Observ attache^
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BfWioth^que
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Section das
TORONTO -
The United Church Observer came under bitter attack at the closing session of the Canadian Jewish Congress when a resolution was adopted censuring the controversial periodical, for
■■- publishing articles "'(Iiram-ing" Jews. - -
■.; The iresolutmn. - which "came out of a Holocaust survivors caucus, recommend-;,ed the Joint GommunitvReT lations Committee of Con-
i gress and B nai B'rith con^
. cern itself with materials published in the .monthly, edited bv Rev. A.C.Forrest. , A statement noted with: sorrow "that views of bigots and racists are given aplat-form.to voice their hatred and venom."
, TheObserver, in its March issue, published an adver-.
. tisement from a religious zealot which included offen^^ siveanddefamatorv remarks . about Jews. An apologv for' the ad appeared in the Mav issue.
The June issue of the magazine contained an interview
■with Donald Andrews, leader ol Western.: Guard; in which.he expressed the rac- . ■ istplatlorm of his group. The Toronto Star this week
. carried a storv quoting An- . drews savins he was-a fascist. The Western Guardwas
. blamed for breaking up a television show Sundav on CITY-TV.
The latest uproarwithThe Observ&r onlv came to- light' at the convention although a :Central Resjion.official said thev had been in contact .with the publication after the March ad. Rabbi. Plaut. chairman of. tlie national religious advisory cQmmittee.
. G'arlier had tolda CJ'C work- . shop that a.great number of rneetings had been h&ld with ..the United Church, leadership in an attempt to stifle
■ "the nriore and more raiicous' fulminations of.The Observer and its editor "■-
14 R3ges
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iaor-.- ■. —r*.(jJ.
Canadian
iday, June 21,1974 Tamuz 1, 5734
15^
Prime Minisier Trudeau admires a drawing of his family presented to him b.y the granddaughters of Saul Hayes (left), retiring Congress executive viccr
president. Looking on are '(at extreme right) Hayes' wife, Beatrice, his daughter, Mrs. . Stariley Plotnick, and 'her husband. (J. El-Baz photo)
NKP may soon join cabinet
JERUSALEM (JTA) -
..Labor Part V circles have . expressed. renewed. optim-. ism. that the National Religious Partv will soon join Premier Yitzhak Rabin s coalition government on the basis of a.; mutuallv accep-, table compromise on the "Who Is A.Jew.^ issue:
The NRP would, fust have to-obtain il not the.sanction at least, the.non-opposition of. Israels Chief Rabbinate and the blessinss of influen-. tial Orthodox rabbis abroad. Former • Finance Minister Pijihas Sapir has reportedlv met with Rabbi Joseph Solo-vevitchik ol Boston on the issue.
to live behind secure borders
By LEWIS LEVENDEL CJN Associate Editor
TORONTO -
.P.rime -.Minister. Trudeau joined the toj) national Jew-;-ish leadership to pav lavish tribute to -Mr. Canadian Jewish Congress — Saul Haves .— al.a banquet at the Roval York Hotel ..Sundav nisht... . - -
About 85,0 pei'sons hoard Trudeau describe the 68^ vear-old Haves...CJC rotir- . ing executive vice-president : as an old friend and a man whose great sense of fairness and human touch 1 ve. aIwavs admired.'^ . Monroe -Abbev. ex-CJC. national president, calling the veteran -Congress official..:a legend in our time'; presented him with an il-
Richard Nixon
How do you avoid a certain name?
NEW YORK (JONS) -
■ What, in these days of Watergate^ happens when a rabbi comes to that portion of the Sabbath service which calls for a prayer for the president and the government, but does not want to pray for the current president?
Rabbi Stephen Lerner of the Town and Village: Syna-. gogue (Conservative) in Manhattan, has busied himself all during the Nixon administration, rewriting the prayer to fit the twists aiid turns of the president's actions - the war . \n Vietnam generally and the bombing of Canibodia specifically, the early ambivalence towards Israel, and_nOw Watergate.
