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Thursday, July 12,1990 — THE BULLETIN — 11
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FrQRi Piage I
of relief by leaders of the . CCAR, which is the rabbinical body of Reform Judaism. **The issue has been dis-_ cussed with great earnestness, with some ambivalence and with a sense of inner struggle," the CCAR's president. Rabbi Samuel-Karff of Houston, said at a news conference following the vote.
"The report is an attempt to be both supportive of our gay and lesbian colleagues, and respectful of Judaism*s norm of heterosexual, monogamous, procreative marriage,'* he said.
"For the majority of the committee," Karff said, "the critical issue is the matter of choice. For some Jews, the heterosexual norm is not a viable option. Such persons not only merit respect as C5-d's children and as Jews, but should not, on the basis of sexual orientation alone, be denied the right to be our rabbinic colleagues."
Noting that other movements of Judaism were grappling with the issue. Rabbi Selig Salkowitz of Brooklyn, chairman of the committee that wrote the report, said, "Perhaps we, as a conference, will present a model that others can follow."
But leaders of the other Jewish movements cast doubt on that happening, at least at any point in the near future. And some said the stance taken by the Reform movement would damage already tense relations among the various strains of Jtidmsm^ ^' '
The decision to admit: giy and lesbian rabbis "will undoubtedly worsen the relationship" between the Reform and Orthodox movements, said Rabbi Marc Angel, a Seattle native and recently elected president of the Rabbinical Council of America, the rabbinical arm of the modem Orthodox movement.
"The decision is exceedingly insensitive to religious tradition and will create a breach that is hard to bridge," he said.
Agudath Israel, representing European-style Orthodoxy, used stronger language. This is "just another tragic step of Reform down the road of* completely disregarding Jewish law and tradition," it said in an issued statement.
It added caustically that the CCAR move "underlines the absurdity'Of a movement that calls itself Judaism while rejecting basic tenets of Torah."
Tape directory aids Jewish blind
NEW YORK — The Jewish Heritage for the Blind_has announced the publication of a directory of organizations that provide tiapes of Jewish interest to -the visually-impaired and handicapped.-
The free directory includes-sources for obtaining tapes on Torah studies, Jewish history, Israel and the Holocaust.
The tapes are generally provided on loan at no cost or at discount rates.
The directory can be obtained in writing to the Jewish Heritage for the Blind, 1655 E. 24 St., Brooklyn, N.Y. U.S.A. 11229, or call (718) 338-4999. jta
At issue is a passage from Leviticus 18:22 that calls homosexuality "an abonima-tiotL"'ynder halachah, or tra-ditidhal Jewish law^ homosexual activities are strictly prohibited.
For the Orthodox movement, there has been little controversy over the issue, because it is a iquestion of halachah, which the movement deems eternal and immutable.
For the Conservative movement, though, there is more room for compromise.
In May, the Rabbinical Assembly, the central rabbinic body of the Conservative movement, endorsed full civil equality of lesbians and gay men in synagogue membership. The issue of homosexuals in the Conservative rabbinate, however, was not broached.
"The whole issue of homosexual rabbis is extremely difficult," said Rabbi Joel Meyers, executive vice president of the assembly. The Orthodox have taken a more adamant position, on the one hand, and the Reform, on the other.
"We are in the middle ground, trying to remain sensitive and concerned with equality for gay people and at the same time maintaining halachic principles," he said.
Meyers rejected the notion that the Conservative move-^ ment would follow the Reform lead on this matter, though he admitted, "I cannot predict the future."
Even within the Reform rabbinate, there were those who did not support the vote.
The debate oh the adoption of thecommittee*s report took Just one hour, and featured a handful of speakers in opposition.
Rabbi Phil Berger of Oceanside, N.Y. was among them. "It is my duty as a rabbi to love all human beings," Berger said, "but it is not my duty as a rabbi to approve of the actions of all human beings."
