Ohio Jewish Chronicle, 1983-06-16

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Serving Columbus and Central Ohio Jewish Community for Over to Years
VOL.61   NO. 24
June 16,1983-TAMMUZ5
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Nicaraguan Government Forces
Jewish Community Into Exile
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Israel Bonds Tribute Dinner Honoring
Bella Wexner To Be Held Tonight
Over 400 reservations have been received for the Tribute Dinner in honor of Mrs.
Harry (Bella) Wexner, which will be held this evening, June 16, at the Hyatt Regency
Hotel at 6:30 p.m. Dinner (dietary laws will be observed) will begin promptly at 7:30
p.m. Mrs. Ben Cowall, djnner chairwoman, stated that reservations for the;dinner are
closed and ho reservations will be accepted at the door. The above photos were taken at
the Parlor Meeting held on June-2 at the home of Dr.and Mrs: Richard Keastes. Bella
Wexner (far left), is pictured top left with (1. tor.) Mr. and Mrs! Frank; Nutis, general
chairpersons of the event, and Mrs, Ben Cowall, dinner chairwoman. In the photo top
right, Wolf Blitzer, Washington correspondent for the Jerusalem Post, who was guest
speaker, is shown with Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Goldberg. Among the 100 people in attendance at the Keates home (photo, bottom right, from top) were Dr. Keates, Herbert
Wolman, Edwin Ellman, Margin Kopp, Mrs. Martin Kopp and Leslie Wexner. In the
photo, bottom right, Mrs. Abe I. Yenkin (left) presents a seriograph of the Western
Wall in Jerusalem to Mrs. Wexner and Goldberg.
The Sandinist Government
of Nicaragua has forced the
country's entire Jewish community into exile, confiscating Jewish-owned property
and taking over the synagogue in Managua, according to the Anti-Defamation
League of B'nai B'rith.
Rabbi Morton M. Rosenthal, director of the League's
Latin American Affairs
Department, made the disclosure in an article prepared by him for publication
in the ADL Bulletin, the
agency's national publication.
Rabbi Rosenthal, who last
visited Nicaragua shortly
before the Sandinists came
to power in 1979, said the
government of Nicaragua
has been unresponsive to
ADL appeals to end "these
human rights violations"
and permit the return of the
Jews to their country.
The forced exodus of the
Nicaraguan Jewish community—-numbering about
50—took place after the
Somoza regime was overthrown. Their ouster was
effected, the article said, by
subtle and direct threats or
by forcible measures.
The case of Isaac Stavi-
sky, a textile engineer, who
was out of the country at the
time of the Sandinist victory,
was cited as an example.
Former Refusenik Reveals
The Plight Of Soviet Jews
if
By Judith Franklin
Chronicle News Editor
The news from the Soviet
Union is not good. No matter
who does the talking, the
story being told is one of
blatant violations of human
rights, maddening uncertainty and o.utright terror.
"I do it because I can't
not do it."
Dr. Oleg Popov, a former
Soviet refusenik, holder of a
Ph.D. in physics from Moscow University, in an exclusive interview with the
Chronicle, detailed his
entanglement in Soviet
hypocrisy.
The nightmare began for
Dr. Popov and his family, as
it has for so many others,
after they applied to emigrate from the U.S.S.R. in
the summer of 1979 and
' ended in July, 1982, when
' they were abruptly given ten
days to leave the country.
In those three years, Dr.
Popov related, he was
branded an "enemy of the
country"' for his desire to
leave it, was prevented from
continuing his scientific
research, was subjected to
repeated searches of his
apartment, had his telephone disconnected, was
interrogated at the infamous
KGB headquarters, Lub-
yanka, and given an official
warning to stop his "anti-;
Soviet" activities. Unable to
build a case against him, the
KGB finally told him to leave
the-country. He thinks they
simply wanted to rid themselves of a nuisance.
Why would anyone risk
placing himself and his family in this dangerous situation? Dr. Popov, a member
of the tiny Moscow Amnesty
International human rights
group, feels it is a question of
morality,   of  conscience.
"Soviet anti-Semitism
is founded on an attempt
to destroy all independent
religious activity,"
"Many dissidents say, 'I do
it because I can't not do it,' "
he explained. "For me, it's
shameful if I interrupt my
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 14)
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Lutherans Attack Anti-Semitism
BONN (JTA)—The leadership body of the United
Protestant Lutheran Church of Germany, the VELKD, issued a strong indictment of anti-Semitism at its meeting in
Hannover. In appealing to the public to stand up against any
form' of hatred or enmity toward Jews, the church leadership
declared that the struggle against anti-Semitism included
making a distinction between criticism of the policies of the
Israeli government and the legitimate claim of the Jewish
people for their own state within secure borders.
