Leadership Leaders
i. Vol. tVII No. 22
^COUNCIL BLUFFS, LINCOLN, OAAAHA Omaha, Neb.. Frl., February 17,1978
UJ
A Better Jew" A B'nai Mitzvah Story By Stu Chapman 1%e notice in the synagogue activities section of the Jewish Press read: "David Merrill, son of Mrs, Hannah Men-lit and Or. Jack Merrill, and Kevin Scudder, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles I. Scudder, Jr. will each become a Bar Mitzvah. . . " An ordinary Bar Mitzvah? Not quite. The Bar Mitzvah boys were 17 years old. The B'nai Mitzvah held at Temple Israel recently could best be described as the product of inspiration, Neither Kevin nor Dave had been a Bar Mitzvah at ihe age of 13 and both admitted that they were not actively involved in Judaism when they were young, but circumstances led both of them to become more aware of their faith. Dave mentioned that his inspiration to become a Bar Mitzvah came last summer when his younger brother David Merritt (left) and Kevin Scudder—Bar Mitzvah boys. went through the ceremony. Dave was fascinated by the Mitzvah, but the final Insplra- were surprised at how pleased .event and it was then that he tlon for Kevin came during tile... andpioud the general reac'decided to learn more about High Holidays, when Kevin tlon was. According to Kevin, Judaism and about being a decided that he wanted to there were a few who didn't Jew. become more aware of his - ForJCevIn, the situation was Jewishness through becoming a little different. Kevin had a Bar Mitzvah. ByJosephPolakoff been thinking about having his When Kevin and Dave apWASHINGTON (JTA) Bar Mitzvah for some time, proached their parents and and had been talking to Dave 'friends about the idea of hav- The State Department's seabout. both becoming Bar ing a joint Bar Mitzvah, they cond annual report to Congress on human rights in 105 countrlesrecelvlng U.S. aid in some form gave Israel a mixed review while issuing high marks to Egypt and President Anwar Sadat. * < •
take them seriously at first, but as'time went on and the boys practiced, even the skeptics became believers. Both boys credited Miles Remer as playing the major role in teaching them their parts for the ceremony. Dave stated that Mr. Remer helped them learn the service and sacrificed his own time to help the boys prepare their readings. For the boys, their B'nai Mitzvah was something truly special. Kevin stated that "It's a totally different experience between being at services and then being the service." Dave summed up his experience as being "enhancing" and both had no regrets about going through with the B'nai Mitzvah.
Bernie Meyers (left) and Al Bloch have been appointed Leadership Co-chairman for the 1978 Combined Campaign Cabinet, Joe Kirshenbaum and Harlan Noddle, Campaign Co-chatrtnen, have announced. Mr.' Meyers is the owner and manager of Nebraska Warehouse Company, and Mr. Bloch is a representative tor Bulova Watch Company. The Leadership groups solicits pledges of $500 to $1499.
The Nazi Situation By Boris Smolar lEdltor-lo-chlrt mwrilui, JTA t (JtwUb Ttltjriplilc A|aicy, Inc. I
Editor's Note: Additional background information" will be presented in next week's paper with an analysis by Michael Richmond, director, Omaha's Anti-Defamation League/Community Relations Committee.
American Nazi Arty founded by George Lincoln Rockwell, the notorious '.'father" of the American Nazi movement. Rockwell, who was assassinated in 1967 by one of his followers, shortly before his death changed the name of his American Nazi Party to National Socialist White People's Party as a more appealing name. It's program advocates ihe sending of Blacks "back to Africa" and Jews to the gas ovens.
Jewish organizations standing guard against anti-Semitism in this country have hiThe boys chose as the theme therto considered the Nazi and of their Bar Mitzvah: neo-Nazi groups merely as a A Former "Becoming a Better Jew." nuisance. The total memThey demonstrated that hav- bership of all the 13 groups — "Major" ing a Bar Mitzvah four yiars each of them has its own "leader" and Is functioning inRockwell's National Social*latewas : thS-Jright* tlmefbr ; dependently — Is estimated to ist White people's Party is them. • be not more than 2000. now being headed by Matt Koehi, a former "Major" in • The largest among the Nazi Rockwell's Elite Guard. After proper have been superseded groups is the National Social- the rulers of the Arab oil counon security grounds., ist White People's Party. It tries quadrupled the price of This dichotomy poses a has about 400 members in var- thelrtoil and caused an energy dilemma that will probably be ious parts of the country and shortage In the United States, resolved only in the contest of operates from headquarters in Koehl developed a propaganda campaign urging Ameria final peace settlement with Arlington, Virginia. It is the successor to the cans to bold the Jews responsitheir neighbors." ble for the Arab move. Nazis in full regalia - uniforms, Jackboots and swastika armbands — picketed the White House, synagogues, (heaters, City Council meetings, distributed leaflets in the streets in major cities and publicly announced the opening of new quarters In a number o! cities. The campaign was however, a failure. Americans were not Impressed by the NSWPP allegations that the Arab rulers were motivated by their antiJewish policies to raise to (our times higher the price of their oil. The American Nazi Party — which seeks to march In Skokie — Is a split-off from Rockwell's old Nazi Party. It Is among the best-organized Nazi groups in the country. Its headquarters are in Chicago and its "Fuehrer" is Frank Collln, a former lieutenant of Rockwell. Because of the wide publicity which the Skokle Issue received, his party — now named the National Socialist Party of America is now. over-shadowing the U.S. Rep. John Cavanaugh (Second District-Nebraska) re- other Nazi groups. cently completed a seven-nation tour of the Middle East with a In Los Angeles there is the group of Upther members of the House International Relations National Socialist Liberation Committee: Cavanaugh is greeted here in a Jan. 16 meeting with Front, founded .some three Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin in Jerusalem. Rep. years ago by Joseph Tomassl, Cavanaugh has announced plans to seek reflection to his Se- who was murdered in 1975 by cond District seat in Congress. (Continued on Page 2)
U.S. Critical of Practices
Jerry Gitnick Named District Court Judge
Jerry_M. Gitnick has been appointed a Judge of the Douglas County District Court, Chief Justice Paul White of the Nebraska Supreme Court, has announced. Mr. Gitnick, has been in partnership with attorney Steven Lustgarten the past seven years". Mr. Gitnick is expected to be sworn in and oh the bench next week to succeed Judge Lawrence Krell, who has
retired. A member of the board of the Jewish Federation of Omaha, Mr. Gitnick has served as a member of the Personnel Practices Committee, and participated In the Omaha Men's Study Mission to Israel recently. Mr. Gitnick and his wife, Saranne, have two children: Nan, nine, and Andrea, seven. They are members of Beth El Synagogue.
The 426-page report, required by law and published by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House International Relations Committee, glossed over Saudi Arabian customs of Justice, notes improvement in Syria under President Hafez Assad, o b s e r v e s t h a t Lebanon's government has thus tar been unable to r e a s s e r t its authority throughout the country, and that Jordan is "politically stable." Communist countries, except Yugoslavia, were not reported on. ' Israel, within its national borders, the report said, is "a tuUrfledged parliamentary democracy whose standards and administration of justice are comparable to those of the United States and the other western democracies."
Continuing, the report, which was released last Thursday, stated:!,?3Jn$jr-4be military regime that governs the occupied territories, cer~ Omaha lawyer JerryM. Gitnick—photographed with a group -tain of the normal human of children during a recent visit to Israel-has been appointed a rights guarantees that are District Court Judge. ~ ; ^ taken for granted In Israel
Cavanaugh Meets Begin
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