The Canadian Jewish News, Friday, October 22, 1976 - Page 3
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National News
Final arrangements are made for the Israel Bonds dinner at. Beth Tzedec Oct. 28 honoring Mark and Lil Levy. From left are Beth Tzedec Board Chairmaii Barney Dales, President Albert Gellmah. synagogue Bonds Chairman H. Wayne Tanenbaum and Dinner Chairman Justice Abraham H. Lieff. (Hausman)
ByROSLYNNUDELL OTTAWA —
About 25 members of the Ottawa Group of 35 (Women's Committee for Soviet Jewry) marched on -the Soviet embassy last week to protest the jailing of Soviet Jews.
The women made a dramatic piet^re. dressed in black and carrying placards, as they' silently walked up to the embassy gates. They brought with them baskets, each bearing the name of a Jewish Prisoner of Conscience, filled with black bread, potatoes and fish heads -— a typical meal in a Soviet labor camp. These baskets were deposited in front of the embassy's black iron gates as group chairman RuthBerger called a roll of 25 Jewish prisoners in
Soviet jails.
As Mrs. Berger called out the names, a Soviet official demanded that the women leave. Undaunted,, the women picked up the baskets and moved directly across the. street and the^n stood in silent protest for several minutes. ~The..group claims-that most Jewish prisoners were jailed for minor offences and were not given a fair trial and that their real ■"offence" was the desire to emigrate.
Identical protests were held simultaneously in Toronto and Montreal by thcGroupspf35 there and were scheduled to coincide with Succoth. "We give thanks that we are free," said Mrs. Berger, "and bring to public attention the fact that Soviet.
Jews are still persecuted" She also said the group plans to demonstrate every year at Succoth until the prisoners are freed.
Mrs. Berger said a protest is' 'probably one of the best ways of protecting Jewsin the Soviet Union." Sheexplained that when a Jew declares his desire to emigrate, he runsjhe risk of losing his job and apartment and then being accused of "parasitism", a punishable offence. If his name becomes kriown in the West, such reprisals are more difficult, according to Mrs. Berger "The protests from the West keep them safe," she said.
The protest was not the first held by the group, but it was the first time the embassy had acknowledged the women's pres-
ence. Mrs. Berger saw the Soviet official's request that the women leave as an indication of embarrassment. "I think they iare becoming more sensitive," she said.
The Ottawa Grou'poOS"^ was also responsible for the project which saw Rosh—Hashanah cards' mailed to 250 Jewish families in the Soviet Union.
Each card bears a handwritten message. Mrs. Berger spoke to various Jewish women's organizations and asked the members to take, a card and write a message. This was "done so that more of the
Jewish community here could take an active part in the project. "We wanted to get out into the com-
: munity. We wanted people to know about the situation in the Soviet Union."
The cards were sent by registered mail, so that, the group would know if they reached their destinations. Moneiy for mailing costs wasfor'the most part donated, as were the services of the local artist who designed the card.
1SS
Jamieson i statement
= Louis Sharp, together with wife Rose, presents cheque for $10,0,00 for absorption centre in Holon. 1 S at Toronto Pioneer Women Israel Bonds function. Others from left are. Pearl Mekler, Pauline Krystal. 1 = Malka Mirsky, Freda Band and Ruhama Goldstein. Cheque was in honor of Rose Sharp. (Hausman) s
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seen in siin^ey as the agency
By MOURA WOLPERT Hamilton Correspondent
HAMILTON —
A communal agency that.would unite the Hamilton Jewish community is seen as one of the prime functions of the Jewish Community Centre, according to a recent study by the Jewish Welfare Board.
The report is the second in the community survey commissioned eariier this year by the Hamilton Jewish Federation and follows one on Jewish education conducted by the American Association for Jewish Education.
Parlor meetings were conducted by Earl Yail-len, Chicago-based community consultant with. the JWB, with partici-p a n t s coming from ia scientifically selected random sample of the community. Questionnaires filled out prior to discussion of issues concerning the JCC showed that 66.1% "feh it was very important for the centre to serve as an agency which uiiifies the community" and that the only other function to receive a higher response as very important was that "the JCC should have the leisure time needs of senior citizens" with 72%. "This need (for unity) became quite obvious as wejKent along." Yaillen
Correetion
On page 20 of the Oct. 1 issue, there""was a headline "Poor attendance mars historic Congress regional meeting." That was incorrect. The story only reported a lack of representation from Windsor, London and Ottawa. It indicated Con-greiss Chairman Milton Harris' satisfactipn with attendance from smaller communities. The Canadian Jewish News regrets the error. V
said, "...and it was a very realisti.c feeling in the community."
