INSIDE WASHINGTON FUNDAMENTALS OF Warfare Over Legal Abortion Leaves OU's Stand Unclear FUNDAMENTALS OF DATABASE SYSTEMS Ramez A. Elmasri, University of Houston, and Shamkant B. Navathe, University of Florida, Gainesville An in-depth book on database systems that contains a well-balanced combination of design, models and theory. Comprehensive coverage includes database design, physical and logical design, data dictionaries, database theory, imple- mentation, distributed and expert database systems. Addison - Wesley $42.95 list, less 10% at Borders IAN SOMMERVILLE Software Engineering THIRD EDITION SOFTWARE ENGINEERING, 3/E Ian Sommerville, University of Lancaster The third edition of this best-selling introduction to software engineering contains coverage of software life-cycle models including formal transformations, exploratory programming, prototyping, and software reuse. Addison-Wesley $40.50 list, less 10% at Borders BORDERS BOOK SHOP In the Novi Town Center, off Novi Rd. just south of 1-96, 347-0780 Please visit Borders Book Shop in Birmingham and Ann Arbor SAVE FROM 20% TO 50%* MARV SAYS CUSTOM WALL MIRROR SPECIALISTS TUB & SHOWER ENCLOSURES MIRRORED BIFOLD OR SLIDING DOORS INSULATED GLASS REPLACED MOBIL AUTO GLASS SERVICE TABLE TOPS • STORM DOORS & WINDOWS • PATIO DOOR WALLS REPLACED • STORMS & SCREENS REPAIRED • VISIT OUR SHOWROOM 'Suggested List Price AA r17311"NAV in GLASS 8. AUTO TRIM CUSTOM WALL MIRRORS TIRES & ACCESSORIES SOUTHFIELD: 24777 Telegraph 353-2500 Other locations: Wayne and Lincoln Park 4/10/1 JAMES D. BESSER Washington Correspondent he recent warfare be- Orthodox tween groups over legal abor- tion has led to what one Or- thodox leader has called "a very depressing, unbelievably tangled situation." The current round of con- troversy stems from April reports suggesting that the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations had broken with the rest of the Orthodox establishment by offering conditional support for legalized abortion. The Orthodox Union signed on to a "friend of the Court" brief prepared by a coalition of religious groups, under the leadership of the National Jewish Community Relations Advisory Council (NJCRAC). The brief was filed in the landmark Webster v. Reproductive Services case now before the Supreme Court. "The Orthodox Union„" ac- cording to one source close to the group. "felt it was impor- tant to go along with the overall Jewish community on the statement, which we had every reason to think was sensitive to the theological qualms we still had about abortion." But the Orthodox Union is far from united on the ques- tion of legal abortion. Some leading members remain staunchly anti-abortion from a theological perspective, but equally reluctant to allow secular laws to guide matters of reproductive rights. The controversy over participation in the brief fanned the fires of conflict between the factions — and encouraged Orthodox Union representatives with a more tolerant view of abor- tion to come out into the open. Stories about the alleged break in the Orthodox com- munity over abortion provok- ed an instant uproar, which only intensified when it was learned that the original NJCRAC brief was changed after the Orthodox group had approved it. Although the changes were relatively minor, NJCRAC represen- tatives conceded in a letter of apology that they could have been misconstrued to imply a more progressive policy on abortion on the part of the Or- thodox group. Also, according to several sources, the Orthodox Union's primary rival — Agudath Israel of America — played a role in publicizing the con- troversy. Agudath Israel has taken a hard-line against the pro-choice position, and recently filed its own brief in the Webster case. Several weeks ago, the Or- thodox Union issued a state- ment denying that its par- ticipation in the brief represented a change in their Halachic position on abortion. "The bottom line," said a Jewish activist close to the Orthodox Union, "is that this group's position on the legal and political aspects of abor- tion has never been clear. We've gone along for years evading the question. But the controversy that all this stir- red up — and the changes in the NJCRAC brief — painted us into a corner." B'Nai B'rith Tackles Latin American Debt Dan Mariaschin, B'nai B'rith's director of public af- fairs, is moving ahead with plans for a major Washington conference on the explosive problem of Latin American debt. The event, scheduled for sometime next January, will bring together leaders of in- ternational monetary agen- cies, officials of the U.S. foreign policy establishment and representatives of a number of Latin American communities. "This is just in the initial stages," Mariaschin said, "and already we are getting a really surprising response. This is an issue that the governments in these coun- tries feel very strongly about." Why is Latin American debt a "Jewish issue?" Mariaschin pointed to the fragile existence of Jewish communities throughout the region. "The debt crisis is af- fecting most of the hemi- sphere," he said. "A deteriora- tion in the situation suggests a path toward instability — and instability always threatens Jewish com- munities." And a solution to the pro- blem of the region's crushing debt, he suggested, is a mat- ter of simple justice. "Encouraging democracy and pluralism have always been Jewish concerns,"he said. "This is part of the Jewish value system. And on a more practical level, we can't forget that these coun- tries are right next door. We simply felt it was important for a Jewish organization to get involved." Jews Mourn `Wonderful Friend' Claude Pepper Jewish activists on Capitol Hill are mourning the loss of Rep. Claude Pepper, (D-Fla.), who died recently at the age of 88. Pepper, whose district con- tained a high concentration of elderly Jews, was known as the "last of the New Deal Democrats." In a congres- sional career that began in the 1930, Pepper worked closely with Jewish groups on a wide range of domestic issues. "He's been a wonderful friend on a number of our issues," said Sammie Moshenberg, Washington representative for the Na- tional Council of Jewish Women. "I can't help think- ing that the best tribute to him would be to pass the long- term health care bill; that's an issue he felt very strongly about, and an issue that par- ticularly affects the Jewish community." Pepper was also an early supporter of civil rights legislation, and he developed a reputation of working effec- tively with women's groups — issues that continue to occupy a prominent place on the agendas of many Jewish groups. AJCongress Leaders Meet New Speaker With the House of Representatives in turmoil, the American Jewish Con- gress recently did some fancy footwork to cement ties with the new leadership. On Tuesday, members of the group's National Board of Ad- visers was scheduled to meet with Rep. Thomas Foley, (D- Wash.), just minutes before his election as speaker of the house. The meeting was arranged by Steve Silbiger, the group's Washington representative. Silbiger, who worked closely with Foley during his years as a lobbyist for the labor move- ment, moved quickly to line up the new speaker. The AJ Congress group was