1*11,11111111111,11111115-DIGIT 02906 241 1/31 /92 ** 57 R. l. JEWISH HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION i 30 SESSIONS ST. Rhode lslan1 PROVIDENCE, RI 02906 Restaurant Review HE:RALll See Page 9 The Only English-Jewish Weekly in Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts VOLUME LXXVII, NUMBER 31 THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 1991 35¢ PER COPY ''Don't Stereotype Us'' '' Cup Of Elijah'' For Bush by Jeremy Gordin ville, Tenn., rabbi, they deal Northern California Jewish with people using generalized Bulletin methods that too often fail to SAN FRANCISCO (JT A) - meet individual needs regard­ It 's high time the American ing family structure, Jewish Jewish community realized education, agi ng, language and that Soviet Jews are not a Jewish identity. homogeneous lump of people, Later in his speech at the con­ according to emigre Rabbi Vic­ ference, held under the tor Rashkovsky. auspices of the University of Furthermore, most current Judaism's Wilstein Institute, approaches to immigrant ab­ Rashkovsky said he believed sorption show inadequate solutions lie in the creation of understanding of Soviet ways, havurot, networking groups of charged Rashkovsky, the first emigres that gather together to Reform Soviet rabbi to be support and teach one another. ordained in the United States He also recommended the in the last 15 years. use of para-rabbis - emigres Some listeners were clearly without full rabbinic training upset at the content of Rash­ who could act as rabbis in kovsky's emotional keynote counseling, guiding and teach­ address, delivered June 9 dur­ ing newer emigres. ing a two-day conference at The rabbi said it was while Stanford University on the ac­ dealing with the resettlement culturation of Soviet emigres. of fellow Soviets that he Because resettlement agencies learned how diverse emigres and programs do not suf­ -are and that present programs ficiently recognize the diversity are designed for the "Soviet LOS ANGELES - President Bush received a unique "Cup of Elijah" from the Simon of Soviet emigres, said the Oak- (confmued on page 17) Wiesenthal Center for his singular efforts in securing the freedom of Ethiopian Jewry. The President was the keynote speaker at a gala evening which brought together 1400 leaders of the business, entertainment and Jewish communities. Noted actor Arnold Schwarz­ Jewish Groups Divided enegger was honored for his longtime support of the Center and its new Beil Hashoah - Museum of Tolerance, currently under construction in Los Angeles and scheduled to open Over Bush's Voucher Plan in 1992. Proceeds from the dinner will benefit the Center's new Museum. Chairing the by Howard Rosenberg could use to purchase either dinner were Peter Guber, Chairman of the Board, Columbia Pictures Entertainment, Inc. WASHINGTON (JTA) - remedial education ii'\ the pub­ and Jon Peters. Pictured (left to right) are Mrs. Bush, President Bush and Rabbi Hier, Dean Jewish groups are divided over lic schools or for tuition at reli­ of the Weisenthal Center. President Bush 's voucher plan, gious and other private which would provide aid to schools. "Operation Solomon" At The JCC parents while allowing them As a courtesy to the presi­ the choice of sending children dent, the bill was introduced by Peter J. Corwin to either public or private by several senators, including Herald Contributing Reporter school. Sens, Edward Kennedy Col. Asaf Agmon, an Israeli Among the groups opposing (D-Mass.) and Orrin Hatch who helped orchestrate "Oper­ the plan are the American Jew­ (R-Utah), the highest-ranking ation Solomon's" covert logis­ ish Committee, American Jew­ Democrat and Republican on tics, described the inner work­ ish Congress, Anti-Defamation the Labor and Human Re­ ings of the Ethiopian airlift at League, National Council of sources Committee. the R.I. Jewish Community Jewish Women and the Union Kennedy has also introduced Center on June 18. of American Hebrew Congrega­ his own choice-in-education Video footage of the airlift tions. bill. The senator's bill does not prior to Agmon's remarks re­ In support of the plan are include incentives for private vealed how early on May 24 , Agudath Israel of America and school enrollment. civilian-dressed Israeli pilots the Union of Orthodox Jewish Recently at a congressional new unmarked aircraft three­ Congregations of America. hearing of the labor committee, and-a-half hours to Addis The president's plan, intro­ Kennedy, the committee chair­ Ababa. Other Israelis were al­ duced in late May, would man, told Education Secretary ready assisting Ethiopian air amend the existing Chapter I Lamar Alexander of his contin­ ued "serious reservations traffic controllers in the capi­ program, which provides re­ tal's control tower. A legend