|J
NE
NE: HIST SOCIETY Ifjilfi ft PT LINCOLN"NE &8508
Celebrating More Than 75 Years VoLLXXIV
No. 38
Omaha, Ne
to be honored
23 Iyyar, 5757
Leadership announced
Vandals hit Council Bluffs synagogue
by PamMonsky Federation Communications Director
by Pam Monsky Federation Communications Director
The Board of Directors, of the Jewish Federation of Omaha has dedicated the Federation Annual Meeting to Executive Director Howard Bloom, I who will become Executive Director of the Jewish Federation of New Haven I in New Haven, CT. The meeting will be held I June 24, 7:30 p.m., at the Jewish Community Cen| ter Theatre. "Serving the Omaha Howard Bloom Jewish.community has been a rare and wonderful opportunity," said Bloom. "My family and I will truly miss the people of Omaha,* he added. . Federation President Elect Howard Kooper said, "We are saddened to see Howard leave us. His vision and commitment have made our Jewish community one of the best in the country. We all wish him well in his new position." Federation President Tom Fellman has appointed Howard Kooper as chairman of the search committee to fill the Federation Executive Director position. Federation Assistant Director Jan Perelman will become Acting Executive Director during the interim. , ,
Sara Juster and Tom Vann have been selected by the Jewish Federation of Omaha as recipients of Young Leadership Awards. " The awards will be presented during the Federation's annual meeting June 24, 7:30 p.m., at the Jewish Community Center Theatre. The election and installation of Federation and Center of Excellence officers, and the presentation of other community volunteer awards will also take place at that time. Nominated for the Lois Jeanne Schrager Memorial Young Leadership Awards, Ms. Juster was cited for her leadership activities in National Council of Jewish Women, Friedel Jewish Academy, the Jewish Federation, as well as numerous other Jewish and community organizations.
B'Tselem calls for release of Palestinian journalist
*w
••
May 30,1997
•!
Tom Vann Sara Juster As NCJW President, Ms. Juster has been instrumental in involving more women in the many projects NCJW sponsors. She is also a full-time attorney and mother of three. Nominated for the Justin Greenberg Memorial Young Leadership Award, Tom Vann is an active member of the Jewish Federation of Omaha's Young Jewish Omaha group. He has been a part of the Federation Campaign for several years, chairing Super Sunday and Project Warm-up, as well as service to many other community and Jewish organizations. Mr. Vann is a realtor and a single parent of two
Windows at B'nai Israel Synagogue were broken over the weekend in an attack that city officials attribute to "convenience...of rocks from a parking lot bordering it owned by the First Christian Church," according to the Daily Non-Pareil. The rocks, about three to. four inches in diameter, broke many of the synagogue's stained glass windows, which date from the 1930's. The church's parking lot is temporarily covered with rocks; until the dirt settles they cannot, according to city regulations, pave it. Dr. Jerome Bleicher, a spokesman for the synagogue, hopes that "the city will allow a waiver to pave the lot: It's a poor neighborhood with lots of kids," Dr. Bleicher was quoted in the Non-Pareil, ! tThat tends to lead to mischief,' • "This was the unintended result" . ' Unintended or not, the synagogue now has $6,0O0-$8,0O0 in repair costs. Police are investigating and, as of press time, it appeared that local teenagers were involved in the vandalism. The ADL-CRC is also involved. According to its Executive Director Bob Wolfson, it has yet to be determined if this was a hate crime. The synagogue, founded in 1903, is located on Mynster Street in Council Bluffs, off Broadway, a main thoroughfare. Though not affiliated with any of the national Jewish movements, about 20 families continue to hold regular-Friday night services and even hosted a Passover seder last month.
According to the human rights organization BTselem, U.S. Consular staff met-with imprisoned Palestinian journalist, Daoud Kuttab (who holds U.S. citizenship) last week. They report, that he is in good condition and has not been mistreated. He was only asked one question throughout his custody, "Are you involved in children's television?" A source at the Consulate in Jerusalem reported that contrary to international standards in these i matters, the consular representative was not given children. access to Kuttab alone. She also reported that he Israel appoints new U.N. envoy; keeps Washington ambassador has been arrested directly on Arafat's orders and is not being tried with any offense. No Palestinian .,•••'•'•-.'".' by Naomi Segal . Authority official is willing to release Kuttab until Arad, who recently headed the Mossad's research JERUSALEM (JTA) -- It looks like Israel's Arafat returns from Cairo. ambassador to the United States is staying — and a department, has a doctorate in international rela:i: The following is the text of the letter sent to new:one is headed to the United Nations. tions from Princeton University,.and has been President Arafat: •••..• -- Ptime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu withdrew involved in Israel's multilateral negotiations. "B'Tselem expresses its grave concern about the reported plans to replace the Israeli ambassador to In other appointments, Leonard Davis, former detention of Daoud Kuttab, Palestinian journalist the United States, Eliahu Ben-Elissar, with his head of the Israel office of the American Israel and broadcaster. According to media reports, Mr. political adviser, Dore Gold. . , Public Affairs Committee, is to become a deputy Kuttab has been questioned and detained because Instead, Gold has been appointed ambassador- chief of mission at the embassy in Washington. he complained to the PNA about jamming of televi- designate to the United Nations. ' The appointments were announced after discussion broadcasts of sessions of the Palestinian Netanyahu's appointments of Gold and other key sions this week between Netanyahu and Foreign Legislative Council. • . , posts this week averted what might have devel- Minister David Levy. Levy reportedly vetoed a "Freedom of the press is a crucial element of a free oped into another crisis in his government. senior posting for Likud veteran Zalman Shoval, ; and democratic society. The activities of the legThe decision to keep Ben-Elissar was reached, who was said to be under consideration for the islative, branch are of particular importance to all after the diplomat flew to Jerusalem for urgent U.N. spot. Levy maintains that Shoval failed to ' Palestinians; and every effort must be made to consultations. Relations between him and : brief him when Levy was foreign minister under -ensure their coverage- Indeed, you have expressed Netanyahu apparently have suffered strains, and Yitzhak Shamir's Likud government .'and Shoval your commitment to these very principles: Bon-Elissar was in the hot seat after recent reports was Israel's ambassador to Washington. , "However, the record of the PNA in this area of that the FBI had been investigating whether a T h e latest round of appointments came at a time human rights is extremely discouraging. This U.S. government official was passing sensitive when Netanyahu was weighed down by a number recent detention is one more example of a pattern in information to Israel. ; of personnel dilemmas. : ' .... ; which the PNA attempts to intimidate and silence Former Justice Minister Ya'acov Ne'eman, who Meanwhile, Gold who immigrated from the journalists who openly criticize the PNA, rather United States, is in the process of rescinding his was Netanyahu's preferred-candidate, was acquitthan address the needs of a democratic society and American citizenship, a requirement of the U.N. ted of perjury charges, but the current minister, the substance of the criticism. post. That post has been filled by David Peleg for Tzachi Hanegbi, announced he would not step "B'Tselem calls for the immediate release of the past year, since the former Labor government's* down. Hanegbi organized a rally to muster supDaoud Kuttab. We also urge you to. refrain from appointee, Gad Ya'acobi, steppeddown. port to keep him in his post, and to appoint Likud taking any actions against individuals solely for exGold's replacement as the prime minister's diplo- Knesset member Silvan Shalom to the science ercising their basic right to freedom of speech." matic adviser is Uzi Arad, a senior official in the portfolio. (Continued on page 16) MosBad intelligence service. • (Continued on page 16)