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July 26, 1985 30C Per Copy h Historical R, I , Jewis 1 1 A Associat~on street 130 sessions 02906 p rovidence , RI \·MHO.DE I {l!iC~IIJU ~------ · ::.:.:::.:1 THE ONLY ENGLISH-JEWISH WEEKLY IN RI AND SOUTHEAST MASS VOLUME LXXII, NUMBER 34 FRIDAY, JULY 26, 1985 30C PER COPY After Operation Moses Director Urges Israeli Women by Rabbi Davi~ SaPerstein visit the Gondar villages prior to the To Fight For Political Clout arrival of the Congressmen, I was told I Two major concerns brought me to could not, "because of what the Israelis did by Roberta Elliott Ethiopia: fear for the 7,000 Beta Israel still in Operation Moses." The Director of The good news is that more women are living in towns and remote villages, and Tourism told me that it had been involved in municipal politics in Israel worry about the millions of Ethiopians determined at the highest levels of than ever. The bad news is that they are threatened with starvation. Few moments government that all foreign contact with not climbing the political ladder to the in my life have made me more proud Or the villages was to be cut off to prevent Knesset and ministerial positions. being an American Jew than when I saw outsiders from "instigating" these Jews to According to Sharon Shenhav, who starving children being fed from sacks of leave. Recent statements by the heads the Jerusalem legal- services office food marked "From the U.S.A.", or when I government indicating that it would no of Na'amat, Israel's largest women's orga­ watched Abie Natlian arrive with tents longer consider Falashas as Jews reflect its nization, about 100 women sit on city marked "From Jerusalem With Love" - determination to further isolate the Beta councils in Israel, and 21 municipalities tents purchased with funds donated by I~rael from world Jewry. have advisory committees on the status of members of Reform synagogues to shelter We brought Jewish and Hebrew women. While the current Knesset has another 10,000 refugees in Senbete, his educational materials for distribution to nine women members, the same as the pre• second tent city. the Beta Israel and reassured them that vious Knesset. there is no woman cabinet I was joined on the trip by Senators they were not forgotten. The Congressmen member; the previous cabinet had one. Dennis Deconcini of Arizona and Paul were exceedingly helpful in negotiations Na'amat, which is now expanding its Trible of Virginia and Representative with Gondar officials about expansion of programs to educate and activate Israeli Gary Ackerman of New York. Prior to our the UAHC Operation REAP (Reform women on political issues, receives major Sharon Shenhav arrival, no outsider had been to the Movement's Ethiopian Jewry Assistance support in the U.S. from Pioneer Women/ Ethiopian Jewish villages since Operation Program), which sends doctors to Jewish Na'amat, the Women's Labor Zionist Or­ women in the Knesset, it would make a big Moses, the Israeli airlift of Ethiopian and non-Jewish villages there. Their most ganization of America, now celebrating its difference." Jewish refugees. In the international important negotiation, however. took 60th anniversary. Said Mrs. Shenhav in a Political Power the Key Jewish community there was deep place in Addis Ababa, where they talk to Pioneer Women/ Na'amat leaders A Chicago native who immigrated to Is­ uncertainty about the remaining Jews. discussed implementation of a family in New Yo rk: rael with her husband and two children six How had the Ethiopian government reunification program to allow Jews to "We have concentrated on bread- and­ years ago, Mrs. Shenhav said political responded to Operation Moses? Had they leave for Israel legally. Although accepted butter issues fo r a long time, and these power was the key to the religious courts' taken out their resentment on the in theory by the Ethiopian government, it women are now cutting their teeth on local control of domestic issues. the rabbinate remaining Jews in the Gondar? Indeed, is doubtful that it will be put into effect in issues. But it's time to put our efforts to­ was given exclusive jurisdiction over mar• how many Jews were left in the country? the near future. ward national politics. If there we re 25 1nui!i1 1~,,., ~~n pag(' 71 What we re their needs? Could a safe and Visits To The Relief Camps legal way be negotiated to bring out the After visiting with the Beta Israel, I Jews still there'? visited camps run by two of the finest Israeli Artist-In-Residence When we arrived in Addis Ababa, it was relief organizations working in Ethiopia: immediately evident that Operation Catholic Relief Services and World The JWB Lecture Bureau, in coopera­ winner of Israel's "Harp of David" Award: Moses had traumatized the political Vision. Once people are taken into one of tion with the Department of Development Hanan Yovel, vocalist and guitarist; Sally­ establishment. The news that thousands 60 camps operated by these groups, they & Services of the World Zionist Organiza­ Anne Friedland, dancer and actress; llan of Jews had left in pursuit of freedom was are sheltered, fed and provided with good tion, is introducing a new concept in the Dar, actor; Tamara Mielnik, dancer and viewed as an attack on the government. health care. Children who come into the cultural arts ~ an Israeli Artist - in - Resi• actess; and Gideon She mer, actor. Omanut The overwheling attention given in the camps weighing as little as half of what dence program "uniquely designed to offer La'am helped JWB in selecting the artists. Arab and African press to stories that they should are put on high-caloric diets local commuinity exposure to a variety of Stephen L. Bayer, director, JWB Lec­ Ethiopian Jews were being trained for the that restore them to near-normal weight specially selected Israeli performers in tu re Bureau, sa id , "The artist will present Israeli army and that others were being within a month. dance, drama and music." a fo rmal performance in a concert setting; settled on the west Bank, was a political But the camps serve only one-half present a series of mini-performances and embarrassment to the Ethiopian million of the eight to nine million at risk. lecture demonstrations to a wide range of government. Most grating were the human The drought has lasted six years. In many age and interest groups; work with existing interest stories so favored by the Western regions not enough topsoil remains to groups in the community to further de­ press depicting the Ethiopian Jews as sustain crops. Virtually no conservation, velop and expand their artistic skills; con• primitive natives. In Addis Ababa this was reforestation or irrigation projects exist. duct seminars with university arts facul­ regarded as a national affront. As good a job as the relief groups and the ties and local community professionals; No Overt Reprisals Evident U.S. government (which supplies half of and speak with representatives of local T V As we visited Jewish villages, no overt all emergency relief supplies) are doing, and radio stations and newspapers about reprisals or harassment were evident. All only . an international effort of relief the Israeli arts scene. of the Jews with whom I spoke had heard combined with development offers "Quality programs at a lixed price range of Operation Moses, but only one or two in Jong-range hope. are two important advantages offered by the larger villages had any idea of the Many of the children being cared for in the Israeli Artist- in- Residence program politica1 controversy it had engendered. the· camps have suffered so long from Life in the villages continues essentially malnutrition that they are distressingly the way it has in the past 18 months, since vulnerable to disease. Measles remains the the dictatorial and anti-Semitic former biggest killer of children. Whooping cough Governor Malaku was moved by the and tuberculosis take a heavy toll. Every authorities out of the direct governance of rain is a mixed blessing, replenishing the region. Under Malaku, synagogues needed water supplies but striking down were closed, Jewish teachers were thrown with colds, influenza and hypothermia into jail and tortured, and the teaching of hundted& of adult.a and children who have Hebrew was forbidden. Today the Jews lost their natural resistance. are treated with relative tolerance. Threat of Cholera Overcome Neverthelesa, drought, disease, inadequate With the problem of disease an Sally-Anne Friedland health care, and the raging civil war ever-present danger, Dr. Rich Hodes, an nearby all serve to make the lives of the" infectious disease specialist sent by the Irving Ruderman, of Rochester, N.Y., remaining Jews periloua. UAHC's REAP program, worked for a JWB officer and chairman of its Lecture The flight of many Jews to the Sudan time in the first Abie Nathan/UAHC Bureau, says, "The Israeli Artist- in- Resi­ bas left the infrastructure of the villages ao camp in harbu. Scores, perhaps hundreds, dence program is designed to build bridges badly eroded today that little teaching of lives were saved because of his early of understandin~ and appreciation be­ goes on out.aide of Wolleka, the diagnosis of cholera and his successful tween Israel's cultural scene and Jews in government's showcase Faluha village. efforts to stem an epidemic. North America." Yet, despite these condition, the Jews we With the help of congregations According to Shara Gilman, coordinator met were optimistic, proud of their throughout America, the UAHC will of the Israeli Artist- in- Residence pro• Jewishne88, and confident in the belief continue to support legislation and field gram, "Each performer will spend an in • that someday, with the help of world service programs aimed at providing relier tensive week in every North American Jewry, they would live freely in Eretz and development for East Africa's starving community arranging fore residency.
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