SERVING MEBRASKA AND IOWA S!f4CE 1920 Vot. LXI1I No. 9
Omaha, Neb., Fri., November 15,1985
By Lisa Rosenberg, Vice President and Soviet Oppressed Jewry Chairman, Cornbelt Region B'nai B'rith Girls On Tuesduy at 8 p.m., the B'nui B'rith Youth Organization will hold a demonstration to protest the treatment of Soviet Jews. It will be held in the parking lot of the Jewish Community Center at 333 South 132nd Street. This event is intended to coincide with the Summit meeting between President Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev. To show our concern for our fellow Jews and to make the community aware of their plight, we will have a short, nonreligious ceremony. The ceremony will be followed by a period of car-horn honking, then a period of silence, and finally, a shorter period of horn honking. We have notified other cities with B'nai B'rith Youth of this event, and they will be holding similar demonstrations. We have contacted severnl local government officials and are awaiting their replies as to their interest in participating in this demonstration.'
have planned theater parties together. Both Omaha Lodges By Claudia Sherman support the B'nai B'rith Youth Organization. B'nai B'rith is America's largest, oldest, and most repSiegel, an attorney with Weinberg and Weiriberg, exresentative national Jewish organization. It also happens plained that Cornhusker Lodge was relatively inactive for to be the nation's ojdest native-born major service organtwo or three years, but the trustees, realizing "the Lodge ization. The Masons and Odd Fellows are much older and was. going nowhere quickly" initiated a membership drive • have been here much longer, but they were founded overabout two years ago. • seas. B'nai B'rith was born in America in .1843. "They were aiming for new members about 25 to 35 years It is 37 years older than the Salvation Army, 38 years old,'', Siegel said. He noted that they werelpleased with the older thanthe American Red Cross, 39 years older than the ' 11 or 12 new members they enlisted at that time. Siegel Knights of Columbus, 47 years older than the Daughters himself as well as three current vice presidents joined at of the American Revolution, and more than 70 years older • V • that time. These new members have recruited about 20 to than the Kiwanis, Lions, or American Legion. So writes 25 more new members. "The potential is for a lot more," Edward E. Grusd in his book, "B'nai B'rith, The Story Of he added. , a Covenant." Henry Monsky Lodge also has been looking for new Omaha's Henry Monsky Lodge of B'nai B'rith is estimembers, said Juro, who is general manager of No Frills mated to be more than 75 years old by Ed Rosen, a trustee Supermarkets, but they haven't stressed it as much as Cornand long-time member of the Lodge. Omaha B'nai B'rith husker. Siegel estimates his Lodge has about 200 members, has figured significantly in the national organization's hisDavid Siegel, (left) president of Cornhusker Lodge while Juro said Henry Monsky has about 450. At their joint tory. and Richard J u r o , president of Henry Monsky installation in September, 150 attended. More than .60 years ago, Sam Beber agreed to become Lodge. The two Lodges work closely together. They are hiring the advisor to AZA, which at first had no meaning until a mutual part-time clerical worker to handle detail work. Beber and the boys in the youth club attributed the words 1,200 people to the annual charity dinner last year. Ahavo, Zedakah and Achdut (love, charity and unity) to Funds raised by the Lodges are donated to Jewish and Whoever joins B'nai B'rith can choose what they want to do even if it's just paying their dues, they agreed. Memthe letters. Beber was able to convince the Omaha Lodge to non-sectarian recipients as well as to Israel; to sponsor the group. On May 3,1924, it became AZA ChapHowever, fund raising is only part of the program. Corn- bership numbers may suffer due to more pressure on men ter Number One. husker Lodge annually relieves non-essential staff at sev- in their careers today, varied interests, and other organiToday, the B'nai B'rith Youth Organization, which in- eral area hospitals on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. zations competing for membership. Siegel said it's a bit early to say if Cornhusker's revitalcludes boys and girls, has grown to some 35,000 members The Lodge also honors retiring policemen and firemen, Mzation is successful. "The joint installation was a success," awards scholarships, and contributes to disaster relief. around the world. Henry Monsky Lodge members periodically honor one he said. "At least we have programs, We haven't had proSome of B'nai B'rith's most illustrious members, including the late Henry Monsky, and Philip Klutznik, were from or two Omahans for their involvement in the community grams for awhile," he remarked. Juro said, "We've