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Page 2 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE October 31, 1986
Simhat Torah altercation
called ‘much exaggerated’
by David Landau
and Gil Sedan
JERUSALEM (JTA)— Jeru
salem police said last Sunday
they would press charges against
Rabbi Eliahu Abergil who led a
group of Orthodox men in an
attempt to disrupt prayer servi
ces at a Reform congregation in
the Baka suburb of Jerusalem
Friday evening, the eve of Sim
hat Torah. He is also charged
with making threats against the
local Reform community.
The Jerusalem Police Chief
said that accounts of violence at
the incident were much exagger
ated. Minister of Religious Affairs
Zevulun Hammer, nevertheless,
ordered an inquiry. According to
the police, Abergil is suspected of
having violated Article 171 of the
Criminal Code. If convicted he
could face up to three years in
prison. Abergil was released on
bail Sunday.
The incident has escalated the
ongoing controversy in Israel
over freedom of worship for all
and religious extremism. Rabbi
Richard Hirsh, head of the Pro
gressive (Reform) movement in
Israel said that protection of
minority rights was the essence
of democracy.
But Sephardic Chief Rabbi
Mordechai Eliahu said on a radio
interview that while he abhorred
and condemned violence of any
kind, he opposed freedom of
worship if that meant equality
for all branches of religion.
Hammer, leader of the National
Religious Party, stated that he
favored complete freedom and
protection for private worship
but was against “importing prob
lems,” meaning apparently the
pluralism of Judaism that pre
vails in the U.S. and other coun
tries. Israel recognizes and sup
ports only the Orthodox branch.
Abergil denied charges that he
hurled abuse at the Reform wor
shippers and that he and his sup
porters resorted to force to wrest
Torah scrolls from them.
Eyewitness accounts of the
events at the Kol Haneshama
congregation said, “Abergil and
his followers entered the com
munity center gymnasium where
services were being held. At first
they just watched. Then, two of
the younger intruders asked to
dance with the Torah scrolls and
attempted to grab them. When
they failed, Abergil began
screaming invectives at the con
gregation, calling them evil and
corrupt. He said they made the
synagogue into a house of prosti
tution.
“At that point, members of the
congregation joined hands and
began singing, ‘May He who
makes Peace on H igh make Peace
for us and all of Israel.’ Slowly
they edged the intruders out of
the building.”
Rabbi Levi Weiman-Kelman
of the Reform congregation said
he was kicked by one of Abergil's
supporters. He said he was cal
ling on all non-Orthodox Israelis
to show their solidarity by filling
Reform and Conservative con
gregations this Sabbath.
Reform spokesmen said at a
press conference here Tuesday
that they would use the incident
to support their demands for
equality with Orthodox Judaism
in Israel. Specifically, they want
the right of Reform and Conser
vative rabbis to officiate at reli
gious ceremonies, and funding
for non-Orthodox synagogues
and institutions.
The Reform movement will
hold a rally in Jerusalem Satur
day night in support of freedom
of religion. Reform leaders said
they expected many Orthodox
Jews to lend their support.
The Reform movement also
intends to lodge a complaint with
the police against Chief Rabbi
Eliahu for slandering the Reform
congregation in Baka. Eliahu said
in a radio interview after the
Simhat Torah disturbance that
men and women were dancing
naked with Torah scrolls at the
Reform service.
—China likes Israel’s ‘drip’—
WASHINGTON (Polakoff)—China and Israel are engaged
in “sprinkler diplomacy.” While officially the Asian giant does
not recognize Israel, its National Agricultural Research Insti
tute has set aside a five-acre plot in Beijing to exhibit Israel’s
drip-method of irrigation technology and contracted for
$500,000 of Israeli seedlings for Chinese farmers.
Singapore represented China’s role in the arrangements. A
flaw in the relationship occurred when a Chinese delegation
canceled its planned visit to Israel’s Agritech Fair in Tel Aviv
when an Israeli newspaper reported the scheduled trip.
The fair was “the most successful we’ve ever had” according
to Ram Gutt, director of Israel’s Export Institute.
Congregation Beth Shalom~
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IVcws Briefs
West Bank mayors selected
JERUSALEM (JTA)—Israel’s new policy of appointing
Arab mayors in major West Bank towns was completed last
week when the civil administration for the territory installed
Taher Hijazi as mayor of Anabta in the northen Samaria
district. . .....
He replaces former Mayor Wahid Hamdallah who was
removed by the Israeli authorities four years ago for failure to
cooperate.
In addition to Anabta, Arab mayors now preside in
Hebron, Ramallah and El Bireh, where they replaced Israeli
military officers who had been running the towns. All of the
appointments were made with the approval of the Jordanian
government.
Lavi cost estimate ‘accurate’
WASHINGTON (JTA)—The federal government will award
$2.09 million for the construction of B’nai B’rith’s 23rd local
elderly housing project, the organization reports. Project co
sponsors B’nai B’rith Housing Inc. and the Schenectady, N.Y.,
B’nai B’rith Lodge plan a 50-unit complex in Niskayuna, a
suburb of Schenectady.
Like other B’nai B’rith housing in the United States, which
currently totals 3,189 units, the Schenectady complex will
house low-income elderly or handicapped people on a nonsecu
lar basis. B’nai B’rith reports it has similar projects in Australia
Canada, Great Britain and Israel.
Ivory Coast moving embassy
PARIS (JTA)—Ivory Coast will move its embassy from
Jerusalem to Tel Aviv, Radio Abidjan reported last week.
The move apparently is being made under massive pressure
from the Arab League member states, which decided at a
meeting in Tunis recently to break diplomatic relations with the
West African nation.
Ivory Coast, which broke relations with Israel after the 1973
Yom Kippur War, restored them last December and opened its
embassy in Jerusalem, becoming the third country to have an
embassy in the Israeli capital.
Worshippers seek forgiveness
NEW YORK (JTA)—Some 30 Yom Kippur worshippers at
a Lower Manhattan synagogue are expected to seek forgiveness
from the city’s Parking Violations Bureau (PVB).
Rabbi Samuel Gedalowitz of the Orthodox Civic Center
Synagogue said the 30 or so worshippers had parked previous
to sundown Oct. 12—the beginning of Yom Kippur—in zones
marked to prohibit parking from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. They were
ticketed the next day.
Jewish studies inaugurated
MONTREAL (JTA)—Canada’s first endowed chair in
Jewish studies has been established at McGill University here,
the university announced.
Funds for the Montreal Jewish Community Chair Jewish
Studies were raised primarily from Montreal Jews, under the
auspices of the McGill Advancement Program.
Report targets Jewish issues
WASHINGTON (JTA)—The American Jewish Commit
tee has begun publishing The Washington Report, a biweekly
newsletter dealing with public issues its editors believe are of
^ C e e s n nn°nt m a riCan JeWS ‘ The P ublic *tion is being mailed to
pnmm 5,0 ^ eaders ln 8° vernment > the Jewish and non-Jewish
communities.
incluH^sr'Hr t0 e(bt or, M.J. Rosenberg, those issues
novertv in preservation of American pluralism,
tions East vv 1 Ued States ’ Emigration and refugee ques-
lermrism te ™ons, the threat of nuclear warfare and
Sabbath admissions are set
in Wesfl^K (JTA)—The Kaiser Permanente Hospital
benefit of Orth 8 h CS ^ aS chan 8 ed its admissions policy for the
Jews f om? J ; WS ‘ The hos P ital admit Orthodox
oral agreement »n SUn j Wn l ° ^ aturda y sundown with only an
° sign documents normally required for entry.