Now, the prayer-asks God :to--'make the crisis of confidence; in our nation's political institutions be resolved, leaving m its wake a restored presidency dedicated to the principles of honesty,-justice and compassion," and asks for the "courage to work and hope for better times." Rabbi Steven Riskin of the Orthodox Lincoln Square^nagogue, also in Manhattan, often ad libs the prayer, according to some ot his congregants. To the call in the standard prayer for. "peace and freedom" he has added "morality''.
. Other rabbis have dropped entirely any reference to the president and merely pray for "our nation's leaders." A rabbi of one of the city's largest Li^ipral congregations, who preferred to be anonymous, said he "choked" on the standard prayer each week, but since it IS his policy never to . change a prayer, he continues to use it; > Rabbi Wolfe Kelman, the executive vice-president of the^ Rabbinical Assembly (Conservative); thinks the whole issue is silly. He called attention to the fact that the Jews prayed for the^-czar in Russia when everyone knew what they/ thouglU of the czar. J ^ "Just because a particular presIden^ may not be hkea,: this does not ^mean that one should ,stop praying on his pe-r half," he commented, r
\
hmtinated scroll ol tribute.
In a. majoi-.foreicn pohcv address to the 17th Plenarv Assemblv. the prime minister, praised the Jewish peo--*ple, savins: -few Canachans are more sensitive to the interdeF)endenGv of allmen..
He continued: "Youm. the Jewish convmunitv have nurtured vour own heritage while respecting that- of others. You have sought opr i)ortunitv- and achieved success in Canada Init have; never forsaken vouiv.breth-' fen in less, fortunate circumstances elsewhere. You understand and practise the .tolerance which is the basic imrredient of.our societv."
While Trudeau was warm m his support of Israel ("I doubt; if /relationships between the governments of Israel and Canada, have ever . been better ). .he was careful to add that Canada en-jovs good relations with the Arab governments;
•W.e have never followed an anti-Aral) policv and 1 do not think It is m the interest of Canadians, including Canadian Jews, or in the interests of Israel; for us to adopt such a policv.' he^ said. "Recent letters from .Mrs. Meir and Mr. Eban to Mitchell Sharp quite clearlv -suggest that.Israel neither expected nor wanted Canada to adopt such a position." . .
The prime minister welcomed the interventions of U.S. Secretarv of State Kissinger in the Mideast and complimented him-upon "his exfFaordinary achievements "
He, condemned terrorist activities_j)f Arab groups and re-affirmed Canada's tielief in the fundamental right of Israel to exist in peace within secureand recognized boundaries: '
And he emphasized there has been no change m the Canadian government's policies regarding the Middle East-Gojiflict as a result of the Araubll boycott, 'or for anv other reason,
; "We believe there must be respect for and acknowledgement of th^ sovereignty, territorial iiAegnty and political independence of Israel aiid every other state
m the: .Middle East." the prime minister said . to a round ot applause.
Theodor Meron".- Isi'ael s ambassador, to Canada, told Trudeau It was a source of ^ gratitication to Israel that "Canada, unlike othei' coun- . tries, has maintained a fi-iendlv attitude towards Is-k.rael;' ■ .. . ■ ■
Haves, in a literate and humorous address, started his speech bv thankins his wife Beatrice for "puttingup-with mv short-comings, anu -.lon<;-going.s. -
And he confessed he had wasted lots of time durum; his 35 vears at Congress . ■;and that was being on time for Jewish meetings.
In addition to. the tribute for Haves, the delegates .earlier.in tho-,<lay ata hirich-, ■ eon honoi-ed Michael Garlier ot;'Montreal,. .:a tornier na-, tional president ol CJC. with: the .Samuel" Bronfman M^dul ■aiid gave special recounition ■,as well Ho Judge Harqld'Lan-de- also of .Montreal, r.etir-ins national vict'-presidont.
