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Page 2 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE November 7, 1986
Accolades to Gerald Cohen
highlight ADL award dinner
by Vida Goldgar
This year’s ADL Abe Gold
stein Human Relations Award
Dinner on Oct. 30 drew not only
hundreds of Atlantans to honor
Gerald Cohen, but a “Who’s
Who” of ADL’s national leaders
as well.
The dinner, which is usually
held in December, was moved up
this year to coincide with the
annual meeting of the National
Executive Committee of the
Anti-Defamation League of B’nai
B’rith, held in Atlanta for the
first time.
Leon Goldstein, dinner chair
man, cited a triple honor for his
family: That the region’s most
prestigious award is given in the
name of his father; that Gerald
Cohen was the honoree, and that
the national leaders were present
for the event.
Nathan Perlmutter, ADL’s
long-time national director, paid
tribute to the memory of Ben
Massed Jr., a staunch and gener
ous supporter of the league for
many years. “He’s gone now, but
not his dream” of harmony, logic
and order. “He found intolera
ble, dissonance among men,”
Perlmutter said.
To help ensure the continua
tion of Massell’s primary ADL
interests, he had made a gener
ous bequest to the organization
which, Perlmutter said, will be
used to fund the Ben Massed Jr.
Fact Finding and Research Insti
tute of the Anti-Defamation
League. “We will research and
produce publications...to be dis
tributed throughout the nation,
each carrying special recognition
to Ben Massed Jr., so that when
ever and wherever these mate
rials are studied, people will be
reminded of Ben’s commitment
to combating bigotry."
In his keynote address, Rabbi
Ronald B. Sobel, senior Rabbi of
Temple Emanu-El in New York
City, focused on the primacy of
separation of church and state. “1
believe it can be said, without
fear of contradiction, that one of
the jewels of American life is reli
gious liberty,” he said. He warned
that there “continue to be attempts
to overturn this fundamental
American principle,” but added
that “Protestant, Catholic and
Jew have joined together in rec
ognizing, as never before, the
need for better understanding.”
Rabbi Sobel also warned that
“We cannot tolerate anyone who
claims this to be a Christian
nation,” reminding the audience
that “this is a nation for every
body. That’s the American ideal.”
Chosen to introduce the hono
ree was Rabbi Harry H. Epstein,
whose presence soon after recent
surgery was warmly acknowledged
by the audience. Of Gerald Cohen,
the rabbi said, “He has endeared
himself to all of us because of his
total commitment to everything
that is Jewish and everything
that is humane.” He said that
Cohen is one of a distinguished
group who “have created an im
proved society” and that Cohen
realized “that merely being in
volved in his own family and bus
iness was not sufficient. He
reached out to the needs of the
community and the world at large.”
In accepting the Abe Gold
stein Human Relations Award,
Cohen called it a “truly humbling
experience.”
With acknowledgment of the
love and understanding of his
wife Helen and their family,
Cohen said, “After family comes
community.” He recounted the
small Jewish community of the
1940s when he was growing up
and cited the influence on him of
past community leaders who, he
said, were “first generation grad
uates of the school ofhard knocks
but were outstanding by any stand
ard of measurement.”
KGB detains refusnik Nudel
NEW YORK, (JTA)—Long
time refusnik Ida Nudel was
removed from a Moscow-bound
bus in the city of Bendery Thurs
day Oct. 23 while en route to
meet with Elie Wiesel, who was
visiting Moscow, according to
both the Student Struggle for
Soviet Jewry and the Long Island
Committee for Soviet Jewry.
Witnesses said she was picked
up by her arms and legs and
thrown from the vehicle to the
ground by three KGB agents,
who then took her to their head
quarters. Nudel was reportedly
told there that she was barred
from leaving the city until Nov.
10, when she must report back to
learn what further restrictions
will be imposed upon her.
Nudel, 55, has been living in
exile in Bendery, Moldavia, since
1982, and occasionally allowed
to return to Moscow for medical
care. She has been banned from
living in Moscow since 1978,
when she was arrested for hang
ing a banner from her Moscow
apartment balcony that read,
“KGB, Give Me a Visa to Israel.”
