Jewish Post, Indianapolis, Marion County, 2 January 1985 — Page 7

In Atlanta

Wide-Ranging Talks By Former Secretaries

Peck

By ARLENE G. PECK This column is a replay of the same time last year.

Last year the Southern Center

lf o r Inter-

Snational Studies

[brought a

phenomena 1 program into

{Atlanta. And J they did it again *this year too.

They invited

four previous Secretaries of State to our city to discuss current topics. Very little had changed from last year except that Senator Edmund Muskie was here as a replacement for Alexander Haig. Once again, William Rogers, Dean Rusk and Cyrus Vance were speaking and the program was moderated by Edwin Neu-

man.

AND WHAT an interesting conference it proved to be: The two-day program began with a very small press conference which I had the opportunity to attend. Better yet, I also had the chance to meet and to speak personally with each of the illustrious gentlemen. The second day, the general public was invited to attend and I was surprised to see several thousand people, all of whom had gotten up early Saturday morning to attend. As I said before, little had changed from the meeting that I had attended last year. Oh, maybe everything looked a little older, except me, of course. But, the rhetoric was about the same. What did they talk about? Well, over the course of the two days it seemed as though they spoke about everything under the sun. All four of these distinguished gentlemen were articulate and informative on a multitude of subjects. Naturally, when the subject centered on the Mideast, my ears picked up. Interestingly enough, the four Secretaries agreed that peace in that area could not be accomplished by outsiders.

WHEN THE SUBJECT of Lebanon rose and as to what the United States’ role should be in that country, Cyrus Vance gave the most detailed answer. According to Vance, and I quote: “There is a point where we as a nation must make the decision that we are ready to assist as a quiet,

honest broker. Israel has asked for our help and we should get involved in the role that we played during the Carter administration. Dean Rusk, whom for some reason I never considered a friend of Israel, once again repeated his comments of the past year. “Israel has made it very clear that they are not a satellite of the United States. By the same token, the United States is not a satellite of Israel. I know of no commitment which we have to help Israel keep the land it gained m 1967.” Dean Rusk continued, “I do not fault President Reagan for the situation in Lebanon. The failure was on the part of the leaders in the Middle East who would not sit down and make peace together.” WHAT SURPRISED me was that he brought up the decision of the Arabs to go to war in 1947 rather than have the State of Israel come into existence. He said, “At that time, they did have their State but they refused it in lieu of war. The solution is going to take time. Nothing will happen until the Palestinians accept the existence and safety of the State of Israel.” Later on, in the afternoon, he reiterated, “When both sides think that they are speaking from G-d, they have a difficult time negotiating.” Out of all these well-known, well-read men, my favorite was William Rogers, who was the Secretary of State under the Administration of Richard Nixon. I liked his sense of humor, and the genuine warmth

hat surrounded him. His :omments on Israel were postive and realistic. He told his tudience that, “We have a noral commitment to support srael. It is an undisputed act, somewhere down the ine we have to go back to •esolution242.” AN INTERESTING question vas asked by John West, vho was once the Governor >f south Carolina and the brmer Ambassador to Saudi Arabia. When I did an interdew with Sheik Yamani and Ambassador West, who were >n a panel at a previous Southern Center for Interlational Studies program, I bund West to be extremely jro-Arab and I did not trust

the man as far as I could throw him. Nevertheless, West’s question to the panel was: “Does the (former) Secretary of State believe that the Reagan administration needed an emissary to the Mideast?” The consensus of the group was that the United States has been fortunate with the calibre of men who have been involved. Bob Strauss, Philip Habib, Sol Linowitz and the rest were able men but they have gone by the wayside. At this point in time, the United States should stick with the negotiations through the Secretary of State, George Schultz. ’ ’ THEY SPOKE on a multitude of topics. Nicaragua was high on the agenda as was the Reagan Administration, plus Soviet Union and the question of arms control. When the subject of terrorism arose, all of them seemed to be at a loss as to how to handle and respond to such horror tactics that terrorists use. Mr. Rusk was frank when he made a comment stating that in the days of his office, terrorism was not a factor, but that it has become one. His feelings were, “We must work more closely with Interpol and other such organizations.” Vance said, “I strongly believe that we have to respond to actual terrorism.” Muskie added, “Iran’s government indulges in terrorism to cover up their activities and to protect them.” Finally, the topic was best summed up by William Rogers, when he stated; “Know that we will retaliate against those who are responsible. It surely is difficult to punish people who willingly kill themselves for a cause. You cannot punish them after they’ve killed themselves." The meeting ended on a somber thought when Dean Rusk noted that no nuclear weapons have been fired in anger for more than thirty years. “It shows that the fingers on the nuclear triggers are not itchy.” I AGREE. Future generations of Americans should be able to look up at the heavens and see the handiwork of G-d, and not the folly of man. Now that’s something to think about.

