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April 13, 1990 - Image 2

Resource type:
Text
Publication:
The Detroit Jewish News, 1990-04-13

Disclaimer: Computer generated plain text may have errors. Read more about this.

'PURELY COMMENTARY

PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

Editor Emeritus

Active Rather Than Ceremonial Role For Herzog

W

hen he invited
Shimon Peres to
make another at-
tempt to reorganize the func-
tioning Israel government,
President Chaim Herzog took
occasion to renew his hope for
electoral reform in his
country.
With a report that is literal-
ly bulging the Knesset files
and archives, it is not surpris-
ing that there are delays in
getting action in assuring
reforms.
Meanwhile, there continues
an added hope that the Israeli
presidency will not continue
as ceremonialism. In the best
interests of Israel and its peo-
ple and of fellow Jews
everywhere, it will be well to
activate Israel's presidency.
There are many occasions
when speaking out by Israel's
chief of state would be an act
of justice. There is such a
specific occasion now when
the justice of the rescue move-
ment for Jews of Russia is
harmed and interference with
it should be assailed as an
injustice.
That a former President of
the United States should
have added to the prejudice
creates a special need regar-
ding the important move-
ment of assuring the Israel
haven of refuge for Russian
Jews. In a brief note in the
Wall Street Journal, during
his tour of the Middle East,
Jimmy Carter was reported
saying privately that he op-
posed the settling of Russian
Jews in East Jerusalem. The

quote appeared in too impor-
tant a newspaper to be ig-
nored. Jimmy Carter may as
well have opposed the settling
of Jews in any part of Israel.
In another commentary on
the question of Russian Jews'
settlement in Israel, it was
already indicated on this
page that animosities are not
limited, that those who op-
pose Jewish settlement in
Israel would protest even if a
single Jew sought such haven
in Israel.
It is deplorable that Presi-
dent Carter should have
fallen victim to such a canard.
This is when condemnation of
it would be appropriate when
uttered by the President of
Israel. President Herzog is
highly qualified to have such
a role in behalf of his people.
The Carter attitude
merited consideration. The
deserved treatment was given
in an article by A.M. Rosen-
thal in the New York Times.
Entitling it "Silence Is A Lie"
he stated:
Israeli politicians are so
busy stumbling around
that they don't pay much
attention to what Mr.
Carter says. But his attack
on Israel does get carried
around the world.

Fair enough. Mr. Carter's
greatest achievements
were Camp David and
making human rights an
international issue. What
he says about the Middle
East and human rights is
worth hearing.

Chaim Herzog:
Renewed hope.

If Mr. Carter chooses to
ignore the fact that the
Israeli response to the
uprising has been mild
compared with how other
governments — including
democratic governments —
deal with rebellions, that is
his business, a matter bet-
ween himself and his
conscience.
But where had he come
from? Syria, one of the
most brutal and long-
lasting dictatorships on
earth?
Syria, whose record of
execution, torture, im-
prisonment of its own
citizens, and in peacetime,
could and does fill volumes
but still has not been told
in full?

End Of Pierrot Travelogues

T

his April included
a very sad day for
Detroit.
It marked the end of close to
seven decades of the function-
ing of a very important com-
munal cultural treasure, the
"World Adventure Series." It
is an irreplaceable loss
because there are so few

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
(US PS 275-520) is published every
Friday with additional supplements
in February, March, May, August,
October and November at 27676
Franklin Road, Southfield,
Michigan.

Second class postage paid at
Southfield, Michigan and addi-
tional mailing offices.

