6 — THE BULLETIN — Thcfrsday. October 23^t980
B.C. LEADERS BACK FRENCH JEWRY
PORTION OF CROWD and media cameramen are seen at right viewing speakers and special guests (above, left to right), Simon Oosterhuis, Dr. Philip Pinkus, Rabbi Baruch Zaichyk, Arthur Zimmerman, Rabbi Wilfred Solomon, Br. SettyPenda-kur. Cantor Murray Nixon, Rabbi Philip Bregman, the .Honorable Grace McCarthy. MonseigneurEdwardBrownisin adjacent photo, with Tom Fox (bottom left) and Stilart Leg-gat in remaining pictures.
(Edwsid's Photo Art Studio).
(Contiiiued from Page 1)
"We ask the question 'wh/ with greater perplexity than 40 years ago,*' he said, pointhig out that terrorists and hate-mongers are today ranlpant throughoiit the world.
"It took far too long for French leaders to respond to the atrocities lingering there. All good people must stand together. We who are concerned with justice and freedom stand with The Six Million and say •Never Again!'", Rabbi Solomon stressed.
The crowd loudly echoed the words as some 20 signs were held high, proclaiming *No More Silence,* *Hunian Right Yes — Terrorism No*; and *We are Our Brother's Keeper.'
Representing the B.C. Government, the gathering was next addressed by the Hoiiorabje Grace McCarthy; Vice-Premier and Minister of Human Resources. Referring to the anti-Semitism of the Second World War era, she stated: "We remember with heartfelt concern those of the Jewish community who beara burden they will never forget."
She expressed hope that the spirit of the rally would light the heart of free people throughout the world.
"Let us stand up and be counted. Let it never happen again," Mrs. McCarthy concluded.
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Party MLA and former Member of Parliament, emphasized to the crowd that racism is a mental illness, and he urged efforts for its elimination, including the cessation of racial *jokes.'
"The price of liberty is eternal vigilance. Let the Holocaust never happen again. Let us protest where-ever needed," he said.
Mayor Volrich told the assembly he had forwarded the letter to the French .Counsel because "it is our personal responsibility to protest such acts, in the strongest terms, wherever they occur."
His letter stated,' in part: "Such acts cannot be allowed and must not. go unpunished. We urge that everything possible be done to counteract the neglect of human rights in
- your country."
Monseigneur Edward Brown of St. Anthony's Parish, the official representative of the Catholic Arch-Dioscese of Vancouver, called for extension of family, values to the larger society. He emphasized that "more and more individuals must be motivated by justice and concern for one's fellow human being."
The director of the Association of Franco-Columbiene, Jean Riou, stressed that all concerned persons must continuously be alert to any deteriorations in human rights. Tom Fox, director of communications of B.C. Federation of Labor, said: "We serve notice that we will not let it happen again."
The "consequences of indifference" were emphasized in the keynote address by Irvine Epstein, regional president of Canadian Jewish Congress, which sponsored the rally in Vancouver and similar protests throughout the nation.
"The indifference which followed Kristallnacht, the night of Broken Glass in Germany in 1938, culminated in the horrors of Dachau, Auschwitz, and Bergen-Belsen — in a Holocaust from which all mankind suffered," Mr. Epstein said.
He continued by pointing out that incidents over the past five years are essentially a re-creation of that atmosphere in which anti-Semitism is a matter of little concern.
"The United Nations, dominated by totalitarian states, declares that 'Zionism is racism.' Thereafter, in U.N. conference after conference, in U.N. organization after organization, in endless succession, Israel is vilified and ostracized. And gradually, the free world, beset with problems of economics and oil, suc» cumbs to the delusion created that anti-Zionism is not anti-Semitism," Mr. Epstein recounted.
He told the large crowd it was no .coincidence that the outbursts of anti-Semitism — not anti-Zionism
— commenced in earnest after the infamous U.N. 'Zionism is racism' resolution of 1975. He stressed that the terrorism that slaughtered
children in Maalot and Israeli athletes in Munich, is the same terrorism that gunned down Jewish children in Antwerp and that killed innocent victims at the synagogue in Paris.
"And it's the same terrorism that daubs swastikas on a synagogue in Vancouver," he told the gathering in the core of the city.
"We have the warnings," the CJC leader said. "Anti-Slemitism signals an assault on the freedom and liberty of all people. Human rights are universal rights which must be zealously guarded.
"We must raise our voices in support of the people of Paris, so that 'all mankind' may live in dignity and peace," Mr. Epstein concluded.
The words of two Jewish community spiritual leaders remained vivid as the rally concluded. Rabbi Baruch Zaichyk of Schara Tzedeck Congregation had helped set the theme of the protest when he declared in his opening prayer.
"The world must realize that there, is today a new generation of Jew that will fight back — that all our people will fight back in unity. We pray that bigotry and hatred will cease to exist and that we will live in a world of peace, harmony and understand--ing."
Temple Sholom Rabbi Philip Bregman stressed in the closing ' benediction that the world no lon^r feels guilty about anti-Semitism. He expressed hope that those present would be given the strength to follow through on the words spoken during the afternoon.
"Good and responsible people must react," he emphasized, "No man is free until all are free,"
In addition to the speakers, ' numerous other prominent persons gave their support to the rally and were present on the platform. They included:
The Honorable Angelo Branca Q.C.; Canadian Council of Christians and Jews; Reverend William Perry, Canadian Council of Christian Churches; Arch Deacon A.D. Wilkins, Anglican Synod; Reverend Arthur Anderson, United Church; Pastor Maureen Gaglardi, Father Jacob Hurst, Pastor Dorothy Williams, Glad Tidings Temple; Aziz Khaki, Interfaith Association; Reverend Val Anderson, Ecumenical Society: Henry Rosenthal, United Nations Association; Angie Dennis, Professional Native Women's Association: Dr. Philip Pinkus^ Alternatives To Racism; Dr. Joseph Katz, B.C. Human Rights Commission; Dr. Setty Pendakur, East Indian Community; Dr. Phiip Hewitt, Unitarian Church; Pastor Thomas Vaga, St. Peter's Estonian Luthr eran Church; Simon Oosterhuis, Vancouver Multicultural Association; Dr. Lloyd Gaston^ Vancouver School of Theology.