Conference on Russian Jewry Pleads for Basic Cultural Rights
Full cultural rights for the Jews
of Soviet Russia, at least equal
ta those recently guaranteed by
official decree to the German mi-
nority in Russia, were asked by
the American Jewish Conference
on Soviet Jewry in a statement by
its chairman, Rabbi Israel Miller.
The conference, which repre-
sents 24 national Jewish 'organiza-
tions in matters dealing with the
rights of Jews in Russia, will hold
a two-day national leadership con-
ference in Philadelphia, April 17
and 18, at which leading American
public figures of all faiths will
meet to protest the continued in-
justices and discriminations im-
posed upon Soviet Jewry.
Referring to the decree on Rus-
sians of German nationality living
in Russia issued by the Supreme
Soviet on Aug. 29, 1964, Rabbi
Miller urged that in the name of
simple justice that Jews in Russia
should be treated at least as well
as the Volga Germans, regarded
as enemies in World War II. He
phrased his appeal in behalf of
cultural freedom for the Jews in
the very words adopted by the Su-
preme Soviet in dealing with the
problems of Russians of German
ethnic background.
Making only one change in the
phraseology of the decree, the sub-
stitution the word "Jewish" for the
situation of the word "Jewish" for
the word "German" in the two
places it appears, Rabbi Miller ex-
pressed the hope that "the Union
Republic Councils of Ministers are
instructed—with the aim of further
developing regions that have a Jew-
ish population—henceforth to give
help and assistance in economic
and cultural construction to the
Jewish population living in the
republics — taking into account
their national character and in-
terests."
A documented report which ac-
companied the request of the So-
viet government details aspects of
the educational and cultural in-
stitutions currently available to
the 1,600,000 Russians of German
nationality now living in the So-
viet country.
Rabbi Miller asserted that "So-
viet Jewry, though its loyalty dur-
ing the war was never impugned,
remains the sole exception to the
rule of restoring minority group
U.S. Aid for Desalination Plant
Might Mean Too Many Strings;
Israelis Have Second Thoughts
(Direct JTA Teletype Wire
to The Jewish News)
JERUSALEM —. Israeli political
circles and sections of the press
in this country voiced second
thoughts Wednesday about accept-
ing United States assistance for
the construction of a dual-purpose
desalination plant that would use
nuclear power for the • production
of electricity and the simultaneous
desalting of sea water.
New Look, organ of Rafi, the
political faction led by former
Premier David Ben-Gurion, ex-
pressed fears that too much re-
liance on Washington's aid for the
building of such a plant might
open the way to American demands
for the inspection of all nuclear
plants in Israel. New Look called
for the substitution of British or
French aid in the desalination
field for American assistance.
Other Israeli circles expressed the
opinion that United Nations assist-
ance would be preferable to
Washington's aid.
The high cost of the fresh water
to become available through the
proposed dual - purpose nuclear
plant was also stressed. Haaretz,
one of the leading morning dailies
in Israel, declaring that the cost of
fresh water from such a plant
would be "practically prohibitive"
and expressed the opinion that the
project would be "financially
ruinous" to Israel.
State Department spokesman
Robert McCloskey said Monday the
United States government has no
current plans for negotiations with
Israel on the economic feasibility
of cooperation on a nuclear power-
desalting plant for Israel, and it is
therefore premature to discuss
conditions under which American
assistance might be rendered.
Authorities in the field of atomic
energy said that the delay of the
United States in entering negotia-
tions on financing arose from poli-
tical considerations, linked with
Cemetery Desecration
Mounts in W. Germany
BONN (JTA) — Another in a
series of Jewish cemetery desecra-
tions in West Germany was re-
ported Monday from Osnabruck.
Police said 60 tombstones were
demolished in the Osnabruck Jew-
ish cemetery and in a Christian
cemetery in the immediate neigh-
borhood. The vandals have not
been found.
Other desecrations of Jewish
cemeteries in West Germany dur-
ing the past nine days were re-
ported Monday at Hechingen, near
Stuttgart, and Ottweiler, in the
Saar. Vandals toppled 45 tomb-
stones in the Hechingen cemetery.
In Ottweiler, 28 tombstones were
uprooted. Ottweiler blamed chil-
dren or young people for the van-
dalism.
