Jewish Post, Indianapolis, Marion County, 31 March 1972 — Page 25
fridoy, Morch 31 # 1972
THE JEWISH POST AND OPINION
Homosexuality, Lesbianism Defended Big Crowd Stays Late When Sex Is Discussed
Fire At Robbi Goren's Home Seen As Work Of Arsonists
PHILADELPHIA — As coukf be expected when the Young Men s Service Committee of the Federation of Jewish Agencies took up the subject of sex at its monthly program meeting there was an overflow crowd. By the normal closing time of 9 p.m., the discussion was at its highest, and continued on for an additional hour. THE DISCUSSION started off on a more or less prosaic basis, according to the Philadelphia Jewish Times, with Mrs. Sara Kay Cohen, director of family life education of the Jewish Family Service pointing out that “sex ail too often is put on a shelf and reserved for special occasions rather than being an on-going part of daily life. A successful marriage takes hard work and effective compromise, and frequently the lack of communication centers on the couple’s sexual activity.’* Wayne Johnson, of Temple University, who is on the staff of the Western Area Branch of the Jewish Ys and centers, declared that ‘"marriage is the antithesis of openness in personal relations/’ He spoke of the love-hate relationship in interpersonal relationships and
said that traditional marriage does not work in modern society because youth has a “violent reaction” to the nuclear family and the economic demands it makes upon people. HE PROPOSED a freer, less traditional union of people who wish to live together. Frank Leib, a doctoral student at Temple, who was spokesman for the Gay Liberation movement, told of the people “who do not wish to fulfill the traditional role assigned to their sex.” “In our society,” he said, “girls are regarded as breeders and boys as fighters; girls are given dolls and boys get guns.” He argued for the kind of society which would permit the selection of life-styles by individuals without regard for the customary roles assigned on the basis of biology. THE FINAL SPEAKER was Barbara Giddings, who explained that homosexuals today are revolting against the isolation, discrimination and lack of alternatives in today’s society. The lecturer on lesbianism said, “Our atm is complete equality in all aspects of life. Homosexuals do not intend to live
by other people’s expectations.” Peter M. Stern, chairman of the Service Committee explained that the program was designed to “make us aware of trends within the community,” and while not typical of the group’s meetings, was consistent with previous highlighting of questions of poverty.
Israel Worried Over Nixon Trip? JERUSALEM — The making of an approach to President Nixon before his scheduled trip to Moscow seemed evident as Yitzhak Rabin returned home for a few days, ostensibly for Passover, and Deputy Premier Yigal Allon and Foreign Minister Abba Eban both have scheduled trips which will take them to Washington early in May. Allon will attend an educational conference and Eban has been invited to the 26th anniversary convention of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a minor Jewish organization, but nevertheless the convention is in the nation’s capital at the right time.
JERUSALEM - The Jerusalem Post laid the arson attempt on the home of Chief Rabbi Sholomo Goren of Tel Aviv at the feet of ultra Orthodox who reject the so-called lenient interpretations he has been able to devise in difficult problem cases which cause undue hardship. “SO FAR THE police investigation, ’ the paper said editorially, “has come up with nothing concrete except the notion of an underground ultraOrthodox terrorist group who wish to impose their obscurantist view on the rest of the community.”
The paper welcomed the denunciation by Religious Affairs Minister Zerah Warhaftig, but asserted that “if would certainly have been more useful had Dr. Warhaftig and other National Religious Party (NRP) leaders denounced ultraOrthodox activists consistently in the past rather than seeking leniency for them.” PREVIOUS arson attempts have been made at the editorial offices of Hatzofe, the publication of the NRP, the rector of Bar-Ilan University, the Orthodox institution of higher learning in Israel, and homes of NRP leaders.
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Return To Synagogue Soon As Dark Days Are Foretold
(Continued from Preceding Pg.) on a pessimistic note, unless bis reference to future trials and tragecfy can be so considered. He said “a time may be on its way when those of us, augmented by others, seeking authenticity, will find it in an emergent Jewish consciousness which wiU ring true. Then liturgy in itself will not create great worship, but a ruthless history wUl. Creative services will not of themselves restore prayer but a hunger for meaning, at last realized without apology, will induce it.” Turning to rabbis, he said: “The spoken word, scorned by too many of us because we have little to say, will be desired once more, and rabbis will want to say it because people will want to listen. They will not
preach sermons but they will speak what has to be said because people will have tired of substitutes for an authoritative Jewish voice. And we rabbis, who abdicated that role will either reclaim it or be succeeded by others who will discover that such a Jewish voice is what our people have been waiting for.” CONTINUING ON the same theme, he asserted that, “Most of all, Jews will rediscover their tradition. Already, some of our people are ahead of their rabbis renewing a covenant with « tradition which our young increasingly find responsive to their needs. They who are more identity-conscious and people-hood-conscious than many of their parents, tell us by their new religious fervor, that they have already transcended the
straight world of the undiluted ethnic life.” As for the synagogue, he saw it with “the power to confront all efforts to manipulate and subordinate it. It will have the power to serve as a corrective to a secular Jewish world whose encroachments spell danger to that world as well as to the synagogue. It will have the power to summon its own resources and those of the Jewish community to the battle for physical and collective redemption.”
HERE IS AN IDEAL TEXTBOOK EXPLAINING JUDAISM To Jews and Christians by Rabbi Samuel M. Silver It is also a fine book for converts and a perfect gift Hem. It has sections on the holidays, on popular theology, m interfaiih marriages, Zionism, etc. For year copy, send $2.14 (inc. postage) to Mrs. Elaine Silver, 53 Nutmeg Lane, Stamford, Conn. 06905. Ask about price for quantities.
YOUNG JEWS HAVE A LOT TO SAY . . .
A LOT OF THEM SAY IT IN
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