Postmaster: Send changes to:
DETROIT JEWISH NEWS, 27676
Franklin Road, Southfield,
Michigan 48034

$29 per year
$37 per year out of state
75' single copy

Vol. XCVII No. 7

2

April 13, 1990

FRIDAY, APRIL 13, 1990

cultural temptations to en-
courage its replacements.
"World Adventure Series"
was founded by George Pier-
rot, who died in 1988. His
wife Helen, who died five
months ago, had a share in its
functioning. Many in our
community and the jour-
nalistic fraternity shared in
the encouragement of the
series. Now the archives and
memories provide recollec-
tions that pay honor to a
Detroit devotion to a vital
ecumenism.
The most noted adventurers
who turned travelogues into
expressive means of teaching
large audiences about major
global concerns turned a lec-
ture series into academic
lessons.
Myron Steinberg, who soon
becomes a nonagenarian, was
associated with Pierrot and
his series from its very begin-
nings. He relates that his
brother, the late Morris

Syria? You mean he had
just come from Syria,
which year after year has
been host, trainer and
paymaster to one of the
most murderous gangs of
terrorists on earth — the
Popular Front for the
Liberation of Palestine,
General Command? The
gang every antiterrorist
specialist believes bombed
Pan Am 103 out of the sky
and 270 people out of their
lives?
That's interesting. So
what did Mr. Carter have
to say in public about the
murder gang, its Syrian
safe haven and base, or
about Syria's human rights
record — say the
documented mass murder
of its own citizens?

What public excoriation
or word of mild rebuke did
he issue, in Damascus or in
Jerusalem? Why, none.
Many visitors to
Jerusalem — Archbishop
Tutu, for one — are ready
to slang Israel, but remain
strangely demure about
Arab tyrannies.
Perhaps it is because if
you denounce Israel in
Jerusalem, all you get is a
pained look. Try denounc-
ing the government in
Syria or Iraq and you
never get back, either for
business or for political
tourism.
There is the urgency for a
call to action in consistently
nailing the lies about Israel.

And there is an added
recognition of the need for
spokesmanship by President
Herzog in this additional
Rosenthal admonition:

Perhaps Mr. Carter and
other decent travelers
should consider that the
next time they tour the
Middle East. If they feel
unable to tell the truth
everywhere, maybe they
should stay home.
Truth cannot guarantee
success in a search for
peace. But lies can
guarantee failure.
When it comes to decade
after decade of murder and
torture, silence is a lie.
It is good fortune that
responsible commentators
like A.M. Rosenthal speak
out and that they do it in one
of the most important
newspapers in the English-
reading world.
President Herzog utilizes
every opportunity to add to
his appeal that there be elec-
toral reform to help resolve
many problems. He has
shown resentment to the ex-
tremists, of a very small
group that has spread pre-
judice against kibbutzim,
charging them with anti-
religious ideas. Herzog came
to the defense of fellow Jews
and among the poison-
minded there was even a call
for his resignation.
Such nonsense, steeped in
the bigotry of the extremists,
only adds to the high esteem
of the president of Israel. ❑

Sad Day For Detroit

Steinberg who supervised the
chess and checker tour-
naments here for many years
and was a leader in the
publishing sphere, was
among Peirrot's first
associates in the lecture
series at the Detroit Art In-
stitute and also his mentor in
publishing. Pierrot's adven-
turism led to the formation
and publication of the
American Boy, a favorite
magazine of youth for more
than 30 years.
In this variety of creative
labors, Pierrot became the
associate of the most active
and most prominent in jour-
nalism. He was himself a lec-
turer of note on tourism, hav-
ing traveled widely and lec-
tured on his experiences.
His lecture series annually
included coverage of the Ho-
ly Land, and he gained en-
couragement from the Zionist
Organization, popularizing
the adventures that included

the early Jewish settlements
in Palestine, with emphasis
on Jerusalem.
It is noteworthy that the
Pierrot emphases were of a
universal nature and certain-
ly were not parochial.
Therefore the many na-
tionality groups here had an
interest in his "World Adven-
ture Series."
The Society of the Occident
and the Orient, a remarkable
and now regrettably forgotten
group drew upon Pierrot's en-
thusiasm and they all jointly
added to Detroit's glory in
unifying so many who dif-
fered ethnically and
linguistically.
This merely scratches the
surface of the rich career of an
activist who could be describ-
ed as a journalistic
ecumenist. If Sigma Delta
Chi, where we shared in a fre-
quent L'Chayim were to be in-
cluded in his career coverage,
there would be need to write

George Pierrot:
Travel authority.

about a veritable journalistic
Who's Who in our joint
efforts.
The end of the great George
Continued on Page 48

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