Welfare Fund prepared to assist YM-YWHA
TORONTO -
The United Jewish Welfare Fund of Toronto is prepared to . consider funding ce rt a 1 n prog i^a m s of t.he Y .M -YWHA.. according to -Phil Granovskv. bJWFpresident;
■ Granovskv said the Fund s-board of directors has apr-proved- m principle funding, the •■■I "for-those programs It conducts which theWel- • fare Fund deems to be. of
high prioritv; Determination iiiiiiiiiHiimuiiiiiiiiiimuiiiuiiiiiiniiiiiiinitimiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiNiiiii^^^^^
Afterday and night sessions, some delegates to the Canadian Jewish Congress take time out\ for a snooze during the banquet Sunday night at thi^Royal York Hotel; (Jacob El-Baz)
iiiiiimiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiniiihiiiiiiiinwiiiiiiiiiiiiijiiiH^
of priorities must rest with . the Welfare Fund and not \\\\h the YM-YWHA oi aM\ other beneliciarv..
(At-the recent "V annual meeting, the : new oboanh chaii-man. John Walrh said -the future of- the institution-is threatened bv an "alarm-. ing : lack ot funds. He said ■the '"^ has been forced into-accumulative :defiGit financ--;ing and-:that the future- is hazv unless funds are forth-. coming.)
Granovskv said the Welfare Fund will -appoint; a special committee to meet .-■with the 'Y to; explore and develop a- relationship ^ind method of fimdins, ■■■ .' ■
- He-said the board members are in agreement th;vt the "Y : with a memberslu;)-of..12.000. plavs an import-^ ajit role in eoimminitv: hie -and has matTv programs that are . of high pnoritvto. the ■ Jewish ;communitv..:.:
A - fundamental. princii^-le underlying, the action taken .by - the Welfare. Fund board . -in connection with the -Y . •said Granovskv. IS that the Fund will have the responsibility for determining and recommending priorities and he feels that, this establishes a sound principle of relationship between the Welfare Fund and all its beneficiary, agencies— not only the 'Y',
Granovskv said the UJWF has been struggling forsome : time with the problem of funding the 'Y' and he declared that: "It IS inevitable that we must enter into a funding relationship with them '
Panel claims fraud disclosed in kosher meat survey in city
TORONTO -
In: a hard-hitting report that referred to "blatantly fraudulent practices that goon in our community," an investigating panel told the Canadian Jewish Congress that most : kosher meat consumers are payjng over 50<i a pound more than for thesame cuts in nonr kosher-stores. . _^ "-""-....... .:. ' —_^
Tiie._Kosher* Food Consumers Panel, composed-of-representatives of Orthodox, Con-■ servative and.iReform synagogues, was chaired by Mrs. Helen Gross. It spent four months inquiring in_towidespread^mplaints of tlie.high cost of kosher food. . ■; ■
The report received by the religious affairs committee of the GJCj said, in part: "We believe Jewish housewives should pressure their own butcher stores to take a more realistic line towards pricing of certain items. There should also be greater pressure put on slaughter houses to increase the supply of kosher beef for the Toronto area."
The report said panel members were "most upset" at the discovery of fraudulent practices, but it did not go into particulars as to tlie nature of the,practices or where they occurred. But it warned that.the consumer who buys from a store not under rabbinical supervision, either through an independent rabbi or through Vaad Hakashrut, "cannot be certain that she IS. indeed, buying kosher meat."
. .Manv establishments who advertise as kosher sell kosher cuts but do not necessarily sell kosher meats, the panel found.. : We strongly advise those housewives who are sincerely, c on c emed about . kashruth 'to . look, for symbols, they can'trust botii in. ^■Ijutche-r stores and- on pack-;. . aged products.' ' Dealing with .the contr-o-yersy oyer tfie" pi-iciiig of.' ..pouUTy... the'.- ■ report .says 'chickens '.should .be priced at so much per pound with '■ additional kashruth charges addeol as an" extra. The chi--cken should be X-cents pei---pound. plus.'aOc for shechita and plucking and another 2f)C. for koshering and cleaning: ■ Asserts the report: "The
■ Jewish hoiisewile is being ' overcharged: on .larger chi-ckens. If the cost of kosher- ■ ing a chicken is Snc per-chicken. then the'housewife. -who buys a three-pound, chi-'' cken at "30c a pound more than- nourkosher chicken, is', repaying the cost of kosher- . ing.-However, il' she buys.: "live or six-pound chickens at
'300; a pound inoi'e than non- .
