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Madrid Conference Reaffirms Human Rights Stand
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By Shirley Goldstein
^COUNCIL BLUFFS. LINCOLN, O M A H A Omaha. Neb., Fri., January 2,1381
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leat Market Drops Kosher Supervision For the past six weeks, Kosher Pride operated under the supervision of Rabbi Tlbor Stern of Miami Beach, Florida at their processing plant on 50th and William Streets, and under the supervision of the Vaad Hakashrut of Omaha at their retail outlet at 120th and Center, according to Larry Chester, chairman oi the Vaad Hakashrut of Omaha. Mr. Chester said that on Saturday evening, Dec. :o, 1980, Larry Polctta, owner of Kosher Pride, called Rabbi Stern and requested that his supervision be withdrawn. On Monday, Dec. 22,1980, Mr. Paletta called the Federation Office
and asked that Vaad supervision be withdrawn. In a conversation on Wednesday, December 24, 1980 and again on December 25, 1980, Mr. Paletta confirmed to Mr. Chester that he was no longer interested in being a supervised kosher establishment. Mr. Chester told the Jewish Press that as a consequence of Mr. Paletta's request, frozen packaged rr.eat carrying Rabbi Stern's tag, or sliced meats sold at his delicatessen counter are no longer kosher and should not be purchased by those following the laws of kashrut. He also pointed out that any frozen meats found at
Kosher Pride still carrying tags with Rabbi Stern's name are no longer being sold under supervision and cannot be considered kosher. Naturally, unbroken packages of salami, hotdogs, and frozen packaged meats sold under the supervision of recognized rabbinical authority are still acceptable. According to Rabbi Isaac Nadoff, the Rav Hamachsir of the Vaad Hakashrut of Omaha, any meats purchased at Kosher Pride prior to this announcement are entirely acceptable according to Halacha and can be used without question.
Editors'note: Shirley Goldstein, chairman of the Soviet Jewry Committee, recently returned from Madrid where she attended the Helsinki Accords Conference. Soviet Jewry comprises the Uth largest nationality within the USSR, I.e. approximately 1% million people. Irrespective of the place of birth within the USSR, a Jew's nationality is designated as such in his Internal passport. This passport is the key requirement for housing, education, jobs, in fact of all facets of life within the Soviet Union. There are more than 110 nationalities, ethnic groups and linguistic minorities within the Soviet Union. According to the Soviet Constitution, each of these is free to express its tradition, language, history and culture. These nationalities are entitled to return to their "homeland:" be It the Ukraine, Lithuania, Georgia, etc. On June 3, 1976, President Ford signed into law a bill creating a Congressional Commission to monitor compliance with the Final Act of the
Major Effort Underway to Reinvest Matured Israel Bonds The Israel Bond campaign nationally has launched an extensive effort to secure reinvestment of Bonds which have come due or will mature during 1981, according to Manny Goldberg, General Chairman of the Omaha State of Israel Bonds. "A total of $94,333,200 in coupon and savings Bonds will mature nationwide during 1981," said Mr. Goldberg. "This sum, added to the approximately $15 million in matured Bonds still outstanding, will make $109 million available to continue Israel's eco-
nomic development." Savings Bonds purchased In 1969 will come due throughout 1981, according to the month In which they were purchased. Coupon Bonds purchased l.-om March 1, 1966 to February 28, 1967 will all mature on March 1,1981.
"Bonds purchased at that time represented an act of solidarity and an expression of confidence in Israel's economy," said Arthur Joseph, National Chairman of ReInvestment of the Bond Organization. "That confidence has been amply rewarded."
Left, Henrietta Orlovsky, sister of Masha Slepak, talks to Moscow on the telephone; Rivka Drory, sister of Iosef Mendelevich, talks to Professor Lerner of Moscow. Both women now live In Israel. Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe. (CSCE). This Final Act, the so-called Helsinki Accords, covers a wide range of subjects. Its three principal sections deal with military, commercial and humanitarian matters, but it is primarily with the latter that the Commission is concerned. The inclusion of a section on human rights in the Final Act was a most significant step. For the first time human rights took a place in an international document on an equal footing with the traditional subjects of war and trade. The Madrid meeting, attended by representatives from 35 nations, has the potential to serve as a major International (orum for discussion of human rights issues, The United States delegation, chaired by former attorney general Griffin Bell and Washington"" attorney Max Kampelman, pledge support for full discussion of human rights violations. There was much question as to how much the US is supported in this position by its Allies. Although most of the NATO countries express concern about the Soviet Union's conduct, they are not eager for confrontation (and I found this particulary true with meetings .of1 .delegations_of_thpsel_ countries) and feel that more can be accomplished by "quiet diplomacy".
