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Show ft ! 'I , If I - M-V : 1 . i - . ! 4 ',,'3.5 1 'Saints' find comparison, not contrast, as key with the Jews in Salt Lake Temple Square, the huge, new Church Office Building and certainly the Mormon Temple itself, symbolize the influence of the LDS Church in the "land of Zion"-Salt Lake. A few blocks away, sandwiched between other buildings, is another temple whose congregation speaks of another "land of Zion" in the Middle East. said Norman Rosenblatt, 2397 East 13th South. In fact, members of the Jewish community, less concerned about points of doctrine, often praise the LDS Church for its fundamental fun-damental attitudes. "Mormon influence in this community is for the good," said Rabbi Abner L. Bergman of the Temple B'Nai Israel (249 So. 4th E.). "Mormons stress fundamental values: family, home, taking care of one's own, and obviously going to church. A great many of these values have rubbed off on the non-Mormon community." If only because at least 40 percent of the population is LDS, Mormon political values also "rub off." "The Mormon society infringes upon anyone's rights in Salt Lake City. Whether we like to believe this or not, we legislate morals," said Cynthia Hilton, a University political science major. "But who is to say if Cod says, this is the right way-why way-why shouldn't we help others too." All non-Mormons, not just Jews, are affected af-fected by Mormon political power. And although some, like Wendy Love from New York, also a political science major, resent this as "an infringement on the separation of powers," most Jews accept Mormon political power as a fact of life. "Of course some political influence is to be expected and I don't worry about it. I can still vote for whomever I want," said Louis C. Zucker, the University's first Jewish professor. There are other inconveniences, though; a Jew in Salt Lake City cannot buy kosher food whenever he wants because there is no place to buy it. But that doesn't really matter since there is no Orthodox synagogue in Salt Lake City only one Conservative synagogue and one Reform synagogue which do not require kosher living. Although the Mormon and the entire Christian population overwhelm Salt Lake City's 1,700 Jews, most Jews reject assimilation and retain the cultural patterns pat-terns which make them Jewish. "Jewish identity is helped because we are such a minority here," said Rabbi Bergman. "A great deal of one's sense of identity comes from the outside. People say, 'Hey you're Jewish.' and each of us says to himselfHey, I'm Jewish." Salt Lake City's Jews make up a stable community; most are life-long residents of Utah. They came her originally as students or faculty of the universities; to investigate business opportunities; because relatives had already settled here; or just because Utah is a stopping place on the way to California. It is not a ghetto community Salt Lake City Jews do not cling together geographically. To strengthen Jewish cultural identity as well as to involve the general public in Jewish activities, the Jewish Community Center was built more than 10 years ago. Housing multi-purposed rooms, lounges, lockers and showers, this facility, just a few blocks from Norman Rosenblatt's home, is valued at nearly $500,000. "The center is not a religiously oriented institution. It is a place where hopefully people can come together and participate in cultural and social activities," said Harry Altschule, director of the Center. "The (continued on page fi) By SUSAN STARK Special to the Chronicle Temple Square, the huge new Church Office Building and certainly the Mormon Temple itself symbolize the influence of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) in the "land of Zion" Salt Lake City. Yet, a few blocks away, sandwiched between other buildings is another temple whose congregation speaks of another "land of Zion" in the Middle East. . The contrast lies neither in buildings nor in the location of Zion; it lies in the comparison com-parison of Judaism to a particular kind of Christianity Mormonism. In this comparison, com-parison, the similarities are as important as the differences. Salt Lake City's Mormons and Jews regard each other's religious views with mutual respect, although total approval is rare. Most explanations begin, "I have great respect for the religion; I respect all religions. There is good in all, but..." Dr. Ray C. Colton, professor of World Religions at the LDS Institute of Religion on the University campus, suggests the obvious difference, "Christinas believe Jesus is the Christ that he is the Messiah, but the Jews believe he is not." Yet Mormons feel a close kinship to the Jewish people. This attitude is easily traced to the doctine of the LDS Church. The Church teaches that the Jews as well as the Mormons are descendants of the lost 10 tribes of Israel. "Mormons are nearer to the Jews than they are to any other Christian denomination because we believe we are both of Israel. They are our Jewish brethren," said Dr. Colton. The return of the Jews to Palestine is also significant to the Mormon religion as a sign of the last days before Christ's return to the earth. These religious attitudes are reflected daily in personal encounters. "It has been my experience that there's a warmer feeling for Jews in Salt Lake City than probably in any other large city in the United States," "...being beautiful doesn't start with the fact of one's color or the fact of one's religious outlook. It starts with a person who decides to make his color or his religion a thing of beauty for himself and for others..." Mormons and Jews are both from the ! 