---~- ----------- ------- - -~-~----- ---- --- ---------- ************************5-DIGIT 02906 2239 11 /30/87 ** 30 R.I. JEWISH HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION 130 SESSIONS ST. Inside: PROVIDENCE, RI 02906 From The Editor, page 4 Around Town, page 8 THE ONLY ENGLISH-JEWISH WEEKLY IN R.I. AND SOUTHEAST MASS. VOLUME LXXIV, NUMBER 23 THURSDAY, MAY 7, 1987 35¢ PER COPY Will The R.I. Film Waldheim Barred From -Entering U.S. NEW YORK (JTA) - The A Clear Message bas Been Waldheim falls under the Commission Survive? U.S. Justice Department Sent 'Holtzman Amendment' which announced last week a The World Jewish Congress, holds that 'Nazi persecutors' are long-awaited decision to bar which discovered and exposed the ineligible to enter the United Austrian President Kurt fi rst documentation of States," the WJC statement said. Waldheim, accused of Waldheim's wartime activities Elizabeth Holtzman, Brooklyn involvement in Nazi atrocities, which he concealed for four District Attorney, authored from entry to the United States as decades, issued a statement legislation barring Nazi war a private citizen. saying: "The Attorney General of criminals from entering the U.S. Although Waldheim has not the United States of America, when she served in Congress. been barred from visiting the U.S. Edwin Meese, has acted in a Holtzman issued the following in his official capacity as the courageous manner and has sent a statement last Monday: "Today Austrian head of State, President clear message: Nazis are not Kurt Waldheim's past has finally Reagan pledged in a letter written welcome here. After 40 years, caught up with him. I am pleased last year, that he would never justice has been done in the case of that Attorney General Edwin extend an invitation to Waldheim Kurt Waldheim." Meese has agreed to bar Kurt for an offic ial visit. Waldheim's past came to public Waldheim from the United States, A State Department attention in spring 1986 aft.er a enforcing the law that 1 wrote that spokesperson said "The World J ewish Congress researcher bars Nazi persecutors from our Department of Justice has discovered that a file in the United shores. Waldheim participated in determ ined that a prime facie case Nations War Crimes Commission the German Army's reprisals of excludability exists with respect (UNWCC) archive charged against innocent civilians during to Kurt Waldheim as an Waldheim with "murder" and World War II and has consistently individual." "putting hostages to death." T he tried to cover up his past. Under Austria recalled its Ambassador documents showed that Waldheim the Holtzman amendment, such a Amy Shapiro is the newly hired executive director of the to the United States last Monday served as an intelligence officer in person cannot enter this country. Rhode Island Film Commission, a state agency responsible for in protest. Austrian Foreign the German Army and committed "The next step is to determine attracting film directors and producers. Gov. DiPrete has stated Minister Alois Mock said in a atrocities in Yugoslavia and how a man with Waldheim's past the film commission's budget is to be eliminated for fisc_al year statement, "This decision .. Greec.e by ordering the murder of was supported by our own 1988. In an interview with Herald editor Robert Israel, Shapiro causes Austria deep dismay and is Jews, Gypsies, Serbs and government and many others talks about the plans for the film commission, which includes a categorically rejected." resistance fighters. while he was Secretary General of meeting with Gov. DiPrete in hopes of changing his mind about The decision assures that Waldheim has admitted that he the UN. T he opening of the film commission. Turn to page 4, From The Editor. Waldheim, the former United conrealed · part of his wartime Waldheim's secret UN file Nations Secretary General, will service by claiming repeatedly that exposed his past to the world. The never legally enter this country he was discharged in 1941 and United States government must Wiesel: Humanities Courses again. Jewish organizations finished a law degree in Vienna for reverse its position on releasing praised Attorney General Edwin the remainder of the war. But he the 37,000 other files on accused Should Be Mandatory Meese and the Justice has denied that he perpetrated any Nazi war criminals." Department for taking the Nazi persecutions. The W JC statement praised the WASHINGTON (JTA) appropriate action in the "Today the U.S. government Justice Department's Office of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Elie Waldheim case. fo rmally determined that Kurt (continued on page 9) Wiesel last week called upon universities to set a moral example by making humanities courses mandatory in professional schools. Journalists Pledge "Never Again" "The enemy is indifference. Your own study is a weapon At D.C. Remembrance Ceremony against indifference. The university must become a moral WASHINGTON, D.C. - In