kosher, the butcher is mak-.ing an excess-profit of.-GO. 'to 90c per'.pound :"-
In part two ol the.rejKirt. dealing witti the cost of ko- ' sherlng meat, is the following: 'Anv store which ° is : ..unable to pay to Congress the going rate- fof- .supe'.rvir. sion.-. will :l)e. subsidized bv .Congress in order to l)ring more butcher stores under supervision. However, we M:ere .unal)le . to-'vascertain" ' how - t'hes.e'char.ge's are. ca'l'-;.,
■ ■ culated/ whether .;they . a re ■
'based on the'Size.andy.oUime'■. . Ql thestoi'eanyolved.'■;.'-.'■: Aboiit;- i>09 ■ -of ■ kosher-..-
■ slaughtered-aniiiials actual--', -■ ly pi-pve t'o'be kosher,; the' ' report continues.. "In.spec-' tiqn .is ,sti-ic.t.-.-an'd as such-
.many animals •.■slaughtered ■' iii" accordancie-;- with. Jewish ;
.-ritual;^ fail .;t6- ^pass'the^ re- -quired .inspection;
- The.report points out that . because there .is:agre;it deal; Qf hamburger sold inkoshe'r ;; biitcher; stores at-a cost he-,';' 'low' -or. equal- to 'the;:npn'-..
kosher stores; the- kosher .
;;biitchers. piiist- recpver theC.
-2rro- a pound it costs them
■for koshering--ha.mburger dn .'.
'/htjier. cuts..6f beef. •
"Thus, the - price discre-- ; panoies of more than .2r)C : a pound on certain scarcer, choicer cuts of beef mav :. not be unwarranted. However: in -summary, it ap- : pears;the Jewish housewile :
;.is. being •overcharged:,-- fqr ;'-kashruth.- Most consumers:
.would be. willing to pay ..the -2r)C per pound that it costs to kosher meat ; .. . In some cases thev are paving tar greater than this.
- -The panel appi-oached a : number-of-t)utchers and supermarkets to vrellect lour basic categories of; stores:, (1)- chain stores under Ca- . nadian - Je w:is h Congi'ess which iiTcfaiLa three Miracle-Food Mar-t:s.:' om? .Dominion . aiui one Sunnvbrookr-x2-) In- . dependent butchers ; under -Cana(11 a n JewIshtCongress: '
(3) Independent butchers advertising themselves-as ko- : sher but not under CJC. and
(4) suiierinarket meat coun- -ters (not-kosher).
All:: price comparisons .were based on similar cuts . of meat.
The Kosher Food Consumer Panel intends to continue Its activities and it intends to investiga|e'l)aker-les and .packaged goods, . PassoyetiJabellTng^nd Pass- \ over^-kiishruth and^ie duty \-on Items- imported from the ' United States with an emphasis towards removal of this dutV if comparable'itenris ■ are not available in Canada.
Action is urged by investigators
The panel makes the following . ■ recommendations
..which it believes vwilL be, heljdnl; in; clearing up some -ol- the problems .around; kosher iaod: . ■
The Vaad Hakashrut of the Canadian Jewish Congress must be expanded inorderto.'
';' begin to'emba rk ori new areas'. ol;activities,'-Some of;^'these -. might be: ' - ■
- to activelv seek out the: needs ol the ko.sher consumer -so , that yanous, companies might tie approachedtoplace certain products under the -supervision of COR.
- to develop a'farlarger public relations and public ■uilormation :pi-6gram,so that consumei's can be keptmore up to date ol what .is under'■ COR and. what Is not.
