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Friday January 19, 2007

Shorts: World

Russian Jewish center vandalized

Vandals defaced a Jewish center in Russia with anti-Semitic threats.

According to the AEN news service, “Beat the Kikes” and “Holocaust 2007” were painted in bright red on the walls of the Siyanie Chesed Jewish Center in Murmansk, but no further damage was reported.

The attack occurred at some point during Russia’s extended New Year’s holiday.

The center in the northwestern Russian city also was vandalized in July when “Death to the Kikes” was painted on the walls. That case has not been solved. — jta

Vienna Jews excommunicate anti-Zionist

The board of the Jewish Community of Vienna voted unanimously Jan. 11 to excommunicate a Jewish man who attended a recent Holocaust denial conference in Iran.

The move follows a criminal complaint by the community against Moishe Arye Friedman, an American living in Vienna. The community has accused Friedman of Holocaust denial and promoting Nazism in connection with the conference.

The community said in a statement that Israel’s Ashkenazi chief rabbi, Yona Metzger, asked in December for a cherem, or excommunication, against all Jews who participated in the Tehran conference.

In addition, the community said, “Friedman, who has been trying to pose as ‘chief rabbi’ of a non-existent ‘anti-Zionist Jewish community’ in haredi garb, was however seen taking part in anti-Semitic demonstrations on Shabbat, speaking into a microphone and herewith desecrating the Sabbath on various occasions.” — jta

Brazil rabbi among most influential people

A major Brazilian magazine ranked a rabbi among the 100 most influential personalities for 2007. The weekly news magazine Istoe chose Henry Sobel for his distinguished role in the interreligious dialogue between Jews and Catholics in Brazil.

Sobel, who serves as senior rabbi at Congregacao Israelita Paulista synagogue, was born in Portugal and raised in the United States. He joined the 2,000-family Brazilian shul in 1970. The Reform rabbi was a fierce defender of human rights as the leader of the community during Brazil’s former military regime. — jta

London girls guilty of robbing Jewish teen

Two teenage girls from the Edgware neighborhood of London were found guilty of robbing a Jewish girl.

The victim, 13, was on the bus on the way home from school last year when she was assaulted by the 14-year-olds, who asked if she was Jewish. When she answered “I’m English,” the attackers pushed her to the floor, stomped on her face and repeatedly kicked her, then stole her bracelet.

The attack left her unconscious with a fractured eye socket.

While the victim’s family welcomed the guilty verdict, some members of the Jewish community, including the Community Security Trust, voiced concern that the prosecution did not involve any charges of anti-Semitism.

Sentencing has been set for mid-February. — jta

Injunction sought against Irish documentary

The widow of a Belgian man who resettled in Ireland after World War II wants to stop the Irish national broadcaster from airing a 1987 interview with her husband as part of a documentary on Nazi fugitives in Ireland.

Juliette Folens, wife of the late Albert Folens, a former member of the SS-affiliated Flemish Legion and once Ireland’s largest publisher of schoolbooks, says “Ireland’s Nazis” wrongly imputes that her husband was a member of both the Nazi party and the Gestapo in Belgium.

She also claims Folens gave the interview for the film 20 years ago with the expectation of a right of reply, which she says prevents its broadcast or publication today, since Folens died in 2003. — jta

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