903010-OC 60 NEBR HISTORICAL SOC 1500 P ST LINCOLN NE
685G3
SERVING NEBRASKA AND IOWA SINCE 1920 Vol. LXVN No. 14, OiMha, Noiir.
27, KMmf, 5751 FMtf, Dw. 14, 1990
Jews encouraged by meeting with Pope By Rath E. GrnlMr ROME (JTA)-An international Jewish ddegatioo emerged from a neariy hour-long meeting with Pope Jo^ Paul II elated with the warm atmosphere, if not entirdy satisfied with the results. The pope himself described the meeting with a 30-member ddegation of the International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Consultations as "very inqiortant." And Seymour Retch, chairman of the UCIC delegation, called it "the beginning of a new chapter" in CatholicJewish relations. He praised the pope's warmth, as wdl as the "obvious desire on the part of the Vatican to have good relations with the Jewish community." But at the same time, Reidi expressed some di8q>pointment that the pope did not go further in some of bia •taUmotU, partkulariy ODtbiVaticaa'a refusal to teoognixe The occasion of the meeting, the first of. its Idnd in three years, was a two^iay gathering of Vatican and Jewish leaders called to commemorate the 25th anniversary of "Nostra Aetate," the 1966 decree by the Second Vatican Council that redefined CathoUc^ewiah rriations and apaoMl the way for a cootinuing dialogue between the two faiths.
During the gathering, the Vatican demonstrated its desire to resdve the painful three-year dispute with wwld Jewry ovo' the establishment of a Carmelite convent on the grounds of the former Auschwitz death camp. Archbishop Edward Cassidy, chairman of the Hdy See's Commissian on Religious Rdations With the Jews, announced that the Vatican is giving substantial financial assistance to he^ conqdete constructian of a new convent and ecumenical center where the nuns at^Auachwitz will be raiocated. A Vatican spokesman said the aid amounted to $100,000. Dtsing Us meeting with the Jewish leaders, the pope said, "This has been a very important day. Let's hoM to cimtinua" He called the "Noetra Aetate" anniversary "nothing other than the divine twyy which. jaUlWing Christiana and Jewa to mutual awareness, respect, cooperation and solidarity." He also affirmed tin "absolute singularity of God's choice of a particular people, 'His own' people, Israel." Using the Hebrew word for the Holocaust, he added that "no dialogue between Christians and Jews can overlook the painful and terriUa esperienoe of the Shoah." llie pope also confinned the ccnchiaiaaa put forward in a landmark
joint Jewish-Catholic statement made in Prague Sept. 6. He urged that the Prague declaration and its recommendatioo to fight anti-SnnitiBm everywhere "be widcfy recognized and implemented wherever human and religious ri^ts are violated." Leaders of the Anti-Defamation League of B'nal B'lith, here to mark the "Nostra Aetate" anniversary, thanked the p<^ for his efforts to fight anti-Semitism. But much still has to be done, eqMdaUy in Eastern Europe, they said. Reich renuurked later Uiat "the significant thing is the kx^ and dear OQofirmation of the Prague statement" by the pope. "This ia now official Vaticanychurch policy. It calls for repentance" for past Catholic wrongs against Jews, and "it caiUa viaagea a i^an to impilameat the eoncrete proposala to fight anti-Sonitiam set forth in the Prague docunmt." Nonethelees, Reich said he was "somewhat disqn>ointed that the pope did not go b^ond that which was set forth in hia tezt." In his own remaika to the pontiff, Reich called for coocrate action in the future, particularly in fighting anti-Semitism in Eastern Europe. He also mged the Vatican to recogniie laraaL
Omalia Federation urges UJA missions to Israei By Jill Kashaer Beimoat Federatkm pdiHc Jay Leraer, president of the Jewish Federatim of Omaha, announced that a variety of missions to Israel are bdng sponsored by the United Jewish Appeal and that the Omaha Federation will be promoting them in the next few months. Joodi Vettzer will serve as missioa chairman. "Recently, I had the incredible of^ortunity of par tidpating in a miaakiQ to the Soviet Union and larad in ctnnectian with Operation Ezodua," said Mr. Lemer. "I can honestly say that I was much more uncomfortable in Moscow than I ever was in Jerusalem. It was my second visit to the Jewish homeland; both trips were outstanding. "If there was ever a tinw to show support for Israel, it's today," he added. "Our safety and security as Jews in this country is tied directly to the prseervation and contimad sunMrlXua Jewiahbomaland." The following missions will be offered in Omaha: UJA Discovery Mission to Israel (March 10-20); Women's Businesa and Professional Mission to Washington, D.C. (March 3-6); Women Only Mission to Ciechoalovakia and Israel (March 3-14); Winter Singles Mission (Feb. 10-20); the Physicians and Sur geons Miaaion to Israel (Apr. 28-May 8). Beiore aha left earlier this week to visit family i
for thoir aafety," Ms. Sanditen emphadzed, adding that, "if Israel were not safe, UJA would not take any riaka. People who come bade from larael lealiza this. Th«y don't feel the danger perceived by others who have not been there."
