Kahane Episode Stirs Passions on Both Sides (Continued from Page 1) ties "to recognize the right of Jews who so desire to return to Israel" and to let those who stay "exercise fully their right to live in accord with their Jewish cul- tural and religious heritage." The declaration was adopted without debate. But the fraternal mood in which the conference convened re- mained badly shaken in the after- math of the appearance of Rabbi Meir Kahane, national chairman of the Jewish Defense League: the conference's refusal to admit him; and his subsequent arrest and ex- pulsion from Belgium. While conference spokesmen and many delegation leaders hailed the gathering as a "memorable his- toric experience" that would go far toward aiding Soviet Jews, the Kahane episode left a residue of bitterness among Kahane's ardent supporters and among many dele- gates who reject the JDL's tactics but feel the conference erred in barring its leader from speaking. On the other hand, many delegates felt the action of the conference presidium was fully justified on the grounds that Kahane came to Brussels as a "spoiler." Many dele- gates resented a speech by Mena- hem Begin, leader of the Herut faction of Israel's Gahal opposition party, who declared that the "time was passed when Jews denounced other Jews." That remark was taken as a slap at the conference leadership, who issued a statement castigating the JDL and its leader. Begin told the Jewish Telegra- phic Agency later: "I don't know Oirth Announcements Feb. 12—To Dr. and Mrs. Frank Kozin (Audrey Grant), 23620 Coach House, Southfield, a daughter, Marci. • • • Feb. 4 — To Mr. and Mrs. Stan- ley Schwartz (Joyce Terry Allen), former Detroiters of Howard Beach, N.Y., a daughter, Melissa Lynn. • Jan. 31 — To Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Stearn (Linda Propas of Windsor), former Detroiters of Overland Park, Kans., a daughter, Laura Ilene. • • • Jan. 11 — To Mr. and Mrs. Sam Graber (Marcia Katz), 7095 Cottonwood, Birmingham, a daugh- ter. Kimberly Elizabeth. • • • To Mr. and Mrs. Michael Teper (Barbara Wiener), former Detroit- ers of Miami Beach, a daughter, Kimberle Michele. Rey. HERSHL ROTH Certified Moho! Southfield 352-3186 RABBI LEO GOLDMAN Expert Mohel Serving Hospitals and Homes LI 2-4444 LI 1-9769 REV. SHALOM RALPH MOHEL U 7-9489 ZARCIUMH 341-1595 MOHEL 36—Friday, Mardi 5, 1971 why this uproar. I did not agree with the way the Kahane incident was handled and it was my good right to say so." He told the JTA further that he. "was not referring in any direct way to anybody at the conference when I spoke of denouncing Jews. You can de- nounce people In many ways but not necessarily by running to the police." The JTA correspondent here found no evidence to support charges by some factions that the conference was responsible for Kahane's arrest. The Belgian Ministry of Justice, in a communique about the Ka- hane affair, noted that Kahane had come to Belgium to attend the conference on Soviet Jewry but the conference organizers made it known that he was not a delegate and ushers at the conference had orders not to admit him. Never- theless, the statement went on, Kahane told Belgian authorities that he wanted to speak at the gathering, and to ;void a disturb- ance the minister of justice was obliged to remove him temporarily from Belgian territory. Support for Kahane's right to speak, though not for his tactics, was expressed by several dele- gates who participated in a sym- posium of writers and artists on Soviet Jewry. Among them were the American playwright Paddy Chayefsky and producer-director Otto Preminger, who made the movie version of the Leon Uris novel "Exodus." Preminger created a stir when he told the conference that its treatment of Kahane was "just as contemptible and wrong as what the Nazis and the Soviet Communists have done." Preminger was applauded from some parts of the hall but his analogy drew a storm - of protest from most delegates. Preminger later apologized because he said he didn't want to give the Russians the satisfaction of seeing Jews at loggerheads, but he added that the conference owed an apology to Kahane. Chayefsky supported Ka- hane's plea for more action and fewer words. "We should put to- gether something more than a cry of pain and an appeal to the conscience of the world which never has worked very well," he said. The delegates put aside their differences when the closing ses- sion of the conference was address- ed by Israel's former .Premier David Ben-Gurion. The 83-year-old elder statesman had been confined to bed with bronchitis and was un- able to attend the earlier sessions. He received an ovation that lasted several minutes. Speaking in Hebrew, he said: "This conference bears witness to the devotion of the Jewish people to Russian Jews." Observing that Soviet Jews are denied the right to teach or sneak Hebrew, Ben- Gurion said: "We have many com- plaints against the Soviet authori- ties, but we fight for the rights of Soviet Jews by clean means. The Russians themselves—and there are millions and millions of decent Russians — will understand our struggle." Rabbi Arthur J. Lelyveld. presi- dent of the American Jewish Con- gress. said that "Whatever the con- siderations of world politics may be, we cannot and shall not moderate our insistance on the right of our brothers to leave the Soviet Union." Evidence that Soviet authori- ties may be tampering with mall from Israel addressed to Jews In Russia was disclosed by Joel Gang, a British delegate to the conference on Soviet Jewry who edits a news bulletin, "Focus on Soviet Jewry." Gang said he received a tele- phone call from a Moscow Jew, Yuri Slapak, who informed him that he and 30 other young Jews presented a petition to the Supreme Soviet Feb. 25. Gang said that ac- cording to Slapak, one of the com- plaints contained in the petition THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS was that official invitation forms to come to Israel were missing from letters received by Jews