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Munich's cold shadow
Asurge of pride swelled through the small crowd of Jews at the Olympic Village last Sunday morning as the Israeli flag was raised. Equally, a tide of anger went through them and many others when the Olympic com-mittc^e this week again refused to host an oflicial memorial for Israeli athletes slain at the 1972 Munich Games. Our hearts go
is the result of progress in the peace talks.
But for the moment, Palestine does not exist. Referring to the Palestinian movement as such is a blatant political act.
The Jewish community is keenly aware of the emotions that the Israeli children and widows of the 1972 competitors feel about this and of being denied a memorial ceremony. The
POLICE
Olympic police stand guard in Atlanta. Security Is expected to be extremely tight.
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out to the children and wives of those sportsmen, many of whom are guests of the Atlanta Jewish community during the Games.
Also this week, the International Olympic Committee balked at Israel's last-minute complaint that the naming of a delegation from "Palestine" indicates an independent country. Committee director general Francois Carrard accused the Israeli government of playing politics by doing this so close to the Games' start. But we weren't doing so two years ago when we called and faxed the Olympic headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland about this matter. Mr. Carrard is simply, like the sneakiest of Teflon politicians, ducking the issue.
For the record, we have no l)roblem with a Palestinian delegation. The Palestinian Authority exists and there is an irrefutable sense of nationalism among the Palestinian people. We hope that the PA understands that seeing its flag here
Atlanta Jewish community should be extremely proud that it has launched the first large effort to commemorate the tragedy that befell Israel and, by extension the Jewish people, 24 years ago.
One event open to the public is a commemoration at Ahavath Achim Synagogue. We hope that those here also say their own prayers for Israel's fallen. The other event will be a private affair at the Atlanta Jewish Federation. There, a permanent memorial statue, subsequently to be opened for public viewing, will be dedicated.
One day, perhaps, the Games committee will leam that politics is not behind remembering Munich's chilled shadow on the Olympic movement and what it means to Jews. The committee made a gross error in 1972 and the following Games by not formally facing the horrors of 24 years ago. And it mocks all Jews when it accuses Israel of politics without owning up to its own version of playing that game. □
Tisha B'Av: A time to rejoice
Only by recalling tragedies can we appreciate being a free people.
RABBI JEROME EPSTEIN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH BULLETIN
For some 2,000 years, Jews were often victimized — vulnerable to attacks and economic discrimination; bereft of a country and strangers in every land; the subject of vicious m)^hs, lies and historical distortions. It is therefore not surprising that Jews had little trouble embracing Tisha B'Av, the holiday of loss.
An imperiled people, Jews could relate to the horror of the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem and the subsequent exile from their land. It was relatively easy for a continuously displaced nation to empathize with their ancestors who suffered expulsion from Spain, which also occurred on the ninth of An. It provided no challenge to sit on the floor and tearfully recite the Book of Lamentations on Tisha B'Av, a day commemorating many tragedies which have befallen our people.
While we continue to be troubled by incidents of anti-Semitism, today the majority of Jews live in freedom, whether in the Western nations or in Israel. Even those in Eastern Europe have experienced freedoms unknown a few short years ago. Not surprisingly, we find it harder and harder to relate to the historical reality of Tisha BAv.
How, indeed, can we bewail the loss of Jerusalem when it is ours once again and more vital than ever? How can we mourn the expulsion from Spain with feelings of grief when, on the 500th anniversary of the expulsion. King Juan Carlos apologized for that act and officially invited the Jews to return?
The question of "mourning"
Rabbi Epstein is the executive vice-president of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, the association of North American Conservative congregations.
continues to trouble Jews as a commimity. Even as regards the Holocaust — a recent event to which we can all relate — there is disagreement. Some claim that we mourn excessively and that our focus should be on the positive, joyful and life-affirming aspects of our history.
To understand the importance of Tisha BAv, we can look to the holiday of Passover. In the Pesach celebration, the rabbi attempts to have free people undertake the difficult task of "reliving" the ex-
Mourning is a religious Imperative.
perience of slavery. In the intricate and extensive preparations for the holiday and in certain aspects of the seder itself, we attempt to recreate the experience so that each of us will feel as if we personally were slaves in Egypt. Yet Passover is — with all its reminders of servitude — the quintessential holiday of freedom.
Only be remembering the experience of slavery can we appreciate the full meaning of freedom. The same can be said of the loss and victimization commemorated on Tisha BAv. Only by vividly recalling the tragedies experienced by the Jewish people can we appreciate and give proper meaning to our current status as a free people with our own country. While periodic mourning may not be an instinctive act for a fi^ people, it is a religious imperative.
The success of the various Passover rituals can serve as a useful guide to Tisha BAv. First, there is the extensive preparation. While we are all familiar with the pre-Passover rites, there
are equally distinctive pre-Tisha BAv traditions. Indeed, there is a three-week period (which began this year on July 4, the 17th of Tammuz, a minor fast) during which time joyous public celebrations are discouraged. The period culminates in nine days of semi-mourning, when we abstain even fix)m eating meat and drinking wine.
Second, as with Passover, we "relive" the experience — trying on the ninth of Av (July 25) to recreate the mood in Jerusalem when both the city and the Temple were destroyed. Fasting and sitting on the floor without shoes, chanting the Book of Lamentations, we behave as actual mourners in order to fully comprehend the dimensions of this tragedy.
Third, just as on Passover we celebrate our freedom, we must rejoice after the ninth of Av. The sabbath after Tisha BAv is called Shabbat Nahamu - The Sabbath of Consolation (July 27). We must allow ourselves to be comforted. In the past, this meant recognizing that God would ultimately fulfill His promise and restore us to our land. Particularly in this generation, we must — by comparing our current good fortune vfiih our prior periods of loss and victimization — leam to fuUy appreciate and rejoice in our freedom.
It is premature to eliminate Tisha BAv but it is also unrealistic to have a day of grief and mourning (over the destruction of the Temple) without a counterbalancing day of celebration. Passover celebrates our deliverance from slavery: economic freedom. Yom Ha'atzmaut celebrates the beginning of our deliverance from forced exile: political freedom. Tisha BAv can unite Jews worldwide in Israel and the Diaspora, celebrating our new-found opportunity for spiritual development: religious freedom. □