Jews Attend Pope's Funeral

Rome/JTA— Jewish leaders were given
a sear of honor last Friday at Pope John
Paul II's funeral.
"They treated the Jews in a manner
that was highly respectful, and they
created us as the heads of an important
religion," the chairman of the World
Jewish Congress, Rabbi Israel Singer,
told JTA from Rome.
Jewish leaders in attendance included
Rabbi Arthur Schneier of the Appeal of
Conscience Foundation and New York's
Park East synagogue; Shear-Yashuv
Cohen, the chief rabbi of Haifa; Oded
Weiner, director general of Israel's chief
rabbinate; Rome's chief rabbi, Riccardo
Di Segni; and Elio Toaff, rabbi emeritus
of Rome, who was the only Jew men-
tioned in the pope's will, Rabbi Singer
said.
Henry Sobel, rabbi of Brazil's largest
synagogue, attended as part of the
Brazilian presidential delegation.

Israel Travel
Warning Lowered

Washington/JTA — The United States
renewed its warning against travel to
Israel and the Palestinian areas, but low-
ered the danger status in Israel's case.
The State Department travel warning
issued April 7 urged Americans to
"carefully weigh the necessity of travel
to Israel'' and to "defer unnecessary
travel to the West Bank and avoid all
travel to Gaza."
For the last two years, the warnings
have recommended "deferring" travel to
Israel, so "careful weighing" is an
upgrade. "It's a first step in the right
direction and we hope this will lead to
the lifting of the travel warnina " said
Daniel Ayalon, Israel's ambassador
b , to
Washington.
The warning also said that
Israel's planned July evacuation of set-
tlers from the Gaza Strip will lead to
protests that will "at best will be
severely disruptive and at worst may
result in physical confrontations leading
to violence."

Court Revokes Citizenship

Washington/JTA— A U.S. court
revoked the citizenship of a former Nazi
Germany concentration camp guard.
The court ruled last Friday that John
Hansl had participated in persecution
when he served in the SS Death's
Head battalion at Natzweiler and
Sachsenhausen. His lawyer said she
would appeal the decision, which
was given in the case brought by the
U.S. Justice Department's Office of
Special Investigations.

Israel's

Critics

Editor's Note: This new weekly fea-
ture, which replaces Israel Insight,
takes a look at criticism leveled at
Israel, corrects it if applicable and
puts it into perspective.

GWivso ver

The Charge

Jewish settlements on the West
Bank are blocking peace and create
an apartheid society.

The Answer

There was no peace before there
were settlements, and Israel is will-
ing ro negotiate their future. For
more than 30 years, Israel did not
annex the West Bank nor offer citi-
zenship to its Arab inhabitants —
in anticipation of a land-for-peace
deal. Israel will accept a peace
treaty that will give Palestinians
sovereignty and statehood. That is
hardly apartheid.

— Allan Gale, Jewish Community
Council of Metropolitan Detroit

"Great Matzo Balls
of Fire" Tea Towel Set

),kl s11.49

5

For Great Gifts (and Kosher for Passover Gift Baskets)

866-JUDAICA • wwwiewish.com

Congregation Chage Olam

Presents

Love Songs Concert Part 2

Love songs in Yiddish, Hebrew, Ladino and English -
From Liturgy,: Broadway and Opera

Featuring

Cantor Stephen Dubov, Aleksandra Dubov, Crystal Webster and Friends

Marty Mandelbaum, Piano
Sunday, April 17
3:30pm

Congregation Chile Olam

4875 W. Maple Road • Bloomfield Township, MT 48302

(on the southeast corner of Inkster and Maple)

Tickets: $18 per adult, $9 per child

Seating is limited to 250 seats

Call 248.851.7485 to reserve tickets with a credit card or send check
payable to Congregation Chaye Olam at address listed above.

4/14

2005

27

