Ohio Jewish Chronicle, 1986-05-08

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VOL.64   NO. 19
MAY 8,1986-N1SAN 29
Devoted to American
and Jewish Ideals
Cincinnati Man, Said To Have Been Guard
In Nazi Labor Camp, Facing Deportation
Leo Yassenoff Jewish Center
Receives Award At JWB Meeting
At the Jewish Welfare Board (JWB) Biennial held in
Toronto, Canada, April 9-13, the Leo Yassenoff Jewish Center
was one of only seven Jewish Centers in North America
honored for Excellence in implementing New Directions in
Jewish Education, as recommended by the Commission on
Maximizing Jewish Education Effectiveness of Jewish Community Centers. Pictured above are Dr. Al Tyroler (left),
LYJC president, accepting a special award at the Biennial
from Lester Pollack, JWB Board member and chairman of
the JWB Committee on Implementation. In addition, the Center won a "First Place" award for "Best Multi-Media Presentation" for a videotape of last year's Senior Olympics; an
Award for Excellence for the continuing Jewish education
program for staff, and an Award for Excellence for working
cooperatively with other Jewish educational organizations to
develop a community-wide adult Jewish educationiprogram:
The Community College for Adult Jewish Studies..
CINCINNATI (JTA)-The
two-week deportation hearing against a 62-yeai?-old construction worker accused of
persecuting inmates at a
Nazi labor camp during the
Holocaust recently concluded here, leaving the fate
of Leonid Petkiewytsch in
the hands of Judge 0. John
Brahos. He is not expected to
render a decision until early
September.
Petkiewytsch, a resident
of the suburban community
of Finney town, is accused by
the government of having
concealed his past war-time
activities when he applied
for entry into the country in
1955, and having participated as a guard at the Keil-
Hassee camp in the "persecution of persons because
of their race, religion,
national origin and political
opinion under the direction
of the Nazi government of
Germany."
Testifying in his own defense, Petkiewytsch admitted having; served' as a
guard at the labor camp in
Germany but claimed,
according to a report in The
Israel's Independence To Be Celebrated
For Full Week At Leo Yassenoff Center
I
The "Israel 38 Alive!"
Yom Ha'atzma'ut Celebration to honor Israel's 38th
anniversary of independence
will be held Wednesday evening, May 14, at the Leo Yassenoff Jewish Center, 1125
College Ave. Additional Yom
Ha'atzma'ut activities are
scheduled for May 11,12 and
13.
For the first time since
1967, people in the United
States will celebrate Israel's
Independence Day on the
exact day that Israelis will
be celebrating. This is because May 14 and the 5th of
Iyar, the date when the State
of Israel was officially established, only fall on the same
day every 19 years.
The special evening at the
Jewish Center, with activities planned for people of all
ages, will feature an official
phone call to Israel. Israeli
foods, artwork, music,
dance, games, a gift and information bazaar, door
prizes, a giant birthday card
for Israel, a special "Wailing
Wall" to receive messges
. and a late-evening coffeehouse.
The highlight of the festivities will be a concert by Israeli singer, songwriter and
guitarist David Broza, who
has been hailed by the Jerusalem Post as "Israel's No. l
. Superstar." •.». i.
A "hit" with Israelis of all
ages, Broza will perform in
the Center's Roth/Resler
Theatre at 8 p.m. Broza is a
CBS recording artist and
winner of Israel's King
David Award, comparable to
a Grammy, for top male
vocalist and performance.
His repertoire includes
songs in Spanish, Hebrew
and English, including his
best-known tune "La Mujer
Que Yo Quiero" (The
Woman By My Side), which
went "triple platinum" in Israel three years ago..
Born in Haifa, Broza spent
his teenage years in Madrid.
It was there that he was first
influenced by the romantic
Spanish repertoire which
has found its fullest expression in "The Woman By My
Side." At 16 he moved to
London, where he attended
Hastings Tutors, and found
himself with a Palestinian
roommate. Rather than engage in politics, the two
simply picked up their
guitars, "and it is here that
Broza learned the techniques which put him on the
road to becoming a virtuoso
guitarist," state his promoters.
Although admission to the
celebration is free, tickets
for the Broza show are now
on sale at, the Center: $5 for
.seniors/students: $7.general
i
admission: and $18 patron,
which includes reserve seating. Entrance to the Israeli
coffeehouse following
Broza's show will cost $1 at
the coffeehouse door, but is
free with a Broza ticket stub.
Food, drinks, and gifts will
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 12)
American Israelite here,
that he never persecuted
prisoners. In addition, he
denied that he concealed information from> American
authorities when he applied
for a visa to enter the U.S.
The  Kiel-Hassee  labor
camp,  one  of the lesser-
known camps run by the
Nazi war machine, had an
average population of some
1,800 persons. There are estimates that 550fdied there-
ISO by execution. The Jewish
population there was relatively  small,   with   most
arriving in the last months of
the war. About 160 Jewish
prisoners   were  liberated
from the camp in April 1945.
