Rhodesia and South Africa: Their Tragedies and the Jewish Emigration Problem THE JEWISH NEWS A Weekly Review Commentary Page 2 Editorial Page 4 f Jewish Events 17515 W. Nine Mile, Suite 865, Southfield, Mich. 48075 424-8833 VOL. LXIX, No. 16 The Political Parties and Jerusalem: The Democratic • Pledge $10.00 Per Year ; This Issue 30c June 25, 1976 House Bill Will Ban State Dept id for Biased Foreign Contracts Sensational News Capsules Israel Tourism Endangered; Herem Threat for Kissinger RIO de JANEIRO (JTA) — A new government measure to discour- age travel abroad by Brazilians is expected to have an adverse effect on the tourist and pilgrimage traffic from Brazil to Israel. During the 12 months between April 1975 through March 1976, nearly 7000 Brazilian tourists visited Israel. But the number is bound to decline because of the new rules intended to conserve foreign currency. The government now requires every Brazilian seeking an exit per- mit to deposit 12,000 cruzeiros — about $1,100 — for one year at no interest. This means that every deposit will lose over 40 percent of its actual value because of inflation. * * * Orthodox Rabbis Group Threatens Excommunication NEW YORK (JTA) — A group of Orthodox rabbis calling them- selves the "Supreme Rabbinic Court of- America" announced that they would formally execute a "Writ of Excommunication" (Herem) against U.S. Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger on Sunday. Kissinger was accused, among other things, of "coercing Israel to give up divinely ordained, liberated areas of our eternal possession." The "Bill of Particulars" against the Secretary also charges him with "eating non-kosher food behind his parents' back." * * * Ontario Attorney General Fighting 'Dial-A-Prejudice' TORONTO (JTA) — Attorney General Roy McMurtry of Ontario has called on public figures to speak out against the use of telephone facilities to propagate anti-Semitism and other bigotry. Speaking be- fore the lawyers division of the Israel Bond drive last week, McMurtry noted that Toronto residents can dial taped messages that attack Jews and blacks. Although there are no existing laws to prevent such phone propa- ganda, McMurtry said, he has proposed such legislation. WASHINGTON (JTA) — The House adopted an amendment to the foreign aid authorization bill last Friday which prohibits the State Department from advertising or negotiating contracts with foreign countries or firms that would discriminate against Americans on the basis of reli- gion, race, sex or national origin. The amendment, introduced by Rep. Elizabeth Holtzman (D- NY), was passed by a voice vote. Holtzman said she was pleased that her amendment was adopted because "it is intolerable for the State Department to negotiate or advertise contracts for for- eign countries" that would be discriminatory. The amendment goes to the Senate for action and will then be submitted to a Senate-House conference committee. At the same time, Rep. H. John Heinz, (R-Pa.) revealed he has written to President Ford urging his support of an amendment aimed at the Arab boycott which the Senate Finance Committee has incorporated into the Tax Reform Bill. The amendment would deny tax benefits to those corporations which knowingly discriminate against American citizens and compa- nies for boycott-related reasons. In his letter to Ford, Heinz noted that the Department of Com- merce figures show that since the 1973 Arab oil embargo compliance with boycott requests has increased dramatically. "Since the tempta- tion to go along with the boycott is in most cases economic rather than moral there would be justice in legislating major tax dis-incentives for Rep. HOLTZMAN compliance," he said. The House and Sen- ate have been holding hearings on the boycott. JNF Leader Collapses at Annual Dinner in NY BY YITZHAK RAM Dr. Maurice S. Sage, president of the Jewish National Fund of America, collapsed and died Tuesday night shortly after he introduced Mrs. Betty Ford to the 2,500 persons attending the JNF gala Bicentennial dinner. President Ford's wife, visibly shaken and her voice trem- bling, asked the audience to bow their head and join her in a prayer for Dr. Sage as a doctor and Secret Service men were trying to revive the 57-year-old Zionist leader. The incident occured toward the end of the evening in which the First Lady was honored and was about to be presented with a Jerusalem silver Bible and .a key to the JNF Bicentennial Park near Jerusalem. Sage was pronounced dead at 11- p.m. in Poly- NEW YORK (JTA) — (Continued on Page 7) But Heinz voiced the fear that Congress would not report a bill this year and urged the President to endorse the Senate' Fi- nance Committee's ver- sion. "Not only does com- pliance with boycott re- lated requests hurt our relations with allies such as Israel, but it has al- ready begun to intrude into our domestic affairs," Heinz declared in his let- ter. ■.■ New University of Michigan Social-Cultural Program Inspires Hillel, National Emulation 7 76 -191 Bicentennial Supplement Many important features devoted to studies of Ameri- can Jewish history will be included in a special 24-page American Revolution Bicen- tennial Section to be included in next week's issue of The Detroit Jewish News. A new social-cultural program has been introduced on the University of Michigan campus in an effort to reach out to unidentified Jewish students in an invitation for direct involvement in Jewish life and identification with the Jewish community. Primarily inspired by Walter L. Field, prominent Detroit communityite who has dedicated his efforts in behalf of educational projects among Jewish youth, the new program, functioning as Meekreh, the'ingathering of young Jews, has received such an impressive response that several hundred students are already counted in its ranks. Field, who has funded the program until now, likes to call the new movement "Meet and Munch" because the students meet at social functions, enjoy the refreshments provided for them and in the process participate in functioning committees and planned seminars for the advancement of Jewish cultural undertakings. The program now has become an addendum to Hillel Foundation and the Hillel direCtors assist and encour- age it. Elated over the new movement's accomplishments, Field foresees its introduction in the campus dormitories as an introduction to a more extensive program that will assume national nronortions. "We have evidence that Jewish spokesmen in other universities already are planning to emulate our tasks," Field said. "In a sense, we have invaded the dormitories and the student residents have become our partners in an undertaking to 'meet and munch,' to socialize as Jewish groups and to identify with their people." Field and Rabbi Joel E. Poupko, director of the University of Michigan Bnai Brith Hillel Foundation, had the cooperation during the past year of Daniel Pekarsky, son of the late Herman Pekarsky, who was associate executive director of the Detroit Jewish Welfare Fed- WALTER FIELD (Continued on Page 6) U. S. S. Nimitz Will Dedicate Sea Chapel . NEW YORK (JTA) — An historic occasion will take place on board the U.S.S. Nimitz, nuclear aircraft car- rier, when the first Jewish chapel on a U.S. Navy ship will be dedicated Sunday, at Norfolk, Va. The New York Board of Rabbis is in charge of ar- rangements for the event. A kosher luncheon will be served to the invited guests on board ship. The Brooklyn Jewish Cen- ter will present a Torah Scroll and an Ark to be placed per- manently in the chapel.