Also, 89.7% of the respondents said that Hamilton needs a centre service and 66.9% that they need it for their families.
Financial problems, in-adequatestaff, out-of-the-way location and outdated facilities are seen as part : of a vicious circle, resulting in a weakening of services provided by the JCC. The survey also revealed that rhany people felt centre membership was made up of "at least 80% non-Jews." Examination revealed, however, that only 16.4% of the membership is non-Jewish.
Yaillen found it incongruous that "because centre facilities have not kept up, commuhity leaders are coricemed that there are non-Jews at the centre...and that somehow pur Jews are going to lose their Jewish identi-^ fication. However, no one seems to be worried about the fact that a lot of Jews go to the YMGA, which is a non-Jewish institution, in order to partake of the modem; up-to-date facilities. Why are they not worried about Jews going to the YMCA?
Location has long been a factor in the steady lovyering of centre memberships and 70.6% of all respondents indicated they would support a new building with money and ^9.9% that-they would support a new building through participation, effort and membership. The report recommends that "^Jewish centre service should be preserved" and that "immediate thought should be given to erecting a new centre building in the west end." /--^-^
The report also recommends that * 'additional pilot extension programs in the west ^nd should ' become the immediate goal...with a rented house becoming the focal point for children and youth
activities," and that "the possibility of , including the Jewish Home for the Aged on the site of the new Jewish Community Centre building should be given consideration."
The report further suggests that the HJF should undertake a demographic study of the community, which would enable it to plan future services better and identity other much
heeded services, that the JCC and HJF should "reexamine the feasibility of combining into what is termed afunctional federation" and that "the issue of Jewish identity should become the issue to which the 'HJF addresses itself."
The report is now being considered by the task force and federation and centreboards.
MONTREAL —
Herb Gray says External Affairs Minister Don Jamieson's recent denunciation of the Arab boycott should be treated with "some degree of skepti-: cism."
Gray, a former cabinet minister in the Trudeau administration, told the McGill Hillel Students Society last week that "on the basis of (Jamieson's) record of the past year and a half, the minister's words should be looked • upon with some degree of skepticism until we see what they really mean in terms of concrete government action."
During the state visit of Israeli Foreign Minister Yfgal Allon to Ottawa, Jamieson said "Canada findsrepugoant and totally. unacceptabl&Arab boycott of Israel meastiffc*-that can affect Canadian business . .
The Windsor West "parliamentarian said that when Jamieson wasminis^ ter of industry, trade and commerce, he indicated on two occasions that federal action on the boycott was imminent. Despite these speeches an anti-boycott policy has yet to emerge; Gray said.
Declaring that the boycott "conflicts directly" with Canadian foreign policy. Gray said it was used by the Arab nations as a form of warfare ^— economic warfare. "Its objectives are the same as the military warfare . . . Therefore, allowing Canadian firms to comply with
the boycott . . . conflicts directly with Canada's foreign policy. This policy is to support the continued existence of Israel ..."
He said it was untrue that anti-boycott legislation w:ould result in an Arab trade embargo of Canada.
Bonds events
TORONTO -
There is a crescendo of activity centring on Israel Bond events throughout the community in. the coming few weeks, and the organizational calendars have never been fuller.
A new innovation is the singles division of the new leadership group which is holding a wine-and-cheese reception and dance on Sunday evening, Oct. 24 at the home of board of governors chairman Jack and Roma Buch-vntani
"Monday evening, the 25th. Pride of Israel Tem-
ple is holding its annual Bond dinner, dedicating the event to the Israel defense forces, with a plaque commemorating the occasion to be presented in Israel.
This theme — a tribute to the IDF — has been the focus of the Bond efforts of a number of organizations holding special events this week.
They include the Eglin-ton Lodge B'nai B'rith Israeli evening at Holy Blossom Temple on Tuesday, Octv 26 with guest artist Larry Dom from New York.
A tradition in the Benjamin family for three generations
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