Page 4-The Canadian Jc\yish News, Thursday, September 18,1986
M.T
World-National
Jewson Canadian team
Um^ Haiaciia  Chessplayers won't go to
Rabbi Burak
By
RABBI MOSES J. BURAK
QUESTION: Did the sages of the Talmud know about terrorists?
They did. Jastrow. in his Dictionary of the Targumim. page 986, in discussing the word sikorim. which is derived from Latin sicarii, gives us a quotation from Aboth de Rabbi Natan thiat "all the terrorists aroise and burnt all the provision . j stores in Jerusalem" thus hastening the fall] of that holy city to the Romans.
Those terrorists, if that's all they did, were refined .gentlemen in comparison with those of today. Television gives lis the exploits of the modem terrorists. A ; car IS parked on abusy street, and explodes at rush hour, Scores of people are killed. The carnage is ju.st what they prayed for. . ■
Shortly after this crirhe, a number of faceless organiMtions claim the credit for this act! Proudly they tell us that they did it, and that they mean to doit again. And they will, if we give them the opportunity to roam this world.
In the recent atrocity, several barbarians entered an airplane, sprayed the passengers with bullets, killed 17 people, wounded many others, after they started it ail by shooting an American and.throw-mg his body on the tarmac. Shortly afterwards, a number of mysterious groups laid claim to the achievement. What ails our society?
The murderers who did a similar job in Turkey not only killed more than two minyanim of worshippers, but set fire to their bodies as well. They forgot the meaning of the w^rd sanctuary, a sacred place where even fugitives were once entitled to imihiinity from arrest and pun^. sihment. Again, proud organizations claim their men did thejob.
That societies of murderers should do siich things IS not entirely a surprise. After all. the Spanish Inquisition burned our forefathers at the stake, and thought they were doing a mitzvah.. A Queeti of Spam turned over her best friend, a Jawish girl, for burning by the Inquisition. She even kissed her, and went on to tell her that what, would be done to her would save her soul from eternal damnation.
But. to go out to kill people you don't even know, people who haven't done yoU any hiarm for you've had no dealings with them, to make no distinction between men and women, not to have any pity on a little child, nor to respect the hoary head of the aged, to shoot recklessly at all and sundry — are those not the acts of madmen? Is that not the Nazi program?
Tbie Torah views murder as the inost terrible of all crimes. Taking a life, eveii by accident without any intent, is not treated lightly in the Bible. Taking another's life in ordter to save your own is prohibited. Here is the way this point is made in Tractate Pesachim, 25B:
"A man came to Raba and said: 'The prefect of my town has ordered me to kill so and so, or he will.kill me." Raba reiplied: 'Let him kill you: but don't you be a killer: Why should you think that your blood is redder than his? Perhaps his : blood is redder than yours." "
Rightly didChiefRabbiJ.H. Hertz z.l. tell us that '-innocent blood shed by violence sticks to the haixis of the murderer, and all the seas cannot wash :: away its stain." That's not the message terrorists get from pulpits, so they engage in Hitlerian acts.
But, an ancient poet said:
"Unholy IS the voice
Of loud thanksgiving over slaughtered men.'' >
Temple Emanu-EI North York, Ontario
requires the services of a
full or part-time CANTOR
Apply in writing or by telephone: Karen Sanders, President, temple Emanu-EI 120 Old Colony Road Willowdale, Ontario M2L 2K2
(416) 449-3880
By
MARK DODICK
TORONTO -
Two Jewish members of the Canadian chess team scheduled to play at the International Chess Olympiad in Dubai (Nov. 13 - Dec. 3) will not attend because Israel has been excluded from competition, and for security concerns,
Roman Pelts, 49, of Toronto ranked as a chessmaster by FTDE (the world governing chess body, the Federation International des Echecs), and 8-tiroe Canadian champion, Abe Yanofsky of Winnipeg chosen as team captain (coach) say they will not participate in the tournament.
The Chess Federation of Canada had earlier protested Israel's exclusion (CJN Aug. .14). but has found two replacements and Will still compete, says Stephen Ball, its executive director;
Ray Stone of Toronto will replace Pelts, and Denis Allan of Hamilton will replace Yanofsky. Ball said.
The refusal of Pelts and Yanofsky to play will not affect their position with the Chess Federation of Canada. Ball added, and both players told The CJN they would enter other competitions.
Pelts, who came to Canada from Odessa in 1978 and now operates a chess.school in Toronto, wrote a letter to Ball explaining that he will^ hot participate because the Israeli team has been refused permission to play.
He said it was the right of all nations to participate in the chess olympiad and that the situation was unacceptable and contradicts, games' regulations.
"People have to know the truth. They have to know why 1 will not go," Pelts told The CJN.
He said Uiat he had never taken such political action before, and added that he did not feel his chess career in the Soviet Union was .adversely affected by his . being a Jew.
Yanofsky, (speaking by phone from Winnipeg) cited the case of Leon Klinghoffer to explain his concerns about security in Dubai. As a Jew, even his Canadian citizenship might not protect him from being a target of terrorists, Yanofsky said.
"And since Israel is being prohibited from play, it just wouldn't be right for me to play,-'he said, adding that he was disappointed the Canadian team was participating.
Ball commented that he thought it " inappropriate'' that political issues are in- , terfering in a nph-poHtical activity, but the federation had already decided that boycotting the olympiad would probably not help.
However, federation president Peter Stockhaus-en told The CJN (Aug. 14) that Canada's representative to FIDE. J.G. Prentice would - make a last minute attempt to persuade . Dubai to allow Israel's entry.
Thus far, only the Scandinavian and Dutch chess federations have said they will not participate if Israel is excluded.
FIDE regulations allow a country to exclude another with which it is at war, .says Yanofsky. a lawyer, former mayor of the Winnipeg suburb of West Kil-donan . and retiring councilman.
But under the.se circumstances, that is simply; a technicality, says Yanof-sky,. who received the
Roman Pelts ponders his next move during the Quebec International chess tournament held in Montreal in August.
grandmaster title for his performance for Canada on Board 1 in 1964 at the olympiad in Tel Aviv.
The American team (many of whose members
If that amendment is not passed, says Yanofsky, the American team plans to withdraw from competition.
are not now competing held every two years with because of the embargo every other competition in placed on Israel) plans to Greece. When Israel host-introduce an amendment ed the games in 1972, to the regulations to prev- much of the Eastern bloc erit this from happening stayed away, again, he says. Ball says the Canadian
chess federation receives no governmental assistance of any kind and raises all funds privately through donations, memberships. The chess olympiad is and selling chess related AA ^------..- _^ materials. '
He adds that because tournaments are so expensive to host. FIDE often has only one nation bidding for the position.
CANADIAN JEWISH CONGRESS
COMMUNITY ANIMATOR
FULL TIME
Canadian Jewish Congress seeks a Community Animator to develop and implemerit outreach, community and inter-comiiiiinity programming, and community development in its Manitoba and Saskatchewan Regions.
Candidates must have knowledge of the Jewish community and interest in identifying and working with small JeWish communities iii Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Strong interpersonal skills, and ability to work independently and background in social and/or community organization and planning or related fields characterize the ideal candidate.
Based in Regina or Saskatoon, Saskatchewan the Community Animato will be required to travel. ■
Salary commensurate with experience!
Reply in writing, no later than October 10,
1986. to: ;• National Small Communities Comriiittee Canadian Jewish Congress 1590 avenue Docteur Penfield Montreal, (^ebec, H3GaC5