TRAVEL 1 The Pletzl Continued from preceding page the flavor of both Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews, with Eastern European style delis side by side with North African restaurants. The varied synagogues of the Pletzl also reflect its history. At the Place des Vosges, the oldest plaza in Paris, the visitor finds two synagogues almost back-to- back, one Ashkenazi, one Sephardic. At No. 14 Place des Vosges is the Temple Des Vosges, a simple Ashkenazi synagogue. Around the corner at no. 21 bis Rue des Tournelles is the Synagogue des Tournelles. Outside, it looks almost decaying. But the visitor who knocks will be allowed inside to see a synagogue with a striking interior. The ornate details include an elaborate wrought iron balcony full of detail, and columns exten- ding upward, with replicas of Torah scrolls on each. Even the eateries in the Pletzl often have their own history. On the Rue des Rosiers; the main artery of the area, the corner building at no. 17 is a landmark for deli enthusiasts. Jo Goldenberg's has been on this site for over 35 years. It was started by Mr. Goldenberg's parents. When they died during the war, the son vowed to continue the business in honor of his parents. Even a bombing at- tack in 1982 did not slow down business. In fact, loyal customers came in greater numbers to show they couldn't be bullied into stay- ing away from their favorite restaurant. Joie de vivre is in the air here. The patrons laugh, talk, even shout with animation. Strolling guitarists sing shmaltzy songs and kibbitz with customers. But the real focus is food — and there's plenty of it. The Eastern European style menu includes everything from borscht to brisket to strudel. But this is not a typical, un- pretentious deli; it's a place where stylish Parisians eat corned beef on rye, waiters display savoir faire, and posters on the wall of promi- nent patrons — from movie stars and French cabinet ministers — all remind the visitor of the enduring vitali- ty of the Pletzl and of French Jewry today. ❑ I NEWS 1 Food Bank of Oakland County 150 Osmun Pontiac, MI 48056 332-1473 YES! I/we want to help provide nutritious fc to the needy of my community. Uwe prefer to contribute $ Please send additional envelopes. Checks should be made out to Food Bank of Oakland County All gifts are tax deductible. 54 FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1990 Thanks for your support. Soviet Zionists Accused Of Subversion In USSR The New York (JTA) founding congress of a Soviet Zionist federation was near- ly thwarted recently when about 100 delegates who showed up for the meeting in Moscow found the hall closed and themselves assailed in the media_ for trying to subvert the Soviet Union. The attack was spearhead- ed by the Anti-Zionist Com- mittee of the Soviet Public, whose communique denoun- cing "Zionist activity," was carried by the official news agency Tass and published in Soviet newspapers, in- cluding the right-wing Sovietskaya Rossiya. There was also a mass demonstration in Moscow by some 300 people, including Palestinians, who waved banners with the slogan "Stop Zionists in Lenin's Land," according to a tele- phone report from Moscow received by the Long Island Committee for Soviet Jewry. The Anti-Zionist Com- mittee, to which some highly placed Jewish personalities once lent their names, was frequently used in the past as a channel for Soviet at- — tacks on Israeli policy. It charged that Zionists have set up a spy network, which has penetrated the government and the new private sector. "They have infiltrated the highest levels of government and are using joint enter- prises to amass resources they need to finance their plans," the communique charged. It estimated that Zionist groups• were active in 50 Soviet cities. The National Conference on Soviet Jewry protested strongly Nov. 28 over "the continuing existence" of the Anti-Zionist Committee, "despite assurances from highly placed Soviet officials that the committee was in the process of being disband- ed." "We call upon the Soviet leadership to immediately condemn the Anti-Zionist Committee's statement as inappropriate at a time of increasingly warm relations between the Soviet Union and the Jewish national homeland," the statement said.