Soviet Yiddish Poet Kerler Defends Rights of Jews to Join Kin in Israel By MOSHE RON TEL AVIV — The Communist Rakach—the party in Israel that blindly follows the Moscow line- maintainsl that the letters from Soviet Jews, in which they express their desire to come to Israel, are overdramatized and forged. This week, the chief editor of the Communist (moderate) Maki news- paper, Dr. Moshe Sneh, received a letter from the famous Yiddish poet in the Soviet Union, Josef Kerler, who published his poem in the Soviet Yiddish journal "Sovietish Heimland." Kerler's let- ter was published in the weekly Free Israel as an open letter to the Rakach functionary Ruth Luvitz, who had stated in the Rakacb weekly that the letters of Russian Jews were dramatized and forged. Writes Kerler: "I do not wish to take sides in the dispute, whether the Israeli government adopts an anti-Soviet line or whether Rakach adopts an anti-Soviet line. I only wish to make clear, how the 'cam- paign' of the 'dramatized' letters of Russian Jews is organized. I want to show, how simple people, who only wish to join their families in Israel are used, as if they had some intentions to damage the in- terests of the Soviet Union with their slogan 'Let my people go.' " The poet Kerler says that Soviet Jews who wish to emigrate to Israel are accused of being traitors to the Soviet Motherland, just as they were characterized by Stalin as cosmopolitans. "Why do Jews write such tragic letters? These simple people have for years quietly nourished their hope to join their relatives in Israel. De- spite great difficulties, they have submitted to the authorities their applications for passports and exit licenses. Only people with a firm decision, patience and healthy nerves dare go through this pro- cedure. Year after year they put in new applications. Year after , year, their pleas are refused with- out any motivations. "When these people become frustrated, they send dramatic letters," Eerier explains. "Each letter is a letter cf despair, suf- fering, courage and determina- tion. One cannot find in any of these letters an attack on the Soviet Union or the Soviet re- gime, These letters especially criticized the bureaucrats who defy the Soviet law which ap- proved, In accordance with the declaraticn of human rights, the reunion of family members in any country." Rakach is the only party in Israel which has contacts with the Soviet Union, Kerler writes. Rakach should and could do much to put things right. It should do it in the interest of thousands of Russian Jews who will never forfeit their human right to join their families in Israel, and it should do it in the interest of Rakach and the effective fight against reactionary anti-Sovietism. • • • The Syrian Communist leader Kholed Bokolash, who was expelled by Syrian authorities, spent a few weeks in a recreation home for Communist leaders In Hungary. At the same time, leaders of the Israeli Rakach Party, including General Secretary Meir Wilner, were there. In the organ of the Hungarian Communist Party, Bokolosh praise& the line of the Rakach Party in Israel. Bokolosh said that the strug- gle of Rakach in Israel against the Zionists and imperialists was in accordance with the interests and aims of the Arab national libera- tion government, which fights against American imperialism and Israel's oppression. Bokolosh especially praised the policy of Wilner, who does every- thing together with the Arab Ra- kach leaders Tufik Tubi, Emil Habibi and the poet Molmoud Der- wish to unmask and criticize- the Israeli oppressors. Bokolosh ac- cuses Israel of torpedoing the Jarring talks aimed at finding a political solution to the conflict in the Near East. A few days ago, the Maki leader Dr. Moseh Sneh published an arti- cle in which he revealed with docu- ments and facts how the Rakach leaders serve the aims of the El Fatah terrorists. NY Federation Launches $30 Million Campaign NEW YORK (ITA)—"Help Can't Wait" With that theme the Federa- tion of Jewish Philanthropies of New York launched Tuesday night its 53rd annual Jewish Community Campaign for a record goal of $30,000,000. George H. Heyman Jr., presi- dent, and. Frederick P. Rose, cam- paign chairman, said that the vat —believed to be the highest ever sought by one group of philan- thropically supported agencies in any American city—was $5,500,000 more than was raised last year. THE DETROIT 111/1211 Friday, October. 