The Southern Israelite. (Augusta, Ga.) 1925-1986, October 12, 1979, Image 1
a * ‘Simchat Torah, 1959 Jewish Museum. N CE o c (VJ tx r\i \ OQ in *—4 SZ . X _l o O CJ LU Z2 Z Z O LU •—i L> Z < H 3 < z z ^ o z 'Jj(- 1—1 X LL o cc z l-U _) >—1 X o o The Southern Israelite The Weekly Newspaper For Southern Jewry Our 55th Year VOL. LV Atlanta, Georgia, Friday, October 12, 1979 No. 41 Atlanta Jewish Federation To Our Sister in Zion, Ida Nudel— Dear Ida: Many members of the Atlanta Jewish Community were privileged to meet your wonderful sister, Elena, when she visited our town last month. Elena told us of your strength and resistance. It has become our tradition to hold a march and rally on Simchat Torah to let the world know of our oneness with our Jewish brothers and sisters in the Soviet Union. At the rally we present a plaque of honor to a member of the world community whose spirit has contributed to our knowledge and understanding of the plight of Russian Jewry. It is our privilege this year to honor you with this plaque. We invite you to come to Atlanta, Georgia, USA on October 14,1979, to accept this award. We admire you and salute you for you have truly become a symbol of the courage of the Soviet Refusenik movement. We believe that you do not suffer in vain. In your resistance, you have joined the ranks of Deborah and Esther, who have inspired our people and led us forth out of oppression. We only hope and pray that next year on Simchat Torah you shall be in Jerusalem. Yours in Zion, The Atlanta, Georgia, USA Jewish Community Terrorism to --.. ..•**•. The above letter, sent on behalf of the Atlanta Jewish community, may never reach Ida Nudel. But there is always a chance. A copy of the letter was sent to Leonid Brezhnev at the Kremlin, asking his assistance by forwarding the letter and helping Nudel to come to Atlanta to accept the community’s award in person. For more on Ida Nudel, sec page I4. Fauntroy withdraws invitation to PLO chief by Joseph PolakofT WASHINGTON (JT A) — Walter Fauntroy, one of the prime movers among American black leaders toward inducing the U.S. government to deal with the Palestine Liberation Organiza tion, has announced that he has withdrawn his invitation to PLO chief Yasir Arafat to visit the U.S. and has also cancelled a series of 10 “educational forums” on the Middle East and the Palestinian question scheduled by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Fauntroy, who is chairman of the SCLC board and the District of Columbia's delegate to the House of Representatives, and Rev. Joseph Lowery of Atlanta, president of the SCLC, had both met with Arafat in Beirut last month and indicated that they would receive from Arafat a promise that the PLO will cease its terrorist activities. Fauntroy's announcement Sunday followed a six-point message to the SCLC from Arafat indicating that the PLO would observe a cease-fire in south Lebanon but would engage in renewed hostilities against Israel. The PLO statement was issued after Rev. Jesse Jackson left Beirut last Friday after an I l-day five- Yasir Arafat hosts nation Mideast tour which included Israel, Egypt, Jordan. Syria and Lebanon. Before leaving Beirut, Jackson, who is the head of Operation PUSH, claimed that the PLO had “seized the initiative" by declaring a cease-fire in south Lebanon. The declaration, however, made no mention of ending terrorist activity against Israel. Fauntroy said Arafat's cease fire declaration was inadequate and that it does not guarantee an end to terrorism in Israel or on the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The black leader said on a local radio interview that “I intend to withhold any invitation to Mr. SCLC leaders in Beirut. Arafat until there is some clear indication that he is prepared to at least respond to our initial request to a moratorium on violence everywhere, including inside the nation of Israel." Fauntroy also said the SCLC would not launch its education forums on the Mideast until “we get a clearer understanding of what their (PLO) intentions are in respect to the moratorium." Regarding the Lebanon cease-fire, he added, “That for me is not adequate. It has to be a unilateral and across-the-board moratorium including acts of violence inside Israel." There was no immediate See Fauntroy page 21