Searching
For Meaning
Page 44
THIS ISSUE 50c
E JEWISH EWS
SERVING DETROIT'S JEWISH COMMUNITY
Activists See Hope
In New Soviet Moves
Resumption of ties with Israel is viewed
as a public relations maneuver
DAVID HOLZEL
Staff Writer
Detroit-area activists on behalf
of Soviet Jewry have cautiously wel-
comed the news of possible resump-
tion of low level-relations between
Israel and the Soviet -Union. There is
a realization, however, that the
Soviets are acting purely in their
own interest.
"I don't think the Soviets are in-
terested in resuming ties just for the
sake of the relationship," said Jean-
nie Weiner, chairman of the Soviet
Handleman Is
Butzel Winner
David
Handleman will
receive the Fred
Butzel
M.
Memorial
Award at the
Jewish Welfare
Federation's
annual
60th
meeting Sept.
16. The annual
award is the De-
troit Jewish David Handleman
community's highest honor for dis-
tinguished communal service.
Handleman, president of the
United Jewish Charities, is a
member of Federation's Executive
Committee. He was general chair-
man of the 1979 and 1980 Allied
Jewish Campaigns and has served
both the Capital Needs Division and
the cash mobilization committee.
Handleman has been honored
with the establishment of the David
and Marion Randleman Forest, in
Israel, .by the Jewish National Fund,
and received the B'nai B'rith Inter-
national Great American Traditions
Award in 1984. He is a member of
Temple Beth El.
Nationally, Handleman is on the
board of HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant
Aid Society) and is a trustee of the
American Jewish Committee and the
Continued on Page 26 .
Jewry committee of the Jewish
Community Council.
"My • guess is that they're doing
it to enhance their presence in the
Middle East," said Bill Graham, the
Soviet Jewry committee's outreach
chairman.
Both Weiner and Graham as-
cribed the Soviet move as a public
relations maneuver in anticipation
of a summit between President
Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader
Mikhail Gorbachev.
Another activist, echoing the re:
cent statement of former refusenik
Natan Shcharansky, doesn't believe
that Israel should resume relations
with the Soviets without a quid pro
quo.
"I can't envision ties and talks
until human rights and repatriations
are allowed by the Soviet Union,"
argued Rae Sharfman, chairman of
the Friends of the Soviet Jewry Edu-
cation and Information Center. "I
can't see where there can be any-
thing good, or any reason to develop
relations at even a consular level
until they let up on the Jews." There
are still 400,000 Jews waiting to
emigrate, she went on to say.
"It's difficult to know if you
should start a dialogue and hope for
the best, or be more hardline — but
then you don't have a dialogue," said
Weiner.."I personally would like to
see a dialogue occur."
Graham forsees increasing ac-
tivities on behalf of Soviet Jews.
Continued on Page 26
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AUGUST 8, 1986 / 3 AV 5746