What Foods — Oodles Of Noodles

(Continued From Prev. Page) vegetables for 5 minutes, gradually mixing in the pasta. Season with soy sauce, then break eggs carefully on top, keeping the yolks intact. Cover, lower heat and cook until eggs are just set, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately to four people, topping each serving with chopped peanuts. SWEET NOODLE PUDDING* 1 lb whole grain noodles

6 TB butter 6 eggs, beaten 1 tsp cinnamon Vs C honey 1C raisins 2 large apples, peeled, cored and sliced Cook noodles in salted water for 8-10 minutes until barely tender. Drain and toss with 4 TB butter to melt. Combine noodles, eggs, tsp. cinnamon, '/4 C honey, raisins and apples in a greas-

ed 9X13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining '2 tsp. cinnamon, drizzle with */4 C honey and dot with remaining 2 TB butter. Bake at 350“ for about 50 minutes until top is browned. LO MEIN 1 lb Chinese noodles or spaghetti 4 TB oil 3 TB Chinese soy sauce

BarMhzvah In Kansas City

By DR. HARRY GOLDBERG More than 55 years ago, I had my bar mitzvah in Kansas City. This occasion was not the ordinary run of a boy being welcomed into the Congregation of Israel, for my uncle was rabbi of Beth Shalom. Now the shul is a multi-million dollar edifice, but then, an old church was purchased and refurbished for Jewish services. SINCE I was the nephew of the rabbi, I had to be letter-perfect with the readings, both of the Torah, and the Haftorah. In addition to this, Uncle Sam requested that I also read the portions of all those called up to the Torah. In other words, I was the official Torah reader for the day. My folks agreed to all this, and it meant many hours of study with Uncle Sam, and my father, who was also my mentor. Father was a stern disciplinarian. He was a fine sofer (Hebrew Scribe), and he brooked no nonsense. He knew all the nuances-cantil-lations of the Torah, and between him and Uncle Sam, the road was go-to perfection. FORTUNATELY, my mother was an excellent cook, and also a baker of no mean proportion. She could whip up out of nothing, it seemed, a cake, loads of cookies, and what have you. Caterers in those days were known only to the rich and well-to-do. So, since money was an object, and rather scarce and hard to come by, everything was done by mother and Aunt Chish, her older sister. Several days

Vi C diagonally sliced green onions, including stems ‘A C thin-sliced hot green pepper (optional) 1C shredded leftover chicken 1 TB cornstarch blended with 1 TB cold water Vi C chicken soup (fresh or made with bouillon cube) any leftover vegetables like onions, mushrooms, bell pepper, or frozen green peas Cook noodles in boiling water until tender. Drain, rinse under cold water and drain. Heat wok (or skillet), heat 2 TB oil and stir-fry noodles for 1 minute over high heat. Add 1 TB soy sauce, stir and remove to serving platter. Wipe wok with paper towel and heat remaining oil. Over high heat, sti-fry vegetables for 1 or 2 minutes. Begin with onions and green pepper, which take longer to cook. Then mushrooms. Cook scallions last, with peas.

before the gala day, a tishtach (tablecloth) was laid out on one of the guest's bed, and all the cookies, and cakes carefully placed thereon. THEN THE FRIDAY before the Grand Saturday, gefilte fish, tsimmes (vegetable fruit stew), kishkeh (stuffed derma), lukshin kugel (noodle pudding), and more and more and more, all made by hand, and all ready to be consumed. Everything was ready. Was the bar mitzvah boy ready? He was ready

by rote!

On Saturday the shul was packed. All eyes were focused on the star performer. Finally, the preliminary prayers were sounded, and Uncle Sam glanced at me, and that was the signal for me to come forward to the Torah, and read the portions for those called up for the aliyahs. The entire congregation gasped — for here was something out of the ordinary. Both Uncle Sam and father smiled. And as the Bible says: ‘The Lord was with him.’ I WAS congratulated afterward that there wasn’t a hitch or slip up and everything went off as scheduled and planned. Then the presents — I received about fifty fountain pens from friends and relatives. That was the custom! Oddly enough, I received in cash eighteen dollars which is ‘chai’ — life! (The Post and Opinion welcomes first-person accounts of interesting occasions, trips, meetings, etc. and will pay $10 for each one printed.)

Now add chicken soup and leftover chicken, stirring to heat through. Slowly add cornstarch paste and stir to thicken slightly, salt and pepper to taste. Spoon mixture over cooked noodles and serve. •from American Wholefoods Cuisine by Nikki and David Goldbeck Jewish Art Week, a new program to allure visitors to Israel, will be held for the first time in May, and one of its features will be a threeday auction of Judaica by Sotheby’s, the first time one has been held in Israel. The week is being sponsored by the Hebrew University, the Israel Museum and the Jerusalem Foundation.

The Post and Opinion is completed Monday afternoons, taken to the printers that night and printed and mailed on Tuesday.

The Social Calendar <Continued From Prev. Page) The evening we saw the hilarious comedy (already in its Broadway booth) Orthodox Kehilath Jeshurun Synagogue (Rabbi Lookstein’s) filled the theatre with a fund raising party. Although Kuni Leml pokes good natured jest at some Orthodox practices, none of the elegantly dressed viewers took offense. “It was delightful,” many said.

ige 9 Jewish Post and Opinion Jonuory 2, 1985