R , I , Jewish Historical J\ssociation 11 130 Sessions Street Pro v idenc e , RI 02906 Support Jewish Read By More Than Agencies With Your 40,000 People Membership VOLUME LXVIII , NUMBER 35 THURSDAY, JULY 23, 1981 30¢ PER COPY Job Rights Of Observant Jews Gain Boost From Court Rul ing NEW YORK (JTA ) -A California federal unconstitutionali ty ruling has always been a appeals court ru ling, upholding the con­ matter of profound concern , Zuckerman stitutionality of a law protecting the job said. rights of observant Jews, was viewed by the When the Anderso n case was returned to law's supporters as a hopeful indication that the San Diego federal district court, it was the law's continued viability is unlikely to assigned not to Judge Denney but to Judge be crippled by a Supreme Court ruling that Edward Schwartz. H e ruled in May, 1980, it is unconstitutional. that such laws as 701J violated the First The supporters pointed out that the Amendment and resulted "in an imper­ California ruling .was the third federal ap­ missable government entanglement with peals court ruling.in a row upholding the con­ religion." He ruled in favor of General stitutionality of the law, a trend which Dynamics. decreases any possibi li ty that the law mig ht At that time, Zuckerman said, there were come up for review by the Supreme Court. "serious questions" as to whether Schwartz, The law is a 1972 amendment to the 1964 the first Federal Judge to raise the issue of the Civil Rights Act, kn own to attorneys as Sec­ constitutionality of 701J, had not been in tion 701 J. T he National Jewish Commission error on procedural grounds, particularly on Law and Public Affai rs (COLPA) helped since the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals had to draft the I 972 amendment, Howard made no reference to 701J. Zuckerman, COLPA president said. The law COLPA then fil ed a fri end of the court requires that employers make reasonable ac­ brief in the appeal from Schwartz' ruling to commodation to the religious needs of obser­ the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The brief vant workers except in situations in which do­ was fil ed on behalf of COLPA, the Anti­ ing so would.create" undue hardship" for the Defamation League of B' nai B' rith, Agudath THE NEW ENGLAND Region of the American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of employer. _ . Israel of Ameri ca, the National Council of Science recently met with Professor David Lavle of the Rehovot Research Center. Dr. Concern Of Orthodox Jews Young Israel, the Rabbinical Council of Lavie addressed the New England assemblege at the Chestnut Hill reception which In• Zuckerman, in explaining the concern of America, and the Union of Orthodox Jewish troduced Harvey Cohen, formerly of the Provi dence Israel Bond Office, to the mem­ Orthodox Jews about a Supreme Court test of Congregations of America. bership. From left Mrs. Judah Stone, chairman of t he evening; Leo Dunn, New England 701J's constitutionality, explained that while Argument In COLPA Brief chairman of the Committee; Dr. Lavie; and Harvey Cohen. the law might be found constitutional, there The COLPA bri ef argued that the was also the prospect that t~e Supreme Court '' reasonable accommodation'' standard ,i.·as might have found 70J J unconstitutional. For in no way a preference for religion, but sim­ COLPA, which has won hundreds of cases in ply provided equal job opportunity to all per­ Jo-Anne Pattek Selected B'nai which the job rights of observant Jews were sons, regardless of their religious beli ef or threatened by employers, that prospect of an (Continued on page 2) B'rith Woman Of The Year Jo-Anne Pattek, president of Hope Chap­ in the WPRO Community Club Awards, and ter B' nai ff rith Women and a Warwick resi­ has undertaken an ambitious project with dent, was honored as the "Woman of the the March of Dimes. Yea r" at the annual New England Regional Conference in Maine. Each year a woman is chosen for this honor based upon her con­ tributions to B' nai B' rith women, an inter­ national service organi zation engaged in educati onal, civic and religious programs. Since joining Hope Chapter, Jo-Anne has been the recipient of the" Donor Queen" ti­ tle for her fund-raising efforts and the "Club Ten Award," for signing up ten new mem­ bers in one year. She represents B' nai B' rith Women on the Boards of the Jewish Federa ­ tion of R. I. and the Women and Infants Hospital. In this latter capacity she is a mem­ ." be r of the Adolescent Sexuality sub­ f committee and has been trained as a li aison between patients and staff. Other community activities in which Mrs. Pattek participates include being