. P: OttrSir^ Year ^
Thurttday, January 1983'
Publisher and Cditor-ii^Chtef
Managfng Editor "^^
City Desk . BOBekTMAUKtM
PuWIsfied weiy T1«»«tey'   AngJo-Jewi8h"|i»ubi(8r>wUd * 3268 ftefthar SL, Vmcouvfr. British Columbfa V5Z $1(5 SulMcHptlon in cWadfc^Cirg per yw\ If-^
Cpficerri for
It is not customaiy for The Bulletin to con^me^lt on the policies or activities of the Canadian Rctlnan Catholic Church.
The recent representations made by one, body within the Chur(±v the.«oniniission i>f Stocia^ to the Canadian gdverninent on the ecotipmic situation in Canada, however, merits our attention.
A group of bishops has criticized the^overiiirfent of this country for being insufficiently sensitive to the problems being faced by the poor in Canada,:
The bishops' ci)mmittee has called upon Ottawa to foster labor-intensive job programs rather than capital intensive ones. The committee has deemed as immoral the mounting unemployment in major Canadian cities.
Critics of the bishops' declaration fault the group for using, in their declaration some of the vocabulary of the Marxist dialec statement has also been attacked for its alleged repudiation of the capitalist systeni.
> A close scrutiny of the bishops'^rief shows that, while it is critical of the economic situation in this country,  it does hot advocate any kind of revolutionary changes. "
Canadians
What is does show is the concern expressed for the large dumber of Canadians now experiencing dire economic, problems and the^need for government agencies to take note of their plight.
JFhe Jewish community of Canada may draw a lesson from th^ bishops' statement, sharing this concern which our Catholic citizens feel about the depressing state of our economy.
Talmud Torah
No Jewish" institution of learning arises spontaneously without considerable sacrifice both human ai\d monetary.
In support of the Vancouver Talmud Torah, two major fuiid-r^ising effort play a crucial role. The school VJewisfeComniuhity^ is now available at humerpus community in^^ throughouit the city including 7%eiBt<fei^ February 24, the Talmud Torah's Gold Plate dinner takes place. ; ■
A community^ conscious of the importance of Jewish education> should attempt to "ensure that both these fund-raising efforts are succes^ul..
Letters represent the writer*s personal opinion 4tnd do not nef;esstirily reflectt^ outlook. Right of reply is opento rectify inaccwracies and offer cominent. MM Vancouver, V5Z 3K5,
'Continuation of Galut and Zionism mutually exclusive'
Grant and Bia^^ai^ Vanc^verit^S and
memlH!rsC!fmm^iak^m^
years ago and preientiy reside in Metutla in-northern IsraeL Grant I^ivingsione^s^letter is in response to a JIVB Commentary article {Nov. 25/82) by A,B. Yehoshua which attempted to define "What is a Zionistr
Dear Mr. Kaplan:
. The definition which Israeli writer A.B. Yehoshua provides for "What is a Zionist?" {JWB Nov. 25/82) is hardly an improvement on the various ones he discards in proposing it. . The faults he finds in these definitions can be found witlHiis own. " ■
It is his contention that A Zionist is a person who accepts the principle that the State of Isi'ael belongs not only to its citizens, but also to the entire Jewish people". Ho hum.
Anyone can accept principles, but if one does iiot do something active to prove them, is hot something lacking? That Yehoshua himself is residingih Israettloes not alter the glaring weakness of bildefinition: that it swins design Zionist "legitimacy" of some Jews detei'mined to rerriain in Galut, rather than to really address the question as to what a Zionist is. , ; ■
That may be nice for his concepts of Israel-Diaspora relations, but is it true? Does it do anything more than build a bridge out into space?
JCC bingo decision 'not made
Dear Mr! Kaplan: ^
The Vancouver Jewish Community Centre has undertaken a Sunday Bingo project in conjunction with the Vancouver Indian Centre. It is presently running weekly and will tie up the Centre juditorium un^^^ Y.om Toypr
major Centre program such as the Purim Carnival. r
This is a decision which the Board of Directoi^ i6f ih'eji?entlt'| h9s piitmMe^
many of our Sunday programs to accominodate our needs. ; Bingo had bceh a^^^ chance tbraisb'^ubMhtiai^jfu^
Used to redt^cc the butsraiidiiig c^pU^l give our
fadnty the updkVi%tllliHi)^f)i^    Mkh^/iO-^Mt^ld buildink-
The iCentr^ bbal^^iVtiibstC^^^ interest on thiV^ebVcbUltf:^^
p^ramnUn^^We^ffisci^^ tb put
Undti'e ^tr^in 6n Cbmmuriity fiin^ng sources.'        '     ''
In tight of the a^qve;tKfe ftoai^d^is^^^h^^ boih tike patience sihd siipporj "of our' mera1)ei's; and the Jewish cbirimunity generally. We arc mbstahxibus to keep dislocations ahd disruptions tb a' b^tiiimum |cnd ask fbr your fot^tiniied understanding in thi& regard.        - ' "       ^    '   ' r
HOWARD KARBV JCC Prcsidcilt
Bridge-builders into space are plentifui these days: those with two feet on solid ground seem scarce. Sorne'giijfs are top wide, too contradictory to be bridged, such as Heaven and Hell, Life and Death. The fact is that the continuation of the Galut, and the full realization of Zionism, by any valid definition, are niutuaUy exclusive aims.
