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Page 2-THE NEWS-March 1989 A Portrait of Benjamin Linder THE CHARLOTTE JEWISH NEWS P.O. Box 13369, Charlotte, N.C. 28211 Published monthly by: Charlotte Jewish Federation Michael L. Minkin, Director Foundation of Charlotte Jewish Community & Jewish Community Center Barry Hantman, Director Lubavitch of N.C Rabbi Yossi Groner, Director Editor Rita Mond Advertising Blanche Yarus Editorial Board Joel Goldman, Chair Phil Joffe, Sally Schrader, Marcia Simon, Dr. Selwyn Spanganthal, Barry Wohl, Barbara Ziegler Copy deadline the 10th of each month ApiMaraace of advertisms w CJNAon aot coMtitate a kashnitb cMloracncat. Editorial Thank You for Being You By Mike Minkin CJF Executive Director “Tzedakah” is the Hebrew word which is translated as “charity, righteousness, and justice.” All of these words have equal validity and are aspects of a single concept basic to Judaism and to the Federation: to be charitable, to be righteous and to be just. In some ways, the history of “tzedakah” parallels the history of the spirit of the Jewish people. What counts in Jewish life is not so much what we profess to believe, but what we do about those beliefs. I thank the Federation leadership for doing what they do with their beliefs. We are a fortunate community. Fortunate to have leaders who believe strongly in developing a strong and vibrant Jewish community in Charlotte and Israel. It would be so easy for people to say “Let Joe do it. My involvement is really not important since my neighbor does all that is needed.” This phenomenon of “thinking Joe will take care of it” does happen. Yet, it happens in diminishing numbers for the leadership of our community step to the line and lead. They make things happen. I, again, say “thank you” to all the men and women who participate on our Board of Directors and in our Campaign effort for making Charlotte a strong and responsive community an example for the rest of the country to emulate. Wishing a Speedy Recovery Rita Mond, our Editor, is at home recup erating from a heart attack. We are thankful Rita is doing well and hope she will soon be well enough to resume her duties as Editor. I, for one, will be especially thankful, not just because Rita has been my friend for over two decades, but that I will be relieved of filling in for her on the paper! My apologies if anyone's copy, pictures, etc. have been omitted from this issue. I had to step in suddenly and hope that all of you will be understanding. — Ann Langman Thank You My special thanks to Ann Langman for so willingly assuming the responsibility of getting this issue out. Ann, as many of you know, edited this paper with me from its humble beginnings until four years ago when her professional responsibilities could no longer afford her the “luxury” of the hours of commitment this publication requires. If it were not for Ann this issue would not have been possible. — Rita Mond By Patricia Golan (Copyright 1989, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.) Benjamin Linder, the youngest of three children, grew up in a secular Jewish family that was involved in a variety of social and pol itical causes: anti-Vietnam war demonstrations, civil rights campaigns, environ mental issues and advocacy for the poor. His father, David, is a medical doctor working in cancer research. His mother, Elizabeth Linder, fled her native Czechoslovakia from the Nazis in 1939, settling with the family in Mexico. Linder and two Nicara guan companions were at tacked and killed in April 1987 by a Contra patrol in a northern rural region near the Honduras border. Linder, the only U.S. citi zen to have been killed by the Contras, was there supervis ing the construction of a hydroelectric plant. He was first immobilized by gunshot wounds to his arms and legs, then shot in the temple at point-blank range. His family has filed a $50 million law suit against Con tra leaders, charging them with the murder of their son, a 27-year-old electrical engi neer from Portland, Ore. Charged in the suit — to be heard in Feb. 7 in U.S. District Court in Miami — are four individual Contra President George Bush And the Jews By Rabbi Marc H. Tanenbaum (JTA) President George Bush’s inaugural address was a moving appeal for a “kinder, gentler” America and world society. All Americans, I am sure, pray for his strengfth and moral stamina to lead our nation in realizing his compassionate goals for overcoming poverty, home lessness, drugs and crime and for advancing world peace. American Jews, in partic ular, have added reasons for believing his words will be more than political rhetoric. When Bush was U.S. ambas sador to the United Nations, I appealed to him on three separate occasions to inter vene with the Soviet Union in order to free hardship cases of Russian Jews. He responded at once with obvious caring. He made immediate inquiries to pre- glasnost Moscow that result ed in the early emigration of these sorely-tried families. Another instance was his little-known but decisive role in negotiating the historic departure of some 12,000 black Jews of Ethiopia to Israel. We hope that as president, Bush will now try to rescue the remaining 15,000 Ethio pian Jews who desperately seek to be reunited with their families. As vice president. Bush chaired a U.S. government task force against interna