2 — THE BULLETIN — Thursday: April 3. 1980
Defection protests Syrian repression
Dr. Arnold Ages is a regular contributor to The Bulletin through his book review
colunuis and his Perspectives.
AN EXTRAORDINARY defection took place recently in New York City. Syria's ambassador to the United Nations, Hammond el-Chouffi, startled reporters at a news conference by announcing his resignation to protest repression in his homeland.
It was a bold and courageous thing which el-Chouffi did. Risking the wrath of his government the Syrian diplomat charged that the minority ruling elite, the Alawite, has been systematically destroying dissident Sunni Moslems — who represent the majority of Syria's Islamic citizens.
The current political disruptions are of such magnitude, said the Syrian spokesman who is now going into exile (in Paris), that there is a real possibility Syria might break apart uiider the strain of warring ethnic elements in the country.
Syria, under its current president Assad, is described by el-Chouffi as "a police state filled with former presidents, prime ministers and army officers by the hundreds." Executions of dissidents are carried out on a regular basis, and in public.
EL-CHOUFFI'S description of unrest in Syria xlovetails ominously with reports from Israelis
who have observed an increase in military activities along the Syria-Israeli border in the Golan" area.
Recent shipment of massive Soviet equipment to Syria coupled with Russian aggression in Afghanistan suggest that the Russians are backing the current Syrian truculence towards Israel. " Since the Yom Kippur War the Syrians have been the most recalcitrant of Israel's adversaries. They refused to sign, the ceasefire accords or to recognize the Kissinger-generated peace treaties. They have categorically rejected UN resolutions advocating a peaceful end to the Mideast conflict.
There are now disturbing signs on the horizon that the leaders of Syria, unable to quell the internal, domestic problems besetting their country, may try the well known scapegoat manoevre and launch attacks against Israel.
The technique is an old one. Identifying Israel as the common enemy will presumably unite disparate elements within Syria.
Grave consequences may flow, however, from Syria's desparate recourse to external aggression. Her leaders should reconsider the folly of this way of thinking. "
mm
BY HENRY LEONARD
■
CZF CONFAB
Reform's 'Fifth Phase'
THE CURRENT PRESIDENT of Canadian Jewish Congress, Rabbi Gunther Plaut, is quoted \ in a release from Judaism, announcing a "fiiFth phase" in Reform Judaism — an outreach program to secular Jews in Israel, and the Diaspora.
Rabbi Plaut, author of a text on the development of Reform Judaism, certainly has the perspective to make this judgment.
Undoubtedly Plaut and the World Union for Progressive Judaism see Israelas a fertile ground for this new approach, which contains far more of the ritual and ceremonial than has hitherto been associated in the public mind with Reform Judaism.
It is almost a cliche to observe that the vast majority of Israelis do not identify themselves with Orthodoxy as it is known in Israel. Perhaps they will find the alternative of Reform, as portrayed by Rabbi Plaut, a more congenial and palatable expression of Judaism.
However, Rabbi Plaut was injudicious in envisaging **a missionary force to the vast secular element in the Jewish population of Israel and the Diaspora."
The image of the missionary agency, whether under Christian or other auspices has rather unfortunate resonances. Again, the Reform movement seems to be somewhat insensitive in
assuming that its missionary message w^ll be welcomed by Israelis.
THE PBtOBLEM, briefly stated, is that Israelis who are constantly being preached to, are not likely to respond to another form of instruction, even if it is offered with the highest motives.
Not a week goes by without the citizenry of Israel having its moral, spiritual, economic, military and social ills diagnosed, analyzed, criticized and deplored.
Not a month passes by without pressures from the Arabs, Communists, Americans and Third World rabble rousers.
The addition of a new pressure group, animated, we concede, by the loftiest of aims, is not only undesirable but misguided. It can only aggravate the already harried citizens of the Jewish State who will view Reform's "fifth phase" as an ungracious external intrusion into Israel's problems.
There is another way.
Rabbi Plaut and the World Movement for Progessive Judaism have only to lead a mass emigration of Reform Jews into Israel. From within the country, as citizens of the Jewish State, and as Reform Jews, this group could work quietly to spread the doctrines which they espouse.
JEWISH CALENDAR     Sociai Caicndar rAovgAf for fAe Week
(Continued from page 1)
Vancouverites elected to the national CZF Executive were: Sidney Zack, Honorary National President; Samuel Kaplan, Vice-President at large; and Stan Korsch, Regional chairman, Pacific region.
The closing CZF policy-making session adopted a resolution to establish a task force on behalf of rescuing an estimated 25,000 Fala-sha Jews trapped in Ethiopia and called upon the Canadian Government to help bring them to Israel.
