B'nai B'rith Youth Organization S THE SHOFAR ALEPH ZADIK ALEPH (AZA) B'NAI B'RITH GIRLS (BBG) B'NAI B'RITH YOUNG ADULTS (BBYA) 46th YEAR WASHINGTON, C. USA MARCH, 1970 BBYO Members Take Action on Major Issues 1. Mid-East Crisis BBYO's response to the latest Israel emer- A. Wexler) held its emergency meeting in Wash- gency, has, from all indications, produced a new ington, BBYO members of the Washington area level of membership awareness of a major issue, served as ushers, handled telephone calls, and plus a degree of unity that has outstripped that mimeographed distributed informational ma- of any other recent campaign. terial. No estimate of the number of letters evoked These materials included the important state- by BBYO's emergency appeal for expressions of ment of President Nixon, in which he assured protest is yet possible. At the AZA executive the gathering that the United States still sup- board meeting in Washington last month, dis- ports face-to-face peace talks between Israel and trict godolim were able to provide only a glimpse the Arab states-in spite of the contrary im- of the mass output, since chapter and area ef- pression many have gleaned from speeches and forts were still in progress. As the SHOFAR went policy statements of Secretary of State William At the Washington, D.C. meeting of the AZA international executive board are, to press the BBG executive board, assembling in P. Rogers. counter-clockwise, Jeff Kaufman (foreground) District Five godol; Irv Rabinowitz, grand aleph s'gan; Joe Silver, District Two godol, and (far right), Rick Noodleman, Washington, was preparing additional data on LETTERS BRING RESULTS District Six godol. the letter-writing project. National columnists said the statement indi- Every district acted quickly to the appeal from cates the Administration's concern over the Paul AZA Hits French Washington BBYO headquarters and from B'nai "great outpouring" of protest mail that greeted puncil B'rith Youth Commission national chairman Mr. Rogers' declarations. These-as The SHO- n the Jack J. Spitzer that a mass letter-writing cam- FAR went to press-had not been repudiated, Jet-Plane Deal paign be initiated in every chapter. Some areas, although Jewish organizations were pleased by in fact, contacted regional and district offices for Mr. Nixon's assurances on the direct Arab-Israel guidance on the issue even before they had re- negotiations. d WASHINGTON, D. "The its traditional friendship with ceived word from Washington. The Jewish community was hopeful that grave consequences of French Israel." This policy, the resolu- BBYO participated fully in the appeal by na- Israel's request to purchase American jet planes pro-Arab intervention in the tion added-"taking into account tional Jewish organizations, especially by the to preserve the power balance in the Middle East Middle East" was cited in a reso. aggressive Arab designs and the B'nai B'rith, for letters deploring the implied (threatened by impending shipment of more lution addressed by AZA to instability of Arab governments plans for a change of U. S. policy in the Middle than 100 French jets to Libya) would be favor- of French President Georges Pompi- -had nevertheless set the basis East (which call for Israel to yield to Jordan and ably received. ded dou. just prior to his scheduled for an eventual easement of Mid- Egypt her territorial defenses acquired in the In Canada. too, BBYO members manifested to visit with President Nixon. dle East tension. For the long June 1967 war in return for dubious "peace" support for the campaign. American-born resi- The statement by the interna- term outlook for peace rests on guarantees). dents of the Dominion were asked to send letters the tional executive board deplored Arab awareness that aggression of protest to Washington-and members urged reported plans for shipment of cannot succeed and that true BBYO ACTIVE AT CONFERENCE Canadian officials to voice concern over the some 110 jet planes to Libya. self-interest of the Arab people When the Conference of Presidents of Major crisis that could result from Big Power pressures any requires their recognition of The planes, the AZA resolu- American Jewish Organizations (headed by to impose a settlement based primarily on Israeli and Israel's existence, Arab-Israel tion declared, are "obviously" B'nai B'rith's International President Dr. William territorial concessions. we trade, and cooperative Arab- ness destined for eventual shipment to Israel programs of large-scale