$3.00 Frontier The Israel Scene: PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH NINE DAYS OF TERROR ELECTIONS UNDER FIRE Salutes to Rabin Gulf War in Retrospect Abba Hillel Silver and Labor Zionism The Jewish Family The Stern Gang POEM Bearing Witness Menahem Stern I E I-A1 I T JOURNAL The 30th National Convention of the LABOR ZIONIST ALLIANCE will be held May 17-19,1996 at St. Moritz-on-the-Park 50 Central Park South • New York City A Mobilization of American Labor Zionists • on behalf of the State of Israel in its search for peace and security • for strengthening American Jewish identity through Jewish education and dynamic youth programs • by supporting Labor-based institutions in Israel, that strengthen the fabric of Israel's democratic society For more information : LABOR ZIONIST ALLIANCE 275 Seventh Avenue 17th Floor New York NY 10001 ISRAEL'S No I BANK WISHES YOU A HAPPY \DEPE\DE\CE DAY Ilfw 311K1]yy D11 BANKHIPDHLIM Regional Management Western Hemisphere 1177 Avenue of the Americas 14th Floor New York NY 10036 Tel : (212) 782-2000 Fax : (212) 782- 2007 New York Branch ' 1177 Avenue of the Americas 12th 14th Floor New York NY 10036 Tel : 212 782-2000 Fax: 782-2222 Plaza Branch 1177 Avenue of the Americas 14th Floor New York NY 10036 Tel : 212 782-2000 Fax: 212 782- 2222 Americas Tower Branch 1177 Avenue of the Americas 11th Floor New York NY 10036 Tel : 212 782-2000 Fax: 212 782- 2222 Head Office 50 Rothschild BIvd Tel Aviv 66883 Israel .Tel : 03 5673333 Fax : 03 5607028 And 334 branches of the group in Israel 2 JEWISH FRONTIER JEWISH CONTENTSVol. LXIII No. 2 619 MARCH/APRIL 1996 Frontier Editorial 4 SINCE 1934 ON THE HORIZON Peace Process 6 A LABOR ZIONIST JOURNAL PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH Ehud Barak Founders Israel 9 Hayim Greenberg NINE DAYS OF TERROR Susan Hattis Marie Syrkin Rolef ELECTIONS UNDER FIRE 11 Editorial Board Misha Louvish Poetry 13 Henry Feingold Chairman A DAY IN Menahem Stern Saul B . Cohen SPRING Hyman Faine Yitzhak Rabin 14 Jonathan J . Goldberg AFTER MY DEATH Bialik Emanuel S . Goldsmith THE Jerry Goodman IN SERVICE 15 Rabbi Mark W. Kiel OF HIS PEOPLE David Rosenthal Rabbi Arthur J . Lelyveld International 18 Jeffry V Mallow GULF WAR IN RETROSPECT Ralph Seliger Daniel Mann Mordecai Newman Report 20 Samuel Norich JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM World Jewish Michael S . Perry Congress Mark Raider Eduardo Rauch Biography 21 Chava Reich ABBA HILLEL SILVER Mark A. Raider Mordecai Shtrigler Ezra Spicehandler Memoir 25 Phyllis Sutker MICHELANGELO S PAUL Haim Chertok David Twersky Essay 27 Steve J . Zipperstein DISPERSAL OF THE JEWISH FAMILY Si Wakesberg Nahum Guttman Editor Books 29 THE STERN GANG Morton J. by Joseph Heller Merowitz NOTE TO SUBSCRIBERS BEARING WITNESS Nahum Guttman If you plan to move please notify by Henry L. Feingold us six weeks in advance. Histadrut 30 FOREIGN WORKERS RIGHTS NEWS BRIEFS 31 Contributors 31 JEWISH FRONTIER JEWISH FRONTIER ISSN-0021-6453 is published bi-monthly by Labor Zionist Letters Inc . Editorial and advertising offices at 275 Seventh Avenue New York NY 275 Seventh Avenue 10001 . Second- class postage paid at New York NY. POSTMASTER : Send address changes to Circulation Jewish Frontier 275 Seventh Avenue 17th Floor New York 17th Floor NY 10001 . New York NY 10001 Subscription rates for U .S . and possessions 15 .00 per year for 6 issues 25 .00 for two years for 12 issues . Add 2 .50 for Canada . All other countries - 20 .00 per year ; All foreign subscribers - remit in U .S . dollars drawn on a U .S . bank . Back issues- Telephone: 212 229-2280 payable in advance at 5 .00 each . Editorial / article contributions should be sent to the editorial office and be accom- 212 366-1194 panied by return postage . Editorial and advertising rates available on request. All material unless otherwise noted © 1996 Jewish Frontier. Signed articles do not Fax: 212 675-7685 necessarily reflect the official position of JEWISH FRONTIER . JEWISH FRONTIER is available on microfilm from : University Microfilm 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor MI 48106 . Distributed by Bernhard De Boer Inc . 