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o- SERVING NEBRASKA AND IOWA SINCE 1920
Vol. LXV No. 17 Omaha, Nebr.
AJCongress asks for religious symbols ban The American Jewish Congress told a United States District Court in Iowa that an existing State polky of banning all displays and symbols from public property should be constitutionally applied to bar the display of a Menorah, the traditional lights that celebrate the festival of Chanukah, at the Iowa State House. "Making an exception for religious symbols on publicly-owned land would create an unconstitutional preference for religion," explained Marc Stern, codirector of AJCongress' Commission on Law and Social Action. The AJCongress amicus or friend-of-the-court brief was filed in the case of Lubavitch-of-Iowa-vs. Walters, a suit originally brought before Chanukah, 1986. Initiated by the Lubavitch movement, the case sought to overturn « decision by State authorities denying permission to place a large Menorah on the grounds of the Iowa State «tase. Last year, just days before the Chanukah holiday, the District Court denied Lubavitch a preliminary injunction which would have
allowed it to display its Menorah. That ruling was in turn upheld by the U.S. Court of AppeJeds for the Eighth Circuit. AJCongress' most recent amicus brief was filed in support of the State's motion to have the Lubavitch case dismissed in its 0tatirety. AJCongress' brief noted that in this case, unlike other Menorah cases, the Lubavitch movement did not deny that the Menorah was a religious symbol. It argued instead that it had a &ee speech right to place its Menorah on the State House grounds. AJCongress rejected the free speech argument. It argued that "in order to stat^ a free speech claim on the facts presented here, Lubavitch, at a minimum, must demonstrate that other private parties have been dlowed to erect freestanding symbols, and are allowed to leave those symbols at the Statehouse Plaza for periods of time extending beyond a permitted use of that public forum. Lubavitch's motion papers are conspicuously devoid of the necessary allegations... To allow religious speech, but not secular speech, on pub(Continued on Page 7)
JCAC opens 1988 with Kallah Weekend •
The Jewish Cultural Arts Council will open the 1988 Winter-Spring season with Kallah Weekend 1988, Jan. 29- • 31. Judge Jerome Homblass, a New York State Supreme •Court judge, wUl be the guest speaker for the weekend. , Judge Hornblass believes that our Jewishness must imjpact on everything we do in our personal, family and profesi sional lives, Jewish Community Center Cultural Arts direc' twSara Jaffe told the Jewish Press. He will speak at Beth Israel Synagogue on Jan. 29,8 p.m. His topic, "An encounter between the Talmud and the American Constitution," will address similarities and differences between American and Jewish law. The kallah weekend program will continue Saturday evening at Beth El Synagogue, 8 p.m., with "An evening with a judge, cantor and humorist." On Sunday, Temple Israel will host a bagel breakfast and a discussion on "The ethics of Jewish power" to conclude the weekend. The theme for the JCAC 1988 Winter-Spring season.' A year of celebration," honors Israel's 40th anniversary and will culminate in a 40th birthday party and Israel Expo on May 14 and 15, Ms. Jaffe said. The JCC Visual Arts department will join with the JCAC to co-sponsor the ld88 IsraeU Fihn Festival which wiU feature five Israeli films, each highlighting a different aspect of Israeli society. i Israel's present and future will be the subject of a debate on March 8, as Omaha hosts two young Israeli politicians, Dan Meridor of the Likud and and Avraham Burg of the Labor Alignment. "Israel: today and tomorrow" is being arranged through the B'nai B'rith International Lecture Bureau. This year's Yom Ha'atzmaut celebration will take place May 14 and 15 and will include a cabaret evening with the Duo Re'eim, Israeli songwriters and singers, and a day-long Israel Expo. , „ „ ,, To complete the JCAC programmmg, the College of Jewish Learning will continue to provide Hebrew and Yiddish instruction, Israeli folk dance lessons, a course in the preparation and observance of Shabbat, and a special seminar on "Jewish revolts" taught by Professor Menachem Mor, Klutznick Professor of Jewish Civilization at Creighton University. -
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18 Tevet, 5748 Friday, Jan. 8, 1988
Federation holds annual meeting Sunday at 7:30 p.m. in JCC By Joanie Jacobson Federation public relations director "The goal for this year is to streamline the board and committee process and to become a more efficient and effective Federation,"' said Saranne Gitnick, who will be installed as president of the Jewish Federation of Omaha at the Federation's Annual Meeting to be held this Sunday, January 10 at 7:30 p.m., at the Jewish Community Center. "We need to consider the schedules of today's working men and women and make the _ /-.•*• i • most of our time. Since the S*"""* ^"°«='' Federation represents the central address for the Omaha Jewish community, it's imperative that we attract as many of its members as possible. Without willing and enthusiastic community volunteers and strong lay leadership, we cannot be effective. Th^ Annual Meeting is not only an awards and installation ceremony," added Mrs. Gitnick, "but also a reflection of what has transpired in this community in the last year and a preview of what will happen in the year to come.
