Jewish Post, Indianapolis, Marion County, 2 January 1981 — Page 15

Mi to Uu* orlitor should be addrrssed to the Jewish i’ost and itp'mion nil North I’ark Ave . Indianapolis. Ind '4(1204 The let t**rs should be t spoil and should be eoncise Anonviuuus letters uill not be printed No letters will be returned Short letters net

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Jews For Jesus Claims Characterized As Absurd

Editor, POST and OPINION: Frankly, I’m getting sick and tired of the so-called “Jews for Jesus” movement. Not that I have anything against its adherants, personally. But their methods of gaining “converts” — sheer harrassment, really — seem distinctly ungodly, especially for such a supposedly devout

crowd.

What I object to most of all, of course, is their basic ideology. If one can call it that! Or should I say, its implications. For it strongly implies that there is somehow something “missing” in the Jewish religion — something that can only be supplied by belief in a second deity, namely, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Such a contention is no less preposterous than advocating that the entire universe ought to be filled by something — and then stating what that something should be! It takes a tremendous amount of gall, in my estimation, to imply that the Almighty somehow forgot to supply His Chosen People with a vital ingredient to their faith, and that now, milleniums later, a missing link between God and human ity has been found. The God of Abraham and of Moses neglected nothing, thank you. Incidentally, I consider the very name “Jews for Jesus” to be a misnomer, not to mention a contradiction in terms. For a true Jew cannot be for Jesus. A Jew knows only one God, because there is only one God: the Lord God Jehovah. The First Commandment makes it perfectly clear (at least to us!) that a Jew must follow no other god but Jehovah, and, moreover, that any Jew who claims to follow

Aiding Russian Jews Waste Of Money, Blow To Israel

any other god is no longer a Jew! Indeed, to continue to claim to be a Jew under such circumstances is nothing short of blasphemy. Thus is the “Jews for Jesus” movement founded on nothing more (and nothing less) than a heresy of the grossest possible proportions. Having said all this, I would like to emphasize once again that I bear no personal vendetta against the “Jews for Jesus” movement, nor any personal axe to grind against any of their number. I just wish to set the record straight, as to the basic and fundamental illegitimacy of their movement. To make converts is, of course, their prerogative. Yes, even converts among us! But to continue to call such converts Jews is...well, it’s many things. And one of the most prominent among them is, absurd. No, I’m not for in any way stopping the movement. America certainly stands for freedom of religion, and the “Jews for Jesus” have every legal right to practice their version of religion — even though it is in fact a non-religion. They don’t see it that way, of course! So they’ll doubtless continue proselytizing among us. Perhaps the movement (non-movement?) will eventually serve a useful function in that it will help remind us of the basics of our own faith. If so. then the “Jews for Jesus” will have accomplished something positive and useful despite themselves. Such is, at least, my prayer on their behalf. MICHAEL H.SHADICK Cedar Square West 1515 So. 4th St., Apt. E-414 Minneapolis, MINN. 55454

Editor, POST and OPINION: Lorraine Kosofsky’s letter to the Editor (P-O, Dec. 19) is full of discrepancies and shows a real misunderstanding of the whole problem of Russian Jewish emigration to the U.S. First of all, America cannot save the Russian Jews for Judaism. With over 50% intermarriage, and very little American-Jewish participation in synagogues, and secular Jewish life, American Jewry is no example for Soviet Jewry to follow. A mezuzah on the door or a circumcision does not solve the problem of assimilation that is prevalent among the Soviet Jews. They did not participate in Jewish life in the Soviet Union, and certainly will not here in America. The threat of assimilation, therefore, is greater here than it would be in the Soviet Union, where JEW is stamped on their identification cards, and anti-Semitism is a constant reminder of their being Jewish. One of the reasons Soviet Jews leave for America and not Israel is because of the ease of assimilation into American society. Being Jewish is a matter of nationality and not religion. Going to Israel would mean living as a Jew, which seems not to be part of Soviet Jews’ plans. Lorraine’s reason that Soviet Jews don't go to Israel because of the military situation is naive if not silly. To say that when Israel was a winner, Soviet Jews rushed to Israel, and when Israel had a tough time of it at the beginning of the Yom Kippur War, they decided to look for safer havens, is in the least, begging the question. How could Lorraine talk about aliyah, “until the day that

Freedom For Granada Jews A Hoax

By RABBI A.P. BLOCH November 25, 1491 — Granada, the last Arab possession in Spain, was surrendered by King Abu-Abdallah to King Ferdinand in a secret treaty. The Arabs invaded Spain in 711. Granada was the first city to fall under their sway. 7 80 years later, the fall of Granada marked the end of Arab sovereignty in Spain. T' treaty concluded a war which Bloch was waged intermittently for 10 years. The initial Arab invasion was welcomed by the 8th century Jews of Granada who had been persecuted by the Christian Visigoths. The first three centuries of Arab rule brought peace and prosperity to the Jews of Grai^dq. They

