Newspaper Page Text
$$$ needed
Prospects are encouraging that when the “Operation Pony
Expresi” plane comes to Atlanta on behalf of the United Jewish
Appeal’s airborne cash mobilization program, the Atlanta Jewish
community will havf reached its $1 million goal.
Meyer Balser, cash collection chairman for the AJ WF, said, “So
far this month, close to SXX),000 in payments has been received.
With the flurry of activity expected during the last half of
December, we should reach or exceed our goal.”
“Operation Pony Express,” in which national UJA campaign
leaders use their own planes to meet community leaders at local
airports to pick up checks, was originally developed in the
Southwest earlier this year and was used successfully for .cash
collection in the New England states in November.
David Go|dwasser, AJWF president, in a letter to contributors,
points out that “while prospects for peace in the Middle East are
encouraging, nothing has changed to relieve us of our obligations.
We must continue to keep Israel strong.
“We have made a commitment'—now we must translate that
commitment into action through cash.”
VOL. LIII
Israelite
The Weekly Newspaper for Southern Jewry
Our 54th Year
Atlanta, Ga., Friday, December 23, 1977
NO. 51
1
Cairo—
The real thing’
by Maurice Samueison
CAIRO, (JTA)—Officially they
are calling it merely a preliminary
to the real Middle East peace
conference which will take place in
Geneva. But there is no mistake
about it: what is happening here is
the real thing and Geneva, if it
Late News
NEW YORK, (JTA)—
Prawfar Messacfcem Begin, who
■peat tWa laat day of Ms visit to
the United States in New York,
confirmed Monday that he and
Ms wife, AHxa, will go to Egypt
on Sunday to meet with
President Anwar Sadat. The
meeting is expected to take
place in IsmaiUa.
takes place at all, will be little more
than an epilogue. This has not yet
J>een appreciated by many of the
800 or so reporters from all over
the world who have been besieging
the Mena House since the arrival
season...
of the Israeli, Egyptian, American
and United Nations officials.
Apparently petty difficulties
over procedural details have been
seen as proof that this is a side
show while the real talks and
decisions are happening elsewhere.
Some even suggested, half
seriously, that they had been
diverted to this desert spot on the
southwest outskirts of Cairo to
ensure greater secrecy for contacts
in other countries,
was the Israeli Premier
Begin’* visit to Wathhtgtdli
And yet, of course, this is the
real center of the process which
President Anwar Sadat launched
on Nov. 9 when he told the
Egyptian Peoples Assembly of his
readiness to talk peace in the
Israeli Parliament.
The so-called procedural
difficulties over who shall preside:
whether there should be flags on
the round negotiating table; and
above all an agreed agenda of what
should be discussed and in what
The Cairo Conference is underway. But empty seats still remain for the five Arab nations who have thus far
refused fo participate.
order are sure signs that the parties
are entering the serious business of
resolving the conflict caused by the
creation of a Jewish sovereign state
East. The fact is that
qpccnt weeks has
entirely changed! • -v -
Against the Background of the
past 30 years the Mena House talks
are without parallel. There are
only two tenuous precedents—the
mixed armistice^alks at Rhodes in
1949 followed a year later by the
protracted Lausanne conference.
But the differences far outweigh
any similarities. The Rhodes
armistice agreements, while
containing pledges aiming at
peace, were primarily military
documents signed by soldiers.
True, the talks took place in the
intimacy of the Hotel des Roses
like that already established in this
idyllic retreat. But they attracted
ituin ihwhpuwjcw
friendliness
established between Israelis and
Egyptians on a personal level at
Rhodes, the Cairo government like
those of Jordan, Syria and
Lebanon, officially denied that
direct talks were taking place at all
since that would have signified
their recognition of Israeli
statehood. So at first they tried tq
speak only to Ralph Bunche, the
United Nations mediator and
chairman.
Here, however, although
Americans and UN staff are also
present, Egypt is proud that it is
dealing directly with Israel. There
IVIvhmIQ mi
even greater. There Israel and the
Arabs were joined not only by the
UN but by representatives of a
sizeable number of its members
ranging from France to Turkey.
They were supposed to bring Israel
and the Arabs together so that the
uneasy armistice could be
translated into peace. But the
presence of so many outside
parties, all with their own interests
See Cairo, Page 22
(HljrtstmaB tn tfye schools?
by Betty G. Cantor
“Tis the season to be jolly” and decorate Christmas trees, and
make Christmas wreaths, and sing Christmas carols, and perform
in Christmas pageaats und engage in a myriad of other holiday
activities in the public schools. ADL’s telephone lines ring even
more constantly, consistent with the season. A series of complaints
pour forth, always we suspect representing a fraction of the abuses
“out there.” Most callers begin with the assumption
Christmas trees and the emphasis on Christmas activities are
“illegal.” But are they?
Our response would indeed be easier if we could agree,
“Yes, these practices are clearly considered ’illegal’ by the
courts." We tell callers first that the First Amendment to the
United States Constitution guarantees freedom of religion
and the separation of dhurch and state. That, of course,
includes the public schools of the state. We describe the more
recent Supreme Court decisions regarding religious
practices in the public schools. Hr Engel v. Vitale
(1962) the Court held that recitation cf a non-sectarian
prayer composed by the New York Board of Regents was
unconstitutional. A year later, in Abington School District
v. Schempp, the Court outlawed recitation of the Lord's Prayer and
the reading of the Bible as a devotional exercise in the public schools.
Not a word was said about Christmas trees, Christmas carols,
Christmas decorations, or the like. True it is that the language of the
Court in these decisions, declaring unconstitutional any practice that
places “the power prestige and financial support of government...
behind a particular religious belief," would seem to preclude many of
the Christmas observances described by parents and students. But,
these practices have not been specifically tested in the Court. A
Jewish mother acknowledged her son enjoyed singing Christmas
carols, but was firm in his determination to only move his lips
without sound at “Christ the Lord." (I remember doing this myself
growing up in the Atlanta Public Schools.)
How do we handle the complaints? There are long-range efforts
and more immediate ones. ADL with most Jewish
institutions believes that secterian observances of religious
holidays have no place in the public schools.
We encourage parents to speak with the teacher,
discussing what is to be said, how insistently to be pursued,
when to go to the principal, and even the superintendent. We
offer to be the spokesperson when it seems appropriate,
when courage may be lacking, or the offending practice
particualrly outrageous.
Parents have proven to be wiling to do battle tactfully,
resourcefully, and even sucessfull* In one classroom where
the Lord’s Prayer was recited daily, the pArent argued her
position, the teacher steadfastly defended her right and moral
responsibility to have the class pray; but, a few days after the
encounter, without admitting being in error, she simply stopped.
Some parents were aware of being co-opted. Jewish children were
singled out by the teacher. “You’re Jewish. Tomorrow is Hanuka.
Bring a menorah to school and tell the class about *your holiday.’-”
One even said, “about your Christmas." This on a variety of levels
becomes a joint Christmas-Hanuka event and presents the “if you
can’t beat them join them” dilemma.
See Christmas Page 22
Hebrew Union Col Library
Clifton Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio 45220
