Newspapers / The Charlotte Jewish News … / Sept. 1, 1987, edition 1 / Page 2
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Page 2-THE NEWS-September, 1987 Guest Editorials Inside the Charlotte Jewish Federation MORRIS SPEIZMAN By Richard A. Klein Morris Speizman was not a builder by trade. But he created some of the most important and substantial bridges in our community’s history. His outreach to Jews and gentiles alike broke down barriers of suspicion. His friendly art of persuasion us ing reason and logic made it easier for neighbors to know and like each other. His was a voice for progress, good sense and human understanding — whether on a national, local or Temple Israel Boeird of Directors. While he was a fixture at Temple Israel as long as anyone remembers, he was an equally familiar partici pant at dozens of civic organizations, local institutions and charitable groups. Yet, Morris was always available. His office door was open. Phone calls were promptly answered or return ed. He was a prolific correspondent on subjects ramg- ing from politics to the Hebrew Cemetery needs. The seeds of Charlotte’s future were literally planted in the Speizman home years ago when Morris summon ed many Jewish leaders together to discuss one outstan ding center of Jewish learning and fellowship. While Shalom Park took hold sometime later, that meeting and Morris’ regul2ir encouragement were an inspiration to many. He was equally at home with the past. The bridge he built to our Jewish history will be almost impossible to replace. At the very least, we are indebted to Morris for “The Jews of Charlotte”, published ten years ago. It would not bother Morris to know that someone else will carve the challah on Saturdays and say a motzi... Or that someone else will take his bo2ird seat at the Federation... Or another board member will assume his responsibilities for the Hebrew Cemetery. Morris believ ed and encouraged such transitions and participation. He WSLS also committed to change in the conununity that was constructive and uplifting. That’s the attitude that built the strongest bridges for the benefit of future generations. Morris Speizman will be missed and difficult to replace in dozens of ways. Our finest show of respect and gratitude for his years of unselfish community ser vice wiU be to follow his noble example. NATE PERLMUTTER By Rabbi Marc H. Tanenbaum JTA It is fashionable among some people to complain about the competition among Jewish organizations. Cleairly, such competition exists, although reports of it can be exaggerated. But it is no exaggeration to say that despite ideological and institutional differences, there was vir- tusilly a universal appreciation of the dedicated leader ship that Nathan Perlmutter provided to the Jewish people and to the general society. Nate Perlmutter, the warm-hearted but blunt national director of the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith, died of lung cancer July 12 at age 64. Both the brilliance of his career and the heroism of his painful death evok ed deep admiration from all segments of the Jewish community. Bom of poor Polish Jewish parents in Williams burg, Brooklyn, NY, his life became a kind of Jewish Horatio Alger story. He worked his way through several college degrees, became a lawyer and volunteered to join the Marine Corps in World War II. He served for four years as a colleague at the American Jewish Committee, but devoted most of his professional life to the ADL. He was a fierce opponent of anti-Semitism and bigotry, a stalwart advocate of Israel, Soviet Jewry and Human rights. These positions, combined with his Damon Runyonesque speech, the street smarts he learn ed in Williamsburg, and above alL his intellect and com passion, made him a distinctive Jewish leader. Nate Perlmutter was a class act, and we shall miss him greatly. Rsbbi Marc H. Tanenbuun ia director of intemMtiooMl rdatioas for the American Jewish Conunittee. By Ron Katz Federation President In an effort to develop the best liaison and cooi>eration possible between The Char lotte Jewish News and the Federation, I am pleased to announce that Joel Goldman has been appointed the Federa tion Public Relations Repre sentative. I feel we are now at the point where the Federation will want to consolidate its con tribution of £irticles to achieve the very best exposure for the Federation and also provide The CJN with the most expe dient and beneficial means of working together. Not only the Federation, but the entire Charlotte Jewish community, is dependent on The CJN as our communica tions vehicle. I am happily amazed at how many individu als and orgsmizations in the city look to the paper as a means of learning about com munity activities as well as serving as a means for the Federation to get its message across. I speak for the