Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

r News Briefs U.S. to oppose ex-Nazi in U.N. GENEVA (JTA)—The dean of the California-based Simon Wiesenthal Center reported that the United States has said it will actively oppose the appointment of Hermann Klenner of East Germany to a top U.N. post because of allegations that he was a member of the Nazi party. Klenner has been accused by the Israeli delegate to the U.N. Human Rights Conference, Ephraim Dubek, of having been an active Nazi and the number of his card as party member was produced. He is reported to have joined the party on April 20, 1944. Klenner has never denied his Nazi membership and has refused to discuss it. Last month, Isael’s United Nations Ambassador, Binyamin Netanyahu, received access to two files in the U.N. War Crimes Commission archives, including one marked “Klenner.” Supreme Court rejects appeal WASHINGTON (Polakoff))—The Supreme Court, acting without comment, rejected the appeal May 27 of Liudas Kairys, a Chicago dockworker, to retain his U.S. citzenship that has been revoked by both a federal district court and the Seventh District Court of Appeals. The U.S. government moved to revoke his citizenship in 1980 after finding evidence he served as a guard for the Nazis from 1942 until 1944 at the death camp in Treblinka, Poland. The government, seeking to deport him to the Soviet Union, said Kairys failed to disclose his World War II service at Treblinka when he obtained his visa and citizenship. He came to America in 1949. Contending the government had misidentified him, Kairys said he worked on a farm in Lithuania from 1940 to 1942 when he was captured and became a forced laborer. He says he is 61 while the prosecution contends he is 65. Schindler’s condition improving TEL AVIV (JTA)—Rabbi Alexander Schindler was reported improving at Soroka Hospital in Beersheba, where he was taken May 21 after suffering a heart attack while touring Masada. Schindler, a leader of Reform Judaism in the U.S., is president of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations and a former chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. Schindler, 61, spent the critical first 24 hours after his heart attack in the intensive care unit at Soroka Hospital. His wife, Rhea, was at his bedside. Schindler suffered a heart attack 13 years ago. Anatoly’s kin still in Russia WASHINGTON (Polakoff) — May 17 was understood to have been the date on which the Soviet Union's passport office (OV1R) in Moscow would respond to the request that Natan (Anatoly) Shcharansky’s mother and his brother’s family would know when they would be allowed to emigrate to Israel but neither the State Department nor Soviet Jewry organizations here have heard of the Soviet decision. A State Department official, speaking on background, said the Soviet office was committed to let Shcharansky’s family leave but a specific time frame was not set. The commitment was made at the time Shcharansky was released in February. Soviet Jewry groups here said May 17 was the committed date for Moscow’s response. His mother, Ida Milgrom, 77; his brother, Leonid, and Leonid’s wife and two children are awaiting documents to join Natan and Avital in Israel. Demjanjuk to remain in custody TEL. AVIV (JTA) —The Supreme Court entered the Demjan juk case for the first time May 23, ordering Ukrainian-born John Demjanjuk, alleged Treblinka concentration camp guard, remanded in custody for another 30 days while the state prosecutor and police continue gathering evidence for his trial. Demjanjuk. a former U.S. citizen who is the first suspected war criminal extradited to Israel, has been in detention at Ayalon prison for 90 days, the limit under the law which provides that remands in custody must be renewed every 15 days. This had been done up to May 23 by Jerusalem Chief Magistrate Aharon Simcha. Attorney General Yitzhak Zamir accordingly appealed to the Supreme Court for an order to hold the prisoner an additional 90 days. V. 300,000 join Shcharansky at rally Editor: On May 1 1, we had the honor of marching for Solidarity Sunday— a rally for Soviet Jews—in New York. Outside of Israel, never before have we seen so many Jewish peo ple in our lives. Outside of Jerusalem, never be fore have we had the feeling that we had. We participated with 300,000 Jewish people in a march down Fifth Avenue ending at Dag Ham- marskjold Plaza at the United Nations. Not spectators looking on, but an active part of 300,000 Jews (different in many ways) all with the same hopes and the same dreams of freedom for our broth ers and sisters. The guest speaker was Natan (Anatoly) Shcharansky. For the past nine years he has been a sym bol of worldwide repression. Today, he is a symbol of freedom. He told us, “All the resources of a super power cannot isolate a man who hears the voice of freedom, a voice I heard from the very chamber of my soul.” Mr. Shcharansky’s dream of “Next Year in Jerusalem” has been fulfilled. Let us not forget the other 400,000 Jews in the Soviet Union seeking to emigrate to Israel with that same dream. He urges us to continue our protests on behalf of these remaining dissidents. The message is clear: Agitation mat ters. Let us heed the prisoners of conscience and continue