MT
The Canadian Jewish News. Thursday;Dectmber I, 19g8-Page 3
Call on Israel to refrain from
Conservative Jews want Law of Return as is
Bv
BEN ROSE TORONTO -
The government of Israel is asked not to make any change in the Law of Return in a resolution approved recently by the first Canadian Council for Conservative Judaism/Mercaz-Canada Conference at Beth Tikvah Synagogue.
The 150 delegates from across Canada asked the Israel government to refrain from an amend-ment/^that would appear to deny the. legitimacy of non-Orthodox forms of Judaism."
Under the proposed amendment sanctioned by Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, only coriveirsions by Orthodox rabbis will be valid in Israel.
Another resolution of the Council, headed, by William Abrams of Montreal and Ruth Bass of Toronto, "looks with special disfavor on recent attempts to exclude recognized Rabbis from access to community niikvah^ throughout
Canada.'-
It also expresses regret over any action that excludes any person, agency or Organization from the use of community facilities, or from participation in community activities.
Reporting on the Israel-Diaspora relationship, Rabbbi Joseph Wernick, head of the Masorati, the Conservative movement in Israel, deplored the new strength of the ultra-Orthodox parties in the Knesset.
"If you have any friends who give to the Lubavitch-ers tell them to slop," he said. 'Tm sick and tired of them trying to make us feel guilty.
"But we must not negate the UJA — they don't give money to the ultra-Orthodox groups.''
Wernick says a "complicated" period lies ahead for Israel. "It may be necessary for Masprti to mount demonstrations. Otie thing is sure, we're not walking away from the problem, not after all we
JERUSALEM (JTA)-The cabinet has been jolted by the fate.st unemployment figures.
The number of Jobless in Israel now stands at 26,000, compared to 16,000 a year ago, the ministers were told.
That represents an increase in the unemployment rate of 7% in the third ' quarter of this year from 5.6% in the last quarter of
;i987.- .
Meanwhile, labor strife . cpntinues in the public and private !>ector.s. El Al. the natioriaJ airline, was par^-. lyzed: for thr^e hours last week because of a wage dispute, Flights were not affected.
In.Kiryat Gat. 220.employees of the Ligat cloth-ing plant barricaded themselves in the factory, after management broke off talks on severance pay.
In other economic news.
Finance Minister Moshe Nissim let it be known that he opposes a new devaluation of the shekel at this -time:', /.
According to Haim Haberfeld. he^d of Histadrut's trades unions department, the rhinister expressed himself during a meeting on the deterio-rxit in g e c o no my with HisiadrUt Secretary-General Yisrael Kesser.
Histaidrui, Israel's labor federation, also opposes devaluation; Biit neither it "nor Treasury has been able to quash rumors that a cheaper shekel is imminent.
" The private sector continues to withdraw foreign currency as a hedge against devaluation. Ac-cordiiig to the Bank of Israel, tens of millions of dollars are lea vine the country's banks ev^ry ■day,''
have done there;" - The nuttiber of seats in the Knesset won by the ultra-Orthodox parties (18) is not the problem, the rab; bi said.
"The numbers haven't changed, what has changed is thai the National Religious Party has changed, it's messianic in approach, similar to Likud; it's gone further to the right.'' The NRP has five seats in the Knesset.
Wemfck said he wished the Likud and Labor parties could get together to form a government. Those in Israel opposed to the influence of ultra-Orthodox parties managed to stage a demonstration recently with 40,000 people, he said.
Masorati is having an influence in the affairs of Israel, Wemiek said, but will need to change its image and become more aggressive in its efforts to attract sabras and Sephardim to the Conservative movement. A total of 100 children, including Sephardi. attended Camp Ramah in Israel. Masorati has '10 schools there. .
The movement takes ho position on the fate of the territories, the rabbi said. "We don't take a political stand," he said. "We have people on the right and left. What concerns us is the extremism of the NRP. The religious kibbutzim are worried about it"
Helen Daniels, a Toronto delegate to the conference, said the time has come for Masorati to declare itself politically. "It's time to come of age." she said, to loud applause.
Wernick saidJl. is necessary to educate Jewish children that aliya is an option.
