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FCC OKs racist radio station sale
era to the editor
Israel’s morality stands up to scrutiny
WASHINGTON (JTA)—A Federal Communications Com
mission judge has approved the sale of a Kansas radio station
which had broadcast racist and anti-Semitic programs.
Charles Babbs, owner of KMCS-FM, formerly KTTL-FM, in
Dodge City, sold the station for $ 10,000 to the Community Service
Broadcasting Inc., the citizens group which has been trying for
three years to get the license held by Babbs and his former wife,
Nellie Babbs.
The station broadcast anti-black and anti-Semitic programs in
1982 and 1983. In 1985 the FCC refused to rescind the station’s
license because the FCC said the programming was protected by
the First Amendment.
The Babbses’ application for license renewal had been opposed
by the Dodge City Citizens for Better Broadcasting, the National
Black Media Coalition, the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai
B’rith, the Jewish Community Relations Bureau of Kansas City,
Mo., the Jewish War Veterans and Kansas Attorney General
Robert Stephan.
Ultra-Orthodox vandals fined
JERUSALEM (JTA)—The Jerusalem Magistrates Court fined
23 ultra-Orthodox Jews between 100 and 500 shekels each and
sentenced them to suspended jail terms for destruction of bus stops
here two months ago.
The most severe penalty went to Rabbi Gershon Satmar, one of
the leaders of the Eda Haredit. Satmar was fined 500 shekels and
received a suspended sentence of four months.
The trial of three others charged with the destruction, among
them Rabbi Uri Blau of Neturei Karta, continues.
Church built on death camp site
WARSAW (JTA)—A Roman Catholic church has been built
on the site of a former Nazi torture chamber at the Sobibor death
camp, where 200,000 Jews were killed by gassing, the World Jewish
Congress reported here.
According to the WJC, European Jewish communities are
outraged at this development, coming in the wake of the continu
ing controversy over the erection of a Carmelite convent in a
building which stored gas canisters in the Auschwitz death camps.
Virtually all of the victims at Sobibor were Jewish. From April
1942 to October 1943 some 200,000 Jews from Poland, The Nether
lands, France, Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union were trans
ported to the camp outside of Lublin where they were killed in the
gas chambers and cremated.
Israel to revive Project Exodus
JERUSALEM (JTA)—The recent thaw in relations between
Israel and the black African nations that broke diplomatic ties with
it after the 1973 Yom Kippur War will revive a project undertaken
by Israeli opthalmologists 27 years ago to eradicate eye diseases
common to tropical Africa.
Four Israeli ophthalmologists will establish eye clinics in Africa
shortly. Their work is a continuation of Project Exodus, estab
lished in 1959 by the late Professor Isaac Michaelson of Hadassah
Hospital in Jerusalem to fight trachoma and river blindness.
Michaelson had eradicated them in Israel and his procedures
were introduced in many African countries by Israeli doctors in the
1960s. An international symposium dedicated to his memory
recently closed in Jerusalem.
Waldheim to avoid dam opening
AMSTERDAM (JTA)—President Kurt Waldheim of Austria
will not attend the opening on Oct. 4 of the Easter Scheldt Dam, a
major new Hydraulic power project. Austria will be represented by
its foreign minister, P. Jankevitsch.
The Dutch government may have discreetly advised Wald
heim to stay away or the Austrians themselves decided it would be
better to avoid possible protest demonstrations against their con
troversial president.
* * *
Editor:
Two years ago four Palestinian
terrorists were caught in the act of
hijacking an Israeli bus. Needless
to say, they were not intent on tak
ing the passengers for a tour-guided
joy ride. If not apprehended they
probably would have murdered
several and held the remainder
hostage.
Israel Defense Forces learned
long ago they could give no quar
ter. They stormed the bus, killed
two terrorists (a passenger’s life
was also lost) and captured the
other two.
We don’t know what took place
after the terrorists were caught
other than that thev were killed.
Did they attempt to escape? Did
they resist arrest? Were the captors
so enraged that in the heat of pas
sion they beat them to death? Suf
fice it to state that President Chaim
Herzog, after much soul-searching,
conferred pardons on those who
might have been involved.
