xt73r20rv818 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt73r20rv818/data/mets.xml Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass Kentucky Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass 1997-06 1997-07 Newspaper of the Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass, previously named the Central Kentucky Jewish Association and Central Kentucky Jewish Federation. Published ten times annually. The Federation seeks to bring Jewish community members together through holiday parties, lectures, Yiddish courses, meals, and other celebrations of Jewish heritage and culture. They also host fundraisers and provide financial assistance for Jews in need, both locally and around the world. This collection is part of the Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass records, 2016ms010. newsletters 2016ms010 English Central Kentucky Jewish Federation Inc Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass records Jews -- Kentucky -- Lexington Jews -- History Shalom, June/July 1997 text image Shalom, June/July 1997 1997 1997-06 1997-07 2025 true xt73r20rv818 section xt73r20rv818

Newspaper of the Central Kentucky Jewish Federation

" Shalom

cxtﬁxar

“l”

J une/J uly 1997

Iyar-Tamuz 5757

Campaign heats up with
two June events

by Joel Eizenstat

lollovtin! M'1y s \e1\ successful “No Stul'lcd Shirts

Allowedl (“1111;111:111 c\c11t.

Division event will be held at Portahella's (formerly the Italian Oven)

and will he an evening of wine. dinner. camaraderie and inspiration. -

The cost for this event is $15.

For the Women‘s Division, Nancy Hoffman will host a ;
“Dessert Reception" at her home on Thursday, June 19. There will be 1
a speaker. program. and group solicitation. A minimum gift of $100 is l
required to attend. The speakers for these events have not been final—
ized, but will be from the UJA Speakers Bureau, Watch your mail for l

invitations to these events. and be sure to attend!

the I997 [HA/Federation Annual ‘
Campaign has slated two more events for June. The first is a “Men’s ,
Night Out!" on Thursday, June 5. This $l50 minimum pledge Men’s :

i '2'

f” l
t ,L ’
a. /c. We a /

,,
43 74;...

Information & application on page 3

way to experience is

T; '4 «£1

aei together
A 71:3 .2 ”I . .. 3
of Bar/Bat Mitzvah age will TRAVEL FREE! You ll hear more about this mis-
sion soon, but go ahead and tell your parents--or maybe your grandparents—-
that this is just the kind of family trip that no one should miss.

We’re taking
our parents to
Israel for
Chanukah!

Want to join us?

Sponsored by the Central Kentucky Jewish Federation, the Winter

Family Mission to Israel, December 22- -January 1 is a fun and affordable
We it Visit olaces we ve only read and

a: .0:0 ‘2

Benjamin and Rachel Ezrine
(bringing our parents Barry and Sue)

For more information call Joel Eizenstat at the Federation office:

(606) 268-0672

~é3¥ﬂ~zm s » , .‘._,. , _ ~

‘i:

CKJF
340 Romany Road
Lexington, KY 40502

NONPROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
LEXINGTON, KY
PERMIT NO. 719

Address Correction Requested

Do a Mitzvah - Become a Mentor

by Cindy Derer

Beating President
Clinton to the punch by a good
six months, a group of volunteers
from Ohavay Zion Synagogue
participated in a mentoring pro-
gram at Harrison Elementary, a
Lexington inner city school, this
school year. The mentors includ-
ed Ricki Rosenberg, Kathie
Kroot, Cindy Derer, Simone
Salomon, Nancy Hoffman, Ben
Hoffman, Rhoda Kay, Sue
Ezrine, and Charlotte Levy.

Each of these adults
spent about an hour a week inter-

acting with one to three children
in a primary (first and second
grade) classroom. A GREAT
time was had by all reading
together, playing games, working
puzzles, doing arts and crafts, and
simply talking. The children ben-
efited with improved reading,
social skills, and self esteem. The
adults received a warm and heart-
felt weekly welcome.

This program has been
such an unqualified success that
it’s being expanded to include
more classrooms next year.
Volunteers from all over the com-
munity are encouraged to join the

fun. Can you spare an hour a
week? No teaching experience is
required, just the ability to consis-
tently be there for a few kids who
need a positive adult role model.
You don’t need to know what to
do in advance - either the teacher
or the kids will guide you.

