Page 12 - The Canadian Jewish News, Thursday, May 13,1982
Worfd-iVational
By CHAM BERMAOT
Yamit should have been called Mpshegrad, hot: after the Moses who first traversed the area, but after the late Mosjie Dayan, who bujltit:
Whentheplanforknewtownin Sinai was first anndanced, I snggested that It woold I>e bnOt on sandj and wboldbe swaOifwed by the sands, for Israel's occopation of'^Sinal • could not be • permanent; and — not for Jhe first time — as I spake, so It hath come to pass. .
T say this wyth regret; for when I first came upon Yamit during a drive across Sinai it was like a mirage quivering.on the horizon, and it seemed so improbable and out of place that I thought it actually was a mirage.
Even more impressive than Yamit (for one can plant concrete anywhere) were the nearby agricultural settienients. with their acres of carnations and bumper crops of tomatoes in a stretch of wilderness which hadn't borne a living plant for three thousand years. (When Mater congratulatedRaanan Weitz. head of the Jewish Agency settlement department, on what I thought was a miracle, he said, with his customary modesty, "Sure it's a miracle, I organized it all.") I also.regret the loss of thetiny resorts, some of them unplanned and most of them, unsung, which seemed to have sprung up of their own accord like wild flowers on the eastern shore of the peninsula, with their exotic inhabitants who looked like castaways, and their nude bathers, who looked like iiude bathers, and who were said to have put the sin into Sinai.
All this was before Caimp David. When the agreement was announced, I was swept by conflicting emotions — joy at the possibility of a comprehensive peace, and regret at the thought that all that-had been won from the wilderness would be lost to it.
The settlers were generously compensated for their work, but there can be no real compensation for seeing the labours of a decade destroyed overnight, and for them the withdrawal was a real tragedy.
But it was not they, of course, who cried Gevald! when it finally came, who spat at the Israeli troops
and who assailed them with sticks, stones, bottles and curses: That, was the work of Rabbi Moshe Levinger'and his heavenly host, pliis a clot of Yankee crackpots from Rabbi Meir Kahane's JDL (Jewish Dementia League), who incarcerated themselvesinabunker, and who threatened to kill themselves at six-minute ihtervais^(or there- ^ abputs) if Yamit wetreabahdoned.'
JVellj it was,^nd they didn't. Or. perhaps nobodyIfpld them;and they're still there, in which case they should tr>'growing mushrooms.
As a result of the withdrawal, the extremist Gush Emuiiira (known also as the Block of the Faithfiil, or the BOF), has spawned an even more extreme group known as ShyutYisrael, the Return of Israel, which I prefer to call the Block of the Even More Faithful — or the BOMF.
One would be tempted to dismiss them all for the lonatics they obvioosly are, were it not for the fact that they have friends hi high — hideed, In the highest — places, inclndlng Defence Minister Ariel Sharon, and Chief of Staff Rafael Eitan — who, hicidentaOyj speaks of Rabbi Levlnger's wife as the .''Joain of Arc of Samaria*' [which does not mean, however^ that he plians to born her: a pity].
The army could have kept the whole ragtag and bobtail out of iSinai without much difficufty, but they were allowed through almost by invitation, for the maximum theatrical effect (though, in the; event, they were somewhat upstaged by the Falklands crisis), to impress the world, and anyone else who might have been watching, that if these are the passiohswfiTcfi'ckn be aroused by the withdrawal from Sinai, it should know what to expect if an attempt were made to cede even an inch of Judiea and Samaria, and to stand by for the apocalypse.
In the meantime, Sharon has made his own position startingly plain: "In Yamit we have reached the red line on our coiiceissioiis," he declared. "We shall turn to increasing and consolidating our settlements in the Golan, in Judea and Samaria, and in the Gaza Strip."
Alas for the money and the effort, bdt if there is to be a comprehensive and lasting peace, the West Bank settlements wiD have to go ttie way of Yamit. If there isn't, Shiai will have been surrendered in vain. — The Jewish Chronicle
By JANICE ARIHOLD
MONTREAL —
The Canadian Council of Liberal Congregationis, the representative body of the more than 7,000 Reform Jewish families in Canada, his callied upon the federalgovemmetit to rejuvenate its nuclear programs arid assume a hiigher intematiorial pro-, .file against the sale of nuclear technology to un-. stable regimes.
A resolution was passed by the 170 delegates from as far away as Vancouver at the recent CCLG 10th biennial convention urging Canada to 1) stop all* ' sales of CANDU reactors to "unstable and totalitarian" governments, 2) withhold the shipment of the nuclear fuel bundles to Argentina, which are scheduled for delivery to arm its reactor and 3) take "vigorous world leadership" in supporting the establishment of a moratorium* pri the transfer of nuclear technology to sensitive areas of the world until such time as "genuinely effective" Safeguards can be set up. .
