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SEFtVfNG NEBRASKA AND IOWA SINCE 1920
Vol. LXIII No. 46
Bond Judith Steel, internationally known singing artist, will appear at the Lincoln Dinner of State on Aug. 25 on behalf of State of Israel Bonds, as part of the annual festive Israel Bond drive in Lincoln. Born in Berlin, Ms. Steel as an infant embarked with her parents aboard the illfated "St. Louis," the ship which was refused asylum in Cuba and forced to return to Europe. Her parents eventually perished in the Holocaust but she was hidden through World War II by a French Catholic family and finally united with relatives in the.United States following the War. Ms. Steel was raised in America arid became an internationally recognized performer with a wide repertoire of contemporary and traditional folk songs in Hebrew, English, Yiddish, Ladino, Spanish and French. Her interest in Hebrew songs was kindled by a visit to Israel in 1974, on the occasion of her son's Bar Mitzvah, as well as by her early experience as a Holocaust survivor. Ms. Steel has performed at concert halls*, and resorts throughout the Eastern United States, has been a frequent guest on radio and has appeared in behalf of many wellknown Jewish organizations. Her vocal ability arid audience rapport have been much admired, by critics and listeners alike: ' •The Israel Bond Organization is a major source^ of ^development capital for Israel, haying provided over. $6.7.billion since its inception to help build every aspect of the
Omaha, fteb., Fri., August 2, 1985
Grants Committee sc By Jerold Rosen Federation Foundation Director Jewish organizations and institutions sponsoring programs designed for youth from the ages of preschool through college, and for Jewish young adults, may apply for funds from the Esther K. Newman and Carolyn Kully Newman Grants committee. The committee allocates funds from the Esther K. Newman Trust for programs designed to strengthen Jewish identity and values through education, religious, cultural, social, or recreational activities. Particular emphasis is placed upon new and innovative programming. In addition, funds are available from the Carolyn Kully Newman fund, which was designed to provide programs for Jewish chil-
dren of kindergarten age or younger, and their families. Distributions may also be made to purchase equipment, supplies and materials for such programs. Marvin Polikov, committee chairman, advises the deadline for submitting requests is August 16. Sponsoring groups are encouraged to participate financially or in-kind. In addition, it is hoped organizations will work together to provide programs that meet the needs of a cross-section of Jewish youths. Application forms have been mailed to all organizations and institutions working with Jewish youth. Additional forms and assistance in completing the forms can be obtained by contacting the writer at the Foundation office, 334-8200.
. 24 at JCC Judith Steel nation's .economy. Israel Bond proceeds, channelled through Israel's Development Budget, help to finance industrial and agricultural projects, the construction of highways and harbors, the expansion of communications and transport, the building of new towns and the development of new sources of energy. "The whole Lincoln community is invited to enjoy Ms. Steel," Bond Chairman Yale Gptsdiner said. "It will be a lovely evening and a wonderful honor to our good friends Eleanor and Max Neiden."
Sharon Cipperley, (right) president, National Council of Jewish Women, Omaha Section, presents a check from her organization to Toby Kagan, leader of the older adult programs for the Bureau of the Aging.
By Kevin Freeman NEW YORK (JTA) — The Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of New York said it welcomed the suit filed against it by the" Jews for Jesus group as a means of exposing the activities of the missionary group. > "We welcome the suit as an effort to expose them and their tactics,", said Julius Berman, chairman of the JCRC task force on missionaries and cults. "We seek an honest disclosure of the organization." Jews for Jesus filed suit in State Supreme Court in Manhattan yesterday against the JCRC and several of its executive officers charging that the Jewish group had violated its civil rights by urging rabbis on Long Island to try to stop the missionaries from holding an interfaith seder last Passover. Berman, speaking at a news conference for the Jewish media at the offices of the JCRC, dismissed the suit as "a thinly veiled attempt to stifle our efforts for full disclosure to educate Jews and'non-Jews alike as to the true nature, intent and tactics of Jews for Jesus." He asserted that Jews for. Jesus "utilizes deceptive practices and distortion to ensnare unwary people and blurs the distinctions' between Christianity'and Judaism. Their activities lead to tensions between these two great faiths and undermines the integrity of both systems." I Nonetheless, a spokesperson for Jews for Jesus charged the JCRC, with violating their civil rights when it distributed the memorandum to Long Island rabbis, who, the spokesperson said, "intimidated some pastors" and local businessmen to prevent Jews for Jesus from gaining access to establishments in Nassau and Suffolk counties.
