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SERVING PES MOINES, Vol. LV No. 62
(COUNCIL BLUFFS. LINCOLN, OMAHA Omaha, Neb., Frl., Novembers, 1976
Goldsteins, Solomons Represent Omaha At 45th CJF Assembly Nov. 10-14 OMAHA - Shirley and Buddy Goldstein and Marlene and Lou Solomon will represent the Jewish Federation of Omaha at the 45th Genera] Assembly of the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds (CJF). They wlH be among more than 2,000 Jewish leaders and Federation executives who will attend the Nov. 10-14 meeting In Philadelphia. Delegates from 800 Jewish communities in the United States and Canada are expected to consider top priority issues Involving major local, national and International needs facing North. American Jewry, according to CJF President Jerold C. Hoffberger. The urgency of achieving increased Federation cam; paign funds to meet these needs will also be stressed, Hoffbergersald. . ' An association of central community organizations - Federations, Welfare Funds, Community Councils — CJF aids these
CnafmHerzog
Frank Latstenberg
communities in achieving their goals. These goals Include maximum support for UJA and other overseas agencies plus major national and local services. Four Plenary Sessions and an Assembly Banquet will feature such, distinguished speakers as Chaim Herzog, Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations, and Frank Lautenberg, National UJA chairman. Other major addresses will be delivered by Hoffberger; Dr. Robert Gordis of the Jewish Theological Seminary; Dr. Daniel Elazar, Temple University; Dr. David Hartman, Hebrew University, Jerusalem; Dr. David SIdorsky, Columbia University; CJF executive vice president Philip Bernstein. '."I ' .1 A wide variety of forums, workshops and lectures will be offered during the five-day assembly covering a range of topics ' from the Middle East, community relations, Jewish responsibilities, election implications, education, leadership, aging, all facets of Jewish involvement. The Omaha delegation anticipates spreading out so as to receive full benefit from as many sessions as possible. A special session for Intermediate size cities on Friday, Nov. 12 will deal with the 1977 Philanthropies campaign. Buddy Goldstein has been named as a discussion leader for this session and Lou Solomon will serve as a professional resource person. The busy five-day schedule includes breakfast discusjUAps,, "•J6fild?'gr*jps and-lnfotmal sessions durlng-a unique Shamhi program on Nov, 13. ' .' • • ;:;:"•-';',-"» "We anticipate, gaining much valuable input from this assembly and we also hope to make a positive and meaningful contribution during this important meeting Goldstein says. •. . Solomon notes that the many areas of concern to be covered during the assembly encompass the wide-ranging Interests of the Jewish communities from international to local Issues, from the very young to the very old. "We hope to return to Qmaha with a deeper appreciation and understanding of the, goals toward which we are striving and new Ideas and meajns by 1 ; which to reach them."
CeCe and Ed Zorkinsky cast their ballots on Nov. 2 (World Herald Photo)
Zorinsky Wins Nebraska Seat OMAHA-Nebraska elected Its jfirst Jewish Senator on Nov. 2 with the victory of Democrat Edward Zorinsky over Republican contender JohnY.McCollister. Not only is Zorinsky the first Jew to represent Nebraska in the Senate, he is also the first Democrat in the Senate from Nebraska In 42 years.
die. He'll work very hard to represent all. the people of Nebraska in the U.S. Senate." Asked about the impending move to Washington D.C. Mrs. Zorinsky said, "I have mixed emotions. It's hard to leave Omaha, but we do plan to come back often and we will keep our home here."
