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Attention!
Alex Crow, a member of Tem-
ple Kol Emeth who attended the
ceremony, agreed that Jews and
other minority groups must
stand together to fight prejudice.
"We have to acknowledge this
happened, and the roots of this
sort of thing still exist," he said,
standing with other congregants.
"We must be aware of it and deal
with it. If we ignore it, we're in
trouble."
Rabbi Lebow reminded the
group that there is still much
anti-minority sentiment in Cobb
County. He said that the Mari-
etta City Council placed a plaque
at Mary Phagan's grave stating
that Frank never was proven in-
nocent. But a plaque also now
hangs at the site of Frank's lynch-
ing. It reads, "Leo Frank, 1884-
1915; Wrongly accused, Falsely
convicted, Wantonly murdered;
pardoned 1986; Remembered on
the 80th yahrtzeit by the Jewish
community of Cobb County."
Bonnie Cohen-Greenberg of
Kol Emeth showed the plaque to
her two children. As the family
stood solemnly, listening to the
speakers and chanting the an-
cient prayers, Mrs. Cohen-Green-
berg said the ceremony was a
kind of healing for the Jews of
Georgia.
"This is to show how sorry we
feel, to give support and show
that this thing never should have
happened," she said. "It's really
important for the kids to see —
they are going to be the future of
Judaism."
Before the service ended, Rab-
bi Lewis of Etz Chaim fulfilled
his colleague's promise to say
kaddish for Frank. "As we stand
here on what is sacred ground,
we realize that it is history, it's
in the past," the Conservative
rabbi said. "But the scar remains
in our soul, and always will be
there."
Then each of the 150 voices
rose and fell together in a haunt-
ing chant, drowning out the
sounds of the traffic. ❑
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W
ith the appointment of scope of the court's intervention
Professor Aharon to include the review of internal
Barak as the new pres- Knesset decisions and even of
ident of the Supreme coalition agreements. In recent
Court last week, Israel may be years, the court has overruled the
on the brink of a "constitutional attorney general, blocked gov-
revolution."
ernmental appointments, and
And that in a country that even forced two ministers to re-
doesn't even have a constitution. sign (because they were both un-
Mr. Barak, 59, a brilliant le- der indictment). But so far, it has
gal scholar who was dean of the not overturned any law passed
Hebrew University Law School by the Knesset.
before being plucked to become
Now, if Mr. Barak has his
attorney general in 1975, has way, that may change. For in his
served on the high court for 17 book Constitutional Interpreta-
years and became its president tion, the new chief justice de-
on the basis of seniority.
clared that "Israel is a
He is probably Israel's most fa- constitutional democracy." The
mous judge, having earned a rep- implication of this statement is
utation as a crusader for good that the 14 Supreme Court jus-
government and a champion of tices will have the power to over-
civil rights. He also is Israel's rule the 120 Knesset members.
most respected jurist, though by
The odd part of this situation
this point its most controversial is that Israel still lacks a consti-
one. The question now troubling tution. "When the state was es-
his critics, and even some of his tablished, everyone thought one
admirers, is whether Justice would be adopted, and the Dec-
Barak isn't trying to change the laration of Independence actual-
ground rules of Israel's system of ly refers to a future constitution
government by the sheer force of to be framed by a constituent as-
his personality.
sembly," notes Hebrew Univer-
As the leading "activist" on the sity law professor Claude Klein.
high court, Mr. Barak has been But then-Prime Minister David
instrumental in broadening the JUDGE page 114
ninrflal
7. :
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