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SERVING NEBRASKA AND IOWA SINCE 1920 24 KMav, 5790 Friday, DMMfflbar 22, 1989
Vol. LXVII No. 13 Omaha, Nabr.
lews mourn over leath of Sakharov By Adam Dickter NEW YORK (JTA) Andrei Sakharov, a rare voice for human rights in the Soviet Union, ?vill be sorely missed by the world Jewish community, which ! noted his passing with sadness. . Sakharov, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and nuclear physicist who died of a heart attack on Dec. 14, was once described by Soviet Jewish activist Natan Sharansky as "the conscience of the Soviet Union." "I think he himself, through his efforts and influence, really changed th^ whole atmosphere of the Soviet Union, not just now, but 20 and 25 years ago," Sharansky said on Israel Radio shortly after hearing the news of Sakharov's death. A founder of the Helsinki human rights monitoring group, Sakharov, 68, was ronanbered fondly this week by Soviet Jewry advocacy groups, 9uch aa the National Conference <m Soviet Jewry, which referred to him in a statement as a "beacon of freedom" and "a steadfast champion of human rigljts." In 1968, he attacked the Soviet leadership for "backsliding into onti'Semitism" and characterized the bureaucracy in tlie "highest elite of the land" of acting "in the spirit of Stalinist anti-Semitism." According to the National Jewish Community Relations Advisory Council, or NJCRAC, Sakharov stood outside Soviet courtrooms in 1970 and 1971 to protest the sentencing of aUyah activists who attempted to steal an airplane and flee the country. "They have only ooe aim," said Sakharov. "To go to Israel, which is their right." In 1976, Sakharov, conadored the father of the Soviet hydrogen bomb, ; published a statament on "Freedom of Choosing One's Country of Reai(fanoe." In it, he praised tke U.S. Congrsss' adoptfan of the Jaduon-Vtnik Amendment to the U.S. Trade Act, which first Ifakad the Soviets' trade statna to the Isvai of free emigration., Sakharov wrote that the amendment "continued rtfae bast demoerade and humane traditions of the Araerican people" and rejected "the aisertions of the critics" that it was "in-
terference into the domestic affairs of the USSR." In the same document, Sakharov referred to aUyah, or Jewish immigration to Israel, as "a phenomenon of gen«-al human importance and important in principle in the thousands-year-old tragic history of the Jewish people. "I understand and respect the national feelings of the Jews who go to build and defend their newly acquired homeland," he wrote. Sakharov, who spent several years of internal exile in the "closed" Soviet city of Gorky, openly supported the Jewish state and publicly defended Israel's right to exist within secure and recognized borders, while urging an equitable solution to the Palestinian problem In 1975, he warned the United Nations against sanctioning anti-Semitism, wiiile the worU body was considering its infamous resolution equating Zionism with racism. "If this reeoluticm is adopted," he said, "it can only contribute to anti-Semitic tendencies in other countries by giving them the appearance of international legality.-" Harry Lipkin, a senior physicist at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, told the Jerusalem Post he had corresponded with Sakharov since 1980, when he discovered that he and Sakharov were doing nearly identical work on elementary particles. Around the time of the October 1973 Yom Kippur War, Lipkin recalled, Sakharov's Moscow apartment was broken into by rnf«k«H Arabs who cut his teiephooe lines and threateoad his family becauae of his public support of IsrasL A'ter the break-in, SaktrivAv reportedly received i poetcard witii the messfr. "Black September always remembm its -friends.' " ' (JTA correspondent Hugh Orgel in "Tel Aviv oootiflMited to this report)
Mtyor to ipMk Mayor PJ. Morgan is srhadiiled to speak to B'nai B'rith Breadbntkvs Wadnasday at nooo at the Vaoice Inn. The meeting is open; cost for lunch is 16.
