SERVING [U-LL.^KA, IOWA • Vol. LXH No. 45
at corsvei Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan CONY) and Julius Berinan, president of iho Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America have announced that for the first time in the hiotory of Democratic Presidential Conventions, kosher food'will be available to meet the dietary needs of the Jewish delegates and guests attending the Convention. "Kosher food is not a convenience, but a matter of religious conviction," Senator Moynihan said. "We in the Democratic Party believe in reaching out and meeting the needs of all cegments of society." The 38th Demo'c'ratic Convention will be held this year in San Francisco, on July 1619. Arrangements have been made through Wilton Caterers for the San Francisco Hyatt Regency to cerve kosher meals produced under Orthodox Union supervision. Mr. Berman, in praise-of .this'gesture, said, "I applaud the efforts of Senator Moynihan and the Hyatt Regency for. this en1 deavor. Thio is indeed a welcome atop and one that I hope will become standard procedure in both political parties." To guarantee ample arrangements, anyone wishing kosher meals at the Convention should contact the Orthodox Union office at (212) 563-4000 before July 12.
Omaha, Web., Fri, July 6,1984
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay — The foreign minister of this Latin American nation today pledged that Uruguay will continue to support Israel. In a far-ranging discussion with Dr. Daniel Thurez, the executive vice president of B'nai B'rith International, Foreign Minister Carlos Maeo spoke of the unique relationship between Uruguay and Israel and noted that both countries are devoted to the same ideals. Maeo told Thursz that his. country has always championed the cause of freedom for Jews and declared that the Jewish community in Uruguay is a "cherished and important segment of Uruguayan society." In pledging future support of Israel, the foreign minister pointed out that Uruguay has long been a friend of that Middle Eastern democracy. Maeo also cited his country's opposition to anti-Semitic attacks in the United Nations and said Uruguay recognized the need to request that the Soviety Union allow Jews and Refusniks to . emigrate. Thursz received from other Uruguayan officials a request that B.'nai B'rith in the United States intercede with the Federal government in Washington in an attempt to prod the U.S. to lower "the protectionist tariffs that make it impossible for Uruguay to compete in the American market."
By Morris Maline One of the men in a crowd of onlookers placed his ear to the wall, of a building and said, "They are ecreaming as
P iumbus, Oa
Mitchel (Mitch) Orlik, director of Planning and Budgeting for the Jewish Federation of Omaha the past two years, has been appointed to a top position in the Jewish Federation of Columbus, Ohio. Mr. Orlik ad- , vised the Omaha , Federation's board of directors ^hat he will become director of Planning and Development for the Columbus Federation in September.
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Mort Trachtenbarg, in the absence of president HowRlitcliol Oirlik ard Kaslow, read the letter of resignation to the board at its June meeting. The resignation was accepted with regret. Mr. Orlik joined the Omaha Federation
they are sub-human," is the type of response that would have been forthcoming, he said. Dr. Goldhagen explained that the Nazis rejected the 10 i n . a synagogue^".:',/.;,••>.'•.j^..— .„," •-•.c- ,../ ,..-.,': :.] r . v . . , :Cptnr0.andrnsi}tB.;J3tid',vyore.-.engagc4 in reordering the-world : The. man wasi.a.'pro^sbrTof 'me.dlclno'an'd' biology'St a* fri accordance with their own moral law, a law of absolute German university, and the screaming people were Jews in radicalism. : . a gas chamber. •• . "Thou shalt kill life that is unworthy of living," was their There was something wrong with the piping in the gas new moral code,.a belief that opened wide the flood gate chamber, and the professor walked over to help with the to mass destruction. repairs*... Professor Goldhagen gave some illustrations of Nazi beHow could such a well-educated and cultured man mathavior from his own experience as a child in Germany. ter-of-factly listen to the screams of human beings and "A truckload of soldiers got out of their vehicle and came calmly aid in the repair of equipment designed to kill them? This is a question that Professor Erich Goldhagen, a his- over to look at a group of Jews (including my mother) work- . torian affiliated with Harvard University, is dealing with ing in the streets.... they looked upon us as strange creatures, I was seen as an insect, fit for extermination. in his new book, The Gonocidal Mind. "I was almost killed by a firing squad, the leader was an Professor Goldhagen related some his thoughts during a lecture last weok at the Jewish Community Center. He also officer named Shubert, a descendant of the famous comspoke in Lincoln and conducted a course in the Holocaust poser . . . I saw him years later before a judge in Munich where he trembled and said that he had only been killing for graduate students at UNO and UNL. < Professor Goldhagen pointed out that historically Jews Jews to save Western civilization." The Nazis, Professor Goldhagen explained had a great have not understood the nature of their enemies and have tried to dismiss their adversaries as either wicked or crazed. capacity to distort reality, and the vast majority of the Ger-. If you had been able to ask the Nazis at Auschwitz why man people accepted the new maxim of their culture: "The they were killing Jews, you would have been startled by ' Jews are evil." The source of this madness, he said, was that during their answer, Professor Goldhagen asserted. "Jews are being killed in self-defense, they are trying to times of extreme stress reason loses its moorings and the annihilate the German people, we are not killing humans, mind becomes susceptible to distortions. • _