113 East Centre St . Nutley NJ 07110 . EDITORIAL On the Horizon his is war. This is psychological warfare faith in the righteousness of its path and to Ton the deepest level. The four suicide bomb- bolster its ability to meet challenges." ings - in Jerusalem Ashkelon and Tel Aviv - Herzog adds : "For some 50 years I have were not aimed only at destroying innocent observed Shimon Peres in periods of crisis and Israeli lives but to demolish the peace process seeming hopelessness . He was always capable that was step by step realigning Israel and of standing up to the most trying challenges the Palestinians in the direction of mutual calmly sensibly and with courage under the acceptance and non-violent co-existence. most difficult and frustrating circumstances." The bombings took a horrible toll - 58 And finally: "In 1929 we did not give in innocent men women and children mostly when the Jews of Hebron were massacred; nor Israelis including sabras and recent olim from in 1947 when Arab mobs attacked Jews in Russia; two American students; several Arabs Aleppo in Aden and Jerusalem Haifa and and a half dozen Rumanian workers imported Jaffa . We buried our dead rolled up our to help the country s economy. Yes there were sleeves and created the Jewish State . We did also four other Arabs dupes of Hamas who not yield in 1948 when Arab forces besieged carried the deadly explosives and thus took a Jerusalem and prevented the arrival of food short cut to the Islamic heaven for martyrs. water and equipment to the city. Following World Jewry and millions of non-Jews will every attack we emerged stronger. I am con- long remember these unspeakable events. But vinced we shall prevail." the scars will heal and the people will gradu- ally resume their normal pace as they have for rime Minister Shimon Peres has mobilized decades in the past after comparable trials. Israel s security and political forces to Pcounter the evil designs of Hamas. While there Israeli former President Chaim Herzog is no foolproof protection against future suicide emembers: bombings much can be done to destroy the A"These tragic events recall many others. At the source of these attacks. First in line is the very onset of the War of Independence as we liter- clear and unequivocal pressure on Yasir Arafat ally struggled for our existence we faced many to eradicate the Hamas network in his domain. harrowing trials and tribulations . We had Not only must the terrorist network itself be endured a siege in Jerusalem without water torn to shreds but the entire infrastructure and food as 100 000 shells landed in the city. that feeds it must be dismantled. Hamas boasts But we survived it with determination and in of its humanitarian services to the Palestinian most cases succeeded in brushing off the feel- public - schools hospitals etc. Given his man- ing of danger both national and personal. date by the recent elections which handed him "Today our capabilities are more extensive a popularly elected "parliament" of 88 members and our situation bears no relation to that Arafat could move swiftly to nationalize those which we experienced then. But much can be institutions and pull the rug from under the done to lift the nation s spirit to strengthen its Hamas financial structure. 4 JEWISH FRONTIER Also high on the agenda of the Palestinan Prime Minister Shimon Peres greets Authority is the repeal of PLO s covenant LZA President Daniel Mann whose declared goal is to destroy the State of February 27 1996 Israel . Such a move which is dictated by the Dear Daniel ; Oslo agreements would effectively improve I like to for dynamic lead- the atmosphere and abate the political hostil- would commend you your ity that nourishes terrorism. ership of the Labor Zionist Alliance in the United States . ut that is not enough. Terrorism is a Your determination to strengthen the membership B world problem. The specific terrorist ranks ofthe L.Z.A. while becoming public advocates `peace master scheme is fed by Iran. See: Lebanon . To ofthe process is a wise and helpful course. help Israel cope with its current crisis and to focus attention on the universal evil of terror- No doubt the dramatic developments in our region new meaning to Labor s historic message of ism President Bill Clinton initiated a gather- give ing at Sharm-El-Sheik on the coast of Sinai in peace social justice and economic well-being. Egyptian territory hosted by President L.Z.A. s work in support of the Jewish Zionist edu- Mubarak . cation of youth and its efforts to help strengthen The very presence of leaders of 27 nations the Israel-Diaspora relationship are also greatly was a powerful indication that the curse of ter- appreciated . I share these values with you. rorism was not only an Israeli affliction. The May and colleagues from strength to one-day meeting attended by the president of you your grow Russia the king of Jordan and high-ranking strength . representatives of Saudi Arabia Japan and Sincerely many European nations was a rare phenome- non. The fact that 14 Arab nations from North Africa to the Persian Gulfsat in the same room Shimon Peres with an Israeli Prime Minister was a harbing- Jerusalem Israel ger of favorable developments in the region . The absence of Syria and Lebanon was noted but not unexpected . The fact that the Saudi The Labor Zionist Movement delegate shook hands with Shimon Peres was extends heartfelt condolences by far a more significant gesture.