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20 Pages. Thursday, December 4, 1980 , Kisfev 26, 5741
THE CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS IS AN INDEPENDENT. NONPROFIT NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED FOR THE BENEFI]
256
AN JEWISH COMMUNITY
Israeli tennis star Shiomo GUckstein will make his Canadian debet at ithe Worid Championship Tennis ChaDenge Cap in Mbntreal in December.
tn major
By JANICE ARNOLD
MONTREAL —
Professional tenids player, ShlomoGUckstefairnamed Israel's athlete of the year ear-Uer.Iut month, will appear at the World Championship Tennis $320,000 Challenge Cap, to be; held Dec. 9-14 at 'the Maiirice Richard Arena.
The 22-year-olcl Israeli will • beoneof eightofthe world's ' finest tennis stars, includihg jimmy Connors, John McEnroe and Harold Solomon, all of the United States, and Romania's Ilie Nastase, who will compete for the.SlSOjOOO first prize., the'richest tennis, award in the world; Sw'cden's Bjorn Borg won the 1979 WCiP Cup — the first time it .was held in Montreal.
This wiU be Glickstein's Grist toamament In Canada, since taming professional In April, 1979. One year ago, he was ranked somewhere above 200th in the worid; today he is 53rd.
BB plans signing
"We believe he will be in the top 20 within the next six months.-' said Gerry Goldberg, WCT; promoter in Canada. "My prediction is that Shiomo has a very .good chance to make it to the semifinals. He is as good as any of
the others, except McEnroe and Connors."
The other pliayers in the tournament will, be Peter Flemiri^bflh^"lJ,-S?l Wojtek Fibak of Poland: and ,V, J. Amritraj of India.
Glickstein/a native of Ash-
event
TORONTO -
Granting of independent status to Canadian B'nai B'rith will be marked at a cer-mony at the Fort Garry Hotel in Winnipeg here on Sunday, Dec. 14.
" Up to now, B'nai B'rith lodges in Western Canada have been linked to their U.S^ counterparts, notes Ted Greenfield, national president. "With the recent decla-ration of Canada as an independent entity within Inter-: national B'nai B'rith," he said, "lodgels in Eastern and Western Canada will join-to form a strong confederation . of lodges, lending Canadian B'nai B'rith a truly national profile."
A document will be signed in Winnipeg by the Central Canadian Council and Canadian BB to make the national organization effective, said Greenfield and he will present a new charter to Marvin ^>_-5amphir, president of the coiincil.
Participating in the cere--monies will be Winnipeg Mayor William Norrie and provincial minister of health L.. R. Sherman. The mayor will proclaim the month of January'as^B'nai B'rith mem-bersliip month in Winnipeg.
Ai vnumberi of workshop sessiorts^wilKbe he|dTli\ring the day'^vering intepa-r tional affairs, Snti-semitism ' and other pertinenl topics.
REGINA —
The Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission was urged last Aveek to embark on edutration program in Saskatchewan schools focusing on the benefits of a multicultural society "and the heed to come to grips with growing racism."
In a brief to the; commission, the League for Human Rights, representing the Re-gina lodge of B'nai B'rith, urged, also that special material be prepared on racism, prejudice and stereotyping-for use in the media. It was suggested also that the commission sponsor a symposium on the responsibility of the media in Saskatchewan.
The presentation to the commission was prompted by the growth of the Ku Klux Klan in Canada, the league stated. Said the brief: "The
racism
Ku Klux Klan in Canada represents a number of malcontents and professional racists who hive adopted the name of a criminal element from south of the border."
Alan Shefman, director of the league's Central Regionv told the commission that' 'the purpose of the brief is to prepare responsible agencies . . .to meet the growing challenge of racist groups."
The brief asked that"rp-sponsible voices be raised in protest to the growth of such groups as the klan" and offered the services of the League for Human Rights to achieve this end.
