9030] 0,60 NEBR HISTORI
KZ-s IOWA Vol. LXIf No. 40
Omaha, Neb., Fri., June 1, 1984
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"West of Hester Street", a dramatic documentary about the Galveston, Texas port of entry, will be shown for the first time in i this area at the second annual meeting of the Nebraska Jewish Historical Society. The Wednesday, June 20 meeting at the Jewish Community Center at 7:30 p.m. will also include annual reports, election of ofi ficcrs and a reception. It is open to the community. Galveston, Texas was chosen as the port of entry for the "Galveston Movement", a project that saw the settling of many Russian Jews in the heartland of America including Nebraska and other midwestern states. The plan was devised by American ; Jewish leaders when, by 1906, the Jewish population in America was one and a half million, with almost one million living in New York. The poverty-ridden ghettoes of the Eastern seaboard cities became an excuse for increased anti-foreign sentiment. and an effort was made to see the situation. : The recently produced hour-long film, using flictors, period costumes, an original ' musical score, archival footage and the voice of veteran actor Sam Jaffe, has received ac. claim wherever it has been shown. The story interweaves the events of the "Galveston Movement" with the story of a young Jewish peddler who is forced to adjust to a new : way of life far from a thriving Yiddish_culture. The documentary was produced by Media Projects of Dallas, Taxes and directed bj^Allen and Cynthia Mondell. Major funding for it was by the Texas Committee ~ f o r the Humanities.
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Galveaton Rabbi Henry Cohen greets Jewiah immigrants to Galveston '— July 1, 1907. (Photo from "Weat of Hester Street") • In conjunction with the showing of this film, the Nebraska Jewish Historical Society will begin compiling a list of those families who came to the United States through the Galveston port of entry. Any person knowing of details concerning the arrival of their family through Galveston is asked to bring the material to the June 20 meeting or mail the information to the NJHS, 333 So. 132nd Street, Omaha, Nebraska, 68154.
rican, Jewish I The Honorable Norman Krivosha, Chief 'Justice of the Nebraska Supreme Court, will give a public address oh Sunday evening, June 10, at 7:15 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center. The address will be on the topic, "Jewish and American Law" and will be followed by a discussion. The discussants will be Rabbi Paul Drazen, of Beth El Synagogue; Rabbi Jonathan Rosenbaum, professor of Jewish 4 Chief Justice Studies at the Unii) Krivosha 5 versity of Nebraska at Omaha; and Robert | Yaffe, deputy Douglas County attorney. , The address and discussion is sponsored
by Cqrnhusker Lodge of B'nai B'rith as part of a public issues forum. The forum IB open to the public, without charge. According to the co-chairmen of the forum, Stanley Krieger and Steven Riekes, this forum will concentrate on contemporary issues from the perspective of comparing the two great legal traditions; Jewish and Anglo-American. Jewish law has certain values and concepts that may be highly relevant to a number of problems faced by the American legal system, they said. The co-chairmen, both trustees of the Lodge, pointed out that Justice Krivosha has a unique understanding of both legal systems. Further, he has been very active in both the Jewish community and in the general community in bringing about an understanding and appreciation of legal issues by the public. The forum will be followed by a reception.
"To be joyous is to be happy . . . glad . delightful." "Debbie Friedman's music in joyous." said Joanie Jacobson Yom Ha'atzmaut entertainment co-chairman. She will be in concert at the Jewish Community Center June 10 at 1:30 p.m. The dny will start with a brunch at noon. Cost for the concert and brunch will be $7 for JCC members, $9 for non-members, $6.50 for non-members and $3.50 for students and seniors. Reservations for brunch must be in by Wednesday, June 6 without exception. Ms. Friedman's knowledge of her material and depth of enthusiasm for her heritage have given this musician and performer the tools to bring a living, breathing, relevant Judaism to thousands of people. She views her music as an "attempt to arose a level of Jewish consciousness and humanism." Her music is infectious; it is participatory, it is joyous, Mrs. Jacobson said. Debbie Friedman's music was featured during Yom Ha'atzmaut; the Double Chai Revue included several of her popular pieces. The Jewish Day School under the direction of Lori Stan performed "Learning In The Compassion" Debra Polsky performed "You'll Never Catch The Wind" and
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Debbie Friedman Liz Doherty choreographed a dance piece to the song "And the Youth Shall see Visions." For more information about the concert or the brunch call the Cultural and Performing Arts dept. 334-8200 ext 232.
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Residents of the Blumkin Home released balloons on May 17 in celebration of National Nursing Home Week. The balloons contained the names of Home residents with a request for the recipient to write the Home. One letter from Iowa had been received at press time.
Sen. Charles Percy (R. 111.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and bis Democratic opponent in this year's elections, Rep. Paul Simon, both said in separate addresses to the AJPA's 42nd annual meeting at the L' Enfant Plaza Hotel earlier today that they do not know whether the strong opposition in Congress to the sale would be changed because of the present crisis in the Persian Gulf. There has been some indication that the Administration would now seek- to sell the Saudis 1,200 of the shoulderfired Stingers on the argument that it would lessen any need for Americans to be militarily engaged in the defense of the Gulf and its vital oil supply lines. The Administration withdrew an earlier proposed sale to By David Friedman WASHINGTON, May 24 <JTA) — Vice President the Saudis last March, at the same time that it took back Gcorga Bush maintained to Jewish editors and publishers a proposal to sell 1,613 of the missiles to Jordan following today' that" the Reagan Administration has mads "no de- King Hussein'o statement that he would not participate in termination" as to whether to ohep again propose the sale Middle East peace negotiations because he considered the U.S. too one-oidsd in favor of Israel. of Stingor anti-aircraft missiles to. Saudi Arabia. At that time, Administration spokesmen acknowledged • Buoh, welcoming membprs of the American; Jewish Presir Association (AJPA) to a briefing by White House officials . .that Hussein's remarka ended any chance of approval of at the-old Executive Office Building, said he was not even the sole by Congress v»hero opposition to it had been stead'. • sure that the Saudis: had formally requested the missiles. Uy growing.
Editor's note: Although The Washington Post and The New York Times carried front page otories pointing to-thp •.imminent sale of Stinger missiles to Saudi Arabia, admiuictrotion officials —including Vice President George Buoh — maintained during the American Jewiah Frees Association convention last week that no decision had been made. In light of the actual obipment of the mlcaileo a few dayo later, questiono perokst. I woo one of come 60 editors who heard the vice president.
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Photo by Lduite Graham
Bush said today that the Administration at the time was "not overly upset" over Hussein's remarks but believed that the situation has since improved. However, the Administration has withdrawn its request for Congress to approve the creation of a Jordanian strike force for deployment in the Persian Gulf in the event of an emergency.. Both Buah and Percy maintained that the AWACS reconnaissance aircraft sold to the Saudis in 1981 have been invaluable in the present crisis in the Gulf, providing intelligence and protecting the oil fields. Percy said he could not take a position on the proposal to sell the Stingers to Saudi Arabia until his committee holds a hearing on it. But he said he was surprised by the reports today that the Administration was considering the sale. Simon said that while he could not predict what his colleagues would do, he continues to oppose the sale of weapons to any Arab country that refuses to join the peace process. He said he doea not see the present situation in the Persian Gulf as a reason for changing his basic attitude (continued on page 2)