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The Canadian Jewish News, Thursday, October 13, 1988-Page 3
Vows to continue ^^f^
s
TORONTO -
Rabbi Dow Marmur of Holy Blossom Temple has attacked a statement by an Orthodox organization which recently vowed to organize a "united front" to urge all Orthodox organizations to explain to Jews "the importance of staying away" from Reform and Conservative Judaism. (CJN Sept; 29).
The statement was issued during a special meeting of the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the United States and Canada prompted, according to its director Hersh Ginsberg, by a request from the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.
"The rabbinate feels that Reform and Conservative are pushing themselves strongly into Israel," Gins-
berg said in the article.
In his Shabbat Choi Hamoe'ed Succoth sermon, Marmur presented what he termed "serious questions and determined answers.*' He asked whether the union's ap-proiach showed fldelity, to Jewish values, adding, "Is this the way Jews should resolve disagreements?"
He said there is no indi-
cation that the same rabbis are prepared to urge Orthodox institutions in Israel and the Diaspora to refuse to collect monies collected and donated by the "ostensibly renegade'' Reform* and Conservative Jews through ^ the United Jewish Appeal and other agencies.
"Is this integrity and honesty," he asked. "Why should Orthodox leaders
solicit funds from non-Orthodpx Jews if they are not prepared to respect their understanding of Judaism?" ; Marmur said that a -large number of those who come for recognition by Reform and Conservative rabbis have failed to receive help or understanding from their own Orthodox spiritual lead-
Will participate in Special Olympics
JERUSALEM (JTA) -
President Chaim Herzog gave a warm sendoff to 62 disabled athletes who are representing. Israel in the Special Olyriipics in Seoul. South Korea.
He received them and their 1,8 trainers and assistants at the presidential residence here to offer his. best wishes for successful competitionThe ^ games run from Oct. 15-19. . . Herzog stressed the need for pure sportsmanship, with discipline."
The President pointedly, expressed regret over an ■ incident that he said damaged Israel's honor during the 24th Olympic Games in South Korea last month.
He referred to two members of the Israeli yachting
team. Dan and Ran-Tbrten, brothers -who were expelled from the games and called home after they sailed their craft on Yom Kippur, in violation of orders of the Israel Olympics Committee.
thanks businessman
Herzog suggested the incident showed that the education given ybUngsters iri Israel's schools and in the IsraelDefence Force has to be re-evaluated.
The handicapped athletes
in Seoul are more than three tirnes the number Israel sent this year to the regular Olympics. Herzog thanked Israeli businessman Shaul Eisenberg for helping the team financially.
Most of the competitors are IDF veterans wounded in combat. Some are handicapped civiliaris. The disabilities range from loss of one or more limbs to blind- -ness and paralysis due to poliomyelitis; . They will be competing in men and women's basketball and volleyball, swimming, weightlifting, shot-put, javelin- , and discuss-throwing and in a blind marathon.
The regular Is,raeli Olympics team" brought home no medals. Higher
hopes are held for the disabled athletes.
At the Los Angejes Special Olympics, which fol-
lowed the 23rd Olympiad four years ago, the Israelis brought home 31 medals, nine of them gold.
1
tops expectations
JERUSALEM (JPFS) -
Ofek 1 and the rocket which launched the first Israeli satellite in mid-September performed better than expected and the satellite will function .for longer than originally anticipated, Prof. Yuval Ne'eman, chairman of the Israel Space Agency, said last week.
Ne'eman said the rocket launched Ofek 1 into an el-
rescue
liptical course which varies from an altitude of 250 kilometres to 1,200 kilometres., ''We weren't certain of the rocket," he said, explaining earlier reports that Ofek would ascend to only 1.000 kilometres.
Ofek 1 was also positioned in a better-than-expected angle, meaning that it continuously faces the sun, thus giving it more energy. Hence, contrary to original expectations, Ofek I "continues to report about itself," he said. '
Ofek 1 is now expected to remain in space for .seven weeks, three more than anticipated when it was launched on Sept. 19.
LOLLIE AND JOSHUA SAMOSH were a-mong the 7,000 Jews in Denmark saved from the Holocaust by the efforts of the Danish king and their fellow countrymen. Mr. and Mrs. Samosh came to Canada in 1951, living first in Winnipeg. They subsequently moved to Toronto and have two daughters, Gaby and Naomi, in Israel, and one son, Mordecai, in St.. Catharines, Ont. Here they recall the events of those days.
This month marks the 45th anniversary of a remarkable episode in an otherwise bleak phase of Jewish history.
