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News Briefs Fund steps up war on poverty NEW YORK (JTA)—The Jewish Fund for Justice has an nounced seven new grants for projects aimed at attacking poverty in America. An ongoing agricultural aid proiect for the Navajo Indians in Arizona’s Painted Desert that the Fund has supported for the past two years is an example of the type of community self-help groups the organization targets for grants. A youth action project in New York’s East Harlem neighbor hood, a project in Iowa to aid small farmers in coping with the economic farm crisis and a Florida-based farmworker’s associa tion striving to bridge ethnic barriers among migrant workers all received $5,000 from the fund. Barbie trial to be held in Lyon PARIS(JTA)—When Nazi war criminal Klaus Barbie goeson trial, the trial will be held in Lyon, the city he terrorized as chief of gestapo during World War II. The Paris Court of Appeals made that official in an announce ment. Barbie, who was ousted from Bolivia on Feb. 5, 1983, and taken into custody by French authorities, may go on trial early next year. But no date has been set. Israeli banks listed in Forbes NEW YORK (JTA)—Three Israeli banking firms are among the 500 largest international companies listed in the annual Forbes Foreign 500 rankings. Tel Aviv is also listed among the cities headquartering some of the 500 largest firms. According to the prestigious Forbes listing, appearing in its July 28 issue, the three firms are Bank Hapoalim, ranked 51 in 1985 (17 in 1984); Bank Leumi, ranked 98 in 1985 (49 in 1984); and IDB Bankholding Corp., ranked 235 in 1985 (112 in 1984). Tel Aviv is listed as home to these three banks. Teenager hurt in bomb explosion TEL AVIV (JTA)—A 17-year-old girl was slightly injured when a bomb exploded in the cafe-and-shop-lined Dizengoff Street near Dizengoff Circle Sunday night. Inbar Shapira, of Kib butz Amir in upper Galilee, was strolling with her parents when the bomb, concealed in a plastic bag which had been deposited in a garbage bin, went off. “I lived safely through terrorist Katyushas at home in Galilee for years, only to come here on vacation to Tel Aviv to be hit by a bomb,” Shapira remarked as she was taken to the hospital for treatment. At the time of the explosion, the street was filled with strollers. Arab terrorist inadvertently freed TEL AVIV (JTA)—An Arab terrorist between jail terms was inadvertently freed last week and Police Commissioner Rafi Suissa has ordered an inquiry to find out how it happened. The prisoner, not identified by name, had completed a prison term for one offense and was awaiting trial on charges of entering the country illegally to commit a terrorist act. Instead of going to court he was included in a group of three other Arab prisoners being expelled to Egypt. The four were turned loose at the border in the dead of night since Egypt would not officially accept them. Prison sources said the mix-up occurred because the man awaiting trial had a name similar to a prisoner about to be released. 3,000 dance in Israeli festival TEL AVIV (JTA)—Some 3,000 dancers from II countries stepped out lively at the opening of the Sixth International Folk- dance Festival in Haifa Saturday night, at which Prime Minister Shimon Peres said he hoped the day would come when people would abandon the strategy of war for the strategy of football and the dance. The participants at the week-long festival come from Poland, Yugoslavia, Spain, Portugal and Britain, together with groups from Mexico and Bolivia. The United States, which provided the Sixth Fleet band for the opening ceremonies, also sent a folkdance group from the Mormon Brigham Young University in Utah, whose Jerusalem premises now under construction arc at the cen ter of a controversy. The Israeli dancers include a number of ethnic groups repre senting Hasidic, Yemenite, Circassian and other dances. etters to the editor Jewish unity vital for survival Editor: This has been a bad year for Jew ish unity. The Jewish press in recent months has turned from its focus on the traditional topics of Israeli security, anti-Semitism, and Soviet Jewry to the current erosion of relationships now taking place be tween the various factions in our religious community. At the pres ent time, there is no lack of name calling and threats of writing off this or that group of Jews is ram pant. One Cassandra has even pre dicted that we are on the verge of a cataclysm which will ultimately tear the entire fabric of Jewish life into shreds. Orthodoxy is concerned about Reform and Conservative Judaism’s halachic relativism and their strug gle for full legitimacy. Conserva tive Judaism, while searching for a strong self-definition, is anxious to steer clear of the extremes of both Reform and Orthodox. And Re form Jews continue to struggle for equality and dignity within the state of Israel. It is time to be honest with our selves by admitting that Orthodox, Conservative and Reform Jews are probably never going to succeed in convincing each other of the right ness of their individual points of view. In spite of that fact, recent statements and actions by right- wing religious zealots is a genuine cause for concern. We Jews have already proven that we can survive even the meanest external threats to our existence. The question now to be answered is whether or not we can survive