Ohio Jewish Chronicle, 1985-03-21

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Serving Columbus and Central Ohio Jewish Community for Over 60 Years
'NICLE
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VOL.63   NO. 12
MARCH 21,1985-ADAR 28
. DevoTcd to American
and Jewish Ideals
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Lennie Schottenstein  (center)  presented a  Ben
Shahn tapestry to the Leo Yassenoff Jewish Center in
honor of Melvin Schottenstein (left). Michael Talis
._(right), president of the Center, accepted the gift.
en Shahn Tapesfty Prtstnfed
To Ls§ Yctsstncrff Jtwish Canter
The Ben Shahn tapestry,
Candelabrum, was recently
presented to the Leo Yassenoff Jewish Center by Lennie
Schottenstein and her children in honor of Melvin
Schottenstein. This work is
the first major acquisition
by an acknowledged Jewish
artist for the new building.
Michael Talis, president of
the Center, accepted the gift
on behalf of the agency, and
indicated that it is a perfect
beginning to the goal of ex-
' posing the community to a
variety of significant Jewish
"experiences.
-According to Steven
Rosen, curator of the Columbus Museum of Art, "Ben
Shahn was one of America's
premier artists whose style
is easily recognized whether
it i be painting, printmaking
or, as in the case of Candelabrum, with tapestry and textile design. His work is truly
unique and his craftsmanship outstanding. As an. artist and contributor to American art, he is virtually without peer, and as a social
commentator for popular
and unpopular causes, is
well known to generations of
Jews and Gentiles who,
through Shahn, could-sympathize with the plight of his
subjects. Candelabrum is an
exquisite tapestry that promotes and enhances the feelings we all have for celebrations of every kind."
The tapestry will hang permanently in the Center
lobby.
NEW YORK (JTA) - A
mood best described as cautious optimism prevailed
here last week among officials involved with Soviet
Jewish affairs as they speculated on the effect the new
Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, will have on Soviet
policy toward its Jewish
community.
Gorbachev was named to
succeed President Konstan-
tin Chernenko who died
March 9 from heart failure
following deterioration of his
lungs and liver at the age 73!
He held power, succeeding
Yuri Andropov, for just 13
months, most pf that time in
ill health.
The 54-year-old Gorbachev,
representing a younger generation in Soviet leadership
ranks, was elected General
Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party, the country's
ftiost powerful political-position at a session of the Central Committee.
Clearly the analysts suggested in interviews with the
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
that it remained too early to
determine the trend of the
new government toward
dealing with Soviet Jewish
citizens, particularly on
issues  regarding  cultural
Dr. David Hartman To Be Speaker
At Federation's Joint Board Institute
II.
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"We are offering the
leadership of the Columbus
Jewish community's agencies and synagogues a
unique opportunity to hear
and exchange ideas witfrone
of the foremost Jewish
scholars,'Dr. David Hart-
man," said Jack L. Wallick,
Columbus Jewish Federation president.
Wallick was referring to
the Federation sponsored
joint Board Institute which
will be held at the Leo Yassenoff Jewish Center on
April 1,7:30-9 p.m.
"Hartman has grappled
with the issues of historical
and theoretical Judaism by.
confronting them In relation
to Israel and modern Jewish
life," said Wallick, "and he
challenges and stirs his listeners as he guides them
through his philosophical
framework,"
Dr. Hartman is the
founder and director of the
Shalom Hartman Institute
for Judaic Studies in Jerusalem. The institute offers'
an  advanced  program  of
study and research in the
field of Jewish thought and
provides service programs
Dr. David Hartman
for educators and community leaders. Born in New
.York City, Dr. Hartman is a
graduate of Yeshiva University Theological Seminary
and was ordained in 1953. He
received a Ph.D. in philosophy from McGill University
in Montreal.
Dr. Hartman taught general and Jewish philosophy
at .Yeshiva University and
McGill and is presently on
the faculty of Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He is
an author of numerous texts
on contemporary and classical Jewish thought.
The Federation is sponsoring the Joint Board Institute
under the chairmanship of
Miriam Yenkin, who heads
the Federation's Human Resources Development Program. For further information, call the Federation,
236-7686, ext. 24.