Rabbi Ronald Millstein of Queens, N.Y. said he could not agree that all Jews are religiously equal, regardless of their sexual orientation. "They may be equal as persons, but not as Jews," he said.
But Rabbi David Horowitz of Akron, Ohio, who spoke last, appeared to speak for the majority in the room when he said:
"This resolution, though certainly not perfect, takes a wonderful step in the direction of opening up our movement to all those who are deeply committed to their Judaism and want to serve the^-Jewish community," he said.
The report was accepted without amendment. The overwhelming vote was followed by prolonged applause and a standing ovation for members of the committee that drafted jz
it.- ., ■ V. " ■ ...
CCAR leaders were prepared for the backlash from the Conservative and Orthodox movements following the vote. Rabbi Joseph Glaser, CCAR vice president, said he had already received a letter from the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America protesting the committee's report as among the most radical in Jewish history.
"But 1 don't think it will fracture Jewish unity," he said.
SOPHIE WALDMAN with Prof. Yitzchak Gutterman at BGU'sSde Boker campus. Glasshouse sabra collectibri in background.
Most people know that native-born Israelis have been nicknamed "sabras." But do they know that this name is borrowed from^ desert cactus indigenous to Israel — a plant described as tough on the outside, yet sweet on the inside?
The English term for this fruit is "prickly pear," which many find a more appropriate characterization. The fruit has sharp, needle-like spines that prevent most from enjoying the sweet fruit stored inside.
Prof. Yitzchak Gutterman, a plant physiologist at Ben-Gurion university, discovered a species of sabra that has no
spines. In his search for plants with no economic value, Gutterman, of BGU's Blaustein Institute for Desert Research, realized that if he could develop appropriate cultivation techniques, the spineless sabra might become a significant agricultural crop in the Negev.
Gutterman*s research caught the attention of the late Isaac Waldman and his wife Sophie while on a trip to Israel. Immediately, they combined their financial support with Gutterman's knowledge of desert plants and his desire to use that expertise for
practical ends in Israelis Negev.
Israeli agriculture is based -on intensive cultivfition and high economic yield per input (water, land or capital). Therefore, this research project is a long-term one. However, Gutterman has already cleared several major hurdles: he has successfully developed grafting techniques that jump-start initial growth stages and produce multiple fruits on each leaf. He is confident that semi commercial cultivation is not far off.
David Ben-Gurion firmly believed that if Israel channeled its gift for science and pioneering spirit into desert research, it could fulfill the Biblical prophecy of being a "light unto nations"^n good measure, this goal hasalready"" been realized, and teams like Gutterman and Waldman are
Lines too exciting?
JERUSALEM — An Arab poet from Galilee, suspected of incitement to rebellion, was returned to detention after being released on bail. Shafik Habib, 49, from the village of Deir Hanna, is suspected of having written poems meant to incite against the state and identify with Arab terrorist organizations.
adding to that achieven^ent on a daily basis.
For information on desert plant research, call the local BGU office, 736-5386.
MULTIPLE fruit bearing ispineless sabra.
INTRODUCING THE CITY OF VANCOUVER'S BUJE BOX RECYCLING PROGRAM
CONVENIENT HOME-RECYCLING
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Th(e City of Vancouver has a new BLUE BOX RECYCLING PROGRAM which makes home-recycling easy. REDUCE •REUSE •RECYCLE The program is being implemented in homes throughout the City of Vancouver from April 30-July 30, 1990. with apartment recycling to start in the near future. We will drop off _ your Blue Box on your doorstep. We'll also put a brochure in your mailslot to provide
information on the materials suitable for recycling. Just collect and store your old newspapers, tin cans, glass and rigid plastic containers in your blue box. You don't even have to bag materials separately. When the blue box is full, set it out beside your garbage on your regular garbage collection day. We'll pick up the material and leave you the empty box. Please, use your blue box... it's the environmentally sound and simple solution to home-recycling.
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For more information, contact the Engineering Department through the CITY RECYCLING HOTLINE:
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