. SOCIETY
The Seniors Who Stayed By THEODORE FREEDMAN, ADL Southern Director This is. the story of nearly 100 high school seniors in Houston, Texas, who deliberately dropped out of their own commencement exercises because they were taking .place on a Friday night, the Jewish Sabbath. It is not a big story, although it was reported in the local papers, but it is a story with big implications. . The students, a large portion of the 1969 graduation class of Bellaire High School, took the drastic action of not attending
•Vol. LXVII-
graduation after school officials had refused to change the date. They made their decision after careful thought and after all other efforts had failed. It was a decision they never Ehould have been f o r c e d to make. The Bellaire graduation date —May 30—was set last summer. Attempts to change it began in October, The high school principal was approached first. He regretted the conflict but said there was nothing he could do about it. The issue' was discussed next with the school superintendent
Publlcatltm Ofrke 101 No. 20lh St. Omaha, Neb. 68103, Phono S42-13GG
who said he would look into the matter. When he wasn't heard from, the Anti-D-e f a m a t i o n League was asked to contact him. It was now four months since the original protest had been made. On February 26, a letter addressed to me as ADL regional director advised that my request for a change in date had been discussed with the school superintendent's admin i s t r ative assistants — who said a Change was impossible. ' Several days later about 30 Bellaire seniors met to discuss the problem. At their request,
OMAIIA.NEBRASKA
I sat in along with two other adults. The students were most impressive. There was no emotionalism. They wanted to avoid any unnecessary embarrassment to their school or principal. But they were determined not to violate the Sabbath wen if they had to forego graduation exercises. It was obvious that the students had done their homework. They reported that the Coliseum, the site of their graduation had two open dates the first week in June—on a Mon-day and a Wednesday, and that
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Graduation invitations had not yet been printed. -. ' They voted to convey thisi information to a group of rabbis who had a meeting scheduled with the high school principal and to defer any action on their own until after the meeting. The' rabbis were unsuccessful and an issue which could have been, and should hav» been, resolved easily had now become hopelessly bogged won in "procedure" and "the. time element." The H o u s t o n Independent School Board, despite appeals (Continued on Page 8)
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Orvel Milder Named New Communif y Center Chdirtnein Elmer Gross, president of He has also been active on the the Omaha Jewish Federation, Board of the North Omaha Boys has announced the appointment Club. of Orvel Milder as chairman of the Jewish Community Center. Mr. Milder succeeds .•Win Abramson. The Center Department of the -Jewish Federation serves the leisure time needs of the members of the Jewish community through recreational, cultural,, social, educational and athletic programs and facilities. It is designed to strengthen the Jewish community and unify it through community wide programs and activities. Mr. Milder has served on the Jewish Federation Board for several years and is a member Orvel Milder of the Omaha Playhouse Board.
Opposition Voiced on Jewish Defense league New York (JTA)—The Workmen's Circle condemned the Jewish Defense League this lante group"' aria cajied iipori .the American Jewish community to join in a unified condemnation. In condemning the "separate police force," as well as other extremist groups, the organization said, "We do not believe that carrying weapons, drilling . with grey berets and mouthlog slogans are effective means of combatting bigotry and prejudice. As responsible Jews we vigorously oppose any sclf-apointed vigilante group seeking > establish a para-military organization within the Jewish Community." The League, headed by Rabbi Meir Kahane, an Orthodox rabbi, recently took a three-column advertisement in the New York Times. It featured a picture showing six "nice Jewish boys," four of them armed with clubs, standing in front of Temple Emanu-el in New York and
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Israel Paralyzed by News Media Strike Jerusalem (JTA)-Israel was without regular radio, • television or telecommunications as a result of a strike by journalists and news-writers employed by (he Government-owned media who are demanding higher wages. Communications were paralyzed by a one-day strike of engineers and technicians for a higher cost-of-living allowance. Kol Israel radio, operated by a skeleton staff, is continuing to broadcast regular news-bulletins.—————
awaiting a confrontation with black militants who reportedly were to appear to d e m a n d
Jerusalem (JTA)—The Gov- ident Charles de Gaulle's emernment and people of Israel bargo on 50 Mirage jet fightervoiced d e e p disappointment bombers. over French President Georges • Political sources said M. Pompidou's decision to main- Pompidou's c o m m e n t s last tain indefinitely former Pres- •week indicated that Israel would not get the jets which it had long since paid for in full, and that the new regime 1 would -continue policies laid down by Gen. de Gaulle in order to foster Franco-Arab reJerusalem (JTA)—A Foreign lations. Ministry spokesman has conThe political sources noted demned United Nations Secre- that M. Pompidou had stressed tary G e n e r a l U Thant for the- deep traditional ties be"dramatizing" the s i t u a t i o n tween France and the Arab along the Suez Canal and equat- states while making no refering Egyptian "agression" and ence to Israeli-French relaIsraeli ''defense measures." tions. They noted also that he The spokesman referred to had spoken of a curtailment of Than's w a r n i n g in a report the Middle East arms race but to the Security C o u n c i l 1 last did not mention the continuing week that "open warfare ' is massive flow of weapons to the raging.along the Suez Canal Arab states. and that the situation there was The principal passage In worse than at any time since President statethe June, 1SJC7 Arab-Israeli war. ment was: Pompidou's "Is it possible to The Israel spokesman said i m a g i n e a re-appraisal^flf the Suez Canal danger did not French policy? (It) could in stem from the threat of a new
