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News Briefs
France’s new man in Israel
PARIS (JTA)—Alain Pierret, a 55-year-old career diplomat,
has been appointed France’s ambassador to Israel. He had pre
viously served as ambassador to Niger, and since January, 1983,
was a senior official in the Foreign Ministry’s administrative servi
ces in charge of United Nations and international organization
affairs.
Pierret was a member of the French delegation to the first
Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe at Helsinki
and served as First Councillor in Belgrade. Earlier diplomatic
postings were to Freetown, Sierra Leone, Pretoria, South Africa,
Moscow and Helsinki.
The envoy is a knight of the Legion of Honor and an officer of
the National Order of Merit.
Synagogue looters sought
AMSTERDAM (JTA)—Police are searching for the thieves
who broke into the Lek Street Synagogue here on the night of June
4 and stole silver ritual objects insured for $40,000 but considered
of much greater value. It was the second such theft at the syn
agogue in two years.
The items taken include seven Torah crowns, seven Torah
shields and several silver pointers. Police said the burglars were
apparently well acquainted with the premises. There were no traces
of forced entry.
Israel to weigh ‘paternity’ leave
JERUSALEM (JTA)—Fathers will soon be able to take
“paternity” leave from work if a Welfare Ministry equal rights
amendment is accepted. Under the present law, new mothers are
entitled to a year’s unpaid maternity leave. The legislation will
allow fathers to opt for the leave after the birth of their baby if they
have sole charge of the child.
Welfare Minister Moshe Katzav, announcing the proposed
changes Sunday, said that the new law would also give either
parent the right to resign his or her job and receive severance pay
after the birth or adoption of a child. The present legal right of
mothersto be absent from work to care for a sick child will extend
to fathers under the new law.
Hundreds cross Allenby Bridge
JERUSALEM (JTA)—Some 1,600 Arab visitors recently
arrived at the Jordan River’s Allenby Bridge, signaling the begin
ning of the summer visiting season of Arabs from neighboring
countries to the administered territories. Over 60,000 Arabs are
expected to cross over the Jordan bridges during the summer
months.
The military commanders of the Allenby Bridge said that the
daily number of visitors would soon rise up to 2,500. The visitors
must undergo an inspection process of up to three and a half hours
before they can cross the bridge and enter the territories. Brig.
Ephraim Sneh, civil governor of Judaea and Samaria, said the
inspection process was an inevitable result of the Mideast conflict.
Austrians decry anti-Semitism
TEL AVIV (JTA)—Austria’s ambassador to Israel, Otto Plei-
nart, and Walter Schwimmer, a member of the Austrian Parlia
ment, assured Israelis here that anti-Semitism in any form would
not be tolerated in Austria.
Pleinart and Schwimmer, who is a member of President-elect
Kurt Waldheim’s People’s Party, both spoke Sunday at a gathering
at Givat Haviva marking the fifth anniversary of the assassination
of Heinz Nittel, president of the Austria-Israel Friendship League,
who was gunned down by an Arab terrorist in Vienna in June 1981.
Schwimmer presently occupies the post held by Nittel.
Hungarian synagogue dedicated
PARIS (JTA)—A new synagogue was inaugurated in Hungary
to be operated by the Central Board of Jewish Communities. It is
located in the city of Siofok near Lake Baloton.
The Hungarian News agency, MTI, monitored here, reported
that high-ranking government officials as well as representatives of
the Budapest Jewish community attended the ceremonies. The
agency did not say whether the synagogue will have a resident rabbi
and cantor, nor does it give the size of the local Jewish community.
It was the first time since World War II that a new synagogue
has been built in Eastern Europe. There are close to 100,000 Jews in
Hungary, the majority in the capital. Budapest, where there are 29
synagogues staffed by rabbis and other Jewish functionaries. There
is also a Beth Din, a mikva, a burial society, 12 kosher butcheries
and a yeshiva in Budapest.
Rabbi ‘sets the record straight’
Editor:
Recently, a letter appeared in
The Southern Israelite accusing a
Cobb County Conservative rabbi
of making disparaging remarks
regarding Reform Judaism, in a
Shabbat D’Var Torah. The con
troversy was generated by the fact
that it was a Bat Mitzva, more than
likely Reform Jews would be in
attendance, and that such com
ments would best be left unarticu
lated at such a time.
Frankly, I had no intention of
answering the letter publicly (I
have replied privately) but some
congregants have urged me to
respond nonetheless. Therefore, for
their sakes, for the curious among
you and for my many Reform
friends I will relate the events of
that fateful Shabbat morning.
First of all, nothing I said was
dramatically novel. Every observa
tion that I shared with the congre
gation has appeared in countless
periodicals, journals and publica
tions. To emasculate the pulpit and
protect the public from that which
is public, is absurd. At any rate,
this is what I said, so that this non
issue may be put to rest.
1) The Rabbinical Assembly, at
its convention, approved the ex
pulsion of any Conservative rabbi
who implements patrilinealism.
2) Patrilinealism was overwhelm
ingly rejected by the R.A. with an
appeal to the Reform to reconsider
their embracing of the doctrine.
