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News Briefs
Holocaust, terrorism link is seen
NEW YORK (J TA)—An official of West Germany's opposi
tion Social Democratic Party (SPD) likened the current wave of
terror is m emanating from t he M id die East to the “same nationalis
tic seed that saw anti-Semitism kindle the flames of the Holocaust.”
In a speech to the biennial convention of the Jewish Labor
Committee here last week, Klaus Henning-Rosen, secretary of the
SPD’s H uman Rights Commission, urged “an international sum
mit in which the nations that are victims of terrorism draft a
democratic strategy of defense. This must be high on the agenda
and priorities list of every democratic country," he declared.
Blue Cross, Herzliya ink pact
TEL AVIV (JTA)—Blue Cross-Blue Shield has signed an
agreement with the Herzliya Medical Center to cover the costs of
hospitalization and treatment of American olim or American tour
ists who need medical attention while in Israel.
The agreement is reportedly the first of its kind with a foreign
hospital since Blue Cross-Blue Shield signed an agreement with the
American Hospital in Paris during World War II.
The agreement presently covers only subscribers from the New
York, New Jersey and Connecticut areas but other regions are
expected to be included later. The Herzliya Medical Center,
founded three years ago, is staffed by 150 physicians who conduct
their private practice at the center.
UNIFIL extension is advised
UNITED NATIONS (JTA)—United Nations Secretary Gen
eral Javier Perez de Cuellar has recommended in a report to the
Security Council that the mandate of the United Nations Interim
Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) be extended for another six-month
period. The present mandate for the force expires April 19.
“I am convinced that the maintenance of international peace
and security requires that the force’s mandate be extended,” the
secretary general said. "If it were to be withdrawn there would be
an immediate escalation of fighting in southern Lebanon, includ
ing fighting for control of positions at present occupied by
UNIFIL.
According to the secretary general, the 5,825 troop peacekeep
ing force suffered 18 casualties from gunfire, including three dead,
in the last six months.
Emigration by ‘eyedropper’
NEW YORK (JTA)—Only 47 Jews emigrated from the Soviet
Union during March, the National Conference on Soviet Jewry
(NCSJ) reported Monday. The March figure represents a decrease
in an already dwindling number of Soviet Jews allowed to emi
grate. "What we are witnessing is emigration by'eyedropper' one
Soviet Jew at a time," said Morris Abram, chairman of the NCSJ.
Demjanjuk put on further ‘hold’
TEL AVIV (JTA) John Demjanjuk. suspected of being the
notorious inmate guard "Ivan the Terrible” at the Treblinka death
camp during World War II, was remanded in custody for another
15 days to give police additional time to prepare the charge sheet
against the alleged war criminal.
Jerusalem Chief Magistrate Aharon Simcha, sitting in a make
shift courtroom at the Ayalon Prison where Demjanjuk is being
held in solitary confinement, ruled last Friday that sufficient evi
dence, including photographs and documents, had been received
from a number of countries to warrant ordering his continued
detention while the material was being examined and the charge
sheet formulated.
Pilots seek El Al-type security
WASHINGTON (Polakoff) Some American airline pilots at the
annual conference in London of the International Federation of
Airline Pilots Associations, said they favored the more stringent
security measures used by the Israeli national airline, El Al, as one
way to combat terrorism.
“It is expensive and time-consuming but generally effective,”
the pilots said, according to a news dispatch from London. The
U.S. Airline Pilots Association, with 34,000 members advocated
that pilots and carriers around the world stop flying to nations that
harbor terrorists or sponsor terrorism.
1
Temple Sinai seeks 1969-’78 confirmands
Editor:
Temple Sinai is planning a reun
ion May 29-June l for all students
confirmed during the congrega
tion’s first ten years (1969-1978).
We have located all but the follow
ing people (parents’ names where
known in parentheses):
Lloyd Blasen (Joan and Gene),
Lori Blum (Jack), Janet Eksiract,
Glen and Pamela Feeley (Beverly
and Harrison), Ellen Feinman
(Alvin), Robbin Gordon (Rosa
lind and Richard), Stuart Mark-
man (Ida and Harold), Stephen
Oppenheimer (Audrey and Leo
nard), Richard Reuben (Ed),
Randy Sader (Carol and Harold),
Pauline Schreiber (Stanley), Dan
ielle and Denise Schneider (Syl
via), Harold and Steve Seloff
(Ted), Steven Weisner (Barbara
and Gilbert).
