CONTENTS 1- OPINION CLOSE-UP 24 The Munich Massacre JEFF SEIDEL Unplesant memories linger 15 years after the tragedy of terrorism struck the Munich Olympics. LIFE IN ISRAEL English-Speaking Theater Takes The Stage In Israel 38 Re l ig ious News Service There's a new trend in Israel theater — English is replacing Hebrew as the language of the stage. President Reagan greets former Russian refusenik Natan Shcharansky last year at the White House. Our Struggle Is On The Brink Of Failure NATAN SHARANSKY D espite certain changes which are - now going on inside the Soviet Union, 1987 may prove to be the year in which the prospect of freedom for Soviet Jewry was finally destroyed. The past months have been full of ap- parently hopeful signs: a rise in emigra- tion, the release of most of the Prisoners of Zion, and the granting of exit visas to a number of well-known, long-term refuseniks. So why, despite these signs, could the year end in ,such terrible failure? It is because the threat has now shifted from the fate of a few individuals to the fate of the entire Jewish nation in the Soviet Union. A whole people faces a future of cap- tivity unless we act now to save them. First, there is the new emigration law which came into effect in January. It restricts the right to emigrate only to those who already have "first-degree' relatives living abroad — parents, siblings, or children. Of the 382,000 Jews who have begun the emigration process, the new law per- mits only about 30,000 even to apply. The rest may never be allowed to leave. Second, there has been a drastic rise in the number of Jews refused permission to leave on the grounds that they are a "threat to state security" due to their knowledge of "state secrets!' Under Gorbachev, anyone applying for a visa is regarded as a possible spy. The threat of imprisonment is used to in- timidate even the small number who are eligible to leave under the new law. What is the solution being offered by Gorbachev? He has made vague promises of 12,000 emigrants this year and pretend- ed that this is a huge concession. It is cer- tainly better than 1986, when less than a thousand were allowed out, but it is substantially lower than the 35,000 in 1973 or the 51,000 in 1979. With nearly 400,000 waiting in line, 12,000 visas a year will not solve the problem. But the new law and the veiled threats reveal that Gorbachev's 12,000 — even if they leave — will not be the first in a new wave of Jewish emigration; they will be the last out of Moscow. Behind them, the gates of the Soviet Union will be slammed shut by our com- placency and locked tight by our silence. For those doomed to stay, our struggle is on the brink of failure. Their cries for help are no longer heard. They are drown- ed beneath an avalanche of sophisticated Soviet publicity. Gorbachev has made some very limited but very dramatic concessions and he has exploited them to the maximum for pro- paganda purposes, creating an image of im- provement in order to deceive the West in- to thinking that substantial changes are taking place. But behind this smokescreen, - the future of our people is being sealed. Gorbachev's new style has altered the atmosphere of the whole campaign. An enemy that was ugly and barbaric was easy to struggle against. But now the enemy is more sophisticated. He has released the prisoners and stop- Continued on Page 10 THE DIASPORA 53 - Overseas Ties DEBBIE L. SKLAR Two Detroit attorneys take a trip to explore Jewish life in Morocco. SPORTS 5 Special Games Special Olympics athletes show their stuff at a recent Jewish Center meet, conducted by the Michigan Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. ENTERTAINMENT Marceau Speaks LILA ORBACH Internationally- acclaimed mime Marcel Marceau is always eager to get in word or two. SINGLE LIFE In Search of a Partner 95 KAREN A. KATZ A Farmington Hills psychotherapist tells how to have a healthy relationship. DEPARTMENTS 75 32 Inside Washington 88 36 Synagogue 91 37 Torah Portion 94 60 For Seniors 121 72 Danny Raskin CANDLELIGHTING For Women Engagements B'nai Mitzvah Births Obituaries September 4, 1987 7:41 p.m. THE DETROIT 'JEWISH .NEWSi