dewish Press Serving Nebraska and Iowa Since 1920
Vol. LXX No. 8 Omaha
17 CHESHVAN, 5753 Friday, November D
Israel to recruit Arab diplom
Reunited in Omaha
By David Landau
V "^: t^i ]
h'*1^
^
The Igor Zinllov family was reunited with Mrs. Zinkov's parents at Eppley airport in Omah a last week tha fiks to the Operation Exodus Campaign undertaken by the Jewisl I Federation of Omaha. FVom left are: Mark Magalnik, daughter Mila Zigkov, ^iza Magalnik, Renata Zinkov, Mirel Birger, grandmother, and Igor Zinkov.
Holocaust survivors may receive funds
,
By Lainie Blum-Cogan NEW YORK (JTA) —The German government and the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany recently signed a historic agreement that re_ quires Germany to pay reparations to those Holocaust survivors who were, until now, unable to receive those funds. Thousands of victims of Nazism who lived after the war in the former Soviet 'Union and Eastern Europe never received indemnification because they were unable to file applications by the 1965 deadline stipulated In the 19S2 reparations agreement, said Rabbi Israel MiUer, president of the Claims Conference. Some 90,000 of those Eastern Europeans who made it to the West after that deadline received small nnotime payments, amounting td about 5 marks for'each (lay thvy were confimnl. "Now that their governments are free, they are tree U\ request what otliers have received in terms of compensation," Miller explained. Tlie new accord, signed the last week of October, provides for an additional one-time payment, as well as continuing hardship payment* to Jews imprisoned by the Nazis in concentration camp* or ghettoa or who livw) In hiding. Miller said. Tha payptenta will be made to tboae held more than •ix 1months in concentration campa, in ghetto* for at •» t 18 months and those who lived in hiding for at 118 montha. Iliia historic agraament with the German govamment will mak* it poaaible for some of UM moat lavaraly p4raacutad victims of Nailam — almoat ail of them •Iderly and naady — to liv* out thalr day* in dignity and ralative flnancial security," h« aald. Tha JMW accord wtU also placa at th« dUpofJ of the Claims Confaranca 30 million marks (approximately |19 million) for grant* to institution* and organization* that provida social cara to aldarly Jewish Nati victims. Mlllsr said he wa* '•atlsAsd" with th« Urms of ths accord. *Ws applaud th* Claim* Confsrene* on their sfArts,* said Rabbi Abraham Coopsr, associate dsan of tha Simon WlaoMithal Canter In Loa Angslss. "WaV* not Udking about charity bars,* ho eontlnuod. Ths agroomsnt "sands • romkiMior about tha contlnulilg rssponsibUlty of ths Oomuin nation te ths Jswish and other victim* of ths Nsil Holocaust," which to Mttma* »
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israel for the first time, is publicly recruiting Arab citizens for its diplomatic service. Foreign Minister Shimon Peres told Israeli Arab mayors the government would advertise its annual recruitment drive for a diplomatic cadet course in the Arabic as well as Hebrew press. The Arab municipal leaders reacted with "gratification" to Peres' encouragement of Arab university graduates to apply for the three-year training program, officials said. Briefing the Arab leaders on the peace process, Peres said the agreement reached with Jordan at the talks in Washington last week in fact went beyond its official designation as an agenda for further discussion.
It represented, rather, a blueprint "of the shat^e of the peace (that will be concluded) between Israel and Jordan," Peres told the Arab officials. He pointedly remarked that similar progress had failed to materialize in talks with Palestinian negotiators. Peres told the Israeli Arab leaders, many of whom maintain close contact with Palestinian leaders in the administered territories and overseas, that the blame lay ' with the Palestinian negotiators' unwillingness to discuss a plan for a transitional self-rule-authority, rather than for statehood. "They are nflt yet prepared to recognize that what is on the table is a proposal for ^an interim arrangement, based on autonoihy, which is not Separate sovereignty,'' he said.