U-Thanf Fears Called 'Dramatic
- -ijjjy"advertisement carried of "heating up" the area. the caption: "Is this any way He said the Egyptians profor nice Jewish boys to be- claim this policy and obviously have?"* It then answered the do not wish to change a warquestion saying "maybe" and like situation to one of. peace. adding that "maybe there are He said Thant's fears should . London" (JTA)—Soviet Fortimes when there Is no other have been addressed only to eign Minister Andrei Gromyko way to get across to the ex- Egypt because Israel does not insisted before the Soviet Partremists that the Jew Is not initiate incidents and is ready liament this week that Israel quite the 'patsy' some think he to honor the cease-fire agree; must withdraw from all occuIs." ments fully. pied territories as a pre-requislte for peace in the Middle East.' He also proposed in an address to the Supreme Soviet that the Big Powers create a nuclear-free zone in the Mediterranean. United States Assistant SecreWashington (JTA) — Jewish dish newspapers and attend a tary of State for Near Eastern groups began a two-week vigil Yiddish theater/ v Affairs Joseph Sisco, arrived outside of the Soviet Embassy At the time, Kochubiyevsky in Moscow to discuss the Midhere last week to demand freedom for Boris Kochubiyevsky, had not been a r r e s t e d but east situation with top Soviet a young -Russian-Jewish-' cngi' charges had been b r o u g h t officials in a continuation of the neer imprisoned last May for against him for slandering the United States—Soviet dialogue demanding" the right to emi- Soviet Union and its system. which has been underway in grate to Israel and for Insisting "Is it really a slander that in Washington for several months. that Soviet Jews be allowed to the'multi-national Soviet state It appeared that Sisco and leave the country or to lead only the Jewish people cannot Kremlin leaders would discuss Jewish cultural and religious educate their children in schools general disarmament, Gromyv lives in Russia without fear of in their own language?" he ico's proposal for a nuclear-free repression. The vigil is being asked in his letter to Mr. Brezh- Mediterranean indicated that , the topic of arms reduction conducted between noon and 1 nev. Kochubiyevsky applied for an probably would be discussed. p.m. daily by constituent groups of the Jewish Community Coun- exit visa for himself and his No Middle East state at prescil of Greater Washington and wife, who is non-Jewish. When ent possesses nuclear weapons; he went to pick up his papers It is generally conceded that will end July 24. Kochubiyevsky's case came to his apartment was searched. Israel has the technical knowlight when Western newsmen The visa wad d e n i e d and how to produce them. Israel acquired a' copy of a letter he charges were brought against has said it would stand by its wrote last November to Soviet him stemming from pro-Israel pledge not to be the first nation Communist Party leader Leo- remarks he had allegedly made to introduce nuclear weapons nid I. Brezhnev in.which he following the June, 1967 Arab-. to the Middle East. The U.S. demanded the right to go to Israeli war. According to re- Sixth Fleet which patrols the he was Eastern Mediterranean is nucIsrael so that he could send his ports from. Moscow, children "to study in a school sentenced in May to; three yeai'sv lear-armed. The Soviets Tiave ~ never-said whether their-largeIn Yiddish" and could read-Yid- •'*- - Soviet prison- ~"
any case only consist in a return to the so-called 'selective' embargo that existed before Jan. 3; and even this would' naturally hinge on local developments and on the attitude of the parties concerned." Israeli commandos on Jan. 3 raided. Beirut Airport, after which Gen. de Gaulle decided to extend the 18-mouth-old embargo on the Mirages to all military equipment, .including s p a r e parts.) • M. Pompidou indicated that the most he envisaged was a more liberal policy that would permit delivery of defense weappns and "weak" offensive weapons, as well as spare parts, to Israel. The Arab world rejoiced over the decision. A Beirut newspaper carried the headline: "Long live Pompidou." But other papers complained that. France may ship spare parts to Israel.
Gwmyko Says Israel Must f® Ensyre Peace
Jewish Groups Picket for < Release of Young Russian Jew
fleet in the Mediterranean is n u c l e a r armed but many \ sources believe it is. France is the only nuclear power on the Mediterranean Sea. Gromyko told the Supreme Soviet that the Arabs were ready to settle but the "Israeli •.. leaders are following a slippery road of unfounded ambition." He emphasized, however, that the rights of all states, including Israel, should be respected.
Li. Social Clubs Mow Open to Jew* Los Angeles (JTA). — Three "social clubs" which nave maintained totally non-Jewish membership policies have yielded to a 10-year campaignvof "moral persuasion" and have agreed to accept Jewish membership applications, according to Nell C. Sandberg, regional director of the American Jew-ish Committee. ' ',"'•' The' Stock Exchange Club, the University Club and tho C h a n c e r y Club all have "changed their policy of1 exclusion of Jews voluntarily," Mr. Sandberg reported, "without public exposure and pressure." He added the clubs did so "on moral grounds ar.d •because they were persuaded It was theTlghttbing to-doi":—~-
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