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You Can't Get Anything You Want
At Alice's Restaurant
May is National Gaucher
Disease Screening Month
T
he National Gau-
che/. Foundation
and the Gaucher
Treatment
Medical
Centers have initiated
new hotline in conjunc-
tion with National
Gaucher Disease Screen-
ing Month, which began
May 1.
The number offers a
confidential, pre-screen-
ing interview with a
health-care professional.
Those found to be at risk
will be offered a free
blood test at the nearest
treatment center
(Michigan residents may
be tested at Butterworth
Hospital in Grand
a
Rapids).
Gaucher is an inherited
genetic disorder caused
by a deficiency of a key
enzyme. The disease is
considerably more com
mon. in the descendants
of Jews from Eastern
Europe, though individu
als from any ethnic group
may be affected. An esti-
mated 20,000 Americans
are believed to be affect-
ed by the disease,
although not all may be
symptomatic.
The 800 hotline will be
open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m..
through the end of May.
The number is 1-800-
GAUCHER (428-2437).
The Lost Music of Transylvania
T
he Jewish people of
northern Transyl-
vania were the first
Hungarians to be trans-
ported to death camps
during the Holocaust. As
the culture was destroyed,
so was
its music.
Now Hun-
gary's
leading
folk re-
vivalists,
Muzsikas,
along with
vocalist
Marta
Sebes-
tyen, have
recon-
V,
structed
this music on the new
album, Maramaros: The
Lost Jewish Music of
Transylvania.
Maramaros includes
everything from joyous
wedding dances to sorrow-
ful laments, all reflecting
the music unique to the
Jews of Transylvania.
Most of the tracks are col-
laborative performances
between Muzsikas and
two Gypsy musicians, who
h a d
played
with
Jews in
Hungary
before
the war.
Members
of Muz-
sikas dis-
covered
the two
musi-
cians in
Romania
while researching music for
the record.
The album is available
on CD and cassette and
may be ordered by calling
Ryko Records, 1-800-
2EARFUL (232-7385).
Pop Lyrics Ain't Necessarily So
J
erusalem (JTA) —
Representatives of
Israel Broadcasting
Authority's committee on
language, and other
Hebrew scholars, met last
week with members of the
recording industry to look
into how to improve gram-
mar in popular radio
songs.
IBA's language adviser
Ruth Almagor reportedly
insisted that the objective
was not censorship but
the prevention of gram-
matical abuse of Hebrew.
Music industry repre-
sentatives agreed to come
up with a mechanism
whereby the lyrics would
be given to language
experts for their evalua-
tion.
y
An Olive Branch
From Qaddafi?
T
he leader of the
World Association of
Jews from Libya said
last week that Col.
Muammar el-Qaddafi
appears ready to make an
historic about-face in his
foreign policy and seek
reconciliation with Libyan
and world Jewry, the
United States and the
West.
Raffaello Fellah based
his assessment on a two-
hour meeting he had sev-
eral months ago with the
Libyan ruler. Mr. Fellah,
who has lived in Rome
since being expelled from
his home more than 20
years ago, quoted Col.
Qaddafi as saying he
would invite all Libyan
Jews who fled before and
after the 1967 Arab-Israeli
war — including thou-
sands who settled in
Israel — to visit Libya.
Nominating Raoul
uthor Ilene Munetz
Pachman is spear-
A heading a campaign
to get the face of Raoul
Wallenberg on a U.S.
postage stamp.
Mr. Wallenberg was
responsible for saving the
lives of thousands of
Hungarian Jews during
the Holocaust.
Send letters and peti-
tions to the Citizens'
Stamp Advisory Com-
mittee, U.S. Postal
Service, Stamp Manage-
ment, Room 4474E, 475
L'Enfant Plaza SW,
Washington, D.C. 20060.
ou can't get a nice
Jewish boy named
Arlo, that is.
He was born to a Jewish
mother, he was even bar
mitzvah. But singer/actor
Arlo Guthrie is not Jewish
these days.
Mr. Guthrie, whose
album "Alice's
Restaurant" was tops with
the flower-power set in
the 1960s, has kept it
quiet, but his conversion
to Christianity began dur-
ing the 1970s.
"I always liked that
Jesus character," Mr.
Guthrie said in an inter-
view with Christian
Century writer Arsenio
Orteza. "He was like a
hero."
Then one afternoon he
was standing on his porch,
"and one of those things
happened that I never
imagined would happen to
me. I don't know how to
explain it, I don't want to
make a big deal out of it,
but God showed up in the
person of Jesus Christ. He
was sort of right in front
of me."
Mr. Guthrie's musical
career ended, for the most
part, in the 1980s. His
most recent project was
opening the Guthrie
-Center in Massachusetts,
which helps the poor and
sick.
Happy Birthday, Mr., President
believe that, in
n our contin-
UPD ATE
his youth,
wing political .••••
John may have
coverage, the ri
•••••••• .
come under his
Round Up pre-
father's influ
sents the May
ence. Shortly before the
presidential birthday
outbreak of World War II,
update.
John, then a Harvard
Harry Truman was
junior, toured Palestine.
born May 8, 1884. Before
In a letter to his father,
he entered politics, he
he wrote, "The Jews seek
and his Jewish partner,
complete domination...
Eddie Jacobson, worked
with the right to colonize
in the men's clothing
in Trans-Jordan."
business in Kansas City.
Yet in 1957, as a sena-
Among Jews, Truman
tor from Massachusetts,
is best known for initiat-
Kennedy proposed immi-
ing America's recognition,
gration bills that favored
on May 14, 1948, of the
the admission of Middle
newly proclaimed State of
Eastern Jews to the
Israel. In a 1953 confer-
United States.
ence, Truman called the
As president, Kennedy
occasion "one of the
increased financial and
proudest moments of my
military aid to Israel. He
life."
appointed Abraham
In recognizing the
Ribicoff as secretary of
Jewish state, Truman
health, education and
resisted pressure from
welfare, and Arthur
pro-Arab forces in his
Goldberg as secretary of
own government, like the
labor. Kennedy's secre-
U.S. State Department
tary of treasury, C.
and the Joint Chiefs of
Douglas Dillon, was of
Staff.
Jewish ancestry, as was
In 1949, the Israelis
Kennedy's friend, adviser
established Kfar Truman,
and speech writer,
a moshav northeast of
Theodore Sorenson.
Lod.
In 1966, Israel built
There is little on record
about what this month's - the John F. Kennedy
Memorial near Moshav
other birthday boy, John
Aminadav, southwest of
Kennedy, really thought
Jerusalem. The Jewish
of Jews. His father,
National Fund dedicated
Joseph P. Kennedy,
the Kennedy Forest near-
gained a reputation as a
by.
Nazi sympathizer. Some
I
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