The Canadian Jewish News, Thursday, April 22, 1993-Page 3
Canada
By FRANCES KRAFT
TORONTO - Jewish students at York University who are gay, lesbian or bisexual now have their own support group within the Jewish Student Federation (JSF). To the best of their knowledge, the Coalition of Jewish Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Students, a committee of JSF, is the only such group on a Canadian university campus.
Although the coalition offers these students the comfort of being able to deal with their sexuality in a Jewish context, its establishment has been a divisive issue at the JSF.
"They're going to alienate a lot of Orthodox and right wing students who will disassociate from the JSF, if their programming isn't done with sensitivity to Orthodox beliefs," worries second-year student Yaron Mar-zel, Jewish Identity Task Force chair at JSF. Marzel, who has a yeshiva background, is not opposed to a support group, but "if it tries to legitimize the [homosexual] lifestyle, I would have to resign from my position and the JSF. I accept them as individuals without any prejudice, but the homosexual act is a capital crime within Judaism and it's a vei7 contentious issue."
But Andrew (not his real name), one of three co-ordinators of the support group, feels that the'coalition fulfills needs that were unmet at BLGAY (the York University group for bisexual, lesbians and gays)* where Jewish students comprised as many as 60 percent of those attending meetings. Andrew, who is gay.
is a day school graduate and the product of a traditional Jewish home with a history of involvement in Jewish organizations.
There has been "virulent opposition" to the coalition within the JSF, Saar Rozen, JSF president siaid. Rozen still has reservations about the group, but says that he's become more moderate in his views after learning about the issues.
about future
Initial JSF opposition, Rozen said, was partly based on fear that funds would be diverted from Jewish continuity programming. While Rozen admits that the coalition requires little if any funding now, he is concerned about the future. "We should make sure the support group operates with the least detriment to the JSF," he says.
At least one student takes umbrage at the "secret meetings'' of the support group, which he says are against the JSF constitution (they're not). For reasons of confidentiality, support meetings are not held at JSF. ,
"Our purpose is to provide, programming for Jewish students oh campus, whether they're right wing, left wing, gay or feminists," says JSF director Claire Sookman. "Right now there is a need for a support
group. They're not looking to do something that would be offensive or go against policy."
For Jewish gay students, Andrew says, the "top issue" is integration into the greater Jewish community. Quite a few of the students who attended the first support group meeting had never setioot in the JSF, he said.
Goals of the group include planning educational programs on Jewish gay issues for the entire JSF and acting as a referral service for Jewish gays, who may number as high as 3(X) at the university, if the student population reflects statistics indicating that one in 10 people are gay.
Many young Jewish gays become cut off from Judaism, says Andrew, because of a lack of acceptance within Jewish institutions. Jewish gays who are involved in the community before they come out may "watch their Jewish life fade out," he says.
That hasn't happened in his case. He came out a year ago, and requested anonymity in this article only to protect his family from harassment. However, he was concerned that use of a pseudonym would "send a negative message." Being gay, he stressed, should not be cause for embarrassment.
"I have no problem with it," says Ingrid Holland, JSF's social chair, who is not gay. "We should be proud that they want to stay in the community."
For confidential information about the coalition, call BLGAY at 736-2100, extension 20494. or call JSF at 736-5178 and ask for Claire.
By RON CSILLAG
TORONTO — A Canadian messianic Jew living in Israel has been grantal a.reprieve in his battle to stay in the country.
Sidney Speakman, 48, and his 44-year-old wife Linda, both believers in Jesus, have been given until June 30 to prove Sidney is a Jew according to Israel's Law of Return.
Originally, the Speakmans were given until March 30 to come up with documents proving Sidney is Jewish or else face expulsion from Israel, which does not recognize messianic Jews, or Hebrew Christians, under the Law of Return.
Sidney, abuilding inspector in Haifa, has forwarded to Israel's interior ministry hisown birth certificate and that of his father, as well as two affidavits swearing that his grandmother was Jewish.
certificate
In a telephone interview, Speakman told 77j^ C/A'the ministry now wants his grandmother's birth certificate as well as her ketubah (Jewish niarriage certificate).