The plenum also went on record that, because of concern over the decrease in the number of Russian Jews settling in Israel, transit camps for Russian emigres be established in Israel rather than in Europe, as at present.
A special national Aliya conference was recommended urgently to discuss ways and means to promote Aliya and its procedures.
The CZF commended the government of Israel and Egypt for their "courageous willingness to compromise for peace" and cited their peace treaty as an example for other Arab and Palestinian leaders to "recognize the legitimate national rights of the Jewish people in its homeland."
Other wide-ranging resolutions
LERERS TO EDITOR
•.. Page 6
LUACH 5740 - 19M
Yom HaShoa	April 13
Remembrance Day	April 20
Yom HaAtzmaut	April 21
Lag B'Omcr	May 4
Yom Yeruslialayim	May 14
Shavuot	May 21-22
Fast of Tammuz	July 1
Tisha B*Av	July 22
Rosh Chodesh	
Elul	Aug. 12
Rosh Hashona	Sept. 11
Fast of	
Gedalya	Sept. 14
Kol Nidre	Sept. 19
Yom Kippur	Sept. 20
Succot	Sept. 25
Shmini Atzeret	Oct. 1
Simchat Torah	Oct. 2
Chanuka	Dec. 3
Louis Brier Passover Tea April 3
CJA Men*s Cabinet Morning Meet April 9
CJA Men's Top Gifts Dinner April 10
Canadian Jewish Congress Holocaust Seminar      April 10
CJC Warsaw Ghetto Memorial
Open Meeting April 13
NCJW Reception April 13
Hadassah-WIZO Bazaar Study
Session April 14
Eilat Hadassah Thrift
Sale April 15
Lion*s BBW Tea April 16
CZF Yom Ha*Atzmaut
Rally April 21
B.I. Sisterhood Regional
Conference
April 27-30
from the TALMUD
The majority of people are guilty of speaking loshon hora (slander) because they lack correct information as to what constitutes loshon
^^'^^ (Chofetz Chaim)
Remember the Sabbath
April 4, 6:29 p.m. Sedra Shabbat Choi Hamo'ed-Shir Hashirim Shabbat ends, Havdala April 5, 7:29 p.m.
April 11, 6:39 p.m. Sedra Shmini, Leviticus Shabbat ends, Havdala
April 12, 7:39 p.m.
were hammered out by the resolutions committee and adopted by the plenum.
Some of these resolved thati-
All CZF members be obligated to send their children to a Jewish Day School and to enroll them in Zionist youth groups and/or summer camps;
• The CZF supports reparations for Jewish refugees from Arab lands and expresses solidarity with Jews held hostage by Syria and other Arab governments;
• The sixth CZF national convention should include a more substantial representation from aliya movements, youth movements, student groups, Naam and Telem, and that young leaders keynote areas of the proceedings.
McGill University law professor Irwin Cotler warned the assembly there is a new wave of anti-Jewish feeling which must be faced.
Cotler decalred that in the face of worldwide hostility, there are some Jews who are beginning to debate whether a Jewish State is an obstruction to peace.
He warned that Zionists living outside of Israel must not to be content with an affluent lifestyle rather than accepting the rigorous life of settling in the Jewish State.
Delivering major addresses to the national CZF convention in addition to Prof. Cotler were Shmuel Tamir, Israeli Minister of Justice; Prof. Arthur Hertzberg, of Columbia University, a prominent U.S. Jewish leader; and Leon Dultzin, chairman of the World Zionist organization.
THE JEIV/SH WESTERN BULLETIN
Since 1930 the only weekly publication serving the Jewry of the Pacific Northwest
Thursday, April 3,1980
Published weekly every Thursday at 3268 Heather Street. Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 3K5
*SAM KAPLAN
Editor and Publisher
RON FREEOMAN
Advertising Manager
BOB MARKIN
Assistant Editor
DEADLINE: THURSDAY at 9:00 a.m.
LEADING JEWISH WEEKLY IN WESTERN CANADA
W0
Bulletin Office: 879^6575
Bulletin Copy Depot beside Jewish Community Centre front door cleared at deadline.
SUBSCRIPTIONS: $19.50 per yean $22.00 per year in theJU.S., other countries $23.75. Business hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except Saturdays. Jewish and Legal Holidays.
Second Class Mail Registration No. 1384.
IreiisVSe°r?BSn"wHlTu^^^ ^oods at less than the proper price, the
goods may not tB,Z\7VZ^'^^^ '^h'k '^^''^''^^^ ^'^''^^ P"^"' _ ^ P^'^® Pf'"'ed and the difference charged to the newspaper.