Please contact Cindy
Derer at 266-0622 or any of the
other mentors mentioned for more
info. Be prepared for a surpris-
ingly enthusiastic testimonial
from these people! Join us!

,,,,,,,,,,,,

COMMUNITY

In This Issue:

MILESTONES

Feature Stories:
Mazel Tov to:
Camp Shalom ..... 3

Former Lexington residents

IeWISh_Amerlcan for receiving the Decade Award

Moms --------- 5 for Service to Earl/tam and
Mankind from Earlham College.

The Laws of

Conversion ....... 7

Executive Director Condolences t0:

Travels to Israel and
Kiev ............ 11 Rick Zimmerman,
on the death of his mother,

Betty Zimmerman.

Leisure Club ..... 10

Georges and Mary Birenbaum ,

Paula Bayer,
on the death of her father,
Gene Sprinkles.

Herb Liebman,
on the death of his sister,
Sophie Mellinger.

Elizabeth & Robert Scher on
the death of Elizabeth‘s sister,
Lee Wayne Hicks
on May 2, 1997.

Also

IFS .............. 8
Calendar ........ 19
Editorial .......... 4

You may notice some
changes in this issue of Shalom.
First, the President’s Spot is
missing. That will return when
the new Federation president has
been ollleiall) sealctl

Secondly, the Torah por»
tions for June and July are absent.

Financial Advisor . .9

Hadassah ........ 14

Hadassali Kids . . .l9

Havurah """" 14 Currently a new format for our
rabbis written presentations is

023 -------- 15 & 16 under consideration.
Rather than reiterate the
TAT ............. 17 Torah portions each month, the
rabbis may comment on current
trends, controversies, or policies.
The column may express both

Shalom

Published ten times annually by the
Central Kentucky Jewish Federation, Inc.

340 Romany Road, Lexington, KY 40502
(606) 268—0672 - Fax (606) 268—0775

June/July 1997 - Volume IV, Issue 9

Tomas Milch, H., President
Joel Eizenstat, Executive Director
Holly Barnhill, Editor & Advertising Manager
Michael Adclstcin & Evelyn Dantzic Geller, Editorial Board
Mollyc Schwab. Jewish Family Services
Kim Slaton, Program Director
The appearance of any advertising in this publication does not represent a kashruth endorsement on

the part of CKJF or any other agency or organization. Shalom is supported by the advertisements
appearing in the paper.

@1997 by Central Kentucky Jewish Federation

Format changes for Shalom

opinions and factual information.

Topic subjects are wide
open. As readers of Shalom,
please let us know your feedback.
What topics are you interested in
reading about tlo _\oti .tgicc \\illl
the format change; should each
rabbi write every other month, or
should they do their viewpoints
on the same subject each month?

Your input is important.
This is YOUR newspaper, pub—
lished by YOUR Federation.
Any suggestions or comments are
welcome. Please send all corre-
spondence to the Federation
office at 340 Romany Road in
Lexington.

Also, Shalom is always
looking for articles of interest to
the Jewish community. If you
would like to submit a story,
please call Holly Barnhill at the
Federation office (606) 268-0672.

June 4
Yom Yerusalayim

June
118:12
Shavuot

n ...Shalom...June/July1997

‘ Jewish -AInericans in the NEWS

by Michael E. Adelstein

Felix Rohatyn is our new ambassador to France. A lead—
ing Wall Street investment banker, he gained an
international reputation as the leading architect of a
financial rescue that averted bankruptcy for New
York City.

Saul Bellow, Norman Mailer, and Philip Roth, called the
“heavy hitters of American lit” by Newsweek, have
had their recent books reviewed in numerous peri-
odicals. These J—A authors have published 68
books, won three Pulitzers, five National Book
awards and a Nobel Prize (Bellow in 1976).

Epstein wrote the classic movie Casablanca with
his brother Philip. They were paid only $15,208 for
“Play it, Sam” and other memorable lines. He, Fay
Wray (remember King Kong?), and others are seek-
ing a change in the copyright laws, which now
allow the studios to retain all fees for movies writ-
ten before 1960.

