EWISH Vol. LXXXi
No. 42
Omaha, NE
18Tammuz,5762
June 28,2002
SERVING NEBRASKA AND WESTERN IOWA FOR 81 YEARS
Masada toClose
Ann Landers Dies at 83 by MAX HEUER —
The Israel Nature and National Parks Protection Authority (INPA) announced yesterday that it is curtailing activities this week due to a crippling shortage of funds. Many famous national parks and nature reserves will he closed to the public, including Masada, Ein Gedi, the Banyas and Caesarea. Masada, after the Old City of Jerusalem, is Israel's premier tourist attraction. The Authority currently has a deficit of more than
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A native of Sioux City, IA, with ties to Omaha, the world-renowned advice columnist Ann Landers died June 23 in Chicago at the age of 83. She was a Jewish mother _wjb.o "really wanted to make things better," said Margo Howard, her daughter. Ann Landers, whose real name was Esther "Eppie" Lederer, wrote the most widely syndicated advice column in the world for over 40 years, and felt a strong connection to the Jewish faith. "I am very much aware of my Jewishness," she once said, "I was brought up to be proud of my Jewishness. I've always felt I've been blessed." One of a pair of advice-giving twins-her sister, $15 million and does not have money to pay Pauline, is the columnist known as "Dear Abby," its staff, suppliers and contractors for t h e Lederer married Budget Rent-A-Car founder Jules current month. The government has also not Lederer and moved to Eau Claire, WI, in 1939, approved the INPA's budget for 2002 due to where she pursued an interest in politics and was the tough financial situation in the country. elected chair of the county's Democratic Party. Entrance fees to the Authority sites make u p Lederer, who would draw on a vast array of politits main source of revenue and the number of ical contacts throughout her career, used these visitors, particularly tourists, has dramatical- contacts in 1955 to become Ann Landers~a column ly fallen as the intifada has continued. that already existed at the Chicago Sun-Times. Photo by 1SRANET. (Continued on page 2)
Jewish Leaders Generally Pleased Bush Places Onus on Palestinians
Magen DavidAdorn Official to Participate in Teens1 Walk for Israel
by MATTHEW E. BERGER *
by CAROL KATZMAN, E d i t o r , _ _ - - » _ _ _ — _ Gary Kenzer is so impressed with the BBYO team in Omaha organizing 'Walk 4 Israel', that he's coming, too! The walk, scheduled for this Sunday, J u n e 30, 2 p.m., is to raise awareness for Israel and raise funds for Magen David Adorn, a medical service organization. "The needs for Magen David Adorn are rapidly changing," said Kenzer, National Executive Director for Magen David Adorn, USA. "If you would have asked me a month ago if our ambulances needed armor, I would have said, 'no.' Now, not only must we protect our medical personnel, we have to purchase and install bullet-proofing on all our ambulances, reinforce the security at 90 firstr aid stations, and replace the medical supplies (which are depleted) every time there's a bombing or terrorist attack. "This is a very serious situation and to have young people involved, especially in Omaha, shows we have a good future regarding the love and compassion for Israel," Kenzer, "It's rewarding to see so many people coming on board-both Jewish and non-Jewish, teens and adults." Magen David Adorn provides auxiliary services to Israel's Army Medical Corps in wartime and offers civilian emergency care and temporary shelter. The organization also maintains a blood bank, but does not receive any funding from the International Red Cross, although it has applied for membership every year since 1948. "This is an issue of life and death," he added. "And this gives people a sense of being able to do something, instead of just watching it all unfold." BBYO organizers Keith Graul, Lana Kinarsky and Kim Pitlor, hope to show the community that "teens care about Israel, too." In order to help reach their goal of $4000 this Sunday, former members of the Israel Defense Force (IDF) will also participate. For information about the Walk 4 Israel or to make a donation, call the BBYO hotline, 334-6508.
WASHINGTON, (JTA) - President Bush's call has tolerated—or, some would say, cultivated— for a change in Palestinian leadership as a step since Yasser Arafat returned from exile in 1994. While never mentioning Arafat by name in his toward Palestinian statehood is being praised by American Jewish leaders and analysts as "his- speech, Bush made clear that he considers Arafat's removal from power a precondition to progress, a toric." Some questioned how complete a road map Bush position that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon long has had laid out in his advocated. long-awaited Mideast "Peace policy speech Monday. requires a But Jewish leaders new and difgenerally issued a sigh f e r e n t of relief that Bush Palestinian overwhelmingly had 'J leadership so placed the onus on the that a Palestinians to prove Palestinian their commitment to state can be peace before any peace born," Bush process could move forsaid. "I call ward. on the "None of the Jewish Palestinian community's anxieties people to were realized," said elect new Abraham Foxman, p , . e s j d e n t B u s h discusses Ms plan for peace in the Middle East as national director of the N a t i o n a l Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, left, Secretary of leaders, leadA n t i - D e f a m a t i o n state Colin Powell, center, and Defense Secretary Donald ers not comLeague. Rumsfeld stand by his side in the White House Rose Garden on promised by (Continued In the weeks before Monday. Bush called for new Palestinian leaders in his speech. the speech, Jewish Photo by PaulMorsefWhite House Photo on page 2) groups had been concerned that Bush would recommend the quick forINSIDE: mation of a Palestinian state in hopes of inducing The story of the North Piatte Canteen, a n d Palestinians to stop their campaign of violence Ojmahan Morrie Shapiro........ page 6 against Israel. Such a call, many Jewish groups warned, would "Land of Opportunity", &n essay written by be tantamount to rewarding terrorism rather than the iaie Maurice Katz page 7 repudiating it. On Monday, however, Bush presented a vision Monthly calendar,... „,..„..,.„, ,.pageG 3~.:>: toward eventual Palestinian statehood that called for the ouster of the current Palestinian Authority A*wefo' look a t Jewish wedding's. piige II. leadership, fundamental reform in Palestinian institutions and a repudiation of the culture of vioSinger Fund makes grants page -:<: lence and terrorism that the Palestinian Authority
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