Ohio Jewish Chronicle, 1987-03-05

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Serving Columbus and Central Ohio Jewish Community lor Over 60 Years     yj/-^^
Oovoted to American
and Jewish Ideals.
Israel Involved In Iran/Contra Affair
But U.S. Responsible For Decisions,
Tower Commission Report Concludes
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Pictured above are'some of the participants in the
Feb. 26 B'nai B'rith Rally for Soviet Jewry held in the
Statehouse Rotunda. Left to right (top photo) are
Rabbi Steven Abrams, Rabbi Alan Ciner, Sharman
Michaelson,  Christie Kaufman,  Richard Handler,
Rabbi Bradley Bleefeld, Senator Richard Pfieffer,
Daniel Kayne, Barbara Greenberg and Jim Weine-
grad. Not pictured are two of the event co-chairs,
David Goldstein and Sharon Eisenberg. In the bottom
photo, Rabbi Bleefeld of Temple Israel is speaking on
behalf of Soviet Jewry.
B'nai B'rith Family Stages Rally
For Soviet Jewry On Feb. 26
At noon, on Feb. 26,. the
Central Ohio B'nai B'rith
family staged a rally in the
Statehouse rotunda in support of Soviet Refuseniks,
according to Richard Handler, president of Zion Lodge.
Sharon Eisenberg  and
Sharman Michaelson of
B'nai  B'rith Women  and
David Goldstein and Jim
Weinegrad  of  Maccabee
Lodge served with Handler
as chairpersons of "an event
that we hope and pray will
rekindle the light in the
, Soviet Union in order for
them to 'let our people go,' "
Michaelson said. Throughout the United States and in
46 countries around the
world, major rallies took
-   place simultaneously to emphasize this message.
According to Goldstein a
"tremendous amount of
local community assistance
was lent to the B'nai B'rith
effort." The Columbus
Board of Rabbis,.Hadassah,
ORT, the Columbus Jewish
Federation, the staff of the
Leo Yassenoff Jewish Center, the Jewish War Veter
ans and 50 children from
Torah Academy, who sang
under the guidance of Shaula
Gurari all helped in making
the rally a success, he explained.
Others who participated,
according to Barbara Greenberg,  mistress  of  ceremonies, included Rabbi Alan
Ciner  of  Agudas  Achim;
Father Cadden of St. Joseph
Cathedral;   Secretary  of
State, Sherrod Brown; M.T).
Portman and Jerry Hammond, City Council members; Daniel Kayne of the
Anti-Defamation  League;
Missy Liepack and Debbie
Katz  of  the  B'nai  B'rith
Youth Organization; Rabbi
Steven Abrams of the B'nai
B'rith Hillel Foundation at
OSU; Rabbi Bradley Bleefeld of Temple Israel; Karen
Moss representing the Conference of Soviet Jewry;
Fred Sommer  of World
Jewry  Task Force;   Dr.
Sabine Himmelfarb on behalf of her relatives in the
Soviet Union;   Yuli Edel-
shtein; Lev Erusalinsky, a
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 3)
WASHINGTON   (JTA) -
President Reagan's special
review board on the Iranian-
Contra affair said last week
that while Israel was heavily
involved and may have initiated the United States efforts in Iran, the decision to
sell arms to Iran was an
American one for which the
U.S. bears full responsibility.
"There was heavy Israeli
involvement," former Sen.
John Tower, chairman of the
three-member board, said at
a White House press conference. "Of course, the final
decision of our own participation was our own."
President Reagan appeared briefly at the start of
the press conference to say
that he would read the report
carefully and report to the
nation on it soon.
Former Sen. Edward
Muskie, (D. Maine), who
was Secretary of State in the
Carter Administration, said
that it was not clear who
originated the idea of the
U.S. seeking influence- in
Iran.
It was an "initiative that
began either in Iran, in Israel or in the United States,"
he said.
'Not Full Picture* On Israel
Brent Scowcroft, national
security advisor in the Ford
Administration and the third
member of the board, added
that the board did not have
, the "full picture" on Israel's
involvement.
"There is no question that
the Israelis encouraged, if
(they) did not initiate this
policy, and that they did
whatever they could when it
appeared to be flagging from
time to time to renew its
vigor," Scowcroft said
"I think the problem is
that our goals and the Israeli
goals were not synonymous," he added. "Indeed,
in some respects they have
been in conflict."
