90301060 NEDR HISTORICAL SOC 1500
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LINCOLN NE
SERVING NEBRASKA, IOWA Vol. LXI Ho. 23
Omaha, Neb., Fri., February 18,1983
Author Paul Cowan opens Campaign luncheon JCAC second semester speakers announced By Robert Yaffo and Doreen Lerner "/ am an American and a Jew. I live at once In the yean 1982 and S743, the Jewish year in which I am writing this book. I am Paul Cowan the New York bred son of Chicago born very successful parents; and I am Saul Cowan, the descendant of rabbit in Oermany and Lithuania. I am not alone, Indeed, I believe my story, with all its odd, buried, old-world family mysteries, with ita poised tension between material wealth and promise of spiritual wealth, is the story of much of my generation, Jew and Gentile alike."
These words are from a current Jewish best teller "An Orphan In History" by author and journalist Paul Cowan. The book is a beautiful and moving account of Cowan's search for his religious and cultural roots. In the book, Paul Cowan, Village Voice staff writer, 42-year-old alumnus of Choote and Harvard, fifthgeneration member of a highly nssimilotCowan ed and prominent American Jewish family, has written a different type of story altogether.
Day School News Eight-year-olds Phillip Pnley and Ethan Jacobs, both students at the Omaha Jewish Day School, have "published" a newiipaper. The first issue proclaimed: The Jewish Day School is the best school for Jewish children. *lf your Jewish child would like to attend it, please contact Harris Goldstein. When your child goes to The Jewish Day School he will be very happy. The boys are the children of Susan and Dennis Pa ley and Pom and Dr. Alban Jacobs.
The Jewish Cultural Arts Council's ColWomen who attend the various Women's lege of Family Learning is most pleased to Campaign separate division events on Feb, announce that Mr. Cowan will be the kick- 28, March 1, March 8 and March 9 will hear off speaker for the Spring Semester. Mr. two outstanding speakers from the National Cowan will speak to the Omaha Jewish UJA Bureau. They Community on March 14 at 7:30 p.m. in the are Anita M. Heartheater of the JCC. Admission is free. He (then of Cleveland, will Apeak on his book, "An Orphan in HisOhio and -Leah Hartory". ris of New York. Mrs. Hearshen, Horn in 1940, Paul Cowan grew up on long a tireless worker Manhattan's East Side, living among "Jewfor many Jewish orish WASPS". He grew up in a wealthy, asganizations, has an similated home. His father, Louis Cowan, impressive backwas president of CBS and created "The ground. Her creden$64,000 Question" and other game shows; tials include service his mother, Polly Spiegel, was from the famfor the Jewish Theily who founded the giant mail order house. ological Seminary of Cowan's parents considered themselves Leah Harris America, the United completely assimilated and never discussed Synagogue Sisterhood, Einstein Medical their Jewish heritage. As a result, Paul Cowon was unaware that he was descended from School and the National Women's Comrabbis. It was his parent's death in 1976, in ' * miltee for Brandeis University. a tragic fire, that sparked the search for his She is an active participant in the work roots which are dramatically chronicled in the Jewish Federation of Cleveland. She "An Orphan In History'*. His personal ex- of is considered an expert in Middle East ploration led him to many unexpected en- Studies with emphasis on the Islamic counters, including those with the Orthodox World. She lectures widely at various and the poor Jews of the lower East Sick, and with a group of Converses (Secret Jews) in Northern Portugal. The journey literally transports us from the "upper closa" world of Park Avenue to Nineteenth Century Lithuania, turn-of-the century. Chicago, a contemporary Israeli. Kibbutz, and the world of New York City's Gail Tichauer mounts one of the Lower East Side. photographs that will appear in the 1083 Federation Campaign exhibit, After graduation from Harvard, Mr. Cow"We Give to Life". The exhibit will an joined the Peace Corps, a critical study h a n g In the J e w i s h Community of which he published in 1970, called Tho Center Gallery through March 13. Making of An Unamorlcan. Throughout The photo exhibit tells the story of the sixties, he was a civil rights and on antithe people who benefit from donawar activist. A veteran Village Voice retions to the annual Campaign — porter, he has also written for the Now peoplo who borrow a book from the York Times Magazine Mr. Cowan curLibrary, seek help through Jewish rently lives with his family in New York Family Service, live in Israel and City, where he founded the Havarah School depend on financial assistance to for Jewish Education. maintain tho quality of their lives. Several articles by Mr. Cowan appear in the February issue of the National Jewish Monthly and he has made numerous recent appearances on TV and radio talk shows.