- "Time is sho Peres. He said I ' • proposing "polit , tions" in the ten in contrast with limited munic proposed by the ., .1 [ Likud government — to be held early in 1993, following which the autonomous authority would start functioning. Regarding Syria, Peres said there was certainly progress — but not yet a clear-cut definition from the Syrians of their conception of the nature of the peace. He said the multilateral negotiations were intended to chart a course for regional progress. Peres said regional projects should be started without delay, so as not to lose precious time.' *A poor and frustrated Middle E^st" meant more opportunity for eruption of extreme fundamentalist forces," Peres said.
Prager says Jewish Law serves purpose By Deborah Fellnuui Dennis Prager, a Lo« Angeles radio talk show host and author of several 'books on Judaism, told about 90 people at the JCC that only logic and reason can keep American Jews Jewish. He said most Jew* are Jewish because of habit, loyalty to ethnicity, or faith. But he said none of these reasons convinces him. 'People go on doing Jewish thing* because of inertia," he said. "They keep kosher or go to shul because their parents did. Or they don't because their parents didn't," he said. He discounted tha theory that Judaism i* an eth-' nicity and (aid hs would liks to lee more people, especially Black psople, convert to Judsism. He also said h* hsd £sith thst God exists but said btith akms Isn't snough rsason to practice Judaism.
*/ don't think God gives laws that toe cant understand.' 'If I didn't think God wsrs behind Judaism, I wouMnt b* bars tonight," ho said. 'But I don't think Ood gives law* that w* cani undoratend." Hs pointad te tha shabbos gay as • Jswish tradlUon that dsflas rsason. things Ilk* that maks us took like Irrational ftm
from loft are) Polcy Alperaon, Dennis Praifi-r. Margie Alperson that he's Jewish." damentetist*," he *aid. Answering a question Beneath his cspiivHt Mr. Prager ssid he detrom the audience about , veloped hi* rstional rea- ing rhoteric, Mr. PrageKs kashrut, Mr. Prtger a- '• sons to bollsve in Judsism logical explanation of Ju- greod that chicken should altar attending yeshivs daism included argu- not be considered meat through ags 18 snd en- menU *uch as: but is because rabbi* long •That Iht human brain ago thought it would preduring skspticism snd and body art loo complex vent confusion and misquestioning lii his 20s. Still sn obssrvant Jew to txiat without being cre- Ukes. who davens snd kssps ated by Ood; Mr. Prager's visit to, •That Ood ehoee a Qmahs. his third since ; koshsr, Mr. Pragar ssl<) religion is vital te living s group ofpeopU to 'bring the early i970's, wss hsalthy lifs. He ssid hs the world to ethical mon- sponsorsd by Psicy snd has more ip common with otheitm.' that group Margie Alperson and Joel rsligious Christiana than bting the Jtuin Alpanon, who aa a coUsge •That Jewiih law, no studsnt, attended sovaral with non-religious Jsws. He criticised ths 'sb- matter how illogical- lectures by Mr. Prager. ••nc* of God* In public Meming, tervet the purMrs. Alpsrson said the school* snd univsrsltie* pose of offering people family sponsored ths Iscsnd sdvocstsd sanding guidelinee and porame- turs and a weeksnd rsJswish children te Chris- Ifre for living lifr. treat for taenagsrs, led by "LimlUtlons allow you Mr. Prager, bscause "he's tlsn schools ovsr public ones. to live happily in ths made us t\of and think." "Any rsllgton In school world," hs ssid, saplsin"Ws fssi that if has is bsttsr than nons," hs Ing that sslf-denlal in mads us qusstion how we said. "What's ths worst kashrut and other Jswish practice our religion, then thing that aan happen te s tradition servss to mske msybe he could stsrt ths Jowlah kM Bts ('hristmas obssrvsr* more spprscia> thought (Mrocess in soms of tiairi>ant? ITe'll rucni/nliit tlv* i\\V' UIIIH nil w«>U "