entire Federation in acknowledging the benefits we receive through the dedicated efforts of The CJN editor, Rita Mond. Through my appointing Goldman as Public Relations Representative, we want to en courage continued existence of these benefits. I would also like to suggest all groups within the Federa tion utilize the publicity now available to us through The CJN and the creation of our new F^iblic Relations position. On behalf of the Federation, I wish you all a very happy and healthy New Year. Justice Acliieved Slowly in Lyon By Robert E. Segal (JTA) Ironically, St. Joseph’s Prison in Lyon, France — the site of Klaus Barbie’s torture of innocent Jews and from where he dispatched them to death — now houses this same “Butcher of Lyon,” the local Gestapo chief who apparently gloried in his role as high ex ecutioner. In the dark era of the Holocaust, he arranged for more than 4,000 executions and some 7,600 orders of deportation. The unrepentant murderer and his mercOess lawyer, Jac ques Verges, had hoped for a jury verdict of not gulty on every one of the 22 charges brought against the Gestapo leader in Lyon. Inasmuch as the many charges were presented under the rubric of crimes against humanity, the Statute of Limitations did not apply. That key statute, so valuable for convicting Nazi criminals, was to have been no longer ef fective in 1965. Its time span was extended in 1965, 1969 and 1979. It was in 1979 that Hans-Jochen Vogel, West Ger many’s Minister of Justice, made a pronouncement that Verges needs to hear again; “After Auschwitz,” said the Justice, “there can be no Statute of Limitations for murder in Germany.” One outrageous tactic that Verges employed during Bar bie’s long-delayed trial was to equate the defendant’s most despicable deeds and those of hundreds of other Nazis with what he referred to as “Jewish atrocities against Arabs.” Listening to such an odious comparison and fully aware of Verges, brazen and constant defense of Arab terrorist acts, Elie Wiesel, a most convincing witness during the protracted trial, cut Verges down by depicting him as a man full of hatred for all Jewish people, including the multitude mur dered by Verges’ miserable client. Advance speculation erro neously suggested that Bar bie’s lawyer would throw ver- to the Editor Charlotte Yiddish Institute Featured in *The Forward’* You’ll be interested to know that the article Marvin Bienstock wrote for the June/July issue of The Charlotte Jewish News, “The Ninth Yiddish Institute at WUdacres—Moshiach Tzeiten”, appeared in full in the July 17 issue of The Forward newspaper, English section, with the byline “CHARLOTTE JEWISH NEWS - Reprinted with Permission”. There was also an excellent article on the Charlotte Yiddish Institute in the Yiddish section, covering our aissociatiHi and support of The Forward over the years. —Bails PrsfiRkr We encourage our readers’ view points. Letters should be submitted typewritten and doubte-spaced and signed. Please indude your address and phone number. We reserve the right to edit. bal spears at a great many French men and women he has branded as collaborators with Hitler. When, if ever, Barbie faces trial for the slaying of the brave French Resistance leader, Jean Moulin, we may expect such finger-pointing by Verges. Now 74, Barbie may not live long enough to be tried for striking down Moulin. French courts are not known for ex peditiously convening criminal trials. Extradited from Bolivia in 1983, Barbie had more than enough time to help Verges mount his defense arguments. Under French law. Barbie cannot be paroled until the year 2017. As the months move along slowly, “The But cher of Lyon” will find few to sympathize with him if he is confronted by the ghosts that haunt that prison building in which he set a lasting record for brutality. He expressed in credulity when he drew a life sentence. Many remain in credulous about how much time it took to track him down and to dispatch him to infamy. To Serge Klarsfeld, whose father was killed by the Nazis, and to his brave wife, Beate, the determined couple who brought about Barbie’s downfall, all honor is due. • Robert E. Segal is a former newspaper editor and director of the Jewish community rela tions councils of Cincinnati and Boston. THE CHARLOTTE JEWISH NEWS Published monthly by: Owirlotte Jewish Federation Michael L. Minkin. Director Foundation of Chariotte Jewish Community & Jewish Community Center Barry Hantman. Director Chariotte Jewish Day School Berta Straz. PrindpaJ Lubavitch of N.C Rabbi Yossi Groner. Director Editor Mond Adv«tisir>g Blanche Varus Copy deadline the 10th of each month P.O. Box 13369, Charlotte. N.C 28211 riMi
The Charlotte Jewish News (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Sept. 1, 1987, edition 1
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