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i Israeli-born pilot leads the way
Eastern soars to Israel’s aid
by Tracey Kidaw
Born in 1937, near the lake of
Galilee, Ifal Fink (icventeenth
generation Israeli) is the
personification of rugged
individualism, and perseverance.
Having arrived in the U.S. in
1961, Fink has been a pilot for
Eastern Airlines for twelve years,
soon to become captain. Now an
American citizen, his home is
Miami.
In 1966, he received his B.S. in
biochemistry and human
engineering. He was hired by the
airline after an Eastern recruiter
fountf him on the University of
Minnesota campus. Having served
in the 1936 Sinai campaign as a
paratrooper, and ultimately as a
fighter pitot, Fink possessed
experience, and personal
qualifications which Eastern has,
from the beginning, appreciated.
The pilot’s involvement, and
Eastern’s, in events during the
Yom Kippur War are illuminating
and intriguing enough to warrant
his extraordinary popularity as a
public speaker, sought after by
organizations, and groups
throughout the country.
For a corporation that at one
time projected an anti-Semitic
image. Eastern airlines has since
eradicated this perception through
its behind the scene, unpublicized,
yet munificent cooperation during
the most recent October War. Fink
who, from the beginning,
experienced friendly and cordial
relations with employees and
employers alike, has taken the
initiative to relate the story
involving himself, Eastern and the
Yom Kippur War.
Following the outbreak of
hostilities in 1973, Fink’s request
for a leave of absence from Eastern
eras granted. However, as be was
soon to learn, those in the upper
echelon of the Israeli Military had
“other plans” for him.
At 2 o’clock one morning, Fink
received a telephone call from an
Israeli general, then in charge of
acquisition of materials. The
general proceeded to inform Fink
that Israel was in desperate need of
five freight planes, capable of
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Ifal Fink
transporting medical supplies
from U.S. military bases to various
undisclosed destinations in Europe
for several days, non-stop. Fink’s
dubious reaction to the unlikely
request was manifested by his
hanging up the receiver.
Thirty seconds later the phone
rang once again, only to have the
military attache inform Fink that
the request from the general was in
earnest and urgent. Reasoned Fink
“If the man phones me at 2 o’clock
in the morning with such a request,
the least I can do is try.”
At 8 o’clock the next morning,
the pilot phoned one of Eastern’s
vice-presidents, .Paul Saunders,
who was then responsilbe for
overseeing Eastern’s Military
Conicagqp Division (the company
flew American soldier* all over the
world.) Saunders, sensing
something serious was up, offered
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to have Fink meet him at his office.
Once there, Fink told him of his
“night-caller” and the latter’s
request, to whch Saunders
unhesitatingly replied “Let’s call
the State Department.” Four
hours of telephone calls ensued
and finally Saunders and Fink
learned of the State Department’s
policy: so long as civilian aircraft
were not flown into combat areas,
there presented no problem. This
was encouraging, as the planes
were to fly solely to Europe. Next,
the two men contacted the
Pentagon to ascertain its position;
three hours later, they received the
‘o.k.’
While Eastern does not, nor did
it at the time, possess freighters, it
nevertheless—through tireless
efforts—succeeded in obtaining
three such aircraft elsewhere.
And so, at 4 o’clock that same
Sunday afternoon in October,
1973, Fink contacted the military
attache and said: “I have some bad
news—I couldn’t obtain five
planes; I have three DC8s, where
do you want them?" The man
replied that he was in no mood for
jokes. Once convinced that Fink,
through the officers of Eastern,
had veritably obtained the planes,
he burst into tears with “This is the
first good news I’ve had in the last
36 hours."
This had occurred on Sunday,
with the official American airlift
not to begin until the following
Wednesday.
The three DC8s, manned by
Eastern crews, flew non-stop, day
and night—for three days—from
U.S. military bases to Portugal
and West Berlin.
It is to be noted that the rental of
a DC8, per diem, is $250,000
bringing the cost of the three
planes—each day—to three-
quarters of a million dollars. To
Fink’s knowledge, no money ever
changed hands. Eastern neither
requested nor received any
material compensation, all the
while donating its crews, time and
equipment.
Eaktern has never sought to
publicize and/or capitalize on its
involvement during the war,
although such would have been
feasible. Rather, Fink has elected
to disseminate this story, on his
own. And, from the interest and
enthusiasm jhat is generated
wherever he speaks, it would seem
that Fink is not alone in viewing
this account as significant, and
worthy of attention.
This story, a dramatic example
of Eastern’s efforts to assist Israel
is, however, not the only act of
concern the airline has exhibited.
When Fink was in Israel, on a leave
of absence from the company,
during the Six Day War, the airline
placed a guard in his home, here in
the U.S. (unbeknownst to him at
the time) for the protection of his
wife, Carol and their children.
Additionally, a chauffeur and a
limousine, courtesy of the airline,
were placed at Carol’s disposal.
The motivation behind Fink’s
explication of Eastern’s efforts is
his belief that Jews throughout the
country perceive reciprocation as
being fundamentally necessary. As
Fink’s father (living in Israel) has
said: “American Jews will want to
know of this story.” He was right,
and Ifal Fink is to be admired for
pursuing the path of informing us.
' Jewish Her.Id-Voice
Taratoot attends
solicitor seminar
Louis Taratoot of Atlanta, a ‘
member of the United Jewish
Appeal’s executive committee, was
one of 12 “special students” who
attended a concentrated two-day
advanced solicitor seminar
conducted by UJA at the Harvard
School of Business in Cambridge,
Mass.
Under the supervision of
Professor Benson Shapiro of
Harvard, the “students” were
trained to refine, sharpen and
expand their existing skills in the
area of major gift solicitation.
The primary focus of the
program was to train the
participants to pinpoint and
appreciate the many different
motivations of the major
contributors they solicit in the
course of UJA/Federation annual
campaigns.
Following lectures and
discussions, the seminar students
were able to observe themselves
At studious attention, Louis J.
Taratoot learns new techniques in
major gift solicitation.
practicing and demonstrating their
new skills by using video tape
facilities. One participant
described the entire experience as
“a real eye-opener."
Taratoot was the Atlanta Jewish
Welfare Federation’s'1977-general
campaign co-chairman.
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