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News Briefs Tourism to Israel declines JERUSALEM (JTA)—The number of tourists arriving in Israel in the first six months of this year was 531,900, as compared with 649,200 in the same period last year—a decline of 19 percent, the Central Bureau of Statistics reported. During the first six months of 1986, 448,600 tourists arrived by air, as compared with 559,900 in the same period in 1985—a decline of 20 percent—while 75,800 tourists arrived overland. Not including the return of persons who spent up to a week in Sinai, the number of tourists arriving overland in the first six months of this year was 60,700, as compared to the 76,500 who arrived in the same period last year. Egyptian official cancels visit JERUSALEM (JTA)—Tourism Minister Avraham Sharir expressed regret at the cancellation of a scheduled visit here by his Egyptian counterpart, Fuad Sultan. No reason was given for Sul tan’s cancellation, nor was a new date set for the visit. Sharir, meanwhile, expressed some dissatisfaction that efforts to revive tourism between Israel and Egypt were not making pro gress. Israeli tourism to Egypt has been lagging since the massacre of seven Israeli civilians by a berserk Egyptian policeman at Ras Burka in the Sinai last October. The victims were part of a group of 27 Israelis who had gone on a Sukkot camping trip to Sinai. Arabic paper faces closure JERUSALEM (JTA)—The editor of the East Jerusalem Arabic newspaper Al-Mithak has appealed to the Jerusalem branch of the Israel Journalists Association for help to block the shut-down of the daily on grounds that it is a front for a terrorist organization. Mahmoud Khatib, who edits Al-Mithak, was notified by Jeru salem District Commissioner Rafael Levy last week that the inte rior Ministry is considering closing the newspaper because it was “guided” by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a terrorist group headed by George Habash and based in Lebanon. Similar notification was sent to an associated publication, the Arabic weekly Al-Ahd. Shultz visit concerning Taba out WASHINGTON (JTA)—Secretary of State George Schultz has decided not to travel to the Middle East this summer, the State Department announced. Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres had reportedly been push ing for a visit by the Secretary to help resolve the dispute over Taba, the small strip of territory on Israel’s southern border, and possibly to make some progress in the peace process before the scheduled turnover of the premiership to Likud leader Yitzhak Shamir in October. POC hospitalized in prison NEW YORK (JTA)—Prisoner of Conscience Roald (Alik) Zelichonok, 50, who received a three-year labor camp sentence on Aug. 8, 1985 for allegedly “defaming the Soviet state and social system,” has been hospitalized in the Alma Ata prison, according to Jerry Goodman, executive director of the National Conference on Soviet Jewry. Zelichonok, a computer scientist at the Institute of Cytology in Leningrad, was arrested after police conducted a search of his home. Zelichonok, who suffers from massive kidney damage, secon dary hypertension and lameness (he has undergone several opera tions for kidney and leg ailments), was hospitalized in February for three weeks. r Treatment helps AIDS victim JERUSALEM (JTA)—There have been about 27 known cases of AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) in Israel and only one victim of the fatal disease, a 17-year-old hemophiliac, is alive more than two years after he was diagnosed, according to Dr. Zeev Handzel, head of the immunology unit at Kaplan Hospital in Rehovot. The patient has been pronounced “free of all signs” of AIDS following two and half years of treatment at Kaplan Hospital, where Handzel is conducting clinical tests involving the thymic humoral factor. So far it has proved effective in AIDS treatment if administered in the early stages of the disease. Conservatively speaking Editor: Having attended the Rabbinical Assembly convention in May, I feel that the complacency that comes across in Rabbi Arnold Goodman’s article, “Conservative rabbis pursue self-definition at convention,” is hardly warranted. Rabbi Goodman takes pains to prove two problematic assertions: 1) that the Rabbinical Assembly has conclusively rejected patri- lineality; and 2) that the RA’s reso lution requesting that the Union for Traditional Conservative Juda ism (UTCJ) cease exercising its right to issue halachic opinions indicates a rejection by the Con servative Movement of the UTCJ’s platform. Both of these assertions require reasoned comment. The vote against patrilineality does appear to be a rebuff of the Reform position in favor of this practice. However, this vote must be understood in context. Years ago, the Rabbinical Assembly voted not to accept women into its ranks. The Reform Movement expressed regret and indicated that it hoped the RA would reverse its decision. The Reform Movement was not disappointed. In response to the RA’s recent vote upholding matril- ineality, Rabbi Bernard M. Zloto- witz of the Reform Movement told the New York Times (5/22/86), “We were hoping that the Conser vative Movement would recognize the validity of patrilineal descent and in time we expect them to do so.” At the convention, 92 rabbis voted against the resolution con demning patrilineality