Center Opened To Prevent Nuclear War
NEW YORK (JTA)—The Reconstructionist Rabbinical
College in Wyncoate; Pa., has announced the opening of its
Shalom Center, which it called the first Jewish resource in
the world devoted to the study and public discussion of Jewish perspectives on preventing a world nuclear holocaust. A
spokesperson told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that the
Shalom Center was the only such agency connected with any
seminary, Christian as well as Jewish, in the United States.
Stavisky, the article said,
was advised that he should
not return to his country "for
his own safety because he
and his brother-in-law were
considered enemies of the
revolution."
The' president of the
Nicaraguan Jewish community, Abraham" Gorn, was
jailed after the Sandinist victory. "Gorn," Rabbi Rosenthal wrote, "who was then 70
years old, was falsely
accused of stealing land and
was forced to sweep streets
during the two weeks of his
confinement."
Six months later, he went
on, Sandinists summarily
ousted him from his factory
and took it over. The Sandinists told factory workers to
threaten to bomb his car if
he returned. Gorn was
quoted as saying that Carlos
Arguello, currently Minister
of Justice, confiscated his
bank account and "then
kicked me out of my home."
Despite the departure of
the Jewish community,
Rabbi Rosenthal said, anti-
Semitism still exists in the
country. In July, 1982, he
said that a Managua newspaper, Nuevo Diario, which
often reflects government
policy, published articles
that were filled with virulent
anti-Semitic statements
such as a reference to "synagogues of Satan."
The Sandinists have also
converted the synagogue in
Managua into a children's
social club, covering exterior Stars of David with
propaganda posters and
adorning the inside walls
with anti-Zionist propaganda.
Nicaraguan Jews, according to the article, cite the
long and close relationship
between-the Palestine Liberation Organization and the
Sandinists as a source of
their problems.
The article described how
the P.L.O. has provided
weapons, training, money
and even fighting men for
the Sandinist battle against
the Somoza regime. It quotes
Jorge Mandi, a Sandinist
spokesman, in an interview
in a Kuwaiti newspaper inv
1979,   as  declaring  that
Athens City Council Adopts Refusenik Family
Athens City Council
"adopted" a Soviet "refusenik" family at its June 6
meeting.
Supporters of Vladimir
and Karmella Raiz and their
sons, Moshe and Saul, hope
this action will help the Jewish family from Vilnius,
Lithuania—occupied by the
Russians in World War
H—win their struggle to emi
grate.
Ohio University Hearing
and Speech Professor Norman B, Garber met the Raiz
family on a trip to the Soviet
Union in 1978. He and the
O.U, Hillel Foundation have
been working on their behalf
ever since. On May 9, Athens
City Council gave preliminary endorsement to, a
resolution   "adopting"   the
Raiz family.
The National Conference
on Soviet Jewry, an umbrella organization working
for emigration of Russian
Jews, is expected to send
council a letter backing the
resolution and urging its passage. .
Garber explained that the
family first applied for emi-
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 14)
"there is a long standing
blood unity between us and
the Palestine revolution,"
and recalling that Sandinist
troops fought alongside the
P.L.O. in Jordan during the
Black September battles.
Nicaraguan Jews, according to the ADL Bulletin
piece, claim that because of
the close P.O.O.-Sandinist
relationship, Nicaraguans of
Arab descent have been able
to remain in the country,
continuing business activities similar to those
engaged in by the departed
Jews who went to the United
States, Israel or other Central American countries.
The article states that
ADL has sought to alleviate
the plight of Nicaraguan
Jews in ongoing discussions
with Nicaraguan diplomats
for two years- In New York
in 1981, the League brought
the problems to the attention
of. Nicaragua's Foreign
Minister, Miguel d'Escoto,
who* promised to investigate
the complaints.
Subsequently, Nicaraguan
officials promised to review
confiscation cases but have
not yet delivered any
response, nor have they
responded to ADL requests
to state the conditions under
which Jews could return to
their country.
Noting  that  Minister  of
' . (CONTINUED ON PAGE 9)
Musical To End
Popcorn Players
'82-83 Season
Popcorn Players, children's repertory theatre of
the Leo Yassenoff Jewish
Center, 1125 College Ave., is
presenting its last play of the
season, Hans Christian
Andersen.
This, musical opens this
Sunday, June 19, at 1:30 and
3 p.m. and will run Wednesday, June 22, at 7:30 p.m.
and Sunday, June 26, at 1:30
and 3 p.m.
Hans Christian Andersen,
which is being directed by
Steven Anderson of the Center's children's department,
is-a series of four plays: The
Ugly Duckling, Thumbelina,
The Red Shoes and The
Emperor's New Clothes.
Cast members, who play
many parts in the four stories, are Michael Bailey,
Karen Miller, Carlton Smith
and Patricia Wallace.
Tickets for the .performances are $2.50 for Center
members and $3 for non-
members and may be purchased at the Center.
For more information, call
the Cultural Arts Department at 231-2731.
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