medial services to students at about the administration's pro­ among Ethiopian Jews claimed low-income schools - includ­ posal to turn Chapter I into a the heavens would rescue them ing religious and other private voucher program, and to in­ to "ride eagle's wings to schools. clude private schools in a Jerusalem." Within 36 hours, Under the president's plan, choice program." that legend became reality. instead of being provided serv­ Sen. Howard Metzenbaum ices, eligible students would be (D-Ohio) told Alexander that At the end of the film , Ag­ (continued on page 2) mon detailed the many obsta­ Colonel Asaf Agmon at the JCC. given vouchers which they cles Israel had to overcome in eventually assisted many re- Air Force Base. The key was to transferring 14,500 Ethiopian maining Jews in their long trek act quickly. Mengistu had been SPECIAL SECTION INSIDE: Jews. The initial difficulty dated to the capital city. Virtually no using the Jews as bargaining back to the 1984 " Operation Jews had been living there pre- chips for Israeli weapons and Moses" rescue. At that time, viously. U.S . funding against the rebels. Where To Go & What To Do In most Ethiopian Jews had been About three weeks before But he was expected to remain living in the northern Condor "Operation Solomon," Agmon in power no more than several Province. Under President received top secret orders to or- weeks or months wi th th e war­ Haile Mengistu, the Ethiopian ganize the Israeli ai r force res- torn rebels at his back door. government refu sed further cue. The government selected With U.S . pressure, Israel suc­ rescue attempts from any si te Agmon - who had served in ceeded in obtaining Ethi opian other than Addis Ababa. Ag­ Israel's military since 1966 - approval for the airlift shortly mon explained how Isra el and in light of hi s position as Com- after Mengistu 0ed the country. Jewish relief organizations manding Officer at Lod Israel (continued on page 7) 2 -- THE RHODE ISLAND JEWISH HERALD, THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 1991 lnside the Ocean State Are There Any Sampson WW-2 Navy Veterans Out There? by Kathy Cohen ber 7, 8, and 9), and the Samp­ where the old center is locate Herald Associate Editor son group has grown to about and the New York State Offic It's summer. Now that 2,100 and continues to receive of Parks, Recreation, and Hii Memorial Day has passed, the membership applications. But, toric Preservation. Fourth of July is fast approach­ one of the group's leaders The group of veterans are de ing, as well as Victory over thinks they can do better. ing everything they can includ Japan (VJ) Day, all of which sets Charles Abrams, of the Jew­ ing selling raffle tickets, sellin; up the stage for most veterans ish Veterans of Rhode Island items of clothing, and bool to come froin behind the closed and Regional Director of the sales, taking three-fourths fron curtains and show their c~lors Sampson WW-2 Navy Veter­ each membership dues, etc. t< and patriotism. It's also time for ans for Maine, Massachusetts, reach the $600,000 in renovat the rest of America to remem­ Rhode Island, and Connecticut ing costs. Abrams says the) ber their country's history, and says " there are thousands more have raised a third of th( the Sampson WW-2 Navy Vet­ (veterans of Sampson) out amount needed. erans, Inc. are trying to make it there that still don't know of A recent addition to the easier for people to remember this organization" and what Sampson State Park is a statue all the men who fought for the they're doing . H e intends to that was dedicated last Septem­ red, white, and blue. However, change that and more. ber 6th to the Sampson formal they're finding it a bit more of Besides enlarging the Naval Training Station. Artist an accomplishment than they membership of Sampson's Felix Deweldon created the Jwo expected and these men aren't WW-2 Navy Veterans, Inc., Jima memorial. Abrams feels it getting any younger according Abrams says that the member­ will help to attract tourists to one veteran of the "Old ship fees that the group brings when the park is opened. Sampson Salts." in will go toward his second Abrams said, "Our goal is to About three years ago, 48 goal - to renovate the old be able to finish this before our Sampson veterans stepped out Sampson training center into a time is up. We're not getting to visit their old training museum/library ($25 of life­ any younger. " time membership dues goes Fortunately, besides allowing into a general fund while the "any person who served in the SERV-U remaining goes into the memo­ U.S. Navy during WW-2 and ENTERPRISES, rial fund). Abrams feels that it was stationed and/ or assigned INC. would not only be a memorial­ to the Sampson Naval Training (L to R) Dominic Cerra, Charles Abrams, Steven Bull, Mrs.