THE DETROIT JEWISH -NEWS
Friday, May 27, 1%3 15
Massive Rally in NY for Soviet Jewry
(Continued from Page 1)
Noting that the Soviet
Union is a signator of the
Helsinki agreement which
allows for free emigration,
Kirkpatrick said that
Soviet Jews, beyond being
denied emigration visas,
"are persecuted, harassed,
reviled, expelled from uni-
versities" and banned from
employment. She also
pointed out recent anti-
Semitic tracts in Soviet pub-
lications and the formation
0 of the Anti-Zionist Commit-
tee of the Soviet Republic.
Israel's Ambassador to
the UN Yehuda. Blum,
pointhig out that the status
of Soviet Jews has consider-
ably deteriorated in the past
three years, said Soviet
Jews are denied the basic
right to emigrate to Israel
while others are jailed for
seeking to identify with
Jewish culture ancl heri-
tage. He said this was a
manifestation of the "most
virulent anti-Semitism"
which amounted to Soviet
efforts of Jewish "cultural
genocide."
President Reagan, in a
message to the gathering
praising the efforts of
Americans involved in
the Soviet Jewry move-
ment, said: "You have
shown beyond any
JEANE KIRKPATRICK
shadow of a doubt that
Soviet Jews enjoy wide-
spread, grassroots sup-
port in this country, sup-
port which the Soviet
Union ignores. I promise
you that this Administra-
tion will continue to work
with you and use every
means at its disposal to
bring about our common
goal: liberty and religious
freedom for Soviet
Jews."
Mayor Edward Koch
called on the Reagan Ad-
ministration to place the
issue of Soviet Jewish emig-
ration "at the top of the
negotiating list," along with
negotiations on grain ship-
ments and the deployment
.of Pershing missiles in
Unveiling Practice Criticized
A Conservative rabbi,
noting that unveiling rites -
at tombstones often evoke
a as much pain as burials, has
asserted flatly that unveil-
ing ceremonies are not re-
quired by Jewish religious
law, despite a widespread
impression that ."such a
service is ordained • by
Jewish law and tradition."
That assertion was made
by Rabbi Harry Epstein of
‘!_ Atlanta, Ga. His statement
was published by Rabbi
Artur Oleisky in the bulle-
tin of Oleisky's congrega-
tion, Anshei Israel in Tuc-
son, Ariz.
"There are many families
who would prefer not to
have such an' unveiling
service, but they are under
the impression that such a
service is ordained by
Jewish law and tradition,"
Epstein said. He added that
such families, not wanting
to offend anyone for not hav-
ing what is believed to be an
ordained rite, "will forego
their own reluctance and
force themselves to
schedule a public cere-
mony."
"An unveilingervice is
not mentioned in any book
of Jewish codes," Epstein
added. "It is a custom that
has arisen in American
Jewish life," and, he as-
serted, the practice should
not go unchallenged.
Declaring that he agreed
fully with Epstein, Oleisky
reported that about a third
of hte families in his con-
gregation hold unveiling
services. Those families
should know they have "the
option" of either a private or
public service on such an oc-
casion, he said.
During medieval times,
Jews in France and Ger-
many were required to wear
a yellow circle over their
hearts on their outer gar-
ments. In Italy, Jews had to
wear a distinctive hat,
while in England they wore
a safron cloth in the shape of
the Ten Commandments on
their coats.
HE WILL LOVE YOU!
in Lingerie
from Madame X
20% OFF
Robes & Gowns
•
•
•
•
cottons arriving daily
formal slips
strapless bras
baby dolls and teddys
tVitr- Madame X, hip.
lingerie in sizes
38-52
421 Walnut St. • Rochester 656-1726
Western Europe. "We can
demand specific conditions
and restructions to be
placed upon trade with the
Soviet Union, not just
rhetoric," Koch declared to
thunderous applause.
Avital Shcharansky, wife
of Soviet Prisoner of Con-
science Anatoly
Shcharansky who is cur-
rently serving his sixth year
of a 13-year sentence, noted
there has been increased at-
tacks on Jewish culture and
history in the Soviet media,
She was greeted with a tre-
mendous ovation from the
audience, and wiped back
tears as the crowd chanted,
"Free Shcharansky Now."
Dr. Seymour Lachman,
chairman of the Greater
New York- Conference on
Soviet Jewry, organizers of
the annual rally, said: "This
yeai, the emigration figures
themselves constitute the
most powerful and eloquent
statement about the suffer7
ing of Soviet Jews. During
all of 1982, only 2,688 Jews
were allowed to leave the
Soviet Union. During the
first five months of 1983,
the numbers have been
even more shocking; only
484 Jews have been permit-
ted to leave.
"The enormity of the
crisis facing Soviet Jewry
becomes clear if you com-
pare these recent figures
with the emigration figures
for 1979, when more than
50,000 Jews left the Soviet
Union," he said.
Ten-year-old Joy
Blechner of the • Lake
Success Jewish Center,
N.Y. represented the
Youth Appeal ' for
Anatoly Shcharansky.
Standing atop a chair - so
she could reach the mic-
rophone, she called on
her peers to add their
names to the Youth Ap-
peal petitions which de-
mand Shcharansky's re-
lease. The students of the
Youth Appeal hope to
collect 1,000,000 signa-
tures by mid-June.
As the marchers paraded
down Fifth Avenue, many
carried placards, some of
which said: "Open the
gates"; "Speak out now for
those who can't"; "Help our
people's fate and let them
emigrate"; "If the Soviet
state, makes nobody grieve
.. why the hell can nobody
leave"; and "Pres. Reagan,
please help Soviet Jews
emigrate now."
Many chanted in unison
"1,2,3,4, open up the iron
door, 5,6,7,8, let our people
emigrate."
••
• • •
st0:0#040#
:
A UGS .
OF ER
NA
SUMM
The sun
cool-
TO brilliance of a desert
in
in rugs
artistry.
breeze ()hrries,
woven
hand of a tropic woven
array
ness India, flat
from
A scorching ransfor of
co tm
niore.
and colors
and
designs horrie into an oasis of
Yo ur
beauty. .
SALE NOW
OFF
pi
25%d70%
e Ends Ju
ne 12
P•1•1
OC)‘
‘-kt\G
5:1E ORiGINAL—FOR OVER 44 YEARS
Oak
t loll Fgolirdge )
i4co WVkisgwhes'I
(Three
99 -
2323
ES. ,VEO FRI 10-6
P1le 3 TfiL''fils'i)..,
"u"
,...,
ssit';14-4,5
Park