Also serving with Mrs. Gitnick are Jay Lemer, Federation vice president-dect; Don Yale, vice president/secretaryelect and S. Howard Ruback, treasurer-elect. '1 look forward to working with such a strong group of qualified and experienced people who know how to get the job done," commented Mrs. Gitnick. "I look forward to helping them create a flourishing Jewish community that will answer to the times and the needs of its people. It all begins at the Annual Meeting." "Each year the Annual Meeting offers this community a chance to celebrate the summation of a year of active and dedicated volunteerisni," added Steven J. Rod, Federation executive director. "We spend all year in committees and on boards conducting the business of the' Omaha Jewish community. The Annual Meeting iis a wonderfully exciting evening to pause and reflect on our accomplishments and to establish new goals. "Most important, the Annual Meeting is the Federation's way of saying 'thank you,' " noted Mr. Rod. "Volunteers do just that—volunteer. They receive no salary, no bonuses, no paid vacations. Yet, we at the Federation are ahnost totally dependent on our volunteers and lay leadership to be successful. To recognize this segment of our community and to show our appreciation for their time and effort is most certainly in order."
U.S. welcomes reduction of violence: reiterates concern over deportations By Howard Rosenberg WASHINGTON (JTA) State Department spokesman Charles Redman said Monday that the United States welcomes the recent reduction in violence in the West Bank and GaZa Strip. "Overall, we have seen a general lessening of violence and that we welcome," the spokesman said. Redman faced a flurry of questions at the daily briefing on Israel's decision Sunday to deport nine Palestinians, the killing of a Palestinian woman in the territories by Israeli soldiers and Israel's weekend air raid on terrorist targets in southern Lebanon. Commenting on the deportations, Redman said "Israeli leaders are well aware of our views." The State Department has frequently mentioned that it objects to deportation of Palestinians. He noted that "there is a judicial-appeal process that is apparently still involved in these cases." On Sunday, Foreign Minister Shimon Peres defended the deportations while speaking on ABC's "This Week with David Brinkley." Peres said that Israel was following Jordanian law when it deported the Pales-, tinians., Peres explained that since Israel does not use capital punishment, "the most we can do is to deport in accordtmce with the law." He stated that "the Jordanian law is the prevailing law on the West Bank." He also noted that last weekend passed by "in a quiet manner" ip the territories, although he said he regretted Sunday morning's killing of
the Palestinian woman. In explaining the event, he said "some Israeli soldiers were ambushed by masked Palestinians, and one of them was isolated." Then, in self-, defense, one of the Israeli soldiers "fired in there and apparently the cartridge... hit the woman.-" Peres said the army's regional commander did not accept this explanation and, as a result, the unit commander and other soldiers have been suspended. Redman confirmed Monday that "the government of Israel has expressed its regret and has suspended soldiers and the company commander involved, pending an investigation by Israeli authorities." He also expressed sympathy for any "innocent victims" of Sunday's Israeli air strike in southern Lebanon. But he added that the attacks "also demonstrate vividly the importance of security for Is-
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rael's northern frontier and stability in southern Lebanon. Those can only be brought about through a process of political reconcihation among Lebanon's warring factions," On Sunday, Peres was asked whether real progress in the peace process possible since many Israeli leaders oppose returning land seized during the Six-Day War of 1967. He responded, "I don't think that we have to divide Jerusalem. And I don't think we have to return to the 1967 frontiers." Peres said he believes that "the negotiation will result in some solution that nobody has suggested until now." He explained that "in addition to the partition of the land, you can have other solutions, like a federation, a confederation, sharing the government, a transitional period." He said the emphasis should first be to "open a
negotiation between equals, with fuU respect, with good faith—to look for a solution." He repeated his support, for an international (leace conference, as long as it does not impose a solution and leads to direct negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis. „ Peres recalled that Israel, Egypt, the Soviet Union and the United States participated in such a conference in 1973, which preceded direct talks between Israel and Egypt, cuhninating in the Camp David Accords in the late 1970s. "The taste of the pudding is in its eating," he quipped. EarUer on Sunday's show, two U.S. Jewish leaders discussed Israel's use of live ammunition, as well as peace prospects. Rabbi Alexander Schindler, president of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, recently wrote (Continued on Page 7)