3) Reform Judaism has grown in
direct proportion to intermarriage
and many Reform congregations
have considerable numbers of
mixed-married couples on their
membership roles.
4) Patrilinealism was an approach
to insure Reform Jewish continuity
in light of high interfaith marriages
and ominous demographic trends.
5) Reform Judaism has been
lobbying in a variety of forums and
forms for Conservative Judaism to
adopt patrilinealism.
On Shabbat morning we have
our largest crowd, with or without
a Bar Mitzva, and I use the oppor
tunity, with or without a Bar
Mitzva, to inspire, to teach and to
stimulate the congregation. I am
not by intention a belligerent soul,
but reality and truth are oftentimes
discomforting. I trust this sets the
record straight and we may all
work towards Tikun Olam.
Rabbi Shalom Lewis
Congregation Etz Chaim
Reader values ‘gift of freedom’
Editor:
A few more days and this glor
ious country of ours will celebrate
210 years of freedom. Having spent
most of my life under dictatorial
regimes, I for one can appreciate
how wonderful it is to live in a free
and open society.
The gift of freedom must never
be taken for granted. We don’t
have to go back very far in history
to see how free people can become
oppressed overnight, as happened
in Czechoslovakia, first in 1939
and again in 1948. Once freedom is
lost, even the most heroic of mea
sures may fail to restore it. Such
was the fate of Hungary in 1956
and Czechoslovakia in 1968.
The one country that best under
stands this is Israel, which there
fore keeps its forces always on the
alert and ready, if necessary, to
fight for its continued existence as
a free and enlightened country.
At Entebbe 10 years ago, anti
freedom forces threatened over a
hundred Israelis with death. The
government of Israel didn’t hesi
tate and sent its forces on a peri
lous mission thousands of miles
away to rescue their countrymen
who were being held hostage there.
These captives were restored to
freedom through the heroic deeds
of their compatriots. But the raid
on Entebbe had its price, in the
rescue attempt the commander of
the Israeli forces lost his life.
As we celebrate our freedom this
coming July 4, let us pause for a
minute to render tribute to the
memory of Jonathan Netanyahu,
the brave Israeli leader whose life
10 years ago was the price of free
dom for 100 other Israelis.
Egon Petschek
Praise for Cultural Affairs Department
Editor:
The people of the metro area of
Atlanta may not be aware of the
efforts and accomplishments of the
Atlanta Department of Cultural
Affairs.
In furthering the richness of the
cultural life of the city of Atlanta,
Mayor Young and Ms. Shirley
Cooks, director of Atlanta’s De
partment of Cultural Affairs, ex
tend generous support to the cul
tures of all groups, without regard
to race, color or creed.
American ORT Federation, a
worldwide organization dedicated
to the rehabilitation and im
provement of all peoples through
education and training, with the
cooperation and support of Atlan
ta’s Department of Cultural Affairs,
featured An Evening Of Modern
and Traditional Cantorial master
pieces on Tuesday evening, June
17, at the Atlanta Civic Center.
The program was well received and
became part of the blend of the
cultural fiber from which Atlanta’s
rich fabric is made.
At a time when criticism of
government is rampant, one must
give it some balance with praise.
The Atlanta Chapter of Men’s
ORT adds its praise and thanks to
Andrew Young, mayor of the city
of Atlanta and Ms. Shirley Cooks,
director of Atlanta’s Department
of Cultural Affairs.
Marvin P. Nodvin
Yiddish book drive
Teddy Weinberger, Atlanta area
spokesman for the National Yid
dish Book Center, announced plans
to round up discarded and unused
Yiddish books from cellars and
attics throughout Atlanta. Col
lected volumes will be sent to a
central repository in Amherst,
Mass., where they will be restored
and made available to teachers,
students and university libraries.
Yiddish literature once enjoyed
enormous popularity among the
area’s immigrant Jewish popula
tion. Sets of Sholom Aleichem,
Y.L. Peretz and other Yiddish
classics were to be found in almost
every Jewish home. In later years,
however, assimilation took its toil.
Books which had been treasured
by parents and grandparents were
often packed away and forgotten
by a new generation of American-
born Jews, who read no Yiddish.
Today, after a gap of almost 50
years, Yiddish is experiencing a
startling revival. Courses in Yid
dish language and literature have
been introduced at more than 60
North American universities.
Long-forgotten Yiddish books are
urgently needed by a new genera
tion of students and scholars.
Efforts to collect Yiddish books
began nationally in June, 1980
with the founding of the National
Yiddish Book Center—a non-profit
agency dedicated to the preserva
tion and dissemination of Yiddish
culture. Administered by faculty
members from Amherst, Hamp
shire, Mt. Holyoke and Smith Col
leges and the University of Massa
chusetts, the Center has retrieved
more than 425,000 rare and out-of-
print Yiddish volumes in its first
four years of operation.
Organizers hope that many
needed volumes will be found in
local homes. All donations of Yid
dish books and periodicals are
welcome. Books should be brought
to the area drop-off point, located
at Congregation Beth Jacob, 1855
LaVista Rd. Pick-up service is also
available. For more information
please phone Teddy Weinberger,
982-0680, or Beth Jacob, 633-0551.
PAGE 5 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE June 27, 1986