Reinharz addressed Jewish con­ turned off by the constant em­ Labor Party Elects Ehud tinui ty by merging her feelings phasis on fund raising," she ex­ wi th insights gleaned from her plained. "Jews who ca nnot con­ professional experience. tribute large amounts of money 'We have to know what Barak as New Chairman Despite some idealistic no­ feel unimportant." appeals to women and by Naomi Segal cently as the heir to the warrior­ tions a nd generali zatio ns, But after this deft identifica­ children, and what JERUSALEM (JTA) -Mem­ turned-peacemaker Rabin. Reinharz's talk led people to tion of problems, Reinharz pro­ bers of the opposition Labor "I see myself as his follower think rather than to brood. posed only a vague solution. appeals to men." Party overwhelmingly elected and the one to continue his " The future is on lots of "We need to direct Jewish Shulamit Reinharz Knesset member Ehud Barak as legacy," Barak told a news con­ people's minds," Reinharz be­ spending away from personal the new party chairman. ference recently. gan. " Are we going to vanish displaying and into charity and Exit polls gave Barak 57 per­ Barak, a hawkish former fs­ like Alan Dershowitz says, or community building," she said. "People do not join unless cent of the vote in last week's rael Defense Force chief of staff, are we going to flourish like our As this would do little to they have the resources and feel primaries, according to Israel is expected to square off in the leaders hope?" lower the costs of education or that they will belong once they Television. national elections scheduled for Referring to a recent New York to alter Ameri can society, are in," she said. "Someseesyna­ Knesset member Yossi Beilin, the y ear 2000 against Prime Mi n­ Times article, Reinharz men­ Reinharz'sdirectiveseemedlike goguesasexpensive. Many large one of the architects of the Is­ ister Benjamin Netanyahu. tioned a piece that had orga­ a shaky ideal. Jewish organizations have huge raeli-Palestinian peace accords· Barak said he would soon nized Jewish continuity prob­ But she then· delivered a endowments, but they can only was expected to come in a dis­ convene the other three candi­ lems according to the letters in strong and effective argument spend small amounts. Now, tant second with 28 percent, fol­ dates and senior party officials the word "ails." for making Judaism more time­ there is not enough money to lowed by Knesset members from other camps to head off a "What 'aHs' the Jewish com­ effective and hence more appeal­ help people participate." Shlomo Ben-Arni and Ephraim "settling of scores" within the munity?" she asked. "Assimi­ ing to American Jews. Reinharz concluded by em­ Sneh. party. lati on, intermarriage, and a low "Judaism has to be more con­ phasizing how some institu­ Voter turnout exceeded 70 During a Labor Party con­ rate. Though these problems are . <lensed," she said simply. tions, such as Jewish day schools percent, dis pelling initia l vention last month, Barak ini­ true and incontrovertible, there Citing ideas such as Talmud and summer camps, have speculation that few people hally objected to the adoption are methods of tackling them." study in the workplace, group served as excellent predictors wo~ld cast ballots on the as­ of a party plank that would not According to Reinharz, Hebrew study, and a syna­ of future Jewish involvement. sumption tha t Ba rak would rule out the creation of an inde­ present-day troubles may be gogue-based service for creat­ "They are important, not just win anyway. pendent Palestinian state with better understood if classified ing and delivering Purim gifts, for children, but for the whole Voting by Labor's 167,000 limited sovereignty. · · by the letters in her word, " dib." Reinharz spoke of how Jewish Jewish community," she said. registered members marked a Barak ultimately withdrew "Those letters stand for drift, traditions could be incorporated "We can confront the drift, we milestone for the party, signal­ his objections, since the plank irrelevance and barriers," she into busy lives. can confront irrelevance, and ing a transfer of power, which also stressed that the envisioned explained . Next, she admitted that Jew­ we can bring the barriers down. was for more than two decades Palestinian state could not have Drift,Reinharzsaid, isa better ish practices now seem "irrel­ I believe in commitment, and held by former Prime Ministers an army or fo rge military pacts way to describe the loss of Jewish evant'' to some. there is a significant enough Shimon Peres a nd Yitzhak with other countries, and that it identity than "assimilation." A strongly identified Jewish commitment to save the dwin­ Rabin, to a younger generation. must keep its air space open to "Many are drifting into a vast woman who is married to Bran- dling Jewish community. " Barak described himself re- Israel's air force. - - --===c:.c--~--~ · 2-lliE RHODE'ISl/A:ND JEWISHHERALD; THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 199Y HAPPENINGS Graubart-lrving Concert at Temple-Beth-El Calendar of Events For June 12-21 The annual Graubart-lrving are classically trained musicians, 12 The Knightsville Branch Library on Cranston Street will be closed for renovations for 2 to Concert, to be held at Temple experienced stage performers 3 weeks. Beth-El at 2 p.m. on June 22, will and have performed extensively 13 "Come Blow Your Hom," directed by Cait Calvo, City Nights Dinner Theatre, Pawtucket. feature the Good Friends Sing­ in concert repertoire, opera, op­ June 13 to July 13. Call for tickets. ing Ensemble. Members of Good eretta and have given recitals. Relay for Life, teams consist of 8 to 14 walkers or runners. Benefit to raise funds to fight Friends include Joanne Mou­ Good Friends is known for cancer. Bain Middle School Walking Track, Cranston. Call (800) ACS-2345. radjian, Flo St. Jean, Don St. Jean, energy, humor, great singing Ken Clauser, and Mark Colozzi.