Without You, The Suruiuors' Stories
Might Never Get Told
She comes from
Przemysl, Poland. She
is among the 10% of
Polish Jews who
survived Nazi
Occupation. Now she
is in her 80's. Her
family's graves are
overgrown and
crumbling. Her
experiences have gone
untold. Remembrance
and Reconciliation,
Inc., an Ann Arbor
non-profit, is working
to restore Przemysl's
Jewish cemetery and
to publish the stories
of survivors like her—
in Poland, where they
most need to be heard.
Help us fight Anti-Semitism in Poland.
Help us preserve the Memory.
Please send your tax-deductible contribution to:
R emembrance and .Reconciliation, Inc.
1835 Cambridge Road <> Ann Arbor, MI 48104
For more information, call: ( 7 3 4) 665 -5 7 3 4
"It was shocking," said one Israeli
police official. "Muslim youths
attacked every vehicle whose driver
they believed to be Christian."
The violence immediately sparked
warnings about the millennium festiv-
ities. Officials in Nazareth and in the
Israeli government have already invest-
ed millions of dollars in development
projects — including the renewal of
the ancient market, paving new roads
and rehabilitating old buildings — in
preparation for the influx of tourists
expected to arrive from all over the
world to mark the millennium.
But as things stand now, even the
regular stream of tourists, mostly
Israelis who visit the town on week-
ends, has dwindled.
"If the conflict continues," said
Amir Orly, a tourist guide, "the pil-
grims will not come — neither to
Nazareth, nor to the Sea of Galilee,
nor will they come at all."
Unable to reach an agreement
among themselves, Christians and
Muslims in Nazareth tossed the ball
into the hands of the Israeli govern-
ment. Mayor Jeraisi said it was only
fitting that Israel intervene because
the land in dispute is state land —
that is, it is up to Israel to decide how
it should be used.
Islamic politicians countered that
the land is under the control of the
wakf, the Muslim body responsible
for overseeing Islamic holy sites.
Now an Israeli ministerial commit-
tee has ruled that Nazareth's Muslim
community may build the mosque —
provided they removed the protest
tent they had erected at the site.
Salman Abu-Ahmad, an Islamic
leader in Nazareth, rejected the decision.
The decision is not serious," he said. It
does not meet our minimum demands."
Abu-Ahmad called on the Israeli
government to recognize that the land
in dispute belongs to the wakf, adding
that only once such recognition is
given will Muslim leaders be willing
to discuss the size of the mosque.
Abu-Ahmad charged that the Israeli
government was giving in to interna-
tional pressure — meaning the church.
For their part, church officials
expressed the hope that the ministeri-
al decision would help restore calm to
Nazareth.
Just the same, however, they
described that decision as a "victory
for the Muslims."
Even were the decision to win the
approval of both sides — which appears
unlikely, given the initial reactions — it
may be subject to change after Israel
holds its elections next month.
Once a new government is formed,
Israeli leaders may once again have to
take a stab at working out a compro-
mise acceptable to both Islamic and
church officials. E
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Three-and-a-half year-old. Matan Brenner-Kaddish gestures as his parents, Ruth.
Brenner-Kaddish, left, and Nicole Brenner-Kaddish, talk in their Jerusalem home
Sunday. The Kaddishs, who live togethei; petitioned the Supreme Court Sunday asking
for joint motherhood for Matan, born in California to Ruti Brenner-Kadish through
artificial insemination and adopted by Nicole Brenner-Kadish under California law.
Israel refused to honor the California ruling. According to Israeli law, one child cannot
have two mothers. The couple has another infant, Nicole's biological son.