-
12 Friday, December 16, 1977 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Rabbi Refutes Black Hebrews' Charge of Racism
By RABBI RALPH SIMON
(Editor's note: The fol-
lowing article originally ap-
peared in the Chicago Sen-
tinal and is re-printed
courtesy of the Black-Jew-
ish Information Center in
New York)
We were surprised to read
recent news items which in-
timated that the state of
Israel is guilty of racial
prejudice. The latest story
described the deportation
from Israel of several
people who called them-
MIZRACHI
TOURS
TO ISRAEL
selves Black Hebrews. They
had arrived at Ben-Gurion
Airport as American
tourists.
The authorities learned
that they intended to join a
group of Blacks who are
now living in Dimona. Their
intention was to remain per-
manently, even though they
had not fulfilled the neces-
sary requirements govern-
ing new immigrants. Their
entry under false pretenses
was demonstrated when
they tore up their U.S. pass-
ports and declared that they
had no plans to return to
America.
Their spokesmen made
charges of racial prejudice
against the Jewish officials
and threatened to create
bad public relations for Is-
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rael. •
While this incident is pot
one of major proportions, it
is important to refute these
innuendoes. We must
counteract the slander of
Israel's enemies as we must
remove doubts from the
minds of its friends.
Let us set forth the prem-
ises which govern Israeli
immigration law. First and
foremost—Judaism is com-
pletely • color-blind. There
are no laws in the Bible,
Talmud, Shulkhan Arukh, or
Israeli statutes which deal
with color. All the rules
concern people, with no dif-
ferentiation as to race.
Second the Law of Return
Kol-Am Tours
Plans Pesah Trip
to Antigua in April
NEW YORK—This year,
for the first time, Kol-Am
Tours, Inc. is offering Jew-
ish travelers, "Passover in
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from April 20 to 30.
Kol-Am Tours, which spe-
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Kol-Am Tours, Inc. 30 E.
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provides that the new state
would forever be open to
Jews who seek a new home
in the land of their fore-
fathers.
The law did not close im-
migration to non-Jews.
They must fulfill the normal
requirements which modern
democracies request from
prospective immigrants. To
be received under the Law
of Return, one must give
evidence of Jewishness.
This status is determined
by the classic rule. A Jew is
a person who is born of a
Jewish mother and has not
been converted to another
faith; or one who has been
properly converted to
Judaism.
How did the colony of
Black Hebrews who now
live in Dimona gain en-
trance to Israel? They ar-
rived several years ago,
without advance notice, and
claimed to be Jews.
This was a new expe-
rience for the immigration
officials. The only pecedent
they knew was the case of
the Falashas from Ethiopia
who had lived as Jews for
many centuries and who
had been declared bona fide
Jews by the Israel Rabbi-
nate.
The authorities knew
nothing about these new ar-
rivals and decided to permit
them to remain until their
status would be determined.
In the meantime, they were
given housing and assist-
ance.
A Sephardic Rabbi and a
social worker volunteered to
help them integrate into the
Jewish community. It soon
became evident that they
were not authentic Jews,
but they insisted on remain-
ing in Israel.
The government, for corn-
passionate reasons, permit-
ted them to stay as long as
they conducted themselves
in a peaceful and law-abid-
ing manner. But the Israelis
Holiday Inn
Opens in Israel
NEW YORK—The Pal
Hotel in Tel Aviv was re-
named the Tel Aviv Holiday
Inn Nov. .30, marking the
initial entry of this inter-
national hotel chain into the
Israel tourist scene.
The Tel Aviv Holiday Inn
is located on Tel Aviv's Me-
diterannean shore, and was
formerly the original Tel
Aviv Sheraton Hotel. The
hotel has, at present, 347
rooms and the new manage-
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Holiday Inns Inc. is the
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CP Hotels (Canadian Pacif-
ic), Ramada Inns and Club
Mediterannee.
had now learned to question
strange claims of Jewish
affiliation which new arriv-
als might make.
What was the rationale of
these people who called
themselves Black Hebrews?
They assert that they are
descended from the Ethio-
pean family of King Solo-
mon and the Queen of
Sheba. Historians could
surely ask for reliable evi-
dence to substantiate this
theory.
What is more important to
understand is that even if
this claim were true, it
would not establish their
Jewishness. They admit
that they have no unbroken
line of descent from ances-
tors of the Jewish faith be-
ginning with their mothers
and grandmothers. Most of
them come from families
which at one time belonged
to Christian denominations.
They may convert to
Judaism if they so choose,
but they cannot assume
such a relationship without
PASSOVER
the regular process of study
and sincere commitment to
Judaism through a ritual
conversion.
The confusion of these
strange historical claims is
compounded by the asser-
tion of some of their spokes-
men that they are Hebrews
and not Jews. They assert
that the Jews are not true
Israelites and that Israel
really belongs to the Black
Hebrews.
One of their leaders even
declared that when they
tain enough power, they IN—
expel the white imposters
who now occupy the prom-
ised land. One thing is
clear. The issue of the Black
Hebrews and the claim of
Israeli racism is a mixture
of ignorance and malice.
There is no racism in
Judaism or in the state of
Israel.
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