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Page 4 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE November 28, 1986
Editorial
Creche question
It’s that time of year again when the “creche question” pops
up all over the country.
Most recent is the case in Chicago where a federal judge
ruled that a creche on Chicago’s City Hall grounds is ok.
We won’t debate here the decision (though we believe it is
wrong) but the justification given by IJ.S. District Court Judge
Frank McGarr is shocking.
The judge said. “The truth is that America's origins are
Christian with the result that some of our fondest traditions are
Christian, and that our founding fathers intended and achieved
full religious freedom for all within the context of a Christian
nation in the First Amendment as it was adopted, rather than
as we have rewritten it.”
We’re not certain how McGarr's decision will stand up
against the appeals certain to come, but in a case in St. Charles,
111., Federal Appellate Judge Richard Posner ruled that a
large, lighted Christian cross on the roof of the fire department
was “an unmistakable symbol of Christianity” which violated
the First Amendment ban against establishment of religion.
The Supreme Court let Judge Posner’s decision stand.
These issues are highly charged with emotion and one
could wish, somehow, that at least they could be raised long
before the holiday season and settled once and for all.
Think about it
Even though Thanksgiving Day itself is past and the turkey
has been transformed into Country Captain, pot pies, mealy
sandwiches or what have you. the spirit of the holiday remains.
Most of us do, indeed, have much for which to be thankful
though sometimes we tend to dwell on the negatives in our lives
rather than the positives.
Perhaps this is a good time to give a little serious thought to
those good things. Make a list. Think it through carefully.
Now the reverse. The second list, those facets of our lives
which are downers, may seem to come more easily at first but
we'd bet that for most of us, it will turn out to be a lot shorter.
If this seems to be something like an exercise for school
children, so be it. Putting things down on paper, making
comparisons, serves adults as well.
At least it makes us think.
I To cat and drink on a festival in the company
of your family without providing for the poor and
distressed, is not “the jov of the commandment''
hut the joy of your stomach. It is a disgrace.
Maimoniik's, Yaii: Yoni Tab. I ISO. 6. IS.
The Southern Israelite
The Voice of Atlanta s Jewish Community
Since 1925'
Vida Goldgar Jeff Rubin
Editor General Manager
Luna Levy
Managing Editor
Published by Sun Publications, Inc.
also publishers of The Kansas City Jewish Chronicle
Stan Rose Steve Rose
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AMRKCKM VAMU RUB iSRAEL THE WRONG WAY
Vida Goldgar
Remembering
It was 1983 —February and 1 was in Paris. It
was my first visit (other than a long layover at the
airport many years earlier) and everything was
exciting. On our way to Israel, at
group of American Jewish Press I
Association editors were spend
ing a week in the City of Eights
learning about the Jewish com
munity of Paris.
All the memories came Hood
ing back Sunday evening as 1
watched the television film about
Beate Klarsfeld. By coincidence,:
our stay in Paris coincided with
the arrival in France of Nazi war criminal Klaus
Barbie, after more than 1 I years of often heart
breaking pursuit by the Klarsfelds.
When the news broke that Barbie was finally in
a French prison, our group of editors naturally
wanted to talk to the Klarsfelds. Even though they
f
were besieged by journalists of all media, and were
trying to pack for a trip to Israel the following day,
Beate and Serge graciously consented to a private
news conference with the Jewish journalists. Some
where 1 still have the tape recording of that day.
It was easier to locate the story 1 wrote. It was
on the front page of the Feb. 11, 1983 issue. 1
remember that alter we left the Klarsfeld apart
ment. 1 went back to the hotel and wrote a brief
story in longhand. 1 was still making changes w hen
the hotel operator said my call to Atlanta was
ready. It didn't take long to dictate the story. 1
hadn't dared write much because it was Wednesday
and I knew' that much of the paper had already been
filled. Yet there was a certain satisfaction in know
ing that, even though brief, we would have our own
story to go along with the wire reports.
Someone asked how they felt when they learned
that Barbie was being returned. It was Serge who
answered: “Naturally, we were quite relieved be
cause we spent 11 '/ 2 years on that case.” He des
cribed friends of theirs, “mothers of three children
w ho were deported by Barbie, and each day it was a
torture for them to see that such a man could be
openly unpunished in Bolivia...and now these
mothers hope generally in life that such people have
to pay for what they have done.”
Perhaps one of those mothers was “ltta” in
Sunday evening's film, played so movingly by Ger
aldine Page. If so, she must be wondering why,
almost four years later, Klaus Barbie has not yet
been brought to trial.
1 know 1 do.
Numbing experience
by Stanley M. Lefco
Several weeks ago Michael
Winograd, assistant director of
the Anti-Defamation League’s
Southeast region, wrote in this
paper about a meeting of the
Atlanta Committee for Histori
cal Review that he attended. At
the meeting David Irving, self-
styled "professional historian,”
attempted to prove, among other
things, that the Holocaust is a
myth.
I also attended this meeting at
Cobb County’s Waverly Hotel.
When 1 learned about the meet
ing, 1 wanted to attend, hut was
very hesitant. To be blunt. 1 was
frightened. Who would he at this
meeting? W'as there a possibility
of violence if it was discovered 1
was Jewish? I had little doubt
that 1 would not be so recog
nized. 1 found someone to go
with me. and I think we were
both very apprehensive until we
left the hotel and had driven out
of the parking lot after the ses
sion. I cannot recall the last time
1 felt so uneasy about being
Jewish.
We all know that there are dis
turbed minds denying the exist
ence of the Holocaust, but to
come face to face with them has
its intriguing side. Irving is Brit
ish and his accent gives him an
unmerited credibility. Statements
were thrown out like a baseball
batter scattering balls to a team
in practice. H is delivery was rapid
fire and polished. No time to
think. No time to analyze. Just
enough time to accept his remarks
at lace value, which seemed suf
ficient for his audience.
Irving should be of concern
simply tor his style and manner if
nothing else. He is good at what
he does. He outwardly lacks the
characteristics of your typical
crackpot.
Ostensibly, his subject was not
the Holocaust and Jews, but he
frequently returned to that theme.
He spoke about World War II
and claimed that Germany was
Britain’s best ally. Then he ac
cused Winston Churchill of being
an alcoholic and claimed he
painted pictures to which he
would put the names of well-
known, but deceased, artists.
Pearl Harbor was next, which
led to assertions that President
Roosevelt knew of the impend
ing Japanese attack. And, by the
way, FDR was influenced by the
Jews and if they only knew he
was anti-Semitic...
Next we learned that two Ber
lin bankers financed Hitler. He
mocked that he would surely be
labeled anti-Semitic if he men
tioned their religion, and then
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