Mr. Goldberg reminded must be moved there from the holders of matured bonds that Sinai. And, of course, Israel these Bonds stop paying Inter- must prepare for more Jews to come in from many new est at maturity. "Not only Is there peace be- areas of danger." tween Israel and Egypt," Local Bondholders may get Manny explained, "but the balance of trade is also shifting In touch with the Israel Bond in Israel's favor. For the first office at 315 Service Life time in its history, Israel Bldg., telephone no. 341-1177. would not have had a trade de- "Reinvestment is a simple ficit In 1980 had It not been for process," Manny Goldberg an enormous oil bill — $2.5 bil- said, "but certain necessary forms must be filled out before lion in one year. "This crushing oil bill is one the Bonds can begin to earn Ineffect of the peace treaty with •• -tercst- forthe- Bondholder andEgypt which mandated giving Israel can benefit from the up the Sinai with Its valuable Bondholder and Israel can oil fields. Because of the trea- benefit from the additional Inty, Israel must make vast vestment dollars It needs to In order to insure that areas of the Negev desert hab- continue its ecomomic growth human rights issues would be itable and economically viable and meet the many challenges for thousands of civilians who thatconfromtlt."
prominent at the Madrid meeting, many human rights groups planned to be in Madrid, holding press conferences, briefings, meetings with official delegates and demonstrations. Thus the Union of Councils for Soviet Jews opened a Human Rights Information Center in Madrid....which I helped to staff for one week the first week of December. The Human Rights Center worked closely with Soviet emigres, such as Elana Fridman, sister of POC Ida Nudel; Rivka Drory, sister of imprisoned Josef Mendelevich.. .still in prison after 10 years for the Leningrad trials; Henrietta Orlovsky, sister of Masha Slepak, whose husband Is In exile In Siberia for expressing his desire to emigrate to Israel, and other human rights groups, such as Helsinki Watch, gathered In Madridys the different groups and Individuals .kept the press and delegates focused on human rights Issues. At this time, the meeting had adjourned for the holidays. . .and the outcome of the Madrid meeting can only be a subject for speculation. The most optimistic hopes are that concrete steps will be made to safeguard the human rights of the citizens of all nations who s i g n e d Vne H e l s i n k i Agreement. It' Is for certain" that human rights activists ih Eastern Europe are looking to the Madrid meeting for reassurance that their fate will not be Ignored.
Germans Establish Fund
HKMGIOUS NKWS SKHVICE PHOTO i Reproduction {tights Not Transferable)
Shimon Peres Chosen TEL AVIV, Israel—Shimon Peres, 57, a former Israeli Defense Minister, waves to supporters after he was selected by the Labor Party to be Its candidate for prime minister in next year's election! Mr. Peres Is widely reported to be a favorite to defeat the weakened Likud forces of Prime Minister Menachem Begin.
The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Ger' many announced that Jewish victims of Nazi persecution who were in no position to file claims under German Indemnification laws may apply for a grant from a Hardship Fund established with German Federal Government appropriations. According to the Guidelines, Issued by the German Government, grants will be made to such Jewish persecutees who suffered damage to their health and arc In straitened financial circumstances. The Guidelines limit individual payments to DM 5,000 (five thousand) per person. It Is the intention of the German Government, within Its budgetary limitations, to make available up to DM 400 million for this purpose In the.
coming years. The Conference on Jewish Material Claims against Germany will distribute the funds subjects to the German Government Guidelines. The Hardship Fund is Intended primarily to handle applications from such Jewish victims of Nazi persecution who left Eastern Europe after 1965 when the deadline for filing claims under the German indemnification laws expired. Other persecutees who failed for very valid reasons to file timely indemnification claims in past years may also apply to the Hardship Fund. Interested individuals should register by writing to: Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany Gruneburgweg 119 6000 Frankfurt, Germany no later • than Dec. 31, 1981:
RELIGIOUS NEWS SERVICE PHOTO I Reproduction Rights Not Transferable)
'Holy Land' from Sand SAN DIEGO — Artist Norman Kraus fashions a Holy Land scene out of sand in a San Diego shopping center. Mr. Kraus, who spends part of each summer fascinating bathers at local beaches with intricately designed sand castles, used 80 tons of sand to complete his 45-foot-In-diameter Biblical vista.'