Today, we mourn as one.
A message from Jewish National Fund Leadership worldwide.
The space shuWe Columbia crew, from left: David Brown, Rick Husband, Uurel Clark. Kalpana Chawla, Michael Anderson, William McCaol and llan Ramon.'- -
■ n is impossible to comprehend the void created as the best and the brightest - all seven Columbia . .astronauts - were chosen and then taken from us. But a clear message was etched into our consciousness by the explosion in the sky: We are one. It was in this spirit, "to emphasize the unity of the people of Israel and the Jewish community abroad," that astronaut llan Ramon went into space. He took widi him a Torah scroll that survived the Holocaust, copy of a drawing by Petr Ginz, a 14-year-old who perished in Auschwitz, and the dedication to conduct research for the benefit of all mankind.
We,' too, must dedicate ourselves to Ilan's mission. There is no better way to honor his extraordinary achievements and exceptional potential than by fulfilling the one request he made of us as he circled the Earth: "Plant a tree in Israel during the coming yean" It was Ilan's dream, and a wish shared by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, to see l4-million seedlings in Israel growing skyward.
On behalf of Jewish National Fund's contributors and offices around the world, we honor the memory of astronauts Michael Anderson, David Brown, Kalpana Chawla, Laurel Clark, Rick Husband, William McCool and llan Ramon by bringing life to our planet and planting trees in the land of Israel.
Ychiel Uket
World Chaimm,
KKL-JNF
www.kkl.org.il
GaUScal
President, JNF UK
www.jnf.co.uk
0800-901-333
Ronald S. Lauder
President, JNF of America
www.jnf.org
800-542-8733
Michael Naphtali
President, JNF Australia
www.infaustraliacom.au
61-2-9386-9559
Sandra Posluns
President, JNF Canada
www.jnf-anada.org
514-934-0313
Gary Itzlkowitz
President,JNF So. Africa
27-21-245020
011-645-2541
And all other JNF ofQces around the world:
Argentina • Austria • Belgium • Bolivia • Brazil • Chile • Columbia • Costa Rica • Curacao • Czech Republic Denmark • Ecuador • El Salvador • Fmland • France • Germany • Greece • Guatemala • Holland • Honduras Hong Kong • Hungary • Ireland • Italy • Luxembourg • Mexico • New Zealand • Norway • Panama • Paraguay • Pern Russia • Spain • Sweden • Switzerland • TUrkey • Ukraine • Umguay • Venezuela
JIMF
Plant a tree in their memory.
^(^^ cau 604-257-5155 • E-mail van@jnf-canada.org
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Cover Storl
FILM from page 1
which has always chosen violence over negotiation. The speaker was listened to respectfully by most of the people in attendance.
The crowd booed down a speaker who attempted to differentiate between "Orthodox Jews," whom the audience-member aj>-parently viewed as decent people, and "Zionist Jews," whom he claimed are the "representation of the bankers' interests." As he attempted to express his theories of Zionist control of the interest rates, others drowned him out and he sat down.
Another audience member, who was one of a clutch of Jews sitting awkwardly in the back row of the large, packed auditorium, was shout-ed down when he ,,..™,,,™.~^,,. attempted to describe Israel as the region's underdog and as a victim of Arab aggression in 1948 and 1967. A German-bom Jew gained huge applause, however, when he said he hates to see the walls between Palestinians and Israelis, just as he abhorred the Berlin Wall of his homeland.-
Mordecai Briemberg, a member of the Canada-Palestine Support Network (CanPalNet), had opened the evening's event by comparing Israel to Indonesia, which for decades kept the East Timorese people under oppressive colonialism, and with apartheid-era South Africa^
CariPalNet spokespeople said their goal is to alter Canada's foreign policy relating to the Middle East, which Briemberg referred to as supporting "Israeli colonization and apartheid structures."
Anne Roberts, a Vancouver city councillor and an instructor inLangara College's journalism department, was one of the introducers of the film. She said the recent city coimcil vote opposing war in Iraq cemented Vancouver's place as the "peace capital"
Palestine is Still tfieissuemdkBs no attempt at nuance or balance.
of Canada. The newly elected , councillor also said that diarges of anti-Semitism are "chilling" valid debate over Mideast affairs.
Roberts went on to criticize the control Winnipe^s Asper family has over Canadian media and tiien told the audience tfiat Greg Felton, a graduate of her journalism department, had been fired as an editor of the Vancouver Courier newspaper for virit-ing anti-Israeli columns.
In a later interview with the BuZfeim, Mick Maloney, managing editor of the Courier said Roberts is wrong. Though Fel-ton's columns caused controversy, Maloney said he and the paper's publishers strongly de-mggg^l^mm fended Fclton's ,™.,,.«™„,„.,. right to express I his views. Fel-! ton's dismissal I from the paper. i had nothing, to I do with political \ views or Fclton's i Middle East I writings, he said. J Contacted by I the Bulletin on -I Monday,Roberts "* said she had heard fi-om Maloney earlier, that day and accepted his version of events. She apologized for not confirming the accuracy, of her comments before discussing the matter at the meeting.
Sally Rogow, a retired academic who was asked by the Israel Action ► Committee to attend the screening, was highly critical of the film.
"I thought it was very manipulative," she said. "It took things out of context. There were fabrications."
Rogow, who last year completed a study of anti-Semitic learning materials in Palestinian and other Arab school systems, said the film blatantly distorted historical realities.
"It is not a documentary. It was a propaganda film," she said. □
Pat Johnson is a native Vancouverite, a journalist and commentator.
BGU dinner cancelled
The Ben-Gurion University Tribute Dinner scheduled for Monday, March 10, has been cancelled. Dr. Marcy Schwartzman, president of Ben-Gurion University (BGU), Vancouver branch, made the annoimcement. The decision by the board of directors was made after the unexpected death of Michael Heller z1. Heller played an intrigal part in the planning of the dinner and campaign for BGU and was one of the honoree family members. Although there was an attempt to dedicate the dinner in Heller's memory and proceed as planned, the decision was made that the timing is too difficult for all the parties involved.
Even though the March 10 date has been cancelled, plans are already imder way to implement a new program to include the honoring of the Heller family and Michael Heller's memory at a more appropriate time. All necessary arrangements have been made to secure refiands for those tickets purchased. Please look for details of the change of date in upcoming issues of the BuZ/crfn. □