. Presenting the brief were: Jim Isman, president, Phil Fayerman, Harold Pearlman and Dr. Alex Mintz of the B'nai B'rith Regina lodge and Shefman. ,
kelon, is a product of the Israel Tennis Centre. Which opened five years ago in Ramat Hasfiaron. The son of Polish immigrants GUckstein gave up his favorite sports — basketball and soccer — to concentrate on tennis after the opening of the centre, the first facility of its kind in Is-, rael.
His earlier athletic pursuits have served the 5-feet-ll, 185-pound GUckstein well. "He is considered one of the physically strongest tennis players around." said Goldberg, who is also Canadian chairman of the Israel Tennis Centre.
GUckstein reached; the Wimbledon, finals this Summer, winning the Wimbledon Plate, after beating Frenchman Patrice Dominguez arid Mexican RaoulRamirez.
Earlier this year, he defeated former Australian Open champion Mark Ed-, monson at the Australian hard court championship at Hobart, Tasmania.
At the Swedish Open in Stockholm, last month, GUckstein toppled American Brian Gottfried, ranked eight in the world.
. Closer to home. Solomon robbed him of the top position, at the Sabra Israel tennis classic, in the semi-finals in October.
By ANDREA PARKER
CALGARY —
A motion by Calgarj' B'nai B'rith lodge No. 816 to write to Alberta Premier Peter Lougheed congratulating him and his government on their stand against the federal government oh the constitution and energy problems has resulted in the resignation of lodge member Jay Winkler.
In a telephone interview with The aN, Winkler said "my whole objective is to try-to get the (lodge) on the right track." He said he feels members are' 'veering off from the parpose of B'nai B'rith'* and would like ' 'to steer them to the goals and fanctions of , sach a Jewish organization, which is the bettering of Jewish communities intemation-" ally, nationally and locally. . "I don't see where it betters the Jewish community to ,be embroiled in federal-provincial imatters." he added.
William Kohn, president of the lodge, said the majority of the estimated 60 members who attended the meeting .wanted the letter to be sent and added that"tlie motion wasn't closed until every single person was heard.
"We're not affiliated with any separatist group,'' he stressed and explained at press time that the letter was going to be sent out in a few days.
Bert Promislow; secretary of the lodge. said::"VVe do suppon the .«;tanc64^?f.e premier of Alberta on constitutional, budget and energy matters. The majority feels we do hot wish to. change the economic status quo in our area, which would change by not fighting the federal demands."
The motion was introduced tot h e gen eral m enibership by the executive on Nov, 18 and it recommended the lodge should send . . a congratulatory letter to Hon. Peter Lougheed, premier of Alberta, in the name of the lodge. The letter is to specifically state that Calgary B'nai B'rith Lodge #816 is in full and complete support and agreement with the rrieasures taken by (Lougheed and the government) . . . in their opposition to current legislation of a budgetary and energy nature by the federal government of Canada." The motion was printed in Menorah. the lodge's newsletter.
When asked about the situation, Frank Dimant, executive vice-president of Canadian B'nai B'rith sakl: "We don't encourage lodges to take stands in any way, shape or form which are detrimental to Canadian unity." Dhnant is based in Toronto.
By SHELDON KIRSHNER
Talk of an eariy election hi Israel is in the air this week In th^ajke of the government's bare survival of a non-confidence motion In the Knesset.
Facing motions submitted by three parties. Labor, Communists arid Tehiya, Likud squeezed-through by an uncomfortably close 57-54 margin. The motion was over the rapidly deteriorating, economy. ,
Two former key ministers in the cabinet. Moshe Dayan and Ezer Weizman, voted against Menachem Begin's leadership.
Weizman was expelled from Likud, and he promptly announced that he was planning to form an alternative to Likud and hoping to persuade Dayan to join it.
Dayan said he. had no intention to run for the Knesset in the next election, but he did not riile himself put of contention, saying: "There might be another situation tomorrow."
Weizman's defection, long in coming, means that Likud holds a mere one-seat majority in the Knesset. The government is so vulnerable to defeat that Begin has requested his cabinet ministers not to travel abroad for a while just in case another non-confidence motion reaches the floor of the Knesset. The Prime Minister has .warned that he would call elections before the scheduled date next November if Likud is again reduced to a slender majority of three in a Knesset vote.