tional terrorism. He was totally committed to combat ting terrorism, and, I believe, that conviction will be an important factor in his ef forts to promote peace in the Middle East. He has said he opposed a Palestinian state as “a non starter,” and supported a “confederation between Is rael and Jordan.” President Bush has called for “a new engagement” to build a more just and hu mane society. His record thus far with the Jewish people, among others, pro vides an encouraging basis for a constructive relation ship with him during the next four years. Rabbi Marc H. Tanen baum is international con sultant for the American Jewish Committee. I m Letter to the Editor Concern over City Council Invocations Charlotte Chapter B’nai B’rith Women has made re peated requests to the Mayor and City Council in an at tempt to ensure that invoca tions at all City Council meet ings are nonsectarian. A letter was sent by Jack Bullard, director of the Charlotte-Mec- klenburg Community Rela tions Committee, to the Clergy informing them that members of ditferent faiths would be present at City Council invo cations. In spite of this, there have been frequent occasions where Clergy have accepted the invitation, yet concluded their prayer “in the name of Jesus.” At civic functions there is no place for a prayer which excludes some of the community. To continue in this manner is an affront to other beliefs and a violation of separation of church and state. On Dec. 20, 1988, a petition sponsored by BBW was sent to the Mayor and City Council members requesting that all prayer at City Council meet ings be nonsectarian. The last communication from the Mayor, dated Jan. 9, 1989, reveals that she is still not hearing our concerns. In her letter she states that the invo cation is not meant to offend anyone and that in most instances the clergy is sensi tive to varying religious be liefs. She adds that the clergy express their pleasure in at tending. She claims that pre cautions are being taken to encourage nonsectarian invo cations. We sense that if Sue Myrick were truly taking pre cautions she would bring the following twofold issue to a vote (a letter dated Feb. 2 was sent in regards to this): 1.. To endorse nonsectarian prayers at every City Council meeting. 2. To authorize Jack Bul lard to convey this to visiting clergy emd to give those who are reluctant to offer general prayer the option of declining the invitation. Copies of all correspon dence and the petition were sent to the Area Clergy Asso ciation and The National Con ference of Christians and Jews enlisting their active support. CCBBW —Jody Pinion, president —Linda Karacaova leaders, including military commander Enrique Ber mudez, and three Nicara guan opposition groups based in Florida. The Linders, represented by the New York-based Cen ter for Constitutional Rights, say that the ambush and killing of Linder was part of a “deliberate Contra policy to murder civilians working in education, health and development pro grams,” and to “difcsuade foreigners from working in Nicaragua.” The suit holds the fcontra leaders responsible for the policy and planning that led to the attack on Linaer. According to the center’s Joel Lefkowitz, the. Contra leaders do not deny that they planned Linder’s death, but have moved for dismissal saying the case is “a non- justiciable political ques tion.” Approximately 75,000 Americans havd gone to work in Nicaragua since the 1979 Sandinista revolution ■— most of them for short term volunteer stihts. Linder had be^n working in Nicaragua for four years on a govemmeilt job, help ing to set up hydroelectric plants in impoverished rural communities. As a skilled jiiggler, clown and unicyclist, he was also famous in the region as an entertainer. Shortly before his death, dressed in his clown suit aiid riding his unicycle, he led a parade of village children to the local clinic to get measles inocu lation shots. Honored as a national martyr in Nicaragua, Linder is variously regarded in the United States as a naive dupe, a heroic humanitarian or even a traitor, depending on the point of view. An article in the fall issue of the Jewish periodical Present Tense calls Linder a “gadget-loving technocrat and a gentle humanitarian, deeply committed politically yet little interested in ideol ogy, driven by his work, but indifferent to material suc cess.” Linder, the article says, “found a final calling and commitment in an adver sary land.” Did the Linder children understand their family’s political activism in any sense as being part of a Jewish socieLl heritage? “Not coniciously,” says Elizabeth Lihder. “Certain ly my childttn were aware that I came out of the Hol ocaust, but this was just the way we lived. Ben knew, for example, thAt racism was not acceptable to us, and he was influenced by this,” she said. Although the family was secular, Ben Linder seems to have had some feelings of religious identification: he was the only one in the family, for example, to at tend Hebrew school, at his own request. He also led the family in seders. Recently, during a visit to Nicaragua, Rabbi Joseph (See LINDER, Page 3) Wt •ncouragt our rMdtrt’ vi«w- point*. Utt«rt afwuM bt Mbmittad typ«wrtttin and doub(»-t|Mcwl and •igMd. PIMM Indud* your addraM and ptMMw numbar. Wa raaarva tha light to adn.
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