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SOME PERSONAL REFLECTIONS
ON THE SIX DAY WAR
•• t
Friday, Dm. 29, 1967
IS IT TOO SOON?
Were you really in Israel for a whole
year? _
Yes.
Were you there during the war too?
Yes.
Really! That must have been a real
experience.
Yes.
What was it like?
(Silence.)
Really, I mean .. . what was it really like
to be there and to see it all. It must have been
great.
Yes.
You must come over and tell us all about
it one night.
Yes.
BUT IT IS TOO SOON. To soon to tell of
what happened, interpret, to give whys and
wherefores, to pose as an expert, to write
knowing articles and give inspirational
speeches.
IT IS TOO SOON to accept speaking en
gagements, to participate in panels, to dis
cuss, to analyze, to evaluate, to speak glibly
of miracles and let the name of G-d slide
easily off the tongue.
It will be too soon ten years hence, and a
hundred. Maybe in a thousand years we will
begin to perceive why this generation alone
among fifty previous generations in the past
two thousand years was found worthy to wit
ness the fulfillment of G-d’s glory and to see
with its own eyes the Shechinah descending
upon the Kosel Hamaaravi.
BUT THE WORLD IS HUNGRY and
wants to know how and why, and wants to
know quickly, and wants to know now. But
it is too soon. I do not know how and why.
No one knows how and why. I must wait. J
must think. It must settle within me. The
mind does not yet perceive what the eyes
have seen; the heart does not yet realize what
the hands have touched, or where the feet
have trod.
OF COURSE IT WOULD BE EASY. You
By Rabbi Emanuel Feldman
are, after all, something of a hero. You were
here, and they were here. Americans love
heroes, they create them every day, so why
not you? You were there. No matter if you
could do little to help the war effort—you
were there and they were not. You lived
through the crisis and they did not. So why
- no t?_be a hero, and give a suitably modest
and self-effacing account of your exploits
Tell them about the tensions and the
fears; describe the knots of people whispering
at shul, at the kiosks, in the classrooms, and
around the little radios. Tell them about the
sand-bagging, the preparing of the shelters.
Tell them the color of the sky the morning
fhe war came, and about how you felt when
you heard the first air-raid siren go off. Tel!
v hem about the shelling and bombing, and
the orange brightness that suddenly flashed
into the night. Tell them about the children
in the air-raid shelter; how you wondered if
f here was an alternate way out should a
bomb block the entrance. You were there, you
raw it all. Why not tell them?
TELL THEM ABOUT the mobilization,
about the Tehillim, about the Shabbos when
the call-up took place- About Birchas Ko-
hanim in the middle of an air-raid alarm on
the morning of June 6; how no one flinched;
how the all-clear sounded just as the
Kohanim chanted a piercing Shaaalom! Tell
about your first visit to the Kosel Hamaaravi
on the fourth day of the war; about the Mount
of Olives, Bethlehem, Hebron, Jericho.
BETTER YET: describe how it felt to go
through the Mandelbaum Gate for the first
time; how it was to look back into Israel
through the Mandelbaum Gate from the
Jordanian side. You might describe the gently
rolling hills to the east of Jerusalem, turning
into desert as you go down to the Jordan
River and Jericho. Jericho itself would be
worthwhile. Jericho, Joshua, the Jordan. It
could be very interesting.
OR MAYBE about the people: the look in
the eyes of the Arab shopkeepers in Old
Jerusalem, as compared to those in Hebron.
nidn’t you find the Hebronites more hostile?
Didn’t you see more hate in their ew : ;?
Hebron, after all, was the home of so many 0 f
the El-Fatah raiders who wrought so mu eh
havoc over the years. It would make a nice
talk, a provocative article, certainly a good
conversation piece.
PERHAPS THE GEOGRAPHY. Com,-■-n
the terrain of New Jerusalem with the mid
City. Didn’t you find the Old City more ty or
ally biblical than the New City? (You might
even explain what a “biblical” look is.) And
the hills themselves: isn’t it true that the hills
r f the Old City are softer, a bit more graceful
than the new?
