Bicentennial Features—Michigan and National
The Bicentennial celebrations of America's fight for independence have been the catalyst for a wealth of material recall-
ing the role of Jews in the American rebellion against tyranny which helped revolutionize the entire world.
The role of the Old Testament in influencing the thinking of colonial America and the hope-filled immigrants to the New
World is explained in a feature article on Page 7 of this issue.
In local history, as well as nationally, Jews have played a major role in the building of the modern United States. From
colonial times to the present day many Jewish voices have been heard in the shaping of our democracy.
The feature article on Page 48 describes the legacy of one of those city fathers, Detroit civic leader David Heineman, who
played a major role in city and state government.
Lebanon's
Tragedy:
Warnings from
Christian Student
and Israeli
Arab Journalist
THE JEWISH NEWS
Commentary
Page 2
VOL. LXVIII, No. 22
A Weekly Review
of Jewish Events
9 17515 W. Nine Mile, Suite 865, Southfield, Mich. 48075 424-8833
Israel's Road
of Thorns:
Multiple Dangers,
Dependence
on the U.S.
Editorial
Page 4
$10.00 Per Year ; This Issue 30c
February 6, 1976
Belgium Resists Arab. Pressure;
Soviet Jewry Meeting to Convene
Rabin is Confident
of U.S.-Israel Ties
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Moshe Rivlin, director general of the Jewish Agency, has disclosed that Arab
states were pressuring the Belgian government to cancel the second World Conference on Soviet Jewry,
scheduled to open in Brussels Feb. 17. The Belgian government has rejected these pressures and the confer-
ence will open as scheduled, Rivlin said in a report to the Jewish Agency Executive. He said the pressure was
applied
by Iraq which claimed that it was acting in the name of all Arab states.
Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin of Isra(' who was
Meanwhile,
it was announced that the Israeli delegation attending the Brussels conference will be
scheduled to address the Detroit Economic Club on Mon-
headed by Yosef Almogi, chairman of the World Zionist organization.
day, fulfilled his mission by delivering his address over the
Plans for the conference, to mobilize international action against the "ever-harsher" treatment of
telephone, and expressed assurance to an audience of 1,500
Jews in the Soviet Union, were announced by the American co-sponsors of the event. The assembly
of an uninterrupted American-Israel friendship based on a
full understanding of Israel's needs and his nation's dedica-
will be held in Brussels Feb. 17-19, with more than 1,000 delegates expected from 20 countries. Former
tion to a striving for peace.
Israeli Premier Golda Meir will serve as honorary chairman of the conference and deliver the closing
address.
The icy runways at the New York airports made travel
on the plane he was to use impassable and a U.S. Air Force
Sen. Frank Church (D-Idaho), a ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, will head -
jet was readied to bring him to Detroit, but even that be-
a
delegation
of nearly a dozen members of Congress who will fly to Belgium for the meeting. The Brussels
came impossible, thus forcing him to use of the telephone
conference will convene less than two weeks before the All-Union (Communist) Party Congress in Moscow.
for his address. Connections were completed rapidly when
Mrs. Charlotte Jacobson, chairman of the American Section of the World Zionist Organization, who is
it became evident about 11 a.m. that even the Air Force
co-chairman of the Brussels steering committee; Stanley H. Lowell, chairman of the National Conference
plane could not take off.
on Soviet Jewry, one of the seven Jewish organi-
At the luncheon meeting at Cobo Hall there were
scores of representatives from many Jewish groups, in-
zations around the world that are sponsoring
cluding the Jewish Welfare Federation, the Israel
the conference; and Rabbi Israel Miller, imme-
Bond Organization, Zionist Organization of Detroit,
diate past chairman of the Conference of Presi-
Hadassah, Labor Zionism and other elements. In a sense
dents of Major American Jewish Organizations,
it was an expression of solidarity with Israel in its aims
NEW YORK (JTA) — The Conference of Presidents of
the other American sponsoring organization,
to attain security and to strengthen friendships both
will
play major roles.