By Simon Griver YITZHAK SHAMIR Yitzhak. Shamir has been renowned^ as a tenacious fighter since the days when he headed Lehi, a splinter group of underground militants who broke away from Menachem Begin's Irgun Zvai Leumi in the 1940's. Yet Shamir did not fight for high political office. Historical cir. cuimtances destined him to be in the right place at the right time. So it came about that in Likud leaden- and lo; September 1983, reel'o Prinsao-MniDithe Herut party ter Yitzlidli Shamir 'elected him as its • WZPS photo •leader following Menachem Begin's surprise resignation. Now former foreign min•Jiflter Yitzhak Shamir goes to the Israeli people to seek a mandate to serve a full term ; aa prime minister. Though small physically, Shamir's image is one of maturity, self-con-
fidence and reliability. It was no coincidence that Shamir rather than any of his colleagues and rivals such as Arens, Levy and Sharon was chosen by Herut to be the man in charge. Shamir was born Yitzhak Jezrenicki in Poland 69 years ago. His parents had supported the Bolsheviks in the Russian revolution and were also committed Zionists. Shamir was educated at the Hebrew high school in Bialystock and when he was 14 he joined the Betar youth movement which followed the Revisionist teachings of Ze'ev Jabotinsky. . The young Shamir began studying law at Warsaw University but broke off these studies in 1935 to leave for Palestine. His father took a bank loan to pay for his son's passage to the Middle East. In Palestine Shamir worked on construction sites and later in an accountancy' office. in order to support himself. • At the same time he joined the Irguh Zvai Leumi, leaving in 1940 for Lehi, the Stern group, an organization considered even more militant than .Begin's IZL (Etzel). Menachem Begin, whose own 'fighting fam(continued on page 5)
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as a staff associate nearly four years ago, succeeding Conrad Roller who left to join the Jewish Federation in Dallas.
Mr. Orlik told the Jewish Pres3 that the Columbus Federation has been reorganized to benefit from a team approach. He pointed out that part of his new responsibilities will be to assist the executive director with the general operations of the Federation as well as the supervision of the eight professionals on staff. He said that the Columbus Campus serves a Jewish population of approximately 16,000 and has an annual campaign of almost $4.5 million. "Leaving Omaha is something I do with very mixed emotions. Omaha has given me a great deal during these past four years both in tcrm3 of professional opportunities as well as a wonderful 'home' in which Barbara and I have watched our family grow. I regret that it is my choice that now adds to the staffing transitions now faced by the Federation. It is my sincere hope that the Federation will find candidates who are able to see the tremendous strengths, opportunities and potential that Omaha has to offer."
The professor gave descriptions of two models of Nazis: In one, they claimed to act under duress and therefore ought to be acquitted, and in the other, they killed to do a ^ob.
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The professor said that his own belief is that very few would have chosen to kill, but that once the order had been given, they became zealous and no longer needed orders. "They became automatic killers working under their own steam, they discovered how much they liked to kill, and they became unhappy when Jews were not available for killing." While all of this killing was going on, what was the reaction of the bystanders? "Some collaborated, some watched with pleasure, some were indifferent, some gave passive approval, some disapproved, and a small minority tried to help. It wasn't too long before the killing of Jews became a spectacle and Professor Goldhagen said the Warsaw Ghetto was a good example, "It was a hellish scene, but vendors outside were selling ice cream to onlookers and bystanders were going about their normal business as if nothing unusual were happening. . ' . . ' " Professor Goldhagen warned that throughout history the Jews were the first and chosen victims and one thing that should be-learned is that stable conditions protecting Jews can break down rapidly.
SHIMON PERES However nobody can or would deny that It will be third time lucky for Labor party Peres' extraordinary talents and perseverchairman Shimon Peres if he is able to form ance have played an outstanding part in a government after Israel's elections to the . building the Jewish state. Knesset on 23 July Born in Poland in 1923 Peres came to 1984. Having failed Palestine as a small child and grew up in to lead the Labor Tel Aviv. He joined the Labor youth movealignment to vicment and at age 16 he enrolled at the Ben tory in the two preShemen Agricultural School near Lod. vious elections of After pioneer training at Kibbutz Geva, he 1977 and 1981, he helped found Kibbutz Alumot in the Lower has nevertheless Galilee. His leadership talents were already managed to retain evident and in 1943 he became Secretary of the leadership of \ the Labor Youth Movement. In 1947 he left the kibbutz at the request of David Benthe opposition LaV Gurion to work in Haganah headquarters in bor party and it , Tel Aviv where he took charge of important looks as if this time tasks relating to arms and manpower. it is 'now or never' for Shimon Peres. Leader of the Labor On the establishment of the state in May Peres' supporters party Shimon Peres 1948 he was sworn into the Israel Defense v/zpa view his achieve. t>"l° Forces. He was appointed head of Naval ment in remaining at the helm of the Labor Services and after the. War of Independence party, despite the failure to win in succes- was posted to the United States as head of sive elections as demonstrating his courage the Defense Ministry delegation there. Rein the face of adversity and his tenacious turning to Israel in 1952 he was made depdetermination to rebuild the battered party uty director-general of the Defense since 1977. His opponents interpret his sur- Ministry and shortly afterwards at the age (continued on page 5) vival in terms of an appetite for power.