Kremlin
as Instigator
of Global
Terrorism -
How Could Begin
Fight an
Unruly Mob?
THE JEWISH NEWS
A .Weekly Review' F 1 of JeWish Events
Commentary, Page 2
Stocktaking:
Summarizing
the Year 5741
as a
Year
of Tensions
Editorial, Page 4
Copyright © The Jewish Now Put:limning Co.
VOL. LXXX, No. 3 .
17515 W. Nine Mile, Suite 865, Southfield; Mich. 48075 424-8833
$15 Per Year: This Issue 35' September 18, 1981
Justices Throw Out Halakhic
Factor, . in Jerusalem Digging
Tough Line Disappears
in Reagan-Begin Talks
By DAVID FRIEDMAN -
WASHINGTON (JTA) — Before Israeli Premier Meriahem
Begin arrived in Washington last week, there was the expecta-
tion in some quarters 2 — and perhaps the hope — that President
Reagan would take a tough line with his Israeli visitor.
But like the clouds that covered Washington for more than a
week, this attitude disappeared as Reagan welcomed Begin to the
White House under a bright, sunny sky. And while the agree-
ment for strategic cooperation worked out during the two days of
talks at the White House was not the written formal alliance that
Begin had perhaps hoped for, it goes a long way toward a closer
alliance against the threat to the Middle East from the Soviet
Union as perceived by both Begin and Reajan.
On other issues, there were no specific results. Begin and the
Israeli officials accompanying him stressed the threat to Israel
they believe will result from the sale to Saudi Arabia of AWACS
reconnaissance planes and enhancement equipment for F-15s.
The-Administration explained its belief that the sale was neces-
sary to protect United States strategic interests in the entire
(Continued on Page 5)
JERUSALEM (JTA) — The stand of Chief
.Rabbi Shlomo Goren in the conflict over the
archeological digs on the Temple Mount suf-
fered a considerable blow Tuesday with the Is-
rael Supreme Court denying the legal right of
the Chief Rabbinate to determine state policy.
Twelve days ago the court issued an interim
injunction overthrowing Education Minister
Zevulun Hammer's suspension of the archeolog-
ical excavations in the City of David. Publiciz-
ing the reasons for that decision, the Supreme
Court president, Justice Moshe Landau, ruled
that by power- of law, and according to Israel's
democratic and non-theocratic character," the
halakhic rulings of the Chief Rabbinate are not
binding in any way regarding state officials ful-
JUSTICE LANDAU RABBI GOREN
filling their legal authority. -
In a statement which may have far-reaching consequences on the future of state and religion
relations in Israel, the court said:
"Whatever the importance of a rabbinical halakhic ruling to a religious person, the
Chief Rabbis and the Supreme Rabbinical Council are not by law empowered to determine
facts necessary to the implementation of the law ... nor is the enforcer of that law ...
(properly) subordinate to the rabbinical rulings."
The halakhic ruling referred to by the three-man court was handed down by the two Chief Rabbis
on Aug. 19, and defined the controversial
excavations area as the site of an ancient
Jewish cemetery and prohibited ar-
theological excavations there. That ruling
was subsequently reinforced by a resolu-
The United Nations Educational, Sci-
PARIS (JTA)
tion by a joint session of the Supreme Rab-
entific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has voted
binical Council and the Supreme Rabbini-
14 1 with five abstentions to accept Jordan's request to
place East Jerusalem on UNESCO's World Heritage Com-
cal Council Court on Aug. 26.
mittee List. The 'vote, which took place last Friday after a
In its decision, the Israel Supreme Court
two-day debate here, in effect recognizes Jordan's right to
strongly criticized Hammer's suspension
take part in international supervision of cultural and his-
of the work. Religious pressure and
torical sites in East Jerusalem.
