Jewish Leaders Condemn Assassination Attempt
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BLUFFS. LINCOLN, OMAHA Omaha. Neb.. Fri., May 22.1981
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NEW YORK (JTA) American Jewish religious and lay leaders spoke with one voice in condemning the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II at the Vatican. In statements released here they deplored violence and
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-w-y Programs to Receive Funding
The Esther K. Newman Grants Committee has allocated $2,450 to fund four new programs for Omaha Jewish Youth. Two categories of programs are eligible for Esther K. Newman funds. The first category Is for preschool through high school. Three programs In this category were approved for fundIng. The National Council of
Jewish Women will receive be made available to the syna$1,250 to assist in the devel- gogue religious schools. opment of an oral history project, which will include a The second category of photo-documentary exhibit. funding Is for college youth. In Tht Department of Jewish this category, the Department Education will receive $300 to of Jewish Education was coordinate a tour of Jewish awarded $000 to sponsor a Omaha for the synagogue reli- summer program for local gious schools and the Jewish and outstate Jewish college Day School. students. The Jewish Day school will According to Howard Kasreceive up to $300 to develop a Shlron (songster) which will
low, Chairman of the E.K. Newman Grants Committee, there are several proposals which are still under evaluation by the committee. The committee will meet again in October to consider additional requests. Any Jewish organization interested in applying for funds, can obtain an application form from Mitch Orlik, Federation Staff Associate.
College to Honor Sanctuary Town Haverford College, Havcrford, Pa., will confer an honorary degree on an Individual representing an entire town. Magda Trocme will accept the degree on behalf of the villagers of Le Chambon, France, who saved 2,500 Jews from Nazi oppression between 1940 and 1944. The story only recently came to light. In 1940, the late Andre Trocme, Protestantfcastor of Le ^ Chambon, and Burns Chalmers, an American Quaker, agreed upon a clandestine mission to harbor the children of Jews doomed to extermination. Risking incarceration themselves, the Chambonnais welcomed the children and every Jew who sought sanctuary in their remote mountain town. To accommodate the Influx of young refugees, the villagers took them into their homes and when their two schools overflowed, educated them In makeshift classrooms throughout Le Chambon. The Chambonnais children became a part of the mission and lifelong friendships formed among the survivors. The daughter of Andre and Magda Trocme, Nelly Trocme Blackburn, will attend Commencement along with the daughter of Edouard Theis, a prime figure In the effort. Two refugees who, as children, were taken from a concentration camp to Le Chambon, emigrated to the United States and eventually married. They also have accepted Havcrford's Invitation to Commencement.
Maiine Elected Morris Mallne, editor-inchief, Jewish Press of Omaha, has been elected treasurer of the American Jewish Press Association. Other officers, elected at the annual meeting In Houston last week are: Albert Bloom, Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle, president; Larry Hankln, Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle; Philip Schler, Seattle Jewish Transcript, and Miriam Goldberg, Intennountain Jewish News, vice presidents. Vida Gbldgar, Atlanta Southern Israelite, was elected recording secretary, and Judith Manells, UJA Record, was elected corresponding secretary. The association^ membership consists of more than 80 Jewish publications in the United States and Canada.
1981 FEDERATION CAMPAIGN PROGRESS REPORT Campaign Nears 1980 Mark I 11^4,723 raised on 5-1541 11,356,271 pledged by »ame coDtributonlnstyear tlS8,4S2 over u m e 1980 gifts equals 14.6% Increase $1,712,000 (1,600,000
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Iranian Jews Held Hostage JERUSALEM (JTA) - Ten Iranian Jews, among them the acting Chief Rabbi, Baruch Cohcn-Tzcdek, have been detained by the Iranian authorities for allegedly helping other Jews to leave the country, according to reports reaching Israel. The reports were disclosed by Likud Knesset member Moshe Katzav, chairman of
the Iranian Immigrants Association In Isreal. He said the 10 were promised they would be released In exchange for large sums of ransom money — but the promise has not been kept. Among those detained is the wife of Rabbi Cohcn-Tzedek and other well known members of the community.
