JEWISH PRESS Vol. LXXXI1
No. 24
Omaha, NE
12 Adar 1,5763
February 14,2G83
CELEBRATING 82 YEARS OF SERVICE TO NEBRASKA AND WESTERN IOWA
After U.S. Issues Heightened Alert, Jews Try to Go About Their Business by MATTHEW E. BERGER •
WASHINGTON, (JTA)-David Waldner isn't going to let new warnings that terrorists might be targeting U.S. Jewish sites change Ms routine. "I'm not going to stop what I'm doing because someone said, 'It's orange today,5" Waldner said Sunday as his 21-month-old son, Dylan, played outside the District of Columbia's Jewish Community Center. The reference to "orange" reflected the increased state of alert that government officials announced over the weekend. Waldner's sentiment was shared by other Jews who plan to live their lives as normal, despite the upgraded alerts and added security at Jewish institutions. Newsweek reported that FBI officials began contacting Jewish leaders last Friday to warn them to be especially vigilant and to enhance security at Sabbath services and other weekend events, law enforcement sources said. Indeed, Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, said the organization "received calls and visits around the country by law enforcement bureau staff." Their message: "Help us communicate to the Jewish community" that "Jewish institutions may be targeted," Foxman said. """When we said, 'Is there anything specific?' they said no." Foxman said it is the third time that the FBI has warned of a threat against Jewish groups, noting an alert in April following a terror attack on a synagogue ha Tunisia that fuel trucks might target Jewish institutions. While there are no specific threats, Foxman said, "The fact that they reached out to us means that somewhere, someone felt that there was a specific need to reach out to the Jewish community." An FBI spokesman said he couldn't discuss which organizations or businesses were contacted, or what intelli-
gence the bureau had received. In today and forget tomororder to issue a public alert, he said, row. Our Jewish instituthe information would have had to be tiGQs are very aware of more specific and credible. the situation and have "When we receive this information taken reasonable precauand it targets a specific group, we try tions. We are confident in to make an assessment, and as of now OUT work with law it has not been corroborated," Paul en forcemeat we have Bresson said. "But nonetheless, we done all that one caa reafeel the need to just put the commusonably do unless the nity on alert." ih:-eats escalate. Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice "Let's hope that never chairman of the Conference of happens." Presidents of Major American Jewish New York's JCRC also is Organizations, downplayed the conworking with the United cern, saying the group's conversa-Jewish Communities, the tions with security officials indicate-1 umbrella group of North no evidence of increased risk t? i American Jewish federaJewish institutions. tions, and a panel of profesBut Homeland Security Secretary sors in emergency preTom Ridge said it is better to err on | paredness at John Jay the side of safety by warning the College of Criminal Justice Jewish community. co produce an emergency "I think its appropriate to draw the planning manual for conclusion that they are potentially a Jewish organizations. target because they have been atarget The manual, begun after , , , T_ u i- - . A security guard uses a dog to check the rooms « , , , .„ , . elsewhere, a n d w e should anticipate ,,, xi~ T - i_ • *.• • » . - Sept. 11, will advise agenr ,, , ,, „ . ,, , , , at the offices of a Jewish organization in New - , * , ,, that they could conceivably be targets , r , ,, - T . ^ .. n * >• cies how to respond to all T .,,. , / . . , , „ „ . , ° ., York as the Jewish Community R e l a t i o n s , . , _ , within this country as weH, Ridge said „ .-, „ , , , , T, _ . , kinds of worst-case scenar•s/r J OTn, m, I Council of New vYork held a Congressional. » , Monday on JNBCS loday show, _ ._ . , ,, ,-•- ^ .. j _, ios, from hurricanes to a , ,. , , . , • r. BreaMast, Among the politicians who attended „ . . « ., According to Newsweek, new inlor„ , „.„ _.. , ~, , sniper scenario,' said ,. _, , , ,, , . , . , -were Senators Hillary Clinton, Charles „ - , „ „ , *,-»»,-> mation warned about the rpossibility „ , __4 T , . , , David Pollock, JCRC J ~ .. „ . , „ . , , , , Schumer, Barbara of A l - Q a1x d a a t t a c k s o n s y n a g o g u e s , — . ,.
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. -C ., . T ., Representatives. Pkoto by DamdEarp „ . . _, ., Jewish community centers, Jewish or Director. The guide is Jewish-owned hospitals, youth took steps to alert then- members and expected to be distributed in CD format groups, hotels and resorts. to North American federations, synabeef up security. Officials said they are unusually The New York Police Department gogues and Jewish schools next month. Even before the securiiy warnings, worried both because of recent elec- notified the Jewish Community tronic intercepts that suggest an Relations Council of New York, which the JCC in Manhattan had beefed up imminent- attack as well as the sheer sent an an alert to its agencies last its security because of the possibility volume of reports that have been com- Friday advising them to increase vigi- of aU.S.-led war against Iraq. ing in mentioning Jewish targets, the lance, secure targets and prepare an "People are concerned about war, and magazine reported. therefore there's anxiety about it," the emergency plan. It has advised agen"This is a full-court press," one FBI cies to determine fortification and exit JCC's Executive Director^ Debby official told Newsweek about the strategies with the help of then- local Hirshman, said. "We wanted to reflect bureau's sudden outreach to Jewish police precincts. our sensitivity to those anxieties." groups. "There's real anxiety about this." (Carol Katzman. in Omaha and JTA Staff Bob Wolfson, Executive Director of Around the country, officials alerted the ADL-CRC in Omaha added, Writer Rachel Pomerance in New York conJewish organizations which, in turn, "Security is not a business you can do tributed to this report.) T
Volunteers Needed! by JOAN K. MARCUS —
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Several members of the Omaha Jewish communi- of Guadalupe Church has been "one of the most ty have been spending time in what may seem like gratifying experiences" he's ever had. unlikely places hi South Omaha—far from where Two of the members of the team are retired teachyou'd usually see them. Day by day, however, ers: Ruth Potash and Helen Epstein. But Potash they're teaching basic reading skills and preparation for the GED-General Education Development-and a high school diploma. This small group of volunteers, led by Dinah Raful, administrator from the Omaha Public School District's Adult Basic Education Program, is also assisting new immigrants to the community with their English language skills—reading, writing and speaking. A final component includes preparation for taking the citizenship exam and becoming naturalized Americans. "Sometimes you don't see results right away," admitted Irv Yaffe, who's been volunteering his tune to tutor students for 14 years now. "However, we've seen a lot of students go through (this program), get their GEDs-and then we've gone to then- gradua- Gloria Kaslow is delighted when her students tions!" Yaffe added that his tune spent at Our Lady know the answers-in English!
noted that the gratification she receives from the job "is almost better than the money. Students in the ESL program are so anxious to learn. They can't get enough knowledge fast enough. "We're also glad to have Gloria Kaslow as a volunteer," Potash added. "She taught in the United Talmud Torah and is an expert on the Bible and the Holocaust, She's wonderful with the students!" Epstein went on to say, "I enjoyed teaching English to children because they want to learn and they work very hard in the classroom. It's so gratifying to see their progress." (Continued on page 6)
INSIDE: Teen Age A Survivor Speaks Health Care Panel
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