always at an Americanism Citation Dinner. They also finance a had people involved, but we'd like to get some new blood." Omaha. Commenting about "the good life" in America, Siegel said Richard Juroc current president of Henry Monsky Lodge, number of children's programs at the Jewish Community and David Siegel, president of Cornhusker Lodge in Omaha, Center. In cooperation with the Jewish Cultural Arts Coun- he thought that with the comfortable feelings Jews enjoy which was founded shortly after World War II, described cil, the Lodge has sponsored or co-sponsored several cul- in the United States comes complacency. "They may not think they need to take an active part" in Jewish life. "I B'nai B'rith as "the Jewish men's fraternal and service tural productions at the Jewish Community Center. . The Greenberg Foundation, named after Dr. Abe Green- think they're wrong." organization." Philip Klutznik put it this way. "In B'nai B'rith is to be Activities run the whole gamut from social and athletic berg, sponsored by the Henry Monsky Lodge, provides colfunctions to insurance programs and service projects. Per- lege scholarships for several Jewish students each year. found the synthesis of the American Jewish search for the haps best known for its annual sports stag, which is spon- Members also get together at card nights, picnics, at bowl- genuine compatibility of a great Jewish heritage with the sored by both Lodges, B'nai B'rith attracted more than ing, and at Breadbreakers lunch meetings. Culturally, they inspirational qualities of the American dream itself..
Gush leader accuses Peres of secret deal with Jordan By David Friedman WASHINGTON (JTA) — Danielle Weiss, Secretary General of Gush Emunim, charged here that Premier Shimon Peres has secretly agreed that Israel will participate in an international conference to discuss a Middle East peace settlement which will open in Geneva in two months. Speaking at a press conference at the offices of Americans For a Safe Israel, Weiss said she received this information from ministerial sources just two hours before she left Israel. . The participants would be Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Syria, the United States and the Palestine Liberation Organization, according to Weiss. She later explained that the PLO representatives would bo people agreed upon by the PLO chief Yasir Arafat and King Hussein of Jordan and accepted ' b y
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Israeli Embassy spokesman Yosef Gal told the JTA that there was no truth in Weiss'claim. He said Israel's position oh the PLO and«n international conference is well known. He noted that Peres, in his speech before ;the UN; General Assembly, stressed that an international conference cannot
be a substitute for direct negotiations. Weiss' charges also dispute the official position of the U.S. which has been stressing for months that Hussein's demand for an international conference has been the major stumbling block in advancing the peace process. The U.S. also has maintained that the ultimate goal is direct negotiations. Weiss, despite denials from the Israeli government, said that Peres and Hussein have agreed on establishing a "con= dominium;" -or joint Israeli-Jordanian rule of the West Bank and Gaza, as the first step. She said the joint government would deal with such things as water resources and land use. However, Weiss stressed that the biggest fear of the Gush Emunim is that a peace conference would lead to territorial concessions, not only in Judaea and Samaria, but because .of Syria's participation, on the Golan Heights, too. "This is the thing .we are very much against because we believe that territorial concessions are dangerous* for the future of the State of Israel," Weiss said. She added, "and for Americans and free world interests in the Middle East
as well." Weiss stressed that this is why Gush Emunim wants to stop the peace process now before it reaches a stage when it is "much harder" to prevent territorial concessions. To help this effort, Weiss, who has had meetings at the State Department and with members of the Senate arid House, said she came to the U.S. to set up an office for Gush Emunim in New York and later in other major cities, including Washington. She said there was a "vacuum of information" in the U.S. on some factors of Israel's interests. "Once Americans and once American Jews realize what this so-called peace process leads to. they will very much support the cause of remaining in Judaea and Samaria and not withdraw from there," she said. She said peace requires a change in the Palestinian covenant and the attitude of Arab leaders toward Israel, . Weiss charged that Peres is keeping the agreement for an international conference secret because it is the only wa^ he "can proceed with the peace process without being stopped by the inner opposition."