141 101
The 20 Arab
Nations and Their
Begrudging of
Sovereignty to
Tiny Israel
Commentary, Page 2
VOL. LXXI, No. 15
TA II f
THE JEWISH NE
A Weekly Review
of Jewish Events
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Strong Defense
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Editorials, Page 4
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June 17, 1977
Carter Clears Sharansky Name:
Finds No Link to CIA, State Dept.
Israel's Political Changes
Create Religious Concerns
NEW YORK (JTA)—Leaders of Reform and Conservative Judaism
in America have indicated serious concern that the rights of non-Or-
thodox congregatie:ns in Israel will be further abridged under a Likud-
led government headed by Menachem Begin. Expressions to that ef-
fect were voiced in the past few days by Rabbi Arthur J. Lelyveld,
president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) and
Dr. Gerson D. Cohen, chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary
of America, the academic institution of Conservative Judaism.
In a statement released in advance of
the 88th national convention of the
CCAR, the rabbinical branch of Reform
Judaism, to be held next week, Rabbi
Lelyveld urged Reform and Conserva-
tive Judaism to "stand together in de-
fense of responsible Jewish pluralism.
Our circle is large enough to take in all
our fellows," he said.
"We must not allow extremists to
place us...outside the circle of accept-
able Jewish difference." Rabbi . Lely-
veld said that he "joined whole-
heartedly with my colleague, Rabbi
Stanley Rabinowitz, president of the
Rabbinical Assembly of America (Con-
servative) in warning that if the Con-
servative and Reform movements
allow themselves to be divided in their
RABBI LELYVELD
struggle for full recognition both in Is-
rael and in the Diaspora, they will be
defeated by the extremists of the
right." Rabbi Rabinowitz made his re-
marks at the Rabbinical Assembly's
convention last month.
Chancellor Cohen, addressing the an-
nual dinner of the Synagogue Council of -
America last Thursday, called on Begin
to commit Israel's new government to
protect the rights of non-Orthodox Jews
in Israel. He referred to reports that
Begin would seek legislation drastically
restricting the authority of Conserva-
tive and Reform rabbis in Israel as the
price of a coalition partnership with the
religious parties.
DR. GERSON COHEN
(Continued on Page 5)
WASHINGTON (JTA)- President Carter rejected the charge by
Soviet authorities that Moscow Jewish activist Anatoly Sharansky
who has been charged with treason, worked for the Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA). The President said he had "double
checked" with both the CIA and the State Department and was
told Sharansky had no connections with the American govern-
ment.
Carter made his statements at a press conference when he was
asked if he had plans to meet Sharansky's wife, Natalya, who is in
Washington to seek help in obtaining her husband's freedom. Mrs.
Sharansky, who lives in Israel, said she hoped to see the President
but Carter said he has no plans to meet her.
However, he noted that he asked the CIA and the State Depart-
ment to check the Soviet allegations against Sharansky. He said
he had been hesitant about making any public statements but now
was assured that Sharansky never worked for the CIA. Carter's
statement was hailed by the Union of American Hebrew Congre-
gations, which called on the 1.25 million Reform Jews in the U.S. to
ANATOLY SHARANSKY
launch a massive protest campaign.
The State Department said on June 2 it was "deeply concerned' about the treason charge.
against Sharansky which had been reported from Moscow a day earlier. Sharansky has been
held in a Moscow prison since his arrest March 15 while talking to two American corre-
spondents.
The 29-year-old computer specialiSt is a member of a group monitoring the Soviet
compliance with the human rights provisions of the Helsinki accord and frequently briefed
Western correspondents because of his fluency in English. He and fellow Jewish activist
Vladimir Slepak were accused in an Izvestia article early this year of working for the CIA.
Whether the detention in Moscow of Los Angeles Times correspondent Robert Toth is
connected with Sharansky was raised at the State Department. Another, but wider, question
was whether the harassment and Soviet public criticism of Western correspondents in recent
months are employed to inhibit them from continuing to report on the continuing difficulties of
Soviet dissidents and Jews who wish to emigrate to Israel.
Toth is being prevented from
leaving Moscow by Soviet author-
ities on charges of receiving illicit
documents. He was about to return
WASHINGTON (JTA)—A Jewish Telegraphic Agency
to the United States with his family
correspondent, approaching President Jimmy Carter after
this past weekend after completing
his press conference on Monday, began to say, "There is
uneasiness in the Jewish community..."
this tour in Moscow as a corre-
The President, replying before the question was com-
spondent. Two official U.S. protests
pleted, said, "They are unjustified—their concerns are un-
have been lodged with the Soviet
justified." There was no opportunity to follow up the ques-
government. (According to reports
tion.
from Moscow, Toth told r*orters
Following a meeting with Carter last week, Sen. Hubert
after his latest session with tit KGB
Humphrey (D-Minn.) said Carter is "an unswerving sup-
that the questioning had ckScen-
porter" of Israel and that he is "carefully moving in the
right direction" toward a Middle East settlement.
(Continued on Page 22 )
Uneasiness 'Unj ustified'
Disabled Israeli Veterans Enjoy Visit
Ten tired—but happy—
disabled Israeli war veter-
ans returned to their coun-
try today armed with me-
mentos, photographs and in-
numerable stories about
their love affair with the De-
troit Jewish community.
Paul Zuckerman, presi-
dent of the United Jewish
Appeal, started arranging
the two-week visit several
months ago after learning
of similar programs in Pitts-
burgh and Washington, D.C.
The 10 Israelis, who left
Thursday, were the first
group to visit Detroit. All
expenses were met by mem-
bers of the Detroit Jewish
community.
The veterans, who range
in age from 22 to 55, all suf-
fered serious disabilities in
defense of Israel.
They enjoyed lunch at the
Plaza Hotel, a tour of De-
troit, a welcoming party at
the Zuckermans and two
days in New York. The vet-
erans were on the go al-
most constantly.
With the help of his wife
Helen, who served as "logis-
tics expert", Zuckerman ar-
ranged for them to see the
races at Hazel Park, a con-
cert at Pine Knob, the GM
Tech Center, Bob-Lo Island,
the Detroit Zoo and a De-
troit Tigers baseball game.
Attendance was arranged
at a Great Lakes Yacht
Club regatta, with dinner af-
terwards, and a trip to the
Fresh Air Society's Camp
Tamarack.
Eytan Shifman, 24, an am-
putee who used crutches in-
stead of an artificial leg,
joined the others in riding
the giant slide at Detroit's
Belle Isle. Shifman climbed
to the top of the three-story
slide without difficulty, but
had a hard time coming
down.
"I'll have to try that
again and see if I can do it
better," he said, and
promptly mounted the steps
a second time.
As guests of Henry Ford
II, the Israelis spent a full
day touring the Dearborn
Assembly Plant, Greenfield
Village and Henry Ford Mu-
seum. 'transportation,
guides, and an afegant
lunch were part of the wel-
come Ford extended to the
visitors. The Israelis were
surprised and pleased to
see a floral centerpiece,
with the flags of the United
States and Israel, decora-
ting the luncheon table.
.
(Continued on Page 6)
Ten disabled Israeli war veterans on a once-in-a-lifetime
trip to the United States are shown with Detroiters Paul
and Helen Zuckerman, who arranged their stay here. Pic-
tured are, from left, standing, Ephraim Adam, Ephraim
Merinsky, Reuven Schleicher, Doron Levinson, Iram Sha-
ham, Mr. and Mrs. Zuckerman, Eytan Shifman, Elimeleh
Coffer and kneeling, Israel Dahari, Dov Neiger and Ishai
Zimmerman.
MARCH 27, 1992
121