THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Romanians Live Together as -Neighbors in Jerusalem By CARL ALPERT JERUSALEM — The magnificent, large church building of the Romanian Orthodox Patriarchate faces Shivtei Israel Street, but its rear door on HaHoma Hashlishit Streets serves as the main exit and entrance for the bearded, black-gowned monks who come and go for prayer serv- ices or the many other reli- gious activities which keep the clerics occupied. They are solemn-looking individuals who appear to carry on their shoulders the veight of many transgres- sions in a godless world. The unpaved path from the church door to the street passes through a thickly planted garden, over which tower several lofty pine trees. Each breeze sets the boughs in swaying motion and a heavy wind stimu- lates the branches into touching the house next door. The victim is an old stone building occupied by a large Orthodox family. The head of the household, Rabbi David Swartz, is also bearded and like his neighbors wears a black gown, but there is no danger of confusion. His long, curl- ing earlocks and the stringed fringes which fly out from the sides of his gown clearly identify what is sometimes called a Mea Shearim type. The children — there were nine at last count — were constantly coming and going. The girls, no matter what their age, all had long black stockings and wore dresses with sleeves to the wrists, even in warm weather. they Occasionally glanced up at the pine boughs from next door, chaf- ing the side of their home, and as quickly averted their gaze, as if they were looking at something immodest, or at least embarrassing. Among themselves they spoke Yiddish, rather than Hebrew. There were all the mak- ings here of an explosive confrontation. Differences between religious ex- tremists as the basis for a row among neighbors have been known to develop into inter-communal riots, and could even have interna- tional political implica- tions. In human history wars have been known to have broken out as a result of lesser disputes. We stopped and watched as history was made before our eyes. The father of nine, the intense rabbi, walked down his front steps, turned right, and then stepped into the (forbidden?) grounds of the church. He walked quickly up to the burly figure of the man whom we later iden- tified as Vasile Cornila, the Archimandrite and Head of the Romanian Orthodox Church in Jerusalem. The latter was more than a head tal- ler than the rabbi, and perhaps twice his weight. The two engaged in ani- mated conversation. They gesticulated. The rabbi pointed to the trees, to his house; his comments were obvious, though we were too far away to hear the voices. And so we approached closer, and dared even to step into the courtyard. To Wallenberg Hearings Scheduled LOS ANGELES (JTA) — A group of international personalities led by Simon Wiesenthal will convene formal hearings in Stoc- kholm, Sweden Jan. 15-17 to hear testimony on the fate of the lost hero of the Holocaust, Raoul Wallen- berg, it was announced by Rabbi Abraham Cooper, assistant to the Dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies at Yeshiva University of Los Angeles, upon his return from consultations with the Wallenberg family in Stoc- kholm. changed their story to claim that he died in prison in 1947. However, there have been repeated reports from eye wit- nesses that Wallenberg was alive many years after that date. "It is hoped that this hear- ing will focus world opinion on the plight of this great humanitarian and encour- age Soviet cooperation," Cooper explained. "in view of the recent spate of neo- Nazi- activity in Europe and elsewhere, the deeds and le- gacy of Raoul Wallenberg have never been more re- levant for humanity than they are in 1980. "Many young people in France, Italy, Belgium, England, South America and the United States know nothing of that tragic era and are increasingly being exposed to the haters of this generation." Cooper also announced that the Wallenberg family will attend the interna- tional conference in Madrid, which is to review com- pliance with the Helsinki Accords, to press for the in- clusion of Raoul's fate in that international forum. U.S. Jews Urged to Invest in WB Jewish Settlements RAOUL WALLENBERG The hearings will be coordinated with the Inter- national Sakharov Com- mittee based in Copenha- gen. The dates of the hear- ings coincide with the 36th anniversary of Wallen- berg's disappearance in Budapest, Hungary. Wallenberg, a Swedish Gentile educated at the University of Michigan, risked his life to save more than 30,000 Jews in Budapest during the closing months of World War II. He was jailed by the Soviets in 1945. The Russians at first denied any knowledge of Wallenberg. Later they NEW YORK (JTA) — Is- raeli Agriculture Minister Ariel Sharon called on American Jews to invest in Jewish settlements in "Judea, Samaria, Gaza and Galilee" to bolster Israel's response to the dangers that, he said, surround it. For Jews to live in those areas, "is safer and stronger than any guarantee," he de- clared. Sharon, an outspoken ad- vocate of massive Jewish settlement in the occupied territories, addressed some 450 people gathered at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York to inaugurate the "In- ternational Conference for P.E.A.C.E." The name is an acronym for "Preventing the Emergence of Another Arab Country in Eretz Yis- rael — Judea, Samaria and Gaza." Sharon called on American Jewish com- munities to adopt settle- ments in those territories, all of which except Galilee, lie outside Is- rael's 1967 borders, to help them establish in- dustries and to "send volunteers, even for a short time. I came here to urge you to act, to do things today, now," he said. Sharon told his audience, composed largely of suppor- ters of the ultra-nationalist Tehiya faction in Israel, Rabbi Meir Kahane and the Jewish Defense League, that Israel stands in serious danger. "Israel is the heart of the Jewish people" and its re- sponsibility is to defend and protect Jews anywhere in the world. Therefore, "if Is- rael will be harmed, all Jews will be harmed," he said. Sharon warned the U.S. not to interfere in problems and questions related to Is- rael's security and exist- ence. A man should live with his superiors as he does with his fire: not too near, lest he burn; nor too far off, lest he freeze. —Diogenes Friday, November 7, 1980 33 BEAUTIFUL HAND KNIT LAP ROBES AND AFGHANS By EVELYN our surprise, their voices is n .fyLre voisin, our Toasty Warm for Those You Love were not raised. They were neighbor, and the very word up to 1/2 OFF FOR NOV. seemed to sum up the whole even smiling. Call 356-3669 or 546-08 Obviously this was not story. their first confrontation on this vital issue, for even as LIFE'S SPECIAL EVENTS we stood there a team of SHOULD BE RECORDED FOREVER Arab laborers, with a • • • power-operated saw, ap- peared on the scene and HAVE YOUR SPECIAL OCCASION went quickly to work. One of the offending trees was VIDEO TAPED levelled completely, and • Weddings • Bar Mitzvas • Private Parties was sawed up into logs. The • Anniversaries • Birthdays • Etc. Arabs climbed the others, See Our FULL-SERVICE Studio and as the rabbi pointed, they sawed off the offending branches. The Archiman- drite nodded, and even lent Established 10 years a hand at tugging the fallen boughs aside. 22530 W. 8 Mile Rd. 35-Video During a pause in the op- or 358-4336 Southfield erations I took the Jew aside, and asked how long he had been having trouble with the church. He looked at me in surprise. There had been no trouble. They were his neighbors, and his em- phasis on the word implied a special kind of relationship. He had been there for 30 years, ever since his arrival from his native Romania, and so he had a common language with them. Rabbi. Swartz looked surprised when I commented on how un- usual this was. He re- peated, "They are my neighbors." I went in to see the Ar- chimandrite. We spoke in French. Had the Jew next door complained a great deal? Not at all! There had been no complaints. 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