2:1970-11 Oritiodo - x Leaders Urge Jews to Shun Resorts on Holy Days NEW YORK -(JTA)—Two Ortho- dox Jewish leaders have urged Jews to attend High Holy Day services in synagogues in their home areas rather than attending services in what they termed as makeshift and "instant synagogues" in holiday resorts. Rabbi Joseph Karasick, presi- dent of the Union of Orthodox Jew- ish Congregations, and Rabbi Ber- nard Berzon, president of the Rab- binical Council of America, de- plored the "flimsy attractiveness" of holiday resorts and "their sub- stitute services." They expressed concern over the departure of Jews from their home areas to resort areas with their "makeshift" synagogues and emphasized that "synagogue deser- tion" during the holidays "inflicts serious damage upon these (home area) institutions." A joint staament by the two rabbis noted that the yearly exo- dus to resorts creates a financial burden on the synagogues that are deserted because they de- pend to a large degree on the support of worshipers during the Holy Days to provide a censid- erable portion of their budgets. According to the statement, "In- stant synagogues" are not only "religiously questionable but im- pair the solvency" of all-year round synagogues. 'The rabbis also expressed con- cern about resort advertising of special facilities to attract holiday guests. "Resorts which advertise with their High Holy Day services, Broadway shows and other enter- tainment of questionable value are simply not acceptable as places of worship to the faithful Jew." The statement added that by ex- changing the synagogue for the resort "we rob our young genera- tion of the strong and soul-nourish- ing impact of the 'Days of Awe.' " State University of N.Y. Concedes .to Students; Closes on High Holy Days ALBANY (JTA) — The Jewish students of the State University of New York at Albany have achieved a major victory in their fight to be recognized as a potent force on campus. President Louis T. Benezet re- scinded an earlier decision and di- rected the university to suspend classes on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. Classes were suspended noon Wednesday to give Jewish students time to get home before sundown. Similarly, classes will be sus- pended at noon on Oct. 9. It is believed to be the first time that a university calendar has been changed to recognize Jewish holi- days. Student leaders of the Hiliei A Different Women's Lib LONDON (JTA) — The belief held by some that all Israeli women work Is not true—actually, only 30 per cent of them are em- ployed, compared with 60 per cent in the United States. Those statistics' were reported to the women's group of the Friends of the Hebrew University by Mrs. Zena Harman, Laborite member of the Knesset and former chairman of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). Mrs. Harman, who was born here, is the wife of Hebrew Uni- versity President Avraham Har- man. "The role of women in Israel is perhaps greater and more pro- nounced than in other countries because in Israel women serve in the army and also play a special role in the national effort to bridge the gap between the various com- munities and to mold them all into one nation," Mrs. Harman said. Society and Am Yisroel had met with Benezet on Sept. 14 to relay to him the Jewish students' dis- pleasure at classes being sched- uled for the High Holy Days. He was told that even though the state law says that a student can- not be penalized for missing a class for religious observance, the stu- dent is, in effect, being penalized by missing whatever was done in class that day. Student leaders also pointed out that the university was working on a double standard. The high Chris- tian holidays are always included in vacation periods, and they main- tained that denying the Jewish stu- dent his right to worship without fear of missing important classes was discriminatory. Benezet expressed his regrets that there was nothing he could do to close the school this year. Sev- eral days later, at Benezet's weekly conference with students, 200 stu- dents challenged his decision. Di- rectly after this meeting, the Uni- versity Senate met and overwhelm- ingly approved a bill urging Presi- dent Benezet to reconsider his earlier decision. The next morning, Steve Shaw, a student leader in the fight to have classes canceled for the Jew- ish High Holy Days, received a phone call from the president's office, informing him that the president had "changed his mind and that classes would be suspend- ed for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. Mirrachi Women's Fresh Air Fund, in its 10th year, helped pro- vdie trips and vacations for more than 1,500 underprivileged chil- dren in Israel during the summer months. Phillips Shoes—stores for finicky people. Northland, Eastland, Westland, Southland, Downtown (Broadway and Gratiot), Flint's Genesee Valley Center, Toledo's Woodville Mall. Open evenings (except downtown). Most charge cards honored.