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PAGE 4 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE September 12, 1986 The Southern Israelite The Weekly Newspaper For Southern Jewry Since 1925 Vida Goldgar Jeff Rubin Editor General Manager Luna Levy Managing Editor Published by Sun Publications, Inc. also publishers of The Kansas City Jewish Chronicle Stan Rose Steve Rose Chairman and President and Publisher Co-Publisher Second Class Postage paid at Atlanta, Ga (ISSN 00388) (UPS 776060) POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Southern Israelite, P.O Box 77388, Atlanta, GA 30357 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 77388, Atlanta, Georgia 30357 Location: 188 15th St„ N.W., Atl„ Ga. 30318 Phone (404)876-8248 Advertising rates available upon request. Subscriptions: $23.00, 1 year; $41.00, 2 years Member of Jewish Telegraphic Agency; Religious News Service; American Jewish Press Assn.; Georgia Press Assn.; National Newspaper Assn. When will it stop? Once again, the civilized world mourns victims of insane ter roristic attacks—this time in Pakistan and Turkey. From world leaders to the man on the street, words of shock and sympathy come forth. But words won’t bring an end to such horrors. As long as countries such as Libya and Syria give sanction and support to terrorists and terrorism, we can only wonder where and when they will strike next. And if there are still those naifs who believe the terrorist disclaimers that they are not anti-Semitic, only anti-Israel (as if that makes it all right), surely the murderous slaughter in Istanbul puts the lie to that. Wrong is wrong While we cannot classify the tear gas bombing at New York’s Metropolitan Opera House where a Soviet dance group was performing in the same category as the murderous attack in Turkey, there is more similarity of intent than might appear on the surface. At press time, the perpetrators who forced almost 4,000 people to evacuate the opera house, injuring 21 people in the process, had not been definitely identified. A man saying he was a member of the Jewish Defense League claimed responsibility, a claim later denied by another member. If, indeed, a Jewish group—any Jewish group—is responsible, we condemn them and the action as we would any other act of terrorism. Vida Goldgar ‘Sounds of Simcha’ Everything was planned for a festive afternoon Sunday. After all, it had been more than 20 years since the Hebrew Academy had had a groundbreaking ceremony. It’s not easy to decorate a large outdoor space. Somehow they had done it, mainly with multicolored balloons. In consideration for the neigh bors, and what hundreds of cars parked along the essentially resi dential Northland Drive/ Highpoint Road area would do, parking was provided nearby at Crawford and Company and freshly washed MARI A buses shuttled back and forth. Oh, it was exciting. The crowd was enormous. Young folks, older folks, babes in arms and in strollers. Overheard often were such comments as “Isn’t this a beautiful location” and “I hope they can save some of these oak trees." As the buses unloaded, the sounds of lively Israeli tunes met the ears, provided by the Eric Schroeder Band (He was Ricky when he was a student at the Academy). As a sure crowd pleaser, Eric called for the children to come forward and join the singing. J he adults crowded closer to watch and hear. Early morn ing cloudy skies had cleared and by 3:30, it was hot. Never mind. There was a Coke (that’s liquid and with a capital C) stand for refreshment. Committee mem bers (I guess) were topped with white plastic construc tion “hard hats.” When the last bus arrived, and the Coke was gone, Dr. Jerry Blumenthal, president of the Hebrew Acad emy and master of ceremonies, got the show on the road. It was a proud day for him as he quoted an unidentified sage: “It has been said that a teacher affects eternity. You can never tell where his influence stops. The same must be said of those who labor in behalf of education.” With Dr. Irving Greenberg lis tening proudly in the audience, Blumenthal recalled that it was largely through “Greenie’s” efforts that the Hebrew Academy started in 1953 with 16children. He spoke of a series of temporary locations “which termi nated in 1965 with the groundbreaking of our current site on North Druid Hills Road,” and said that now there is an enrollment of over 350 students, “with the continuing leadership of families like the Greenbergs, the Kricks, the Minsks, the Libermans, the Siegels, as well as many, many others. In the invocation, Rabbi Lewis Weinreich spoke of inspiring “the children of today to become the leaders and the bearers of light for our community.” Neighbors and neighborhood clergy were there, as was Fulton County Commissioner Chairman Michael Lomax, whose remarks were brief and welcoming but didn’t pick up on my tape recorder. Clearer was Gerald Cohen, immediate past presi dent of the Atlanta Jewish Federation, whom Blum enthal described as “an innovator