Jewish Post, Indianapolis, Marion County, 18 November 1992 — Page 12

What I Have To Say * Here I am; here we are

By JIM SHIPLEY Rabbi Alex Schindler, the aging scion of Reform Judaism has made a most unstartling announcement. He found that the Jews who lead the

synagogue organizations are the same ones who are at the forefront of the various Federation agencies in this country. Well of course. Rabbi. Did you think that they were mutually exclusive? Jews who have a commitment are Jews who have a commitment. The problem is not who they are and what they support. The problem is their shrinking number. Every major Jewish organization has witnessed a drop in membership over the last decade. The leadership and membership ages, dies and is not replaced. Young Jews have other interests. The rather fuzzy goals of the Jewish Congress, the Jewish Committee, even the ADL do not generate the appeal to the post baby boomer Jewish community. So, as we face a new century with our leadership in place, what does it look like? I say in place, because in the next seven years, barring a cataclysmic event, not much is going to change in philosophy or direction for Jews of America. For a change, we are in charge of our own destiny as Jews. We are in position to answer the challenges presented by a new century. What has to enter the equation is the willingness to do it. When called, Jews of the world have always had one answer. It is the same one that Adam gave to God when God asked "Where are you?" Adam answered simply: "Hineni" — "Here I am." Not that God had to ask. What — you don't think God knew where Adam was? Likewise for Abraham. Abraham also answered "Hineni." In the past, we have answered the call when needed. Shocked from our silence by

the reality of Holocaust, we rallied to make Israel a reality. Buoyed by her very existence, we gave of time, energy and money to thrust her to the forefront of developing nations. The Jewish community has always been one with a purpose. Early on, that purpose was one of survival. Maintaining Jewish roots and building our communities were second nature. No one had to call: "Where are you?" We were there. Not any more. Doubt it? Just check the sta ts. They show the rate of intermarriage. In and of itself, not necessarily a disaster. But combine it with the rate of dropoff in those families of any type of Jewish affiliation, add to it the apathy and assimilation we discussed last week and it does indeed become disastrous. Jews always built their community relationship around the family. In the erosion of the Jewish family we also can track the gradual demise of our community. WTien Jews had family problems or felt they needed counseling and helpi over the generations, they did not turn first to "counselors" or "therapists." They turned to the kitchen table. They called for Momma and Poppa, and the

Fischel

Continued from preu. page ing the Cold War. Rutgers. (November, $25.95). The history of extremism in America is the subject of Nazis, Communists, Klansmen, and Others on the Fringe: Political Extremism in America by John George and Laird Wilcox. Prometheus (December, $27.95). An American-born Israeli physician is the author of Notes From A Sealed Room: An Israeli View of the Gulf War by Robert Werman. The author regarded CNN reporter Peter Arnett as a tool of the Iraqi government and an Israel basher. Southern Illinois University Press, (December, $24.95). Perhaps the fastest growing Jewish publishing company is Jewish Lights Publishing, which recently announced its first foreign rights sale. The book is Lawrence Kushner's God Was in This Place and 1 Did Not Know,

Fleishman s Flight

Too divisive to lead

answer was always: "Hineni" — "Here we are." From this close knit base, it was easy to see how the outreach became the strength of the community itself. In a more mobile society, where the roots are stretched beyond the breaking point, the family has lost strength and therefore, so has the community. But there are heroes. The Jewish parent who answers "Hineni" when his children question their heritage and grow curious about this thing called Jewish. The Jewish family which takes the time to teach the meaning, the traditions of our people and to make it a joyful experience. To ensure the next century, at least through the next generation. That pride and tradition is still within us. The main duty of those who would plan for the new century is to begin now. To put that pride and tradition to work so that when the need comes, as it will, for Jews somewhere, anywhere, to call: "Where are you?" There will still be a Jewish community to answer "Hineni" — "We are here." fames Shipley may be reached at 283 W. Lake Faith Dr., Maitland, FL 32751

which is about finding selfspirituality and ultimate meaning. The volume has been in print for only 18 months and has sold almost 8,000 copies. Foreign rights were acquired by Edi trice LaGuintina in Florence. George Ball, former undersecretary of state, no friend of Israel, has written a book with his son, Douglas Ball, entitled The Passionate Attachment: America's Involvement with Israel, 1947 to the Present. The Balls argue that Israel is no longer an indispensable protective shield for America's Middle East interest and urge that the U.S. sharply curtail aid in order to force Israel to get its house in order. (Norton, November, $22.95). The University of Minnesota will publish After Jews and Arabs: Remaking Levantine Culture by Ammiel Alcalay. (November, $16.95 paper, $4.95, cloth).

By ALFRED FLEISHMAN As far as I have noticed it is somewhat unusual for columnists to disagree with the editor or editorials of the National Jewish Post and Opinion.

In an editorial recently the Post expresses a view of the future of the power or actual or total representation of rab-

bis.

The editorial said in part, that "all through Jewish history in the Diaspora, although prominent individuals made their impact upon Jewish life, it was the rabbinate that made the final decisions. The opposite holds true in contemporary Jewish life. Although the rabbis are not ignored, they are hardly the final arbiters in Diaspora Jewish life, and in some cases ignored alto-

gether."

"Yet here was an issue vital to the Jewish community—in fair treatmenffor a Jew—and while the organized Jewish community was so split that national Jewish organizations were, if not on opposite sides, at least reticent to enter into the fray, the rabbis have come through enmasse." The editorial alluded to a call for freeing Jonathan Pollard. The editorial, in fairness, discusses many aspocts of this situation by the rabbis as well as the duties, actions and responsibilities of major Jewish organizations. Despite these organizations, the editorial says "Actually what was happening in Jewish life was an absence of leadership." The editorial seems to indicate that the present major Jewish organizations have little or no collective clout. In discussing this it refers to the Council of Jewish Federations, "which is also a fund raising instrument but which as yet has not accepted the mantle of real leadership, except by recommendation or suggestion, that the community so desperately needs." "Thirty years ago the national Jewish organizations held the top of the totem p>ole. Today, they barely rank with

the rabbinate, and now as the rabbinate gains more strength, our national Jewish organizations will soon be playing a subsidiary and minor role, which is as it should be." There is much more to the editorial and I sincerely hopie that everyone read it completely. But the fact is, as this particular writer sees it, we are a long, if not impossible, way from rabbis getting together on many important subjects. They disagree on questions of halacha, religion, custom, practices, and lots of other subjects. Recently there was a full page New York Times, JDC advertisement, signed mostly by rabbis who sought assistance for Somalia. One branch of Judaism did not have the name of a single rabbi that I could identify from that group. Quite obviously they disagreed with the others in seeking help or suppx>rt for this humane project. There is nothing that resembles pluralism or any allowance for differences in the rabbinate between Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and Reconstruction. In Israel nothing but Orthodox has any official recognition. In this country, those who have not read the New York Jewish Press, an Aguda papier, have no notion of the name calling and real bitterness when the other-than-Orthodox are mentioned. In my own case an inquiry from the local Aish Ha Torah rabbi asked me to attend several of their Jewish experiences that he said were having great success. I told the rabbi that Aish Ha Torah did not recognize me as a Jew and that it would be a mistake for me to

go to their series.

He told me that was not true. I then said that if he would send me a letter stating that they would recognize my rabbi (Conservative) as a rabbi, I would go to all of their seminars for at least a year. There was a silence on the telephone. The rabbi finally said he could not do that... and that ended our conversation. If they do not recognize my rabbi as a rabbi, I had no place

in their programs.

There is more on this sub-

Continued on page 14

November 18,1992 Page National 7