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News Briefs
They’re at It again
JERUSALEM (JTA)—A bomb explosion injured one man in
the Old City of Jerusalem Monday night. Two Israelis were injured
in stone-throwing incidents on the West Bank Tuesday and
several students at A-Najah University in Nablus were arrested,
resulting in a boycott of classes for the day.
The incidents on the West Bank followed a night of slogan
daubings in the territory and in East Jerusalem. The slogans,
attributed to Arab extremists, denounced the recent meetings
between King Hussein of Jordan and PLO chief Yasir Arafat
aimed at eventual peace talks with Israel.
French visit seen as good sign
JERUSALEM (JTA)—A French official delegation was to be
in Jerusalem this week negotiating a new two-year culture protocol
within the framework of the 1959 cultural accord between the two
countries.
Israeli officials are particularly pleased at this event, since
France postponed the session in July, when it was originally
scheduled, because of the Lebanon war.
U.S. warns Romania about tax
BUCHAREST (JTA)—U.S. Undersecretary of State for
Political Affairs Lawrence Eagleburger arrived here Monday,
reportedly to warn Romania that it risks losing its most favored
nation status if it imposes the special education tax decreed last
year. Eagleburger was to meet Tuesday with President and
Communist Party leader Nicoloe Ceausescu.
Ceausescu announced last November that Romania will
introduce a special tax on all emigrants. According to this decree,
emigrants will have to reimburse the state for their educational
expenses covering their last two years in high school, university
London back on the agenda
PARIS (JTA) Morocco announced Tuesday that a
compromise solution has been reached between the Fez summit
participants and Britain. The Moroccan Foreign Ministry said in
Rabat that an Arab League delegation, led by King Hassan of
Morocco and including a Palestinian representative, will visit
London Feb. 7, and apparently meet Prime Minister Margaret
Thatcher and Foreign Secretary Francis Pym.
An earlier Arab delegation, which was to include PLO
spokesman Farouk Kaddoumi, was told last November that Mrs.
Thatcher refused to meet it. The seven-man delegation decided at
the time to cancel its planned visit to London.
Soviet emigration at low point
NEW YORK (JTA) —Two Jewish organizations, the Greater
New York Conference on Soviet Jewry (GNYCSJ) and the
National Conference on Soviet Jewry (NCSJ), called 1982 a
disaster for Soviet Jewry. Figures released by the two groups
showed that the number of Jews allowed to emigrate from the
USSR this year was 2,670, the lowest since the two agencies started
keeping records 12 years ago.
POWs are healthy but homesick
GENEVA (JTA)—Representatives of the International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) stationed in Lebanon recently
visited the six Israeli soldiers being held as prisoners of war in
Lebanon by the Palestine Liberation Organization, the ICRC
reported here. The visit took place in accordance with the
regulations of the Geneva Convention, which means that the ICRC
representatives were accompanied by doctors but no witnesses.
The ICRC spokesman said that according to the report he
received, the Israelis were in good health but were “very homesick."
The ICRC has been unsuccessful in trying to obtain permission
from a PLO splinter group which is holding two other Israeli
soldiers as prisoners pf w,af. • . , , j. , , •, ,,
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etters to the editor
A Christian point of view
Editor:
In the Atlanta Constitution and
the Atlanta Journal on Dec. 10,
1982, there was an ad paid for by
Friends of Jews for Jesus. They
are, of course, free to do this.
However, many Christians are
offended by this kind of ad since it
misrepresents both Judaism and
Christianity. Theologically, Jews
"Tor Jesus are Christians—not
Jews. No matter how liberal one’s
theology, at the point of incarnation,
Jews and Christians go separate
ways—hopefully with a mutual
respect of one another's faith.
Judaism is misrepresented in the
old stereotype of literal legalism.
Christianity is misrepresented.as
having a monopoly on God’s love,
and thus, all others are second-
class in God's eyes.
Jews for Jesus use the
approach—mainly to Jewish
youth—across the country, “we
are fellow Jews” to proselytize.
This approach cheapens the love of
God and comes very close to what
Bonhoeffer calls “cheap grace.”
This is offensive to many of us who
call ourselves Christian. True
dialogue can only take place
between persons or faiths if there is
mutual respect and integrity.
Jack T Vaughn, clergyperson
Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ)
Judaism has many flavors
Editor:
“I’m not Jewish, I'm B'hai.” So
stated a college youth whose
parents were both Jewish. Many
Jews are searching for meaning,
purpose and structure in their
lives. A number have found these
basic psychological needs in bther
religions but not in their own.
