Ohio Jewish chronicle. (Columbus, Ohio), 1990-02-08

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VOL.68 NO. 6
FEBRUARY 8,1990-SHEVAT 13, 5750
Devoted to American
' and Jewish Ideals.
Bush Champions Sectarian Child Care
And Voluntary Prayer In The Schools
Gathered for the Founders' Sabbath at Temple Israel Jan. 26 and 27 were, (1. to r.)
Rabbi Gary A. Huber, Cantor Vicki L. Axe, Rabbi Bradley N. Bleefeld, guest speaker
Arthur Grant, Rabbi Steven W. Engel and Rabbi Howard L. Apothaker. *
Joint Service Marks Founders' Sabbath
Founders' Sabbath, a major highlight in the annual
calendar of the Columbus
Reform Jewish community,
was observed during the
weekend of Jan. 26 and 27.
Members of Congregation
Beth Shalom, Congregation
Beth Tikvah and Temple Israel joined together at Tem-
' 'pleJsraeFforKabbalat Shab—>.
bat services led by Rabbi
' Howard L. Apothaker, Rabbi
Gary A. Huber, Rabbi Bradley N. Bleefeld, Rabbi
Steven W. Engel, Rabbi Jerome D. Folkman and Cantor Vicki L. Axe. Seated on
the bima were Rita Cohen,
president of Temple Israel,
JoAnne Grossman, president of Congregation Beth
Shalom and Jack Schwarz,
vice president of Congregation Beth Tikvah.
Guest speaker for the
evening was Arthur Grant,
director of Program and
Regions for the Union of
American Hebrew Congregations. He spoke about the
responsibility of synagogues ,
in the 1990s, Grant suggested
that in this decade synagogues must be devoted to
five endeavors, "regaining
the home comfort of earlier
generations, caring about individuals, creating new organizational models, reach-
ing towards a vision, and increasing the religious experience through spirituality."
Founders' Sabbath continued in the morning with
breakfast, worshipand
study with Grant sharing his
wisdom on the current state
of synagogue, life and ways
to use new organizational
models and creative programming to bring congregants with vision towards
CONTINUED ON PAGE U
By Howard Rosenberg
WASHINGTON, (JTA)
— President Bush vowed last
week to oppose child-care
legislation that prevents
parents receiving federal
funds from enrolling their
children in sectarian programs.       .    7     I   .
"I will not see the option of
religious-based child care
eliminated or restricted,"
Bush said in a speech to 3,200
people at the 47th annual
convention of National Reli-i
gious Broadcasters.
Bush, who has spoken to
the largely Evangelical
group three times previously, reiterated several of his
longstanding positions on
such issues as school prayer
and abortion.
"There is no denying that
America is a religious nation," Bush said. "While God
can live without man, man
cannot live without God. "i
Last year, both houses' of
AFSI Sponsors Kahane Speech Feb. 21
Rabbi Meir Kahane will
speak at the Hilton Inn East
on Wednesday, Feb. 21, at 8
p.m. The speech is sponsored by the Columbus chapter of Americans For A Safe
Israel (AFSI), an umbrella
organization for Americans
who support Israel's claim to
Judea, Samaria, Gaza and
Jerusalem.
Since his election to the
Knesset in 1984, Rabbi
Kahane has become the
most controversial figure in
Israeli politics. Kahane advocates the transfer of Israel's Arab population, arguing that that course is perfer-
able to the alternatives of
continued violence or the
threat of Israel's destruction. He also calls for instituting traditional Jewish law
in governing all aspects of
Israeli society. The rabbi's
fiery oratory and provocative ideas have attracted intense support  arid Strong
condemnation  from  Jews
around the world.
Kahane, 58, was born in
Brooklyn, to Rabbi and Mrs.
Yehezkel Shraga Kahane.
His family were followers of
the Zionist Revisionist
leader, Ze'ev Jabotinsky,
who stayed at their home on
visits to New York. Active in
the Betar Zionist youth
movement, Kahane led his
first demonstration at the
age of 15, when he was arrested for throwing rocks at
. the limousine of the British
Foreign Minister Ernest
Bevin. The rabbi received
his smicha after graduating
from the Mirrer Yeshiva.
Kahane also received both
an LLB degree from New
York University Law School
and a degree in international
law.
In 1968, Kahane founded
■'. the militant Jewish Defense
League (JDL) and was instrumental in building the
Free Soviet' Je'wr/ Move-'
ment. While incarcerated for
11 months in Allenwood
prison, Kahane established
the right of Jewish inmates
to kosher food in the landmark case Kahane v. Carl-
■son.
Kahane's published works
include "Uncomfortable
Questions for Comfortable
Jews," "Never sAgain,"
"Listen World, Listen Jew,"
and "They Must Go." He
also publishes a monthly
magazine, writes a weekly
column and "The Jewish
Press," chairs Israel's Kach
Party and serves as Rosh Ha
Yeshiva at Yeshivat
Ha'Raayon Ha'Yehudi in Jerusalem.
