SERVING NEBRASKA AND lOWASINCE 1920 ij Mvan, 5749 Friday, June 16, 1949
Soviets said to be preparing far-reaching emigration reforms
Celebrating 100 The Rev. Arthur Gendler is celebrating his 100th birthday and his children are marlung the occasion with an open house for friends and relatives, Sunday, June 25, frooi 2-5 p.m., at 306 Heavenly Drive.
By Susan Birabaum NEW YORK (JTA) The Soviet Union is readying a far-reaching reform of its emigration laws that would permit Soviet citizens to travel and emigrate without going through the complicated channels currently necessary, according to a ranking official of the World Jewish Congress who recently saw a draft of the new legislation. This information was corroborated by New York City Councilman Noach Dear, who recently returned from the Soviet Union with a translation of the draft legislation. Dear has been visiting the Soviet Union regularly in the last few months as co-chairman of the Joint Committee for the Preservation of Jewish Heritage. The legislation reportedly is in its final stage of preparation. The Soviets hope to have it ready by July, al-
though this is not definite. A uxajot change in Soviet emigration law could have a decisive influence on the willingness of American Jewish groups to consider a relaxation of trade sanctions against the Soviet Union. Jewish groups have said repeatedly, for instance, that they would contemplate a waiver of JacksonVanik Amendment sanctions if the Soviets codify long-promised emigration reforms. The amendment denies most-favored-nation trade benefits to the Soviet Union until it improves its record on emigration. A Jackson-Vanik waiver is expected to be a prime subject of discussion at the executive board meeting of the National Conference on Soviet Jewry in Washington. The new Soviet legislation is expected to relax existing
restrictions on emigration for those privy to "sitate secrets." 11 is also expected to eliminate the requirements that prospective emigrants obtain waivers of financial obligation from their parents and that they receive invitations from close relatives abroad. Short-term visits wo\)ld no longer require any invitation from abroad. And for long-term visits or emigration, invitations from any person, or even an institution, would be sufficient. The secrecy rule would be modified so that there woukl be a five-year Umit on the amount of time a prospective emigrant could be barred from leaving. An exception would allow certain governmental agencies and iadustries to bar those privy to state secrets from emigrating for up to seven years.
in the past, the state secrecy rule has been used to deny Soviet Jews permission to emigrate for a dozen years or more after they left jobs said to be classified. Under the new law, those refused permission to emigrate would have the right to appeal to an administrative cooomission of the Supreme Soviet, the legislative body that handles day-today policy matters. CORRECTION The name of Temple Is rael Religious School was inadvertently omitted in the article announcing permanent funding of the Special Needs l^rogram of the Bu reau of Jewish Education Parties signing the agreement to fund the program were Phillip U. Schrager. United Talmud Torah of Omaha and Temple Israel Religious Schools.
Soviet Jews who immigrated to raise funds Arabs end action to oust Israel
PARIS (JTA) - The Arab- states, bowing to Anierican pressure, have withdrawn a demand that Israel be expelled from the Internatioaal Telecommunications Union. The 179nation body, a United Nations agency, is meeting in Nicer FVance. Tb» reaolutwu, submitted by Saudi Arabia, Syria and
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Qatar last week, was the first in the organization's history seeking the ouster of a member state. But it was withdrawn before it could even be discussed. The Arab bloc, led by the Saudis, backed down Saturday afterthe United States requested it not to poiitkize a technical organization.
By Todd Winer CHICAGO (JTA) - The first wave of the Soviet Jewish emigrants, who arrived in the late 1970s, is lendiog a helping hand to the latest wave now arriving in the United States. It is happening here, where the settled Soviet emigrant community hosted a fund-raising event, sponsored by the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago, to help raise monies for programs of the k>cal Jeinsh federation, as
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well as the national Passage to Freedom campaign. And it is happening in New York, where some 3(X) guests raised $102,000 last week in the first fundraising event conducted entirely by Soviet emigrants for the New York UJA-Federation of Jewish Philanthropies. That event was a June 4 dinner in Brighton Beach, the section of Brooklyn where ntost Jews from the Soviet Union have settled New York and Chicago
rank first and second respectively in the Ust of cities that receive the largest number of Sovief Jewish emigres. There ar^ approximately 10,000 in the Chicago area, and 2,000 more are expected to be settled this year. Organizers of the Soviet Jewry campaign said the turnout of more than 250 participants at the Chicago event, which raised over $17,000 in one aftemooo, was a sign they are ready and willing to help bear the
financial burden and com muuity responsibility for continued Soviet Jewish resettlement and other projects here and in Israel. Felix Aisen. a cochairman of the event, said. "The message we are sending is that if you are coming to Chicago and hope to get the help of the Jewish community, you reahze that you make a commitment. "If you need help, the commnnity will provide it. (CoatiaiMd om Page 12)
Sophie Katz; ...two glorious months In Israel"...
Editor's Note: SopUeKata, •rva(uU«r with tk« J<wi>h;Miiiiil
Fuad Qglitaa Age mak aMi
Stit4y Mtaainn, wrote tkt* r«Uewli« article with tk« bop* that her tsperieac* wiU inspire otW AiMricaa Jews t« viait UraeL By SopJkielUU I^^U began with a letter in a ^Hbi^ 19Sa issue of the Jew ^wPnea and culminated in my boarding El Al Flight 004 on Jan.8 to participate in two glorious months in Israel as a volunteer in the Jewish National Fund UNF) CioUbn Age Work and Study Missioa Twaoty-nina other Anwricana and I came to^athar as straogei^a and two months iatar. parted tu feriands, ' bound to^har through f^/inng an immaoaaly satia* {ying axpariance ia IsraaL W« were Mver attangars in ik» "aUw" Msaa of tb« word; even initiaUy, we •JMMtJl« coouoon bond; our
Jewiahnaaa, our love of Israel, and our desire to'serve. Our itinerary included three and a half weeka in Tel Aviv, (our days in Eilat, three and a hall weeks in JeruaalMD, and four days in the Qaiilae area. We traveled tba length and bre«dth of Israel in comlortablu Chen Toun busee, resided at good hotels (Tal Hotel in Tel Aviv. Eiiolt Tower in Jerusalem, Moriah in Eilat, Ayelet Hashaiiar Kibbutz Guest House in the Galilee)' itud ate delicious meals at the hotels. Our work in tb« foresta three mornings a week, though energetic, was aoMNig our favorite activities. The "Schneiders'.' pruned the bottom branches of the pine treee to eye-level para hauled the aevand branchea to thb «dga of tit» foreat. Joyoua alWuta of 'ricblappaca oaadad" rang out from time to time aa ^(^iiniiniuid oa Page 9^
1989