Julius

Abbey Joseph Cohen, Wall Street market strategist, was
featured in Vanity Fair and the Wall Street Journal.
The financial newspaper wrote about her having
“one of the most devoted follmx'imu \Vull Street
has seen [[1 years" Will] the pow er to “rock the that—
kets."V The article went on to mention her cooking a
Passover repast for her extended family.

Stuart Eizenstat, Commerce Undersecretary, wrote a 256-
page report, culminating a seven month. ll agency
effort, that reviewed 15 million pages of docu—
ments. It concluded that the Nazis had looted $600
million of gold, which was not recovered because
of the greed of neutral nations, particularly
Switzerland, and because of the indifference of the
World War II victors.

Robert Pinsky has been appointed US Poet Laureate. The
Long Branch, New Jersey native, has written sever—
al books of poetry, two collections of essays, and a
best seller translation of Dante’s Inferno. His work
deals with Jewish themes and persons, such as
Sandy Koufax, who is praised in The Night Game
for refusing to pitch on Yom Kippur in the 1965
World Series.

The Deadline
for the August issue
of Shalom is
.1 Tuesdawuw 15+

‘-

s
D

COMMUNITY

i Fresh Baked Challah

CAMP SHALOM ’

When: August 4 - 15, 1997
Where: Temple Adath Israel mornings, swimming or field trips in afternoons ‘

Time: 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM

'6 Sharyn Sharer: 273-6774

Kinderkamp Shalom 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

What is Camp Shalom?

Camp Shalom is a day
camp held for two weeks at
Temple Adath Israel, 124 North
Ashland Avenue in Lexington.
Children of all denominations,
ages 4*—l3, are eligible to attend.
Sponsored by the Central
Kentucky Jewish Federation,
Camp Shalom is a Jewish camp
which offers a unique experience
through games, music, drama,
nature appreciation, and arts and
crafts. Let Camp Shalom show

your child two weeks worth of

reasons to love being Jewish in
Lexington! Create new friend-
ships and a lifetime of memories!
*Must be 4 by August I, [997.

New This Year!
New site! New time!
Ne“ tlit'iiit' .lI‘.»l .I\II‘-lll’\‘\' (Kiiiii‘

again our Camp Director,

I'"_"—___"_—__"‘-_—_—_—_—__—__'_—-_—__-1,

CAMP SHALOM APPLICATION

Child’s Named

Assistant Director, and
Counselors will be working with
three specialists: Drama &
Music, Arts & Crafts, and Nature
& Physical Education. After
lunch our Camp Shalom Campers
will board the school bus for
swimming at the Lansdowne Club
or enjoy one of many exciting
field trips. We will return to TAI
for pick-up at 3:30 PM.

We will continue our
special Avodah Pre—CIT
(Counselors in Training) Program
for our oldest campers, ages 11-
IS. Those in Avodah will be
assisting the counselors and spe—
cialists throughout the morning.
Avodahniks will join their group
to participate in the Camp Shalom
afternoon activity. For half
tuition. your child can take advan-
tage of this special training.y to
ll‘t‘ll‘r \IK whip It' tilt‘lxllli‘ tit: :liil“\

iiiciuuiiio >.‘»tril\iiib 11.1 H ictilii.

Non—refundable registration fee of $50 is due with your application by
July lst and the balance of tuition is due by August lst.

Please make Checks payable to CKJF.

. ‘Vlsl ’l' J"’r I‘ll .

ties, imparting Jewish values and

David L. Feinberg, Ph.D.

Licensed Clinical Psychologist

being a positive role model. |

Tuition
Camp Shalom ....... $225.00
Campers 5— 10 years old
9:00 AM — 3:30 PM
Kinderkamp Shalom $100.00
Campers 4 years old
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Avodah ........... $112.50
Pre-CIT Program 1 I-l3 years old
9:00 AM - 3:30 PM

Individual & Couple Counseling
Communication Development
Reducing Depression & Anxiety
Anger Control

Enhancing Self-Confidence

QEQQEE

Increased Enjoyment of Life

Non-refundable registration of
$50.00 due with application by
July lst, balance of tuition due by
August lst.

