November 21, 1999 ORTHODOX UNION HIGHLIGHTS PLIGHT In an ongoing effort to draw attention to the plight of the missing Israeli soldiers, the Orthodox Union, the largest mainstream Orthodox Jewish organization with nearly 1,000 synagogues nationwide, is sponsoring an upcoming "Shabbat of Remembrance" for the Israeli MIA’s to be held this year on Friday, December 3rd and Shabbat, December 4th. Special remembrance prayers and services will be initiated in Orthodox synagogues throughout the country. Dr. Mandell I. Ganchrow, Orthodox Union President, said, "Sergeant Tzvi Feldman, Sergeant Zachary Baumel, who is also an American citizen, and Corporal Yehuda Katz, were reported missing in action seventeen years ago. They are still unaccounted for. They were captured after the battle of Sultan Yakub which raged in the Bekaa valley between an Israeli tank unit and a Syrian armored unit on June 11, 1982. The Syrians, who are responsible for the soldiers according to the Geneva Convention, have refused to reveal any information regarding the status or whereabouts. "This Shabbat, Shabbat Parashat Va’Yeshev, coincides with Shabbat Chanukah. As we read the portion of the Torah that tells us that Jacob our forefather never stopped longing for his missing son Joseph, and think of our brave heroes who saved the Jewish people in the time of Chanukah, we cannot help but be reminded of these brave MIAs who risked their lives for the security of Israel. We want rabbis to urge their congregants to publicize this issue to elected officials throughout the country. Rabbis and synagogue leaders will discuss this issue in the context of the commandment of redeeming the captive." Betty Ehrenberg, Director of International and Communal Affairs said, "President Clinton recently signed a bill that was passed overwhelmingly by the United States House and Senate directing the Department of State to enhance it's efforts in the effort to locate and secure the return of the Israeli MIA's. This new law can help secure information on the whereabouts of the Israeli MIA's so that they may be reunited soon with their families. The governments of Syria and Lebanon and the Palestinian Authority will be enjoined to help resolve this human rights issue that has been left to languish for too long. "During this upcoming Shabbat Parshat Va’Yeshev and Shabbat Chanukah all our congregants will be asked to contact the President, the Vice President and the Secretary of State, enlisting their aid in enforcing this new law. For the families of the Israeli missing soldiers, every pain-filled day is a lifetime. We applaud our government for passing this new law, urge its implementation and hope that the Israeli MIA’s will be reunited soon with their families and all of Israel." To obtain materials, please call (212) 613-8123. -30- FREE THE ISRAELI MIAS TODAY!!
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