Begin's threat comes against the background of rumors in the Kneisset that an election will be held in May. The speculation was fueled by Energy Miiiister Yitzhak Moda'i. He predicted: "I have grounds to believe that this government will not last out its fuU term in office, and that elections will be held in Mav. rather than in November'of 1981."
As election feveir rumbles through Likud, the Labor Party prepares for the expected battle at the polls. 'Last week, Shimon Peres, the Opposition leader, won a clear primary victory in the party's Internal election. With two-thirds of Labor delegates in his haiids, Peres now has a good chance to vanquish his rival, Yitzhak' Rabin, in this mcmth's convention.
If Peres overcomes Rabin's challenge, the Labor Party will be fairly united and in shape to wage a national election. The latest opinion polls show that Labor would win 58 Knesset seats if an
44
election were called today. Likudj_by contrast, would win only 22 seats. In 1977, Labor captured 32 and Likud 45.
Dissatisfaction with the government stems mainly from its inability to-r-solve Israel's-mounting economic crisis. But a gro\ying iiumber of Israelis, iticluding Ezer Weizman, accuse Begin • of being an obstacle in the peace process.
Althoiigh Israelis enjoy a relatively high standard of living, the economy is in a mess. And even cabinet ministers are not loathe to criticize the government's performance. Ax. a cabinet meeting. Health Minister Eliezer
Shostak charged that Finance Minister YigaelHurwitz's economic program was responsible for "the total deterioration" of the economy." Hurwitz replied that the cabinet shoiild order new spending cuts, especially for the military, which he said accounts for over 30% of government outlays.
Statistics released last month tell a bleak story: In October, the inflation rate was 11 %. At this pace, inflation is likely to top.last vear's depressing figure of 114%.
Real wages fell by 14% in the first six months of 1980.
By BEVERLEY STERN TORONTO —
When customers started complaining rather than laughing, a U.S.' manufacturer of a ''humorous" Christmas card that was deemed anti-semitic recalled aU the offensive cards from the shelves of stores across North America.
In Toronto, the same card was taken off the racks of the T. Eaton Co. when Rabbi Jordan Pearlson, national chairman of the Joint Community Relations Committee, told Eaton's the card was anti-semitic both in nature and content.
The card in question showed a chassidic Jew with a beard, earlocks and long nose, dressed in a black suit, who remarks: "We poor Jewish people live in an economy which is directly affected by your Christmas sales. When you Christians hold back from lavish giving, we suffer."
."1 saw the card about a . year ago in art form, and I'm sorry it got through," admitted a contrite Jerry Oppen-
heim. vice-president of-marketing for Recycled Paper Products Inc. of Chicago, which produced the card.
Oppenheim. a Jew, told The CJN his firm would undertake "a real . secondary screening process from now on" after artists make their submissions. He said that he looks at thousands of submissions foi- cards every year.
Oppenheim said that not only Jewish organizations had called him about the offending card, but also individuals."Organizations have an axe to grind, but individuals expressed an honest and genuine feeling that this was definitely not a funny caid," he said.
Liz Ryan, the firm's supervisor of customers services, on the other hand, thought the card was "just a good-natured way of poking fun." She added that the creator, Hadley Robertison, was a long-time artist with the firm, and was considered to have a '"witty" touch.
The firm, she said, specializes in humorous cards, al-
though it has more traditional, sentimental ones as well. All'in all. about 4.500 of the offending cards were sold in towns and cities, primarily in the U.S.
"In the short time it was in the stores," said Ms. Ryan, "the card was a good seller."
Rabbi Pearlson said the card had only recently appeared in Eaton's, and that other distributors had also been calledby theJCRC.
"Humor is a complex thing," said Rabbi Pearlson. ; ''Sex, profanity and the toilet are also considered funny subjects. The essence of humor is its ability to touch areas of anxiety.
"We live in troubled times, •Pearlson continued and" "Jews have been classic scapegoats in periods of social and economic problems.