(606) 233-3390 / 233-3141

520 East Maxwell Street
Lexington, KY 40502

Lunch and drink must be provid—

ed by each camper, Evening Appointments Available

No orientation this year. All

details \\ ill Iix‘ prm itImI In nun!

» .d-R-‘ ~-.
u a 'v:. r I .

At First Federal we
believe you should save
your nickels and dimes!

Birthdate

Age

Parents’ Names

While there are many big banks around
who offer plenty of products and
serwces, the plain fact is, so do we!

But, at First Federal, we offer these

Address

same sewices for less! Call us for the
details on all of our fees. It won't cost

you a dime!

Home Telephone

FEDERAL » i

Savnngs a Loan Association ' ' ,
Lexlngion ' Georgetown

Work Phone Mom

I'
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I

Work Phone Dad

Detach and mail this application with payment by July 1 to:

CAMP SHALOM

Central Kentucky Jewish Federation
340 Romany Road 0 Lexington, KY 40502

FIRST FEDERAL

f (606) 253-2605

Shalom...June/July 1997... n

‘ I mt
Dampier Real Estate

1910 Harrodsburg Road
Lexington, Kentucky 40503
Business 606-278-2322
Home 606—277—0350

Voice Mail 606-293—7139
Business 800-442-8909

Each Office is Independently Owned And Operated G

Charles Stern
REALTOR”

Tomas Milch H.
Vice President—Investments

I—

"'__"__'_-"_'l

Bring this coupon to

Manhattan
Bagel Co.

and receive
One regular or
specialty Bagel
Free
Value 57¢

393 Waller Ave.
Fayette Mall

I
l
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I 2644 Richmond Road

I
I 1 per customer Expires 7/31/97 I

L______.______l

Council of Jewish Federations
f;__

GET ON
RACK IN

Nov. 14— 19, 1997

Prudential Securities Incorporated
Lexington Financial Center, Suite 2900

250 West Main Street, Lexington, KY 40507

606 233—0321 KY 800 998—8766 Nat'i 800 354—9066

Prudential Securities @

IEDITORIAL

CKJF Board Briefs
April 1997 Meeting

Submitted by Michael E. Adelstein

The Board passed the following motion: It is ('KJF policy
that Israel Independence Day be celebrated as the major holiday for
which CKJF is responsible. It should be supported and publicized

accordingly.

The problems arising from the proselyting of the new
Americans at the Porter Baptist ESL classes were discussed, and sug-
gestions to alleviate the situation were offered.

UJA/Federation contributions received to date from major
donors have increased 10% over their giving last year. Solicitors have
been trained and plans made for Super Sunday.

The Board approved the policy of providing a subsidy of
$250 for an individual attending a UJA singles mission for the first
time. It is understood that an applicant will make a UJA/Federation
pledge for the trip (minimum pledge $500) and will provide service
under the aegis of CKJF to the community for one year upon return.

The new family‘s resettlement has been delayed because of

illness.

ditorial

Who

knows I

h e

Deadline for
the August
issue of

Shalom is

Tuesday,

I never thought I‘d be
writing about Kentucky basket—
ball, and yet, here I am about to
expound on the most recent media
blitz. I’m not referring to that
“will he or won’t be” stuff written
about the nice looking guy in the
Armani suit, I’m talking about his
replacement—~Tubby Smith.

The local news media
has once again created its own
headlines. Not satisfied with just
the facts, the question of race has

‘ perpetuated more printed and
1 electronic releases than the sub—

ject of points or winning percent—

, ages.

Like most people rela—

‘ tively unaware about college has—

ketball (yes, I believe there are a
few) I was expecting Tubby
Smith to be a rather portly gentle-
man in a loud sports coat. His
thin, almost scholarly look is
what took me by surprise. My
preconceived image was shat-
tered. I truly failed to notice he
was African-American.

Then, I began skimming
the headlines and one leaped off

the page. A descendant of
Adolph Rupp said that he
thought Coach Rupp would glad-
ly welcome Mr. Smith to the
ranks of UK coach.

