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UU4i*“‘.9* Iimm fcnititl+i>timhie* Letters Olim vs. yordim Editor: For the past several years I have enjoyed receiving your newspaper in Israel. It is a wonder ful way to stay in touch with the Atlanta Jewish community. Recently I have come across a term which I feel I must com ment on. Frequently in articles I see the word “yordim” used when referring to Israelis who have left Israel and relocated in other countries. The word yordim is a pejorative term which literally translated means “(people) who have descended” as opposed to the term used for Jews who have moved to Israel, olim, meaning “(people) who have ascended.” It is a mistake commonly made but I feel one worthy of correc tion because I am certain no one wants to directly or indirectly pass judgment on where Jews choose to live their lives. Carol Bachman-Dlin Moshav Ora, Israel JFS praises DART Editor: The Dial-A-Ride Transporta tion (DART) program at Jewish Family Services is in need of volunteer drivers and dispatchers. The DART program provides transportation to medical, den tal, legal and social service ap pointments for elderly residents. The program is operated and maintained by volunteers. This is an opportunity to vol unteer by serving as a dispatcher or driver and perform a mitzva by providing an elderly member the mean to maintain his or her independence. So, if you have one hour a month to give and enjoy per forming a mitzva, please call 873- 3278 between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon Monday through Thursday or Jewish Family Services, 873- 2277. Jewish Family Services We’ve Moved Just a reminder that The Southern Israelite is now in its new offices at 300 Atlanta Technology Center, Suite 365, 1575 Northside Drive, N.W., Atlanta, GA 30318. The newspaper’s mailing address is P.O. Box 250287, Atlanta, GA 30325. The telephone number is (404) 355-6139. New photo policy Beginning immediately, The Southern Israelite will no longer charge organizations or indivi duals for running photographs. However, in order to ensure quality reproduction, we must insist that all photos submitted be black and white and of 35mm quality. The editors reserve the right to select and limit photos for size and space. We will honor photos already in house by Oct. 17. American Heart Association WERE FIGHTING FOR NOUR LIFE Forum Elie Wiesel ridiculed by Michael Winograd Special to The Southern Israelite The Holocaust revisionist movement to deny that six mil lion Jews were exterminated by the Nazis during World War II continues to be an important weapon of anti-Semitic and right-wing extremist groups op erating in the United States and abroad. The leading revisionist group is the Institute for Histori cal Review (IH R). Based in Tor rence, Calif., IHR was founded in 1979 by Willis Carto, pub lisher of the anti-Semitic news paper, The Spotlight. The local revisionist group is the Atlanta Committee for His torical Review. The committee is headed by Sam Dickson, attor ney for Klansmen, and his pro tege, Martin O’Toole, a law stu dent at Georgia State University. The committee recently brought to Atlanta British author David Irving. Irving, a favorite of the revisionists, is the author of sev eral books, including “Hitler’s War,” in which he claims Adolf Hitler was unaware of the exter mination of Europe’s Jews. At lanta was Irving’s only American appearance besides Los Angeles. About 80 people, paying $5 each, attended the meeting, which was held at the Waverly Hotel. Many of them were well-known Ku Klux Klan or neo-Nazi lead ers, such as Ed Fields of the National States Rights Party, and Don Black, and Alabama Klan leader. The Anti-Defamation League monitored the meeting as part of its ongoing effort to coun teract anti-Semitism and ex tremism. This was Irving’s second ap pearance in six months before this group. He was sharp, witty and irreverent. The audience was warmly supportive of him, ap plauding several times during his hour-long speech. His contention is “there is not one shred of evi dence that Hitler knew” about the Holocaust. “Either every shred of evidence was destroyed, or it didn’t happen.” He tended to believe the latter. He referred to the “myth of the six million” and blamed the Jewish deaths of that period on the same “chaotic con ditions” that have occurred in many wars, such as Vietnam, “a series of separate, unrelated, chaotic murders.” The author read a Nazi memo from 1942 which quotes Hitler as saying he wants to postpone the final solution of the Jewish prob lem until the conclusion of the war. Irving commented, “There is a whole string of documents showing Hitler putting out his hand to protect the Jews.” Irving said there is a “romance of the Jewish Holocaust; it has a life of its own.” He also said, “Historians have a blindness when it comes to the Holocaust” and likened it to Tay-Sachs disease, because it is a “Jewish disease which causes blindness.” The speaker made a point of ridiculing Nobel Prize winner Elie Wiesel, pronouncing the name like “weasel.” Irving called Wei- sel a “media celebrity” and a “professional survivor.” The theme of Irving’s talk was that “powerful forces in the media are subverting the traditional values of white men.” These peo ple, “fronts of fronts,” were ulti mately being manipulated by the Soviet Union. Specifically, he referred to the “media campaign” against Libya and South Africa. He said the Soviets have substi tuted race war for class war, “They are using blacks like strychnine” against the West. The meeting, the second pro gram held by the committee, was videotaped. Books by Irving were available for sale. Additionally, literature promoting the IH R was available. ADL has monitored many Klan rallies. This meeting, at the fash ionable Waverly Hotel, with the polite, well-dressed audience, was far more disturbing. Pseudo-in tellectual meetings like this put a patina of respectability over the ugly reality of racism and anti- Semitism. Distortion of the Holo caust provides a vehicle for the revisionists to exploit their anti- Semitism. Effective education about the painful lessons of the Holocaust becomes increasingly essential if groups like the IHR and the Atlanta Committee for H istorical Review are to be denied respectability. Michael Winograd is the assist ant director of the Anti-Defama tion League’s Southeast region. Jews aid quake victims NEW YORK (JTA)—Mem bers of the small Jewish com munity in El Salvador escaped injury in the recent earthquake that killed nearly 900 people and injured more than 8,000 others. But, according to Jean-Claude Khan, president of El Salvador’s Jewish community, many Jews suffered damage to their homes and businesses. Kahn has urged the American Jewish community to assist in the general earthquake relief effort. In response, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Com mittee is opening its mailbox for contributions. JDC president Heinz Eppler announced that the JDC is mak ing a contribution of $10,000 of its own funds towards emergency relief. Israel also helped with the relief effort. The government rushed medical and other supp lies to help victims of the quake, aboard a special El A1 flight to the Central American country via New York. The relief effort and the flow of funds entering the country are being coordinated through the private sector, working with the United States Agency for Inter national Development. — Wiesenthal receives honor VIENNA (JTA)—Nazi-hunter Simon Wiesenthal was inducted into the French Legion of Honor here last Wednesday. The presen tation was made by the French Ambassador to Austria, Francois Regis Bastide, at a ceremony attended by the Israeli Ambassador Michael Elizur, Deputy Mayor of Vienna Erhard Busek and Ivan Hacker, president of the Jewish community. i Chabad of Georgia invites you to Join Us In N A Simhat L* Torah Celebration PL Saturday Evening UYvyBft October 25th Rflvwi 8:00 P.M. BETH TEFILLAH 5065 High Point Road Atlanta, Georgia 30342 SING, DANCE & ENJOY L’ Chaims & Refreshments 1 — For Mowlntof nuMro Call B43-24B4nJ THE EPSTEIN SCHOOL Solomon Schechter School of Atlanta Thanks its more than 1000 contributors who said YES! and helped us reach our TELETHON GOAL 600 Peachtree Battle Avenue, N.W., Atlanta, GA 30327 (404) 351-7623 <it; '. :n;z.v.'.rjrrji - ' JimM -iMwi PAGE 5 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE October 24, 1986