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Impression —
j — Continued from Page 1
* of his ex-European neo-
™ Canadian friends and stopped
q the processional. They embraced
e and wept Begin shook hands
□ with all — and in the turmoil 1
M was pushed into the preaenee of
to the man — he extended his hand
z to me and I to him. I wished him
good health and success in his
mission and he then waved all
these people in the door —
without passes. I didn’t push my
luek, I’m not Canadian and
couldn’t prove otherwise — I
c stayed outside — but in an out-
'c ward expression of chutspah
3 told the gate guard 1 was
* representing the UJA Young
Leadership Cabinet (that’s ernes,
but for another meeting, not this
one) and I did get in.
Begin was spellbinding. The
man IS an orator. His style
challenges JFK and Abba Eban
— and his voice is com
passionate and warm. He is in
tense and can be humorous.
He told us he left Israel a
hopeful man — he is returning a
happy man — for many reasons,
but the foremost is that he now
believes that “President Carter
has a heart for Israel and that
the rapport built up between the
President and the Prime
Minister is an expression of
mutual respect, sharing of ideals
and friendship.”
Begin mentioned that prior to
meeting Carter, each had read
the other’s book. Carter was im
pressed with the Prime
Minister’s story of his incarcera
tion in the Russian prison camp
and the nocturnal interrogations
that were conducted on him and
others — from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m.'
night after night — to the point
that people would have confess
ed to anything just to receive one
night of sleep.
Carter gave Begin a copy of
his book and inscribed it, “To my
friend Menachem Begin.” Begin
states that he could not dare to
write that in the book he gave to
the President of the mightiest
nation in the world, but the feel
ing was there.
Carter, later that night, in
troduced Begin to his mother,
Lillian, and as Begin described
the meeting — “She was sitting
in a small room of the most im
portant house on earth — and
with her white hair she looked
like my own mother” and his
voice quivered — he bowed his
head in silence ... for what
seemed like a month but was
surely a minute or so. (His
mother was one of the
6,000,000.)
“Yes,” he said, “Carter
promised us some needed tools,”
the sophisticated instrumenta
tion for Israeli national defense.
”He wanted to make
guarantees” but Begin respect
fully declined this wording, as
other “guarantees” proved to be
only Up service. He merely asked
President Carter for understan
ding and support in maintaining
the democracy responsible for
the “most democratic election in
the world — no riots, no ballot
questioning, no election monkey
business.” But what in return?
Begin assured Carter that
t “Not one American soldier will
^ever shed blood in the defense of
the survival of the State of
Israel. Israel’s Army will do that
and will not fail.” He also stated
to Carter, as he later did to the
Secretary General of the U.N.,
that “Israel, unlike the Christian
world, could not stand idly by
while the Christian minority of
South Lebanon gets annihilated
and swallowed up in the world
around it. One minority can’t af
ford to let another minority go
down the drain.” Begin also said
he made his point clear to the
President and that it would be
conveyed to the people of the
U.S. that Israel has contributed
significantly to the national
security of the U.S.
The Council of Presidents
meeting concluded. Begin went
to the U.N., spoke to the
Secretary General on some of
these points and also raised the
question of the rights of some
800 captured Syrian Jews and
returned to toe Waldorf to at
tend the luncheon of 2200 per
sons, including the just arriving
Sidney Feldman and Louis
Tara toot. This huge, almost un
manageable crowd rallied
around Begin’s every word.
These people came from 86
states to hear Begin speak and
that he did and aid not repeat
much of what was said earlier.
He stated that Chiam Heraog
and Simcha Dinitx would remain
at their respective poets, that
Rabin’s advisors are still at their
jobs, that the new government
would promote free business
ventures by private persons and
corporations and would make ef
forts to reduce governmental red
tape and bureaucracy.
He is concerned about public
opinion in the U.S. (which he
believes was enhanced during
the trip, “I have been on T.V.
more in the last three days than
j in my previous 63 years”) and
’ public opinion in Israel.
J “Before I left everyone was
worried. Are the U.S. and Israel
on a collision course? Will there
be a confrontation? Worry,
worry — everyone worries. Jews
like to worry, but worry is con
tagious, so I got worried” he said
as he threw up his hands ala
Myron Cohen. “But let me
assure you, as I will my people in
Israel next week on my return —
the U.S. and Israel grew closer
than ever before as a result of
my visit. The U.S. president is
intelligent and understands our
problems. But the people of
Israel need to know that the
Jews of the U.S. (the largest con
centration of Jews in the world
and likened by Begin to the
Jewish community of Alexan
dria in the time of the the Se
cond Temple) are with them.”
He started to leave as the
assembled crowd sang Oseh Sha
lom, Hatikva, and the UJA
“Fight Song” — We Are One. He
was presented a blue carnation
from a camp survivor, and he
waved it and threw kisses to the
crowd — and was gone ... swal
lowed by his ever present sea of
security. The trance he created
kept people buzzing. “I didn’t
know he was such a good speak
er” — “Wasn’t he marvelous?” —
"Long live Begin” — Amen.
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Hyman Witkind
Hyman Witkind, 81, of Miami
Beach, formerly of New York
and New Jersey, died Saturday,
July 28, in Miami Beach. Mr.
Witkind was the father of Mrs.
Evelyn Simmons of Atlanta.
Funeral service was held Mon
day, July 25, at Green Lawn
Chapel with Rabbi Mare Wilson
officiating. Interment was in
Crest Lawn Memorial Park.
A native of Russia, Mr.