this Egypt for use against Israel and construction." in will produce "a sharp intensifica- Another AZA resolution en- tion of the Middle East arms dorsed proposals for a Constitu- race." tional amendment to extend vot- In addition, the AZA leaders ing rights to 18-year-olds. It cited maintained, it will greatly di- nce "the evergrowing significance of 2. Soviet Jewry minish prospects for a peaceful nde- the role of youth in contempo- settlement of Arab-Israeli differ- ults rary life and culture." the "Citizens under 25-including Action on many fronts marks BBYO's con- When the big day arrived, BBYO turned out ish A report on additional resolu- the 18-year-old group," the reso- tinuing campaign to persuade Soviet authorities in full forcê-and undertook such special jobs to ease their treatment of the country's 3,000,000 as ushering and parking cars. de- tions and actions of the executive lution stated, "will soon consti- board-together with a full re- Jews-and permit departure to Israel of those In South Bend, Ind., BBYO was much in evi- ust tute a majority of the population. who SO desire. port on the BBG's executive This huge constituency must not dence in preparations and in the program of a sep- In Russia, Jewish discontent finds new outlets YO board meeting in Washington, be denied the opportunity to par- special week dedicated to restoration of rights -becomes bolder, more challenging. Almost on ith. will appear in our next issue. ticipate in elections and decision- to Soviet Jewry. The week began with a special the heels of a much-publicized sharp protest making. This would convince proclamation of the Governor and featured, id, ences, since "it inflames Egyptian from Georgia, USSR (Georgia is the name of a among other events, a mass-meeting addressed young people they have no stake lts ambitions to annihilate Israel in Soviet republic) by 18 Jewish families, Israel's by Jerry Goodwin, foreign affairs expert of the in the democratic process and ld Prime Minister Golda Meir revealed she had re- American Jewish Conference on Soviet Jewry. battle, a threat frequently voiced that their wishes and ideas can er. ceived a letter from a Jewish Soviet citizen im- by President Nasser." be advanced only through anti- Of the 3,000 residents of Houston, Tex. who ing ploring her to help him receive an exit visa SO France was urged "to return to democratic means." marched through the city and congregated for a ith he may travel to Israel. prayer meeting for Soviet Jewry, 500 were mem- er- Last month Ilya Kozakoff a 22 year-old Soviet bers of the BBYO. The meeting heard Dr. William LA Jew, who managed to leave Russia after months Korey, B'nai B'rith representative at the United ur of effort, arrived in Israel. He is a student at the Nations, indict the Soviet Union's denial of the th. Technion Institute of Technology in Haifa. In a full rights of citizenship to its Jewish citizens. for visit to the U.S., recently, he said "many" Soviet In Seattle, Wash.. BBYO prominently partici- Jews would choose to live in Israel if the authori- ai ties relented their policies-"certainly more than pated in a rally at Seattle Center, site of the for former World's Fair. The ceremony featuring from all the Western countries put together." "." BBYO reports reaching the national office in- dramatic social action, was deeply impressive. on dicate no letdown in the campaign. Members are A map of the Soviet Union was marked with oro- joining in city-wide efforts to sustain the pres- lights. As an instance of Soviet anti-Semitism out sure of public indignation. Among recent ac- was mentioned a light went out. Soon only one YA tions: was left. Then the audience was asked to prevent her BBYO in the Los Angeles area was part of this tiny illumination from being extinguished, ver- the Jewish Federation Council's committee for a by signing petitions of protest. iew "Dance in the Streets" demonstration at a high The program featured dramatic readings and in One of the discussions at the AZA international executive board meeting involved, school athletic field. Forty-seven chapters joined a talk by a University of Washington scholar not from left, Kerry Gubitz, international membership chairman and 'godolim': Joe forces in the project, which included a two-mile who had spent two years in Russia. Three local rve Faywlowicz, District 1-22; Steve Neidich, District Three and Glen Bodzy, District Seven. march, and a meeting addressed by notables. TV stations covered the proceedings. ests