Page 12-The Canadian Jewish News, Thursday, June 24, 1993
Editorial/Letters
The Canadian jewisn news
Publisher and Proprietor: The Canadian Jewish News.: a corporation without share capital.
Head Office: 10 Gateway Blvd. Suite 420, Don Milis. Ont.. M3C 3A1
An independent Community Newspaper serving as a forum for diverse viewpoints
Vol. XXXIV, Nd.11 (2,657)
Published 47 times per year
One-year Subscription Rate in Canada $26.75, including GST.
Directors:
Charles Bronfman, Donald Carr.Q.C: George A: Cohon, Jack Gummings, Murray Koffler, Albert J. Latner, Rose Wolfe, Rubin Zimmerman
Founding President: Ray D. Wolfe (1971-1990)
General Manager
Gary Laforet Advertising & Assistant General Manager
Vera Gillman
Editor
Patricia Rucker Managing Editor
Len Butcher
Tamuz 6, 5753-Chukat CandleHghting: Montreal 8:27, Toronto 8:43
7776 Canadian Jewist) News reserves the rigtit to refuse advertising tfiat in its opinion is misleading, in poor taste or incompatible witti ttie advertising
_ policies of the newspaper. :
Acceptance of advertising does not imply endorsement by The Canadian Jewish News. TheCJN makes no representation as to the kashruthof food products in advertisements.
I his week. Kim Campbell will be sworn in as Canada's 19th prime minister. As she presides over Canada Day celebrations less than a week later, she will have much to think about.
First and foremost is the unity of the country. Her harrow victory over Environment Minister Jean Charest. and his surprising come-from-behind near-win, has left her with a "Quebec problem" in her own caucus, which she has moved qiiickly to solve.
She must rhove equally quickly on Canada's "Quebec problem." As the interview with Parti Quebecois leader Jacques Parizeau in this issue of The Canadian Jewish News amply demonstrates, there are people of conviction and intelligence and principle working very hard to achieve the sovereignty of Quebec. If. in the coming election, Campbell were to win the rest of the country, and lose Quebec, the task of governing Canada would be formidable.
Every Shabbat. Jewish congregations throughout the world pray for the welfare of the heads of state and government of the country in which they live. Outside Israel, this is no polite acknowledgment of the realities of life in the Diaspora. Commended by the prophet Jeremiah, who lived in exile in Babylon, this practice is an acknowledgment of our obligation as Jews to participate ftilly in the life of the country in which we make our home; and also an acknowledgment that we fare better in a society predicated on democratic principles, and in the words of the Canadian constitution, on "peace, order and good government," than in countries torn by factional strife.
Canada enters its 127th year in a state of uncertainty, over the economy, national Unity and pur place in North America. Our new Prime Minister, a Westerner whose academic backgroiind has provided her with a cosmopolitan view of the world will, we hope, provide fresh solutions to old problems.
Nothing Prime Minister Campbell could accomplish, in the few short weeks before she must fight an election, on the so-called "Jewish issues" — e.g.. prosecutions of Nazi war crirhihals; foreign policy vis a vis Israel — will have as much effort on die Canadian Jewish community as how she deals with the question of national unity. That is her challenge, and thatmust be her priority, not for the sake of her party, but for the sake of the country and all its citizens.
Next Shabbat, our prayers will be with her.
omatic
lof many years diplomatic relations between Israel and India have been minimal, stiff and correct. This has been a regrettable situation for many reasons, not the least of which is the fact that India is one of the few countries in the world in which Jews never experienced anti-Semitism.
However, because of the presence of large Muslim populations in India arid the nation's dependence on Mideast oil, the government in New Delhi has always been apprehensive about establishing complete diplomatic relations with Jerusalem, despite the many advantages which could accrue to both capitals.
Now, happily, after forty years of the status quo, the recent visit of Shimon Peres to India — the first such visit by a high official of the Israeli government — marks the b)eginning of a hew era in India-Israeli relations. Peres was in India with a large delegation of business and government officials to sign six trade agreements.
Those agreements touch upon science, techhology, armaments, tourism and culture and provide for flights between Israel and India through El Al and Air India. The presence of such an important Israeli delegation in India suggests that a major industrial and diplomatic breakthrough between the twia countries is.at hand.
One of India's top industrialists, reports the New York Times (May 18), said after a meeting of delegations from the two countries that there "could be an explosion of business expansion" between Israel and India.
There is speculation that the Israel-India raipprochement has come about as a result of Israel's participation in the Mideast peace talks as well as India's unhappiness with the way in which Muslim nations have attacked India's position in Kashmir. The mam reason, however, is the correct perception that Israel 2s_on the cutting edge ofjnpderri technology and that its expertise can be of great benefit to India's millions.
Israel's nevy agreement with India and prospective trade pbssibil-ities with China suggest that trade considerations are overriding political rigidities from two of the largest countries in the world.^
FOR MEN ONLY
ultra-Orthodox Jewish men travel in "males only'Vcharter bus as they go to their yeshivas or seminaries to study. An Israeli bus company b^an operating special buses on a trial basis in Jerusalem for religious Jews which will only carry male passengers and will travel routes to two yeshivasv [RNS photo/Reu^^
Letters to the Editor
Letters are welcome if they are brief, in English or French, typewritten with lines double spaced, and of interest to our reading public. Readers are cautioned not to make sweeping claims against persons or institutions which they cdhnot verify, as libel laws are very stringent.. We reserve the right to edit and condense letters, which must bear the sender's address, phone number, and both handwritten and typed signatures.
