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Hubbard Pants Company
Bremen, Georgia
i
Manufacturers of HUBBARD SLACKS
for MEN and BOYS
FIRST FEDERAL
ai 'uKjA oCoan Association
OF LAGRANGE
An Institution For Savings and Home Owners
LaGRANGE, GEORGIA
PLANTATION
Restaurant — Cafeteria
Private Dining Room Available
To Private Parties
1 :u BULL ST. LAGRANGE. GA.
BOB WAUGH — Owner
DAVIS’ PHARMACY
1(1 COURT SQUARE LA GRANGE. GA.
TEL. TIT. 2-3535
Hutchinson-Traylor
Insurance
Agency
Dial TU. 4-4618
200 Broad Street
P. O. Box 1049
Lafirange, (leorgia
considered an extrovert but I fol
lowed that advice and I was glad
1 did.
Leaving Histadrut House we
stopped on the steps at the en
trance to the building and posed
for photographs to be taken of the
group. We all left and were to
meet again a few hours later at
Kennedy Airport. It seemed that
nowhere at the airport was there
so much excitement as at El Al.
But all this excitement was noth
ing compared with what went on
at Lod Airport in Israel (also
known as Lydda Airport). I’ve al
ways read and heard about people
kissing the ground when they first
set foot on Israel soil and I could
see where one might be emotion
ally stimulated to do that. I wasn’t
moved to that point, but I did
something I hadn’t anticipated.
While waiting for the luggage to
come from the plane, I got into a
conversation with a man who had
arrived on the same flight. He
asked me, “Is this your first trip
to Israel?’’ I answered yes, and he
asked, “Did you make a Sheheche-
yanu?”. I said that I didn’t, and he
said, “You really should, do you
know how?” My answer was yes,
and I uttered the blessing, then he
whispered Amen. Somehow, I felt
a little better because of it.
We went right past customs as
a group and no one as much as
glanced at our luggage. A bus was
there to take us to Bet Berl which
was to be our home for the next
four weeks. The full name is Berl
Katzenelson Institute, named in
memory of one of the great think
ers and founders of the Labor
Zionist Movement.
Students of all ages come to Bet
Berl from many parts of the world
to learn about Israel and the He
brew language and culture.
Our Seminar was an unforget
table experience. We participated
in a magnificent program arrang
ed by Ihud Olumi in cooperation
with the Government of Israel, the
Histadrut and Mapai. We attended
lectures and had discussions with
such personalities as Prime Minis
ter Levi Eshkol, Deputy Prime
Minister Abba Eban and former
Prime Minister David Ben Gurion,
as well as with experts in the
fields of security, economy, edu
cation, etc. The Seminar also in
cluded tours throughout Israel and
visits to defense plants, the Water
Carrier, border settlements, etc.
We were free on Fridays and Sat
urdays to visit people or do what
ever else we liked.
Bet Berl is located two and a
half miles from the town of Kfar
Saba and pretty close to the Jor
danian frontier. Arab infiltrators
have bgen pretty active in this
area recently. One of the raids
took place while we were there. A
couple of bombs were exploded
but no damage was done. From
Bet Berl we could see the Jordan
ian town of Kalkilyah, the place
where Israeli Infantry squads re
cently blew up eleven pumping
stations in retaliation.
Nights are particularly beautiful
in Israel. It’s usually cool and you
could count a million stars in the
sky. Although I was a stranger
there, I felt like I was at home. 1
could walk out from Bet Berl and
walk on and on without ever
thinking that Jordan was close by.
One night when I was returning
from Tel Aviv the bus stopped at
Kfar Saba. Instead of waiting for
the other bus, I just started walk
ing. It was eleven at night then,
and when I arrived at Bet Berl, it
was 12:15. The walk was exhilarat
ing. Strangely, I felt right at home
every step of the way. And I be
gan to wonder. Would I feel that
good walking two and a half miles
alone, late at night in Atlanta?
We left Bet Berl for a tour of
Galilee. Traveling north, we stop
ped at Bet Cherut, a collective
settlement near the coastal town
of Natania. Its inhabitants are
mostly Americans. Bet Cherut is
a Moshav Shitufi, a unique form
of cooperative life which embod
ies the complete economic security
of a Kibbutz and the family pri
vacy and home ownership of a
Moshav.
It is a prosperous community.
They recently built a modern Com
munity Hall, where they conduct
high level educational and cultur
al programs. In addition there is
a library containing over 4,000
books and a synagogue where serv
ices are held on the Sabbath and
on holidays. They have an excell
ent retirement plan and medical
care, and education for their child
ren is assured. It is for the greatest
part an agricultural settlement.
They grow citrus fruit, raise white
turkeys and, have artificial fish
ponds. In addition they developed
a silk screen industry which em
ploys some twenty odd people.
Most of their work is done on
plastics.
Passing through the Valley of
Jezreel, we came to the ancient
city of Nazareth, the largest Arab
center in Israel. This is where
Jesus spent his childhood. We
walked down into a cave-like place
where Mary and Joseph lived. At
present, Solel Boneh, the great
Construction Cooperative of the
Histadrut, is erecting a huge and
most impressive new Church of
the Annunciation. We visited the
Frank Sinatra Educational and Vo
cational Center which was built
for the Arabs by the Histadrut.
The Mayor, an Arab, joined us for
lunch at a downtown restaurant.
The food was excellent, though
strictly Arab style. The Mayor
spoke to us in English. He pointed
out some of the accomplishments
the Arabs have made under a Jew
ish Government and spoke of the
day when the Arab States will
offer their hand of friendship to
the State of Israel and peace and
cooperation will prevail. He pray
ed that the day will not be far off
Natsrat-Elite (Upper Nazareth)
is the name of the new Jewish
22
The Southern Israelite *i