Witkind waa a retired furrier.
He was an officer of the Fur
Dressers Union and was a
member of Workmen’s Circle for
sixty yean. A member of Golden
Rule Lodge No. 285, FAAM, be
wee a 82nd Degree Mason and a
veteran of World War L
Other survivors include hie
wife, Mn. Ids Witkind of Miami
Beach; a son, Dr. Elliott Witkind
of Coral Gablea, Fla.; a sister,
Mrs. Fannie Bram of
Montevideo, Uruguay; and five
grandchildren.
Mrs. Phoebe Fryer
Mrs. Phoebe Fryer, 84, of
Atlanta died Wednesday, July
27.
Graveside service was to be
held Friday, July 29, at Crest
Lawn Memorial Park with Rab
bi Harry Epstein and Cantor
Isaac Goodfriend officiating.
A native of Cleveland, Ohio,
Mrs. Fryer was a member of
Ahavath Achim Synagogue and
was a resident of the Jewish
Home.
Survivors include two sons,
Judge Joel J. Fryer of Atlanta
and James Maxwell of West
Point, Ga.; a sister, Mrs. Martin
Golden of Cleveland, Ohio; a
brother, Edward Goldberg of
Santa Monica, Cal.; five
grandchildren, and four great
grandchildren.
Mrs. Rose B. Glazer
Mrs. Rose Berchenko Glszer,
56, of Atlanta died Friday, July
15.
Graveside service was held
Friday, July 15, at Greenwood
Cemetery with Rabbi David H.
Auerbach officiating.
A native of Atlanta, Mrs.
Glaser was a member of
Ahavath Achim Synagogue and
its Sisterhood. She was an
employee of the DeKalb County
Government.
Survivors include s daughter,
Mrs. Gail Saloff of Atlanta; two
sons, Rabbi Melvin Glaser of
Grand Rapids, Mich., and Jerry
Glaser of Atlanta; four sisters,
Mrs. Fsnnye B. Leslie of Atlan
ta, Mrs. Ids Letter of Miami
Beach, Mrs. Jennie Wilensky of
Augusta, Mrs. Lil Green of New
Orleans; three brothers, Jack
and Harry Berchenko, and Louis
Berch, all of Atlanta.
Mrs. Rachel Portman
Mrs. Rachel Portman, 94, of
Savannah died Wednesday, July
6.
Graveside service was held
Thursday, July 7, at Bonaven-
ture Cemetery.
A native of Russia, Mrs. Port-
man had lived in Savannah for
65 years and was the oldest liv
ing member of Congregation
B’nai B’rith Jacob. She was a
member of the Hebrew Women’s
Aid Society, Hadassah, the
Sisterhood of B’nai B’rith Jacob
and Hesed Shel Emeth.
Survivors include three sons,
Dr. Harry Portman and Ben and
Nathan Portman, all of Savan
nah; a daughter, Mrs. Dora Port-
man Katxman of Los Angeles; 15
grandchildren, 18 great
grandchildren and several nieces
and nephews.
—Maccabiah —
— Continued from Page 1
teammate Larry Nagler 6-3,6-2.
Peter Rennert and Joel Roes of
the U.S. were sharp and swift in
disposing of Israel’s Haim
Ariosoroff and Reuven Porges in
the men’s 1 doubles.
Margolin and Rennert teamed
up in mixed doubles to down
South Africa’s liana KIoss and
Graham Silverman 6-3, 7-5, for
the gold medallion.
Americans dominated the
swimming events, with a
number of new Maccabiah
records set The 400-meter free
style men’s relay team topped
the 1969 time of Mark Spitz's
quartet, while Wendy Weinberg
of Baltimore took the 800-meter
free-style women’s event in
record time of 9.08.46, breaking
Nancy Spitz’s 1969 mark of
9.40.5. Hilary Bergman of the
University of Alabama set a new
record in the 400-meter in
dividual medley in 4.39.31, top
ping Rob Abramowitz’s 1973
mark of 4.51.4. Bergman also
tied Mark Spitz's mark of six
gold medals in one meet.
Norma Barton, 15-year-old
Californian, beat out Olympic
star Weinberg in the 100-meter
butterfly in a new Maccabiah
time of 1.4.39. Weinberg emerg
ed with six gold medals and
three silver medals, bettering
her 1978 mark of four gold and
three silver.
Americans also dominated the
track and field events with Jay
Pushkin of Arizona creating a
new games record while leading
the U.S. in a sweep of the discus
event
In the diving competition,
Michael Taber and Tony Scott of
the U.S., ran first and second on
both the three meter and ten
meter boards, setting game
records. Julie Bachman of the
U.S. took golds in both women’s
dives, also establishing new
records.
American wrestlers took nine
medals in Greco-Roman wrestl
ing and seven in free-style
grappling.
The 10th Maccabiah Games
ended July 20 when a highly
favored Israeli basketball team
ioet in the finals to the underdog
United States squad by 92-91,
With three seconds remaining
and Israel leading 90-89, Willie
Sims, a black Jew from Long
Island City High School, waa
fouled while driving for the
hoop. After an Israeli time-out,
$ims stepped to the foul ’ine,
took a deep breath and calmly
caged two foul shots giving the
U.S a point edge. The clock ran
out on the Israelis, thus giving
America its first basketball
championship in three Mac-
csbishs.
Later in the dressing room,
Sims said, “It’s great to ba a
Jew in Israel. These have been
among the happiest days of my
life.”
From Combtnad Wiramrrfaa Raporta