"Anti-semitism is back in vogue today and coming out of the closet. While we do not want to usea cannon to do the .job that a 22 can do, theJCRG is making it very clear that we are irritated about a card that is vicious and bigoted."
TORONTO —
In a. hypothetical choice between two dangers —^ the status quo in the occupied areas, or the gradual emergence of an independent Palestinian ■ state — Israel should opt for the latter so as to preserve its democratic complexion/according to Walter Laqueur, an eminent author and scholar.
He said in an.interview last week that Israeli demdcracy would suffer if Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip continued indefinitely.
Occupation; he asserted, would destroy the liberal foundation of the Jewish state."If the democratic character of Israel is lost, one
Canadians for a day
can question the Whole raison d'etre of Israel."
A Palestinian nation, he continued, would represent the lesser of two evils. It could emerge, after a lengthy development period, provided Israeli security was guaran-teed. ■
Laqueur, a German Jew who has lived and worked in Israel; Britain and the U;S., acknowledged that the PLO might control a future Palestinian entity;"You can't impose a leadership." he said, referring to the possible com^ position of a Palestinian government;
In related comments, the 59-ycar-old professor debunked the view that IsraeH settlements assured Israel's security,' and cast doubt on the proposition that the presidency of Ronald Reagan would be better for Israel
than, the stewardship of Jimmy Carter.
Laqueuris chairman of the international research coiincil of the Georgetown Centre for Strategic and International Studies and the Wierier Library in Tel Aviv.
He teaches political science and history at Georgetown University and Tel Aviv University, respectively.
He is founder of the Journal of Contemporary History and editor of the Washington Quarterly, a foreign affairs magazine.
A prolific writer, Laqueur has more than a dozen books to his credit, including "The Road to Jerusalem,''"The Struggle for the Middle East," "Europe Since Hitler." " l.erronsm," "The Missing Y'ears" and, most recently,"'Terrible Secret."
He was in Toronto to address an audience at Shaarei
Shomayim Synagogue. EUs presence here was under auspices of the IsraelFrankel Jewish Public Library, Canadian Zionist Federation, Canadian Friends of Tel Aviv University and the synagogue's adult education program.
Laqueur said Israeli settlements,. particularly on the. West Bank, served no useful defence purpose, and "needlessly antagonize international public opinion."
A small nation like Israel could not ignore "world opinion, he claimed.
He called the settlements an obstruction to peace, an anachronism and an embarrassment .Instead of diverting scarce resources to outposts on the West Bank. Israel should be settling Jews in the Galilee, half of which is populated by Arabs. ' ,
[Cont'd, on page 13]
CJG reports to womem^ paries
KIAMESHA LAKE, N.Y. —
The Jewish community in Canada "is alive, weU and thriving in its commitment to Israel arid the future of the Jewish people," delegates to the Womens League for Conservative Judaism were told at their national convention held here recently.
Stan Urman, assistant executive- director of the Canadian JeVvish Congress, reported to the 2,200 delegates present from the U.S., ^Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Israel, that the Canadian government has remained strong in its support of Israel ■ and its "commendable record" is second to none in the United Nations. Canada, he added, is, also f\rjtx_ in its policy of non-recognitibh of ■ the PLO, onxbilateral tradeY agreements with\^lsrael and \ anti-boycott l(2gisl,ation. n
Before Urinan made his speech, all the delegates were made ".Canadians for a day."
The league is the largest women's synagogue organization in the world , with 21,000 members and comprised of 800 sisterhoods, 40 ofthem in Canada.
The convention gave overwhelming iq[>provaI to a reso--lution calling, for the ordination of women to the rabbinate In the Conservative movement. This was probably the most important resolntion adopted.
In his address, Urman said "the three basic concerns of the Canadian government vis-a-vis IsraeLare; the issue of an undivided Jerusalem as Israel's capital; possible violations of the fourth Geneva Convention in Israel's occu-, pation of the West Bank; and Israelis West Bank settle--iiients program.