from Israeli relatives although the let- ters all said that the forms were enclosed. Jews seeking exit visas from Soviet authorities must sub- mit documentary proof that they have relatives in Israel and have been invited to go there. Another complaint contained in the petition hinted that some So- viet Jewish families may be divid- ed over going to Israel. The peti- tioners said that the Ovir, the office which deals with exit visas, caused them difficulty by demand- ing permission from their parents to go to Israel. They said the de- mand was irritating and involved their parents unnecessarily_ Ac- cording to Gang, Slapak said a high Russian offiical told the peti- tioners that their complaints would be answered through the news media at the end of March. He was apparently referring to the Communist Party Congress at which references are likely to be made to the Soviet Jewish prob- lem, Gang said. Zev Yaroslaysky of Los Angeles, chairman of the California Stu- dents for Soviet Jewry, called the conference a "cruel hoax on the Jewish community" because it al- legedly barred in advance any del- egate likely to make "any concrete proposal for action." But Ben-Gur- ion said in Tel Aviv that as a result of the gathering, "more Jews will be able to leave Russia now than before." Yaroslaysky referred specifical- ly to the conference action in bar- ring Rabbi Kahane. Yaroslaysky, himself an activist though he has not supported JDL tactics in the past, said barring of Rabbi Kahane was of "the same type of dictator- ial character for which the confer- ence supposedly was called to con- domn the Soviet Union:" He said it "clearly indicated" that the 800 delegates in Brussels represented "a very small cross-section" of world Jewry. Ben-Gurion himself conceded that no mass migration of Jews from Russia could be ex- pected from the conference results. that the closing in Brussels on -joudnment and that the confer- ence would be kept in session jourament and that the confer- even though the participants have dispersed. The spokesman said a proposal for a month-long vigil on behalf of Soviet Jews had been left pending for further consideration. The conference's political com- mittee adopted a suggestion by Mrs. Raya Yaglom, president of the world WIZO, to appoint a del- egation to visit Russia for discus- sions with Kremlin leaders and Soviet Jews. The committee was said to be giving "careful consid- eration" to the timing and imple- mentation of the proposal. The vagueness on this and other pro- posals led to disappointment by many delegates and observers. Two delegates representing the Assirei Zion (Prisoners of Zion) charged that Israel was not doing enough for Jews who suffered exile or imprsonment in the Soviet Un- ion for their Zionist beliefs and who eventually managed to reach Israel. Yehezkel Pularevitz and Abra- ham Stukarevitz told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency correspondent at the conference that little inter- est is being shown in the problem in Israel. They said that even al- lowing for the tensions and pre- occupation with Israel's conflict with the Arabs, it was disturbing that the Assirei Zion had been al- most forgotten, They said that some of them lost their health and capacity to work as a result of imprisonment in Soviet labor camps and some have died. leaving their widows and (The Kahane episode bad re- percussions in Israel. Addressing a dinner for a group of Pioneer Women leaders from the United States. Premier Golda Meir de- scribed the JDL as a "tragedy" and said "no small group can assume that it knows better than the organized Jewish world and use methods that play into the hands of our enemies." (Addressing the Knesset in Jeru- salem, Foreign Minister Abba Eban reiterated the Israel govern- ment's firm opposition to the tac- tics employed by the JDL. He re- peated verbatim a statement made in the Knesset by Premier Golda Meir last November accusing the JDL of sabotaging the legitimate fight for the rights of Soviet Jewry. He also read a condemna- tory resolution adopted by the gov- ernment and published Jan. 17. Asked about Kahane's attempt to I give the Assirei Zion the status and support that Israel gives to its war veterans and war invalids -were not being acted upon. Orthodox Rabbi Says Conference Is "Harassment' Which Might Boomerang NEW YORK (JTA) — Rabbi Abraham Gross, president of the Rabbinical Alliance of America, told the JTA he considered the Brussels conference on Soviet Jewry to be "harassment" of the Soviet Union. "I admit that the public outcry (on behalf of Soviet Jewry) has awakened certain ele- ments that have been oblivious, but I'm questioning' what it has accomplished for Soviet Jewry," he said. Jewish emigration from the USSR has been going on un- publicized for a number of years, Rabbi Gross observed, and "har- assing" the Kremlin with an inter. (Continued on Page 48) Eye Doctors Prescriptions Filled PRESCRIPTION OPTICAL CO. 543-3343 26001 Coolidge children in Israel. They said every- body was making speeches but pro- posals from various quarters to FELDBRO QUALITY MEATS (Trimmed Rite, Priced Rite) 20233 W. 7 Mile 2 blocks W. of Evergreen car. 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One of the major criticisms of the conference was that it took no specific actions to implement its stated aim to end the repression of Jewish cultural and religious life in the USSR and to persuade the Kremlin to grant emigration rights to all Jews who wish to leave. There was no decision to constitute the conference as a permanent body to follow through on its aims. A conference spokesman told the Jewish. Telegraphic Agency You will find us efficient, courteous and fair-priced. You . will be assured of satisfaction and to quote "or your money refunded." For over 25 years Post has -been the mechanical arm of The Jewish News, this in itself, bears testimony to our desire to serve. Printen of The Jewish News for over a Quarter Century • ITIE01111 T • NINTINIII COMPANY