JWF Sabbath, Bikel start Super Week
8
A multi-ethnic cast weaves a Jewish tale
25
Karen Sklar: A real lady who is a champion
80
Rabbi Milton Arm's enlightening journey
40
THE JEWISH NEWS
JANUARY 18, 1985
SERVING DETROIT'S METROPOLITAN JEWISH COMMUNITY
THIS ISSUE 40`
Crisis averted
against it. Another Likud MK
abstained and five were absent from
the chamber.
Knesset defeats 'Who is a
Jew' amendment; but
Orthodox-Diaspora split
is re-opened.
The voting caused acrimonious
debate that spilled into the Knesset
corridors after the balloting. Members
of the Orthodox factions not only de-
nounced the non-religious MKs but
traded insults with each other over the
defeat.
The amendment drew a powerful
response from non-Orthodox religious
and secular Jews abroad, particularly
in the United States, when it was
placed on the Knesset agenda last
week. They warned in messages to
Peres and other Israeli leaders that its
adoption would create a serious rift be-
Jerusalem (JTA) — The controv-
ersial amendment to the Law of Re-
turn demanded by Israel's Orthodox
religious establishment was defeated
by a vote of 62-51 on its first reading in
the Knesset on Wednesday.
The voting was largely along
party lines. Labor MKs opposed it, fol-
lowing the lead of Premier Shimon
Peres who called the measure divisive.
Likud joined the religious block in
support of the amendment. But three
Likud Liberals broke ranks to vote
CLOSE-UP
AVITAL'S
VIGIL
With her husband languishing,
in a Siberian prison, Avital
Shcharansky struggles valiantly
to win his freedom.
BY HELEN DAVIS
Continued on Page 12
See Story on Page 14
Bob McKeown
BY ALAN HITSKY
News Editor
Seifu Lessanework: Talking about famine.
Governmental red tape has
changed Seifu Lessanework's focus on
the famine in Ethiopia. The three-to-
eight week waiting period to obtain a
Michigan license as a charitable
organization, and a three-to-six month
process with the U.S. Internal Reve-
nue Service, convinced Lessanework
to join forces with an existing agency
to raise funds for famine relief.
Following an article in the The
Jewish News in December about his
hoped for personal effort, Lessanework
discovered the governmental
roadblocks. He called the United
Foundation, which suggested he work
locally with either the American Red
Cross or Catholic Relief Services. Les-
sanework, an Ethiopian Jew who left
his native country ten years ago,
called the Red Cross "because it was
the first number of the two that I
looked up."
That December telephone call has
led to a series of speaking
engagements throughout the Detroit
area, which has helped the Red Cross
effort raise $248,000 — double its orig-
rA inal Detroit goal.
"He has been an outstanding, cre-
dible ambassador," said Duane
Johnson, executive director of the
Southeastern Michigan Red Cross.
"He discusses the African problem
from a first-hand, person-to-person
basis." The Red Cross has provided
Lessanework with audio-visual mate-
rials and fact sheets on the African
famine, and puts him in touch with
groups seeking a speaker on the prob-
lem. He is scheduled to speak to the
local Red Cross International Services
Committee, and he participated in the
Dec. 24 press conference in which the
Detroit Chapter of the National Asso-
ciation for the Advancement of
Colored People contributed to the Red
Cross drive.
Lessanework now wants to ex-
Richard No witz
Famine effort gaining
pand his efforts beyond the Red Cross.
Reluctant in December to discuss his
Jewish background for fear of jeopar-
dizing his planned effort inside
Ethiopia, he is now being contacted by
Jewish groups and discussing fun-
draising that will specifically aid
Ethiopian Jews both in Ethiopia and
Israel.
"I open myself to anyone," Les-
sanework told The Jewish News. "It is
mostly organizations that have al-
ready started collecting funds that call
me. But my wife is now preparing to
open her restaurant on Sundays to any
group that wishes to give a dinner to
Continued on. Page 13
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