The Southern Israelite. (Augusta, Ga.) 1925-1986, June 24, 1966, Image 1

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The Southern Israelite., June 24, 1966, Image 1

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Newspaper Page TextThe Southern Israelite A Weekly Newspaper for Southern Jewry - Established 1925 VoL XU ATLANTA, GEORGIA, FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 1906 NO. 29 Israeli Vignettes BY AVKAM ROSENBERG "You Americans have such terrible problems." A surprising reaction from the wife of one of Israel’s noted actors whom we’d called to relay greetings from Atlanta friends. We gasped. This conversation wasn’t what we’d expected. The wife, herself a skilled artist, somehow appeared to be commiserating over the plight of U.S. citizens. Somehow, we’d brought to Israel a set of com miserations for the scene in the Mid East. You know—embattled ' against the walls of Arab nations on three sides, virtually pinched into the sea by the narrow mid riff bulge of Jordan. And then the caldron of so many different origins of immigrants so quickly squeezed into this tiny land. And the economic challenge—and the fantastic hostile climate. And here this Israeli and others we met seemed oblivious to the boiling point of their own im peratives and were compassion ately concerned over ours. Where did the idea come from? Mainly from the saturation of Israel newspapers and their at tention to violence and dramatic items about U.S. involvement in Vietnam, the anti-demonstration in whatever gamut of anti-ad ministration stance—and over riding all the civil rights strug gle. Take the reaction of a teacher on a northernmost Kibbutz, Israel’s second oldest, soon to celebrate it’s fiftieth annivers ary. We were spending the night in A.velet Hashabar, which main tains a motel for tourists, with grounds breathtaking in sheer floral and perfumed exoticism, among its many faceted activi ties. A lecture had been given that evening telling of the activi ties of 450 men and women mem bers, the 350 children, and their agricultural and communal living. We’d ached to talk in depth to a member about the lack of organized religion as we in the U.S. know it. The slides had, however, shown a Bar Mitzvah ceremony, a wedding, children enjoying a Purim fete and other activities whose Jewish content was indisputable. Yet we wanted a personal confrontation. We found it unexpectedly in the restaurant and customary tourist souvenir shop where we went after the lecture. We asked a young man at the desk to show us a particular bit of filligree Yemenite jewelry. ‘‘I’m just waiting for a call,” he said with surging vigor. “I’m not on duty here. The store keeper has retired.’’ “Then you're a member of the Kibbutz. How long?’’ “All my life. I was bom here.” He seemed 24 or so. “You’re certainly doing some good work here,’’ we offered re calling the slides of agricultural harvest and progress. “What’s good about it?”, he injected rather surlily. Before we could respond, he asked our origin. "Oh yes, that’s where all the racial trouble is. What’s the mat ter don’t you think they should have their rights?” We told him our position. “It’s a matter being worked out,” we said. "Real danger,” he said. “ ’S Funny, we Americans think you Israelis are facing the most danger. Ours is not as bad as yours in Israel.” "Much worse,” he insisted. “Look at it this way,” we strove to explain. “The Arabs have sworn to wipe out Israel and the Jews.” “Think we’ll let them?” he in jected belligerently. “The Negroes are striving for their rights within the bound aries of the Constitution. They’re not at all intending to wipe out America.” “What do you do in the Kib butz about religious services?” We changed the subject. “Well if you believe in God, you can pray however you wish. We do not teach how to pray.” “You do instruct them in He brew, Bible and morals and ethics? We saw slides of Purim and Hanukah celebrations at the lecture.” The phone call ended our con versation and we left to wonder and contemplate the role of organized services in Judaism. We certainly could not call this Kibbutz irreligious for the activi ties breathed the very essence of Jewishness. Our guide, Walter Baer, had been a member of this Kubbutz when he came to Palestine in one of Henrietta Szold’s first youth Aliyahs. He took us on a protracted tour most of the next morning, met some of his former friends. One