While Scowcroft did not
describe the difference in
goals, the report does list
them:
"Israel has long-standing
interests in a relationship
with Iran and in promoting
its  armfc export industry.
Arms sales to Iran could
further both objectives. It
also  offered  a  means  of
strengthening Iran against
• Israel's old adversary, Iraq.
"Much of Israel's military
equipment came originally
Beth Jacob Cantorial Concert
To Feature Yltzchak Epstein
~ '-1        ■»»   TfimicnlMiV
from the United States, however. For both legal and political reasons, Israel felt a
need for U.S. approval of, or
at least acquiescence in, any
arms sale to Iran.
"In addition, elemehts in
Israel undoubtedly wanted
the United.States involved
for its own sake so as to distance the United States from
the Arab world and ultimately to establish Israel as
the only real strategic partner of the United States in
the region."
The Beth Jacob Cantorial
Concert, which is to be
presented on Tuesday,
March 24, at 7:30 p.m., will
feature, for the first time in
Columbus, Beth Jacob Cantor Yitzchak Epstein.
in Jerusalem.
Cantor Epstein received
his chazanuth and nusach
from the late Cantor Zalmen
Pollack,   additional  chazanuth from .Cantor Yitzchak
Eschell, and voice lessons
from Yaffem Bobchem of
the Conservatory of Music in
Jerusalem.
Prior to coming to Beth
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 12)
The  report  added  that
"Iran badly  wanted"  the
U.S. Tow and Hawk missiles
that Israel could provide to
counter Iraqi superiority in
planes and armor. "Israel
was more thanwilling to provide these weapons to Iran,
but only if. the United States
approved the transfer and
would agree to replace the
weapons," the report said.
Month Of March Designated
'Aquatics Mitzvah Month'
Cantor Yitzchak Epstein
Cantor Epstein has been at
Beth Jacob since last
August. Born in Israel, he is
a third generation sabra. He
was educated at Yeshivas
Toras Chaim and 01 Chymon
The month of March,
designated as "Aquatics
Mitzvah Month," will enable
swimmers at the Leo Yassenoff Jewish Center to
swim for themselves and
help others at the same time,
according to Polly True,
aquatics director.
Opportunities include the
Harold Monett Swim Marathon (all month), "Splash or
Community Invited
To Honor Kobacker
The community is invited
to the Temple Israel Humanitarian Sabbath on Friday,
March 13,  8 p.m., when
Arthur J. Kobacker will be
honored as the recipient of ,
the  1987  Humanitarian
Award.
>The award is given annually to an individual in the
central Ohio community who
has  eschibited outstanding
service and dedication to the
community and who, presents  fine  examples  of
Brotherhood.
An Oneg Shabbat in Ko-
backer's honor will follow \
the Shabbat service,- -
Nutis Family, Phantom Tea Provide
New Linens For Heritage House
On behalf of the family of Mollie B. Nutis, Frank
Nutis (center) presented a check to Jack Bloom, president of the Heritage House Resident Council, which
will help to underwrite the cost of bed and bath linens
for the Heritage House family members. The Nutis
family, in conjunction with the support of the community's contributions to the Heritage Village Auxiliary's
Phantom Tea, makes possible this annual tradition.
Also pictured is Dorothy Rubenstein, chairwoman of
the Phantom Tea. For membership information in the
Heritage Village Auxiliary, contact Cynthia Huhn at
237-7417.
Dash" (March 15-31) and the      ,
Twelfth Annual Swim-For-
Diabetes (March 8). In addition, children with disabilities who are in the Adapted
Aquatics Program took part
in a * 'Special Splash,", which
was heldSunday, March 1, to
raise funds toward the pur- .
chase  of  a  handicapped-
equipped van for the Center.
The Harold Monett Swim
Marathon enables lap swimmers to keep track of the
mileage they swim at the
Jewish Center during the
month. For a $10 fee, "all
participants  will  be  winners" with T-shirts, certificates and an awards brunch
on April 12. To register, or
for more information, contact the Health and Physical
Education Department.
"Splash or Dash" during
the latter half of March will
help the Center's Senior
Adult Department raise
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 7)