AMPLIFICATION & UPDATE

* Caspar Weinberger: The late Caspar Weinberger was described as "of Jewish ancestry" in the March 31 issue (p. 3). More precisely, neither he nor his father were Jewish, and his mother was an Episcopalian, according to Weinberger's 2001 autobiography. It was his grandfather who was Jewish.

Moshe Arens, Israel's U.S. Ambassador, claimed Weinberger had "a lot of hang-ups about his Jewishness" (Jewish Star, March 19, 2004).

* Mezuzah legislation and litigation: Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed Illinois Senate Bill 2165 on April 12, which ensures that condo residents can place mezuzahs on their front doorposts (Jewish Star, March 31). The bill was sponsored by Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) and Sen. Ira Silverstein (D-Chicago), and becomes law on Jan. 1, 2007.

In signing the legislation, Gov. Blagojevich said that "Being able to display religious symbols is just as fundamental as being able to practice your religious beliefs. That's why this bill is so important. I wanted to sign this bill on the eve of Passover, because the story of Passover is all about being free to practice your beliefs and practice your religion. The freedoms and ideals that make our country so great are the same ideals that Passover celebrates, and the same ideals that people all over the world seek every day."

The Illinois bill amends the Condominium Property Act, specifically precluding condo boards from preventing "any reasonable accommodation for religious practices, including the attachment of religiously mandated objects to the front-door area of a condominium unit." A notable difference with the Chicago City ordinance initiated by Ald. Burt Natarus (42nd) and co-sponsored by Ald. Bernard Stone (50th) is that the City ordinance, which became law last December 14, is an amendment to the Unfair Housing Practices section of the Municipal Code (�5-8-030). The Natarus bill thus includes not only condo residents but renters or owners of apartments, houses, and condos (Jewish Star, December 16). It specifies a maximum fine of $500 for its violation. Neither bill uses the word "mezuzah," and both are relevant to the placement of any religiously-mandated object.

The city and state legislative actions came in response to in-depth and extensive reporting on the subject by the Jewish Star, which was also the first publication to cover the issue.

In related news, preparations continue in the case of Bloch et al. vs. Edward Frischholz et al., the long-standing dispute concerning mezuzah placement at Shoreline Towers at 6301 N. Sheridan Road in Chicago. Condo board members and other parties have been deposed for the Federal district court jury trial. At the request of the defendants, the originally scheduled trial date of July 10 (Jewish Star, Feb. 10) has now been set for August 28.

[Author Affiliation]

- Doug Wertheimer, Editor