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flewish Press Serving Nebraska and Iowa Since 1920
Vol. LXX No. 31 Omaha ^^^^^^H^^9^
16 LYAH. S753 Friday. May 7,1993
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Federation schedules June annual meeting
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By Deborah Fellman The annual meeting of the Jewish Federation of Omaha will be June 13 at 7:30 p.m. at the JCC theater. A reception in the JCC gallery will follow. Chairmen of the meeting this year are Jerry and Harriet Slusky. At the meeting, awards will be presented for humanitarian of the year, volunteers of the year, young leadership and teen leadership. Also, the community service award will be presented. According to Mr. Slusky, the focus of this year's meeting is "paying tribute to the Omaha Jewish Community as a whole." "Our community has raised over $12 million since 1990 for local needs, Israel and Russian resettlement," he said. "In terms of median contribution and percent of givers, Omaha ranks number one among comparablysized communities," he said. New officers will also be inducted. Mr. Slusky said leaders of the Federation and its agencies will be honored for "using the community's contributions careftilly." Leaders' careftil use of fiinds allowed them to "maintain significant programs and services," he said, despite recent decreases in income from interest and from the United Way.
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• 'i LOVE applauds volunteers Joanie Bernstein (left) who co-chalred the annual LOVE banquet with George Schapiro on April 29, announces the selection of Sol and Lee Jane Parsow and Miriam and Irv Nogg aa volunteers of the year. The couples were honored for their long-time service to the organization which provides volunteers for the Rose Blumkln Jewish Home. More than 20Q attended the party in the Jewish Community Center. See editorial on page 4.
The ongoing battle against extremism By Abraham H. Foxman National director, Antl-Defamationn League Tlie Anti-Defamation League (ADD has been flghting haters for 80 years and American society and the Jewish community have been the main beneficiaries. Through the work of ADL, neo-Nazis, Klansman, radical terrorists of the right and left have known very little peace. Over the years, journalists and law enforcement officials alike have come to rely on ADL'for'accurate, authoritative information on terrorists, hate groups, white supremacists, anti-Sertiites and others who threatep to undo the basic rights and freedoms Americans cherish. Indeed, within hours of the arrest of suspects in the Feb. 26, explosion at World Trade Center, phones at the Anti-Defamation League headquarters in New York began ringing with calls from reporters looking for information on terrorist groups and their activities in the United States. The most basic reason ADL investigates antiSemitic, rscikt and extremist organiiations is that the Jewish psople have from time immemorial been the Victims of bigotry and persecution. Our history has taught us the paliiAil jesson that we must bs vigilant conoeming thrsati to our security, Hsno, ADL devaloped the rssauros* needed to alsrt the Jewish community and all Americans to terrorist or dthar threats to their livss and well-being. In fighting hatred, ADL has been praised by Prssldsnts, law enforcement oAldala, scholars and others. ADL's goals are admirable and the means we have empkiyed to reach these goals are legitimate, reeognixing that it Is no aa«y business to unearth taisidlons gnups whose goals are to undermine deiaocratlc sodattot. It is stnoga to sae ADL now aiMl«r attack for ths vary things that prsaldsnts, members of Coogrsas, rsU^rious liaJirs and ath«r»hav» praiaad us fbr ovar sav^HkldacftdH. ^^VWs have great respect fn- '*-- "'-nt Amendment, ^HUected in the many First >t cases we have ^^•an involved In before the nupremp Court. In fact, ADL relies on our own First Amendment rights to expose bigots and extremists through Its publications and pubUe e«K»te»y. We havt had to face dlfHoult Isauss and questions along the wey. But ADL Is s unique organisation balancing First Amendment principles and the fight againat dangerous axtremists. It has boon a oonitaot tilwilVimt to find ways to counter the haters without »lolrtteg their First Amendment rights. k.g°t
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How do we do our work? At the core of our struggle against bigotry and enemies of the Jewish people are the League's instruments of research and fac^finding. ADL collects and processes a vast amount of information by monitoring and analyzing mainstream and . extremist publications and maintaining a library of news files and materials about extremist organizations. Major newspapers and other media.carrying recent stories about ADL files also maintain just such files. In fact, mAny of these news organizatfons have also consulted ADL's library for documentation of articles on bigots and extremist groups. The informatioji ADL collects on racists, antiSemitee and extremists is disseminated to the media, law enforcement agencies, the Jewish community and the American public to expose the haters. Focusing public attention on such extremists, ADL believes, is a fini step to encouraging public rejection of their bigotry and hatred. Over the last 10 years alone, ADL has published dosens of books, reports, newsletters, and periodicals on extremist groups'and individuals of the far right and far led. As part of our fsct-flndlng, ADL does use undercover sources to gather information. Because many of the anti-Jewish, racist organisations sro secretive and often pose threats of violence, it is sometimes impossible for ADL to learn of their activities through sny means other than an undercover sourob. 'Hieroftiro AOL rsUes on infannation rsceivsd from a small number of individuals who are independent investigators or current or former members of racist and aitrsmist graups. OiwaahniiaHy, AlU^.soarcss may attend meettngi, ral< lies and pabHe ftuMtioae of tbsae groupa to loom more about their oopouied phUaeopliy. 1B attending theoe woe<ln>i. and far their own protecUoB and salbty, these sources may be rsquired to dhgnlw thetr toanartlaii with ADL. Semeofthoae iadhddoals peribra gnat aorvicss for the American people, with no recognition end st s groat personal risk, in discovering the secretive existsnca and actiVttiao ofbalemongan. For asample, ADL rscaivod Information — some of It tkvm undereover sources — that right wing extremists planned to launch a terrorist assault sgainst the United SUIes Qovanunent. We slerted the FBI and local law enforcsment authorities as to ADL's findings, and thla Information was used by the U.S. Attorney in pmsenitlng i of the Order.
Jerry and Harriet Slusky are chairmen of the Jewish Federation of Omaha's, upcoming annual meeting.
U.S. adds HAMAS to terrorism list By Deborah Kalb St«tae News Servtoe
WASHIKOTON (JTA) — Hamas, the Islamic fundamentalist group that has risen to intemational prominAnce in recent months, has now achieved the dubious dis tlnetien of having Its own listing in the State Department's annual report on global terrorism. The veport, ^^tteraa of Olebal Terrorism ISM," says that "various elements of Hamas have used both political and violent means. Including terrorism, to pursue the goal of estsbllshing an Iilamic Palaetinlan sUto in plaM of Israsi.' Hamas, an acronym for the Islsmic Keiistance Momment, was involved in the klUing of sn Israeli border guard late last year.
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