"demonstrations by ultra-Orthodox ele-
Those voting for Jordan's request were: Argentina;
ments who do not recognize the state"
Brazil, Bulgaria, Egypt, Iraq, Cyprus, Guinea, Jordan,
should not have been taken into account
Libya, Nepal, Senegal, Tunisia, Zaire and Pakistan.
by Hammer, an observant Jew, in his deci-
The United States voted against the request. The five
sion to suspend the dig, the justices said.
countries abstaining were: Australia (which chaired the
(Continued on Page 14)
(Continued on Page 8)
UNESCO Tells Jordan
-to Protect Old City Sites
—
-
-
President Ronald Reagan of the U.S. and Israeli Prime
Minister Menahem Begin are shown in a White House
photograph during their talks last week.
U M, Local Groups Sponsor
Year-Long FeStival of Yiddish
Bar-Ilan President Inaugurates
The Center for Russian and East European Studies and the Program in'Judaic
Studies at the University of Michigan are coordinating a year-long "Festival of Yiddish
Culture," with events to be held in Ann Arbor and Detroit. Most of events are free.
The festival is supported by the Michigan Council for the Humanities and the
National Foundation for Jewish Culture.
The opening event is an exhibit continuing through Sept. 29 at the Ann Arbor
Public Library entitled, "The Last Jews of Radauti." The exhibit is of photo-
graphs of a shtetl in contemporary Romania. _
Other events on the schedule include:
Oct. 3 — "The Hasidic Songs of Maramures," 9 p.m. at Beth Israel Congregation,
Ann Arbor. (There is a charge.)
Oct. 4 — \ Two films: "Image Before My Eyes" and "The Song of Radauti," 7 p.m. in
Formal inauguration of the Chair in Media Communications to be established at
Bar-Ilan University in Israel in the name of The Jewish News Editor Philip Slomovitz
will take place at the annual dinner of Detroit Friends of Bar-Ilan University, to be held
next Tuesday evening at Cong. Shaarey Zedek. The event also will mark the official
presentation of the Honorary Doctorate Honoris Causa to Slomovitz by Bar-Ilan
President Rabbi Emanuel Rackman. It had already been awarded at the Bar-Ilan Uni-
versity graduation in Ramat-Gan, Israel, on July 7, in absentia, and will be formalized
here on Tuesday by Dr. Rackman.
Participants in the annual dinner program will
include the co-chairmen, Irving Laker and Myron
Milgrom; Sharon Hart, who will represent the
women's division of Friends of Bar-Ilan University;
Rabbi Irving Groner and Cantor Chaim Najman of
Shaarey Zedek.
-
p.m. and the film "Image Before My Eyes" will be shown, 8 p.m., at the Jewish
Oct. 10 — Poet Joseph Buloff will give "Readings from Yiddish Literature" in
English, 8 p.m. at the University of Michigan Residential College Theater, Ann Arbor.
Oct. 11 — Maurice. Friedberg will lecture on "Yiddish Literature and its
Slavic Neighbors," 1 p.m., and Joseph Buloff will repeat his Oct. 10 lecture, 2:30
p.m., United Hebrew Schools, Southfield.
Oct. 11 — Abraham-Brumberg and Bob Jacobs will perform Yiddish folk songs, 7
p.m., and the film "Images Before My Eyes" will be shown, 8 p.m., at the Jewish
Community Center, West Bloomfield.
Lecture on "Rudolph Rocker. The Anarchist Yiddishist," 8 p.m., Hillel
Oct. 15
Foundation, Ann Arbor.
—
(Continued on Page 11)
Media Chair at Tuesday Dinner
Dr. Rackman received his rabbinic training at
- Yeshiva University, was graduated from Columbia Law
School and holds a doctorate in political science from
Columbia University. He was rabbi of the Fifth Avenue
Synagogue in New York City, served as professor of
Jewish studies and consultant to the chancellor of the
City University of New. York on Jewish studies, and as
adjunct professor of Jewish law at the New York Law
School.
(Continued on Page 14)
RABBI RACHMAN