Our60th Year
Since 1930 the only weekly publication serving Jewry of the Pacific Northwest
An Independent,Newspaper
Paffe Four
Publisher and Editor-in-Ghief SAMUEL KAPLAN
AdvertisirTg Manager RONFREEDMAN
News Desk ETHAN MINOVITZ
Thursday, Jiine 14,1990
Published everyThursday by Anglo-Jewish Publishers L\&. 3268 Heather SL, Vancouver. British Columbia V5Z 3KS Subscription in Canada: $36XK) per year
Golden moment or golden age?
It was once fashionable to deride Jewish contributions to scholarship in the post World War 11 period.
The loss of pious scholars of Europe in the Holocaust certainly robbed the Jewish world of both an actual and a potentialgreatness in the disciplines of Torah study. The magnitude of that loss can be garnered in perusing Avraham Yaakov Finkel's TJie Great Torah Commentators (J&son Aronson), a compendium of the traditional expositors on Torah, Talmud and Halachah.
Yet some 45 years after the trauma of the Shoah, the Jewish people seem to be entering a new Golden Age of creativity in virtually all the areas of traditional research and in some new ones (computerized concordances) as well. The Bar Ilan university project in Talmud is producing some remarkable results in collating the vast resporisa literature, a daunting task before the age of the computer.
The publishing word reflects the renaissance of Jewish learning in a dramatic way. After revolutionizing the study of Talmud through the vocalization of the Hebrew text and expository apparatus that is clear and concise. Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz has how
issued two volumes in English of his new translation of the Babylonian Talmud (Raniom House).
University presses in North America continue to stimulate research into Jewish philosophy, history and sociology with a variety of volume^^highlighting the interstices of the Jewish past and present. Joseph Shatzmiller's recent opus, Shylock Reconsidered: Jews, Money lending and Medieval Society (Uiur versity of California Press) is one of the best of the current crop.
. In thelast decade threedifferent commentaries on the Hebrew Bible have been forthcoming. The Art-scroll series has reflected the deep pieties of Orthod-^ oxy; Rabbi Gunther Plant's commentary has placed in relief a liberal interpretation of Tofah; ^nd now two volumes edited by Nahum Sarha aihd Banich Lsvine (Genesis and Leviticus) ptibiished by the Jewish Publication Society have appeared — incorporating the best of traditional and modern scholar-
jship.'■ It is, of courser too early to say whetheir^
living in a Golden Age or Golden Moment. In any
case, the cause of Judaism is being well served by the
current scholarship.
By yaakov LEWIS
It is an incredible situation that Jews in Israel have allowed to happen. They are, in reality, barred from dwelling in some parts of Eretz Yisroel, specifically parts of the holy city of Jerusalem.
This tiny area of land which is the holy inheritance of our ' pebple, both as a sacred legacy from the G-d who deeded it to Avraham Aveinu and as an established Jewish State, was won back by the blood and bravery of our brothers.
Whether or not the settlers who recently moved into what the outside world refers to as/*the Christian Sector'*, have made a legal purchase of their building, could not account for the intense reaction, and even rioting that this action evoked. The amount of emotion that has resulted is not a reflection of concern for technicalities of deeds, but the pervasive feeling by many that Jews do not belong in certain sections of the Land of Israelat all.
When Jewish settlers, after the Six-Day War, reoccupied the Hadassah hospital building in Hebron, the tremendous outcry was caused by the fact that Jews were in an **Arab'* area, and perhaps this might be "inflammatory**. When a Jewish synagogue was re-established in the "Arab** section of the old city of Jerusalem, the protest was repeated.
Yaakov Lewis, a former Vancouverite, Is leaving Toronto this mionth with his family to make allyah.
The Vancouver area has within it several communities that tend to live together with their own ethnic peers. One can imagine the absolute outrage that would result if a white Van-couverite would be barred from buying or renting in Chinatown, for example. One could also imagine the furor in all of Canada if a dividing wall were erected the length of Boulevard St-Laurent in Montreal, effectively dividing that city into French and English speaking ghettoes. One could even hypo-
Jews barred frpm living in part$ of Jerusalein
thesize a "Danzig** like solution to Ganada*squestion of identity if the Meech Lake agreement fails to materialize.
Of course, this will never be accepted by the Canadian populace but this scenario is precisely what Israel is being pressured to accept by the \vrbrld aiid^ sadly^ by many Jewish "teadere'^w^ preach from the cbmfbrt aijd
The goyerrinient of Israel has helped t^ assumption that they do not Jbayejuri^^^ their own couniryl The miracjulpus return t^^ wais desecrated when the Israeli government handed control of the Temple Mount back to Arab hands. When access to this holiest site is determined not by rabbinic decree, but by Arab capri-ciousness, we, by our own actions, create the illusion that, maybe, Jewish ownership of the Jewish homeland is actually in question.
When Jews allow themselves to be barred from the-Gave of Machpela we are telling the world that it really is not ours. Abraham, our forefather, specifically purchased this burial ground at great expense in order to alleviate the question of ownership for all generations. Do we not now have the right, if not the merit, to hold on to this holy site?
The Jewish people own the entire land of Israel. We are not "occupiers**. All other nations take possession of their complete country as a normative stance. No questions asked. The Jewish state is nodifferent.
Certainly, personal property ownership must be respected in any civilized country. The "Christian quarter** melee, however, is a smokescreen for a more critical issue. Are Jews alio wed to live anywhere within their own borders? It is a question whose time has come.
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Big brothers, sisters needed
Dear Mr. Kaplan:
Last April, the Jewish Family Service Agency sent out a request for adults who might be interested in serving as Jewish big brothers or big sisters. We were very gratified to see the response from the cbmmunity, and were able to make matches for six girls who were looking for this special type of relationship.
Recently, we have had a number of requests from parents who are looking for Jewish big brothers and sisters for their young boys and girls. These children are generally (but not always) from single parent families. They range in age from six to 14, and have a variety of interests.
JFSAis looking for mature, fun-loving adults from 18 to 40 who want to spend two or three hours on a weekly basis with a young boy or girl. A commitment of a year is needed. Applicants will go through a screening process, and training will be provided.
If you know of a child who might benefit from such a special relationship, or feel that you have the extra energy and caring that a ^hild. might benefit from, please call me at JFSA; 266^346. V
^'^^^^^^^^^^ . marileesigal
. '^^ Family tounsell^ir
Jewish Family Service Agency
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By
ETHAN MINOVITZ
Asked at May 27 Walk With Israel:
Vivian Rothstein, \j
artist: ^ "Very unfairly. I think that they apply standards to Israel that do not apply to any other country in the world."
0
Leon Tessler,
retired cleaning product salesman: "I see the media jump on Israel on every move it makes, especially unpopular moves. Israel has done a very bad job of public relations."
Carol Walker,
occupational therapist, North Vancouver: "When I receive my Sun, everything seems to be pro-Palestinian. I thought the Globe and Mail treated -Israel fairly, but now I'm disappointed."
Ollan Moskovsky, 16, Grade 11, Steveston Senior Secondary,
Richmond: "They treat Israel in a biased manner. They always show pictures of Arabs getting killed. They only show half the story; it's tough to take."
*4
Wendy Seelig, A
housewife: "Not well at all; very one-sided. They're always saying Israel has done things to the Palestinians, but the oth^er side never comes into full view."
Q   Aaron Estrin,
realtor:
"Very biased. They seem to disregard the source of this trou-blle. They don't realize that the fight for Israel isn't for territories, but its existence."
WHATIS YOUR OPINION? WRITE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.