The Zorlnsky's have three ' Zorinsky, who has served as children-, Barry, 23, Jeff, 20, Omaha's mayor for the past and Suzle, 16. They have not 3& years, gained a 5347 per- yet decided who In the family cent margin In upsetting three will be moving to Washington. tet'm C o n g r e s s m a n . .Mayor Zorinsky, a native •MoCoIllster. ' Omaban, Is the son of Mr. and According to historian Carol MrsHymieZorlnksy • ' Gendler, Omahan Edward There were 39 Jewish canRosewater was an unsuccessful candidate for Congress didates for national office across the United States; 27 In both 1900 and 1906. Mayor Zorinsky was D e m o c r a t e s a n d 11 unavailable for .comment at Republicans. The results of press time Wednesday those races were not complete however CeCe Zorinsky, the at press time. mayor's wife, told the Jewish Other successful Jewish Press, "I'm very proud of Ed(Continued on Page 2)
Russian Tour Begins Susan Budwig's Own Commitment By Barbara Simon away from the tour guides and her tour group OMAHA — Susan Budwlg has always thought and sleuthing on her own appealed to her. She of herself pa only moderately interested In , felt she could have a tangible Impact on the Jewish causes I— nothing you could get excited lives of several people she would meet face to about. face—help Jews in what seemed then to be farShe definitely would have called herself not off Russia — one of the lands of our fathers — particularly committed to things Jewish. Until as Jews have helped each other always. she happened to get an invitation from her Her family and others on the trip became family in Baltimore to Join them on a trip to gradually aware that she would be visiting Russia some weeks ago. And then she happen- Russian Jewish activists.- They would have ed to hear about Shirley Goldstein, chairman of preferred that she not do this, but they later the Omaha Committee on Soviet Jewry. saw that It was a harmless and valuable inShirley showed Susan her photo-books of formal "ambassadorship" for Judaism. Jewish "refusnik" families waiting to get perHer two week's in Russia took her from Kiev mission to leave Russia — some of them to Odessa to Leningrad to Moscow from,Sun. waiting for live years or more without Jobs. She Sept. 25, to Thursday, Oct. 8, She brushed the explained to Susan the harassment any family lives of many brilliant, talented people who are who applies for an exit visa endures — phones suffering and demoralized'merely because cut off, mall stopped, Jobs canceled, children they have asked to leave the Soviet Union. refused entry to universities. Here are some highlights from Susan's trip. ' She gave her names of people who were FIRST STOP KIEV. Her first night at her waiting for a word of encouragement from peo-. hotel, the telephone rang off and on at odd pie outside Russia, waiting for Jewish books, hours of the night, startling her, but not really perhaps clothing, canned food, messages from causing any concern. The talk among tourists relatives here, messages that senators or con- is that the phone rings all the time for all gressmen were lobbying for them from their visitors. No one is sure whether It Is the ineffipolitical vantage points; ciency of the hotel operator ringing the wrong She asked Susan to deliver some of these room, or whether the government really wants things to specific people in the cities she was visitors to know they are being watched. -. - (Other impressions: Susan says many people going to visit. The people she would see are activist "refusniks" — protestors to the Russian are rude, push on the street, never say "excuse government, watched, often arrested, me," or smile hello. She saw very few children and fewer teenagers. "It was astounding," she undesirables. . Susan was hooked. The slight sense of danger says, "I can't tell you the feeling of ominous .appealed to her. The adventure of breaking unpleasantness hanging over everything. It
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was terrible and at the same tune fascinating. I was cut out to be a spy.") Spying was not really what she was doing, of course. The most serious crimes she committed were to encourage "refusniks," carry greetings back and forth and transmit Jewish culture. ! She found out as she yisited several families and Individuals that she could make ar-
Susan Budwlg listens intently as some of her information Is interpreted by Shirley Goldstein. (JP Photo)
rangements, visit with them and meet their friends with no difficulty. "I'd like other people to know that," she says. "So that if anyone wants to do it, they will. The Russians laugh and say we are silly to be afraid to come to see them. After awhile, I wasn't." She had two people to try to see in Kiev. She called them from a booth outside her hotel; the first family was not home. She took a cab to the apartment of second family, named Multakh. , /A neighbor let her in. The Multakhs were out. When Mrs. Multakh came down the street and saw lights In her house, she became frightened and called her neighbor from a street phone, thinking that the police might be in her apartment. The woman was uncomfortable with Susan's visit. She has a son about ready for the draft, she told Susan, and if they don't get permission to leave Russian soon, it may be 7-10 years before his servce will end. She was not willing to risk accepting the things Susan had brought, but she gave her the. name of a family nearby who would like them. Susan walked there, met and talked with Alexander and Mila Mfzrukin, who were thrilled with the books and other things Susan gave them. Alexander is a psychiatrist. They're waiting for their exit permission. They were eager to continue their visit, so after dinner they met Susan outside her hotel for a short talk on the street. While they were (here, Susan met an American college student who was traveling almost the same .circuit as (Continued on Page 3)