Jewish Post, Indianapolis, Marion County, 22 July 1998 — Page 11

The girls on the streets of Israel, who are they? JERUSALEM — That there is a newspaper war between the daily paper that supports the Haredi, the ultra Orthodox, and the liberal press is just par for the course but that two Orthodox dailies here are at each others throats is something else again. The National Religious Party daily, Hatzofeh, claimed in one news account that 50 percent of the country's prostitutes are graduates of haredi Beit Ya'acov seminaries. Hatzofeh was upset because Hamodia, the Aguda paper, had accepted an advertisement calling for yeshivah students to be drafted and for running an op-ed piece by Labor Party head Ehud Barak in which he explained his bill to draft yeshiva students. Hatzofeh was charged with putting itself in the service of the "secular Satan." The prostitute accusation resulted in a torrent of criticism. The Hatzofeh accusation about the haredi prostitutes came from the paper's editor, Gonen Ginat who wrote that "a few years ago when I was at (Bar-Ilan) university it was customary for students studying criminology to join police on night patrol, to meet criminals and try to gather information about the circumstances that brought them to where they were. Each time the students would return in shock, having discovered that about half the women who do the type of work that's done at night on the street were graduates of Beit Yaacov schools. Ginat took a beating from all corners and did not return calls from angry readers. However he was quoted in one of the Hebrew dailies as saying, "I apologize for descending to the same level (of invective) that has been used against Hatzofeh for months, and for hurting people who were not responsible for the attacks on Hatzofeh. Herb Keinon, reporting the spicy controversy in the Jerusalem Post said that the exchange of words will be forgotten in a week. Strictly Orthodox Jews 8 times more charitable LONDOty — ^^,^i*tly , Orthodox Jews are eight times more charitable than secular Jews and three times more so than traditional Jews according to figures in a report published by the Institute for Jewish Policy Research. The Institute's Prof. Barry Kosmin and Dr. Jacqueline Goldberg, who wrote the report, noted that the traditional importance attached to tzedakah, charitable giving, is being lost as Jews become more secular. They predicted that "any further secularization of the community will have a negative effect on donations to both Jewish and general charities." The authors learned that 80 percent of Jewish donations came from nine percent of the population, indicating the the community was "over-reliant" on a small proportion of big benefactors. Other findings were that 15 percent gave solely to Jewish causes, while 25 percent contributed only to non-Jewish causes. Forty-four percent supported both. The statistics also reveal that Jews with a non-Jewish partner are about one-half as likely to give to Jewish charities. U.S. on Iran’s side on the Flatow award WASHINGTON — The victory that the family of Alisa Flatow seemed to have won against Iran for damages in the death of their daughter in a terrorist attack in Israel seems not as close as it appeared earlier in the week. Federal Judge Royce Lambert seems to be reneging on his judgment ordering seizure of Iranian property in Washington to satisfy a civil damage award. Earlier Lambert had issued an order giving Iran 60 days to appear in court to explain why its former embassy building and two residences it still owns in the District of Columbia should not be seized and sold to begin paying off the $274 M. award that he had rendered in March. The administration has protested the order arguing that the U.S., under the Foreign Missions Act, is obligated to "protect Jjggion premises in the U.S."

First-ever gay parade

1000 homosexuals expected, 3000 show up

Maisel, an Israeli army officer who died of cancer at the age of 46 should be recognized as an

army widower.

Another victory was recorded last year when the Supreme Court ruled that Zevulun Hammer, then education minister, could not prevent the airing of a educational television program on

homosexuality.

As the parade was prepared to start marching a gay Orthodox-ordained rabbi from New York who is living in Israel to do research on a book on homosexuality, distributed small notices for a support group based in Israel for Orthodox homosexuals. "Who are we?" the notices

TEL AVIV — Israel's first ever gay and lesbian parade capping observance of gay pride week ended at the central square on Friday with the expected attendance of 1000 exceeded by

another 2000 Israeli homosexuals.

"This is a historic event," said MarouaniPanner, a lesbian and a professional events organizer. "People are willing to come out and march. We've had several victories in recent

years and feel the time is right."

Gay couples openly embraced and walked

hand-in-hand.

They were joined by eight Knesset members, including Yael Dayan. A number of advances have been made in recent years. Last year a Tel Aviv appeals court ruled that Ad ir Steiner, the partner of Col. Doron

ISRAELI MAKES HER DEBUT — Making her debut with the New York Philharmonic was Israeli soprano Hila Plitmann, 24. She has sung with the Israeli Philharmonic, the New World Symphony and the New Juilliard Ensemble. She is a graduate of the Juilliard School and the Rubin Academy of Music in Jerusalem. Sontag takes over in Israel

NEW YORK — A change in the coverage of Israel by The New York Times has led to Serge Schmemann returning to New York and Deborah Sontag learning Hebrew in New tragedy Is averted JERUSALEM — When a van driven by a Palestinian caught fire at a busy intersection, a major catastrophe was probably averted. The van was packed with flammable liquids, gas canisters and nails, and the driver, who had spent time in jail as a member of Hamas, was seriously burned. Mr. Netanyahu found the matter as supporting his views, stating that "you can see with today's car bomb attempt in Jerusalem why we are so concerned and preoccupied with having the Palestinians live up to their obligations to fight terrorism."

order to replace him. A former reporter for The Miami Herald and the Charleston, (W. Va.) Gazette, she plans to write more than about the crisis of the week, according to the Cleveland Jewish News, and to cover the country, not a conflict. He husband, William Orme Jr., and their three children will all be moving to Israel. He is executive editor of The Committee to Protect Journalists, an international advocacy group. He also will be working for the Times.

thodox homosexuals. "Who are we?" the notices asked. "We are Orthodox Jews who love the

Torah."

Peaceful protest In Paris for Assad PARIS — Whether or not it was the concurrence of the anniversary of the arrest of 13,000 French Jews during the Nazi occupation, nevertheless Serge Klarsfeld took advantage of the visit here of President Hafez Assad of Syria to lead a peaceful protest. He made sure that the press recalled that Syria is sheltering the indicted Nazi war crimes suspect Alois Brunner who directed the main French concentratioojB»mp at Drancy from 1943-45. Assa<^ told President Chirac that as far as he knows Brunner WiSTs not in Syria and promised fd consider a request by Mr. Chirac for a formal Syrian response to a French judicial inquiry for information on Brunner. Israel repaying gifts received JERUSALEM — Israel as the recipient of much funding throughout its years will be continuing its aid to the needy worldwide as the Foreign Ministry is providing equipment to the Albanian government which is absorbing the tens of thousands of refugees' from war-tom Kosovo. In two others such cases, drugs and medical equipment for children are being sent t6 Moldova and aid is headed for the Yakuta area of the Russian Federation where 14 people were killed and over 150,000 left homeless by heavy floods.

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