NEBH HISTORICAL SOC 1500 R BT 68508 INCOLN k"
SERVING KcLHASKA, IOWA Vol. LXII No. 29
Omaha, f&b., Fri., R/Ssrch 18,1884
By Morris Malino Editor-in-chief Historian Max I. Dimont ended the 1984 Kollah Weekend here Sunday with a cautionary note for American Jews: "The Jews may become the most visible target in the battle today between the Moral Majority and the humanists." Mr. Dimont said that "perceptions can be deadly and dangerous" and that there could be trouble for Jews if they are perceived by the Christian majority na being a "threat" to middle class values. "Is the Jew perceived today as a mainstream American, or as a leader of a secular movement that is threatening values in America?" Mr. Dimont asked. Mr. Dimont called for a "voice of moderation" and "evaluation" in terms of communal action. "History doesn't care about fairness . . . the victors write history," said Mr. Dimont. He added that his advice would be: "Don't rock the boat." Mr. Dimont commented on the clash between the Moral Majority and the humanists in his talk on Background
to Danger: The new Chriotian Perception of the Jews.'* An estimated audience of 200 was on hand for the Sunday lecture at Temple Israel. Similar numbers were present at Both El Synagogue Friday night and Beth Israel Synagogue Saturday morning. At Beth El, Mr. Dimont dismembered myths about Jewish history in discussing the fall of Jerusalem, anti-Semitism in tho Middle Ages, the romanticizing of the Marranos, and the alleged non-resistance of the Jews to the Nazis. Mr. Dimont suggested that the view of the Jew in Biblical times should incorporate the fact that it took the mighty Roman army four years to defeat 23,000 Jewish soldiers and that the Jewish nation suffered some 600,000 casualties at that time. "This would compare with 50,000 casualties suffered by England during, all the blitzing by the Germans in World War II," he explained.. ' * "
Contrary to popular Lc-iiof, there was no directed campaign of anti-Semitism against the Jewc in the Middle Ages, said Mr. Dimont. "The Jews actually were protected by the Church with the expectation that they would be converted and thus tho balance of the world would see that the Chosen People had accepted Christianity." He pointed out that the Crucades were not directed against Jews, but against all "heathens". "In a 200-year period of Crusades, the Jews lost perhaps 1,000 per year," Mr. Dimont said, adding that in one Crusade alonet more than a million Greek Catholics were slaughtered at Constantinople. Another myth, said Mr. Dimont, is that the Marranos of Spain were "nice pious Jews forcibly converted to Christianity who practiced their religion in secret." Not so, said Mr. Dimont, who in his explanation pointed out that Marrnno is the Spanish word for swine and that this was the term used by unconverted Jews in talking about those who converted. The Spanish word for conversion, he said, is "conversos". Mr. Dimont said that the Marrano myth has been exploded in thi3 generation by the fact that Franco of Spain .allowed scholars to study the historical archives in that nation and that research is. now coming to light. The last myth, that of Jews not fighting against the Nazis, was approached with mention of the Warsaw Ghetto and some other heavy losses of life in World War II. He pointed out that Jews should not be singled-out, adding that three million Russian prisoners didn't fight back, neither did 70,000 American soldiers on the Bataan Death March, nor did the seven million Christians exterminated by the Nazis have a chance to fight back. Mr. Dimont said that when it came to the Jews, one must understand that Jews by nature could not believe other human beings could or would behave in such beastly fashion, • (continued on page 3)
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Dinner Theater _C
. May 6 ia our Yom Ha'atzmaut celebration - The thomq is "J27/3 in Different Nationa". V/c'ra Iir.vjnu a poster contest just for you, So corso on and ENTLIt. Lct'a rc3 what yovi can do. By Barb, w Clmndfer
By Karyn RifZrin Publicity Chairman Yom Ha'ntzma'ut Planning Committee '
Children in kindergarten through sixth grade are invited to enter the Yom Ha'atzmaut Poster Contest. To enter the contest all that ' one needs is imagination, a 22's28' white poster board, and any medium including paint, crayons, yarn, cut and paste, markers and so on. Posters should be turned . in to the front desk at the
The JCC Theater Committee is planning its -second Dinner Theater evening to coincide with the opening of the Spring production of You Can't Take it With You on Saturday, March 31. Theater Committee members Pam Cohn, Patty Nogg, and Sheila Polikov are coordinating the event. "Our last Dinner Theater, for the opening of Convertible Girl, provided an - elegant setting for fine food and entertainment," said Pam Cohn, "the Theater v Committee is proud and excited to offer anothef such evening to the community, all within the convenience of the JCC." Patty Nogg (continued on page 5)
Jewish Community Center on this subject. by 5 p.m. on Friday, April Winners of the contest 20. Be'sure that posters en- will be announced in the tered have the child's name, May 4 issue of the Jewish address, phone number, and Press. Ribbons will be 1 grade level on the back. awarded to children in each The theme for this year's grade level, and posters will Yom Ha'atzmaut contest is be on display in the Jewish "Jews in Different Na- Community Cepter. tions". Barbara Chandler, For information, call Barcontest chairman, said the " bara Chandler 330-5985 or theme is a good-opportunity; staff director of- the Jewish for children to'learn of the Cultural Arts Council Ann many different countries •Kibbl; .Schwartz 334-8200. where Jews live. The Jewish -Application forms for the Federation Library at the poster contest may be obJewish Community Center tained at the front desk of can be a resource for books ,the JCC. . , --,,,.- , .
