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M.y, July lO, ICT ,
THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE
Published weekly by Southern Newspaper Enterprises, 380 Oourtluad
St, N. E., Atlanta, Georgia 30303, TR 6-8249, TR 6-8240, Second class
postage paid at Atlanta, Georgia. Yearly subscription, 81.50. The
Southern Israelite invitee literary contributions and correspondence
but is not to tie considered as sharing the views expressed by writers.
DEADLINE is 8 PM, FRIDAY, but material received earlier will
have a much better chance of publication.
Adolph Rosenberg, Editor and Publisher
, Kathleen Neisse, Vida Goldgar, Edward M. Kahn
Kathy Wood, Harry Rose, Betty Meyer, Gertrude Burnham
■ MEMBER
Boris Smolar
Editor-in-Chief Emeritus JTA
YOU AND ME
NeNpApep
Association - Found** fMi
Georgia Press Assn.
Seven Arts Features
Jewish Telegraphic
Agency
World Union Press
RABBI SAMUEL SILVER
Gland Of The Free And
The Home Of The Brave
him to “black out” if he did not
get • nourishment .rapidly. Why
was David able to defeat Gol
iath? Probably because Goliath
had poor vision, as many vic
tims of giantism do. And why
did David at 50, already exhibit
signs of senility? Because, ap
parently, his conscience bothered
him over his Bathsheba sin. And,
the wise and literate Dr. Green-
blatt, warns -us, there is a re
lationship between feelings of
guilt and declining virilty. There
is also a relationship between
the Sabbath and the way your
body works.
In a preface to the book,
Ralph McGill, the great editor
of the Atlanta Constitution, says
it is rewarding reading “beyond
the highest expectation.” You
will agree, as you read the diag
noses of the glandular condition
of Joseph and Delilah, about the
effect of salt, sugar, vinegar, and
wine on various Biblical per
sonages, about the relationship
of red and sin, and the way a
doctor answers the question of
An army, it’3 been said, travels
on its stomach. Brides have been
told that the way to a man’s
heart is through his stomach.
The role of
food in history
is a great one,
as anyone who
knows Hebrew,
underst a n d s ,'
since the He
brew word for
war, milachama,
derives from
Iechem, meaning bread.
Another important physical
factor in our lives is the gland.
If you want proof, read a
book, “Search the Scriptures,”
published by Lipincott, and writ
ten by one of the world’s leading
gland experts, Dr. Robert
Greenblatt, of the Medical Col
lege of Georgia.
Virtually a best-seller already,
the delightful book in 26 brief
but captivating chapters, illum
inates many parts of both the
Jewish and Christitan Bible with
m thu —tng~ psgmigtt -wnarurtitarir
endoccines upon people featured
in its pages.'
Why, for example, did Esau
sell his birthright for a mess of
pottage Because he scorned it?
Well, perhaps, but most likely
because he was suffering from
a medical condition which forced
THE DRUG ABUSE
Jewish community leaders in a number
cities are expressing serious concern over drug
abuse by Jewish youth. The problem has been
discussea at,a closed meeting of leaders of Coun
cil of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds,
following reports from 28 communities.
Reliable data about the extent of drug abufe
by Jewish teenagers is not generally available.
However, a study made by the CJFWF states It is
estimated that in some schools, and in some neigh
borhoods, 80 percent -or more of the Jewish youth
may have experimented with using drugs at one
time or another but do not continue. These are
classified as “drug experimenters.” They try drugs
once, twice, or possibly a few times.
Then there are those who are classified as
“drug abusers.” These are the boys and girls
who make regular and frequent use of drugs and
appear to be in search for new drug sensations.
They move from milder to harder drugs and find
themselves soon unable to keep up with their res
ponsibilities at school, on the job, and at home.
Dr. Martin Greenberg, the CJFWF research direc
tor, says that it has been estimated that Jews
account for somewhere between 5 and 15 percent
in this category of drug users. .
“Drug addicts” constitute another category.
Their percentage is relatively small. Even in New
York, where the use of drugs by Jews is re
portedly most widespread, Jews constitute about
3 percent or less of the drug addicts. Although
the communities are convinced that there is wide
spread use of marijuana and other soft drugs,
they assume that heroin addicts are few among
Jews.
• • •
COMMUNITY ACTION
The Jewish communities are hard at work in
combatting drug abuses and discouraging drug
experimentation. Jewish Federations and agencies
are now establishing new programs to deal with
drug use, drug abuse, and drug addiction. The
CJFWF wili soon convene leaders in the field
to provide further guides.
The Jewish youth centers in the communities
have taken the lead in developing educational
programs on many aspects of drug abuse for
teenagers ,their parents and teachers. The Jewish
Center in Buffalo is singled out as providing a
good example of a training program for those
working with high school and college students.