If any readers know how to con
tact any of the above persons or
their families, please call either
Temple Sinai (252-3073) or Terri
Heyman (393-9425).
Terri Heyman
David Schoenberg
Co-chairpersons
Temple Sinai Confirmation Reunion
Boys’ alumni sought for 75th reunion
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Editor:
A nationwide search is under
way for former members of the
Boy’s Congregation and Sister
hood, which served youngsters in
the East New York and Browns
ville neighborhoods of Brooklyn
from 1911 until 1964.
A reunion marking the 75 anni
versary of the organization’s found
ing will take place Sept. 14 in New
York. Former members of the “Cong,”
as it was affectionately known, are
urged to write to: Congregation
75th Anniversary Reunion Com
mittee, 8907 Flatlands Avenue,
Brooklyn, N.Y. 1 1236.
The Boy’s Congregation and Sis
terhood wastheoldest Jewishyouth
organization of its kind in the U.S.
at the time it ceased operation in
1964. It served boys and girls ages 9
to 16. Members were required to
pay a nickel a week dues and
attend Sabbath services in order to
participate in a full program of
weekend activities. These included
cantorial and Torah reading train
ing, photography, model airplane
building, science, folk dancing and
drama. There were also social clubs.
Although no longer physically
existant, the Boy’s Congregation
and Sisterhood left a spiritual
mark on thousands of young men
and women growing up in Brook
lyn for ever five decades. This Sep
tember they will gather to remem
ber (several hundred have already
responded), but they will not only
savor the past. They will also savor
and aid the future of Jewish youth
through a program of scholarships
which are expected to be announced
at the reunion.
Eli Gabel
Charles Goldfarb
New York
Funds needed for rabbi’s widow
Editor:
On Friday evening, March 28,
while walking home from Shabbat
Services, Rabbi Yeshoshua Berg
man was killed by a drunken
driver. Rabbi Bergman was a Scho-
chet, and he and his family had
lived in Birmingham for the past
several years. Rabbi Bergman was
a vital part of the Orthodox Jewish
community and especially at Knes-
seth Israel Congregation.
As part of this tragedy Rabbi
Bergman has left a wife and three
children (all under five years old).
Unfortunately Rabbi Bergman had
no insurance and his family is left
with no financial means. 1 he cost
of medical and hospital care to try
to save his life, plus funeral ex
penses including shipping his body
for burial in Israel was over $ 18,000.
A special fund has been set up by
Knesseth Israel Congregation to
aid in the financial support of this
family. Anyone wishing to make a
donation for this worthy cause can
mail a check payable to Knesseth
Israel Bergman Fund. The mailing
address is Knesseth Israel, 3225
Montevallo Road, Birmingham,
Ala. 35223.
Adrian M. Grant
Parents see ‘love of Judaism’ in children
Dr. Ephraim Krankel, surrounded by students with their first siddu-
rini. Front (from left) are: Jennifer Neiss and Angela Frank. Top row
(from left): Eliah Ebrahini, Staci Silverman and Adina Braun.
Editor:
On Friday, March 21, the first
graders of the Hebrew Academy
had their “Siddur Party.” The Sid-
dur Party is an annual event when
the first grader having studied all
year to learn the prayers, are pre
sented with their own Siddur. As
headmaster Dr. Ephraim Frankel
explained, the other Siddurim the
children would receive at their
bar, bat mitzvas, graduations, wed
dings. etc., could never be quite as
important as this first Siddur.
The air was filled with excite
ment. The moment the first grad
ers had been so anxiously antici
pating had finally arrived. With
their parents sitting at the tiny
lunch tables in the crowded audi
torium, the children came out on
the stage and began to sing: "In me,
the Siddur, prayed Mom and Dad,
Grandma and Grandpa, while they
were still little tots. ”
Now, we parents were also excit
ed. Our first graders had developed
a love of Judaism—an emotional
tie to their heritage—that would
assure our survival.
The children completed their
presentation, and a delicious lunch
was served. Then came the moment
the children were waiting for. One
by one, they were called up to
receive their very own Siddur. The
moment they got it in hand, they
opened it. The real excitement was
just beginning! “I found Ashrei!”
“Here is the Shema!” All of the
prayers they had learned to love
were right there in their very own
Siddur.
The lyrics of another song the
children had sung before lunch
summed up our feelings as parents,
and our prayers for our children:
“Prayer is reaching for the things
you cannot see,
Traver is finding the kind of person
you should be.
Prayer is showing all the love you
feel inside.
Prayer is knowing our tradition is
our guide."
Clara and Mark Safra