Immigration Official
Alerted
Petkiewytsch is not a U.S.
citizen,   and  it  was. his.
attempt in 1982 to become a
naturalized  citizen  that
alerted an immigration official to his past activities. He
apparently indicated on the
1982 application that he had
been a labor-, camp guard.
' The official alerted the Justice Department's Office Of
Special   Investigations   in
Washington.
Petkiewytsch, whose twin
brother George Petke of
Western Hills also provided
testimony, told the immigration hearing that he and his
parents fled Poland, fearing
the Russian forces. His
father had been serving as a
mayor of a town under Nazi
occupation, the Israelite said
in its extensive coverage of
the hearing.
He and his brother were
later assigned jobs by the
Germans at the Kiel-Hassee
camp, they said. They told
the court that they were
given little choice in the
matter: either go as guards
or as prisoners.
Issued carbines and uniforms, the brothers testified
that they escorted prisoners
back and forth from Kiel for
daily work details, patrolled
the perimeter of the camp
and did other chores. They
asserted they never beat
prisoners or participated in
any executions.
While the brothers said the
camp was like an ordinary
jailj six Jewish survivors of
Kiel-Hassee provided testimony about the brutal conditions of the labor camp.
Deny Concealing
War-Time Activities
Both brothers denied concealing the fact that they
failed to alert U.S. authorities in 1955 that they had
been  arrested  and  impri-
Myer W. Mellman Elected To
United Israel Appeal Board
"Myer W. Mellman was
elected as a member of
United Israel Appeal's
Board of Directors at the
organization's recent 60th
Anniversary Annual Meeting- 'in New York City,"
Miriam Yenkin, Columbus
Jewish Federation president
announced. Mellman, Jewish community leader and
past president of the Federation gave a report of the
meeting: at'the Federation's
April 21 Board of Trustees
meeting?
Since 1925, United Israel
Appeal, one of the founders
and principal beneficiary of
United Jewish Appeal, has
been channeling assistance
to the people of Israel from
American Jewry. "We do
"that in Columbus through
our very successful Federation campaign," said Mell-
. man.j-.UIA. has., provided..
funds for housing, immigration, absorption, rural settlement, education, youth care
Myer Mellman
and other social needs. It
fulfills the American commitment to aid the resettlement of rufugees in Israel,
through the programs of the
Jewish Agency for Israel, its
operating agent.
>.!<-.m.,> AirfcoN*wwi?<*.oi>rrw<5*-»),
soned by the British for three
years for possible war
crimes. Judge Brahos informed Petke before his
testimony that information
he provided could be used
against him by the government at a later date.
The U.S. official whom the
brothers say they presented
the British imprisonment
documents to is Marvin
Hickman, who was vice consul in Germany in 1955. He
testified at the hearing that
according to documentation
on the visa application, Petkiewytsch did not present
the British documentation.
Hickman said he would not
have approved the visa
application had he known of
Petkiewytsch's past activities.
Brahos estimated that it
will take four to five'months
before he reaches a decision.
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 11)
Charles Lazarus To Receive
"Lifetime Achievement Award"
In the spirit of tzedakah
and sharing, the "Lifetime
Achievement Award" will be
presented at the annual
Temple Israel Foundation
Sabbath, May 16, at 8 p.m.
"The observance will pay
tribute to those who understand the need for and the
philosophy of the Temple's
permanent endowment
fund," according to I. David
Cohen, president of the
Foundation. Cohen further
stated, "You feel grand
when you give, whether it's a
gift to your spouse or child,
to a freind or to your
Temple. Giving is an opportunity to open your hand and
your heart while deriving a
personal sense of pride' and
satisfaction. Because" the
Temple is a sanctuary of
study, prayer and fellowship, it must continue to
serve as the heart and center
of our vibrant and dynamic
faith. A commitment to the
Foundation provides the resources to maintain the
existing programs and services while insuring their
quality and effectiveness in
the future."
This Sabbath service
marks the presentation of
the Temple Israel Foundation's "Lifetime Achievement Award" to Charles Y.
Lazarus and in memory of
Max H. and Eujenie Rieser.
Lazarus, a life long member
and past president of the
Temple, continues to be a
major  benefactor  and
• advisor. Mr, and Mrs. Rieser
established the development
fund, which later became
■-. known-as the Foundation.
The service will formally
recognize the Foundation's
new Named Fund, the -Vincent and Arlene Solomon and
Family Fund. The family's
gift of lasting value provides
income for appropriate, yet
undesignated, congregational purposes.
Charles Y. Lazarus
In addition,. Maurice
Katcher, will be honored as
the newest member of the
Rabbi's Round Table. Traditionally, this gift category is
recognized by the presentation of a certificate titled
"Haver," meaning friend or
associate. A tradition of the
11th century, the award was
given to those who rendered
significant service to the '•
rabbis and rabbinical
schools of that time. The custom was inaugurated by
Rabbi Emeritus Jerome D.
Folkman in 1971.
The Officers and Board of
Trustees of the Foundation
invite the Temple family and
friends throughout the community to attend the service
and the Oneg Shabbat which
', follOWS. ••..mmv '    "