They cannot be bridged by Yehoshua's or any other contrivance, with mere words. They are as mutually exclusive within Jewry, as Zionism and Palestinianism (or any other form of Pan-Arabist claim to any part "of Eretz Israel) are mutually exclusive.
As stated, the world these days abounds with bridge-builders to nothingness, distorters of language, fuzzers of truth, compromisers for compromise or pragmatism V sake.
Israelis significance, by which it has survived, and will yet reach its destiny, is much beyond the "State" Yehoshua is-willing to settle for. Reality is real and words must either be . substantiated by, or give way to, real facts. The Bible is real: ideology and fancy definitions are not.
A few years ago, on the evC of our own making aliyah to Israel (as close tb aliyah as possible for a mere Gby, or rather a Christian, for a real Christian is not strictly speaking any longer aGoy) my wife and I had ihe privilege of hosting a farewell for a shaliach returning to Israel from Vancouver. He made a rCrnark that evening which is a far better response to Yehoshua*s question "What is a Zionist?"; Or, for that matter, a better answer to the question "Who is a Jew?" than the Israeli Knesset or Supreme Court have ever dared to offer.
He nilust have been criticized in Vancouver as non-observant in religion. He noted: "They say I, am not religious, but my aiKWer is, at least I am being religious
T^b definition of Zionist, and to this observer's conviction no definition of Jewish identity, is adequate, that does not include this shaliach's claim; of being replanted, with both feet, iti the land. What Abraham could only claim by walking in with both his feet to receive from the Almighty a claim for his Jewish descendants, no Goyish hatred, and no Jewish failure, has ever ot^can ever annul*, "All the land of Canaan for an .everlasting ^possession/' (Gen. 17:18)
Mny leber^^ than Abraham's challenge is a cop-Out,
and J&.not Zionism.^ JtJs an excuse for Jewish existence elsewhere, instead of Jewish realization in the land and pi;pmises of G-d, Who alone makes Jewishness and Zionism 'ifieanirigful to tlie nth'degree. . •■■
' the State js not Zionism^ purpose, but only its beginniiig-^. it is chapter 36 of Ezekiel's prophecy that completely tells the story of the miracle of Zionism. It is the real definition tha't all definitions Yehoshua discards, and his own as well, must one day give w^y to: Zionism is the fulfillment in the Jewish j^bple of the proniise, "And ye shaHdweli inthe land that I gave tbybur fathers; and ye shall be my people, "and 1 will be your G-d." (E/ekiel 36:28)
A Zionist is one who embraces that promise, for his people. ah<J for himself And that promise is too near to its full realization iahistory for any Jew to rest content with any. lesser definition jfeat leaves him (conifortable^ or otherwise) iii dalut. •V->^'>;^--:"^^ GRANT tlVlNGSTO^^
Treating Israel
like a kidney machine'
By RABBI ALEXANDER M. SCHllNDLER
Much has been written recently of the relations of American Jews to Israel and of the character of the American Jewish community. I believe our community's sclf-inaage requires us to recognize that we are more than just a part of Israel. We must also affirm our own identity and integrity, even as we deepen our solidarity with Israel. J
Rabbi Alexander M. Schindler is {IresMrat bf tlM^ of American Hebrew Congregations cbmprisl6g;756 Reform temples in the United States and Canadiu H^artide^^^^ . ori^iially published in the Nefif York Times on Jan. 3, 1983. ■ '-.-^^^^^^^
It is difficult to explain this to American Jews, whb for too long have been plugged into Israel as if it were a kidney machine
a scientific marvel that keeps them aUve as Jews; How can.we teach two api^rently contradictory iessbns^ that we have a worth as Jews independent of Israel, and thatwe must continue tp love and,support Israel? -
If we make-too much of the first lesson, some will take it as an excuse to cut themselves off from Israel. And if we make too miich ofthe second, we will never know who we are, for we have slipped into the sloppy equation that says Judaism equals Zionism equals Israel.
In our deep love for Israel and our coiicerii for its security, we have become a largely one-issue Community;. For many American Jews, the state has become the synagogue and its prime minister, their Rebbe. Domestic and intemational issues are measured by the standard of whether they are good or bad
for Israel.' ■ ■\^■■"'''■)^^^
We do ourselves irreparable harm when we permit our Jewishness to consist almost efitirely of a vicarious participation in the life of Israel. There is a greater Israel^that sustained our Jewishness through the many centuries of our dispersion. It is not the same as the political state. And it \^ this greater Israel that we must nurture if we and it are to suryi>«: a faitb, a culture, a commitment to social justice and to the dignity of man created in the likeness of his Maker. V ?
I am not arguiiig that we should diminish our involvement with Israel. Quite the contrary. I want us to make Israel more truly Jewish, with a quality of life that reflects the most profound Jewish vision. I argue merely fpr balance. We will not survive if all we are about is Israel. And Israel will not survive if the Jews bf the worldtiecome biit pale peripheral extensions of it's essence.
PPRSPECTIVE - rage ^0
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