and a risk taker” who made the project possible. Cohen was quick to say that the current president, Betty Jacobson, was in New York for a meeting of the Council of Jewish Federations. He made a symbolic comparison of the gathering under the mature trees by the freshly turned earth to the group, with the adults as the “trunk” to provide the wherewithal to nurture the “leaves” and the “branches” for the future. Nothing like this happens without money, of course, and it was capital funds chairman David Min kin’s role to give the exciting campaign update, as construction chairman Eliot Arnovitz showed the building plans. Minkin’s remarks touched on the rare opportunity we in this country have to build a day school, noting he will be among a group who will soon be in the Soviet Union where such an opportunity is unthinkable. “Simultaneously, while we are buildinga day school and committing ourselves to the future of Judaism, we are committing ourselves to the future of Judaism of others.” The bottom line is that to date, the campaign of $6.5 million is over 60 percent toward goal. In addition to the sale of the present location, Minkin especially cited several families who have so far contributed generously to the campaign: the Mor ris Arnovitz, Saul Blumenthal, Max Kuniansky, Sid ney Feldman, Bob London and Gerald Cohen families. And then it was Dr. Ephraim Frankel’s turn. Dr. Frankel, who, as headmaster has been eminently responsible for the academic success of the Hebrew Academy. Whose leadership, since 1967, has put the Academy in the forefront of private schools in this country. He barely began to speak—and the rains came. Quickly, with years of dealing with emergencies, Dr. Frankel abandoned his remarks and called for the actual groundbreaking. As the first shuttle bus returned to pick up a dripping load, and as the musicians scurried to load the sensitive sound system into cars, shovels of earth were turned. The rain didn't last long—just long enough to prevent us from hearing Dr. Frankel (his remarks are printed on page 1) and to scotch the closing number of the Hebrew Academy Chorale, “Sounds of Simcha.” But it was a simcha, nevertheless. Troubling thoughts by Rabbi Marvin Richardson Assistant rabbi, Ahavath Achim Synagogue This morning as I sat in the syn agogue listening to the shofar being blown in recognition of the month of the Elul which is upon us, I could not help but think of the events which had taken place in Istanbul only a day earlier. Twenty-three people, twenty- three human beings, had merci lessly killed for no reason other than the fact that they were Jews. T hat this cruel act occurred leaves us, their co-religionists stunned, angry and frustrated. That it actu ally took place only reinforces the terrible truth which we have always known and that the rest of the world population is reluctant to acknowledge: Those Arab and Is lamic groups who perpetuate ter rorist acts are motivated by anti- Semitism as well as anti-Israel sentiments. What is even more frustrating and upsetting is that despite this knowledge and despite the contin uous acts of terror, the world does relatively nothing about it. True, the leaders of the western world and even the pope were all quick to condemn this outrage which had just transpired—as they have con demned similar outrages in the past. Yet meaningful acts to combat and eradicate the problem remain elusive. William Safire, the noted colum nist for the New York Times, wrote an article a while back examining the reasons why the West tolerates terrorism. He could find none, or at least none that held any validity. As a matter of fact he expressed his amazement that the nations of the world have not banded together to put an end to something which is a threat to their very existence. Yet they have not. Even more recently, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli representative to the United Na tions, wrote a book outlining how the war against terrorism can be won. Yet it would appear that the nations of the world have not bothered to read the book or if they have, they have not read it carefully. During the month of Elul, not only is the shofar blown to com memorate the beginning of the penitential season, but Psalm 27 is also recited at the end of the morn ing and evening service. It is truly ironic, sad and perhaps even tragic that among the many important statements found within this most important text is also found the following verse: “One thing do I ask of the Lord, this do 1 most desire. To be able to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. To gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to frequent in his sanctuary.” For the 23 Jews who were mur dered, as well as for all the other worshippers in the Neve Shalom Synagogue on that day, they had come to give meaning to these moving words of Psalm 27. They had come to dwell in the House ol God and to be able to gaze upon the beauty which is His and His alone. Is this really too much to ask!