News Digest

NEWS DIGEST

YOHJI YAMAMOTO

from page 24

Coalition Fights
Intermarriage

New York/JTA — A coalition of 25
Jewish communal leaders, rabbis and
Judaic scholars is vowing to work
together to "restore the ideals of in-
marriage" and "promote its impor-
tance to the future of the Jewish com-
munity"
The new group — which includes
Orthodox, Conservative and Reform
individuals and is under the auspices
of the American Jewish Committee —
says it is alarmed by recent research
indicating a growing American Jewish
acceptance of intermarriage.

Pollard's Wife
Discusses Rich

New York/JTA — The wife of
Jonathan Pollard criticized Israel and
the American Jewish community for
lobbying more "convincingly" to obtain
a pardon for fugitive financier Marc
Rich than for her husband, who is serv-
ing a life sentence for spying for Israel.
Esther Pollard made her comments
at a dinner sponsored by the National
Council of Young Israel.

Fewer Germans
Visit Israel

Tel Aviv/JTA — German tourism to
Israel is dropping sharply as a result of
the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian vio-
lence, according to Ha'aretz.
Germany has suspended a youth,
exchange program with Israel, and one
of the largest German organizers of
Christian pilgrimages said he expects
only 2,000 travelers to Israel this year,
not the usual 25,000.

Quake Damages
Shul, Studio

Seattle/JTA — The Jewish institutions
closest to the epicenter of last week's
earthquake — synagogues in Tacoma,
Wash., and Olympia, Wash. — were
spared, but three loCations in Seattle
suffered significantly.
The Seattle Hebrew Academy,
Temple De Hirsch Sinai and the stu-
dio of prominent Jewish artist Akiva
Segan all sustained serious damage in
the 6.8 magnitude quake, according to
the Jewish Transcript in Seattle.
Segan is best known for his series of

Holocaust remembrance drawings
series "Under the Wings of G-D,"
which he has been working on since
1991. He said his artwork was not
damaged.

Teachers To Get
Holidays Off

New York/JTA — Teachers in the
Orthodox community of Monsey,
N.Y., will be able to take personal
leave days for Jewish holidays.
The move by the school board
comes after the intervention of the
New York Deputy Attorney General
and Agudath Israel of America.

Orthodox Union
Staff Keep Jobs

New York/JTA — The Orthodox
Union said it would not release any
staff members for failing to discipline
a high-ranking professional accused of
harassing and molesting scores of
teenagers in its youth group.
However, the OU said it will bar
from its youth commission certain
unnamed board members who failed
to react to "red flags" about Rabbi
Baruch Lanner. The decisions come
months after Rabbi Lanner, who
denied most of the charges against
him, and the executive vice president
left the organization in the wake of the
investigation.

Torah Scroll
Makes It In Iowa

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Des Moines/JTA — A Torah scroll
was crowned by Chabad Lubavitch
before several hundred people in a cer-
emony at the Iowa State Capitol
Building, as the state declared Iowa
Torah Scroll of Unity Day.
In recent years, a growing number
of Chasidim have moved to Iowa
because of a new kosher slaughter-
house in the town of Postville.

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Gun Permit
Requests Up

Jerusalem/JTA — Requests for gun
permits are up 300 percent in Israel
since Palestinian violence erupted in
late September, Israel Radio reported.
The greatest increase has been in the
environs of Jerusalem and around the
West Bank's Ariel settlement.

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3/9
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27