B.ut he.added that regard-\less of Canadian government policy, Can^ian organized Jewry iS'in complete agreement tli'at (1) J,erusa]em, is and will reqiain^the undivided
and indivisible capital of Israel; (2) there will never be an individual Palestinian state interposed between Israel and its Arab neighbors; (3) the community win never_ tolerate the Canadian govern"-"' .-ment negotiating with the PLO; (4) there can be no return to Israel's indefensible 1967 borders.
He stressed that "information is the most potent weapon in Israel's defence. "In my travels coast to coast. I see that people don't know the facts," he said. "We need information, rather than guns, to defend Israel. We must arm ourselves with information." ,
Afterwards, Carol Sher, chairman, led the Canadian public affairs plenary; Resolutions were passed urging the Canadian government to entrench' basic human rights in the new constitution; commending the Canadian gov^ emment for its unanimmis House of Commons resolu-
tion of Oct. 15 condemning terrorism and alerting Womens League members to rising anti-semitism;
Other resolutions urged: education against cults and missionaries; reaffirmation of _ the importance of Jewish day schools; prosecution of Nazi war criminals by thejCana-dian government; recognition of Volunteers and the promotion of the Ittrernational Year for Disabled Persons.
The delegates reaffirmed the "sacred role of Jerusalem" as a unified city and urged the Israel government to officially recognize the valid, status of the Conservative movement within Israel.
I Canadian delegates. won various awards. Sara Eker from Beth EmethBais Yehuda in Willowdale received one for working on a banner for the month Of Adar with Linda 'Segal.and Mici Gold. The sis-terhoo'^ of Congregation Beth Tzedec of Toronto was cited
for a creative fund, raising project and Mrs. Adrienne Rossman accepted the award. The project was a dream auction.
The:^elegates listened to speakers such as_Sadie Rose Weilerstein who wrote the fantasy stories about .K'ton-ton, the "Jewish Tom Thumb."
-■ Feminist author Betty Freidan declared that "we have to stop seeing feminsim and family in conflict.... The family is more important than ever for human survival as well as Jewish survival but it is an evolving family. We must embrace the family in new terms."
When^'Goidie. Kweller accepted the national presidency for a second two-year term she told the delegates to rechannel "values and priorities and change them from self-satisfied me-ism to community we-ism." ;
UJA campaign is up 25% over last year
TORONTO -
The current United Jewish Appeal campaign is running 25% ahead of last year's at this time, on a caid-for-card basis, reports campaign dfarector David Marks. —
Speaking at a recent breakfast meeting of the Toronto UJA canpaign leadership, Marks singled out "a con-. cemed community and^an-. enthusiastic volunteer ^canvassing corps" as pnmery reasons for the early suclcess.
Some 60 business, professional and student leaders were on hand for the session, to hear and be heard as they reported on division results.
Among others reyealing gratifying returns;.. s Adrienae«-Offman. Womens. Division t Mrs^ Qffman indicated that \UJA Wohjen, in adaition to .being Veil
ahead of last year's same-time figures, had concluded their annual Womens' Day. with a 39% increase in pledges over the T979 function.
Fred Metter, Jewelers: stated that his division was run- ■ ning not only at a healthy percentage increase, but that non-major givers had in---.creased previous campaign pledges by as much as 50%. : Mark Friedman, Construction^ Division: reported his /'group running'25% ahead:^f ( last year's totals; and pre: . dieted Construction wouldy finish.the campaign in afront-^ running position,
Larry Wolynetz (University of Toronto), and Estelle Hock and Jack Samuel (York University): indicated that concerted canvassing efforts had. unearthed first-time contri-.
butors at a ratio of 3-to-l over previous givers, and that record-breaking returns"'were in sight.
At the close of the session, Charles Diamond who co-chairs the campaign executive and cabinet along with Dr. Charles Gold — expressed particular gratification at the. successful incorporation of youth into the current campaign. Diamond noted this could be seen not only at the university level, but throughout the division' leaderships and extending to the city's pre-college youth.
Special praise was given to >, Steven Handelman and his i Forest Hills High School can-vapsers, who had set a goal -— iand were thus,far succeeding. at its-TTT of maintainjng-ajevel ofS20perpledge{^
■hi
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