Speakman has hiried a genealogist to unearth the documents,in England, where his grandmother, Alice Emma Cohen, was born.
Cohen, who died in the mid-1950s, was related to the wife Of Lord Reading, the turn-of-the-century Jewish Lord Chief Justice of Great Britain, Speakman said.
Speakman does not know when or exactly where his grandmother was bom but he's certain she was Jewish. Cohen immigrated to Canada in the early part of this century.
Israel's 1950 Law of Return grants automatic Israeli citizenship to Jews, grandchildren of Jews and those who have converted according to halachic standards, upon their immigration to the country.
But it denies automatic citizenship to any Jew who professes another faith. ■
A Toronto native who was raised in Vancouver, Speakman has always considered himself a Jew but one who believes Jesus is the messiah.
In March, Israel's interior ministry, backed by the Supreme Court, ordered the expulsion of the Speakmans and two other messianic Jewish families because they believe in Jesus and the New Testament, thus disqualifying them for citizenship.
The ministi7 has always maintained the families are Christian.
Although Linda Speakman can prove both her parents are Jews, Sidney has a more difficult task. His father was a Jew but his mother was Christian and according to Jewish' law, Jewish descent is passed through the mother.
His only hope now is to prove his grandmother was Jewish.
The other two messianic families slated for explusion, the Kendels, originally from the United States and the Beresfords, who came from Zimbabwe, have until May 30 to prove their Jewishness.
Speakman is not optimistic the documents about his grandmother will be found but he is hopeful that he: will be allowed to stay in Israel.
"Normally, the testimony of one person is .sufficient." he said.;"I have two affidavits .[s\vearing his^grand-mother was Jewish]." The documents are signed by his father's two sisters.
The Speakmans arrived in Israel in 1988 and applied for status under the Law of Return. In March 1989, they were told their tourist visas would not be renewed and that they would have to leave the country.
In June 1989. they petitioned the Supreme Court and in May 1991. the interior ministry decided that their daughter, now 16. could be granted citizenship if her parents surrender custody of her, which they have refused to do.
Court
Last September, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the ministry. It said that the families' faith " is such that it is incompatible with the concept of Judaism expressed in the Law of Return (and that] they cannot be considered as Jews under that law."
In the meantime, the Speakmans have lived in a sort of limbo.
Because they have no citizenship and. no tourist visas, they have not been able to work since December. Sidney was granted temporary work papers just last week.
The couple's daughter has been staying with Linda's parents in Nevada.
Thiere are roughly 3.(XX) messianic Jews in Israel. Sidney pointed out. Many are Sabras (natives) who cannot be expelled and many are recent Russian immigrants.
The Board of Directors and the Staff of the
Borochpv Nursery School and Kindergarten
extend condolences to the family of
DOROTHY KAMINSKY
She was a well-loved and respected teacher and will be sadly missed.
CONTEMPORARY LUXURY 1993 Lincoln Continental
To Luxury
Executive Series Special Edition
Includes leather interior • power moon roof • remote keyless entry.
•Purchase price tor Lincoln Conlinwital Executive Series Special Edition is $35,495. Freight ($775) license a taxes extra. Limited time otter.
•24 month Red Carpel lease at $599 monthiy includes 50.000 kms. Rrst month's payment'and $3200 prepayment or equivalent trade is required. Freighl ($775), license and taxes extra. o.ax.. LimHed time offer, Vehicle may not be exactly as shown.
Piiic Ircc Lincoln .Mcrciir\ B(b*^
Weston Rd. & Hwy #7       (416) 798-4777
^& uHs/i/ oar- l^e/cmed
m
Israel Discount Bank of Canada
150 Bloor Street West, Suite Ml00 : Toronto, Ontario  M5S 2Y5 ■ — (416) 926-7200     . / /
Subsidinry of ISRAEL DISCOUNT BANK UMITEb
REPRESENTATIVE OFFICES: Toronto: i50 Bloor Street Wo.st (416) 926-7220 .■   - -Montreal: 20(» Peel Street (51.4) 849 1237; .. .
Member: Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation '