|ii62 years I '''^^ Servinii
Publisher and Editor-m^Chief SAMUEL KAPLAN
Our 62nd Year
Since 1930 the only.weekly, publication serwng Jewi^y of the Pacific Northwest
Ajn Independent Newspaper
Advertising Manager RON FBEEDMAN
Assistant Edj^ior-ARIELA FRIEQMANN
News Desk ETHANMiNOyiTZ
Thursday, November 12,1992
Published 47 times pej- year by Anglo-Jewish Publishers Ltd, 3268 Heather St., Vancouver, British Columbia VSZ 3K5 Subscriptioh in Canada: $40.00 per year plus $2.80 G.S..T.
There was a saying in Jewish life a few years ago to the effect that the maj or spcio 1 ogica 1 problem of Jews could be audited simply by reading the society pages of The New York Times — where reports of intermarriage involving Jews were frequent.
One no longer has to turn to the society pages. The issue has now beconrte a front page news story. According to The Times, national Jewish organizations in the United States are currently involved in fractious debate over the proper way to accommodate the non-Jewish spouse in an intermarriage. The discussion has been actuated by release of statistics indicating that 52 percent of American Jews are marrying outside the faith. ;
Views on this question vary with the theological spectrum. Reform and some Conservative groups are proposing a niore flexible and mellow approach in which active demarches are made to invite the non-Jewish partner in an intermarriage to identify more closely with the Jewish community.
On the right wing of the spectrum, most Orthodox and other Conservative elements are resisting any attempt to soften J udaisni*s traditional opposition to intermarriage, a prohibition which hearkeiis back to the Torah itself. The very idea of leniency, they argue, signals a readiness to sanction intermarriage.
What is noteworthy, however, is that even in some of the more traditional constituencies a new dialogue on the subject is being joined without, of course, an imprimatur being conveyed on the propriety of intermarriage. In Ottawa, for exaniple. Orthodox Rabbi Reuben Bulka has argued that intermarried couples cannot simply be ignored and written off and that the Jewish community has an obligation, at the very least, to dialogue with them.
In Vancouver, outreach to intermarried couples has been quietly taking place through ongoing dialogue oppprtunities at Beth Israel Synagogue, some programming at the Jewish Gommiinity Centre, and sensitive endeavors by the Jewish Family Service Agency. :[:--:^^
Canadian Jews are every bit as close to the problem afflicting V:S. Jewry. While intermarriage statistics in Canada are not of the same national magni-hide, there are places where intermarriage rates exteed the American.
For instance, in B.C., the guesstimate most often projected by those in Jewish community life who deal actively with intermarriage has long been a shocking range of 50 to 70 percent. This could rnean that of every 10 marriages here in which Jews are involved, only three may b^ occurring where both partners are Jewish by birtli or choice; and conver-selyv that in up to seven out of ten marriages in this province, one partner might be Jewish while the other is not and has not chosen to convert at the time of marriage.
But while no statistic exists for the actual percentage here, what is known everywhere is that inter-
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marriage is on the rise —in B.C., Canada and the United States, and likely around the world.
And while the dilemma grows apace, the Jewish community in Canada as a body has done relatively little to address either the predicament or its foreshadowing.
It's certainly past time for national Jewish organizations across Canada to put this item high on their agenda. Here in Vancouver, initial steps are being taken. The first commurtity-wide conference on intermarriage and Jewish^orttinuity takes place Nov. 22 when this urgent and sensitive issue will be ad dressed by major s peakers, a pan el and w brk-shops. The Jewish Family Service Agency has led the way, partnered by the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, Canadian Jewish Congress, the Jewish Community Centre, Beth Israel Synagogue and Federation Endowment Fund. .^^
This newspaper will be reporting on the inaugural pub lip forum and hopes to follow up in months to cQme with a series of Viewpdints that tackle varying perspectives and differing opinions on thesituation.
To attend the conference, you can obtain tickets through the J FS A, 266-2396.
A^S i HI U AT \0(0 IS   A PROBt€M,
Cartoonists & Writers Syndicate 'tH^ KIKJD op
JF cue DOOT
Jbp
Israel teaches Russians
TEL AVIV — A group onec dozen Russian and Kazakhs has completed a business! management seminar in Israel, sponsored by the Centre for East and Cen-
tral European Studies.
The course was the seventh of its kind in Israel and the first for participants from the Commonwealth of Independent : States.
Ldtters represent writers' opinions, not The Bulletin. A/g/if of reply rectifies Inaccuracies. Letters must be signed, with day pfione contact, and typed or printed, up to 250 words. VIEWPOINT exists for longer pieces, up to 750 words.
TBimud Torsihiriust ahs^
pear Mr, Kaplan:
, I was taken aback by the letter from Terrance Stone ("A question of priorities," JWBOcx.XS). He is very mistakenas to the circumstances affecting many families regarding tuition and Talmud To rah. It is very easy to be magnanimous when you don't have to pay.
All of us in Richniphd make what he calls a "sacrifice" to drive our children into Vancouver every day. Many of us a jso carpool home as wt cannot afford the rising cost of the Richmond bus. !
At least one-third of Talmud Torah parents make this commitment — this is probably the proportion of us that nowliyelii Richmond. ■
I would like to enlighten Mr. Stone on some realities. We were treated this year with no compassion or willingness to negotiate by the finance committee. I have been forced to go to family for a loan to help pay tuition. We would have had to pull our children from Talmud Torah if outside financial help was not possible.
The point made about using RRSP money (yif'i? Oct. 1) for tuition is a factual one. 1 was told to either cash in or borrow against my RRSP. My objection to this is that the person telling me to do this probably has little difficulty meeting tuition costs, or any financial situations.
What will the next step be? For us to take out a second or third mortgage on pur house to pay for tuition?
That appears to be the attitude of the board. We are told "pay up or get out!" A very elitist attitude prevails as never
before. ■ ^-''-T^^-:-''::    . .'r-''. ^^-v:'
Maybe 1 would not be so angry if they also had to make the same sacrifices expected from the rest of us.       i .
The middle income group's tuition went up 40 percent —how many of our incomes went up 40 percent? Maybe 0 percent! Yet, the upper income group — to which the majority of our board members belong — went up only 14 percent.
Why hot 40 percent as well? Why not the same percentage for all? Why keep burdening the middle income group?
Oddly enough, I was told by a rnember of the finance committee that one of the major reasons tuition went up was because of all the Russian and handicapped children that require special teachers.
Firstly, there are no handicapped children at Talmud Torah. The school does not have the physical facilities to accommodate handicapped. If he means those receiving Learning Assistance, he had'better reediicate hithself as to what type of child is at the school. The LAC teachers have been working at the school for a number of years — this is not a new expense.
Secondly, the ESL teacher has also been at Talmud Torah for several years —she was not just hired this year. Again, this is not a new expense. '
Whajt will be the next excuse? la wait with bated breath.
We are worried about coming forth publicly with our complaint regarding the treatment we received because of repercussions towards bur children, which is a very viable fact. ;       r/■ v.
As Talmud Torah president Laurie Bertrand stated'' . .; we know the identity of the family . . ." in response {JWB Oct; I) to the anonymous letter. These types of fear tactics keep many of us quiet.
i know 1 am not alone in this feeling. Many other parents have expressed the same concerns about going public regarding our problems with Talmud Torah — of which there are "many others besides tuition hikes.
If this existing attitude remains at Talmud Torah, our days there are numbered, as will be those of many other families. Then who will they put in the fancy new gym? The members of the board?
ANONYMOUS BY NECESSITY - not by Chdicel
Dear Mr. Kaplan:
We thank the editor of The Bulletin for the opportunity to respond to this anonymous letter. ■■■
Thetuitipn fee scale is reviewed and established annually by the board of directors after lengthy discussion. For 1992-937The scale for the upper income bracket increased by about 14 percent. All other income categories remained unchanged, since it was determined^that in these categories the limit on the ability to pay has been reached.
Those families_who feel they are unable to make tuition payments on scale advise the school. The tuition assessment cohimittee's difficult job is to^ determine a fair tuition amount after carefully, and in great detail, reviewing extenuating circumstances and specific financial information, including investments, RKSPs, etc., provided by such
T^If requifedrdtstussioits are held with the family regarding financial priorities. If there is a change in a family assessment from one year to the next, it is due to the family circumstances having changed sufficiently to warrant a revised assessment amount. An increase in the tuition scale is not related to this. In my Oct. 1 letter in JiVB, the first paragraph read, "We
thank the editor ,. . Although we know the identity of the family in question, we do not intend to refer to particular financial circumstaiices or abilities of any family. We intend to respond to this letter in a general fashion." An explanation, not a threat.
Our costs have been iricreasingl The. fact is that over the past severalyears the number of students and costs involved in the various ESL, Judaic and General Learning Assistance programs have aIso increased significantly.
The school's objective is to provide a Judaic and secular education to as many Jewish children as possible. Members of the boardand various committees are dedicated to achieving that objective.
During these times of financial uncertainty, it is more important than ever to ensure that the community funds provided are~usfed as responsibly and wisely as possible.
LAURIE B. BERTRAND
President, Board of Directors, Vancouver Talmud Torah
V