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r 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