AND MIRACLES: why not tell them
something about the miracles. You were
there, after all. You heard the stories, you
know they occurred. Tell them the miracles-
It would make fascinating listening, wonder
ful reading. They will love you for it.
BUT IT IS TOO SOON. Too soop to tell
of what happened, to interpret, to give whys
and wherefores, to pose as an expert, to write
knowing articles and give inspirational
speeches. Too soon to accept speaking engage
ments, to participate in panels, to discuss, to
analyze, to evaluate, to speak glibly of mira
cles and let the name of G-d slide off the
tongue. ~
Were you really in Israel for a whole
year?
Yes.
Were you there during the war too?
Yes.
Really! That must have been a real
experience.
Yes.
What was it like?
(Silence.)
Really, I mean . . . what was it really like
to be there and to see it all. It must have been
great.
Yes.
You must come over and tell us all about
it one night.
Yes.
THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE
Published weekly by Southern Newspaper Enterprises, 390 Court
land St., N. E., Atlanta, Georgia 30303, TB 6-8249, TR. 6-8240. Sec
ond class postage paid at Atlanta, Georgia. Yearly subscription $7.50.
The Southern Israelite invites literary contributions and correspond
ence but is not to be considered ap sharing the views expressed by
writers. DEADLINE is 5 P.M. FRIDAY, but material received earlier
will a much better chance of publication.
Adolph Rosenberg, Editor and Publisher
Kathleen Nease, Joseph Redlich
Vida Goldgar, Harry Rose, Betty Meyer, Kathy Wood
Georgia Press Assn.
NATIONAL MIWSPAPiR
HNy?"
7 Arts Features
Jewish
Telegraphic
Agency
World Union Press
Parley Held at Camp Ocala
By Florida Regional BBYO
Top-level leadership of Aleph
Zadik Aleph and Bhai B’rifflh
Girls ahapters from twelve dif
ferent communities in the State
of Florida at
tended the an
nual Regio n a 1
youth convention
December
at Camp Ocala,
Umatilla,
da.
were
jointly by Flor
id*
Petti
Henry
ski; and
Convention
ordinators Man- Roth
ye Goldstein and Bruce Schwack.
Resource people and feature
speakers travelled from Washing
ton, D, Miami, Tampa, Or
mond Bertfc Ortond ), Daytona,
Gainesville, St. fcdersburg and
Jacksonville to inspire and assist
the oonvention^rs in exploring,
stretching their minds, and dig
ging deeply inlfco their rich Jew
ish heritage.
“Love” was the overall theme,
which was broken down into
“Man and Nation,” “Man and
Woman” and “Man and Man.”
Speaking on the sub-topic “Man
and Nation” was Joseph Yanich,
executive director of the Amer
ican Jewish Congress (South East
Region). Most recent develop
ments in the plight of Soviet
Jewry and problems which Israel
faces today in the aftermath of
the Six-Day war which rocked
the world, were presented by Mr.
Yanich in his keynote address.
-y Keynoter on the subjects “Man
and Man” and “Man and Wom
an” with special emphasis on
Judaism’s interpretation in depth
In these areas was Rabbi Tobias
Roth, associate director of pro
gram and publications ‘ of the
B’nal B’riih Youth Organization,
and BBYO chaplain. Rabbi Roth
is the Dormer spiritual leader of
Congregation Degel Israel, Wa
tertown, N. Y. He is a graduate
of the Rabbi Isaac Eiahanan
Theological Seminary of Yeshiva
University, and has authored a
v variety of publications on topics
of Jewish interest.
As a specialist in the applica
tion of Jewish concepts to the
problems and concerns of mod
em youth, Rabbi Roth has served
on the faculty of the BBYO in
ternational conventions and the
Judaism Institute of B’nai B’rith
Young Adults.
An Israeli Song and Dance Feet
on the opening night of Han-
uka was led by Mrs. Joseph Yan-
ick, folk-dance instructor. Other
socials included a Crazy-Mixed-
Up Fashion Show, a Fortieth BBG
Anniversary celebration and a
final banquet lampooning psych
edelic flower-pots and love-bugs.
