Page 4 - The Canadian Jewish News, Friday^ March 31, 1972
Editoriai page
An independent Community Newspaper serving as a forum for diverse viewpoints.
Directors: Donald Carr. Q.C.  Murray B. Koffler Albert J. l-atner     Ray D. Wolfe Managing Editor, Sol I. Littman Editor. Ralph Hyman
Assistant Editor, Lewis Levendel '  Director, Quebec Bureau, Mark Medicoff Special Assignments, Paul Ogden Advertising Director, Aaron Biranbaum
Vol. Xlt, No. 64 (685)
Published by the Canadian Jewish News (A corporation without share capital) Subscriptions $6 per year. $15 - 3 years. U.S.A. $8.50 perifear, $22.50 - 3 years. All other countries $12 per year, $30 - 3 years.
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16 Nisan - Choi Hamo'ed Pesach^ Candlelighting: Toronto 6:26; MontriSSI 6:04
Precedent created by Trudeau's visit to meet Congress leaders
For many years, small groups of Canadian Jewish Congress leadership have made an annual visit to Ottawa to confer with the Prime Minister and his colleagues on issues concerning the Jewish community of Canada. This year a precedent was established when Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau agreed to meet with the whole 125-man Congress national executive committee at a luncheon at the Park Plaza last Friday^
While one could dwell on what the Prime Minister said during the informal luncheon conversation, or what he said or failed to say in his formal presentation, there are other signs and omens which lend themselves more readily to analysis.
The first is the clear indication of the respect accorded the Canadian Jewish community by the presence of the Prime Minister accompanied by two of his cabinet ministers (Herb Gray, minister of revenue and Mitchell Sharp, minister for external affairs) as well as two members of Pariiament (Barney Danson and Robert Kaplan) at a gathering of Jewish leadership. There are few, if any other countries in which this is likely to occur.
Even though this is an election year in which political leaders tend to extend themselves more than usual, it nevertheless indicates the importance given to Jews as citizens and voters. Whatever the motivation, the meeting was a clear demonstration of the openess of the Canadian government and the
ready communication which exists between its leaders and the Jewish community.
Next in significance is the clear cut manner in which the Prime Minister recognized the Canadian Jewish Congress as the all-embracing body serving as spokesman for the Jews of Canada. He left little doubt that he was not confused by other organizations, such as B'nai B'rith which have been tempted recently to challenge Congress' role.
The event was not beyond criticism. It was regrettable that Congress was unable to limit attendance at the luncheon to a nuclear leadership. A group of 1-25 people is entirely tqo.targe to permit the informal question and answer session preferred by the Prime Minister. Consequently he read a formal speech, which, while full of laudatory sentiments, nevertheless needed the clarification which hard questioning might have provided.
Equally regrettable were the unauthorized comments to the press by the editor of The Canadian Zionist following the luncheon. Neither Congress nor the Federated Zionist Organization of Canada had authorized his criticisms of the Prime Minister's presentation. As a guest at the luncheon he was hardly entitled to hold his own press conference.
Congratulations are in order for Sol Kanee, Canadian Jewish Congress president; Leon Kronitz, chairman of the executive committee and Saul Hayes, executive vice-president, for further elevating the organization's stature and in the process raising the status of our community. -
Injustice to day school pupils over fares brifigs sharp rebuke
When parochial newspapers such as The Canadian Jewish News take up an issue in their particular field of concern, they are doing no more than is expected of them, U, is heartening, therefore, when Toronto's two big daily newspapers, with the whole world's budget of news to be digested, give space for editorial comment on a flagrant injustice to a minority group.
Both The Toronto Star and The Globe and Mail last week ran editorials castigating The Toronto Transit Commission for discontinuing the half-fare privileges of students at the United Synagogue Day School, during the general school vacation. The Jewish students' school break came during the Passover observance.
Not having space to print both editorials, we tossed a coin and it favored The Globe and Mail. Here is that newspaper's editorial:
The tinyTTC mind If a person were to sit up for a whole week without sleep, keeping hinnself awake by alternately banging his head against the wall and taking long drags from a succession of cheap wine bottles, he might then manage to be half as stupid as the bumbailiffs of the Toronto Transit Commission, The TTC, with its unique sense of public service, has decided that students at the United Synagogue Day
Israel Museum
School are not entitled to half-fare privileges while their little Christian colleagues are on vacation. As a result, some of these Jewish youngsters are paying as much as $5 a week for public transportation to and from school, instead of the normal $1.50, while the public schools are on vacation.
