NUMBER 5 . AUTUMN 1984 ENffiEN Contents 1367913113 Students in Peril Yehuda Bauer `Working With The Nazis' - The Lie ls Nailed Isaac Levy Lament For Moderation Dow Marmur The Demands Of The Jewish Soul Bernard Kops Moving Time Lionel Blue lnklings Carolyn Burch Soviet Jews: Their Plight ls Unique, The Attack ls Relentless - As Others See Us 16171182021 Hyam Maccoby Did God Need The Rise Of Jesus? Linda Bayfield Battling On The Home Front Jonathan Magonet The Limits Of Divine Love Letters David Goldberg's Last Word Editor: Rabbi Tony Bayfield; MANNA 6 (Winter 1985) will Deputy Editor: Rabbi William include a contribution from a chal- Wolff; lenging new writer, David Cesarani, Art Director: Steve Miller. and a stimulating article by Chaim Bermant. Editorial Board: Rabbi Colin Eimer, Rabbi Dr. Albert Fried- lander, Rabbi David Goldberg, Dr. The cover picture is entitled Wendy Greengross, Rev. Dr. Isaac ISAIAH Ill. inmT"T-+ Levy, Rabbi Dr. Jonathan It illustrates the famous sixth Dun1,- Magonet, Rabbi Dow Marmur, verse in Isaiah's llth chapter: `And the wolf shall dwe]] with the lamb, THE MANOR HOUSE CENTRE FOR JUDAISM Rabbi Dr. John Rayner, Professor 80 EAST END ROAD J. 8. Segal, Rabbi Dr. Alan Unter- And the leopard shall lie down with LONDON N3 2SY man, Isca Wittenberg. the kid; And the calf and the young TELEPHONE: 01-346 2288 lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them.' MANNA is the Journal of the It is .by David Sharir, native Manor House Centre for Judaism Subscription rate: £4.50 p.a. Israeli artist who was born in 1938 and the Manor House Society. (four issues) including postage any- and studied in Tel-Aviv, Florence where in the U.K. Abroad: £6.50 or and Rome. His works are displayed MANNA is published quarterly. Slo U.S. in Israeli and American collections. EDITORIAL... large number, but a signifi- ly and through the encourage- AS A4lcr##cz THIS ISSUEgoes to pressOF cant number. Many are ment of 4/z.)7¢fe. In short, the Israel has at last got a govern- leading supporters of Israel. unity of the Jewish people ment of national unity with Many have invested in would be shattered to the Shimon Peres as prime mini- businesses in Israel, hold posi- enormous detriment of Israel ster. But one issue raised by tions of leadership in the JIA, and the Diaspora alike. the months of painful wrangl- are devoted to and identified If that sounds like the ing will not go away, and de- with Israel. They are used to threat of sanctions, then it mands unequivocal comment. having aspersions cast upon should. How to show our Shimon Peres told Reform their status by some orthodox abhorrence without turning leaders in Israel that the Jews for reasons of power our back on our many friends religious parties were deman- politics. But to be told by the in Israel will be a matter for ding an amendment to the State of Israel that they are debate and judgement. But we Law of Return as the price for not Jews adds insult to rejec- will not be silent and we will entering a coalition and, said tion and compounds ar- not lie down in the face of Mr. Peres, if that is the price, rogance with cruelty. such an outrage. Reform, so be it. Such a change in the law for Conservative and Liberal Under the Law of Return as squalid political motives Jews are not second class. currently constituted, all Jews would send a shock-wave of More importantly, Israel must - Reform, Liberal, Conser- outrage throughout the not think it can insult our vative, Orthodox - have a Diaspora. Huge and irrepar- sincere converts to Judaism right to settle in Israel. Under able damage would be done to and expect to find us un- the proposed amendment only the great willingness shown in changed and unprepared to those Jews deemed to be Jews the past to support Israel defend their status as first by the Israeli orthodox rab- financially, politically, moral- class Jews. binate would have such a right. As the Jerwscz/em Posf put it: `Such an amendment tJrgent Need For Action would not affect many Israelis. Nor is that its inten- tion. Its real aim is to export STUDENTS IN PERIL orthodox rabbinic authority to the Diaspora. For the non- more than 2,000 names on its books students are packing to go off THOUSANDS OF JEWISH sent a list of children who had at- orthodox Jewish communities to college and university as tended its confirmation classes five of the Diaspora it represents this issue of Mar##cr lands on some years ago - and obligingly added legislation without representa- 1200 mats. Sorry to be vague about that it was up to the