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PAGE 4 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE May 16, 1986
The Southern Israelite
The Weekly Newspaper Fcx Southern Jewry
Since 1925
Vida Goldgar
Editor and Publisher
Leonard Goldstein
Advertising Director
Luna Levy
Associate Editor
Eschol A. Harrell
Production Manager
Lutz Baum
Business Manager
Published every Friday by The Southern Israelite, Inc
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Make time for “Shoah
11
Vida Goldgar
Double pleasures
We’ve been tooting our community’s horn a lot lately, so we
should have known we were due for a disappointment.
Reports of attendance at the monumental film, “Shoah,” are
not only disappointing but puzzling, especially when compared to
crowded screenings in other cities. For a change, Atlanta, is at the
bottom of the list.
For months after the film was first shown in this country there
was a question as to whether it would be brought to Atlanta.
When the announcement was made that there would be, after all,
an opportunity to see Claude Lanzmann’s epic documentary at
the Lefont Plaza, there was excitement and anticipation.
By midweek, fewer than 500 people have made the effort.
Make no mistake, it does take an effort for many to set aside
roughly 9'/> hours to see the two-part film. And May is a month
full of activities, but the opportunity may not come again.
Shoah’s contemporary interviews and the complex emotions it
evokes give current meaning and importance to the Holocaust,
which provides us a unique opportunity to interpret our deep
continuing concern to new audiences.
Critics have been almost unanimous in their praise of “Shoah.”
Yet, this large, active, committed community of ours seems to
be apathetic. We expected many groups, both local and from
nearby communities, to view this film and to use it as a spring
board for discussion.
There is still time. “Shoah” closes May 27.
Monday night, the American Jewish Committee
celebrated its 80th anniversary in
gala fashion in the stunningly
decorated ballroom of the Westin
Peachtree Plaza Hotel. In what
may have established a record for
brevity, the official part of the
program zipped along leaving ample
time for entertainment.
The designation of four long
time board members to the newly
created category of life trustees was bestowed upon
Alene F. Uhry, Bill Breman, Herbert Cohen and Irma
Goldwasser for their enthusiastic service to the
organization and because they demonstrate the ideals
of the American Jewish Committee.
It was announced that future Distinguished Service
Awards would be named in memory of Caroline and
Simon Selig.
Honorees Barbara Asher and Richard Guthman
accepted their awards for distinguished service with
warm appreciation. Barbara closed by saying, “How
nice to be chosen by the Chosen” and “it is especially
nice to be chosen by the AJC.” Richard pointed out
that “public and community service is a Jewish
tradition,” saying that “Judaism teaches us: ‘Separate
yourself not from the community.’ ”
With that, it was time for the show. Atlanta’s
Showbiz Kids from the Northside School of the Arts
wowed the audience with a performance of song and
dance, representing the decades.
Tuesday evening’s party at the Atlanta American
Hotel celebrated the 38th anniversary of the State of
Israel. Not only was there a large turnout from the
Jewish community, but consular representatives from
other countries, various political figures, educators
and other friends of the Jewish state were there. The
happiest celebrants, though, were the Israelis them
selves. Consul General and Mrs. Issachar Katzirand
Vice Consul and Mrs. Arthur Kol greeted guests with
a cheery “Hag Sameach.”
After an hour or so of eating, drinking and
mingling, there was a brief program. The consul
general, in opening remarks, referred to “the young,
ancient State of Israel” and the many challenges it has
faced in its 38 years. There was pride as he enumerated
just a few of the small nation’s achievements and
sadness when he talked of the loss of 70,000 “of our
beautiful boys and girls” who “sacrificed their lives” in
Israel’s wars, while the country’s goal of peace in the
Middle East is still elusive.
Among the guests were four members of the
Knesset, Amnon Lynn, Ran Cohen, David Magen
and Abed Darawshe. Amnon Lynn was their
spokesman. He made no secret of the mixed feelings
he had about not being in Israel on this significant
day. It was the first time he had ever celebrated Yom
Ha’atmaut outside of Israel, he said, and telling how
important the day is in Israel, he added, “The Jewish
people have many holidays and all of them are
connected with our past. But Independence Day is
special. It is the day we celebrate our revival as a free
people living in our ancestral homeland after 2,000
years of diaspora, persecution and suffering.”
And again, what’s a party without entertainment.
Tuesday evening, it was the Israeli community in
Atlanta that provided the songs. These weren’t
professionals either but they might as well have been.
So here we had, on successive nights, two special
anniversaries, each unique. And it was certainly a
pleasure to join the celebrations.
Continued from page 1.
in any country, the people can elect
anybody.”
Rahman made the following
comparison: “In Israel, they elect
Meir Kahane. When you speak of
the Israeli government you must
include Meir Kahane. It is the
same with George Habash and the
PLO. Anyway, Habash and the
Popular Front for the Liberation
of Palestine do not at this point
participate with the PLO and have
not since 1983 (following a major
rift with Arafat).”
Rahman would not respond to
questions about a current member
Controversy
of the 11-man PLO executive
committee, Abul Abbas, master
mind of the Achille Lauro seajack-
ing. Abbas recently told NBC that
terrorist actions would be launched
on American soil. Rahman would
not answer questions about w hether
Abbas, as a member of the PLO
executive, was in contact with the
Washington office.
Abbas’ continuing position on
the PLO executive is only the latest
factor in the changing school of
thought about the PLO’s Wash
ington office. A source at the Jus
tice Department took pains to
illustrate this new attitude by quot
ing the words of Attorney General
Edwin Meese at the recent Ameri
can Israel Public Affairs Commit
tee (AIP AC) annual policy confer
ence. Promulgating his most explicit
policy to date, Meese declared,
“We know that various elements of
the PLO and its allies and affiliates
are in the thick of international ter
ror. And the leader of the PLO,
Yasir Aralat must ultimately be
held responsible for their actions.”
The statement was heralded by
A1PAC in a press release and
throughout the Jewish commun
ity. But upon closer examination,
the Meese formulation still adheres
to the “elements of an umbrella
organization” approach. “Change
will come,” the Justice Department
source explained, “but it will come
slowly.”
For many in Congress, however,
the change is long overdue. Sen!
Denton (R-Ala.) is leading the
retorm. “I am troubled,” says Den
ton, “by the gap that exists in the
way senators perceive the activities
of the PLO, and the apparent per
ception of the departments of State
and Justice. Moreover, I see a
problem in the way the Depart
ment of Justice depicts the PLO."
This in mind, Denton called for
closed-door hearings “with intelli
gence producers as opposed to
intelligence consumers, such as the
departments of State and Justice,
to uncover the PLO’s real invol
vement in terrorism,” according to
a source in Denton’s office. The
hearing was to be held May 15.
Denton asserts that other Pales
tine Information Offices around
the world have been directly impli
cated in acts of terror. As such,
insists Denton, “It stretches com
mon sense to let them operate an
information organization in the
United States.”
If Denton obtains the confirm
ing intelligence he needs, he will
demand the government close
Rahman’s office. Rahman coun
ters defiantly, “They (Congress)
can’t shut us down. Only the
Department of Justice can.” Rah
man was referring to his office’s
registered status under the Foreign
Agent Registration Act which
permits his operation in this coun
try so long as he reports his activi
ties to the Justice Department.
However, Denton chairs the
Judiciary Committee’s Subcom
mittee on Terrorism and Security
which has direct involvement in
foreign agent registration. More
over, 13 of 17 members sitting on
the full Judiciary Committee —
which oversees the Justice De
partment itself, signed the recent
letter to Attorney General Meese
calling for Yasir Arafat’s in
dictment.
© Feature Group 1986