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Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!csd2!klahr
From: klahr@csd2.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish
Subject: Re: Message to non-ultraorthodox Jews re: fundraising
Message-ID: <3780076@csd2.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 29-Aug-85 18:29:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: csd2.3780076
Posted: Thu Aug 29 18:29:00 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 1-Sep-85 08:15:34 EDT
References: <417@mhuxm.UUCP>
Organization: New York University
Lines: 83

>A message for Jewish readers who are not aligned with ultra-orthodox groups:

>At this time of the year we are beginning to prepare for Rosh Hashanah,
>the Yomim Noraim, and Yom Kippur.  At the same time, fund-raising efforts 
>are also being revived from their summer hiatus.  Furthermore it is 
>traditional to give to tzedakah (justly-deserved charity) at this time 
of the year.

>During the past year, a number of ultra-orthodox groups have made 
>strong statements of opposition to recognizing the legitimacy of your
>Conservative and Reform rabbinical authorities in the State of Israel.
>These statements have been expressed in the course of public debate
>over the question of "Who is a Rabbi?" with regard to the Israeli 
>Law of Return which grants Israeli citizenship to Jews, including
>converts by authorized rabbis.

>I wish to suggest to all those who are approached by such ultra-orthodox
>groups with requests for donations:

>1)  That you immediately ask any fundraisers about the position of their
>organization on recognizing Conservative and Reform conversions, or the
>position of their parent organization.
                        .
                        .
                        .
                    etcetera
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A message to the Congressional Committees on Foreign Appropriations:

You are annually approached by many foreign countries with requests for 
various forms of loan and grant assistance.

I suggest that you ascertain if there are any important issues at all upon
which the United States and the said foreign country disagree.  If any such
issues exist, I further suggest that you deny any form of aid to the
country in question, even if there are many common opinions and goals shared
by our country and the foreign country in question.  Since I cannot type, and
I employ the venerable "hunt and peck" method , allow me to drop the long-
winded phrase "the foreign country", and instead substitute a reasonable
example country, such as Israel.(please excuse my digression)

Anyway, as I was saying, if our country has any significant disagreements
with Israel, I suggest that all foreign aid programs to Israel be terminated,
no matter how worthwhile (to the interests of the U.S. OR Israel) any of these
programs may be, and no matter what the negative impact of terminating these
programs will be.  I further suggest that when this decision is made, all
members of the relevant committees should recite the following two
sentences in unison:

     1) My way, or the highway.

     2)  Cut my nose to spite your face.

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Aren't we approaching the ridiculous here?  We speak out of one side of our
mouth about supporting efforts for Jewish unity and identification, then
we do an about face and propose boycotting any efforts toward Jewish education
and identification of those who have honest (albeit harsh) disagreements
with us!  Is this the vaunted idea of Jewish tolerance- that tolerance means
when you are agreeing with me?  Is it in the long-range interests of American
Jews to withhold support from groups that are infinitely more successfull
than UJA at combatting Jewish intermarriage and assimilation (now estimated
to be occurring nationally at way over 30%, and that's a very conservative
figure), because some of these groups sincerely hold some opinions bound to
offend other Jews?  How do we expect our country, as well as others, to respect
dissenting policy opinions of Israel's, if we internally adopt a policy of
blackmailing those of our own group whom we disagree with?

Tha last thing we need to do now is to rehash all the arguments pro and con
the proposed Who is a Jew law.  Whether or not it should be passed, the
supporters of the law certainly are raising valid questions about the long-
term ramifications of Israel having several sets of conversion laws that
are not mutually acceptable.  This is certainly not the legal equivalent
of one group's sticking out its tongue and giving a Bronx cheer to the
other groups.  At a time of year when we should all be thinking about coming
to terms with each other, let's not spend our time "brainstorming" about
ever-more ingenious ways of "getting even" with each other.

With hopes (naive?) of no hard feelings...

Good Shabbos...Pinchus Klahr  {allegra,ihnp4} cmcl2!csd2!klahr