Two things came to
mind——oh sure, about as welcome
as a visit to the gynecologist
(urologist for all the male read—
ers), and second, who cares what
Coach Rupp‘s offspring thinks he
would think!

The final straw was the
open letter to Coach Smith from
Lexington Herald—Lauli‘r colum-
nist Merlenc Davis. She urged
Coach Smith not to take the job
because Kentucky fans would
never accept a black coach. and
thus. he was doomed to fail.

I must admit, I did not
read the letter myself, I stopped

reading Ms. Davis months ago. If

I wanted to hear a negative, self—
centcred, whiny dialogue, I could

have a conversation with myself
(this applies on bad days only, of

course). However, talk of the
Davis letter was the focus of a
discussion during a recent Bat

Mitzvah.

All this made we won—
der, would this fuss have taken
place if the new coach had been
Jewish? Would the fans have
worried I) That their beloved
players may be forced to wear
matching yarmulkes with their
uniforms; 2) That the coach may
forfeit a game rather than play on
a Jewish holiday (surely Passover
would never interfere with March
Madness; 3) That the team
wouldn‘t be allowed to chow
down all those healthy pork prod
ucts‘.’

Also, with the Jewish
ethic of study would education
become as. or possibly even
more. important than the sport of
basketball? Thank goodness the
fans and the journalists were
sparred these earth shattering
fears.

My point is, race and/or
religion really don‘t matter when
choosing a coach. Character,
expertise, and a winning bottom
line are what is important. These
are the issues the media should

have focused upon.

Merlenc. get a life, or
better yet, let every one live
theirs. To the other yellow jour—
nalists (this refers only to their
style of writing), check the wire
services, get some real news! To
Coach Smith, good luck and best
wishes with your new “dream
job," as most of us know. dreams
don‘t come easy.

Please send
Letters to the Editor:
CKJ F
340 Romany Road
Lexington, KY 40502

All l(‘ll(‘l'.\‘ must by signed and
include your plume IlllHl/H’I‘.
Please limit [(‘llt’I'A l() 2()() words.
Shalom reserves ”11’ rig/it to (tiff
submitted lcttcri'fOr ('(Hlft‘lll,
clarity and brevity.

The opinions expressed in this
Editorial are those of the author
and represent only the author’s

viewpoint.

n ...Sha/om...June/July1997

FEATURE

ou may not have
listened to your
mother but mil-

lions of people are avidly heeding

the advice of two Jewish—
American mothers--Ann Landers
(Esther “Eppie” Pauline Friedman
Lederer) and Dr. Laura
Schlessinger.

Dr. Laura, as she is
known, is the hottest person in
talk radio with a daily audience
estimated at 12 million, second
only to Rush Limbaugh. But
while Rush fills much of his time
with monologues. l)r luura

l A,
:H-n- ’-I' -
screened, selects about 20, and
has the callers hang on the line
for an hour or more before talking

to them on the air.

You can catch her every
morning on WBLG (1300) from
lO-l2 and read her in the Herald —
Leader every Wednesday in the
“Community” section, But if you
tune in, brace yourself because
Dr. Laura is one tough babe.
She’s a caustic, sarcastic, unsenti-
mental, loud, rude, brash, angry
derisive, earthy, assertive, cocky,
wise-cracking dame. Few callers
escape her derision. Most are
looking for pity and consolation;
they usually get scorn and belit-
tlement.

Dr. Laura is as conserva-
tive in her values as Rush is in his
politics. She is vehemently
opposed to people living together
(“shacking up" is her term). She
is almost equally upset at femi-
nists, whom she considers to be
anti-men, anti-family, and anti—
children. ProvChoice advocates
are wrong: Pregnant girls should
place their babies up for adoption,
if necessary, not abort them.

Anything or anyone who
does not place children first is
denigrated. She opens her pro-
gram by stating, “This is Dr.