Major
American
Jewish
Organizations
says
that
its
constit-
with the United States and American Jewry.
uent bodies with travel programs to Mexico are now consid-
Other convenors of the Brussels conference
There was the usual aspiration for antagonistic expres- ering whether or not to resume those programs.
are the Bnai Brith International, European Con-
sessions from a handful of Arab youths who made their
Rabbi Alexander M. Schindler, chairman of the Presi-
ference on Soviet Jewry, Israel Public Council
appearance in the Cobo Hall lobby and outside with anti-
dents Conference, said "Our special subcommittee on Mex-
for Soviet Jews, Latin American Jewish Con-
Israel signs, but their planned demonstration was frus- ico has issued a unanimous report expressing satisfaction
gress,
World Jewish Congress and World Zionist
trated.
that 'a decided reversal of Mexico's attitude toward Zion-
Organization.
ism,
Israel
and
the
Jewish
people,
has
in
fact
taken
place.'
Rabin reiterated his satisfaction with the talks he con-
The Brussels conference has been called
The report has now been transmitted to our member organ-
ducted with President Ford, Secretary of State Kissinger
just
five years after the first international as-
izations
and
it
is
up
to
them,
as
autonomous
organizations,
and defense and security agencies in Washington. He em-
to determine their own policies.
sembly on the plight of Soviet Jews, held in
phasized that peace in the Middle East is possible only
"The Conference of Presidents itself does not operate
the Belgian capital in February, 1971. Since
through Israel's strength, which alone can avert a war, and
tours to Mexico or any other country. Consequently, and
that meeting, Mrs. Jacobson said, Soviet au-
he spoke with confidence of American recognition of this
state of affairs in the embattled area and the general agree- despite erroneous press reports, the Conference did not 'call
thorities have issued exit visas to an esti-
off' any 'travel boycott of Mexico' because we never imposed
ment that Israel should receive the military supplies needed
mated
112,000 Jews, compared to only 10,000
one in the first place."
to guarantee retention of strength to resist calamities.
in the previous 25 years. Mrs. Jacobson
Despite the unanimous report of the committee, the
(Continued on Page 48)
noted, however, that in the past two years the
(Continued on Page 5)
Presidents Conference
Explains Mexico Stand
(Continued on Page 9)
Almogi to Address Allied Jewish Campaign Leadership
.
Two Allied Jewish Campaign-Israel Emergency Fund divisions will
meet Yosef Almogi, head of the Jewish Agency on Wednesday at the home
of Mr. and Mrs. I. William Sherr during a Pacesetters evening which will
draw top leadership from the Campaign and major contributors from the
Industrial and Automotive Division and the Real Estate and Building
Trades Division.
Almogi is a former Israel Minister of Labor and former mayor of
Haifa.
As head of the Jewish Agency, his responsibilities include supervi-
sion of the humanitarian programs financed by American allocations
from the United Jewish Appeal.
For reservations, Campaign leaders may call associate Campaign di-
rector Muni Mark, 965-3939.
YOSEF ALMOGI
Meanwhile, Hebrew school groups and synagogue youth organization
are among those being contacted by members of the Junior Division of the
Jewish Welfare Federation on behalf of the Allied Jewish Campaign-Israel
Emergency Fund, according to school committee chairman for the Divi-
sion, Jonathan Jaffa.
The Juniors contacting the youth institutions and organizations
offer to speak on behalf of Campaign or arrange for other speakers.
They can procure films, posters, buttons, pledge cards and informa-
tional pieces about the Jewish Welfare Federation, the national organ-
izations which are AJC-IEF beneficiaries and the overseas needs of
world Jewry.
Meeting with the students are Dorene Finer, David Jaffa, Evva Ka-
plan, Edward Lumberg, Eric Oppenheim, Cynthia Siefman, Cherie Stern-
berg and Susan Weinman.
Junior Division members interested in joining the school committee,
Or representatives for student groups which are interested in learning
about Federation or Campaign, may call Mrs. Lilian Bernstein at the Fed-
eration offices, 965-3939.
(Related stories about the Allied Jewish Campaign can be found on
Page 14.)