the threats which fellow Jews are creating from within. Before any one of us comes to that dangerous point of writing someone off, we had better stop for a moment and consider how much we depend upon each other for our physical survival as Jews. Fund raising, the delivery of social servi ces, and the protection of Jewish rights around the world know no ideological, theological or sec tarian boundaries. The person who solicits me for the annual federa tion campaign never asks me what synagogue I attend or which hala chic point of view I espouse. Before we succeed in destroying the Jewish community, let us con sider how much we need one an other for the important tasks of strengthening the Jewish commun ity institutions we have worked so hard to build, of guaranteeing the survival of the state of Israel and of establishing a strong defense against those who continually seek to damage or destroy us simply because we are Jews. Some of those who speak so glibly of writing off this or that Jew had better think a little harder and longer. We simply cannot afford the consequences of disunity. Rabbi Philip N. Kranz Temple Sinai Mainstream Orthodox hold the key Editor: Vida Goldgar’s column in the July 11 issue succinctly described the threat to Israel resulting from the escalating violence perpetrated by both the “ultra-Orthodox” and the “ultia-secular.” Let me begin where Ms. Goldgar ended, “It must be stopped!” Unfortunately, the nature of Is rael’s political system makes this problem more difficult to deal with than any other—security, econom ics and territories included. One group, and one group only, holds the key to bridging what appears to be a growing impasse. I’m referring to the majority of religiously ob servant who find the violence of the “ultra-Orthodox” to be no less abhorrent than that of the “ultra- secular.” Their leaders, be they rabbis or elected Knesset members from the National Religious Party have failed their constituency by their refusal to draw a distinct line between themselves and the zea lots. They are unable to see that oft-times their best interests place them in the same camp with the “secular Zionists” and now with the non-Zionist (or anti-Zionist) “ultra-Orthodox.” Their words and and actions, on the other hand, have created an environment that espouses secularity in preference to observance of tradition that does not conform to strict Halacha. Perhaps the recent instruction of the interior minister to have con verts so designated in'their identity cards may finally make it clear to all how some are willing to subvert even Halacha for their own politi cal gain. This “silent” observant majority should not be mistaken into believing that it is only the secular “g-dless” community which is under attack. Both they and the Judaism they cherish are also targets. For good or for bad, there are few things that happen in Israel that do not affect world Jewry at the same time. Because of this effect and because of the influence that sometimes accompanies money from the diaspora and political clout in the diaspora, world Jewry and, in this case in particular, mainstream Orthodox world Jewry, is not powerless. The religious leadership of this silent majority of Israelis is not insensitive to the concerns of what they see as an extension of their own constituency. They will listen to the “right” peo ple if their voices are made loud enough and clear enough—even from Atlanta, Georgia. Shai Robkin Response to letter baffles reader Editor: In response to Ms. Spielberg’s response (TSI, July 4) to Mr. Cor- tell’s “Kahanist” letter, I should first admit that I did not read Mr. Cortell’s letter, but I am neverthe less baffled by Ms. Spielberg’s response. As the late, great mayor of Chi cago, Hizzoner Mr. Daley, was so fond of saying: “Anyone can throw stones, but who’s got the program?” Mr. Kahane has the program, and his program is farsighted enough to realize that Israel could con ceivably vote itself out of exist ence. Mr. Kahane realizes that Israel must choose between a Jew ish homeland or a bastion of de mocracy, not both. A few quick observations re garding Ms. Spielberg’s letter: 1. God is One—but Allah and G-d Israel are not one—Koran and Torah are not one. 2. Arabs are not one nation— but they certainly agree to be of one mind. John Tschura No more funds for Haredi JERUSALEM (JTA)—The Jewish Agency will no longer fund non-Zionist Haredi educational in stitutions in Israel and overseas, the concluding session of the Jew ish Agency Assembly decided last week. According to the resolution, the Jewish Agency from now on will transfer funds to Jewish schools, Yeshivot and other institutions, “which recognize the State of Israel, support its existence as the national homeland of the Jewish people,” and integrate Zionist values in their study programs. The Mizrahi delegates to the Assembly tried to oppose the reso lution, but eventually it was ap proved by a wide majority. However, Rabbi Yitzhak Meir, head of the Torah education de partment, said he would appeal the resolution before the Zionist Ex ecutive, terming the resolution “irresponsible and not operational.” According to Meir, it was unac ceptable that an instituion, in which only 50 percent of its members are Zionists, would determine the cri teria for Zionism. ** AGE 5 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE July 18, 1986