Wednesday, September 19.1990 ~ THE BULLETrN^ 5
olim make^^ mass aliyBh
By SIMON GRIVER
During the past year Israel saw significant diplomatic breakthroughs, stemming mainly from the radical changes emanating from Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. At the same time the uprising in the administered territories — the iwrj/a^fl continued to erode support for the Jewish State aniong Israel's traditional allies in both North America and Western Europe.
The country's image, however, did not discourage the newly liberated countries of Eastern Europe from establishing fulldiplomatic relations with Israel. Poland, Czechoslovakia and Bulgaria all followed Hungary's example, not only in exchanging ambassadors with Israel, but in denouncing the anti-Zionist policies of their previous Soviet dominated regimes as mistaken and foolish.
Newly elected President Vaclav Havel of Czechoslovakia visited Jerusalem, becoming the first Eastern European head of state ever to come to Israel. He did, however, also receive PLO chairman, Yasser Arafat in Prague.
All Eastern European countries offered themselves as way stations in helping bring Soviet Jews to Israel. Significantly, the head of Hungary's government-owned airline, "Malev", was fired for succumbing to threats from Arab terrorists and temporarily halting flights to Israel.
Old ties and friendships renewed in 5750: Hungary, Poland, Czechoslovaicia, Bulgaria, Greece, Ethiopia,
Post-revolution Romania remains as friendly with Israel as was the country under late dictator Ceaucescu. On the other hand, Israel refused to recognize East Germany for not acknowledging its historic responsibility for the Holocaust. The newly elected East German parliament did issue a statement accepting the culpability of all the German people in the, crimes of the Nazis and even agreed to pay a first installment of several million dollars compensation to Holocaust victims. But with reunification of Germany just around the corner, formal relations with East Germany are now unlikely to be established.
The Soviet Union itself has shown little interest in raising diplomatic relations with JsraeJjFrom its present low consular status. Though allowing mass Soviet Jewish emigration, the Kremlin balked at direct flights and claimedf harthis andTmprovement-of diplomatic relations are linked to progress in the peace process. Israel, for its part, insists the USSR has no role to play until it has full diplomatic relations with the Jewish State.
A further worrying development was the seriousness with which the Soviets, as well as leaders of European democracies, took Arab claims about alleged settlement of new immigrants in the administered territories, even though less than half a percent of new immigrants have actually chosen to live over the pre-1967 borders.
REVIEW 5750 — Page 14
Scoop 80/WZPS
FIRST EVER visit of an East European head of state to Israel took place In 5750: (from left) Foreign Minister Moshe Arens, Czechoslovakia President Vaclav Havel, President ChaimHerzog, Czech Foreign Minister Jlrl Dlenstbler.
Israel Sun
SOVIET DELEGATION head In Israel gave Soviet medal and citation to all IDF officers who were part of a team that participated in a rescue mission from Israelto Armenia after the earthquake.
Israel Sun
FIRST EVER DIRECT Aeroflot commercial flight landed Nov. 23,1989 at Ben-Gurion airport carrying 46-member Soviet cliess team to compete at Haifa in the European chess championship. Russian stewardess (left) seen with El Al ground stewardess.
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Israel Sun
HUNGARIAN FOREIGN MINISTER Gyula Horn (right) and Arens officially signed diplomatic ties In Israel restoring relations severed in 1967.
Israel Sun
EDUCATION MINISTER Zevulun Hamer seen after returning to Israel this past summer with a group of olim from Budapest, Hungary. Hamer had represented Israel In Budapest for unveiling of a memorial to 600,000 Hungarian Jews murdered in Holocaust.
David Haas/WZPS
IRSI^NONSTOP^EL AUIight f rom Mbscowxarrled 15 Soviet Jewish immigrants and was logged Jan. 1, 1990 on Ben-Gurion airport flight information monitor above. Appearance of Flight LY522 oh the monitor moved many to tears, but so far such direct flights between Moscow and Israel have not continued. The plane had home 100.Hablmah members for a two-week tour of USSR where troupe was founded 70 years ago.
The Shofar teaches a response to fear ^^rosh hashana
By AVRAHAM WEISS
After spending a Sabbath in Bergen Belsen to protest President Reagan's May 1985 visit to Bitburg, the head of the Jewish community in the nearby town asked our group to leave: "Your stay will jeopardize the safety of German Jewry," he told us.
Jews were afraid. In the end, who could blame them?
