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Page 2 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE December 12, 1986
State Rep. Cathey Steinberg, at right, and Bella Khomak, second from right, during a moment of
prayer at the Women’s Plea.
Rep. Steinberg, refusnik urge
increased pressure on Soviets
by Richard Bono
I SI stall writer
Bella Khomak, 41, left the
Soviet Union with her daughter
in 1978. She was forced to leave
her mother and father behind in
Moscow because the elderly pair
were not granted exit visas by
Soviet authorities.
“It was a difficult decision to
leave,” said Mrs. Khomak, an
only child. “We didn’t know how
long it would take us to be to
gether again.” But, Mrs. Khomak
did opt to leave lest her chance to
emigrate be forever lost. She
hoped that after a year of living
in Israel with her daughter, the
Soviet emigration mandate for
“sufficient kinship” would be sat
isfied and her parents would no
longer be denied exit visas. This
did not come true. And, today,
almost eight years after their
daughter, Bella, immigrated to
Israel, Mr. and Mrs. Khomak,
both now 74, remain in Moscow.
Bella Khomak told her story
Dec. 4 at the I Ith annual Women’s
Plea for Soviet Jewry. Represen
tatives of some 47 Jewish and
non-Jewish women’s groups
gathered at the Georgia State
Capitol to call for fair treatment
forthose Jews in the Soviet Union
who want to leave that country,
but cannot. Each year the Wom
en’s Plea is hosted by a different
women’s group. This year it was
the Atlanta Jewish Federation’s
Women’s Council.
The presence of non-Jewish
groups at the annual Women’s
Plea for Soviet Jewry shows that
there is support beyond the Jew
ish community, according to State
Rep. Cathey Steinberg, honor
ary chairperson for the event.
“This is not just a Jew ish cause,”
she said. “It is a human rights
issue."
Rep. Steinberg joined Bella
Khomak in urging for increased
political activism from all con
cerned people, especially those
with political power. “The more
support you have from elected
officials, the more impact it is
going to make on President Rea
gan and, hopefully, on the Soviet
Union," said Steinberg, noting
that Georgia’s politicians can
play as vital a role as anyone in
fighting for fair treatment for
Soviet Jewry.
“It is our local officials,” she
said, “who become our gover
nors, our United States senators
and presidents.” The more they
understand the issue ot Soviet
Jewry, she indicated, the better
they can effect some diplomatic
and political change down the
road.
Mrs Khomak. who has since
remarried and had a second child,
said there are many families with
stories similar to hers. They are
stories that tell a tale of separated
families—parents allowed to emi
grate while their children stay
behind or vice versa, apparently
for no better than arbitrary and
capricious reasons.
“If you seek for some logic,
you will not find any,” Mrs.
Khomak told some 85 women
gathered at the state capitol.
“There was no reason for the
Soviets to refuse my parents’
visas,” she said, her voice quaver
ing. “My parents are elderly peo
ple. They are sick and there is no
one to take care of them.”
Mrs. Khomak further bemoans
the fact that her parents have
never met their new son-in-law,
nor seen their new grandchild.
As they sat in Georgia’s state
capitol, a working symbol of
democracy and free speech, the
Jewish and non-Jewish partici
pants were reminded that the
plight of Soviet Jewry is essen
tially a political fight.
“Putting pressure on the Soviet
Union during talks with the
U nited States is very important,”
Mrs. Khomak said, indicating
that Soviet Jewry emigration
ought to be the first condition of
any agreement forged between
the two superpowers, be it dis
armament, scientific or cultural.
“Please go on working,” she
told the Women's Plea assembly.
“The only hope that we have is in
you.”
Rep. Steinberg (D-I)ist. 46),
the only Jewish legislator in the
Georgia General Assembly, con
tended her fellow law makers share
the commitment to further human
rights wherever injustices occur.
She called on several lawmakers
w ho were present at the Women’s
Plea to sign a petition “which
calls upon President Reagan to
press for the release of all prison
ers, for the granting of exit visas
for refusniks and for the resump
tion of emigration in an expedi
tious manner."