Jay Laner
Omahan Alan Potash, who recently returned here after living in Israel for five years, agreed, saying, "people who go on tours are the safest. Iliey're not in the trouble areas which are mostly in the old dty of Jerusalem and the West Bank.
bers in Jerusalem, Marsha "People never have to be Kleinberg sakl she is not looking over their ahoulfearful for her safety. "It's der," Mr. Potash added. safer walking the streets in "There are always security Jerusalem than in most cit- people who are doing that ies in America," she said. for them, tbty take vary She explained that one good care of touriata wlx> day after the Temple Mount come in groups." violence last Octobo-, her "When the tourist trade is s(m-in-law visited the Weat- down in Israel, the ecooomy em Wall without inddent, suffers," Ms. Sanditen aaid. and noted that her ei^t- "Israel needs tourists. year-old granddaughter Without them, merchants rides a dty bus through and hotels are affected, and downtown Jeruaalso avaiy there iaa greater rate of uniaf to get to school empkiymant which affects "This ia not a dty under fiunflies. And what meaaage siege," notM Mrs. KMn- doea the fear of traveling to berg, a former Milwaukee Israd send to Saddam Huaresident who moved to sein?" Omaha three months ago. While she said she is sen"Now is the time to go to sitive to people's feelings Israd," said Sara Sanditen, and cooceraa, Ma. Sanditen national chairman of the mnphaaiied aolldari^ with 1991 UJA Diaoovery Mis- IsriML "Our aui^ort means sion to Israel "We want to so much to Inael and we support Israel, and this ia don't wont to nei^bct our the time to show our Israeli people. We have to keep brothers and sisters that we that support in mottoiL If it are with them. would atop, larael wauU be'"Hioae partidpating in come even more iaolated the miaaions need not fear andknaly."
U.S. gives assurances to Shamir on Gulf I Friadmaa proceae win remain on hoM WASHINGTON (JTA) until the Gulf criaia ia re—Israeli Prime Minister solved, the Israeli prime Yitzhak Shamir left the miniatar said. Bush and Shamir, who White House on Tuesday with what he aought moat: ^-faad not met in over a year, asauranoae from President took pains to push aaide Bush that a aohitian to the reports that they dialiked Persian Gulf criais will not each another. be at the aipease of laraeL "I want to give a warm "I tnut tihe preaidaDt in wekwue to the prime mlnwhat he said," Shamir toU later here, and I'm derep(niara after the naariy lighted that ha ia here for two-hour meeting. "He talka," the praaklent tokl said it aeveral times. He repcMters aa he wdcomed said it to me now again. Shamir in the Oval Office. At a aoparate pletore. There will not be any deal at the expenae of laraeL" taking aeaaioa for laraeli Buah expreaaed apprada- photographera and televition for laraal'a km profile aion camera crews, Bush in the international effort saU, "Happy Chanukah to to force Saddam Huaaein all the folks in Israel." to withdraw from Kuwait. After the White House In turn, Shamir gave his aeaaion, Shamir told "full support for the reportera, "Tliia meeting, I leadership of the preaident think advanced further the of the United SUtee in the special ralationahip, friendcriais in the Gulf." Both ahip between the United leadara also agreed that Stataa and Israel" lliat the Middle East peace the poasibillty of a Gulf ao-
hition at larael'a < preyed on Shamir'a mind waa evidenced by the atrong warning he made againat auch an outcome during a apoech Monday night in New York. "Weahallnotaoquieace to any deal with enemies who wish to deatroy ua," Shamir aaid at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, where he received the Jabotinaky Foundatlon'a 9100,000 Defender <rf Jeruaalam Award. In his speech, Shamir said be would not be SUPprised if some countries, "not only Arab governments," put forth the a^ gument "that larael ahould make a contributim, oatenaibly for the sake of world peace." But ha quickly made it dear that larael wouM not agroa to any linkage batwaia larael'a adminiatratioD of the territoriaa and the
Iraqi occupation of Kuwait. "Let me, therefore, state at the very outset: larael in 1990 ia not Czechoslova-
kia of 1938," Shamir declared. He waa referring to the Munich agreement of 1938, in which Britain and
France agreed that Ciechoalovakia shouU cede the Sudetenlaad to Qarmany. Czechoelovakia waa fully (Coatlnued on Page 11)
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