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'Editor's note: Tho following is the text of a letter which was ueiit to Senators Edward Zorinsky and J. James Exon; the Board of Directors'of tho Jewish Federation of Omaha urgea all Federation members to communicate directly with Senators Zorinsky and Exon to express opposition to the proposed Constitutional amendment!! which would permit prayer in public cchoolu: Dear Senator: On behalf, of the Board of Directors of the Jewish Federation of Omaha, I write to express the Board's unanimous and unequivocal opposition to the proposed -amendments to the United States Constitution which would permit prayers in public schools. : There are two possibilities only. First, officially sanctioned, prescribed prayer; second, so-called "voluntary" prayer or moments of silence for purposes of prayer. The first possibility is so repugnant to the concept of free religious expression as to be itself blasphemous, and no constitutional amendment can detract from the mockery of the true meaning of prayer that results from the imposition of involuntary prayer. The second possibility is no less free of its psychologically coercive effects. A school child today is free to take his or her moment of silence, to utter his or her prayer when need or feelings compels. By contrast, the official designation of a moment of silence certainly must carry • with it an "announced 'purpose;' and'if*thatpurpose be private prayer, then that moment, fixed in time by official action, is just as much an "establishment of religion" as spoken words and just as much an unwarranted intrusion in time, in place, and in manner as those spoken words. Moreover, if genuine prayer and sincere religious feeling are worthy goals, then it is ludicrous to think that a moment of silence is necessary to assure their accomplishment or, indeed, that the clamor of an active classroom can defeat their realization. When the rights and liberties of a minority are at stake, conscience, not the perceived wishes of a majority of your constituents, must be your guide. The Board of Directors of the Jewish Federation of Omaha urges you to actively oppose and tovote against all of such proposed constitutional amendments.
Word has been received here of the March 7 death by drowning of Bruce M. Fellman, 20, of 9906 Broadmoor Road, son of Darlynn and Tom Fell- ^J : man. According to the U.S. Embassy in Colombo, capital of the island formerly known as Ceylon, the youth had drowned in the Indian Ocean while visiting the nation of Sri Lanka. p __ ,'-' £ A sophomore at j_ " " ?>-_ y . • ].\ ', George Washing- j \~~ '\ ' ton University in j , i! Washington, D.C., U . \ . . . '.'.,—'.......:' 'Bruce was taking Bruce Fellman part in Semester-At-Sea, an around-theworld study cruise sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh. - The parents were advised that Bruce had drowned while swimming. No other details were-available. The funeral was held at
Sincerely yours, Howard J. Kaslow President
Temple Israel Thursday. Bruce was a Rotary Club exchange student in Germany and England during the summer of '82. He also had served as president of Weizmann Chapter of AZA and had rowed on the George Washington freshman crew team. Bruce's parents are establishing a memorial fund at the B'nai B'rith Youth Organization and contributions may be directed to the Fund in care of the Jewish Community Center, 333 South 132nd Street, Omaha, NE 68154. In addition to his parents, he is survived by sister, Louri; brother, Ted; and grand-. parents, Mr. and Mrs. Leo I. Meyerson, and Dr. and Mrs. Leon Fellman, all of Omaha.
The community observance of Yom Hashoah will take,place Sunday, April 29 at Beth Israel Synagogue, according to Marty Shukert, chairman of the Jewish Cultural Arts Council's Yom Hashoah Committee.