"If we spent as much money, on aliya (education as we do on the Holocaust it would not be a problem," said Rabbi Erwin Schild, of Adath Israel Congregation, who is president of Mercaz-Canada. "Our inspiration will noi come from Auschwitz j it will come from Jerusalem."
Speaking in a session on the Canadian Mosaic, David ; Green,, executive director of Agudas Israel
Standing, William Abrams, co-president, Canadian Council for Conservative Judaism, Herman Gottesman, president, Ontario Region, United Synagogue of America; sitting, Ruth Bass and Dr. Morton Lang, co-chairmen of the Council's first Canadian Conference.
Congregation in Saska: toon. said, "it is no secret in Winnipeg that there is as big an East-West split in the Canadian Jewish community as there i.s in national politics."
the rising rate of intermarriage leaves the Conservative movement with no alternative but "to be Conservative and revolutionary at the same time."" Green said.
He raised the problem of who is a Jew after a divorce in which one of the partners was converted. " 11 ma> be 20 years from now that we'll face this; We must press for equal-
ity of time for children of divorced parents; so they don't lose contact with their Jewish parent."
In an address delivered largely in a lighter vbin, Dr, Noam Chemick, president of Congregation Or Shalom in London', Ont!, s-aid:"Gur rabbi's wife still has the key to the mik-vah and Tdon't think that's the situation in Tororito." ■ A questionnaire revealed that 11 of the 15 congregations which responded to the survey (17 did not respond) do not count women ina minyan, 10do not give aliyot to women and nine dp not give bima. honors to women.
Bat mitzvahs are allowed every where with all except for one which does not allow it on Shabbat. .;■
All synagogues have women on their bNoards or as ofTicers with six having women presidents now or in the past. Only one synagogue thought it might accept a woman rabbi, w^hile all thought they could entertain the concept of a woman president.
Most of the synagogues .permit "duchaning" (blessing by Cohanim oh Yom
y'Tov). ■,,
Another Canadian,con-tefence will be held in two years ata location to be determined '
NATIONAL DIRECTOR
required for
League for Human Rights of B'nai Brith Canada
Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, the individual we seek, will direct the operations of our human rights and.comrnunity relations programs across the country assuming the following responsibilities: initiate B'nai Brith's response to Anti-Semitism in Canada; coordinate the annual Review of Anti-Semitism; organize the annual Media HU-mau Rights Award; coordinate hufnan rights programs through the regional offices; organize the Holocaust & iTope seminars and missions; develop and initiate educational programs to deal with prejudice and Taeism;
While working with the National Cabinet of volunteers on policy and-programs, the Director vyill interact with the multicultural community and maintain on-going relationships with Varieus goyemment
■pfficials:', ■'■■'■■„'
The successfiil candidate is a bilingual university graduate, preferably With a post graduate degree in law, social or political-science, and has proven experiertce iii a related field. Excellent verbal and written comrnunication skills ar^ essential, as y/ell as intimate knowledge of
the Jewish community.
Location: JoronXo. Forward resume in detail toTed Greenfield,'G.A., Chairman of Personnel, B'nai Brith Canada. 15 Hove Street, Downsview;Ont.Mi3H 4Y8. All applications \\0 he handled in strictest confidence.
WHATD
Whatever y()iir credit;or other banking needs, \vc believe that a straight line is the shortest distance between customer and bank. \Vc can establish a=l&c of credit to pnn'ide a reliable s()urcc '
of wprkiiitj capital lor yoiii- business. If you're a ccHUpaiiy lo()king for the right-sized bank, to give you the service y()u deserve, your search is over. Call Ric Devlin at 92()-7m _
||]^||risrdel Discduh^
150,;Bldbr Street. West; Suite MiOO , ^ ;■ 1^ M5S .2Y5 ;.
Subsiciiary pf ISRAEL PISCOUNT BANK LIMITED
■REPRESENTATIVE OFnCES: TorbntQ: 150 BloGr Street West (416) 926-7220 , : ;: ... Montreal: 20D0 Peel Street (514) 849-1237 •
Member: Cdhdda Deposit Insurance Corp>oration ' '■