- to lise various publications including The Canadian Jewish News and synagogue bulletins, to publicize.thedif-l&renbe between kosher and. kosher style butcher stores. -The consumer has a right, to. know what she is paying' ■fiM- and Congress must make ■grf:;ter. ellorts to explain exactly wha t - constitutes' kashruth in terms ol super-
vision and shechitah. The Jewish housewife has a right to know why certain establishments which advertise themselves as. kosher can sell pickled tongue at -79c a pound while those under Congress sell.it at SI.49 and up.
- to clarify to the community exactly which signs and which symbols indicate kashruth as recognized by COR. While this is done in the kashruth directory, greater distribution of the directory and additional ads m newspapers would be helpful; ■ '.
- to use more publicity m. French. Russian and Y'lddish. for those . imniigrants who are new to. Toronto and who wish to be. advised; of the local kashrut regulations.
- to contact and advise those butchers who curreht-ly advertise: themselves" as kosher but are not under the. . Vaad Hakashrut. exactly what the costs would be to come under Congress, they should be encouraged at every effort so that the. quantity of strictly kosher meat will be 'increased in- the Toronto .area;. ■ .
Harris elected Cmgress head
By MARK MEDICOFF ; CJN Quebec Bureau Chief
TORONTO -
: .Lawyer .Sydney M. Harris , of - Toronto; .!w:as. elected the ■ sixth national president ol the Canadian Jewish Con-; .g res salt he^ >o rg an i za t i o n' s 17th Plenary Assemnlvat .,th^^^Rpyal- York'Hotel:;., \ ] ;; :
Harris, the tirst Congress ■ ;presid.ent ::fi-om the' Cent.ral; Region in;the organization: s history.' deleated two. last minute candidates. -. Rabbi Law ..Becker :-0l Montreal ami lawyer Marten Brodskv ol Windsor. A: total ol 360 votes were cast. •
It appeared Harris was. to be opposed .by Prolessor Perry .Mever; ot Montreal, .hut, ;Meyor:-; opted ,f<^r; the ; chairmanshij) of the. executive-committee, a position which was not contested.:;
In: an election marked by Its lack ol concrete issues, most Congi-e^ss , delegates nevertheless wanted assurances that: the organization would not be undermined bv the welfare funds.
- "i.m- ivot going to sacri--:_fice Congress., for, .anyone or. anything;'; stated Harris in an. intieTn''iew . with; The CJN, vandLm-not- going- to let purse',;string.s_be ham-' strung. -'- - -: . ; ■■ . "As far as 1 m concerned^ merger was never the issue. It was created bv people who wore not candidates, and it was :iust: a question to ask. he added,
Harris stated, •however; that, structure was avprior-. itv for the. Congress. "Congress IS the people's organization, and C'ongress can function without having to ask for an allowance." .
Harris maintained that the issue of Jewish education must be dealt with on the regional level, although Congress will call for the improved : quality of teaching and curriculum. ..
Sydney M. Harris
■ "But the nuts and bolts will; be left up to the region; he said.
The national slate-of of- : ficers consists of Honorary President. Monroe Abbey of Montreal, Immediate Past President Sol Kanee . ol Winnipeg. Honorary Counsel Hvman- Solowav of Ottawa
Secretarv J. Sydney Ml- ' danik of Toronto- and Treasurer Nachum Wilchesky of Montreal; wef-e also elected.
National vice-presidents arc Murray Spiegel, of Montreal. Oscar Antel of Winnipeg. David Satok of Toronto, and Isador M. Wolfe of Vancouver. Regional chair^ men are Leon Teitelbaum_of Montreal (Eastern), Milton Harris of TorontoiCentral), Morlev -Globerman ofJVin-nipeg (Western); and Dr. Marvin. Weintraub of; Vancouver (Pacific).
Deadlines
The Canadian Jewish News will be closed Canada Day, Monday July 1. On accornit-of^e holiday, the display adveMising and editoml deadlineVor the July/5 issue IS Thursday, Juire 27 at 2 p;m.Theclas-sijfied advertising deadline is\Fnday. JuneJB'at 2p.m.