Friday, September 16, 1977 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Romanian Jews Enjoy Religious Freedom, But Unable to Make Aliya by DAVID LANDAU (Copyright 1977, JTA, Inc. • JERUSALEM, A brief en- counter with Romanian Jewry can be a haunting and moving experience, as Premier Menahem Begin learned. For this reportef, who ac- companied the premier on his official visit to Romania the experience was even more heart-wrenching be- cause he, unlike the pre- mier, was able to mingle freely and speak directly with numerous Jews in Bucharest, the capital. The all-pervading fear of even the most chance con- tact with foreigners which used to daunt all Roma- nians has apparently eased somewhat in recent years. There were many opportu- nities for conversation,- al- though, of course, some sen- sitive subjects were, by tacit understanding, ruled taboo and carefully avoid- ed. Chief among these was the subject of aliya. It is the desire of many of Ro- mania's remaining Jews to re-unite with their relatives in Israel. If the desire is present and yet it has not been realized, the reason, in most cases, is the author- ities refusal to grant an exit permit. Moreover, as one beard- ed and sidelocked Jew from a provincial town told me, every sign or semblance of anti-Semitism is quickly and forcefully slapped down by the authorities and thus a Jew who 10010 like a Jew need have no fear to walk the streets or -travel on the trains even in the most iso- lated areas. Every Roma- nian knows that a tangle with them is to be avoided at all costs—even at the MEN! SHOW A LITTLE WRIST CRC! A bit of competition for the watch ...wrist chain is the new sensation for today's fashionable man. Choose from six handsome styles ... but definitety wear it in Sterling Silver or 12 Karat Goki Ailed. ij GEORGE \ O , HRENSTEIN, \\ Jewelers Ltd. / / Creative Jewelers'Diamonds—Precious Stones—Precision Time pieces HARVARD ROW MALL 11 Mile& Lehner 3534145 cost of foregoing the joys of Jew-baiting. Ironically, it is this rela- tive freedom and well-being that the Jews of Romania enjoy , which itself is the major reason why one basic freedom is denied them: the freedom to leave. This is because the govern- ments seeks to prove to the world—both East and West—that it is genuinely tolerant of religious prac- tice and religious minorities without this prejudicing its Communist orthodoxy. It is yet another pin with which to prick the Kremlin. ' But to achieve this a psi- mary prerequisite is the ex- istence of a Jewish commu- nity upon which to lavish the religious tolerance and governmental care and pro- tection. With an estimated 400,000 Romanian Jews (Holocaust survivors—some half a million were killed by the Nazis) having gradu- ally left, mainly for Israel, over the years, the govern- ment is apparently con- cerned to retain the remain- ing few thousands. (Accord- ing to Israeli estimates the current figure is around 50,000. The Romanian au- thorities put it lower.) Thus Begin's plea for free family reunion for all those who wish it did not meet with an immediately posi- tive response from Presi- dent Nicolae Ceausescu and his aides. Nevertheless, Is- raeli sources professed themselves not dis- couraged. Apparently they took heart from the sympa- theic hearing which the Ro- manian _leaders _gave to Begin on the Jewish issue. The fate of Romania's re- maining Jews is linked with the broader issues of Ro- mania-Israel relations and of Romania's own consid- erations, in which the So- viet connection is always the predominant factor. Begin could only give the Jews of Bucharest who flocked to the Choral Syna- gogue on Friday night to hear his vague and unspecif- ic message of hope and en- couragement. But, given Begin's rousing oratory and the passionate sincerity with which he spoke, this was clearly enough to lift the hearts of those who heard him—as their faces so vividly.. portrayed. Beauty fades away but good name remains fc ever. Daily—Hospital Sympathy FRUIT BASKETS 3 Times Dail3 `Nation-Mide Delivery $1.3.95 54 SOUTH WO I DWARD (Nr. Maple BIRMINGHAM MI 2-4150 RODNICK- McINERNEY'S 779-4140 772-43511 Leshona Tova Tikoseivu May You Be Inscribed in The Book Of Life For A Good Year Swiss Bishops Supporting MDA NEW YORK—Declaring that the Swiss Conference of Bishops "has full and complete understanding" of the issuesft surrounding the recognition of the Israeli Magen David Adam 'Society by the International Red Cross, it called on the inter- national organization "to ar- rive at an early and posi- tive decision." The declaration was sent to Alexandre Hay, presi- dent of the International Committee of the Red Cross with the request that it be considered favorably. Rabbi Rubin R. Dobin, in- ternational chairman of Op- eration Recognition re- ceived- a copy of the state- ment which was issued from the headquarters of the Conference of Swiss Bishops in Fribourg, Swit- zerland. Operation Recognition is the world-wide group which is spearheading the cam- paign to have the Red Cross admit the Israeli or- ganization as a member of the League of Red Cross So- ciet)es. A new MDA Recognition Kit has been prepared for immediate distribution. Requests for the kit should be sent to Rabbi Dobin, In- ternational Headquarters, Operation Recognition, 124 Richmond Place, Law- rence, N.Y. 11559. . For the Jew, Israel is a state of mind. It is not only a piece of geography. It is history. It is theology. It is memory. It is Jewish tears and Jewish triumphs. It is Jewish anguish and Jewish ecstasy. It is childhood leg- ends and biblical verses. It is the direction that we pray and the subject, of our prayers. It is exile and homecoming. It is a burn- ing Temple and a new flag at the United Nations. It is Tisha b'Av and Yom At- zmaut. —Sidney Greenberg You should look so good. The right suit. The right fit. At - the right price. That's Shifman's. If you're like most people, you hate buying suits, because you hate the way they fit. And, obviously, if a suit doesn't fit good, it doesn't look good. So, to flatter the finest selections in town, Shifman's has the finest tailors in town. Justto make sure you'll look good. In fact, you'll look your best. .(Shown, the natural look in distinctive hopsack, from Nino Cerruti, just one in our great selections of gifted designer/makers.) a Shifman's Lincoln Center Greenfield at 101/2 Mile Road Open Thurs..and Fri. till 9; Sat. till 7 • Use your Shifman's 'charge, Visa, or Mastercharge.