schools and institutions on the subject of Jews, the Holocaust, the American Jew, etc. In addition, Anita Hearshen was in the Haganah, serving in the Intelligence Corps during Israel's War of Independence. Leah Harris is a sabra, born and Anita Hearshen reared in Tel Aviv. She met her husband, a Bostonian, while serving in the Haganah during the War of Indepencencc. In 1955 she, her husband and three children came to this country to live; ehe now boasts of having lived an equal number of years in each country. Mrs. Harris has been actively involved in the UJA Women's Division. She organized the first group of Israeli Women in Westcheater County to be affiliated with the UJA and is former Chairman of the Israelis in the New York Division of the UJA-Federotion.
'We Give toLife'
Yehuda Blum speaks atLincoln 'Model UN' By Gail Ginsburg Long live Palestine! I-ong live Palestine! Long live Palestine! As the clapping and chanting reverberated throughout the room, I felt a sudden chill. Then he entered . . . Yehuda Blum, the Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations. The clapping grew louder and boos replaced the chants. Blum took his scat on the stage while his sober-faced body guard assumed a nearby position, scanning the audience with piercing eyes.' An address by Dr. Blum was only ono of the many events scheduled to take place during the Sixteenth Annual Nebraska Model U.N. Conference held at the .University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus last week. The of the Model U.N. is "to educate parttclpaling sti nts on world problems, the culture and policies" of other nations, and the role and function of the U.N." Throughout the week, local and out-of-state students participate aa U.N. delegates to the General Assembly, as lawyers in the International Court of Justice, and as members of the Security Council. I was not familiar with this program until last year when our son, Phil, became involved. As a pre-law student at U.N.I,, he was defending Israel in a case brought to suit by Iraq. It pertained to Israel's bombing of an Iraqui nuclear facility. "You don't hove a chance to win this cose," Phil's professors and well-meaning friends told him, They were right. He lost the case. Iraq, however, was not awarded the five hundred million dollars for which they were suing, but instead received one dollar. It was while doing the research on this case that Phil became aware of Dr. Blum. Blum is an international lawyer
who had assisted with the defense of Israel in the actual trial. Many of the documents and letters concerning the case were signed by Yehuda Blum. Phil was impressed, to say tho least. ' •' .. . Perhaps the fact that. Phil was voted Outstanding Advocate of the Council of the International Court of Justice for his work on that case provided him with the impetus to participate on a greater scale thin year. He accepted the 'position of Vice President of the International Court. Plans began on the 1983 Model U.N. last summer. It was then that Phil called from Lincoln and informed us that the keynote speaker would be Hatem Hussaini, director of
Phil Ginsburg listens aa Israel's United Nations Ambassador Yehuda Blum speaks before a model UN session on the campus of the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.
the PalcHtininn Information Office in Washington, D.C. Phil was disturbed to think that only one side of the volatile Palestinian question would be addressed. He said he was going to try to arrange for Yehuda Blum tofipenk,too. "Yehuda Blum? Come to Lincoln, Nebraska? No way,!' said hift advisors and well-meaning friends. Angie, Phil's wife, and Kenneth White, rabbi of Lincoln's South Street Temple, urged him on. And after many calls to the Israeli Embassy in New York and the ADL office in Chicago, Yehuda Blum's appearance wag finally confirmed. Hussaini would speak on Feb, 9, Blum on Feb. 10. The "big day" arrived. Phil drove to Omaha to pick up Ambassador Blum and escort him to Lincoln. The accompanying body guard remained watchful outnidc the car until the Ambassador wan safely inside and the car was ready to pull away. They were on their way to a meeting with Uovernor Kerrey at tho State Capitol. A dinner followed at which, I understand, Judgo Norman Krivosha and Ambassador Blum talked non-stop. My husband, son Mike, and I arrived in Lincoln at 7:15 p.m. As we entered the Student Union, a small group of Palestinian and Arab students were demonstrating and handing out literature. Many of them were wearing tags that read: Free Palestine! Stop Israeli Genocide! We proceeded to scat ourselves in the designated room. 8:05 P.M. The jeers abated as the "Secretary General" approached the podium;and began his introduction. Dr. Blum waa bom in Czechoslovakia. In 1944, he was taken to Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp. At the mention of this, cheering and applause arose from many of the Arabs in the audience. Sickness and sadness swept over me like a shroud. Blum's expression remained calm. The speech went smoothly, uninterrupted by taunts. • (continued on .page 2)