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From: ktw@whuxi.UUCP (WOLMAN)
Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish
Subject: Re: Heat and light over a menorah
Message-ID: <203@whuxi.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 17-Dec-84 08:40:10 EST
Article-I.D.: whuxi.203
Posted: Mon Dec 17 08:40:10 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 18-Dec-84 02:25:10 EST
References: <17829@lanl.ARPA>, <1015@aecom.UUCP>
Organization: Bell Labs, Whippany, N.J.
Lines: 32

I posted the gist of my response in private to the original
poster, but because I find myself in essential agreement with
Teitz, have chosen to post the response publicly as well.  I
thought "Jewish Self-Hatred" was something that was part of the
entity known as "The Past."  Obviously not: it is easy to forget
that the past is something that happened a nanosecond ago.  It
is still somewhat amazing that major resistance to the overt signs
of symbols of Judaism comes from within the Jewish community.  "Hey,
if we keep our heads down, no one'll know. . . ."  This doesn't work.
It didn't work in Germany in the 1930's, and it isn't working here,
either.  Does history teach us ANYTHING?  How many times do we have
to be hit over the head with a two-by-four before we get the point?
If They are coming after us, They will do so menorah or not; the
decision to announce one's presence is at least affirmative rather
than self-deceptive and--dare it be said?--cowardly.

A few years back, in Teaneck, New Jersey a related battle broke
out in the Jewish community over the plans of a recently-arrived
Orthodox group to construct a mikveh.  Far too many secular or
non-Orthodox Jews were horrified; there may even have been court
battles; and there was certainly pressure on the Orthodox to "keep
a low profile" for fear of appearing "too Jewish."  Although I am
sketchy on the terms of the settlement, the mikvah WAS built.  But
the battle--conducted inside the Jewish community, rather than 
between Jews and Gentiles--was another wedge in the increasing
rift between Orthodox and non-Orthodox Jews, and served the 
interests of NO ONE.

Ken Wolman
Bell Communications Research
whuxi!ktw
(201) 740-4565