was Alizah Orthal, a former WAC sergeant who had come to Israel from the Ortho dox upbringing of her father, Rabbi Levine of New York, a Hebraicist. She is now the head dietician of the Kibbutz and was impatient to be back at her duties. We asked about the religious angle. “I’m married to a former German D.P. and he leaves the matter of religion and the chil dren entirely up to me.” She was gone before we could learn more. The previous Friday evening, we’d been a guest in the home of a Tel Aviv professor of marketing economics. The invi tation had come through the Israel Tourist office. “Come before 6:30,” his wife had suggested, “and you can go to the services with Dov if you wish.” We did wish to go with Dov and as usual were quite unpre pared for what developed. Shortly after our arrival, Dov took his two girls, Leora, 4, and Sharon, 3, in tow and we set out for the Shule a block away. It was a brief walk. We paused at a walkway before an incredible sight. “There are four Shules on this lot,” he explained. “The one at the left is the Ashkenasic Shule.’’ Through the open window we could see the congregation and hear the cantor leading the services. “The one at the right is the Sephardic' Shule.” It, too, was crowded and we could hear the worshippers. “Around the side are two small Hassidic Stelle Shules.” We did not see these. We attended the Ashkenasic services and later shared the Shabbat meal with the two girls tenderly and tenuously joining in the Sabbath songs before be coming sleepy and being sent off to bed. Prof. Dov Israeli—his name— has a special hobby, Jewish- Arab relations, which he’s helped promote on several vis-a-vis levels much the same as the Conference of Christians and Jews in Atlanta, we suppose. The next afternoon we were guests of Mr. and Mrs. James Rosenthal. He’s a chief editorial writer for Ha’aretz, leading independent Hebrew paper in Israel. We had charming and fascinating conversation about Israel’s struggle to evolve a State under Halachic law and the con flicts which develop naturally from this source. Our dialogue was interrupted as the host conducted Havdallah services. Mr. Rosenthal invited us to meet him personally in the Knesset when it is in session three days of the week, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. “I’ll in troduce you to members from various parties. It’ll be a real opportunity and treat.” But the schedule of touring and shortage of time does not seem to enable this opportunity to be seized. Another year, another visit perhaps. Gavel for a Governor Governor Ralph M. Paiewonsky (right) receives the gavel installing him as president ot B'nai B’rith in The Virgin Islands - the first official ot that rank to head a B’nai B’rith group while m public office. Maurice A. Weinstein (left), chairman ot the B’nai B’rith International Council, installed the Governor, lauding his accomplishments in advancing the Island’s economy and its education and social welfare programs. Several hundred attended the ceremonies m St. Thomas last week. The 52-year-old Governor, a native, was a charter member ot SassoCardoze Lodge which Bnai B’rith founded two years ago as the first Jewish organization on the Islands. House Votes to Cut Funds To UNRWA For Arabs WASHINGTON (JTA) — The House Foreign Affairs Committee voted to cut the United States allocation for the Arab refugees being helped by the United Na tions Relief and Works Agency by $700,000 during the next year The U.S.A. has been pay ing 70 percent of UNRWA’s ex penses since the aid group was established by the UN in 1950, spending on UNRWA to date a total of $351,000,000. Since 1962, Washington’s contribution to UNRWA has amounted to $24,- 700.000 each year. The proposal to cut the UNRWA allocation was made by Rep. Leonard Farbstein, New York Democrat, who criticized the failure of the Arab govern ments where UNRWA operates its refugee camps to aid the rec tification of the UNRWA ration rolls. The rolls, he said, are swol len with false claimants and claims on behalf of refugees who died. The UNRWA rolls now list alleged refugees numbering more than 1,200,000 persons, aided in Jordan. Lebanon, Syria and the Gaza Strip. Mr. Farbstein also called the committee’s attention to the fact that the Palestine Liberation Or ganization, anti-Israel fighting arm of the Arab League, has been sending some of its mem bers for training in Communist China on behalf