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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~ A Conservative Synagogue Serving North Atlanta Goods & Services AUCTION Novembers 7:30 p.m. Silent Auction 7-8 p.m. $ 5 (advance) $ 7 (at door) Buffet Deli Dinner (all night) .Door Prizes Auctioning % ' Weekend in Bermuda • Jewelry Art . Timeshare at Big Canoe Dinners for 2 in many outstanding restaurants Call 458-0489 for further information V. 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.