Fear is neither a sign of cowardice nor weakness. It is simply part of the human dimension, a feeling that, like all feelings, is neither right nor wrong; it just is. The person who is afraid should not be
In November of that, year, judged harshly; nor should he during the first Geneva Sum- judge himself harshly when he mit^the^renres^atives^f th^ fear. For who
Jewish community cieclined to sing Hatikvahaftera. rally for Soviet Jewry: "This is Switzerland. We don't want to jeopardize our stay here." _
In July of 1986, while in
WEISS
among us has never been afraid?
Once, after having intro^ duced General Ariel Sharon as a "fearless soldier," he scrupulously took pains to disavow my description. "When 1 crossed the Suez Canal in the 73 War," he said, "I was frightened. Only a fool doesn't fear. But we went forward."
There isWtrtte-who is not afraid at one time or another. The real question is, "What do we do when we are afraid?" Do we become immobilized, unable to go forward, or do we gather strength in an attempt to meet the challenges
J^vraham Weiss is senior rabbi at the Hebrew institute of Riverdale and is asisistant professor of Judaic Studies at Stern College-Yeshiva univesityrRabbi Weiss writes Yrequentiy on Jewish themes and issues. He is a well-icnown Jewish activist in many Jewish concerns.
Vienna to demonstrate against -the, JnaugUration of Kurt Waldheim. Jewish shop-owners implored us to go: "They'll break the windows of our stores," they said, recalling the horror of Kristall-nacht, November 1938, the Night of Broken Glass.
A common theme emerged from all these communities.
' that lie ahead? Feelings may be involuntary, but actions can be controTi<d7^
The High Holiday liturgy offers its own insight into the subject of fear. In a central prayer, we .say, "Cast Your Fear, O G-d, upon all that You have created." In a service of love, while asking tor a year of goodness and wellbe-
ing, why request fear?
Rabbi Joseph Baer Solo-veitchik, the eminent Talmu-dist,,offers this analysis. Everyone seems beset with fears of one kind or another. Some are afraid they will not succeed in their careers, others fear losing wealth or status, and still others are afraid of sickness, bodily weakness or poverty. But such fears can be utterly wiped out by a greater fear. That fear is the fear of the Lord. Thus the prayer, "Cast Your Fear, O G-d, upon all that You have created."
The Shofar blasts on Rosh Hasha na si ng o uLaboul Jhese_ two types of fear, with the greater fear overcoming the lesser. The short, staccato sounds express a sense of fright, alarm, while the longer blasts proclaim the reassuring sovereignty of G-d. The shorter sounds are accepted as part of the human equation, but they can be controlled and directed by the longer blasts.
While in Rome (June 1987) to protest the Vatican's embrace of .-Austria's Waldheim, i witnessed a vivid example of a greater fear subduing^ lesser, of deliberate aclton overcoming uncontrollable fear. When our group firstarrived in Rome, the local Jewish community was paralyzed with fear and refused to participate in our demonstra-"tto rr-B^r the-e nd-of~o ur-vjsi I—
however, 500 Roman Jews marched with us to the Vatican. As wc stood in Vatican Square,'! thought about Titus, who. alter the destruction of the Second lemple. marched the .lews down the Tiber river as slaves to build
the Coliseum. That day, we marched as free Jews. We were not grovelling; we stood strong.
What inspired these young women and men to calm their fears and join us? It could, indeed, have been the greater fear of G-d. Or perhaps it was pride in the State of Israel that motivated them to act in a
conscious fashion to allay their fears. Or maybe it was simply the reassuring sense that they were part of a larger community. Who knows?
But for me, the background music throughout was the sound of the Shofar, long and clear, encouraging people everywhere, to find ces.sation from daily fears and anxieties.
through action and by accepting the greater fear of the L-rd.
"The whole world is a very narrow bridge, but the main thing is not to be afraid at all," Rav Nachman of Braslov said.
Insofar as fear can be subdued, the Shofar teaches us the way.
Bernard Glickman/SSSJ Photo
AUSTRIAN POLICE agent (left) followed a moment later by a wave of uniformed officers — moves in to attack Rabbi Avraham Weiss and a team of other Americans. Wearing prayer-shawls, they had unfurled a blowup photo of Kurt Waldheim in Nazi army uniform the moment Pope John Paul stepped from his helicopter at infamous Mauthausen concentration camp during an Austrian visit in 1966. Thd^ group represented Coalition of Concern (offshoot of Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry) and Network USA. L-r: Joseph Brender, Ayall Schanzer, Rabbi Weiss, Jacob Davidson, Glenn Richter. They were pushed by police into a ravine and held until the Pope left Mauthausen where he made no mention of its Jevirish martyrs.