No country, more than Israel, is
dedicated to the pursuit of justice.
As stated, we are not aware of how,
why, when and by whom the ter
rorists were put to death. There are
those who maintain, with some
justification, that the captured two
should have been shot on the spot.
Cooler heads would have preferred
that they be brought to trial. Since
Israel does not mete out capital
punishment they would have been
sent to prison where they would
remain as pawns.
Yet, here we are two years later,
and our newspapers gnaw on the
affair like hungry dogs chewing on
a long ago discarded bone. In our
own and all other countries the
investigation of the slaying of a
murderous felon is buried along
with the body. While we would
gladly turn back the clock, unfor
tunately it cannot be done. Israel’s
morality can bear the closest scru
tiny. In this case scrutiny has been
overdone. It is time to call a halt.
Max E. Robkin
Witnesses to Nazi crimes sought
Editor:
The U.S. Department of Justice
is seeking witnesses to Nazi crimes
committed during World War II in
the vicinity of Vilna (Vilnius),
Lithuania. In addition to Vilna
itself, survivors are being sought
from the following towns and vil
lages: Nemenczyn (Nemencine),
Nova Vileika (Naujoji Vilnia),
Rzesza (Riese), Yaszuny (Jasiunai),
Eiszyszki (Eisiskes), Troki (Trakai),
Szumiliszki (Semeliskes), and Svi-
enciany (Svencionys).
The department’s Office of Spe
cial Investigations (OS1) is in the
process of gathering evidence in
connection with its investigations
of suspected Nazi war criminals
residing in the United States.
OSI is especially interested in
contacting survivors who can pro
vide information concerning the
activities of the Lithuanian Secur
ity Police (also known as the Lithu
anian Sicherheitspolizei, Saugumas,
or Lithuanian SIPO).
Survivors, or those who might
be of assistance in locating survi
vors, may communicate in any
language they choose and are asked
Abram blasts
Editor:
The entire Jewish community is
dismayed and disgusted by the
tear-gas bombing at the Metropol
itan Opera performance of the
Moiseyev Ballet.
Vigilantism is the historic wea
pon used by the enemies of the
Jewish people against us.
We do not know who is respon
sible for the obscenity at the opera
last night. That terrible act served
only the interests of the Soviets by
diverting attention from their mas-
to contact: Ms. Bessy Pupko, World
Jewish Congress, One Park Avenue,
New York, New York 10016, (212)
679-0600.
Eli Rosenbaum
World Jewish Congress
ballet attack
sive human rights violations and
virtual shut-off of all Jewish emi
gration.
Every Jewish organization dedi
cated to the rescue of Soviet Jews
knows that such actions are mor
ally wrong, are counterproductive
and have been consistently con
demned by the Jewish community.
Morris Abram, Chairman
Conference of Presidents of Major
American Jewish Organizations
and Chairman, National
Conference on Soviet Jewry
Bit of history’ reveals Geffen collection
Editor:
I read with great interest your
article “A Bit of History” in the
Sept. 5 issue of The Southern Is
raelite and commend you for bring
ing to the attention of your readers
the fascinating data available at
the American Jewish Historical
Society located on the Brandeis
University Campus.
As one of the eight children of
Rabbi and Mrs. Tobias Geffen, of
blessed memory, I am very proud
of the fact that we presented to the
society, at their request, a collec
tive of his papers, documents and
other historical material that he
carefully preserved during his 60
years residence in the city of
Atlanta.
Not only did he serve as the
rabbi of Congregation Shearith
Israel over this span of time; he
also was called upon by many
southern Jewish communities for
counsel and advice as well as opin
ions on Judaic laws and rituals. He
was recognized as the Orthodox
religious authority for southern
Jewry.
The officials of the society stated
that this collection was the most
voluminous and interesting of any
Orthodox rabbi that they had ever
reviewed. All of this material is
now catalogued and readily access
ible at the Historical Society.
Your suggestion that a visit there
would be worthwhile is an excel
lent idea. For Atlantans and other
southerners it would be especially
interesting to examine Rabbi Gef-
fen’s memorable collection cover
ing the 60 years he served as spirit
ual leader in Atlanta.
PAGE 5 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE September 12, 1986