a Board Member of the Ileitis and Colitis Foundation "PEPSI FAILS THE HUMAN RIGHTS CHALLENGE - Save Soviet Jewry" is emblazoned and the Temple Beth Am-Beth David on signs these and other competitors wore during the Pepsi Challenge Run over New Sister}:iood. Her many services to the com­ York City's George Washington Bridge. They were aided by the Student Struggle for m unity resulted in a Proclamation from Soviet Jewry. The runners objected to "the failure of Pepsi board chairman Donald Ken­ Mayor Joseph Walsh of Warwick. dall to use his warm, close relationship with the Kremlin leaders to intervene During her tenure as president, Hope meaningfully for Soviet Jews, and to Kendall's leadership in the business community's Chapter has increased its membership by battle against the Jackson Amendment's linkage of trade credits to Russia and emigra­ 10 per.cent, has received an award fo r over­ tion." , subscribing its fund-raising goal, placed first JO-ANNE PATTEK Jewish Leaders Condemn Disqualifying Non.:.Orthodox Conve_rsions . NEW YORK - Co n se r vat i v e, affairs of Diaspora Jewry," according to the onl y if he insisted on unanimous coalition " We are g ratified at the report that the Reconstructionist and Reform Jewish leaders leaders of the three Jewish groups. support fo r the proposed amendment in the proposal to amend the Law of Return will not joined this week in warning of " a dangerous The change demanded by the National 1 Kn esset. · be a precondition to an agreement for a coali­ schism in worldwide Jewish uni ty" if Israel's Re li gious Pa rty and Agudath Israel, which By maki ng the amendment a matter of tion government under your leadership. We Orthodox religious parties insisted on would depri ve Jews converted by non­ coali tion politics rather than individ ual con­ commend those individuals and groups in amending the Law of Return as their price Orthodox rabbis from entering Israel under science, passage of the change of the Law of Israel who, in support of the ideal of Jewish for entering the new government coalition. the Law of Return, would "place the Jewish Return would be assured. unity, have avoided what might have been a At a news conference in New Yo rk, the state in the untenable position of denying , Just before final adoption of the statement, dangerous and harmful development in three religious groups call ed the proposed the authenticity and legitimacy of major 1 a telephoned message from the Israel Em­ Jewish life." amendment "an affront to world Jewry." religious movements whi ch encompass two­ bassy in Washington reported that the Charging that the Orthodox bloc in Israel The proposal "would disqualify under Is raeli thi rds of the worl d's synagogues," according religious bloc had wi thd rawn its demands · had "forced Knesset sanction of religious law conversions performed under non­ to the statement. that the proposed Amendment to the Law of codes which relegate non-Orthodox move­ Orthodox auspices anyw here in the world," T he news conference fo ll owed a meeti ng Return be submitted to the Kn esset as a ments to a disadvantaged place in Israel," the statement said. call ed by Dr. Gerson Cohen, chancell or of government bi ll - that is, one requiring all the joint statement declared : Any change in the Law of Return, which the Jew ish Theologica l Seminary, to discuss members of the coalition to support it. "This arrogation of power has been exer­ grants every Jew the right to immigrate to common action fo ll owing reports that th e The Jewish religious leaders adopted their cised without concern for the negative in­ Israel and become a citize n at once, "would Orthodox parti es would help fo rm a new full statement and then sent a telegram to fluence this discrimination might have on the constitute unacceptable interve ntion into the government under Prime Minister Begin Prime Minister Begin declaring: (Continued on page 2) 2 - THE RHODE ISLAND HERALD, THURSDAY, JULY 23, 1981 Racist Incidents Aimed At Jews :Obituaries And Blacks In Suburban Md. LEAH JACOBY BENJAMIN WEINER WASHINGTON {JTA) - A spate of racial written on 'the door of a Rockville school PROVIDENCE - Benjamin Weiner, 76, incidents, aimed mainly at Jews and Blacks and a day earlier a swastika was painted on PROVIDENCE - Leah Jacoby, 76, of 99 in suburban Montgomery Cqunty, Md., has the sidewalk in front of a local synagogue. Hillside Avenue, the Jewish Home for the of IO Hanover St., died Thursday, July 16 at Miriam Hospital. H e was the husband of prompted County Executive Charles Gilchrist Leaflets urging youngsters to join the " Klan Aged, died July 19 at the home. An artist and , Mollye (H olland) Weiner.