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THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE November 21, 1986 Page 5
Letters
Pair proud of their hazzan
Editor:
When Cantor Goodfriend (the
hazzan, as we call him) asked us
to join him in New York for the
country’s Centennial Celebration
of the Statue of Liberty, we were
thrilled, but had no idea of the
impact it would have on us.
We knew it was quite an honor
when the secretary of the interior,
Don Hodel, call the hazzan per
sonally and asked him to partici
pate in the program. However,
we didn’t realize “our hazzan”
was going to be the greater part
of the program’s entertainment.
It is impossible to describe our
feeling of pride and “nachas” as
we watched our own Cantor Isaac
Goodfriend as his voice rang out,
so beautifully, the anthems “La
Marseillaise” (in French) and
“The Star Spangled Banner.”
And as the great Lady Liberty
stood in the background, with
some of America’s and France’s
highest dignitaries and officials
looking on, it was “our hazzan”
who sang out—with all of his
pride and might—“This is My
Country” and “America.”
On Tuesday morning, Oct. 28,
1986, Lady Liberty’s 100th birth
day, we were especially proud of
“our hazzan” and we felt it would
be selfish not to share this honor
with our community.
Saba Silverman
Marsha Vrono
Word ‘Holocaust’ used too often
Editor:
A couple of letters have ap
peared The Southern Israelite in
which the writers equated certain
events such as abortions with the
Holocaust.
That word has been much
abused and unfortunately is used
too frequently to describe var
ious occurrences. It seems that
almost anything can fall into the
category of a holocaust. Regret
tably, Jews have fallen into the
trap of using this term too freely.
Ask a survivor of the Holo
caust, those who have experienced
it through their families and those
who have read extensively about
it, and one will discover that the
magnitude of this tragedy makes
it incomparable as well as incom
prehensible.
Elie Wiesel once lamented his
concern that in the future refer
ence to the Holocaust will recall
memories of the TV series.
Stanley M. Lefco
President, Second Generation
Children of Holocaust Survivors
Judge person, not religion: reader
Editor:
The article on Election ’86 (TSI,
Nov. 7) regarding Jewish candi
dates who won or lost their bids
for Congress, made me very un
easy. If I had read a similar arti
cle in a Christian publication
regarding Christian candidates, I
would be deeply offended, both
as an American and as a Jew.
Candidates for public office
should be judged strictly on their
merits, of course, and it is incum
bent upon each of us to bear that
in mind when we vote. Religious
affiliation should have no bear-
Reader raps
Editor:
I was surprised at your recent
attack on radio station WYNX
for their audacity to run an ad
aimed at Christians. So I called
the station, talked with station
manager Alan Carr, and found
out that they are a station prima
rily for evangelical Christians,
just as TSI is for us Jews. Unlike
TSI, however, WYNX has an
editorial policy of presenting
their own views WITHOUT at
tacking those of other persua
sions. They do have a policy, in
the interest of an informed elec
torate, of running paid political
announcements from any source,
regardless of whether WYNX (or
their listeners) agree with the
views expressed. Like most evan
gelical Christian organizations,
WYNX is pro-Israel, and Mr.
Carr expressed a feeling toward
the Jews as his “brethren” whom
he had no intention of offending
in any way.
Concerning the ad itself, Mr.
Carr invites anyone to call and
hear the ad for himself or herself.
ing on one’s assessment of a can
didate’s suitability for public
office. Religious affiliation should
never be a reason for a candi
date’s winning or losing an elec
tion.
Mr. Polakoffs score-keeping
is very reminiscent of the Chris
tian fundamentalists’ “biblical
score-card” that we all find so
repugnant. This article should
not have been written, nor should
the Israelite have printed it.
Johanna Moldov Klein
TSI’s ‘bigotry’
(TSI did not contact him or hear
his side before attacking). It’s a
simple “get out and vote” ad that
names neither candidates nor
parties, except for the legally
required tag, “This message paid
for by the Georgia Republican
Party.” It appealed to the “born
again,” just as other ads in the
campaign appealed to farmers,
teachers, union members, and,
yes, Jews.
So I want to ask the American
Jewish Committee: Is that why
we send contributions? So you
can harass Christians for asking
other Christians to vote? Do we
have so few enemies that you
need to pick fights with those
who consider themselves our
friends? Will you safeguard our
freedom as of speech as Jews by
taking it away from Christians
and Republicans?