Even the offer by Jewish students to provide special stamps that could be affixed to their tfbkets was refused by the TTC brass with the comment that withdrawal of fare privileges was pait of the cost of going to a private school, a cost not imposed, however, during the remainder of the school year and therefore making the present attitude insulting - or is the TTC planning to cut off all but public school students hereafter? Given the TTC reasoning, that would be the logical thing to do.
The TTC's general arbitrariness makes a mockery of the principle of special student rates. Just recently. Education Miniister Thomas Wells called for greater community use of school facilities. But the TTC decision that no one is a student after 4:30 p.m. effectively discriminates against those who want to practice football, hockey or some other extra-curricular activity after school.
Students' tickets, to mean anything, should be good 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
History lives for young
By NECHEMIA MEYERS CJN Israel Correspondent
JERUSALEM -
Recently in Jerusalem, rny son Eytan met Bar Kochba, the legendary Jewish leader of an _ill-fated^2nd Century G.E. revolt against the Romans. The meeting was ar-^ranged by the Israel Museum which, while not yet active in the field of reincarnation, has nevertheless learned to m^e history live for Israel's younger generation.
Etar Kochba is represented at the \ museum by his letters and artifacts, as well as by coins minted in the brief three-year period during which here-established Jewish independence in the hills of Judea. Eytan was particularly thrilled to see that Bar Kochba's coins bear the same motifs -palm trees, pomegranates and barley -which appear on contemporary Israeli coinage. They demonstrated, more convincingly than any textbook could, the amazing cbn-tinuityof Jewish history.
Exhibits from the period.of the Bible fascinate Eytan and other ^bras because they feel a special afTinity^for the Jews Who lived 2.000 years ago/as free men in their own land. Making Israjeli youngsters interested in later Jewish history is much more difficult, because they feel a distaste for the 20 centuries of dispersion^ and degrad-
ation experienced by the Jews after they were expelled from their ancient home. But the Israel Museum also succeeds in making the Diaspora period interesting and attractive for Sabras, as I saw from my son's reactions during our visit. , He^,was fascinated by a wooden suc-cah, l)uilt in Southern Germany 150 years ago, and feasseihbled in Jerusalem only recently; The succah is decorated with beautiful drawings on Jewish themes - the sacrifice of Isaac, the Temple, etc.-and hung with the traditional fruits (albeit in wax) of the holiday.
We went on to .see another wooden structure from Germany, this time, a synagogue built in 1735, iand covered from floor to ceiling with primitive images of animals and phrases from the Bible and Talmud. Us naive simplicity appealed to Eytan, who draws pretty much the same way himself.
The Israel Museum plays a significant role in the Jewish consciousness program of-; Israeli schboIsrTfiis program is deisigned primarily for boys and girls who come from non-religious homes and therefore may not be too well acquainted with J!ewish traditions and ritual objects. The Miiseum gives the youngsters an opportunity to see a rich selection of Jewishartifacts froni all periods.
Eytan and I only regret that the Israel Museum is too far away from Debronat for us to enjoy its facilities morefrcquently.
,•'1
A Torah scribe at work in Jerusalem
Torah and halacha kept Jews together m exile
By CHARLES ANTHONY
Controvcrs\ rages in Israel. Should its Rahhinical Court be ruled h\ . the State? After all. Israel »as recained b\ stnigeline idealists. Man\ died for it but feu were observant Jews; So it is claimed modern Israel inav iennre halacha - Je\xish law.
Jews throuch the centuries >earned to redeem Israel. Our generation is Iuck> to see ' this miracle, an epic tew realh appreciate. Did we reeain our land onl\ to denigrate the basis of Judaism. Torah and halacha? This would make meaningless 2.000 vears of sut'Tcring. We could have avoided it bv merging into majoritv societies nearbv. Thus. Jewish nationalism without Judaism is pointless.
Ancient Israel's secular rulers listened to religious authoritv or tragedv ei^sucd. Torah covers all aspects of life. The civjli/ed world now accepts most of its social legislation vet this was old lone before the miehfv Roman Empire was born! Rome scoffed at our Stsbbath and beenrdged workers a dav of rbst. Old peoplctodafVecall when the modem world was the same. Not trade unions but Torah promulgated fair working conditions-.