Holocaust Victims
To Get Posthumous
Israeli Citizenship
NEW YORK (JTA)-The
six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust during
World War Two will be
granted Israeli citizenship
posthumously in a special
ceremony during the World
Assembly to Commemorate
40 Years Since the Defeat of
Nazi Germany and its Satellites, which will be held in Israel May 5-9.
and religious freedoms and
emigration.
Gorbachev Seeks Detente
At the same time, these
same analysts suggested
that Gorbachev's past overtures to the West, including
visits to Britain and Canada,
and his call for economic
reforms and a return to the
policy of detente, may result
in an easing of the plight of
Soviet Jews.
Soviet Jewish emigration
from the Soviet Union descended to its lowest levels in
1984, with only 896,Jews allowed to leave the USSR.
This is a drastic reduction
from the more than 50,000
who were permitted to emigrate in 1979 while Soviet
President Leonid Brezhnev
was in power.
Along with the decrease in
emigration, Soviet Jews suffered under the Presidents
Chernenko and Andropov a
serious increase in harassment and persecution. There
appears to have been a stepped up effort to suppress Jewish cultural and religious
teachings in the Soviet Union,
with sweeping arrests being
made in recent months of
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Jewish Family Service will sponsor a showing of the
' '45 year-old Yiddish film, The Light Ahead, on March 31
at 6:45 p.m. at the Drexel Theatre. Pictured above are
the stars of that film, who a Village Voice critic called
"... perhaps the most beautiful couple in the history
of Yiddish cinema ..."
Jewish Family Service To Sponsor
Restored Yiddish Film On March 31
J
A 45 year-old restored Yiddish film will be sponsored by
Jewish Family Service as
part of its > 75th Anniversary
celebration. The film, The
Light Ahead, will be shown at
the Drexel Theatre on Sun-^
day, March 31, at 6:45 p.m.
The community will be
able to observe the complicated problems of shtetl life
as portrayed in the film and
how they were solved as
compared to the systematized approach practiced by
agencies such as Jewish
Family Service; today.
,The filrn was created from
two short-stories, written by
Mendele Mocher Sforim,
also known as S.Y. Abramo-
vich. The male lead is played
by Hollywood and Broadway
star, David' Opatashu. His
role is that of an orphaned,
lame boy who falls in love
with a blind girl.
In 1939, the Afew York
Times critic predicted that
"Yiddish film producers will
(look to the Light Ahead for
inspiration when new productions are under consideration."
In 1982, when the film was
restored and shown to standing-room-only crowds, the
Village Voice critic stated
. .that the two stars,,",.. are
perhaps the most beautiful
> couple in the history of Yiddish cinema,  and  their
,   ... (CONTINUED ON PAGE 11)
unofficial   teachers   of
Hebrew.
Gorbachev's Attitude
Little Known
According to William
Korey, director of international policy research for
B'nai B'rith International,
little is known in the public
domain of Gorbachev's attitude with regard to Soviet
Jewish emigration and religious and cultural freedom.
"There is no record <st this
kind on Gorbachev," Korey
said.
However, it was widely
.reported that Margaret
Thatcher, the British Prime
Minister, raised with Gorbachev last December the situation of Soviet Jews and Soviet dissidents. Gorbachev,
according to reports, told
Thatcher he had nothing new
to say on the matter.and
referred her to Soviet legislation.
On the same visit to Britain, Norman St. John-
Stevas, a Conservative member of Parliament, questioned him on religious free-
dom. Gorbachev was
reported to have answered,
"You govern your society;
you leave us to govern ours."
In citing "positive" aspects
of Gorbachev's ascent to
power, Korey asserted that
his talk of a return to detente
along with a perception of
Gorbachev as a strong and
vigorous leader may prove
helpful for Soviet Jews.
Community is invited
To American Gathering
Ot Holocaust Survivors
The Children of The Holocaust Survivors invites all
community members-survivors, children of survivors
and those concerned to attend the Inaugural Assembly
of the American Gathering
of .Jewish Holocaust Survivors which will take place
in Philadelphia, Pa., April
21-22.
Survivors and their families from all over the nation
will gather in Philadelphia
for a historic event, commemorating the 40th Anniversary of Liberation and
marking the founding,
inaugural meeting of. the ^
American Gathering.
National and international
personalities will join in a
program of remembrance
and commitment and to plan
future activities and projects.
For more information, call v
Mark Ebner at 231-3646.  ,.
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