Ohio Jewish chronicle. (Columbus, Ohio), 1982-05-13

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Serving Columbus and Central Ohio Jewish Community for Over 60 Years
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VOL.60   NO. 19
MAY 13,1982-1 YAR 20
Devoted to American
and Jewish ideals.
Large Crowd Gathers At Jewish Center
For Celebration Of Israel's Anniversary
On Sunday, May 2, "Rejoice 34," a celebration honoring Israel's 34th anniversary, was
held at the Jewish Center. Beginning at 1 p.m. with the annual Walk-A-Thon, it also featured an Israeli Food Festival, "DizCngoff Square," (top photo left) where Karen Her-
stig, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Al Herstig, and hundreds of others enjoyed the wide array
of foods offered. Tours of the Center's partially completed new facility (top photo right)
were also conducted by. Center staff members. Participants, many still carrying blue
and white balloons from the Walk-A-thon (center photo), gathered in small groups to be .
taken through the building where they viewed such areas as the roughed-in racquetball
courts (bottom photo left). Jay Jacobs, Director of Health and Physical Education and
one of the tour guides, shows a youngster (bottom photo right) the new indoor pool.
eal Threat To Argentine Jewry
n, Not Anti-Semitism
BUENOS AIRES (JTA)-
Assimilation, not anti-
Semitism, poses the long-
term threat to the integrity
of the Jewish community of
Argentina, according to
communal leaders here. No
one interviewed underestimated the seriousness of
anti-Semitism in this country, torn by political and
economic crisis. But practically everyone agreed that
assimilation is the real
danger.
"It is our main worry,"
said Mario Gorenstein, the
president of DAIA (Delegation de Asociaciones Israeli-
tas de la Argentina), which
represents the community in
its political dealings with the
military junta. "Anti-
Semites won't make the
community disappear. But
assimilation, together with
anti-Semitism, will weaken
it."
The vice director of the
Latin American Rabbinical
Seminary, Rabbi Mordecai
Edery, believes that the
intermarriage rate is about
70 percent—a figure which
seems high. Edery, a native
of Morocco, insists that it is
accurate, and he points out
that "the University of Tel
Aviv recently estimated that
a mere 50,000 Jews will be
left in Argentina within
several decades if current
patterns of assimilation—
and emigration—persist.
"Assimilation, by far, is the
biggest problem we face,"
he said.
There are an estimated
350,000 Jews in Argentina today. But, once, there were
probably more. If Gregorio"
Faingiiersch, the general
manager of the weekly Mun-
do Israelita, is right,
approximately 100,000 Jews
have left the country in the
past 30 years, mainly for
economic reasons. Up to
50,000 of the emigrants have
gone to Israel, and the
reminder have immigrated
to other Latin American nations, North America and
Europe. In the last decade,
as a result of the political
and economic turmoil that
grips this essentially European outpost in South
America, about 2.5 million
Local Women Plant Trees To Honor Ingrid Bergman
Two local women were so
impressed by actress Ingrid
Bergman's portrayal of
Golda Meir on the April 28-29
television special—A
Woman Called Golda—they
felt they simply had to find a
way to express their gratitude.
Frances Kopp and Judy
Swedlow, both active in the
Columbus Jewish Community, urge all women to plant
a tree in Israel, through the
Jewish National Fund, to
honor Ingrid Bergman in
recognition of her presentation of "Our Golda." Both of
these women, personally
dedicated to Israel, ask the
cooperation of the Columbus
Community.  Swedlow
stated, "The endeavors of
women all over .the United
States who love and support
Israel will bring to fruition
beauty matching that of
Miss Bergman and Golda."
"I "feel we should honor
this woman who, in ill
health, came out of retirement to portray Golda.
Trees give life to Israel,"
Kopp said, "and Miss Berg-
man's excellent performance brought Golda
Meir to life for those who remember her and hold her
dear to their hearts."
Swedlow added, "All
women can relate to Golda's
struggles for her beloved
Israel, and. Miss Bergman
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 17)
Argentines have left their
homeland in,despair.
Two Seemingly
Contradictory Impulses
Jews in Argentina must
cope with two seemingly
contradictory impulses.
This is a highly nationalistic country which has been
suspicious of foreigners but
which expects them to integrate once they decide to settle here. Lip service is paid
to the notion of cultural
pluralism* yet minorities,
Protestants and Moslems included, are only tolerated
and are expected to renounce glaring group traits.
In this monolithic, Hispanic-inspired, Catholic-
oriented society, assimilation—as total as possible—is
the desired goal of most inte-
grationists. It is no coincidence that the regime
recently tried, but failed, to
introduce a curriculum on
Catholic religious values to
state secondary schools. The
Jewish community opposed
the plan.
Because of their traditions, religion, distinct communal life and solidarity
with Israel (which has good
relations with Argentina), a
great many Jews have tried
to resist the allure of a homogeneous society. But, in in- .
creasing cases, they succumb, given the high mixed
marriage rate.
"We have tried to integrate outselves, in the
general cultural life of the
country without losing our
religious, cultural and
spiritual particularities, a
rather difficult task where
cultural pluralism is not
rooted," explained Nehemj-
as Resnizky, the former
president of DAIA.
Community Has Withstood
Assaults
In this very traditional
society, which has historically swung between democracy and authoritarianism,
anti-Semitism has seldom
been absent. Recently, for
example, a Jewish cemetery
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 17)
Cabinet Grounds El AFs Operations
On The Sabbath, Religious Holidays
JERUSALEM (JTA)-
The Cabinet, at the strenuous urging of Premier Menachem Begin, decided today
that Israel's national airline,
El Al, is to cease operations
on the Sabbath and religious
holidays. It empowered an
ad hoc ministerial committee to work out a new "timetable and other arrangements" with the management of the State-owned carrier and set a three-month
deadline for the Sabbath ban
to go into effect.        !
The ban oh Sabbath flights
was one of the concessions to
religion the Aguda Israel
party exacted from Begin as
the price for joining his
coalition government.
Begin, who is himself
observant, argued for the
ban on religious and moral
grounds and^insisted that.
coalition agreements must
be honored, Cabinet Secretary Dan Meridor told
reporters.
In effect, Begin rejected
the majority report of a government-appointed committee which found that the suspension of service on the
Sabbath and holidays would
cost the financially shaky
airline about $40 million
annually.
But a major fight loomed
between El Al employes and
the government over the
Cabinet's decision. Eli Ben-
Menachem, a spokesman for
the airline's workers committees, said the employes
would consider what action
to take but indicated nothing
immediate.
However, he branded the
Cabinet decision a violation
of the law which stipulates
that government-owned corporations must operate
strictly in accordance with
. (CONTINUED ON PAGE 17)"
Concern Expressed
Over Soviet Jews
Immigrating To U.S.
WASHINGTON (JTA)-
The Reagan Administration
is concerned that the percentage of Soviet Jews opting to go to the United
States is feeding Soviet
propaganda and leading to a
clamp down on emigration, a
U.S. official said here.
But Ambassador Eugene
Douglas, coordinator for
Refugee Affairs, told the
Leadership Conference of
the World Assembly of
Jewish War, Veterans, that
the U.S. could accommodate ;
any Soviet Jews who wanted
to come to this country after
leaving the Soviet Union. He
noted, however, that the
Russians claim to be
angered that Soviet Jews
given visas for Israel end up
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 17)
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