programme tion. the actual number of students. It is organisers to find out which of `In a larger sense that one of Anglo-Jewry's unholy those had since gone to university. means that the State of Israel, mysteries. Unholy because no one is Other faiths cater for the need bothering to find out, in spite of the their students have of support at the through its law, would fact that all those students are about most formative stage of their lives. withdraw its recognition of to be subjected to the most deter- The Catholic chaplaincy at the the legitimacy of Reform and mined, persistent and in some cases University of London, for instance, Conservative Judaism, which vicious assault on their cultural and has a staff of seven. The Anglican in the U.S., for example, religious identity. chaplaincy can boast a magnifi- make up more than two thirds One congregation with a thou- cent church and is almost as well sand families on its books, when staffed. One of Anglicanism's most of the organised Jewish com- asked for the names of its students charismatic bishops, Trevor Hud- munity. , so that they could be drawn into a dleston, leads special missions to The significance of the issue special programme, supplied one universities. The Catholic chaplain- cannot be overstressed. A name. A second congregation cy at Oxford is for ever associated number of leading British and answered repeated requests with a with the name of one of the most council minute decreeing that names famous figures in 20th century American Reform and Con- and addresses of members should church and literary history. servative Jews are converts or never be disclosed. To compete with that, the ortho- the children of converts. Not a And a third congregation with dox Jewish community has the Rev. Manna Autumn 1984 Malcolm Weisman who is chaplain wildly. One of the men addresses the career. I was depressed. I was taking to Britain's 23 universities, to congregation in an easy Californian drugs, when one night I went to hear dozens of small provincial com- friendliness. `Shalom and good a friend sing. She sang of Jesus and munities, and to thousands of evening. We call this experience a I had chills running down my spine. servicemen in the armed forces, messianic joy. Most of you who are I was so moved that a week later I besides earning his living as a barri- Jewish know that we've been wait- was a believer in the messiah. The ster. Lubavitch sends out a handful ing around 3,000 years for the fact that my family was 3,000 miles of missionaries, and the Reform and messiah! That's a long time to wait. away helped of course (big laugh of Liberal communities scrape together Well I'm here to tell you that he's acknowledgement from the audi- the princely budget of some £2,000 come and his name is Y'shua or ence). And then two years later I for work among students. Joshuah, which means Jesus.' heard that Jews For Jesus were The vast bulk of our students are The audience claps and a second looking for me to act in the New therefore abandonded to cope on hymn `Behold God Is My Salvation' Jerusalem Players. So I joined them their own with a battery of exciting, from Isaiah 12.2 is sung by the band and also took part in handing out intellectual and emotional novelties. but now they sing in Hebrew. our tracts in the street. In Sam Fran- The religious seduction is now As I watch these Jewish Chris- cisco a man spat at me but I thought becoming the most insidious. If one tians praising Jesus in Hebrew to I don't need to go to Sam Francisco of our students eventually marries Yiddish folk rhythms I sense that I to get insulted, I could've stayed in out - and many do - they can still am witnessing the biggest Jewish LA (laughter). We've passed out retain a Jewish identity and on occa- sin. In Jewish doctrine the messiah 20,000 tracts in London and now sion they are known to become far is yet to come, to embrace Jesus as we're going to do some seed plan- more committed to their Judaism messiah challenges the whole con- ting in Leeds, Glasgow, Birming- than they were before. If one of cept of Judaism. But this group are ham and Jerusalem. We know that them joins Jews for Jesus, they are professional persuaders, their per- no real peace will come to Jerusalem lost for ever. And the toll is mount- formance has a studied East Euro- until The Prince of Peace is ac- ing. cepted there. ' `Weep ye not for the dead,' says pean ghetto authenticity which strikes a nostalgic note in the hearts Confession is over and the lead Jeremiah, `neither bemoan him.