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I The Seatheri Israelite j
The Weekly Newspaper tor goetkm Jewry
Our 54th Year
Published every Friday by The Southern Israelite, Inc.
Second Chut pottage paid at Atlanta, Go. Publication No. 779090
Mailing Address: P. O. Box 77388, Atlanta, Georgia 3*357
; Location: 188 15th St., N. W.
Phone: (404) 876-8248
Jack Gddbart: Editor A Publisher
Vida Goidgar: Managing Editor; Mike Paaaa: Advertising Director
Advertising rates available upon request
Subscriptions: $12.50-1 year, $25.00-2'A years
Member: Jewish Telesreehlc Aeeeay; Rsllgteas News Service; Americas Jewish Press *»».;
(ieersie Press Ares.: National Newepeper Area.
Shame on Cardinl
The Pierre Cardin company has apparently joined the list
of those who are bowing to the pressure of Arn> petrodollars
(see story, page 1). They market mighty fancy clothes and we
have a feeling that many of our readers use their products.
We have often brought to your attention the names of coun
tries and companies who were unfriendly to Israel. Let it be
clear that we do not dispute these people’s right to run their
affairs, but we feel it our duty to inform you of anti-Israel
positions. It is then up to you to decide whether these places
or firms are worthy of patronage.
Make your own decision about Pierre Cardin but — in case
you’re interested — we’re already looking up the telephone
number of Yve St. Laurent.
Begin's dilemma
Any doubts about Israel being a true democracy were
allayed when Menachem Begin flew home to a swarm of
criticism from Labor party leaders who openly opposed his
carefully prepared peace plan (see story, page 1).
His visit to the TJ.S. was a personal triumph for Begin. He
showed a warmth, sense of humor and quick intelligence that
had not come through before.
But popularity can be fleeting and any political leader
knows that while personal charisma is important and can
smooth many negotiations, these personality triumphs do not
abate the important adversary system of a democracy.
The criticism of Begin in Israel right now seems centered on
the fear that he has teen too soft and given up too much in his
effort to charm President Carter and the U.S.
Strange criticism indeed when one remembers how intense
the concern was that Begin would be too harsh and unben
ding.
Damned if you do and damned if you don't, Begin must be
saying to himself. But he has been waiting in the Israeli wings
a long time, and in his private moments he must be bemused
and somewhat philosophical about the curious ways of a
democracy.
JACK QKLDBAKT
Arabs at Five Points
Menachem Begin and Jimmy Carter finally got
together and the reports are euphoric about the
way they “got along.”
. Somehow, I never doubted they would
these two men who survived all
odds to lead their countries and
who [Hide themselves on candor
and dedication.
But there is a nagging doubt
whether Carter and the State De
partment yet understand what
Begin is up against. Begin has
agreed to negotiate with the
Arabs in Geneva in October (all
but the PLO, of course). He obviously has nothing
to lose by talking. But the State Department is
still bringing up the old United Nations resolutions
which call for negotiations based on going back to
1967 borders.
Israel cannot live with the 1967 borders. It’s as
simple as that. And to place Begin’s dilemma in
perspective, we need only consider, in analogous
terms, a geography we all know and understand —
Atlanta.
Under the 1967 borders, the Arabs would be only
21 miles from Haifa, Israel’s leading port and
waterway to the world. If we imagine that the
Arabs are at Five Points, this would be the dis
tance to Kennesaw Mountain. Can you imagine liv
ing under this kind of threat? It didn’t take Sher
man long to get to Five Points from there once he
got going, so think of how effective modern ar
tillery would be from that distance. The Arabs
could destroy Israel's major port in a matter of
seconds.
The 1967 border would be even more terrifying
for Tel Aviv, which would then be only 15 miles
from the enemy. With the Arabs at Five Points,
this would mean that Tel Aviv would be no further
than Stone Mountain. How would you like a
neighbor that close who vows to destroy you?