«3» a u'

Hark to the Jewish-American Moms!

by Michael E. Adelstein

- Weddings
0 Parties
0 Special Events

2341 Woodhill Drive
PO. Box 54641
Lexington, Kentucky 40555

RENTAL'SALES

(606) 266-1 197

Laura. I'm my kids mom.” She
sells T—shirts for $16 with this
slogan as if to promote her idea
that mothers should mother, not
place their children in day care.
Children need “loving, caring,
attentive adults who will focus
time and energy on that child’s
emotional and practical needs.”
That means quality and quantity
time.

Dr. Laura almost lives
what she preaches. She had her
son when she was 38 and took
two years off from her radio work
to stay at home with her child,
although the family had little
money.

Once divorced (she’s
opposed to divorce if children are
involvednbuthe had none at the

mother, grew up in Brooklyn, has
a Ph.D. in physiology from
Columbia, a karate black belt, and
taught at the University of
Southern California. Referred to
by the New York Times as “the
most successful therapist in
America," Dr. Laura is licensed
as a marriage and family coun-
selor. But she claims to be con-
cerned about moral health, not
mental health, and bases her
morality on the Old Testament
and the Talmud.

There is no mistaking
her Jewishness. She inserts
Yiddishisms in her remarks, talks
about the holidays, mentions her
religion frequently, keeps kosher
“95% of the time,” and wears a
Star of David around her neck.
She is opposed to intermarriage
even though her husband is an
Episcopalian, but he is convert-

mg.

Dr. Laura is proud of her
Judaism unlike many people she
knows who do not state in public
that they are Jewish. She “takes
seriously that we’re a nation of
priests and a role model...Judaism
keeps me focused. It gives mean-
ing to my life." She feels that
Jews were put on earth “to show
good to other people and to teach
other people."

In addition to promulgat-
ing her views on radio, Dr. Laura
appears on television, gives talks,
and writes books. She is the
author of two self-help best sell-
ers: Ten Things Women Do to
Mess Up Their Lives and How
Could You Do That?!--The
Abdication of Character,
Courage, and Conscience.

How are we to account
for Dr. Laura’s amazing populari-
ty? First, she espouses conserva-
tive family values, a highly popu-
lar view these days. Second, she
puts on a good show for listeners
who enjoy her hard-hearted
approach of telling people to stop
feeling sorry for themselves,
thinking about themselves so
much. and blunting others. And

hiyzs 'V-4 {'6 7‘ .7 ’"a r i ‘0“ "'.'

laughter, crude language (“so you
knocked her up”), breezy
Brooklyn style, and clever wise-
cracks. Will people tire of this
Jewish morn? Only time will tell.

If Ann Landers, that
other incredibly popular Jewish
American mom, is any example,
people will not tire of listening.
Despite writing to the lovelorn
and other distressed folk for over
40 years, 79-year-old Eppie
Lederer, better known as Ann
Landers, continues to be ﬂooded
with mail. To handle it, she
works a seven day week, rising
early, being driven in her Rolls by
a chauffeur from her ornate apart—
ment at 209 East Lake Shore
Drive to her ofﬁce at the Chicago
Tribune, where her eight secre-
taries and two clerks process the
thousand letters mailed to her
each day. She uses an IBM
Selective II typewriter to write
her column, which appears in
over 1,200 newspapers (including
the Lexington Herald -Leader)
with an estimated ninety million
readers! Usually she writes her
own answers but sometimes she
phones her many friends, defer—
ring to their expertise about issues

Continued on page 10...see
Jewish-American Moms

ECGNGPRINT

Specializing in Timely, Quality Offset Printing
at a Price You Can Afford!

4-Color Process - Brochures
Stationary ' Newsletters
Invoices - Flyers
Business Cards ' Door Hangers

Pocket Folders * Foil Stamping

00......

Announcements ~ Invitations
Bridal Invitations ' Typesetting
Sheet Size up to l7" x 22" ~ Fax Service Available

407 South Broadway - Lexington, KY 40508
(606) 2534003

. FUNERAL HOMES

THEREIS
A DIFFERENCE 1N

.,—?Jr- «1“.

Because our funeral homes are family
owned and operated, people tell us that
makes a great deal of difference to them.
Since 1825, six generations of the Milward
family have cared, comforted and continued
to help Lexington families with every
aspect of affordable funeral services, burials
and cremations. We would be honored to

serve you and your family.