1 also want to ask TSI: Why is
bigotry only acceptable when it’s
we Jews who do it?
David Ben-Hannah
Remembering Dr. Janus
by Shai Robkin
This past year our community
lost one of its most distinquished
members, Dr. Sidney Q. Janus.
As the Jewish people have been
described as the “People of the
Book,” Dr. Janus was indeed a
person of the book. It is appro
priate for his memory to be hon
ored in association with learning
and Jewish books. The Atlanta
Jewish Community Center is
grateful to his wife, Mrs. Leah
Janus, and her family, along with
the Ahavath Achim Synagogue
for helping to bring “Bookend’s”
keynote speaker, Charles Silber-
man.
Not only did Dr. Janus have
an extensive knowledge of Torah,
Talmud and Jewish literature,
but he also spoke Hebrew flu
ently and wrote it beautifully.
His affinity for Jewish books was
expressed both privately and pub
licly. His library was filled with
volumes of Jewish works that he
had accumulated throughout a
lifetime. As a longtime member
of the Jewish Publication Society
and the American Jewish Histor
ical Society, Dr. Janus kept this
interest current and alive. He was
a past president of the Zionist
Organization of America, Atlanta
District under whose auspices he
edited the book “Our Story At-
lanta-A Panorama of Israel.”
In addition to being a past
president of the Atlanta Bureau
of Jewish Education, he was also
an active member of Ahavath
Achim Synagogue, the Jewish
Home, B’nai B’rith, Men’s ORT
and the Jewish War Veterans.
The depth of his Jewish learning
extended beyond the Jewish com
munity to his psychology prac
tice and to other organizations in
which he participated, including
the Rotary Club and the High
Museum. For 18 years, he deli
vered semi-annual book reviews
at St. Philip’s Cathedral. One
cannot be as versed in Jewish
knowledge as Dr. Janus was
without being imbued with its
moral fiber. In recent years, he
prodded the psychological com
munity to have a greater forum
for ethical issues relating to the
practice of psychology. He urged
that ethics be a vital component
of continuing education require
ments.
Throughout his life, Dr. Janus
dedicated himself to Jewish learn
ing and gave of himself to the
community. It is fitting that his
blessed memory should continue
to contribute to those ideals he so
much cherished.
Charles E. Silberman, author
of the controversial book, "A
Certain People: American Jews
and Their Lives Today," will
deliver the Sidney Q. Janus
Memorial Lecture at 8 p. m. Sun
day, Nov. 23, at the AJCC on
Peachtree. His talk will culmi
nate “ Bookends," a weekend cele
bration of Jewish books, which
opens Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and
continues through Sunday.
For the record
Justice Department officials
began an “on-site inspection” of
the Palestine Information Office
(PIO) in Washington, D.C., on
Oct. 29, one week after a surprise
inspection was canceled due to
premature media disclosure. The
PIO is registered with the Justice
Department to lobby on behalf
of the Palestine Liberation Or
ganization (PLO); it received
$280,000 from the terrorist or
ganization last year.
The Justice Department does
not comment on investigations
in progress, but knowledgeable
observers describe the inspection
process as a close examination of
all financial records, correspon
dence, and publications.
The effectiveness of the opera
tions was questioned by Sen.
Jeremiah Denton (R-Ala.), chair
man of the Senate Subcommittee
on Security and Terrorism, who
accused the Justice Department
of “dropping the ball on the
investigation.” Several weeks
before the inspection was to take
place, the Justice Department
notified the PIO and began
“negotiating” with the group over
the nature of the documents to be
examined. Advance notification
of an inspection is a common
practice, according to a Justice
Department spokesman.
But when Justice planned a
surprise visit to the office, a
report in the Israeli media alerted
the PIO and the inspection was
postponed. One source close to
the PIO said that the advance
warnings had enabled office staff
to remove certain documents.
The results of the inspection
will be available to the public
only after analysis of the docu
ments is completed—and that
could take from several months
to several years. If evidence is
uncovered to indicate that the
PIO office has acted in violation
of its registration under the For
eign Agents Registration Act, it
could be subject to criminal pro
ceedings or revocation of per
mission to operate.
— Near East Report
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