Undated photo of Ben-Ami Kadish. Photo courtesy NJJN.
April 24, 2008
The Jewish War Veterans of the USA has suspended the membership of the 84-year-old Monroe man accused of passing classified military information to Israel.
The group has begun court martial proceedings to permanently remove him from the organization.
The actions were ordered on April 24 by JWV national commander Lawrence Schulman against Ben-Ami Kadish, ex-commander of Post 609 in Monroe.
Kadish is facing charges that he passed U.S. military secrets to an Israeli handler from 1979-1985 while employed at the Picatinny Arsenal in Dover.
“There is no place in our organization for those who would seek to defend the interests of any country above those of the Unites States,” said Schulman in a statement released by the JWV national office in Washington. “The alleged actions of Mr. Kadish must be condemned in the harshest of terms.”
Kadish was released on $300,000 bail Tuesday following a brief appearance in a Manhattan federal court to answer charges made by the Justice Department he “borrowed” classified documents from the facility’s library and took them home to be copied by a diplomat at the Israeli Consulate.
“The government of the United States must be protected at all times,” said Schulman. “The loyalty of United States citizens must be to our own country. There can be no room for any other allegiance.”
The JWV, which calls itself the “the patriotic voice of American Jewry,” had initially tried to downplay ties with Ben-Ami and the organization. Another member of Post 609 told the NJJN he had received an e-mail from top brass informing him he could only speak about Kadish as an individual but not as a fellow member of the JWV.
However, numerous media outlets in the U.S. and Israel had mentioned he was ex-commander of the local post, citing a 2006 NJJN article about a Sukkot fundraiser Kadish and his wife, Doris hosted at their home in the The Ponds retirement community.
Moreover, some news outlets reproduced a photo of Kadish in JWV uniform found on the organization’s web site, although they did not have permission to do so, according to its national programs/public relations coordinator Cheryl Waldman.
George Applebaum, who followed Kadish as post commander in 2004, described him as being “ardently patriotic to America” with “very strong Zionist leanings.”
Both Applebaum and his wife, Gert — who are residents of the Concordia adult community in Monroe — cited a long list of activities they and the Kadishes worked on to benefit American veterans and the military.
Kadish fought in World War II with both the Americans and British and later served with the Hagana in Israel.
Gert Applebaum said the couples did not socialize, but went together every several weeks to the New Jersey Veterans Memorial Home at Menlo Park in Edison where they conducted bingo games and socialized with the disabled vets housed there.
“When we were there a few weeks ago, Ben started (the bingo) but his throat got dry so I took over,” recalled George.
Several months ago the post donated thousands of dollars to a fund started by the wife of a general in the New Jersey National Guard to benefit families of members serving in Afghanistan and Iraq.
“Ben was the one who started that,” said George. He recalled Kadish was very involved in many patriotic events after 9/11 and stood outside every November “no matter how cold” to sell paper poppies to benefit American veterans,
“The allegations made aren’t true,” he said. “Ben-Ami would not sell out his country.”
The couple said Kadish also was instrumental in other Jewish and chartable endeavors. He led the Kaddish committee that visits local people’s homes when a family member dies. Both couples had volunteered to distribute kosher Meals on Wheels for the Jewish Family Service of Middlesex County.
“We only saw the good side of Ben-Ami Kadish and Doris,” said Gert. “If he did what they say he did he shouldn’t have done it. Certainly Israel is near and dear to my heart, but this is my homeland and I love being here.”
“Every paper called”
Ben-Ami Kadish, who allegedly passed classified material to Israel, leaves the federal courthouse in Manhattan on Tuesday after being freed on $300,000 bond. Photo by Ben Harris
Gert also described her and her husband’s life since the story broke on April 22 as “a nightmare.”
“Every paper called,” she said, adding correspondents from Israeli Television Channels 1 and 10 came to their home.
“They were already at the front gate when they called,” she said. “My husband said to let them in, he would talk to them. We were just sitting down to dinner. Our chicken was already on the table.”
In the middle of the interview the phone rang and Gert answered to find Kadish on the other end. Although Kadish would not speak to the Israelis, “the whole conversation took place in front of them.”
“I asked him if he was okay and he said he was and I asked about Doris,” said Gert. “What are they going to do to him now, an 84-year-old man? I feel terrible for him, this community and for mankind to have this happen. As far as I know they were good, caring people. He really did so much good for this community. They were low-key, plain, good people. This was such a revelation.”
She added the entire community had been pulled into the scandal as press has descended upon the adult communities, particularly the Ponds where the Kadishes live. Despite the guards manning the gates of the communities, some reporters have gained access and come to neighbors’ doors seeking information.
“It’s been debilitating,” said George, who questioned why the government was coming after Kadish after all these years.
“Why has this laid dormant?” he said. “I feel people who are doing this are doing it out of visceral venom against anything that’s pro-Israel.”
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