and re affirming matrilineality. This siza ble group (almost 30 percent of those voting) has already organ ized itself as “The Committee for Rabbinic Conscience in the Rab binical Assembly.” One of the founders of this group serves on the RA’s Executive Council and is attempting to block implementa tion of the RA’s resolution. Thus, the issue of patrilineal Judaism in the RA is far from settled. The resolution requesting that the Panel of Halachic inquiry of the UTCJ cease issuing halachic opinions was definitely not a rejec tion of the UTCJ. Since only 30 percent of the RA are members of the UTCJ, this resolution should have passed o)/crwhelmingly. How ever, 40 percent of the voting rab bis supported the continued activ ity of the Panel of Halachic Inquiry and opposed the censure. Obvious ly, the UTCJ, both in its lay and rabbinic constituencies, represents a significant and growing minority within the Conservative Movement. The self-definition of Conserva tive, which Rabbi Goodman ap plauds, has not yet come about. Indeed, all of us who are Conserva tive Jews must conduct an honest heshbon hanefesh, a searching of the soul. Is our Conservative Move ment as a whole prepared to stay true to the traditional moorings which Rabbi Solomon Schechter gave us, or will we flounder in the inconstant sea of popular tastes? If we are prepared to uphold our own founding tenets—that Halachah is sacred in its origins and functions in our everyday lives, and that modernity can also contribute to our life as religious Jews—there is no limit to what we can contribute to our world, both now and in future generations. David Rosenberg Assistant, UTCJ Lazarus’ poem not written for statue? Editor: According to “American Jewish Landmarks: A Travel Guide and History,” Volume I, by Bernard Postal and Lionel Koppman (Fleet Press Corporation), Emma Laza rus did not write “The New York Colussus” for the reasons sug gested in your recent article. In fact, Emma Lazarus died in 1887 and it wasn’t until 1903 that Geor- gianna Schuylyer, a New York artist chanced upon the poem in a bookstore, had it inscribed on a bronze plaque and got permission to have it affixed inside the base of the statue. It wasn’t until 1945 that the tablet was moved to the main entrance of the Statue of Liberty. Invited to contribute a manu script to the pedestal fund-raising effort, Lazarus had at first said that she had nothing appropriate for the exhibition and that she ‘could not possibly write verses to order.”’ She was persuaded to change her mind. When her poem was read at the auction it caused a sensation and was sold for S 1,500. When the statue was unveiled, Emma Lazarus, who was critically ill, was not even invited. Your readers may be interested in an exhibition at the Schatten Gallery at Emory University, cu rated by Drs. Ann Uhry Abrams and Ann Cannon Palumbo entitled “Goddess, Guardian and Grand Old Gal” which will be on view until Aug. 15. Evelyn Messer Reader opposes ‘converted’ label Editor: Israel cannot afford the loss of friends, yet the Israeli Ministry of the Interior is going to do just that by printing the word “converted” next to the designation “Jewish” on the identity cards of Jewish converts in Israel. This prejudicial act means that a stigma is being put on the convert who was not born innocently into Judaism but chose it with a free will. The eyes of the world are on Israel. It is a bold and successful venture in democracy which enjoys the strong support of the United States. Unfortunately, it has also incurred the wrath of some Arab countries. In the midst of this turmoil, Israel has managed to survive because it too proclaimed Only letters with names and ad dresses will be considered for this page. Letters cannot be acknowl edged or returned. We reserve the right to edit, delete or make neces sary changes to preserve meaning and save space. Letters submitted to other publications or copies of letters sent elsewhere will not be accepted for publication. to the world, like our Statue of Liberty: “...Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your Remembering J Editor: The residents of the Louis Kahn Group Home wish to pay tribute to the memory of Mr. J. Joseph Cohen, a very special gentleman. We have the privilege of living in this beautiful group home in the comfort we are enjoying today in large part because of the devotion and caring Joe extended to us. We were his “labor of love” as he so often told us, and we loved him for teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me...” Let’s keep it that way! Patrick J. Tracy Joseph Cohen it. We wish to express our deep gratitude for his many kindnesses. The treasured memories we shared with Joe will forever linger in our hearts with our fondest love. How truly fortunate we are to have known this wonderful man, Joe Cohen. Rosalind Pap on behalf of the residents of the Louis Kahn Group Home Israeli Arabs’ loyalty shifts— WASHINGTON (Poiakoff)—Four out of five Arabs living in Israel consider themselves Palestinian nationalists and not Israelis, according to a survey of 600 Arabs conducted by a sociologist at Haifa University, Sammy Smooha. Of Israel’s 700,000 Arabs of its population of 4.2 million, 83 percent declared themselves as Palestinians compared with 46 ^percent 10 years ago. PAGE 5 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE July 25, 1986