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 17515 W. Nine Mile, Suite 865, Southfield, Mich. 48075 424-8833 ZOA Appeal for Jerusalem Must Be Heeded Strong Defense of Begin Role by Noted Authority Editorials, Page 4 $10.00 Per Year; This Issue 30 4 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