The Canadian Jewish News, Thursday, December 2,1993-Page 9
concern
[Cont'd, from page 1]
Even Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin touchal on the issue in his keynote speech.
A successful campaign against Jewish "attritidn" can be waged by "profound, indelible Jewish education," coupled with youth trips to Israel, which serve to bolster the identities of both Diaspora and Israeli youth, Rabin stated in a warmly-received address.
Continuity was the OA's "overriding concern," said Canadian Jewish Congress president Irving Abella. "It wasn't stated up front but it was latent in all the sessions."
For Abella and doubtless other delegates, the GA boiled down to the question, "Why be Jewish?" and why the answer is garbled for hundreds of thousands of young Jews.
Immediacy was stressed too: "The declaration was that we ought to get moving before it's too late," Abella noted.
While some Canadian delegates groused that they have little to learn from their U.S. counterparts when it . comes to dealing with intermarriage, particularly in light of Montreal having the lowest intermarriage rate of any large North Arnerican city, Abella regards the American experience as a cautionary tale.
"We ought to learn from what they didn't do," he said.
More than a dozen sessions were devoted to continuity and they effectively pickai up where last year'^s GA left off. Previous GAs tended to speak broadly of vision arid railying the troops.
But it was tachlis (substance) newly-elected CJF president May-nard Wishner said this year's GA addressed, and indeed, the fociis was much more on the nuts and bolts of promoting Jewish identity.
In that light, Aaron Brotman found ; it ironic arid disappointing that young people were notably.absent or under-, represented in the sessions on continuity;
"I didn't find it a good idea to exclude theni! They should bave had more of a voice," said Brotman, Toronto chair of the year-bid Task Force on Jewish Continuity, Assimilation and Intermarriage. :
The message the GA seemed to deliver to young people was "do as I say and not as 1 do," he added. . In any event, the GA did focuson specific initiatives:that have encoun-- tered some success in U.S. communities. They included:
• inter-generational links and the important.role grandparents can play.;
• outreach to the unaffiliated. Often-
times, disinterested parents can be reached through their children.
• visual observance. Children can become "hooked" simply by watching the kindling of Shabbat candles and other rituals.
• reaching out to Jewish singles. Generally, communities should view a single person aged 30 and over as someone \yho has been neglected Jewishly.
• strengthening formal Jewish education and making youth activities in synagogues more attractive.
• trips to Israel. The March of the Living, in which youths travel to the sites of former deaUi camps in Poland and then to Israel, is seen as effective.
While Jewish continuity "should have been addressed years ago, it will also be addressed years from now," Brotman said. "It can't be taken for granted."
According to more than one GA delegate, it was dissent that was taken for granted. There was grumbling in
some circles that organizers had refused to permit those on the right of the political spectrum to voice their views, something the Council of Jewish Federations defended (see "GA Kerfuffle, p. 11].
The issue came to a head in one session on Israel/Diaspora relations, when members of Americans for Peace Now, including its past national co-chairman, Gerald Bubis, insisted that the CJF policy was wrong.
' * We would be a healthier organization if there were debates, if there were discussions, if there were openness, and then whatever we're going to do, we're going to do," Bubis said.
"But for God's sake, we're not children, and we all love the State (of Israel) aridns^ant the best for it. And we nfiust hear all the voices.
"If not here, where, and if not now, when?" he asked. Judging by the applause, most of those at the session agreed.
- With files from JTA
By DAVID LAZARUS
MONTREAL — Israeli ambas-sadorltzhak Shelef said he does not believe the start of the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and Jericho will begin before the Dec' 13 deadline. -Speaking at a recent meeting of the Canadian Jewish Congress National Council, Shelef suggested there are still too many complex issues to be resolved and too litUe time to resolve them.
Shelef said one sticking point is the exact area for Palestinian jurisdiction over Jericho: Israel is thinking 25 square kilometres and the Palestinians see it as 550-sq. km to the eastern fringe of Jerusalem.
PLG negotiators are also asking for a -"letter" indicating Israeli willingness to release a number of PLC, Hamas, Hezbollah, and Islamic Jihad prisoners as part of the "first stage'' of the implertientatioh of the Declaration of Principles signed between Israel and the PLC in Washington Sept. 13.
But Israel is adamant it will not free those "with blood on their hands" as part of the first stage, the ambassador stated.
Other factors working against the Dec. 13 deadline, Shelef said, include
ROTHSCHILD RE-ELECTED
Kurt Rothschild was re-elected president of the Canadian Zionist Federation at the recent 7th annual CZF national convention. Attended by some 300 delegates and observers, the convention adopted a constitution and passed resolutions on Jewish education, aliyah, tourism and youth participation. A new slate of officers was elected: Rabbi Dow Marmur of Holy Blossom Temple, Toronto; Nor-' ma Rubin, national president of Mercaz Canada; Sidney Greenberg, international president, Maccabi and president, Mac-cabi Canada; Florence Simon, past national president, Na'amat Canada; and Manny Dalfen, president Mizrachi, Montreal.
the PLO's inability so far to turn itself into a "political movement that can lead and direct a political entity.''
Until now, Israel has been obliged to negotiate with a PLO delegation riven by strife. As well, an internal PLO power struggle is pitting leaders inTunsia against those in the territories, armed members against the "politicians," and older generations against the younger.
"We don't know what will happen next week," Shelef said.
The lengthy negotiation procesis has also given Israeli and Palestinian opponents of the accord the time needed to- take action, resulting, in a potential "Arab intifada against a Jewish 'intifada'."
Other barriers include Jordanian fears that the Palestinian entity might affect the balance of power widiin the Hasheriiite kingdom. Shelef said Israel will continue the bridges between the territories and Jordan.
Shelef said Syrian president Hafez Assad, "insulted" by the agreement, has sent out signals that there will be no final peace without Syria. . Syria also wants an Israeli commitment to withdraw from all of the Go^
Ian Heights, guarantees on water and removal from the U.S. list of "terrorist nations" that makes it uneligi-ble for American economic aid.
Israel, however, will not make any commitments until Syria spells out its willingness to make peace with Israel in precise terms. Shelef said.
But despite the numerous hurdles still to be overcome, the ambassador cited reasons for optimism in the peace process.
The PLO appears ready to live up to the terms of the agreement and dis-: cussions are moving along on related issues like refugees, water, and the environment, he said.
Israeli public opinion has fluctuated from 67 per cent in favor of the deal shortly after the signing to 48 per cent registered Nov. 19 after a series of terrorist attacks. But Shelef said this "euphoria to depression" range was expected.
Terrorist acts will likely continue, Shelef said, after a final peace agreement, but one should be "realistic
and optirnistic'' about the future, , * ■ * * ^
The ambassador was also pleased by the symbolism of Prime Minister Jean Chretien receiving Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin as his first foreign government visitor. By tradition, that meeting usually has taken place with the president of the United States. .;. ,
in OttaWa, discussions focu.sed on improving economic tics, which Shelef felt would be a ".stabilizing force for peace."
Happy ChanuK
ah
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