PURELY COMMENTARY September 1, 1991 I- ANNOUNCING The successful completion of its conversion to There Are Lessons For All In The Exodus Of Soviet Jews a nationally chartered commercial bank. Franklin Bank PHILIP SLOMOVITZ Editor Emeritus N.A. (Formerly Franklin Savings Bank, ESA.) Providing exceptional hank services to Southeastern Michigan. Southfield • Birmingham • Grosse Pointe Woods Member FDIC (313) 358-5170 NASDAQ-FSVB 0048 WOOD B'NEI AKIVA OF DETROIT Religious Zionist Youth Invites the Community to "EUROPA EUROPA' a critically acclaimed film Detroit Institute of Arts Film Theater Saturday, Sept. 28, 9 P.M. Tickets $6.00 Must be purchased in advance by calling 557-2465 36 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1991 T here is not a moment's interruption in the rescue movement by Soviet Jews toward redemp- tion in Israel despite the civil war threats and their consequences. From Israel the message was "Welcome Home!" Israel's housing minister, Ariel Sharon, ad- monished the escapees from the land of oppression that they are being awaited by fellow Jews. This is the Jewish role that defies dangers when in sear- ch of freedom. The reasons for such a life-searching aim are well known. They are rooted in historic experi- ences that commenced with pogroms under czarism. Then came the Leninist era when communists adopted a rule of "illegality of anti- Semitism" and never ceased endorsing Jew baiting. Now, under Mikhail Gorbachev, we have the Pamyat and pogrom threats and the con- tinuation of the anti- Semitism of czarism plus communism. Is there any wonder that Jews are embracing self- rescue opportunities with the encouragement of the home-building temptations in Israel? There is now certain to be an endless era of disputes intermingled with hopes as well as doubts. While the concerns are over the democratization of multitudes, there will be the ongoing debates over the reactions involving Jews in the Soviet spheres as well as the emigres to Israel and the United States. It is hoped that fears over the frequent reemergence of extreme an- ti-Semitism will not mate- rialize. The process of the de- veloped Soviet exodus is to the credit of the Israel redemptive process. A com- pilation of the scientists among the many thousands settling in Israel indicates achievements that are al- ready enriching Israel. A partial summary of the attainments is called to public attention in AIPAC's "High-Tech Boom In Israel." Over 40 percent of all Soviet immigrants hold at least one university degree, and more than 25 percent of those degrees are in engineering and architecture ... With the expected ar- rival of nearly 200,000 scientists, engineers and technicians over the next three to four years, pri- vate high-tech commer- cial companies are surfac- ing throughout Israel. The first of such companies, SATEC, was founded nearly three years ago in Jerusalem by a Soviet immigrant who developed a process of extracting gold from industrial waste ... Over 4,000 families now belong to the "Thousand Families Association," a self-help group whose primary goal is to help Soviet immigrants build Is there any wonder that Jews are embracing self-rescue opportunities? their own homes. The Association, founded in May of 1990, includes close to 1,900 construction specialists, artists. scien- tists, physicians, teachers and skilled laborers .. . The Technion Institute in Haifa has played a role in starting a project to help high-tech industries take advantage of olim know-how, Two new enterprises have already been set up. These are not revelations but accumulated facts, and they arouse the wish to make them public knowl- edge. This is where our ap- peal goes forth that the media treat occurrences in Israel in a positive fashion. Almost without exception, treatment of the historic Soviet Jewish exodus was accompanied by skepticism. It is true that there are prob- lems involving housing and employment. But there is a determined will of Israel and the Jewish people that the settlement of hundreds of thousands of Soviet Jews should be successfully real- ized. One special hope needs to be expressed in relation to the anti-communist coup in Russia. It is not that Mr. Gorbachev and his associ- ates open their archives and make known all the facts about the criminal treat- ment accorded to Raoul Wallenberg. It is time for de- cent Russian officials to remove the secrecy of the in- justice and inhumanity in Russian guilt accorded to Mr. Wallenberg. It is urgent that the anti-Wallenberg crime end NOW! ❑ Moshe Friedman: Well Remembered Moshe Friedman was un- questionably among the distinguished pillars in many movements in our community. His name, together with his wife's, Sarah, was among those associated with every impor- tant Jewish, Zionist and human cause. In music, literature and Jewish education, he had roles of leadership as sup- porter and inspirer. Few are on record - as hav- ing done as much as Moshe and Sarah Friedman to assist in the perpetuation and advancement of Yiddish as a living language and to encourage Yiddish authors and journalists. Moshe Friedman is a name inseparable from great Jew- ish and human movements; as such, he is respected as a pillar in our community. ❑ 1 "'""1 NEWS I"' 1 Zionists Seek Ballot Process New York — The Labor Zionist Coordinating Com- mittee has called upon all of the Zionist movements to agree on a delegate selection method for the forthcoming World Zionist Congress in June 1992. The committee said, "The Labor Zionist Movement has historically been in the fore- front of the demand for democratic elections. However, at this critical junc- ture in Jewish and Zionist history, we believe it is un- conscionable to expend such massive sums on direct elections. "It is far more urgent to ex- pend our Zionist funds in the rescue and absorption of hun- dreds of thousands of im- migrants in Israel. "We strongly urge every organization represented on the Area Elections Commit- tee of the American Zionist Federation to join in deter- mining an alternate delegate selection process."