Greek Shoah Is HMC Topic

Several local Hellenic groups and the
Holocaust Memorial Center (HMC) are
co-sponsoring "The Holocaust and the
Greek Jews" 3 p.m. Sunday, March 15.
The free lecture will be given by a Greek
native, Dr. Mimis Cohen, professor of
surgery, University of Illinois and Mt.
Sinai Medical Center. The event will be
held at the HMC Zekelman Campus,
28123 Orchard Lake Road, Farmington
Hills.
Cohen will focus on the loss of 87 per-
cent of the Jewish population of Greece
and the destruction of most historic
communities during the Holocaust. He
will describe how the remaining Jews
were saved through the heroic efforts of
members of the clergy, police, the resis-
tance and, above all, ordinary citizens
who defied the Nazis despite immense,
personal danger to themselves and their
families.
Stephanos Becharas, owner of the
Gallery Restaurant in Bloomfield
Township and a member of the Detroit-
area Greek community, explained, "We
are delighted that this very inspiring
professor will be speaking on this
subject. He has the whole history and
it is one not many people know much
about:'
For information, call (248) 248-553-
2400, or visit www.holocaustcenter.org.

Beth Ahm 'Megillah Madness'

Purim begins at sundown Monday, and
all are invited to Beth Ahm's carnival
beginning at 5:30 pm.
"Megillah Madness" will include
carnival games, costume parade, music
from Star Trax, slot-car racing, food (for
those not fasting for Taanit Esther) and
the reading of Megillat Esther by teens
and adults. A transliteration will be pro-
jected onto a big screen. Maariv, includ-
ing the megillah reading, is at 7:45 pm.
Carnival tickets are available in
advance or at the door. Bring a new or
gently used item for babies or toddlers
and get five tickets free.
After Maariv, food will be served for
those who fasted. Beth Ahm is at 5075
W. Maple, West Bloomfield. For informa-
tion, contact Nancy Kaplan, (248) 737-
1931, or nancyellen879@att.net .

Hamas/Israel Talks?

Jerusalem/JTA — Hamas tried to start
secret talks with Israel before its mili-
tary operation in Gaza, a British news-
paper reported.
The terrorist organization passed
messages about kidnapped Israeli sol-
dier Gilad Shalit through a member of
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's family,

according to an article in the weekly
Observer published Sunday.
The attempts to establish a direct line
of communication between Israel and
Hamas was negotiated by veteran Israeli
peace activist Gershon Baskin, accord-
ing to the Observer. Baskin said llamas
has made overtures for direct negotia-
tions with Israel three times since Shalit
was captured in a cross-border raid in
June 2006.

U.S. Out Of Durban II

Washington/JTA — The Obama admin-
istration has decided to boycott the
so-called Durban II conference over ant-
Semitism concerns.
Multiple sources on a conference call
with the White House on Feb. 27 told JTA
that the Obama administration had opted
not to attend any further preparatory
meetings ahead of the planned U.N. con-
ference against racism in Geneva in April.
The conference reprises the 2001
conference in Durban, South Africa, that
devolved into an anti-Jewish free-for-
all. Canada and Israel have opted not
to attend the conference, and some U.S.
Jewish groups had been pressing the
United States to follow suit.
Preparations for a draft document thus
far have seen Iran leading a coterie of
nations blocking inclusion of anything
that might guarantee Jewish protections
— including mention of the Holocaust
— while inserting draconian language
guarding Islam against "insult"
The State Department sent a delega-
tion, including a senior staffer from the
American Jewish Committee, to this
month's preparatory talks. The delega-
tion's conclusions were that the anti-
Israel and anti-Western tendencies were
too deeply entrenched to excise.

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Rocket Slams School

Ashkelon/JTA — A Kassam rocket
slammed into an Ashkelon school,
destroying classrooms and injuring two.
The rocket, improved to travel farther
and packed with more explosives, was
one of seven Kassam rockets to hit
southern Israel on Saturday.
Along with destroying classrooms, it
damaged areas in the school that had
been labeled safe zones. Two people
living near the school were injured and
eight were treated for shock.
Police experts said the improved rock-
ets that struck Ashkelon are rarely fired
at Israel. They said the circumference
was wider to allow for more explosives,
which were able to penetrate a build-
ing that was reinforced against Kassam
rockets. Two tractors were required to
pull the rocket from the ground.

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March 5 • 2009

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