NEWS The Deutsch Family Speakers Fund of CONGREGATION B'NAI MOSHE presents The Rabbi Moses Lehrman Scholar-in-Residence Weekend Friday, May 10 and Saturday, May 11, 1991 at the Jewish Community Center Maple Drake Building with No Contest Plea Allowed In Matzah Price-Fixing Dr. David Ariel Preesident and Associate Professor The Cleveland College of Jewish Studies RON OSTROFF Editorial Coordinator weekend theme: Jewish Mysticism Friday, May 10 Evening Activities 6:00 p.m. Saturday, May 11 Activities services 9:00 a m.m Shabbat Services Topic: Jewish Mysticism and Jewish Prayer 7:00 p.m.. . . . Congregational dinner and zemirot adults 15.00 12:00 noon Buffet Lunch adults 8 50 children 3 through 11 4 25 Topic: Understanding Hassidism 6 50 children 3 through 11 Topic: Jewish Mystical Ideas of Love, Sexuality and the Soul 7:00 p.m. Mincha/Maariv seudah shlishit refreshments served Dr. Ariel will speak on his recent trip to Russia Please mail reservations to: Barbara Krieger, 35025 Valley Forge, Farmington Hills 48331 or call Synagogue office: 788-0600 Wouldn't You Rather Be In Sunny Palm Beach? Superb seating comfort is what you'll find with this uniquely designed 5 piece group. Reg. $1184.00 *NW \\ \ • NOW $89999 , Includes 4 dining chairs and 48" glass top pedestal table. Additional pieces such as swivel rocker and chaise are also available. oe- Palm lr Beach Patio Furniture Vacation at home this year in style & save! NOVI WATERFORD 43236 Novi Town Center Grand River & Novi Rd. just south of 1.96 7350 Highland Rd (M-59) 7 Miles West of Telegraph near Pontiac Airport 347-4610 666-2880 Hours: Mon., Thurs. & Fri. 10-9; Tues., Wed. & Sat. 10-6; Sunday 11-4 56 FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 1991 A federal judge has decided to allow B. Manischewitz Co. to plead no contest to charges that it conspired to set the wholesale prices of Passover matzah products. U.S. District Judge Harold A. Ackerman has set a hear- ing for April 26 in Newark, N.J., to formally accept the kosher food company's plea which was opposed by fed- eral prosecutors. The judge made his deci- sion April 11 in a two paragraph order received by attorneys in the case this week. His action comes less than a year after he rejected a similar plea application, saying it would not be in the public interest. The judge's order gave no indication of his reasons for deciding to accept the plea. Under strict legal defini- tion, a no contest plea in a criminal case is equivalent to an admission of guilt in that case only. The defen- dant can still deny the same alleged facts in any other proceedings such as civil lawsuits for damages. Government lawyers had argued that such a plea — even with a fine of twice what the company gained from the alleged conspiracy, or up to $1 million — could signal to other companies that price-fixing is just a cost of doing business. The pros- ecutors argued against the no contest plea because they said that in the eyes of the public it lacks the stigma of a guilty plea. Gina Talamona, a Justice Department spokeswoman, said the government would not comment on the judge's decision to accept the no con- test plea. Jersey City, N.J.-based Manischewitz, which claims to be the largest matzah- maker in the world, has de- nied the charges. The com- pany's lawyers argued that the company had suffered enough because of the mas- sive adverse publicity following the one count in- dictment and the fine ex- pected to be levied by the judge. "It's an appropriate resolution of the case," Jim Plaisted, a Roseland, N.J., attorney for Manischewitz, said of the no contest plea. "In essence the company tried to practically resolve the situation so the company could move on and conduct its business," he said. "It's not pleading guilty to any offense." Mr. Plaisted said five class action lawsuits — four by retailers and one by a California consumer and caterer -- asking for triple their damages caused by the alleged price fixing "have been resolved in principle." The suits claimed the mat- zah prices were higher be- cause of the price fixing. The indictment, brought in March, 1990, just weeks before Passover, alleged that between "sometime in 1981 and continuing at least through April 1986," Manischewitz and unnamed others conspired "to supress competition by fixing prices of kosher for Passover matzah products in the United States." The indictment charged that Manischewitz and other conspirators made agreements about how much Passover matzah product prices would be increased. The indictment noted that Manischewitz and the unnamed co-conspirators sold approximately $25 mill- ion of Passover matzah pro- ducts between 1981 and 1986. The grand jury indictment was part of a two-year in- vestigation into pricing by the $1.5 billion kosher food industry. Israeli Girl Addresses U.N. United Nations (JTA) — Chen Shorr, a 12-year-old Israeli girl from Jerusalem, was one of a dozen children invited to speak in front of child delegates on World Children's Day. Ms. Shorr read aloud a letter from a child in Jerusalem, describing a pro- ject to design and build a children's park in the city's Baka neighborhood, said Eliza Mendes, assistant to the Israeli consul. This year's theme of World Children's Day was "Lend a Hand, Let's Build a Bright Clean Land." Israeli officials said they thought the park project fit in well with the theme. The park project was undertaken last year by the parents and children of Baka.