Focal lawmakers who signed
the Women’s Plea petition Dec. 4
were State Reps. Georganna
Sinkfield. Barbara Couch and
Kil Townsend and State Sen.
Bud Stumhaugh.
Nearly 50 of Atlanta's Jewish
organizations have “adopted” a
refusnik, a symbolic effort to
show solidarity to their plight
and in whose behalf letters of
support are written.
I n addition, each of the organ
izations brought an empty mez-
uza case bearing the name of the
refusnik they’ve adopted. In the
event the refusnik is granted an
exit visa, the scroll will be re
placed in the mezuza and sent to
him or her in Israel as a memento
from Jews who share in the nachas
of a free life.
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Mubarak says he wants peace
JERUSALEM (JTA) President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt
has sent a message to Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir express
ing hope that Egypt and Israel would continue to cooperate to
“promote peace in the area.” I he message was conveyed to
Shamir by energy minister Moshe Shahal who returned
recently from a visit to Egypt.
In Cairo, meanwhile, Mubarak told reporters that he
expected Palestine Liberation Organization chairman Yasir
Arafat to be in Egypt soon to discuss “further steps toward
peace.” He said Egypt was trying to solve the issue of Palesti
nian representation at an international peace conference on the
Middle East.
Mubarak is scheduled to visit Iraq shortly for a meeting
with President Sadam Hussein.
Nicaraguans nix trip to Israel
TEL AVIV (JTA)—A delegation from the Nicaraguan
Ministry of Agriculture which was to have visited Israel in
January at the invitation of Mapam has indicated it will cancel
the trip. It would have been the first official delegation from
that Central American country to visit Israel since the Sandi-
nista government came to power in 1979.
The apparent cancellation follows widespread reports that
Israel was instrumental in transferring money paid by Iran for
American weapons to the Reagan administration-backed con
tra rebels seeking to overthrow the Sandinista government.
Germany seeks arms deal
BONN (JTA) —West Germany is actively soliciting Saudi
Arabia to buy arms here and is likely to sell the Saudis eight
modern submarines in the near future.
According to government spokesman Friedhelm Ost, a
West German shipyard has already offered the underseas craft
to the Saudis. Ost said, however, that the stage has not been
reached where the government will have to approve the sale.
That decision will be made if the Saudis decide to accept the
multi-billion mark deal, he said.
Jewish studies grants awarded
NEW YORK (JTA)— The National Foundation for Jewish
C ulture has announced that it has awarded eight grants totaling
$44,000 for original research in the field of Jewish studies this
year.
Submissions tor doctoral dissertation fellowships for the
1987-88 academic year are due Dec. 31 to: National Founda
tion for Jewish Culture, Grants Department, 122 E. 42nd
Street, Suite l 512, New York. N.Y. 10169; (212) 490-2280.
Jewish home opens in Toronto
IORONT O (JTA) A 150-unit apartment complex owned
and managed by the National Council of Jewish Women-
I 01 onto Section is set to open this month with affordable
accommodations for seniors, families and disabled people w ho
require minimal care.
The Canadian Jewish News reports that the first-of-its-kind
endeavor was lunded by the local NCJW Foundation and
monitored by what foundation president Patti Star called a
determined group of “Jewish mamas.”
I he integrated S-shaped complex, attached to a mini-
community center of athletic and entertainment facilities, is
intended to create a community of caring and nurturing people.
State control sought forkashrut
DI l ROl I (.1 1 A) I hree men have filed suit in Oakland
County Circuit Court to force the Michigan Department of
Agriculture to supervise the sale of kosher meat in the state,
according to the Detroit Jewish News.
I laintiff s attorney Eli Kaplan criticized current rules under
which 1 abbis can t enforce violation of the criminal statute 1 csr
violation of kashrut. but can only withdraw certification ot
institutions that do not meet rabbinic standards.
I he plaintiffs hope Michigan adopts the model of New
\oik state, m which a kosher enforcement division has the
powei to investigate, test and confiscate smpeet foodstuffs