Monsky Lodge plans 36th stag Mike Abramson, Sports Stag chairman, has announced that Bob Devaney, athletic director at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, will be honored at the 36th Annual B'nai B'rith Charity Sports Stag' at Ak-SarBen on April 4,1990. Prior to his career at Nebraska, Mr. Devaney coached \4 years in Michigan high schools. He then spent four years at Michigan State University as an assistant to both Biggie Munn and Duffy Daugherty. Mr. Devaney coached for five years at the University of Wyoming where his Cowboy teams had a 35-10-5 record and won the WAC Conference title four years out of five. At Nebraska. Mr. Devaney established himself as one of the nation's finest coaches; during this 11 years as head coach, the huskerq were 101-20-2. Overall, he had the best winning percentage of active major coaches at 81 percent with a 136-30-7 record. Coach Devaney took the Huskers to nine bowl games, guided Nebraska to seven Big Eight Championships, had three undefeated seasons, and led the Huskers to two na-
Mr. Jackson joined the ABC network in 1964 and has served as spcnts director of ABC Radio West. He became the only sports commentator ever to win five straight "Sportscaster of the Year Awards" as voted by his peers from 1972-76. He and his wife, Turi, have three children, Melanie, Christopher and Lindaey. Bob Devaney tional championships in 1970 and 1971. He was the Football News National "Coach of the Year" in 1970, Coach of the Year by the Touchdown Club of Washington, The Football Writers Association of America, The Walter Camp Football Association, and by the Helms United Savings Corporation. Mr. Devaney became Nebraska's Athletic Director in 1967 where he has built one of the nation's most successful Athletic Departments. Devaney and his wife, Phyllis, have two children, Mike and Patricia. Mike and his wife, Cheri Jo, are the parents of Kindra and Robert. Special guest speaker wOl be Keith Jackson, who is currently the play-byplay announcer on ABC
Omaha Federation wins awards at annual GA The Jewish Federation of Omaha was the recipient of four Public Rdations Awards preeented by the Council of Jewish Federations at the 58th General Assembly held last month in Cinchmati, Ohio. The national awards are announced annually at the General Assembly for "excellence in public relations. " Gold. Silver, Bronae and Honorable Mention awards are given to the moet outstanding material in each of the following categories: newspapara, newalettars, newspaper advertising, invitar tiona, special brodnuee, rsmpaign brochures, annual reports, worltar trainhig Uts and posters. The new brochure for the Foundatkn of the Jewish Federation of Omaha received a Silver \ward for 'Best Special Brochure." The invitation to tlw IflW Wea^'sChai/ Grand Gifts Diviaian Apprsdatian LandMon won a Broose Awvd for "Bast Invitatkxu."
An Honorable Mention Award for "Best Newspaper Advertising" • was given to a series of three advertisements for the Foundation of the Federation, and a second Honorable Mention was awarded to the "If Not You, WHO?" Campaign booklet used in the 1989 UJA/Federation Campaign Cumulatively, the Federation obtained more awards than any other FedvatioB m ita category. Consistant <pality of public ralatians mstarials ia aspedally recognised at the General Assembly, snd tsmesMtstives of the FederatioB STB saked to come forward to recaive their awards. Howard Bloom, executive director, said, "The Federation wishss to take thia opportunity to thank Jonnie Jasobsoa. its |ul>lie rslatiaas dirsctor, for bar efforts on behalf of axI of campaign com-
Keith Jackson Sports coverage of PAC10 football and basketball Mr. Jackson has covered a wide variety of telecasts over his colorful 35-year career, including a numbtf of Summer and Winter Olympic Games, major league baseball and basketball, boxing, auto racing, and sporting events for "Wide World of Sports." Prior to joining ABC, Mr. Jackson had play-byplay assignments with Washington State University, Washington Univo'sity and had worked for 10 years at KOMO-TV in Seattle, Wash.
Dave Blackwell, former Omaha sports personality, will again be Master of Ceremonies, according to Mr. Abramson. Mr. Blackwell is sports director at radio station KISN m Salt Lake City. The Bert Render Award will be presented to the MetropoUtan Area High School Athlete of the Year. The recipient will be announced prior to the Sports Stag. Tickets are $70 and may be purchaised by calling Ira Trachtenbarg at 5533197, or by calling the B'nai B'rith Office at 334-8200.
UNL offers new class The College of Arts and Sciences of the University of Nebraska at Lincoln has announced the availability of a new course, "The Literature of Judaism." The course, which is being taught by Rabbi Aryeh Azriel of Temple Rabbi Aryeh Azriel Israel, is offered through the Religious Studies Program and Department of Classics and made possible through the support of the Jewish Chatauqua Society. Rabbi Azriel is the first lecturer to be named to the Arty Bondarin Chair m Jewish Studies funded at UNL by the Jewish Chatauqua Society. Mr. Bondarin is a former Omahan. Rabbi Azriel ia a candidate for his PhD degree from BaltimOTe Hefaeew University in the interpretation of the rabbinjl Utvature'of the first four centuriee of the ComnxttEra and is considered an expert in that area, a UNL spokesman said. The course is intended to be the first of a regular ssriae of offerings at UNL in the area of Jewiah raligion, culture and history and will serve as ths foundatioa for an eventual program in Jewish sttuUee. the JewiA Flees waatold. For additional information on thia class (call number 2426, Tueedays, 8:30-10:30 a.m), call the university.
Happi^ Hanukkah from the Jewish Press