USDS ACTION ON SHAAREH HAIM
Re "Beth Sholom Plans Northern Branch," by Ron Csillag in The CJN April 8.
Rabbi Lawrence Troster, former rabbi oftheShaareh Haim Synagogue, and George Metz, acting vice-president of the York Region Conservative Jewish Community, gave the impression that United Synagogue Day Schools made no attempt to assist the shul in its effort to remain open, and in fact, took advantage of the synagogue ^s financial problems to buy the building out from under them. I feel there is another side to this story.
My son attends the Richmond Hill campus of USDS. The entire staff has worked very hard to create not only a wonderful learning environment for the students, but also a very warm, caring family atmosphere in which our children dirive, When rumors began to circulate that Shaareh Haim was in financial difficulty, the USDS parents became concerned that this very special school would close. It should be noted that USDS has never owned any of the buildings that hou.se their other campuses, and they had no intention,of buying the Shaareh Haim building. Capital for such a purchase would necessitate large scale fundraising, which the .school knew would be difficult in these tough economic times. The USDS Board thereafter directed their efforts toward saving the synagogue, spending many volunteer hours negotiating with the bank on Shaareh Haim's behalf.
USDS pledged SI.5 million and
spearheaded a campaign to raise money from other shuls. Although it was not their sole responsibility to bail out the shul, I feel they acted above and beyond the call of duty to try to help. Unfortunately, USDS' efforts alone were not enough to solve all the financial problems of the synagogue, and the bank took possession of the building, with USDS being permitted to remain until the end of June.
The USDS board now had to realistically examine its options. Over the next .several months. they explored alternate sites for the school, but no suitable location could be found, they purchased land adjacent to the existing property On which a new school could be built, but there was no acceptable place to hold classes during construction, and USDS knew that they could not afford to replicate the excellent facilities they enjoyed in the existing building.
After considering all the possible options, die USDS board came to realize that the option that best served the interests of the children was to purchase the existing building, if financially feasible.
The article quotes Rabbi Troster as saying, "There is tremendous suspicion that USDS simply waited for the synagogue to die in order to buy the building." I am very disappointed that The CJN would print such comments, which serve only to foster ill will, create misconceptions and divide a Jewish community which now. more than ever, needs to be strong and united. I would have liked to have seen all facts presented, so that readers could decide for themselves whether or not USDS acted honorably in this situation.
Susan Kurin
Richmond Hill
PRAISE FOR DR. FENIGSTEIN
Re: "Psychiatrist loses licence over sexual misconduct." The CJN. May 20.
In order to properly mourn Dr. Hen-ryk Feningstein, .some words of clarification are needed. I feel that we who knew him for many years, and especially in the final stages of his-life. cannot permit the total besmirching of his name.
Dr. Fenigstein, who died May 23 at the_age of 80. survivor of the Nazi persecution in his native Poland, literally rose from ashes of the burned Warsaw ghetto, from the terrors of six concentration camps, from losing his young wife in Treblinka. He found the strength to rebuild his life in Canada.
He was a caring, understanding husband and father. He was a wise doctor to his patients. Some of diem deeply depressed, suicidal he brought back to life. He gave them some of his strength, motivation and love to live and to cope. To the many troubled, he restored their dignity and peace.
But a week before his death, ill and' broken by illness in his closely knit family, he was aiccused of professional misconduct, accused of having had sex with a female patient 20 years ago, He pleaded guilty. He who gave from his strength so often to others had no strength left to defend himself. Nor did he have time left.
Despite this. Dr. Feningstein was a man of honor. He saved and enriched the lives of those who came to him for help.
Let us remember his many virtues and not only the flaws. Pauline Feder-Rooz Toronto
EASTMAN SHOULD ACT
You have reported on my correspondence with Mayor Lastman (TTie CJN. June 10) regarding the Show Boat issue. The key statement made by Last-man is "AH matters relating to the programming and management of our new theatre are the responsibility of the Live Entertainment Corporation of Canada".
Legally this is so. but the moral and political realities point to different conclusions, Basically, his statement is just another way of trying to run away and hide. The North York Centre for the Performing Arts is a municipally funded facility, paid for by the taxpayer. It is the jewel in the crown of the City of North York. Mayor Eastman is justly proud of this accomplishment. This project has his personal stamp on it. His moral and political future would be severely damaged if Show Boat descends into a bitter racial morass, besmirching the aborning reputation of the arts centre.
Show Boat is but the tip of an iceberg. There is a real chance of a dangerous explosion in race relations here. There is a boiling resentment among some members of the black community, some of it unfonunately directed against Jews. ShojiLBoat or n6[. Uiis issue must be dealt with. Mayor Eastman has a unique opportunity here to be a catalyst in effecting racial reconciliation. ':
Marvin Fremes Toronto