a example," Wiesel told a largely solemn and moving ceremony student audience at George . under the dome of the U.S. Washington University (GWU). Capitol, the U.S. Holocaust " I would plead and implore all Memorial Council ,on April 28 professional students to have a presented Eisenhower Liberation compulsory program in Medals to Fred Friendly and humanities. You must know why Edward R. Murrow you are doing what you're doing. It (posthumously) for bring the it the ethical dimension that terrible truth of the Holocaust to determines the humanity of the world. humankind." Elie Wiesel Friendly, who as a U.S. Army Wiesel's remarks about the main component of a immoral war correspondent in April, 1945 universities occurred during an society. " Indifference is not the wrote of the human devastation of address Wednesday two weeks ago beginning of the process, it's the the Mauthausen concentration in which he listed the major end. We know how to handle camp in Austria, told the audience elements of an immoral society. despair. There's a certain dynamic today that his life was "divided He used South Africa and the in despair. We can fight it and into two parts - before and after Soviet Union as modern examples. transform it into art and Mauthausen." Referring to news About halfway through Wiesel's literature. Indifference is the end, reports of the U.S. Government address, a group of Black Hebrews the last stop. You can do nothing barring Austrian President Kurt burst into the G WU auditorium if you are indifferent," he said. Waldheim from entering the CBS Anchorman Dan Ra ther introduces a recording of carrying placards with slogans "Whatever we do it must be country on suspicion of Edward R . Murrow's eyewitness radio broadcast of the attacking the Israeli government, against indifference." Wiesel committing Nazi war crimes, liberation of Buchenwald in 1945 at a ceremony April 28 in the whom they accuse of abusing called South Africa an immoral Friendly said, " We ask Austria to U.S. Capitol Rotunda sponsored by the U.S. Holocaust Memorial members of their sect. They society because its system of remmber what we can never Council. Murrow (posthumously), and Fred W. Friendly were marched to the podium where one apartheid puts rulers above the erase." awarded the Council's 1987 Eisenhower Liberation Medal for of the demonstrators demanded law. An immoral society is also "We have a responsibility to their role in te lling the world about the Nazi death camps. that they be heard. characterized by a lack of equality communicate these experiences so Wiesel, unfazed, let the among human beings and the history will not repeat itself," he ages, told of malnourished and ceremony, both as speakers and as demonstrators speak, saying, superiority of the system over the said, "and I don't think we've done dying prisoners who were barely candle-lighters, in the "Anyone who wants to speak people, he said. The Soviet Union that well, even to this day." able to rise and greet their commemoration of the six million about his suffering should be is immoral, Wiesel said, for not CBS Anchorman Dan Rather liberators. Jews and others who perished heard." The demonstrator spoke accurately- recording its history. introduced the honorees, calling Council Chairman Harvey M. through l\ozi genocide. briefl y, thanked Weisel, and the "In an immoral society memory is them "two reporters trying to do Meyerhoff presented the medals to T he Eisenhower Liberation group returned to picket outside. the first victim of truth," he said. their job - to bear witness." He Murrow's widow, Janet Brewster Medal is awarded annually by the The Black Hebrews have Wiesel said study enables a introduced a taped radio broadcast Murrow, and to Friendly. T he U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council interrupted several Jewish and moral society to exist within an Murrow made from Buchenwald ceremony, in the U.S. Capitol to honor those individuals who pro-Israel meetings here, and have immoral society. He spoke about when he arrived there in 1945 as a Rotunda, highlighted the Council's played a significant role in the demonstrated in front of his meeting with young Jewish CBS correspondent with seventh annual Days of fight against Nazism and the synagogues, Jewish office refuseniks in the Soviet Union American liberation forces. Remembrance observance. liberation of Nazi death camps. facilities, and Soviet J ewry vigils. who spoke Hebrew and knew Murrow's voice, echoing through Members of Congress also The award commemorates Wiesel warned that indifference is Jewish history. the Capjto! _'.otunda,and across the participated in the U.S. Capitol (continued on page 9) ---~~ - --- 2 - THE RHODE ISCAND•I-IEflALD, TH0 RSDAY, MAY 7, 1987 Samuel K. Suls New JCC President Samuel K. Suls will be installed as president of the J ewish Community Center of Rhode Local News Island at the 62nd Annual Meeting to be held on May 13 at 7: 45 p.m.