0 trib (from page 1) activities, however, are only the means to an end the end being what happens to people as they interact and relate to each other." The center coordinates activities of both synagogues as well as all other Jewish organizations like the United Jewish Council. Programs for pre-school and grade school-aged as well as teenagers include friendship clubs, scout organizations and special interest activities. Although use of the center averages 50 percent Jewish to 50 percent gentile, most activities are geared to the needs of the Jewish community. The center operates because Jewish people want to be involved with other Jewish people. "People tend to go where they feel most comfortable for example one usually feels most comfortable with his family. The Jewish community, because of its common cultural background, is like a large family," explained Mr. Altschule. I change what you are. And if you're Jewish then be proud of it and don't try to change that either." "The blacks are beginning to realize that the worst part of black opression has been the fact that a great many of the negative attitudes of white toward blacks have over the years been internalized in-ternalized by the blacks themselves," them-selves," he said. "By the same token a great many of the Jewish people are realizing that the worst part of the past persecutions per-secutions of the Jewish people have been the negative attitudes internalized by the Jews themselves." them-selves." Originally from New York, Rabbi Bergman has served as rabbi of the Reform synagogue, Temple B'Nai Israel, since July. Ordained over two years ago, he served as an associate rabbi in Palo Alto, Calif., before coming to Salt Lake City. He sees pride in Judaism more as pride in oneself. The step toward achieving this pride is simple introspection. "Jewishness is not, by definition, beautiful; just as black is not, by definition, beautiful. It takes a person of pride and self-love to make blackness beautiful and to Judaisi kt f explained. lj' E hthefactofojth. fact of one's religiou eakei starts with the scuss decides to make his ""e ' relg'n a thing 0,: furtl h'mSe'f C ani Bergma n said. nten If a jew has self-prid , R-matter R-matter whether he ,SlrCiolc City or Israel. Yet SanUdir almost as conducive Jfecla deve oping self-pride e c Israel is overwhelm,, :ture while Salt Lake (; . clearly ,n a minority. , .mbers emphasi, uniqueness. i" They have develop sense of community ,t tl well-coordinated a--.tice organized heirarchy ,SSe organizations. And scril respected outside ,e p community by the Mortteri living in their own 2nd.' pathize with the Jewsflce; maintain the sovertd, ' Israel. J ;, Salt Lake Cuty's engl munity remains a 1 Jewish community erja'i own Zionist movement tert Mormon Zion flourish-evt it. e Still for some it is easier to assimilate into the larger community com-munity than to retain their Jewish identity. "There are some who choose for reasons of practicality or status to remain Jewish in name but to resemble non-Jews," said Dr. Zucker. "Usually assimilation takes the form of being less and less identified with Jewish matters and being recognized as just a person and not a Jew." It is easy in Salt Lake City, where one associates with many non-Jews non-Jews and where it takes a little more effort to be Jewish, to assume the "protective coloration" of non-Jews. And although the LDS church does not approach Salt Lake City's Jews as ardently as it approaches other groups its message is still heard. "Several prominent Mormons are Jews. They meet their Jewish friends or work with their Jewish associates and talk Mormonism to them," explained Dr. Colton. But as far as members of the Jewish community, like Norman Rosenblatt, are concerned, "Anybody who calls himself a Jew is a Jew' it's impossible to be a Mormon-Jew. You have to be Mormon." Most Jews, however, don't want to become Mormons. Just as pride in blackness is being vocalized, so too is a renewed pride in the Jewish religion and culture and in the Jews themselves. them-selves. "Young people, regardless of religion and color of the skin, are tired of running away from what they are," said Rabbi Bergman. 'They say if they're black, then be proud of it and don't try to |