Lexington’s Funeral Home
Since 1825

FUNERAL DIRECTORS

Downtown 252-3411 - Southland 276-1415

Shalom. . .June/July 1997... a

by Steve Sivan, UJA Press

LOD, ISRAEL-Rosa
Goncharov, 35, finally reached
Israel after several years of

UJA

The perils of the single parent

haggling in the Russian courts
over the right to bring her two
children with her. The gates of
the former Soviet Union have
been open for several years,

but for a substantial number of
Jews they remain closed.
Court orders obtained by for-
mer spouses often prevent
children from being taken out

of the country.

Goncharov eventually
won her case and made uliyah
with her son Valentin, 10, and

REFER“;

cunssitvmvt
BR BRTHBDIJX.

HE'S PDBR

AND HUNGRY.

You can give him a label, or you can give him ho
he’s not the enemy. Don't make your Federation and UJA the ba

pe. Wherever you stand on the debate about religion in Israel,
ttlefield Your Annual Campaign gift is still

the best way to rescue the imperiled, care for the vulnerable and strengthen the entire Jewish community.
That's what your help does, every single day of the year, for anyone who needs it. Without labels.

UNITED JEWISH APPEAL

1.800.966.4LUA www.uja.org

daughter Iona, 5. She is one of
thousands of single parents
who have made aliyah from
the former Soviet Union. The
Association for Single Parent
Families in Israel, supported
by the UJA Federation Annual
Campaign, estimates that 90%
of single parent families in
Israel are new immigrants.

Goncharov bought an
apartment in the Neve Avivim
development of Lod. near Tel
Aviv, with her mother Rais and
brother Yevgeny, both of
whom made u/im/i in 1992. "I
don‘t know lion 1 could have
coped without the support of
my family; both emotionally
and financially,” Goncharov
said.

Goncharov was born
and raised in Tula. an outer
suburb of Moscow. She grad-
uated from the local university
with a BA in Education and
l>\'\ H: l'. i .vl.'t-. _ - l
teacher. Despite her teaching
degree. she has been told that
her qualifications are not good
enough to teach in Israel.

Upon completion of
an advanced Hebrew language
ulpan, she is still not confident
enough to keep control of a
class in Hebrew. “Perhaps in a
few more years when I am bet-
ter adapted 1”” think about
becoming a teacher." she says.
Goncharov is currently
enrolled in a government-
sponsored secretarial course
that she expects will lead to
employment.

“I have always felt a
very strong sense of Jewish
identity even though I grew up
in a town where there was vir-
tually no Jewish community,”
Goncharov said. “What I like
best about Israel is the free—
dom that my children have
here. They have so many
more friends, feel free and are
given the opportunity to
express themselves at school.
In fact, the decision to come to
Israel was no decision at all.”

I‘l

FEATURE

What are the

by Rabbi H. I). Uriel Smith

In March this year the
Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the
United States and Canada voted
that. “There is only one Judaism:
Torah Judaism. The Reform and
Conservative are not Judaism at
all. but another religion." There
was only one thing new in that
declarationnpolitics, These rab—
bis are supporting their Orthodox
colleagues in Israel in their
attempt at passing a civil law
blocking Reform and
Conservative conversions there.

Rabbi Aryeh Ralbag, a
member of the union’s executive
hoard. declared, “We consider a
secular Israeli to be more intellec—
tually honest than a Conservative
rabbi,“ because the former “does-
n‘t change the religion.” Rabbi
Ralbag is thinking in such a nar-
row-minded fashion, that he does

real laws of conversion?

>tl'ltk/I, Yoru/z [Jon/I lohﬂ). The
Talmud (h. Y'vunmt 48b) thereby
notes that proselytes normally did
not know the mini-(2r in the way
that a horn Jew knew them.
There are repeated examples
where the converts misunderstood
Jewish laws and customs or con,
verted for the wrong reasons (cg.
b. Shah/mi 31a: b, M'nuLIm‘ 44a:
Tuna (I'Hcy Ellyn/III Rub/Juli 2t):
Mix/melt Tum/I. lssurcy Bi'ali
13:15), and the conversions were
still recognized as valid (cf. b
Yul/HUI 24b).