held high political office and Jewish culture flourished. A DECLINE set in by the middle of the 11th century, due to jealousy and intrigues of ambitious Arab politicians. A bloody massacre in 1066 claimed the lives of 4,000 Jews, including the life of a Jewish vizier. The ascendancy in the 12th century of the Almohades, a fanatical Islamic sect, nearly spelled the end of Granada’s Jewish community. An insurrection in 1162, in which Jews joined forces with Christians, ended in disaster. The Almohades were finally expelled in 1212 but anti-Jewish riots flared up from time to time. The war for Granada, which broke out in 1481, brought a dilemma to Granada’s Jewry. There was a desire to join the bulk of Spain’s Jews who lived in Christian Spain. .Qlf ,th? other

hand, there was no Inquisition in Arab Granada. Furthermore, the numerous Marranos who had sought refuge in Granada would face certain death if Ferdinand prevailed. For practical reasons the Jews fought with the Arabs against Ferdinand. THE SECRET TREATY of surrender guaranteed freedom of religion to Moors and Jews. The Inquisition was denied jurisdiction over Muslims. This did not apply to Marranos who were given a month’s grace to leave the

country.

The guarantee of religious freedom for Jews was a hoax. When Ferdinand entered Granada on Januap' 2, 1492, he had already decided to expell all Jews from Spain. Indeed, several months later, Ferdinand signed the decree of expulsion of all Jews, including those of Granada.

they, and we, will return to our home Eretz Yisroel?” Is Israeli Jewish blood to be spent so that Soviet Jews, and evidently American Jews, can wait for the day When Israel can be made safe for their immigration. It’s an insult to every precious Israeli life lost, and their families, to have to read garbage like Lorraine’s reason for Soviet Jews not going to Israel. Living in Israel is a commitment, one that, at times, means sacrifice. I have heard many reasons from Soviet Jews as to why didn’t go to Israel. “It’s too hot,” “They don’t like Russians,” “The Israelis aren’t civilized,” etc., etc. The real reason they don’t go to Israel is because America is still considered the “Golden Medena,” and

they come to America for

material reasons.

I see no reason why they shouldn’t go to Israel first. If they decide to come to America afterwards, Israel is a democratic country and they can file with the American Embassy in Tel Aviv for

emigration to the U.S.

Helping them to become assimilated Americans is a waste of the American Jewish $ community’s money, and a - blow to the State of Israel. If life in the Soviet Union is preferable to life in Israel, then maybe life in the Soviet Union is not so bad and they should

stay there.

‘ YOEL SWARTZ Israeli Shaliach, Norfolk and Virginia Beach,

VA

7300 Newport Ave. Norfolk, VA 23505

There Is A Female Rabbi Holding Down A Pulpit

Editor, POST and OPINION: Referring to the issue of Dec. 12 and your article on women rabbis, I am astounded that you didn’t pick up Rabbi Ellen Dreyfus’ blatant error. With all due respect to my female colleague, Rabbi .Dreyfus mentions the 31 female rabbis but laments that “there are none holding pulpits alone in any congregations...” Not so! Not so! Please inform Rabbi Dreyfus and your many readers that my very esteemed Reconstructionist colleague, Rabbi Linda Hnltzman, is the first and only woman rabbi in America to hold a pulpit entirely on her own. Linda is serving a congregation in Coatesville, Penn. In this, the one hundredth anniversary of the birth of our beloved teacher, Rabbi Mordecai M. Kaplan, it should be pointed out that Reconstructionists were the first to nave

the way for equality of Jewish women way back in 1922. We were the first to give the American Jewish world the idea of Bat Mitzvah for girls. The idea caught on and American Jews demanded it of the Conservative and Reform movements who jumped on our bandwagon. The Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Philadelphia has ordained women to the rabbinate since it first opened its doors. Fifty percent of the present class consists of women students. When you’re a small movement, you have to try harder. We think we’re number one among the champions of full Jewish privileges for Jewish women, and I think that our female rabbis are the greatest. RABBI ESOR WINER BEN-SOREK 2343 S. Seamans Neck Road Seaford, N.Y. 11783

The Service Center Do you have a problem involving moving to another community — where are the synagogues, the Jewish schqpls, etc. Would you want to know who to contact to meet a need in the Jewish community or for yourself? In fact, any question that has a Jewish angle w>U be answered by The Service Center. Write to: The Jewish Post and Opinion at 611N. Park Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46204 or 101 Fifth Ave., New York 10003. You may < cording, etc. Or i

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YIDDISH TRANSLATORS SOUGHT I am the nephew of the prominent Yiddish writer Moishe Kulbak (1896-1940) and am currently involved in a prodigious research project looking into his ancestry and his writings (poems, stories, plays, etc.). I have collected a sizeable amount of information (biographical as well as copies of his writings), but unfortunately the majority of these are in Yiddish and therefore I need help in translating the Yiddish into English. I cannot afford to pay 8 for this service, but I intend to publish “The Moishe Kulbak Story” if enough information becomes avai’able and will be only too happy to give free copies of the publication to all those who contributed publishable translations, giving credit where credit is due. I can supply copies of the Yiddish to anyone sending a selfaddressed legal size envelope. Translations become my property and cannot be returned —Philip Kullback, 2530 Black .Q|iyieftlyd.^o v 2C!l^B24. DpIrpy.Beqqh.^la. 33445.,,,, ,, ,

The Jewish Poet end Opinion January 2, 1