Philip Slotsky, Miami BBYO
Phys Ed director, supervised BBG
volleyball and AZA football and
softball all-star games between
North Florida and South Flor
ida BBYO Councils.
Jay Markowitz, Florida Region
BBYO Steering Committee Chair
man, of Tampa, acted as install
ing officer. Mr. and Mrs. Louis
Ossinsky Jr. were resource spec
ial! ^is. Mrs. Jack Rabinowitz,
Fred Chekanow, Mr. and Mrs.
William Sheade of Miami, Mrs.
Herman Axeiberg of Jacksonville
and Mrs. Bess Goldberg of Or
lando served as convention ad
visors.
Convention director was Mrs.
Girt Bossak, Florida Region
BBYO director, with offices In
Miami. Herbert Rubin, North
Florida Council director, assisted
her.
Scott Kaplan and Barbara Po-
merantz, district presidents, and
Mrs. Linda Polan, director of
Muscular Dystrophy Associations
also addressed the assembled con
ventioneers.
Shukairy Dropped
As PLO Head
JERUSALEM (JTA)— Ahmed
Shukairy, head of the Palestine
Liberation Organization, which
trains terrorists and saboteurs for
depredations in Israeli-held ter
ritory, has resigned under pres
sure from his deputies, acjpff&ing
to Cairo radio reports heard here.
Shukairy was accused by his col
leagues of failing to coordinate
all the organizations which com
mits acts of terrorism against Is
rael.
Egyptian newspapers reported
that a council of 100 Palestinians
will now be chosen by Egyptians
to head the PLO. The council
will elect a 10-man executive
committee, the Cairo radio said.
JEWISH
CALENDAR
•IIANUKA
•LAG B’OMER
Dec. 27—Jan, 3
May 16, Thursday
Wednosdav—Wednesday
•SHAVUOT
•TU BISHEVAT
June 2, Sunday
Feb. 14, Wednesday
•TISHA B’AV
•FAST OF ESTHER
August 4, Sunday
March 13, Wednesday
•ROSH HASHANA
•PURIM
Sept. 23-24,
March 14, Thursday
Mon. - Tues. *
•PASSOVER
•YOM KIPPUR
April 13, Saturday
(First Day)
* Oct. 2, Wed.
April 20, Saturday
‘HOLIDAY BEGINS
(Eighth Day)
SUNDOWN PREVIOUS DAY
Young Judaeans
Meet On Jekyll
On Sunday, December 24, more
than 350 Jewish young people as
sembled at Jekyll Island, Ga., for
the annual Mid-Winter Conclave
of Southern Region Young Ju
daea. The Judaeans represent
more than 30 different commun
ities in the Southeast, plus a few
Northern observers.
The theme of the gathering this
year was ‘‘The Emergence of the
Modern Jew." This topic was the
theme used in every facet of the
four-day program which included
discussions, club competition in
skit, Israeli folk dancing, Hebrew
singing, oratory, essay, art 'and
newspaper.
“This year’s conclave was our
largest ever," said Frank Farben-
hloom, regional director of Young
Judaea. “There is a sense of gra
tification in knowing tha,t our
young people want to participate
in the type of educational pro
gram offered by Young Judaea.
Shaul Lilach headed the group
of top level programming staff
who guided the Judaeans in their
activities. Mr. Lilach is the Sha-
liach (emissary from the Israeli
Scouts to the Southern Region of
Young Judaea).
The Southern Region of Young
Judaea is sponsored toy the Sou
thern Hadassah Youth Commis
sion, the joint youth agency *>f
Southern, Southeastern and Flor
ida Hadassah.
Flight to Bucharest
Scheduled by El A1
TEL AVIV (JTA) — El At
Israel’s national airline, has an
nounced it would start regulm
flights to Bucharest. Rumania
next spring, and will offer two
week tours to that country f°*
Israelis at all-inclusive fares o
under $200. El Al’s announce
ment followed the signing > n
Jerusalem of a $14 mill' 01 '
Israel-Rumania trade agreemen
and civil air transportation pact
for 1968.