The delegates also called upon Canadian Jewish Congress ^'to express its onqnalified bppo-
By WESLEY GOLDSTEIN
MONTREAL —
The testimonial dinner in honor of James F. Kay, hatiorial president of the Canadian Society for the Weizmanri Institute of Sci T ence, coincided with the •naUguratioii of the so-.ciety's latest project.
The project, which Kay. has been intimately involved with, is an institute for.energies and applied science at the Weizmann, Institute in Rehovpt.
:. The gala black tie affaiir
was attended by, more than 200 people, including prominent members of the
, science, business and government communitieis. It wais; held in the grand salon of the (^ueen Eiiza-beth Hotel and Marvin Tanner, Montreal chapter president, called the evening, "Pur most successful fund-raisirig ever."
Federal Cabinet Minister Marc Lalonde and Jldhn Roberts were scheduled to appear, but both were, called out of the country pn. bifficial business. The two sent telegrams of regrets
; and best wishes, which were read to the audience by Diirlher Chairman Jack:
FlanUng hohoree James F.£ay [second £rom left] are, from left, Mbuivlii Tahner, Melvyn Dobrln and Jade Engels.
After his opening re- ; marks, Engels intrbdiiced Israeli Ambassador to Canada YeshayahU; Anug, who extended greetings and said science was S-rael'is best ally for the future.
: FollPwing ^him was': Murray KqfSer,. chaiirnan : of the Canadian Society. : Calling Weizmann scientists among the top in the world; he. said the hew institute would thrust them into the forefront. : Next to speak was Mel-
• vyn Dbbrin, chairman of the Montreal chapter. He cotnmeiided the cpmrnit-ment and efforts of Kay in ihakirig the project a, realr ity, and ■ presented the hpnoree with a cpmmemb^. rative scroll.
Tn his acceptance ■ speech. Kay said he was deeply touched and gratified' to he: involved in a project of such magnitude. ,The institute, which will be only the fourth: of its kind in the world, could not come, at a more im-
portaitit time, he said.
"This could wel} prove to be: ah alternative, not oiily to conventionai resources, but to nuclear eniergy ias welh The possibilities are staggipring,'' he stated. •
The Canadian institute will be the first of its kind ; in the Middle East. Designed in accordance with the latest developments in passive and active energy conservatibn, the building itself win be the focus of, intensive study.
One of the main features of the institute, as ; Kay noted, will be the
solar spire, a 60-metre tower on which the cbn-entratcd rays of dozens of mirrors will focus. Computerized and synchronized to track the sun, these
prismatic mirrors in a helibstat field will be able to create sufficient heat to produce steam and power, enough to meet the energy, needs of the Weizmann's' 36 structures..
sition" to the sale of the CANDU reactors. The CCLC will send the reiso-Intion to Prime Minister Pierre Trudean, External . Affairs Minister Mark MacGuigan and Energy Minister Marc Lalonde.
The resolution was brought to the convention by Temple Emanu-El in WiliowdalcOnt., whose board recently adopted a similar motion.
The CCLC contends that there are not adequate restrictions to prevent the CANDU reactors from being used by the governments of such countries for military purposes or . from falling into the hands of terrorist organizations;.
"Because there are no adequate safeguards, each CANDU reactor sold is a nuclear time-bomb," the resolution states.
Canada's role in the nuclearenergy debate was • the subject of a pre-plenary forum addressed by Dr. Gordon Edwards, national chairman of the Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility, and chaired by incoming CCIC president John A. Geller of Toronto's Holy Blossom Temple. .
The nuclear resolution was the only one put forth at the 2-day convention, held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.
At the convention's main banquet, gaest speaker Albert Vorspan of New York, vice-president of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations and the Reform movement's chief spokesman on social Justice issues in the United States, said he was "humiliated and embarrassed" by the absence of the Jewish community in the anti-nuclear movement. "We have prided our-:. selves from the beginning of our history as the messengers of social justice '. and peace to the world ... if ever there was a Jewish cause, the anti-nuclear issue is profoundly one."
He "pleaded" with . Jewish religious and lay leaders to speak out against the proliferation of nuclear technology which, he said, is a threat to the survival of the human race. "We iriust scream 'and yell to; prevent this ;horror from happening to mankind." ; ■
There were lighter moments during the convention as well. The nine past presidents of the CCLC,- six bf whom were . present, including the ^ first. Max Enkin bf Tor- . onto, were honored fbr their coiitributions to the growth of Reform Judaism in Canada.
Out going pre si de n t Maurice Miller noted, that the 25-year-old CCLC represents the fastest growing movement in Judaism . in Canada. : "When we , formed our own region of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations in '■■ 1957, we were only repre-; sented iti four cities in Canada. Now we hiave 18 sister congregations in 12 cities. from Mpntreal to Vancouver." .