Peres Invited JERUSALEM (JTA) — French President-elect Francois Mitterrand has Invited Labor Party chairman Shimon Peres to attend his inauguration on May 25, Maariv reported. The paper said Peres might be unable to attend because of his total preoccupation In the election campaign. Peres has been on friendly terms with Mitterrand for more than two decades. The two men spoke by telephone the day after the French election. Peres told a Labor Party meeting that Mitterrand had responded to his.(Per.es) congratulations by expressing the,hopes thatPereWoUrd "follow suit."' ' *' '
use violence to further their ends and causes." Rabbi Arthur Lelyveld, of Cleveland, president of the Synagogue Council of America, observed: "That one so innocent of personal evil, who symbolizes peace and love for countless millions should be the target of a would-be assassin boggles the mind and makes devastatlngly clear the frightening escalation of mindless violence in the world." Charlotte Jacobson, chairman of the World Zionist Organization-American Section, declared, in a cable to the Pope: "Our prayers are joined to those of all faiths and peoples who wish you a rapid and complete recovery so that you may pursue your efforts in behalf of peace and good will for all mankind. We are shocked and dismayed at this new dastardly act of terrorism which threatens us all with its power to do evil. Humanity will continue to be at the mercy of this disease unless it unites to eradicate it from the earth." Henry Siegman, executive director of the American Jewish Congress, declared: "We are shocked and outraged by the attack on His Holiness, Pope John Paul II, one of the world's great religious leaders. We pray for his speedy recovery and for the end to the hate and sickness which have, In recent years, increased violence and terrorism in the world." Nathaniel Sapersteln, president of the National Council of Young Israel, said that his organization, its congregations "and the Jewish people join men and women of good will everywhere in deploring the attempt on assassinating Pope John Paul II. We are shocked and saddened that yet another world-renowned leader and man of peace has fallen victim to the organized violence which has attacked civilized societies throughout the world. We urge all nations to band together- to ruthlessly stamp out this scourge of terrorism." Jack Spitzer, president of B'nai B'rith International, deplored the assassination attempt and called on governments around the world to join "in a determined effort to stamp out terrorism and to delegitlmize terrorists and the organizations and governments behind them." Spitzer, who wished the Pope a "swift and full recovery," described terrorism as "The Black Death of the 20th Century",and warned that it would persist until nations "take a resolute and concrete stand against It and until terIn observance of Memorial rorists are treated as terrorDay, the Jewish Community ists and not as 'national liberCenter will be closed Monday, ators'." May 25, except for the Physical Education Dept. which will be open from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Name The telephone switchboard Omitted will be closed. The basket In last week's paper, a photo room can be reached at 333of Llndsey Weinberg holding a 2600. Also, the Center will be cluster of balloons appeared, closed Monday and Tuesday, and her father was not identiJune 8 and 9,In observance of fied in the photo caption. He is Shavuot.1 • '•'•' -,<>[< ".iSgynard Weinberg.'" •' '
terrorism rampant in the world and wished the Pontiff a swift and full recovery from the wounds he suffered. The would-be killer, who seriously wounded the Pope in St. Peters Square, was identified as Mehmet All Agca, 23, a Turkish national of Armenian descent who Is a member of the " U l k u c l e r " (Gray Wolves), a fanatical rightwlng Moslem terrorist group affiliated with the ultra-nationalist National Movement that Interpol has branded "neoNazi." He is a self-proclaimed enemy of the U.S., the Soviet Union and Israel. Howard Squadron, chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, said that "Every creed and color and country Is wounded by the attack on Pope John Paul II for he embodies qualities of gentleness and humanity that have made him a beloved figure around the globe.. .We share the deep sadness of all men and women who love peace, at the senselessness, violent attack on this man of peace, and we join in prayer that he will recover swiftly and fully to resume his noble task." Rabbi Marc Tanenbaum, national interreligious affairs director of the American Jewish Committee, expressed "shock" at the assassination attempt and observed: "This is the latest demonstration of the epidemic of violence and terrorism that has threatened world order. Together with people of all faiths, the American Jewish Committee condemns the religious and ideological fanaticism which has now sought to destroy the life of one of the great moral and spiritual leaders of this generation." Nathan Perlmutter, national director of the Anti-Defamation League of B'nal B'rith, called for prayer. "Let us vow that we will give no quarter to terrorism, no matter its source. Failing In either, we are all of us at the mercy of terrorists and of madmen." Rabbi William Berkowitz, president of the Jewish National Fund, said: "The tragic assassination attempt on the life of Pope John Paul II leaves us all deeply shocked and saddened.. .What this latest incident points to again is the pervasive presence of terrorism and violence In our world. Citizens the world over must join together In this hour toward a common commitment against those who would
JCC Closed