Jewish Post, Indianapolis, Marion County, 26 October 1979 — Page 5

Less Orthodox Divorces; Close To National Level

ByGISELA WEISZ INDIANAPOLIS - One of the nation’s top divorce lawyers, Burton F. Grant, told The Post and Opinion that divorce is less among Orthodox Jews than Conservative Jews and less among Conservative Jews than among Reform Jews. “Divorces are increasing among Jewish people,” he said, and our office talks a lot about it. Jewish people are becoming assimilated into the society in general. “We are becoming nondescript and unrecognizable from the general population”, he added. “IN COMPARISON, emotions run higher in Jewish divorces,” he asserted. “At times hatred results and the children are victimized, emotionally damaged to the point where they need psychiatric help.” As an interesting sidelight he mentioned that the majority of the successful divorce lawyers are Jewish. He cited that of the 10 law firms in Chicago that handle 90 per cent of all the divorces.

nine are Jewish. With the Jewish divorce rate approaching the national average of 40 per cent, Grant said that Jewish divorces were almost unheard of years ago, but now that “Jews have given up a lot of their traditions, not keeping kosher, not observing the Sabbath, although they may be Jewish at heart, they don’t appear to be Jewish to the rest of the world, but instead are imitating the population as a whole in their lifestyles.” THE BREAKDOWN of the family unit also was mentioned by Grant. “The parents used to be much more protective of their children and there was more cohesiveness to the family,” he said. “They stuck together. Today you don't find that. The children leave the family hearth earlier and marriage is not as important to them, and now they are getting divorced as frequently as the rest oi the population.” Grant, who has appeared on national TV networks and written a number of articles, is a member of the firm of Grant, Grant & Stein.

Jewish TV Stations Are Recommended MIAMI — The view that Jews should launch religious TV stations devoted to espousing Judaism was expressed by Rabbi Sol Landau at services at his Beth David congregation. P minting out that there are 36 wholly religious TV stations and 1,300 religious radio stations, the Conservative rabbi said the fundamentalists have extensive television and radio station ownership and we have none.” He said that the religious stations have a 50-million weekly audience and have helped defeat liberal lawmakers, blocked approval of Equal Rights Amendments, plus the fact that they are great mon ey-raisers. He named three who have collected more than $150 million a year from viewers. Tour For Tennis Buffs TEL AVIV - Tennis buffs can get a bargain from the tennis tour package to Israel which for a cost of $339 includes seven nights at the Tel Aviv Hilton, five days of tennis with top coaches and a Hertz car with unlimited milage for the entire stay.

Israel... Wake Up... Grow Up!

B> .11 DY ( \RK An Israeli housewife, worn out with keeping her household in a situation of ever-rising prices, said, "it seems that nowadays either people have no money to do anything or they are just...Tired.” Fatigue is indeed permeating the country. Harassment, tension, personal unhappiness are taking their toll. We are tired of outrageous prices, promises ot a better future that never materialize, tired of lighting, when every person is lighting for their own version ol the truth. But how old are we - that we should be so tired? Israel as a nation is scarcely over 30 years old. If we are already fatigued, at such a young age, we may ask if we ever really were a nation. Look at the history of Europe and America, where 30 years is a spot on the calendar. What country ever lay down after such a brief period and said it was worn out? The notion, historically, is laughable. TO A TIRED person you say “Wake up. you have to snap out of it, stop taking pills, stop looking for panaceas, open your eyes and see life as it is and face up to your problems. It is no use crying for someone else to take over the burdens. If you don't take responsibility - then who w ill?” For so long we believed that we were the proud, invincible, always-right Israel, and we thought the world would always believe in us just as we believed in ourselves. This bubble has puffed out. We

have to take responsibility for our wrong actions, not take reluge in a childish image and hide behind excuses. Adults are supposed to lie able to judge their own actions and face up to the consequences. Grow up. thirty-one year old Israel. We are coming to realize that mistakes do not have to come right automatically just because we are the Promised

Land. The problem does not solve itself by uttering Zionist slogans. Like children, we have to wake up to the fact that Mother is not always there to take over and make it all good again. We have to get ourselves out of our own messes, not sit and say we are tired, and blame the government, America and the Arabs for own own short1 < ontinued < >n \ex! Page)

JEWISH rranonAL FUflD First Peace Mission to ISRAEL November 17-27, 1979 • Witness the JNF’s historic work in preparing sites for new settlements in the Negev ‘Peace Salient” along the new border with Egypt. • See, at first hand, JNF’s massive land development program in the Galilee and learn how JNF reclaims and transforms the land. • Participate in special briefings led by top JNF and Israeli government officials. • Enjoy all-deluxe accommodations and a special Mission Thanksgiving Dinner at the Rimon Inn, Safed. Make Your Reservations Today! call or write: Jewish National Fund 42 E. 69th Street New York. New York 10021 212 879 9300

Jerusalem Post photo — KINNERET AT LOWEST LEVEL— Whether the prayers for ^ rain that Jews the world over offer at this time of the year will c be answered will make a big difference to Lake Kinneret, above, which is at its lowest level in years. The photo above graphically illustrates the crisis that faces the lake that supplies the National Water Carrier with the water that it brings to Southern Israel. The drought in Israel is approaching crisis proportions.

Sabbath Services Were Cancelled

MANCHESTER, England - When member of the Hillock Hebrew Congregation arrived for Shabbat services they discovered that the doors had been kicked in, the bima lights torn from their sockets, books ripped up and the silver pointers (yads) and the Torahs thrown on the floor. A silver menorah and prizes for

the weekly bingo game, were missing. The service was cancelled.

Bishop Carroll, the retired Bishop of Wichita, is a life member of Temple EmanuEl, Wichita, and also of Temple Emanu-El, St. Louis.

DID YOU KNOW • ... that 95 percent of Israel’s land is owned either by JNF or by the state. It cannot be sold, but is held in perpetual trust for the people. ...that about 1.2 million people now live on JNF land—about one Israeli in three. ...that JNPs land-acquisition program, begun in 1901, virtually determined the nation’s borders when they were drawn in 1947—and will have a lot to do with securing Israel’s new borders for the future. Now. . . JNF must make land rqady for a population of 5 million by 1990. That means immediate massive programs of reclamation, roadbuilding, managing the ecological balance, developing new technologies of desert agriculture, desert architecture, water desalination... a whole world to remake. It’s one of the challenges of peace.

JEWISH NATIONAL FUND 42 East 69th Street New York. N Y 10021 Tel: 879 9300 CR □ Please send more information. □ Please send your 1979 YEARBOOK at $3 50 each □ I enclose my tax-deductible contribution of $ Name Address City State Zip

JNF invites you to share in the joy of peace.

JEWISH rwnonAL FUTID

Jewish Post and Opi