News Digest

Reform Movement
Rallies For Victims

New York/JTA — The Reform
movement of North America asked
its congregations to do more to help
victims of the Sept. 11 terror attack
against the United States.
The movement also asked its
members to reach out to Muslim,
Arab and Sikh American communi-
ties that have been the targets of
hundreds of hate crimes since the
attack. Reform leaders also suggested
that congregations organize blood
drives and encourage donations to
various disaster relief funds.

Clergy Weigh In
On Response

New York/JTA — Religious leaders
who met with President Bush said
they were confident he would find
an appropriate response to the
attacks in New York and suburban
Washington.
The leaders, who included Rabbi
Joshua Haberman of Washington,
counseled and prayed with the presi-
dent on Sept. 20 at the White House
and said a U.S. reaction is necessary to
prevent further acts of terrorism.
"We have both a moral right and a
grave obligation as a nation to pro-
tect the sanctity of life and the corn-
mon good," the leaders said in a
statement released after the meeting.
Meanwhile, several rabbis signed
on to a letter backed by religious
leaders calling for "sober restraint" as
the United States determines its
response to the Sept. 11 attacks.
Some 1,500 clergy across the
United States have added their
names to the letter, which calls on
Americans to "dig deep to the roots
of our faith for sustenance, solace
and wisdom."

Babi Yar Massacre
Is Remembered

9/28
2001

28

Moscow/JTA — Some 2,000 people
gathered Sunday at the Babi Yar
memorial in Ukraine to mark the
60th anniversary of the Nazi mas-
sacre of nearly 34,000 Jews during
three days in September 1941.
Later that day, a requiem corn-
memorating the massacre was per-
formed at the Kiev Opera Theater,
where Ukrainian government offi-
cials were in the audience.