Despite this, the
Orthodox community claims that
every detail of the system of
mitzvot must be accepted. Many
Orthodox authorities, including
the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi,
Yisrael Meir Lau, quote a state-
ment found in the midrash
(Yalkur Shim ’(mi, K’doshim 217):
“A proselyte who states that he

Inents. Their rigidity has ossified
Jewish tradition, turning mitzvol
into stumbling blocks which they
place before potential converts.

A second area of flexi4
bility (which the Orthodox rab-
hinate in Israel is concealing from
the non—Orthodox community)
concerns the u pmtimi leniencies
associated with the rules of con—
version. Aceording to Joseph
Karo, the author of the S/lllletlll
Aruk/z, it is sufficient if only the
beginning rite (accepting mirzvot)
or the final rite (immersion)
occurs in the daytime before three
persons (thus also Rosh to b.
Y’vamot chap. 4; Bayit Liadash to

Tur, Yoreh De’ah 268). If the 3
acceptance of mitzvot was con- ‘

ducted before such a beyt din, the
other rites would be acceptable a
postiori at night before only two
witnesses, or even if the immer-
sion was merely to remove the

$1 TOYOTAS

-_ am: can: momomn
TOLL FREE IN KY 1 400-221 -6043

III MECHANIC sr LEXINGTON
\ DAILY UPS SHIPPING

OVERCOME THE
BURDEN OF DOUBT

THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE JUST LIKE YOU HAVE DONE IT.

Unless you’ve experienced the loss of a loved one,

you may not know about the emotional, and often
times ﬁnancial, burdens families encounter when they
are faced with many decisions in their period of
profound grief. Pre-arranging your cemetery details,
now, overcomes their burden of doubt, later.

Inquire about INTEREST FREE FINANCING for
pre-need purchases of burial lots, mausoleum crypts

r not realize that this vote is a will accept all the Torah except taboo of nocturnal emission or , and columbarium niches.
' boomerang hitting the ms“ of for one matter is not to be accept- menstruation, and not for the pur-
7’ his own union of rubhiy ed." pose of conversion (Ym‘eh De'uh ‘ Th '
j . . . anal 268.3). If the Immersion 14ee tonCemete
, ing all non-Orthodox conversions this quotation shows t at It asswesfhatn si- 255-5522 . "may a otiy2312915 a. 2.63.46.“
1 in Israel involves several halakhic applies to a proselyte .OPeht)’ '
innovations in the laws of conver— telling the court that he ‘5 gotng . .“gmiW-ﬁ-
j sion. Since the Orthodox have to PtCk and choose WhtCh parts 0f Continued on page 10
thereby changed tradition, by Judaism he “/1“ accept (Ch h- ...see Conversion
f their own definition they are not B’kht’mt 30 h)- It does hOt refer
Jewish. “Anyone who disquali- to somebody who overlooks vari-
B fied [others], uses his own defect ous details a postiori. If the con-
” to disqualify.” (h. Kiddushin 703) vert did not follow certain details
merely because he did not know I
The Shulhan Arukh, them, or because he follows a dif— |
_ Yoreh De’ah 2683’ states that ferent rabbinical tradition, or 808 East High Street 6 r l n O (606) 3555533
conversion involves three rites, because he followed the larger ‘
L all which should occur a przon In Jewish community, it is not a case Lexmgton, KY 40502 [ins f -- Fax (606) 335 5536
i the daytime (when a court can of deliberate rejection, and thus M A R K E T
y convene) before three scholars cannot be a basis for rejecting the
- who have the aUthOFtt)’ to act as validity of the conversion rite. In
e judges: (a) informing the convert fact, a rabbi may disregard this
(male 0" female) 0f "“71"” ruling, and convert the proselyte . . .
(halakhic commandments) so that just as Hillel did (b. Shabbat 31 a; EM?“ dd‘ 50““t“ ”t Eexmgton, 5““ of pastry and dess