Thursday, June 1,1995 —THE BULLETIN — 3
MONTREAL
The
ninth annual Hadassah International Congress took place here April 30 - May 4.
The Congress, hosted this year by Canadian Hadassah-WIZO, was attended by more than 200 delegates
representing 25 countries on four continents. Participants met to develop and plan the future direction for
Hadassah International.
Hadassah-WIZO members from across Canada attended, including national president Judy Mandleman, national vice-president Rocheile Levinson, national honorary vice-president Sheila Herstein and Vancouver Council president Bonnie Belzberg.
Events that took place included plenary sessions that addressed world issues. "Prospects for a New Middle East" was the keynote address of Yossi Gal, deputy
director of public affairs of the Foreign Ministry of Israel.
Issues of human rights were discussed by a panel and moderated by Thomas Hecht, chairman of the Canada-Israel Committee of Quebec.
"Medicine Without Borders" enabled Hadassah doctors and nurses to relate their experiences as they responded to medical emergencies in many places throughout the world, such as Rwanda, Sarajevo and Argentina.
From Page S
Anti-Defamation League, in a letter to Rollins.
The American Jewish Congress also criticized Rollins, and implicated Dole, who has stood by Rollins, in the process.
"This kind of ethnic insult has no place in American society, in the political process or in your campaign." Phil Baum, AJC executive director, wrote in a letter to Dole.
Rollins' remarks came at a particularly critical time in
GOLDIE HERSHON of Montreal is the newly-elected national president of Canadian Jewish Congress, having succeeded Irving Abella (See story May 25, page 1).
Dole's bid for the Republican nomination for president.
Dole recently introduced a bill in the Senate to move the American Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem in what many believed was part of an effort to garner more Jewish support.
The Dole campaign has apologized for Rollins' comments, saying in a May 19 statement, "Ed Rollins made a totally inexcusable remark."
"We hope this apology does something to heal the hurt his words have caused," the campaign said, adding that Rollins would continue in his role as a volunteer adviser.
Jewish politicians were also outraged by the remarks.
"Ed Rollins has once again shown a complete lack of judgment and sensitivity," said Rep. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.).
Some have even called on dole to cut off all ties with Rollins.
"Bob Dole should send a clear message that hate speech will not be tolerated in American political life by dismissing Ed Rollins," said Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.).
Photo By Howard Kay
AT THE NINTH ANNUAL Hadassah international Congress in Montreal were: (from left) Pierre Bourque, mayor of Montreal; Judy Mandleman, president, Hadassah-WIZO Canada; Deborah Kaplan, president, Hadassah World Zionist Organization of America; Bernice Tannenbaum, coordinator, Hadassah international.
SHAARE ZEDEK MEDICAL CENTER
At Jerusalem's "Hospital With A HeaH''
From Page I
lobby, no one else will be willing to protect Jewish interests, he admonished.
Relating the topic to current concerns, he commented that Jonathan Pollard is still not a free man because "in the 10 years he has been in prison, his name has not been brought up in any meeting of the president of the U.S. with any Jewish group that has met with him."
So, why have faith after the Holocaust? "Because G-d gave man freedom of choice and man chose 50 years ago to be silent," Weiss stated.
In his third point of why have faith. Rabbi Weiss Suggested that "the power of the Survivors to continue could not have happened without G-d".
"Howcould the Survivors have carried on, had children, if they did not have some power or energy, some inner strength to penetrate darkness with light?" he asked.
And why does Rabbi Avi Weiss believe?
"One of the reasons," he said, "is that 1 am constantly seeing ordinary people who, when faced with extraordinary challenges, do extraordinary things, things they believed they could never do."
He continued: "What is it that gives people the power to go on in the midst of terrible things? 1 say the power of many to go on, is the power of G-d at work in people. That is the only reason we could go on," he concluded.
Weiss himself has met a host of extraordinary challenges.
As a man of learning, he has been assistant professor of Jewish studies at Yeshiva University's Stern College for 25 years, is the senior rabbi of the Hebrew Institue of Riverdale, New York and is a contributing writer to a host of Jewish publications.
And as an activist, he travels and speaks, trying to "awaken in Jews an exhilarating new sense of Jewish consciousness, identity and pride".
In his fight against injustice he has come up against many foes, and one of his latest is the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
"The last thing 1 need to be doing is suing the FBI," he said, "but I consider this one of the most important battles so far." (See JWB May 25, p. 2).
Weiss learned recently that he had been on an assassination list of one of the defendants on trial for the bombing of the World Trade Centre.
This information was known by the FBI for seven months before being disclosed to Weiss, giving him no opportunity to provide for increased security for himself and those around him.
So he is suing to get a court order admitting guilt on the part of the FBI and legislation prohibiting the withholding of such information from American citizens.
In addressing government leaders on behalf of Jews in danger or those involved in important concerns, Weiss says his main principle of action is: "We cannot expect any government leader to do for the Jewish community
what we do not demand of them to do!" .
This is his battle cry as he calls on Jews around the world to take up the fight and take action on behalf of world Jewry.
He admitted that even though he is a rabbi, he too has doubts sometimes, but he continues to rally to the latest need and concern affecting Jewish people.
WILL PAY FOR A
Larger donations are greatly appreciated
PLEASE CONTRIBUTE TO:
Comsdiofi Shaore Zedek Hospitol Foundation
'4
would like to acknowledge the assistance of: — Coldwel! Coldwell Banker-Bell-Olson, Coidwell Banker-] Altman, Kahn & Zack and B.C. List