The idea that Israel must be like otherna-tions is wrong. We were, are and must remain different. That is our destinv. When Jews aped Greeks. Romans or Babvlonians and ignored halacha. man\ assimilated and were lost to us: todav the American Dream has had the same result,
To have Israeli law bv majoritv vote when in conflict with halacha only invites chaos. Not evervone observes all laws. Not all in Canada obev all ta\ or traffic law s. Does this justifv their repea-l? This would destrov socictv. '
Voices from Russia
Torah and halacha kept Jews as Jews through centuries of wandering. Surelv this is the crux of it all! Or else there would be no need for Israel. To urge halacha to be .subservient to politics takes us back to the cause of our downfall twice before. Governments change laws. Torah is permanent and needs onlv re-interpreting. It alonepreserv-ed us. scattered over the whole world. No other people so dispersed and oppressed for so long ever rose a&ain. We alone have a third chance, let us learn from previous errors.
We gave all peoples our best and in return were massacred. Mother England murdered its Jews of York before it turned back our refugees fleeing from Hitler! Germanv offered liberation in return forapostacv. Vet we are a forgiving people:
Manv children of those lost in the Holocaust forget how parents and grandparents 'fed the gas ovens. The crv is for more liberation from the voke of Torah. Youth wants to be free. It wants a free prosperous Israel, secure and secular. It cannot he. We cannot throw off our heritage and destinv.
If we forget .our historv we will relive it. We must be true.to ourselves. Israel must tie Jewish and united. We must return to our heritage and relearn it properlv. there is no other wav we can realh he Jews. Not evervone will observe everything but there must be respect for it. Those who are most observant must also set a proper example of citizenship, restraint and good behaviour. The Torah is our treasure. It contains solu-.tions to all problems if we but search well.
Israel's future depends on Divine Providence but we are partners and must do our share to rebuild Israel as a really Jewish state for the sake of those who went before us and those who will come afler us.
Separation of meat and milk
Halachic laws complicated
1. Must one have separate washing-up and drying utensils, including dish-cloths, for meat and iTMlk?
RESPONSE:
The laws regarding the separation of meat and milk are extremely complicated. For instance, there are detailed discussions in the Codes regarding meat particles that corhe into contact with milk through a neutral utensil and there are discussions, too, on the heat of the meat or the milk that renders contact forbidden. Although in many circumstances where a dish-cloth has inadvertently been used for both meat and milk a rabbi might find reason to permit the utensil to be used, the universal practice among Orthodox Jews is to be on the safe side and use separate washing-up and drying utensils for meat and milk.
2. Is it permitted for the Law to be read from an ordinary chumash during a service at which no one present is able to read from a sefer Torah or in the event of a sefer Torah not being accessible?
RESPONSE:
The practice is to read the Torah from an ordinary chumash where there is no sefer Torah "in order that the reading of the Torah should not be forgotten." When^his is done, however, the benedictions are nov't^ cited. Where there is a sefer Torah but no one present can read from the text without pointing and notation, the practice is for someone to read out of a chumash and for sonfeohe else to repeat ?fter him while reading from the sefer Torah. In this case the benedictiops should be recited.
3. Are watchers (for the dead) really necessary?
RESPONSE:............... ^ ^/
From the discussion in the two Talrh'uBih passages(Berachot 18a;Sabbath 151b) wMcn speak of watching the dead it would seem that the reason was to make sure that rodents did not attack the corpse. In much later works the reason is given that it is in order to prevent the demons gaining adrfiis-sion to the corpse, which they desire'td inhabit The first reason is not normally applicable today and the second reason is suji'e'r-stition. However, the tradition does advise having watchers, and a further reason has been suggested that it is to pay respect to "the departed. It is, in fact, customary toredve psalms while watching over the dead.
Jews of silence speak to us from far off
ByGENYA INTRATOR
Toronto calling!
To call a Jew in the Soviet Union is a moving, exciting and a most rewarding experience, but at the same time it' is also ncrve-wracking. It is impossible to order a call for a specific time. You place the call arid then you just sit and wait. Sometimes we waited up to four hours, late into the night. However, when the call comes through (and sometimes it doesn't) the emotion it generates is indescribable - "The JewsofSilence" are speaking to us! We are participating on a person to pet-son basis in their struggle for freedom and for" their birthright to live as Jews in Israel.
The calls are sponsored by individuals, groups and organizations. The response is incredible. Every Jewish person, man, woman and child, wants to perform the mitzvah of "Pidyon Shvuyim" (The redemption of prisoners). The people who are caUed by us are not the fortunate ones who have received -exit visas to Israel but those who have been denied permission to leave. In most cases these people are top level professionals, intellectuars and artists. They lost their: jpbsT they are not permitted to work in their professions but they doji't give up hope, they are waiting, liiaybe some day soon...