to cry out—if not for ourselves, for this giant of a man. Carol C. Kaplan, President Southeastern Region, Hadassah Norman Kaplan, President Macon and Middle Georgia Federation of Jewish Charities Macon, Georgia On preserving Israel’s Jewish identity Editor: There is a way to preserve Israel’s Jewish identity without resorting to the truely inhumane measures proposed by Meir Kahane and that is not to annex the West Bank and the Gaza Strip with their 1.3 mil lion Arabs. Should Israel seek to absorb these territories then it will have to rule by force and might well become like South Africa. Moreover, by reserving these terri tories for a Palestinian homeland Israel will be leaving the door open for a peace settlement with its Arab neighbors; I recognize, of course, that first the Arabs must end their terrorist attacks and recognize the state of Israel. Some persons say that Israel should not be held to a higher standard than other nations. They would countenance the subjuga tion and even the expulsion of the Arabs on the grounds that other nations have done the same to their minorities. I would argue that Israel should seek to do what is right and just, for is this not what our reli gion demands of us? I trust that all future corres pondents to TSI will refrain from making personal attacks and instead address themselves to the issues. I also hope that no Jew would ap prove of policies that treat individ uals in a manner in which they would not like to be treated. Stuart Galishoff Kahane’s solution seen as suicide Editor: It is only because 1 know and admire the writers of the letter that appeared in The Southern Israelite on April 23, a letter that addressed itself to an Atlanta couple, that I take the liberty of injecting myself. David and Frieda Macarov made aliyah in 1946. David fought in the War of Independence when Israel became a state in 1948. His career has been that of professor of soci ology. Frieda is a registered nurse. Gentler, more intelligent, more knowledgeable individuals are rare. Yes, they are “ethical, liberal people, who are outraged at the merest hint of a Jew treating an other human being less than an equal.” Though they have lived in Israel for 40 years, I do not believe they have ever considered Arabs as an “underclass.” It would be foolhardy to assume they arc not aware of the problems that beset Israel. They are highly cognizant of the enemies both within and without the state; far more intimate with the hazards that confront them than is an Atlanta couple 6,000 miles removed. To them, as well as to myself, Meir Kahane poses a problem to the security of the state almost equal to that of its Arab would-be destroyers. Indeed, “Kahane’s answer is a sad and painful one.” It is also an inhumane, immoral and thoughtless one. If attempted, Israel’s security will be jeopardized as never before. I do not profess to be “wiser” than our Atlanta Kahane sympa thizers. The viable alternatives they request and which I might suggest would not strike a receptive chord. I can, however, unequivocally state that any attempt to make Israel Arab-rein, as Kahane suggests. Giving credit where it’s due Editor: Thanks for mentioning that my anthology, “The Ethnic American Woman: Problems, Protests, Life styles,” is in a third edition. How ever, without the creative skills and artistic talents of the following Atlanta Jewish women, the book would not have won the best non fiction award by the Dixie Council of Authors and Journalists. 1 would like to pay tribute to them here: Avril Sutin, Eve Silver, Esta Seaton, Janet Rechtman, Arlene G. Peck, Enid Mescon, and Harriett Warshaw. Edith Blicksilver A time and place for everything Editor: Vida Goldgar wrote about the American Jewish Committee cele brating its 80th Anniversary in gala fashion in the stunningly dec orated ballroom of the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel as reported in the May 16 issue of The South ern Israelite. We all respect the American Jewish Committee and its activi ties for Jews and for Israel. As an Israeli shaliach, I felt that it was inappropriate to have such an event on the night of Yom Hazikiron (Israel Memorial Day). On the same evening, over 220 people came to the AJCC Peach tree building to memorialize the Israeli soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the survival of the State of Israel. I feel that as an act of sym pathy and solidarity within the community, we should avoid such conflicting events in the future. This letter is being written to Continued from page 4. imagination, which is shunted aside by the authorities precisely because it seeks to break away from the bankrupt methods of the estab lishment, points to the real tragedy of the situation. It is not just that express my leelings and in the hope that in the coming years, there will be better coordination among our organizations. Afterall, we are “K’lal Yisrael!” Itzhak Sordo AJCC Israeli Shaliach aliyah to Israel continues to drop, but that the Jewish people, the Zionist movement and the gov ernment of Israel are not suffi ciently shocked by this fact to make necessary revolutionary changes in the program for promo tion of aliyah. Galuts PAGE 5 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE May 30, 1986