1 really wonder how many
Jewish cultists have ever
experienced authentic Judaism.
Unfortunately, a great number of
them come from families that show
little interest in (Torah-true)
Judaism.
| once heard a clergyman
compare Judaism to ice cream. He
said that it had many flavors. My
worry is that a customer who is
dissatisfied with one brand of ice
cream may not try another flavor.
Instead, he may Iry another brand.
We live in a time when the
distinction between Judaism and
its "flavors" is not realized by
many Jews who are searching for
the truth Jewish people come in
different flavors. Judaism does not.
Our nation has 12 families or
tribes. Our religion does not
have three versions, or “branches.”
Those who maintain affiliation
with certain “flavors” are still Jews
and our brothers. However, from
this standpoint, they are not
practicing authentic Judaism, as a
result of their being in error or
being ignorant. Partially because
of this environment we are
saddened by large numbers of
people who choose to abandon
their faith.
Truly, our history is full of
dissenting groups. There were the
Hillel-Shamai factions and the
Hasidic-Misnagid split, to name a
few. Each group recognized and
maintained the essentials of our
heritage. They differed in relative
externalities. However, there were
the Karaites, the Hellenists and the
followers of the Nazarene.
Mainstream Judaism never
recognized their legitimacy and
eventually they became lost or they
evolved into another religion. I
believe that the “modified
versions" of our generation will
suffer the latter fate.
It is true that in these times we
desperately need unity. However,
it cannot be built on a false
glossing over of serious
differences. We must truly seek to
make our fellows feel our essential
brotherhood and sisterhood.
However, let us not jeopardize the
destiny of the many who are
disappointed by their impressions
of Judaism.
I plead to those who are
dissatisfied with “Judaism" that
they take the brave step and check
Judaism out.
Tzvi Black
Caretaker
remembered
Editor:
The Camp Barney Medintz staff
was saddened by the recent death
of Bennie Caudell, CBM caretaker
for the past 20 years. Bennie was an
integral part of the camp
community, having helped in the
original construction of Barney
Medintz and contunlly oveiMeuw
the care of the grotlndr and horses.
Bennie was an extraordinary
man; strong enough to lift horses
and bend fifty-cent pieces in his
bare hands; yet, gentle and kind to
all who had the pleasure of
knowing him. As one of the most
respected individuals in Cleveland,
Ga t , Bennie Caudell will always be
remembered by those who knew
and loved him.
Undo Lincoln
Teenagers get involved
by Mira Jacob
YEHUD, Israel—
It is a universal problem: how to
get teenagers involved in
community activities?
Israel is trying to come up with
an answer by using the community
center to reach out to young people
and offer them meaningful social
involvement through a challenging
program called Noar Le Noar
(Youth to Youth).
In Yehud, a middle-class
township 10 miles east of Tel Aviv.
Noar Le Noar participants art
installing security devices in the
homes of the elderly, leading
activities for institutionalized children,
and serving refreshments to
soldiers waiting on the road for
rides to their base. The Sol M.
Steinberg Community Center in
Yehud is the headquarters of the
program and the base for these and
many other activities. Yechiel
Sarig, shaliach to the Atlanta Jewish
Community Center, is the former
director of the Steinberg center.
Organized in cooperation with
the B’nai B’rith Youth
Organization, the Noar Le Noar
program is one of the “new
generation” of projects of the
American Jewish Joint Distribution
Committee in Israel and the Israel
Association of Community
Centers.
“Since Noar Le Noar is a youth
organization, and the centers offer
activities for teenagers, it only
seemed natural to bring the two
organizations together," said
Hank Havassy, head of
community center programs for
JDC in Israel. “The center
provides teenagers with a
framework that meets their needs
while helping them develop an
awareness of the needs of their
community. It also provides the
tools necessary to get on with the
job!”
Community centers in Israel are
often located in disadvantaged
urban areas or in development
towns in order to help narrow the
socio-educational gap. Still in its
experimental stage, thd program
involves the setting up of a N oar Le
Noar chapter as part of the local
centers in each of 10 communities.
Sixteen-year-old Dalia
Finklestein, who heads the Yehud
chapter, admits that what
originally brought her to Noar Le
Noar was “just to have fun." But
after a few months she became
aware of the impact that the
project had on the wider
community. “We choose our own
leadership and decide what
projects we would like to
undertake," says Dalia. Through
the Noar Le Noar/Community
Center program Jhcse kids are
learning the skills necessary to take
an active role in their community
and become future leaders.
PAGE 5 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE January 14, 1983