We think nothing of a nice twenty minute drive to
Stone Mountain from downtown on a Sunday
afternoon. You can imagine how close that would
be for rocket launohers and sophisticated tanks.
There is no way for Begin to sleep well at night if
he places his country in such peril.
With Jerusalem the crisis would be even more
immediate. There the Arabs would like to divide
the city and become Israel’s neighbors across a
fence, much as the Russians, British and
Americans did with Berlin. No one would like to
make such a foolish mistake again, least of all
Israel. • i>*
There would also be points along the proposed
new lines at which Israel would have a corridor
only 9 miles wide between the border and the
Mediterranean. This is particularly alarming
when one remembers that the Arabs have vowed
to drive Israel into the sea. This distance means
that with the Arabs at Five Points we would be
with our backs to the water at Sandy Springs. Not
very far for them to come, is it? Think about it
sometime when you are breezing downtown from
Sandy Springs. This is the total distance Israelis
would have to protect them before they would be
getting their feet wet in the Mediterranean.
I think these distances put Menachem Begin’s
problems into clear perspective. If and when he
has to put his foot down at Geneva and say “no” to
a proposal for the 1967 borders, think of how you
would feel having a pizza in Sandy Springs or
climbing Stone Mountain if you knew that the
Arabs were massing tanks at Five Points.
"Erosion" of Jewish family life?
Children from "single" families
are on rise at summer camps
by Boris Smolar
Summer Camp Reflections:
The summer camp season this
year is throwing new light on the
Jewish family. It illustrates the
increasing erosion of Jewish
family life in the United States.
Whereas some five years ago
only about 10 percent of the total
number of children in the Jewish
residential camps came from
“single parent” families, this
summer they constitute, in the
large urban areas, more than 40
percent. Iri day camps this
percentage is even higher. In the
New York area, campers from
"single parent” families
registered in Federation camps
constitute 66 percent as com
pared with about six percent
only 10 years ago.
It is estimated that within the
Jewish community, 10 percent of
all families are single parent
families. Outside of
metropolitan cities, as many as
about 20 percent of the residen
tial campers are from single
parent families, and again, this
percentage is higher in the day
camps.
Not all children come from
homes of divorced parents,
although divorces are constantly
increasing among Jews. Some
are children of separated
parents. In some cases, the
father left the family in search
of a better job in other parts of
the country. In other cases, the
mothers — mostly young and
ambitious for careers,— left the
children to the fathers,
themselves seeking their own in
dependence. In both cases, the
children are the victims; they
have no real home.
The summer camp substitutes
as a home for them during the
weeks they are there. It is in the
camp they feel themselves in a
good atmosphere and equal to
other children. The parents come
from time to time to the camp to
visit them — each of the parents
separately on a pre-arranged
day. However, not all “single
parents” can afford to keep a
child in the camp, especially
when there are two children in
volved. Some must resort to
philanthropic aid.
In the day camps, one can find
this summer many children aged
between three and six. They are
picked up by buses wMehbring
them back home before the end
of the day. Many single parents
are asking this summer to
prolong the hours for their
children in the camp. This is es
pecially the case with working
parents.
It goes without saying that
many children from “single
parent” homes constitute a psy
chological problem for the ad
ministration of the camp.
In an atmosphere where other
campers have normal families,
some “single parent” children
feel worse than orphans. It is
hard to explain to them why
their fathers and mothers,
although alive, do not live
together. Some of them brood
and others find it difficult to
submit to camp discipline.
Jewish educators view with
concern the fact that the propor
tion of children coming to camps
from “single parent” families is
increasing with every year.
Similar concern is also expressed
by Jewish communal
organizations. Hie weakening of
the Jewish family is of par
ticular concern to the issue of
Jewish survival since for Jews
the family has been the main
source of cultural transmission
and continuity.
Camp programs are now being
developed for work with
families. In introducing family
life education programs, the
focus is on improving the quality
of family interaction. However,
these programs are not totally
devoted to family life education
since this would imply a
therapeutic flavor and few
families would voluntarily at
tend such programs.