Jerry Hoffberger's National
Brewing Co. has obtained control-
ling interest in the American
League's Baltimore Orioles.
the desire of this country to ascer- ed Monday that the final report of
tain that non-proliferation assur- the U.S.-Israel joint board's engi-
ances will be forthcoming.
neering feasibility and economic
Official State Department study has been received.
sources said, meanwhile, that
United States negotiations with
Israel on nuclear desalination—
when and if commenced—would
be guided by President Johnson's
statement of Jan. 27 that the
United States must continue to
secure application of interna-
tional atomic energy safeguards
over peaceful nuclear activities
and urge agreement that all
transfers of nuclear materials or
equipment for peaceful purposes
to countries which do not have
nuclear weapons be under the
International Atomic Energy
Agency or equivalent interna-
tional safeguards.
The State Department announc-
rights and of enhancing and ex-
panding them.
Several token concessions have
been made in response to the pres-
sure of world opinion, according to
Rabbi Miller. Among them he
listed the publication of a few
Yiddish books over the past seven
years, the appearance of a Yiddish
literary monthly, and many per-
formances of Jewish folk songs
and dramatic skits. But these tok-
ens, Rabbi Miller emphasized, "do
not begin to scratch the surface
of cur basic demands," which he
listed as follows:
"1. The restoration of Jewish schools
and of special courses and classes in
Yiddish, Hebrew and Russian, so as to
make it possible for Soviet Jews to trans-
mit their heritage to their children.
"2. The establishment of an institu-
tional center to provide for all the
religious needs of Soviet Jews—including
a rabbinical seminary, the publication of
religious books, the production of
religious articles, the maintenance of
contact and communication among
rabbis and congregations inside the
USSR and between Soviet Jewry and
Jewish communities abroad.
"3. The creation of unified central in-
stitutions to supervise the enhancement
and expansion of Jewish educational and
cultural life—through publishing houses,
professional theatres, institutes for re-
search and higher learning, cultural-
communal centers—so as to secure the
continuity of Jewish life in the USSR.
"4. From a hut/mane point of view: The
reunion of families that were shattered
and dispersed during the war and the
Nazi occupation. This would involve
permission for scores of thousands of
Soviet Jews to leave the USSR to rejoin
their relatives in Israel, the United
States and other countries."
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, March 11, 1966-11
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JAMAICA
BERMUDA
PUERTO RICO
CARIBBEAN
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for single men and women
SEND FOR 1966 — 36 PAGE CATALOG
JULES DONESON
TRAVEL AGENCY
18246 Wyoming
DI 1-7111
Closed Saturday, Open Sunday
e ought to
fire that
photographer!
JWB Will Launch
50th Anniversary
The 50th anniversary of the Jew-
ish Welfare Board, national asso-
ciation of Jewish Community Cen-
ters and YM and YWHAs, will be
marked at the organization's bi-
ennial convention, to be held April
27-May 1 at the Americana Ho-
tel, New York, it was announced
by Louis Stern, South Orange,
N.J., JWB president.
Philip M. Klutznick, former U.S.
representative to the Economic and
Social Council of the United Na-
tions, is chairman of JWB's golden
jubilee celebration, which will con-
tinue throughout the year. His
committee includes Charles Ger-
shenson of Detroit.
The kick-off event
the golden
jubilee celebration will be a sym-
posium at JWB's Convention on
"Dimensions and Horizons for
Jewish Life in America." Panel-
ists will be Howard da Silva,
actor, director and playwright .,
Prof. Gerson D. Cohen of Colum-
bia University, Rabbi Joseph H.
Lookstein and Stern. Bertram H.
executive director, Jewish
Centers Association of Los An-
geles, will be the moderator.
JWB was founded on April 9,
1917 — three days after the United
States entered World War I — by
some of the outstanding American
Jewish leaders of the day, among
them Louis Marshall, Jacob H.
Schiff, Felix M. Warburg, and Dr.
Cyrus Adler. In 1921, it was
merged with the National Council
of Young Men's Hebrew and Kin-
dred Associations. It serves 447
Jewish Community Centers and
YM and YWHAs, their branches,
camps, synagogue-centers and
other affiliates, meets the religious,
morale and welfare needs of Jew-
ish military personnel and hos-
pitalized veterans, and develops an
American Jewish culture through
its Jewish Book and Music Coun-
cils, its Lecture Bureau, its pub-
lications and consultative services.
We always show the Heinz Vegetarian Beans can from the
front—with the official 0 seal of endorsement of the
Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America
clearly visible. In the lower right hand corner of the
label! Directly at the side of the keystone! And now along
comes this artistic genius who leaves the 0 out of
the picture. He says that everybody knows that Heinz
Vegetarian Beans are strictly vegetarian and strictly
kosher. "Why gild the lily?" he says. We'll tell you why, Mr.
Genius! Because, if you do the same thing again, you'll
be looking for a new client. That's why!