On Rosh Hashanah. Oct. 1 and 2, 1943, the Jewish community of Denmark was rescued from the Na- \ zis. We were among those fortunate -Danish Jews whom the Nazis had planned to deport.
Three months before the episode, the Germans had vandalized the offices of the local Jewish com-. munity centre in order to obtain lists of the names of Jewish residents in the area. Chief Rabbi Friediger and other community leaders were arrested by the Getapo. Ships had been anchored in Copenhagen harbor for a week for the purpose of deporting Danish Jews to concentration camps.
Ferdinand von Dukwitz, marine attache at the German embassy in Denmark, knew about the impending move against the Danish Jews. He advised the Danish prime minister Hans Hedtofl, who immediately informed the Jewish leaders.
The prime minister's message spread like, wildfire throughout the community just before Rosh Hashaoah. Nioety-seven percent of the Jewish population, about 7,000 people, were able to go into hiding thanks to the support of the resistance movement and the entire Danish population. ~\
When the round-up took place, the Gestapo only
J<Khua and LolUe Samosh and son, Mordecai.
found about 200 Jews, mostly the elderly and infirm, and some who vyere not yet aware of the imminent danger.
Incidentally, among those who escaped was physics professor Niels Bohr. He was smuggled to the United States, where he joined the team of scientists who developed the first atom bomb that ended the war with Japan.
The next stage was the perilous rescue operation by boat from Denmark to Sweden on the Oresund . waterway. There were some casualties during the crossing, but the majority ■■: arrived safely.
king Christian of Denmark was placed under house arrest by the Nazis, but he gave orders that all Jews, whether they had Danish citizenship or were stateless refugees, should be protected by his countrymen. Those who didn't make it were deported to Theresienstadt. Even there, thanks to the intervention of the Danish authorities, they received preferential treatment. . About 50 of them died, but towards the end of "the war, in 1945, the Danish and Swedish Red Cross took all the Danish Jews to safety in Sweden.
The entire operation took ■ a great deal of money; dedication and organization; but it was a success because the entire Danish population was united in its efforts to ' rescue the Jews.
ers.
"Is this an honest and helpful . response to the challenge of assimilation in our time?" he asked. "Does blaming others help us to work effectively for
Jewish continuity."
Marmur said answers could not be expected from the Union of Orthodox Rabbis in Canada and the U .S.. which he termed a satellite of the Israeli Rabbinate. -
Supplying his own responses, the Reform rabbi said that' To those, who reject pluralism, we say that we willcontinue to fight for it because we believe that the spiritual health of the Jewish state depends on it."
Marmur said that funds should be given to all religious groupings in Israel, ■adding. "We pledge our continued support for all Israelis, not only those whom the Chief Rabbinate approves of.','
To those whom he said are seeking to disenfranchise Reform and Conservative rabbis in Israel, he said, "We will continue to work for the survival ofthe Jewish people and the integrity of the Jewish family."
Marmur stated that the union does not speak for all Orthodox Jews or even all Orthodox rabbis. He cited reports in the current issue of the journal Moment on a recent statement by Rabbi Norman Lamm, president of Orthodox Yeshiva University, in which he recognized Reform and Conservative Judaism as''valid groupings" and concluded that "they possess spiritual dignity."
Marmur added that Lamm was attacked by
another Orthodox rabbi, Aaron Twerski, for implying recognition of non-Orthodox Jews and "had to tone down his tolerant stance, presumably to avoid an internal split in the Orthodox camp." -
Marmur .said that "it is crucial that we know where the Orthodox leaders. in Canada stand on this issue. Assuming, he said, that "no Orthodox rabbi will break rank in public, not even by .supporting Rabbi Lamm, let us firtd out where the Orthodox lay leadership .stands."
Does their silence mean they support their spiritual V leaders? he asked. ' 'Is this what they want? Is that how they intend to work for community unity?
"It may very well be so." he said. "Recently non-Orthodox rabbis in Toronto have been denied access to the mikvah, the ritual bath used in connection with conversion, which was built to serve the community at large."
To date it appears that the lay leadership within Orthodoxy is unable or unwilling to work for the unity of this community by rescinding this unilateral action calculated to .create a deep rift, Marmur said.
"By keeping us out of the mikvah they will of course not deter Conservative and Reform rabbis from performing conversions, but they will cause mischief and unnecessary inconvenience.
' 'We must seriously consider the implications of this climate of dissension that is being created, and take the consequences in a resolute and dignified jnanner,"
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