Nudel first applied to emigrate
to Israel in May 1971 along with
her sister, liana Fridman. Frid
man, her husband and son re
ceived exit permits a year later,
but Nudel was refused. Although
technically released from exile in
1982, she was refused a residence
permit in every town where she
tried to settle. Bendery finally
allowed her to stay there, but she
lives isolated under constant sur
veillance.
Briefs
Hebrew Univ. fsils to open
JERUSAl EM (JTA)—The Hebrew University, reportedly
more than $50 million in debt, failed to open for the new
academic year last Sunday because it is unable to increase the
rents charged students living in the dormitories.
Housing Minister David Levy opposed the move which
would affect about a third of the 17,000 enrolled students. The
rent increase would bring the university an additional $1
million.
Captor liable for IAF pilot
JERUSALEM (JTA)—Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin
said last Sunday that the Amal militia in Lebanon and its
leader, Nabih Berri, would be held responsible for the safety
and well-being of an Israel Air Force navigator who bailed out
of his Phantom jet during a bombing mission over south
Lebanon last month.
Berri, who is minister of justice in the Beirut government
and heads the mainstream Shiite group, confirmed three weeks
ago that the flyer was alive and being held by Amal. He men
tioned no conditions for his release.
Pilot error has happy ending
Jerusalem (JTA)—A French charter plane carrying tourists
to Eilat landed by mistake in Aqaba, Jordan, a few miles away,
on Nov. 3. But after an hour on the tarmac it was allowed to
leave, with the good wishes of Jordanian soldiers and police.
Finance Minister Chaim Corfu thanked Jordan that night
for its good neighborliness. The error was attributed to the
French pilot who was not familiar with the region and thought
he was on the Eilat airfield when he was not.
Rumanian shut burns down
JERUSALEM (JTA)—A synagogue in the Rumanian
town of Bohush in Moldavia was burned to the ground after its
janitor was stabbed by unknown assailants last Thursday.
Rumanian Chief Rabbi Moses Rosen said the arson
occurred a day after a visit to the provincial synagogue by the
Hasidic Rebbe of Bohush who lives in Israel, accompanied by
several of his followers. The janitor suffered knife wounds on
his face and arms.
Rosen said there have been scattered anti-Semitic incidents
in Rumania in recent years and anti-Semitic lyrics to a popular
song were published recently in a major newspaper. But no
synagogue was ever burned down before, Rosen said.
Soviet Jewry emigration down
NEW YORK (JJ A)—Only 104 Soviet Jews were permitted
to leave the Soviet Union in October, according to the Coali
tion to Free Soviet Jews. This brings the 1986 Jewish emigra
tion total so far to 735.
In 1984, only 896 Soviet Jews were given permission to
leave, and last year, 1,140 were granted exit visas. In 1979,
51,320 Jews were permitted to emigrate from the Soviet Union,
which means the drop-off in emigration over the last seven
years is more than 98 percent.
Flerovs arrive in Vienna
VIENNA (JTA)—The family of Inessa and Viktor Flerov
arrived here last Monday. Inessa Flerov’s brother, Michael
Shirman, a leukemia victim in Ness Tziona, Israel,expected to
see his sister and her family in Israel Wednesday. Shirman
hopes to receive a bone-marrow transplant from his sister that
may possibly save his life.
Herzog goes down under
JERUSALEM (JTA)—President Chaim Herzog left Nov.
on an 18-day state visit to Australia and Southeast Asia,
undertaken, he said, to advance Israel’s good image and pro
mote its trade with that region.
In a radio interview prior to his departure, Herzog said his
np is important politically because it will give Israel a high-
pro i e pu lie platform from which to combat anti-Israel
propaganda.
Herzog, accompanied by his wife, Aura, will visit Australia
ew ea and, Fiji, the Philippines and Singapore. The presi-
” £ ressed srae . s efforts to broaden its trade with a region
a as emerged in recent years as one of the world’s major
commercial centers.