Jewish Post, Indianapolis, Marion County, 19 June 1991 — Page 7

Jewish Post & Opinion Unnecessary editorial (The following editorial was written when the news was that Brian Lurie of San Francisco might be shunted aside in the selection of a new executive vice president of the United Jewish Appeal. But now that he has been named, the editorial can be seen both as a strong endorsement of him and also the wisdom of the leaders who braved the opposition and chose someone who might not be what could be considered as a member of the club of Jewish professionals.) One has to be familiar with the limitations in direction of our national Jewish organizations to be able to understand the criticism of the most obvious candidate to head the United Jewish Appeal because he is creative and has a sense of building instead of bleeding the horse to death. Brian Lurie, recently retired executive vice president of the San Francisco Jewish Federation, took the steps that were so obvious but no one else in the field could engineer, and for them now he is labeled, despite the fact of his excellent administration in San Francisco, as a "rebel" of sorts and therefore should not be named to head the UJA. The steps he took were namely two, but both were effective and necessary, and yet they are held up as negative and objectionable, which only proves the point made in the first sentence of this editorial. So what were Lurie’s unpardonable innovations? One, he convinced his federation to open an office in Jerusalem to oversee that the funds his community contributed were properly employed for the purposes that the givers were told. Second, when it became clear that funds were distributed too much and very clearly on a political and religious basis, not on need and developments, a certain amount, initially $100,0000 of the San Francisco UJA commitment was directly distributed to agencies that San Francisco Jews wanted to be helped. For these two constructive steps, now Mr. Lurie is to be penalized. So you see now where the fault (if not the bitter factionalism of our national Jewish order) lies. So just at the time the UJA needs new thinking, just when local federations are reporting failing fund raising, just when there is available a top ranking thinker who has proven his ability, there is being raised objections on the very precise grounds that offers hope for reviving the flagging financial receipts of the one national agency that has been so important to providing assistance to

Israel.

High kosher prices The $1 million fine against the B. ManischewitZ Co. for conspiring to increase the wholesale price of Matzah during a five-year period beginning in 1981, may recall the yearly report every Passover in The P-O in which the persistently rising price of Matzoh nationwide was the basis for an annual report in The P-O. Also the editorials which appeared in The P-O criticizing the Orthodox establishment for not challenging the price rises which were far in excess of the annual increase generally in food. Now the Conservative rabbis, still not the Orthodox, may go after ManischewitZ as President of the Rabbinical Assembly, the Conservative Continued on page 9 June 19,1991 Page National 2

We've been criticized a number of times for using the term, Falasha, for the Ethiopian Jews. The name was used throughout Ethiopia with little objection until rather recently when you consider that the Jews of Ethiopia go back perhaps to King Solomon's time, although historians do not consider that too much of a possibility. The word means "stranger” and it was not one the Ethiopian Jews adopted, but one the Ethiopians used to designate them. It meant "strange" from the standpoint of their religion, not as newcomers since that

couldn't be a possibility.

We wonder where these critics were when The P-O raised $10,000 to buy a tractor for the Falasha, or when we editorialized because the JDC would not lift a finger (they have done so admirably in the last 2 or 3 years) — the same for the World Jewish Congress in the years way back then when this Jewish paper was fighting for the Jewish world to include the Falasha as part of their obligation to world Jewry.

The honor was being paid to one of Indianapolis' top leaders, the president of one of the largest banks, who has had a relationship in a financial way with Israel, and he was most deserving. In fact, the top echelon of the city crowded the Hyatt Regency Hotel at $200 a seat, and the proceeds went to a most laudable purpose,

the Jewish National Fund.

Of some 50 tables, almost two were Jewish, perhaps 25 members of the local Jewish community out of the 300 in all crowded the hall to pay tribute to Donald W. Tanselle, who is chairman of the executive committee of Merchants National Corporation. His devotion to civic causes were related and he was awarded the Tree of Life Award, and it was a great occasion, one that he will always remember with

gratitude, we feel sure.

The speaker was Leon Charney, who played a role in the Camp David Accords, and who certainly is a top figure in the relations between Israel and the American Jewish Community. He told about his Choral music lovers meet

KIAMESHA LAKE, N.Y. annual North American — Lovers of Jewish choral Jewish Choral Festival and music who will gather at Conference will participate the Concord Hotel here from in community sings, special July 7 to 11 for the second interest and performance

workahoue and evening eoft>

relationship with Mr. Tanselle whom he had escorted on a trip to Israel. He never explained that the JNF seeded the bare ground of Israel with forests that transformed the land. If he talked about the JNF, and if those in attendance recognized what the JNF ^ras all about except that it had a Jewish and Israel function, we weren't aware of it. That was probably so because another speaker was on the dais, a JNF figure evidently from New York, who took a few moments to tell about the JNF, but who did it so poorly that Mendel Fisher must have turned over in his grave. The one speaker who might have achieved some understanding of the JNF was Rabbi Dennis Sasso, and in his benediction he explained what the Tree of Life encompassed in Judaism with quotations from the prophets and elsewhere where that metaphor is expanded. So it was a lovely affair, and roads will be built in Israel and ground prepared for new homes for both the Soviet Jews and those from Ethiopia whose children will be dominating perhaps the Israel scene 20 to 30

years from now.

There is no Jewish National Fund group in Indianapolis, so all the preparations were from the Columbus office, and e success like this could not possibly have been achieved without the expert direction from there. An operation like this, even if it were an affair conducted by the Indianapolis Jewish community, could not have been crowned with success without the work of numerous volunteers, an indication of how effective is the JNF Columbus staff. Last year, the JNF affair in Indianapolis was equally successful . Governor Evan Bayh was the honoree then. The Jewish attendance was equally as large then also. Now another national Jewish organization will conduct a similar fund raising affair in Indianapolis, the AntiDefamation League of B’nai B'rith. Offhand we do not recall which non-Jewish leader will be honored, but the coffers of the ADL will be enlarged to a certain amount, and that is what is important, isn't

it?

certs. Community singing groups and congregational choirs from across the U.S. and Canada will be partidpating. Noted musicians witt iactiire and perform.

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