The newest, Temple Beth Ora in Edmonton, officially received its certificate of UAHC member-
ship at the convention from Donald S. Day, UAHC chairman of the board. ' '; :
Another major topic of discussion at the convention was Intermarriage and the growing phenomenon of "Jews by choice," thosb who convert to Judaism for reasons other than marrying a Jew. Guest speaker oh this topic was Rabbi Sanford Seltzer, dbector of the UAHC Department of Outreach, a program launched by UAHC president Rabbi Alexander Schindler a few years ago to make contact with Jelws
by choice, mixed couples ' and their childrien,. and religiously unaffiliated, . non-Jews who may want to become Jews.
Giving what he called a "positive prognosis" on the increasing rate of intermarriage. Seltzer' said much of the intermarriage" scare in the American •Jewish community is based on outdated statistics from a survey done 12 years agp.
He estimated that in the U.S. marriages involving a Jew with a non-Jew part- . ner have risen to 40%, but 35-40% of these non- ' Jewish spouses convert to
Judaism either before or after the marriage (compared to 30% 12 years ago). The rate of Jewish women marrying non-Jewish men has also-doubled to half the rate among Jewish men, he said. :
Recent studies indicate that, although they may hot convert, 50% of non-Jewish spouses say they identify themselves as members of the Jewish community and there are an increasing number of mixed couples seeking synagogue membership, said Seltzer. .
ur
HAMESHA LAKE, N.Y.
Conservative rabbis have been called upon to mobilize their opposition against Senator Jesse Helms, the Moral Majority and other forces, which Rabbi Seymour Cohen, president of the Rabbinical Assembly, charged are trying to undermine the authority of the Supreme Court on such issues as busing, abortion and prayer in the schools;
Cohen of Arishe Emet Synagogue, Chicago, said that the Rabbinical Assembly, which represents 1,200 Conservative rabbis internationally and l.S million members, must "arotise the conscience of our people to fight these groups who are threatening the power of the highest judicial authority in our nation."
He told his colleagues that Helms, the Moral Majority and others were trying to "limit the juris-; diction of the Supreme Court by taking cases relating to these issues out of their hands and putting them into the state courts where more favorable decisions, from their point of ' view, would be attained.''.
What is more, Cohen asserted, if this course of action fails. Helms and these organizations are prepared to recommend a constitutional amendment hoping that three quarters of the states approve such a new law. Helms, be added, had already proposed to the Congress some 20 pieces
of legislation that would strip the federal courts of their jurisdiction oh these matters.
If this course of action fails, Cohen added, "they are prepared to follow a variety of tactics to achieve theirgoals, even if they change the constitution without amending it.'
The Rabbinical Asserh-bly's president expressed general criticism tbwards the organizations representing the Conservative branch of Judaism regarding their failure.to deal with a broader range of social action issues.
"Our affiliates have been too quiet on the entire question of social action," Cohen said, "The budgets we allocate for social action are extremely.. small. We do .so because . too many of our Jews do not wish to get involved.
There hais been an in- . ward! turning. We are zealously dealing with such problems as Israel and Soviet Jews, but In the . main,' we have been basically quiescent on other matters." '
The time has come to begin accelerating our-financial and moral com- ; mitment, he said, to social justice and return once again as leaders iri the struggle against the prob- -lems of social and human concern.
Meanwhile Rabbi Arnold M. Goodman, Minneapolis, newly ^elected president of the Rah-binicai j\ssembly, expressed serious concern at
the proliferation of mixed marriages In this country.
Goodman told his colleagues that he saw an increasing number of Jewish children being raised in a "Gentile ambiance" "One week they celebrate the Jewish festival of Channukah and the next they observe Christmas at a relative's home," he said.
"We must make people who are going through conversion aware of the full implications of conversion and insist upon their adherence to certain standards or we will not convert them," he said.
A workshop on possible Canadian outreach to Jews by choice was led by Rabbi Lawrence Eng-lander, of SoleTCongfega-
-tipn in Mississauga, and Norman Yanofsky, of
. B'nai Tikvah Temple in Calgary. ■
Kadima-The Canadian Council of Reform Zionists also held its naitiorial meeting during the convention, at which time it was decided to ahcr its structure to permit the establishment of regional organizations, in addition to the national body. ■ i '
Elected presidents of the three new regional boards were Rabbi Bernard Bloomstone of Montreal (Eastern Region), Richard B. Lorie of Toronto (Central Region) and Rabbi Philip Bregman of Vancouver (Western Region).
With 4,000 members, Rabbi Michael Stroh of Toronto said Kadima, founded in- 1978. is now one of the largest Zionist movements in Cainada. He said Kadima will seek at least four of 17 seats Canada has been allotted at the World Zionist Congress to be held in Israel in December.
