WTC Developer Praises ‘Family’
The real estate developer who held the lease on the World Trade Center praised the Jewish communal “family” for coming together in the days following the Sept. 11 terror attacks.
Speaking at a federation campaign luncheon, Larry Silverstein, a major philanthropist and past chairman of UJA-Federation of Greater New York, praised local Jewish agencies like the Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services, which provided counseling to his employees in the wake of the tragedy. Several Silverstein Properties employees are still listed as missing.
Accused Rabbi Claims Innocence
The Orthodox Union youth professional who resigned in July 2000 amid allegations that he sexually abused scores of teenagers is claiming that separate charges that he abused two girls at a Jewish day school are fabricated.
If convicted, Rabbi Baruch Lanner, whose case is being tried in a New Jersey court, faces up to 40 years in prison for molesting two former students at Hillel Yeshiva High School.
Babi Yar Massacre Marked
Ukrainian leaders attended a ceremony commemorating the thousands of people massacred by Nazi troops at Babi Yar.
President Leonid Kuchma was among the government officials at Sunday’s ceremony, during which the cornerstone for a Jewish heritage center sponsored by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee was unveiled.
Israeli Arabs Mark Deaths
Israeli Arabs marked the first anniversary of a riot in which 13 members of their community were killed during clashes with police. During a demonstration Monday, hundreds of youths threw stones at Israeli police on the outskirts of Umm el-Fahm, and police responded with two tear-gas canisters. According to Israel Radio, in Nazareth, the largest Israeli Arab city, some 50 protesters stoned an Israeli police station and blocked a road. Marches or commemorations in at least four other Israeli Arab towns and villages were mostly peaceful.
Israel Arrests Alleged Terrorists
Israeli security officials said they recently arrested 20 terrorists after uncovering an extensive Hamas organization in the West Bank. The cell’s members were trained and instructed directly by Hamas headquarters in Syria and other countries, the officials said. They added that several members of the terrorist group were involved in suicide attacks carried out in Netanya in April and May in which eight Israelis were killed and more than 100 were wounded.
Sharon’s Fundraising Investigated
Israel’s attorney general, Elyakim Rubinstein, was asked to probe Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s 2001 campaign fundraising tactics. The prime minister’s son and adviser, Omri, may have violated the law by allegedly receiving more than $1 million funneled to the Likud Party by a company established by Sharon’s lawyer.
Reuters: Limit Use of ‘Terrorist’
Reuters news agency has asked journalists to refrain from using the terms “terrorist” or “freedom fighter,” except in cases of direct quotations, when describing the events surrounding the Sept. 11 attacks.
“We do not characterize the subjects of news stories but instead report their actions, identity and background,” the company said in a written statement, adding that the guidelines are important for the safety of reporters in dangerous areas around the world.
Trees Planted for U.S. Victims
Eighteen trees were planted in a memorial forest outside Jerusalem for victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Some 300 schoolchildren, Israel’s Ashkenazic chief rabbi and Jewish National Fund officials took part in the ceremony — the first planting since the end of the shmita, or sabbatical year, when trees are not planted in Israel.