"Jewish Life Around the World", an exhibition of 50 photographs by world re; nowned photographer Arthur Leipzig, opened a t The Jewish Community Center Gallery on July 28 and will remain on view through August 24. Countries covered in this exhibition are Ethiopia, Hungary, India, Israel, Morocco, Rumania and Tunisia (the island of Djerba), Leipzig, whose works have appeared in many of the country's major museums, including New York's Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, travelled 12 years throughout the world driven by a personal commitment to capture his subject. ' The purpose of this photo essay, according to the photographer, is to "explode false stereotypes and myths concerning the geographic distribution, class, economics and race" of the Jewish people, and to present Jews as a diverse people of many colorations in many lands and embracing many different cultures and customs. At the same time, the exhibit shows the ties that
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bind Jews together —"reli-' gion, ritual, commitment. A poTtion of Leipzig's work is also in the tradition of Roman Vishniac, the celebrated photographer who captured so many Eastern European Jewish communities before they perished in the Holocaust. Leipzig has photographed vibrant and thriving Jewish communities such as Israel and the United States, but, like Vishniac, he has photographed Jewish communities which are in decline or threatened with extinction . . . such as Romania, India, Ethiopia. "Jewish Life Around the World" consists of 50 orig-
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inal photographs selected from a showing of 150 exhibited at the Nassau County Museum of Fine Arts in Roslyn, New York. The Museum show was made possible in part by a grant from National United Jewish Appeal, which supports a network of programs and services in aid of the Jewish communities pictured in this exhibit. This exhibit is part of the Omaha Arts West, the signature of the cultural and performing arts programming at the Jewish Community Center. For more information on this exhibit, please call Alan Potash at 334-8200.
Susan Perlman, information officer for Jews for Jesus, both faiths. Berman and other JCRC officials indicated that "the asserted in a telephone interview with the Jewish Telegraphic Agency yesterday that the organization has "no JCRC stjrongly supports the constitutional guarantees of arguments with the JCRC." But, she added, "When a group religious freedom for all." Malcolm Hoenlein, JCRC execof rabbis decides what the Jewish community should and utive director, said, however, that "they cannot pretend to shouldn't hear that is violating our civil rights. That is not be a Jewish organization. We demand that level of honesty only unethical but it is illegal." She added that the group and disclosure." does not seek a "financial windfall" but "minimum" monThe Jews for Jesus group was founded in 1973 and has etary damages. The suit seeks $100 in damages and reim- its headquarters in San Francisco. It has recently purchased bursement for attorney's fees and court costs. a seven story building in midtown Manhattan and engages The memorandum that the JCRC sent to a number of in the distribution of handbills in New York and other maLong Island rabbis warned that the Jews for Jesus was jor cities where it maintains offices. seeking a site to conduct a seder and service. "Please conThe fliers distributed by Jews for Jesus, according to tact your Christian colleagues," the memorandum said. JCRC officials, distort traditional beliefs. Seders conducted "Impress upon them how serious an affront these Hebrew by the group contain "Christological overtones," said the Christian groups are to the Jewish community." JCRC, citing the following examples; the three matzot on The memorandum also .urged the rabbinical leaders to the seder plate are said to represent the trinity, and the contact catering establishments in the area "and ask the broken afikomen, the crucified Jesus. cooperation of the management in not renting to these Furthermore, the JCRC charges that Jews for Jesus, "by groups." .. • , ^ virtue of sheer numbers, has taken over the Hillel at the The suit contends that the memorandum had "a re- University of Texas at El Paso, and in Miami, Florida, they straining, chilling and inhibiting effect" and was in viola- purchased a section of a Jewish cemetery — all in an attion of New York civil rights laws guaranteeing "the full tempt to gain credibility as legitimate members of the Jewand equal usage" of public places regardless of "race, creed, ish community. This is just the tip of the iceberg." color or national origin." Jews for Jesus did not hold its JCRC officials describe the missionary group as a well seder on Long Island, instead staging it in New Jersey. organized, professional operation with substantial funds, The beliefs and activities of Jews for Jesus and other so- estimated in the several millions of dollars.. Hoenlein called Hebrew Christian groups have fallen under criticism claimed that some support for Jews for Jesus comes, from by Jewish'and some Christian leaders, who assert that such fundamentalist Christian groups, although he did not specbeliefs negate the uniqueness and deny the legitimacy of ify which groups.