Jewish Family Services in Philadelphia, Pitts
burgh, Cleveland, Miami and other cities have
developed various programs for reaching teenagers
as well as counselling their parents. In New York,
the Jewish family and child agencies, hospitals,
and community centers have been reaching out
with new innovative services. Baltimore is es
tablishing'two parwiel programs, both centered in
its Jewish hospital, one involving a network of
Jewish agencies, and tfce other non-sectarian
agencies which serve Jews.
Atlanta, Denver, Seattle and other Jewish com-
munitites are mounting centrally planned services
to deal with drug abuses. Community experience
and plans are being pooled by a special CJFWF
committee. In Toronto, the Jewish Family and
Child Service has achieved high results by in
stituting a Trailer Project to reach drug users
with medical, legal and other advice. The client
group was predominantly males between the ages
of lfi-19. The trailer service—given in a 40-foot
house trailer—proved a great success. It establish
ed contact with several thousand drug users.
• • •
MIDDLE CLASS PROBLEM
It is interesting to note that most of the Jewish
teenagers experimenting with drugs come from
middle class and affluent homes. Jewish youths
from families with lower income do not show in
clination for using drugs.
An explanation is sought in the fact that the
boys and girls coming from affluent homes have
more money to spend and indulge in spending it
on drug experimentation. It is an established fact
that drug use rarely' occurs as a solitary pursuit.
There is social group influence behind it. It is a
group activity. The group is the source of supply.
The group provides the companions in using the
drug. Together they enjoy the current “seance,”
plan future one, and give recognition to each
others’ new ventures in drug use. They are
fiercely loyal in the event of trouble, such as en
counters with the police, fights with the family,
and going broke.
This social group influence plays no small role
in attracting youth from the middle class families
into the circle of the drug users. The boys and
girls who can afford to participate in spending
money on drugs want to be “in.” They don’t want
to be in a social vacuum, without friends and
without excitement.
Because the middle class and affluent families
are able to protect their privacy by seeking help
for their drug-using children from private physi
cians, and not from appropriate institutions, there
is actually lack of data on the use of ‘“hard drugs”
by Jews. Professor M. Sacks, the research director
for a pilot project conducted by the Jewish Com
munity Services of Long Island, in New York, says
his findings have proven that drug abuse among
Jewish adolescents is a greater problem than the
general public is willing to acknowledge, especially
among middle-class Jews.” A study in Nassau
County, New York, estimates that “hard drug”
use among Jewish adlescents is 18 percent of the
total of adolescent drug users. This is six times the
estimate of Jew drug addicts in New York.
Copyright 1970, Jewish Telegraphic! Agency, Inc.
It happens that Dr. Greenblatt’s
son is married to Bob Hope’s
daughter. By virtue of the doc
tor’s excellence as a professor
and writer, Bob Hope may some
day be remembered as Dr. G’s
mechutan.
A Seven Arts Feature
District 3 BBYO ..
Continued from page 1
Sky Lake near Sautee, Ga., but
there was never any doubt that
its scope extended far beyond
the secluded setting. Ever pres
ent were allusions to the war
in Indochina, the blight of our
environment and the decay of
our cities. The participants, who
came from six states and the na
tion’s capital, constantly re
minded themselves - and one
another that the “real world”
was outside needing their help
and that they were there to bet
ter equip themselves to answer
that call.
Ronald Cahn. district director,
has been watching BBYO change
for over a decade. “BBYO
evolves in the same sense as
the campus, or religion or school
systems or even morality,” he
said. “Things are always
changing to meet new needs.
This program is part of a con
tinuing change to meet the needs
of new kids.”
What are those needs? Accord
ing to Cahn today’s youth need
to be involved and to play an
effective role in society. “That
means increased personal in
volvement in an aspect of some
activity that applies to them.
Our one purpose is to see that
every member realizes that he is
important.”
At the DLTC, this was not an
idle ideal. According to Kauf
man, “even the youngest par
ticipants expressed themselves.”
Though the conference was
not a convention, officers were
elected. Maxine Madans of
Charlotte, the district’s new BBG
president, was extremely im
pressed by the program. “This
has been a utopia for me,” she
said. “It’s beautiful here and
free . . . free to be myself with
out worrying about how I look
to other people. This is how
things should be ... I know
they aren’t, but they should be.
Peaceful and free.”
In AZA elections, Ronald
Sherman of Chesapeake, Md., is
the new president. Barry Fried
man of Atlanta is vice president
and Steve Vogal of Charleston
is secretary.
The participants’ reactions to
the DLTC were enthusiastic. Of
the first 105 personal evaluation
forms that were returned, 80
characterized the program as
“excellent” and 45 as “very
good.” Complaints were largely
centered on facilities and food.
Larry Schwartz, educational di
rector of the Temple in Atlanta,
served as staff for the conclave.
Summing up the program, he
saw “professionals working with
teenagers, talking about both the
profoundest and the silliest
things in life.” His personal re
action? “It was a groove,” he
said.
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