Besides new president, John A. Geller, officers elected tp the CCLC were: Maurice Miller, immedi--ate past presieent; aiid Leon M. King of Toronto, Stan Sandler of Toronto, Norm Yanofsky cff Calgary, and Jewel Poch of Montreal.
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JERUSALEM —
■. The appointment of Moshe Shechter as Israel -Aliyah Center director for North America was an-' nounced last week by . Raphael Kotlowitz, chairman of the Jewish Agency's immigration and absorption department;'
A prominent Tel Aviv attorney, Shechter will . direct operations of 34 aliya emissaries in 18 North American cities. . The 51-year-oid Argen-,tina-born Shechter emi-^ ^ated to Israel in 1934. Shechter. a Hebrew University Law School graduate, suecee Aharon Kfir, who Xre-• turned to Israel following a twb-year term of duty.
Sponsored by the World SSonlst Organization, the Aliyah Center provides personal counseling, in-fonnation and assistance to Jews ODnsidering settlement in Israel.
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Emplovment 0pportunities
MONTREAL —
Ypm Hashoa /services were.organfzed recently in Montreal^ Toronto, Van-coaver, Hallfaz, Edmonton and Ottawa, by local remembrance committees of the : Canadian Jewfah Congress.
A capacity crowd of 1,200 people flDed the sanctuaty of the Ttfeteth Beth Daivid Jemsalem iynagogae on April 25, for the Montreal Yom Hasboa Commemoratioiif organ-^ Ized by tiie Holocaast Remembraiice'"G6mmIt-tee,;Qadbec region. ^ j
On April 18 Toronto had a commnnlty commemfnra-don of the Holocaust and the 39th annlveraaiy of the Wanmni Ghetto Uprfsbig
at Beth Emetfa Bais Yehada Synagogne, sponsored by the. Holocaast Remembrance Committee. of Toronto Jewish Congress.
Highlight was the presentation of the Righteous Gentile Award to Wanda. Olbryska, 95, who also acciepted the award for her late brother Tadeiis Fice. The audience gave her a standing ovation.'
The Vancoovcr Tom Hfl«hoa oommemoradon was held. April 25, sponsored by the Warsaw Ghetto Memorial Commit: tee of the CJC. Ihe pr ram featured a fUm, pro-daced~ and directed by WlDiam Rader, made-at-last year's Holocaust Sor-
vivors Gathering In Jemsalem; ■.
The Halifax Holocapst Remembrance Committee held a Yom. Hasboa commemoration on April 20. The service included a candle-Iight|iig ceremony • :by smrvivors and their, children, prose and poetry ; readings oh tiiis year's theme, Lest We Forget by membeisLiof-the Atlantic Provinces Jewish Stn-dents' Federationvand yonng professionals, and ' address by Ben Pros-shi, deputy president of CZF.
The Edmonton Jewish Commmilty CoancO dedl-cated: its / Holocaast Mernqrialon AprlllS. The cerenHmy was attended by
over 300 people and in-claded a candle-lighting ceremony by children of survivors as well as an address by guest-speaker; Rabbi Lewis Glnzburg.-
' All the survivors in the audience were called forward to place roses before the eternal .light, of the Memorial. The gathering was addressed by Larry Rollingher. chairman of .the board of the United Jewish Appeal and David Grossman, chairman of the Edmonton Jewish Community Council.
The Ottawa Holocaast Remembrance Committee's Yom Hasboa^ Com-memoration was held At
ibe site of the Holocaust Memorial at the Jewish ;Commindty cemeteiy iin Sunday, May 2.
The commemoration included opening . remarks by Mendel. Good, chairman of the Ottawa Community Council, the reading of the Legacy and the Acceptance, a torch-lighting ceremony by six survivors, Holocaust^readings in Hebrew, English and Yiddish by students representing iix Hebrew schools, a keynote address, by Rabbi\ Mordechai Berger and remarks by Joseph Lieff, president of the Jewish^ Community-Council p/Ottawa. and the Hazkarjkh service, with Kaddish by Harry Hecht.
, • ;—..■'■■.„■: ■ Reference No.: 82-PSC-ONT-IV-EA ( 02 90)
The Government of Canada, through its employnient policy Of eiquai^dppoftuoity for all Canadians, seeks applications from candidates foe a variety of professional positions in various Federal Governnnient departments.' I oventbries of qualified candidates are maintained at Public Service Cpmrhissionpfficesj^
Currently job opportunities exist in Ontario for the following:
Real Estate'Apjaraisers : Engineers - Electronics Communications Technologists
Engineering Technologists Auditors Computer Specialists ;
Ability to cbrnmunicate iri English and/or French is essential: , " ' •
Further information is available from: Public Service Commission of Canada, 180 Dundas Street West. Suite 1100. Toronto. Ontario M5G 2A8
Tolephone: (416) 369-3122. ^ \. . y^::-[l',
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