of a “liberation war” against Israel. UNRWA- aided refugees in the PLO con tinue to receive help from the UN organization. While the House committee was discussing U. S. aid to UNRWA and the link of the PLO to Communist China, reports were received here from Cairo, about a PLO decision to send its troops to North Viet Nam to fight as guerillas against the U. S. forces in South Viet Nam. The announcement in Cairo was made by Ahmed Shukairy, chairman of the PLO, who said that the troops would, by serving with North Viet Nam, be able “to study in actual surroundings the methods of guerilla warfare which will be used in the inevitable war to lib erate Palestine.” The news about PLO’s decis ion was announced in the House as soon as it was received by Rep. Seymour Halpem, New York Republican. He demanded that the U. S. sever all aid to countries like Egypt and Syria that permit their territories to be used by military forces “in tended for commitment on the Communist side in Viet Nam.” The main PLO forces are being trained in Egypt and Syria. Rep. William Fitts Ryan, New York Democrat, then proposed that a ban on aid to Egypt under the “Food for Freedom” bill previ ously voted then secretly removed at the request of the Adminis tration, be restored. By voice vote, the House passed Mr. Ryan’s proposal. Farbstein previously had in troduced a resolution proposing reorganization of UNRWA, under which that agency would stop handling the program. Admini stration and funds would go to the host Arab governments after a census to determine the num ber legally eligible for rations and UN funds would be given only if the Arab governments used the money to aid refugees to become self-supporting. Bar Mitzvah Opposed Bv Orthodox Rabbi COLUMBUS, Ohio (JTA) — A Columbus Orthodox rabbi has called for the abolition of the Bar Mitzvah ceremony in Amer ican Judaism on the premise that “nothing has contributed more to the adulteration of faith and the confusion of intellect than the Bar Mitzvah training program in America.” Rabbi David Stavsky, spiritual leader of Beth Jacob Synagogue, also contended that “nothing has stifled and strangled Jewish edu cation in America” more than the Bar Mitzvah program. He de clared that if the whole cere mony was abolished, “there is a slight possibility that the child may go on in Hebrew school to age 17 or 18.” He asserted that “what people do not realize is that Rar Mitzvah is a myth, that there is nothing sacred or ritual istic or important about having a boy memorize a chapter in the Prophets and repeat a canned ISRAELIS JUBILIANT Truman to Visit Israel in July JERUSALEM (WUP)— Harry S. Truman, looked upon as a modem Cyrus among Israelis for the sudden and unexpected pos ition he had taken in recognizing Israel’s sovereignty almost im mediately upon the proclamation of the State at a time when the UN was trying to kill Partition, is expected to visit Israel in July to take part in the ground-breaking ceremony for the Peace Center named for him at the Hebrew University. The event is scheduled to take place on July 11. speech or prayer. "Millions of dollars are spent annually for this myth, and with it comes the death blow to Jew ish education and learning,” Rab bi Stavsky said. "The Bar Mitz vah training program, either by private lessons or afternoon He brew school, guarantees that the boy’s Jewish education will end a week after the gifts are count ed.” Marranos Unhappy TEL AVIV (JTA)— Unantici pated problems were disclosed to have complicated the integra tion of the newly arrived 25 Spanish Marranos, whose ances tors were forcibly converted to Catholicism 500 years ago in Spain. It was learned that the new comers had not been told that their return to the Jewish fold would involve a year-long pro cedure including circumcision for all male newcomers. They were told that, as construction work ers, they would be in demand in Israel. However, they arrived during a building slump last month and their breadwinners have been given work on relief projects, such as clearing rocks. The independent daily, Ha’aretz, called for disciplinary action against those officials of the im migration department who in volved the newcomers and Israel in a difficulty that was “not in the national interest and dubious from a moral and religious stand point.” Ha’aretz said the ultimate responsibility rested with Jewish officials who arranged the immi gration.