On a recent Wednesday, the members of the Sterling Chapter of B'nai B'rith v^omen. gathered at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Eisen, Gatehead Rd. They came to telephone a Jew in Moscow, to wish him and his friends a happy Pesach and to assure him that as long as they have courage and stamina-to continue their struggle, the Jewish community in Toronto will stand'behind them. It was a very long three hour wait, but nobody left, and when the c,all finally came through, everybody was the/c to reassure Mr.Slepak, v^ho spoke in English to several members of the group, that they and the rest of the Jewish people are fully committed to the cause of Russian Jewry.
Vladimir Slepak is 44 years old, a radio (electronics) engineer. He worked in the
planning and use of control equipment for TV Research. He was chief of a laboratory for development of TV and impulse apparatus, and is the author of nine articles in "closed" Soviet journals. Everv engineer in the Soviet Union must sign a securitv agreement document, whereby he promises not to discuss details of his work with outsiders. When Slepak applied for an exit visa to Israel he was fired from his job on siecurity grounds. He was also refused permission to leave the country for the same reasons, which is. of course, a distortion of the facts. That was in 1968. Since that time, Slepak has participated in virtually every .Moscow petition and demonstration. He has become one ofthe indomitable leaders of the movement for Jewish freedom in Russia.
In February, Slepak was summoned by the authorities and ordered to accept a job in a cement construction plant. Otherwise ; he would have to stand trial on the charge of being a parasite,—an offence punishable in Russia by a prison term of up to one year. This truhfiped up charge is obviously designed fo"set a precedent. Since many Jewish people are in the same situation as Slepak.: his trial and conviction could be_a-beginning for additional acts of terror. The Jews of Moscow sent letters of protest and informed all their friends around the world about this . new development asking for assistance to combat it. :
' When we spoke to Vladimir Slepak. he told us that he had protested the order to accept a job as a laborer, in a cement plant on grounds^ofage^d health. Since then he has been going/every for an investigation by a medical commission. He also gaye us sev-era,l items . of information which he felt should be reported in our firess. The following incidents occur^cd^>^
In Kiev, Jewish people who came to^er-vices were preveiitefl from entering the synagogue for no other reason than that the militia men were acting under orders. That is the fourth Saturday that people were harassed in front of the\.synagogue in Kiev while going t^ services. Oirthe^prcvious three dc-
/
casions, 11 people were arrested. On this particular Saturday, there were no arrests made.
A similar incident happened in Minsk. People were not allowed into the synagogue. On a previous Saturday, the militia had arrested some people out of the crowd in front of the synagogue. They were taken to the militia headquarters where they were interrogated and warned never t9 return to the synagogue.
The second incident happened in camp Pot-ma in Lager 19. Ten Jewish prisoners^nd 10 non-Jewish prisoners declared a hunger strike on March 1st and it is still continuing. When the mother of a prisoner, Boris Penson, visited her son in the prison camp,  she asked the camp commander. Usoy, if she could visit another prisoner, Mikhail Shepshilovitch. The reason was that Shepshilovitch's mother was very sick and :  could not. come personally to visit: her so" and since visits are allowed only once in six months sh:e had asked Penson's mother to visit him. Usov refused-to grant permission. The chief prosecutor of all .the Mordovian camps happened to be In cair?p 19 aiJhe time, so Penson's mother appealed to him for permTssion to visit. He told her that according to law she was allowedjhat privilege. Right after that he w-ent to^sec the camp commander Usov and after a,brief ! conference with him, changed his mind and permission was refused. Usov is notorious for his anti-Semitism.
Thereupon, 10 Jewish prisoners went oji a hunger strike and later they were joined by 10 non-Jewish prisoners, they will continue their strike until suc|i timj^.-as-^Penson'.s mother is allowed to visit^Shepshiiovitch.v!
the names of the Jewish prisoners, who arc on strike are: Antajtoli Altman; Yiiri Vudka; Mikhail Vyndykh: Boris Penson; Mi.k^\ hail Shcpshilotvitch; AlexatiderGalpertn; ^ev Yagman; Harry Kirshner;Anatoly Goldfeld and Viktor Boguslavski.
Mrs. Intntor who speaks Ruaian art<l_six^ther languages, is a memt>erpf the Corhmittee for Soviet Jewry, Federatinn of Jewish Women,