Jewish Post, Indianapolis, Marion County, 24 May 1989 — Page 8

Oprah Winfrey incident is still reverberating

By JEAN HERSCHAFT NEW YORK — The Oprah Winfrey TV show's acceptance of a participant who accused Jews of ritual murder continued to reverberate despite denials by the producers and a statement by Ms. Winfrey, as the apology was characterized as inadequate and delayed. The Barry Gray Show over a major New York radio station was the scene of the latest examination of the incident. It elicited a preponderance of calls critical of the Winfrey organization plus a few that insisted that Jewish protests were motivated by Winfrey's race. She is black. Rabbi David Saperstein, director of Reform's Religious Action Center in Washington, agreed with callers that urged 1) a barrage of letters to Winfrey's sponsors demanding "full responsibility" in programming, or their products would be bypassed, 2) a full newspaper advertisement be placed by various organizations in protest to the lack of responsibility exercised in the production of the program, and demanding that the production people and Winfrey be held accountable, and 3) the Winfrey show, in full apology, present a panel of experts on anti-Semitism and how it poisons the country. Meanwhile, Gray called

Oprah Winfrey on the producers to present a program that would fully detail what criteria they use in booking on-air guests and how they obtain their guests. He called on black leaders to speak up in denouncing the broadcast and expressed his chagrin that none had done so to date. A number of callers insisted that Satanic murders were of Nazi origin, and that blaming Jew’s w'as once again blaming the victims and not the perpetrators. In reply to this reporter, who inquired, "if the length of time it took to acquire an apology from the show that went from an original oneday meeting to four days of meetings with Jewish representatives who officially protested,” Saperstein replied: "It is an excellent point. An apology should have been immediate. It should not even have taken one day, no less four!"

Proselytizing of Jews gets evangelicals’ o.k.

NEW YORK — Meeting in Bermuda, 15 evangelical Protestant theologicans have pressed for continued proselytizing of Jews and characterized them a s "branches of God's olive tree" that have "broken off.” Although condemning anti-Semitism and supporting Israel, the evangelicals stated that ”we are under a New Testament mandate to carry the Gospel to all people, including Jews.” The statement rejected

"coercive and deceptive proselytizing," but espoused Jews who become Christian and continue to observe Jewish practices while seeking to convert other Jews. Rabbi A. James Rudin, of the American Jewish Committee, denounced the statement, asserting that "Nothing could be more wrong-headed and arrogant.” He expressed the hope that it would "be repudiated by Christians everywhere."

Angry Mitterand says France first

PARIS — President Mitterand, angry at the Jewish opposition to his reception of PLO leader Arafat, came just short of charging dual loyalty when he told a news conference that "France's

foreign policy is decided in Paris, and France will not let anyone dictate to her what to do." He said that France and Israel have friendly relations, "but not relations of submissiveness."

Anne Pollard gets a little break NEW YORK — An agreement worked out by Anne Pollard's attorney, Nathan Dershowitz, has permitted her to return to Danbury, Ct. Prison Camp, despite a federal magistrate's ruling against such transfer. Dershowitz had reached an agreement with prison officials, part of which was that Pollard must eat as much as possible. Her weight has dropped to below 90 pounds and the court had been told that she refused both medication and food, because she is suffering from a rare intestinal disease. Dershowitz said she now may be eligible to "all kinds of furloughs, including medical." He did not elaborate. Pollard has already served half of her five-year sentence.

Why the cabaret is challenged HAIFA — Although the production does not include any pornography, the chairman of the local United Religious Front has requested that Mayor Arye Gurel ban the performance of the satirical cabaret named. Tits, the abbreviation of the word tzitzim. David Plonsky, director of the city museum where the performances were to take place, remarked, "this is certainly a new record even for those who would have us return to the dark ages."

Estonia, Israel exchange planned TEL AVIV — The first visit from a Soviet republic to Israel promises an exchange of experts as an agreement was signed between the Baltic republic of Estonia and the Jewish state. Velio Lind, first deputy minister of Agriculture, praised Israel's "remarkable development" and invited an Israeli delegation to visit Tallinn for the opening of Israeli Culture Week there next year.

Forbes 800 top execs includes many Jews

By JEAN HERSCHAFT NEW YORK — Michael D. Eisner, 47, chief operating officer of Walt Disney, Inc., was ranked number one executive of the nations top 800 corporate giants in a Forbes Magazine survey entitled, "America's Most Powerful People," in a cover story in its issue dated May 29. With stock earned, his annual salary is listed at just over $40 million. Number 'three was Richard Geld, of Bristol Meyers Company. Paul Fireman, Reebok chief, ranked number five on the prestigious list. He is a UJA and ADL benefactor among others. Allen Greenberg, Bear Stearns, a UJA, Simon Wiesenthal Center and Rauol Wallenberg group supporter, came in in the first 80 of that starry role. Josh Weston, Automated Data Processing, rated 104 there. He is a Boys Town Jerusalem activist. Steven Hassenfeld, Hasbro Toys, came in one ahead at 103, a Joint Distribution supporter.

Among others in the 800 were William Wishnick, WITCO, An\prican Jewish Committee past president. Armand Hammer, Occidental Petroleum, was listed as the oldest of the powerful group at age 91. Hammer is identified with Soviet Jewry. Among others are Laurence Tisch, CBS, a devoted UJA and Technion philanthropist; Saul Steinberg, UJA officer; and Morton Mandel, Council of Jewish Federations leader. Also John Pomerantz, Leslie Faye Fashions, and Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, The New York

Times.

Leon Hess and Howard Stein were the only two of the coveted 800 who never attended college, according to Forbes. The only three women to make the 800 were the Washington Post's Katherine Graham, Liz Claiborne, and Elisabeth C.

explosive list of

power was sprinkled with many more Jewish names.

Ortenberg.

Forbes’

Rabbis o.k. women, KIAMESHA LAKE, N.Y. — Women who propose to become cantors at Conservative congregations had better look elsewhere if they hope to become members of the Conservative Cantors Assembly. For the second year in a row, the cantors rejected a proposal offering membership to the female sex even though they receive degrees from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America and the Seminary ordains women as rabbis. The vote was 108-82, 19 short of the two-thirds majority

but not the cantors required. Last year the vote was 97-95. Outgoing president Solomon Mendelson asked for understanding, stating that the issue is as sensitive and emotional one that poses complex questions of tradition, religious authority, the status of women in the synagogue and other factors. The split between the rabbinical section of the Conservative Movement and the cantors reflects the more traditional views of the role of the cantor.

Chabad wins one in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES — Chabad, the Lubavitch, have won one as the California Supreme Court upheld its right to display an unlit Chanukiah alongside a

Christmas tree in the rotunda of the City Hall. A similar case in Pittsburgh involving a Hanukkah menorah is yet to be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Editor's chair Continued from prev. page journalism, although not from a profit standpoint. He is providing the funds for a unique program which subsidizes feature stories for papers like the one you are reading, articles the staffs of the papers themselves would not be likely to afford, and these articles are offered free to every Jewish weekly in America. So Charles — he doesn't remember us we are sure but we met him once in his office in Montreal when we were introduced by hlS '

late father, Allen, already has an interest in American Jewish journalism, so who knows if that may not mature into something more definite? Charles is a first cousin of Edgar Bronfman, since their fathers were brothers and both are involved in the Seagrams empire. We have an invitation to interview Edgar, but haven't been to New York since then to follow through. That will make a . tap. te&urp usjtfiqrt yvp.g^t Af (jwod io it, May 24,4969 Page National 3

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