Tickets to the Feb. 21
speech are available from
members of AFSI for $5;
Space permitting, tickets
will also be available at the
door, or by calling 866-8344.
Congress gave initial approval to child-care legislation. But it was scrapped by
lawmakers late in the session, along with a proposed
cut in the capital gains tax.
Both versions of the bill
would have allowed federal
funds to be used for religious-based child-care programs, which pleased Orthodox Jewish groups but disturbed most other Jewish organizations.
Bush told the broadcasters
that he wants to "ensure that
parents, not bureaucrats,
are the ones who decide how
to care for these children."
Bush has previously said
he wants parents seeking
child-care services to receive tax credits and has
threatened to veto legislation that does not follow-that
approach.
On other church-state issues, the president said he
continues to support "a belief held by the overwhelming majority of Americans,
the right to voluntary school
prayer."
He added that he supports
a constitutional amendment
restoring voluntary prayer.
"We need the faith of our
fathers back in our schools,"
Bush said.
Bush did not discuss
another church-state concern of Jewish groups, that
of the use of school grounds
after the school day by religious groups.
Earlier this month, the
Supreme Court heard oral
argument in a case originally brought by a Nebraska
high-school student that may
decide the constitutionality
of such activity, referred to
as "equal access" to school
premises.
On abortion, Bush said, "I
support the sanctity of life."
He added that he supports
policies that "encourage
adoption, not abortion."
On the separation between
church and state, Bush said
that since its founding,
"America has endorsed,
properly so, the separation
of church and state, and it
has also shown how religion
CONTINUED ON PAGE 1*
daman
To
Elana Hadassah
Elana Hadassah will hold
its annual Jewish National
Fund luncheon on Tuesday,
Feb. 20, at Beth Shalom, 3100
E. Broad St., at noon.
The speaker will be Elizabeth Claman, WSYX
anchor/reporter, whose
topic will be "The Representation of Jews in the Media."
"You've seen her on the air,
now you will have an opportunity to meet her in
person," says Jerry Fine-
berg. ,
Multi-talented Claman
was born in Los Angeles,
Calif. She received her B.A.
from the University of California, Berkeley, and also
has a degree from the Uni-
versite De Paris, La Sor-
bonne, France. She began,
her career as a production
Elizabeth Claman
assistant for KCBS-TV in
Los Angeles, where she
worked her way up to field
producer. Claman then became the youngest person in
Los Angeles to win an Emmy.
Award for her reporting. In
1987 she joined WSYX and
has won critical acclaim for
her reporting.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 16
HOLIDAY FEATURE
Tu B'Shevat: The Meaning
By Rabbi Bernard S. Raskas
(©1990, JTA, Inc.)
Tu B'Shevat is the name
we use for the New Year of
Trees, although its translation is simply 15th of Shevat,
the date when it is believed
that the sap begins to rise in
the fruit trees of Israel.
However, its real name in
Hebrew - Rosh Hashanah
L'ilanot - refers to trees and
planting, an agricultural festival marking the date frojn
which to count the age of a
tree. This was used originally for reasons of the tithe in
Temple times and also to indicate the maturation of fruit.
The New Year of Trees is
mentioned in the Mishnah as
one of the four New Years.
Trees occupy a central
position in Jewish law and
lore, beginning with a mention in the Bible during the
story of creation. Trees are
also associated with important biblical events, such as
Abraham sitting under the
oak of Mamre, and Moses
having a vision of a bush that
is burning and consumed-
It is forbidden to destroy
fruit trees and use them during a siege (Deuteronomy
20:19). The rabbis used this
verse to develop the idea of
"ba'al tashchit," meaning
"You shall not destroy." It is
interpreted as a general
principle prohibiting vandalism and wanton destruction
of any kind.
Whole sections in the Talmud, deal with the proper
and improper use of trees.
For example, it it forbidden
to plant trees within 25 cubits
of a built-up area. Also, roots
are carefully studied interims of relationship to soil,'
when branches protrude into
a neighbor's land, the value
of a tree, etc.
There is a whole series of
blessings centered about
trees to be recited on specific
occasions. When the fruit of
a tree is to be eaten, a blessing must be recited. On
smelling fragrant woods or
barks, there is an appropriate prayer. When one sees
trees first blossoming, one
should say "Blessed is God
who has provided the world
with everything and made
creation that was good, so
that people might take pleasure" (Berachot43).
Indeed, the Torah itself is
called "a tree of life." Legends, stories and parables
Roots
about trees fill volumes of
pages in Jewish literature.
But, perhaps the best known
and most instructive is the
tale of the old man who was
seen planting a carob tree as
the king rode by;
"Old man," the king called
out, "how old are you?
"Seventy years, your majesty," the man replied.
,   "How many years will it
take before that tree will
bear fruits?" the king askea.
CONTINUED ON PAGE M
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