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>>■!» < THK SOUTH URN ISRAKI.ITK Augii.l \, l»7 <t
The Seatheri Israelite
The HnUt
Vida Goldgar
Invitation from Meshulam
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GEEST EDITORIAL
An alarming trend
The ,ncre.as:x£ manifestation of anu-Semitisin a Soviet tvooks
is>c other txexia is ax alarming trend Tne Soviet L max. u mk
i.. » rx x.ore Jew* to emigrate ib ax obvious attempt to piacate
tbe L xr.ed Stales and receive roost-fa' ored-nanon trade benefits,
is a: :be same time increasing its attacks ox .lews Official}'
sponsored anx-Sermtisix. which has beet ix evidence since :he
Six-Day Akar. appears to be growing Sometimes, but doi
a»eu. :: is thinh disguised as anti-Zionism
This trend was recenih condemned b> Rep Dante Fascell i D .
Fia • and Sex Claiborne Pell ( D.. R.I.L tbe chairmen of tbe I S
Commission of Secum> and Cooperation in Europe, which
monitors compliance with tbe Hefsmki Agreements They called
the increasing anti-Semitism in tbe l SSR “alarming” and a
”o irujeni campaign “
Tbe axis-Semitic campaign has taken all types of forms, m
books, television. newspaper and magazine articles and e'en
paintings One recently published book charged that there are
harmful Jewish influences within tbe Pohtburo itself
Probably the most reprehensible pan of tbe anti-Semitic
campaign is tbe linking of Zionism and J urlatsin with fascism and
tbe Nazis This is especially repulsive from a country thai has
sough! to obi it crate tbe murder of millions of Russian Jews by tbe
Nazis, and tbe country that signed a pad with Hitler which
opened tbe way for tbe destruction of Polish Jewry as well as all
European Jewry
Tbe anti-Semitic campaign which began after tbe Six-Day War
led to tbe beginning of tbe emigration movement, as many Jews
saw they do longer had a home m tbe USSR Tbe increase of anti-
Semmsm will only increase tbe number of Jews who want to leas e
They must base our continued support in this effort, and that is
why there can be no weakening of the Jackson-Nanik
Amendment which conditions MFN for the USSR on
emigration
At the same time, tbe Jew s who are left in tbe Soviet Union must
have then rights protected, too — ngbts to tbe free expression of
their cultural and religious heritage, but also tbe ngbt to be free
from government-sponsored attacks in the media The United
Stales and other W estern go'ernments must take every possible
step to see that they receive these rights.
Kansas Cu i Jewish Chromcie
Joseph Mi-i Hu tin- nsu to make friends—not for
( for ha borne town. He is a self-appointed
goodwill ambassador between the Israeli community
of Ychild and Atlanta's Jewish
cxrmm unci
Meshulam didn't have anything
to do with establishing the
relationship between Atlanta and
Yehud Thai was done by
officialdom Y ehud is the Israeli
e-omiDuiun chosen as the recipient
of Atlanta's contributions to
Proiecs Renewal In a senes of
articles in The Sou: here Israelite
last month. Mike Getunger wrote about Yehud and its
people, including Joseph Meshulam
Protect Renewal is intended to improse the quality
of lift m Israel Meshulam is all for that He has spent
the las: ] 5 years of ha life trying to improse tbe quality
o: hie for his townspeople It is just that his methods
are different Meshulam is principal of the high school
m Yehud a school that is so good it draws students
from wealthy families in Tei Aviv He is an educator
widen respected throughout Israel Education and
communication are ins tools
Perhaps that is why Meshulam is not satisfied that
Atlanta's relationship with Yehud should stop at
dollars Hr came 10 Atlanta this week as a step toward
developing rea. friendship and understanding
between the people of tbe two communities
EYunng a conservation n my office. Meshulam
was eager to talk about his ideas He brushed aside my
questions about his highb touted educational system
Not that he isn't proud of his accomplishments (he
oversees 2.000 students and 230 teachers), but be had
something else on ha mind bow to make Atlanta
Jews feci that they have a personal relationship with
the peopie of Yehud
‘» t worry about tbe connection between Jews in
Israd and other parts of the world.” be said
‘ Unfortunately. most connections are between
federation officials and tbe Israel government and
not between Jews here and Jews there ”
Meshulam dreams of a very personal relationship
He wants Atlanta Jews planning 'tsits to Israd to
know that in one spot there are people w ho feel very
special about Atlanta—who will open their homes
and hearts to them.
Looking forward to the time when Israel a
independent economically, Meshulam worries that
tbe Jews of the two countries will have little
communication
With sadness in his voice, be said, “I would like to
know, if we have peaceful times, will tbe Jews in the
United States still feel Israel belongs to them 1 "
I’ve wondered the same thing myself For 31 years
of Statehood, and even before that, we could salve our
consciences and feel “more Jewish" by writing a
check We’ve been proud of Israel's military victories
and industrial growth But do we really feel a kinship
with the people 1
Israelis are proud and independent They have to
be to survive They also need our help, hut they want
to give something in return That is why the people of
Yehud are so anxious to establish personal ties with
tbe people of Atlanta
Meshulam wants esery Atlanta Jew who visits
Israel to come to Yehud He wants to meet their plane
(Yehud is not far from Ben Gunon Airport) and have
them spend time in the city, slaying with Yehud
families, making friends, learning about his
community The ma\or and citizens back his plan
'l want you to know there is a home in Yehud.
many homes." Meshulam said, “where esery person
or family from Atlanta can visit or send a son or
daughter "He welcomes students to spend a month or
a year going to his school He would like to arrange an
exchange program where youngsters from Yehud
might live with an Atlanta family for a time
Meshulam is a one-man chamber of commerce
w hen it comes to civic pnde He talked of tbe beauty of
Yehud. tbe successful integration of many types of
people, the fact that it is the only small city to have a
soccer team in tbe national league, the projected
growth from about 12.500 people to 17-or 18,000 in
five years.
But mostly he talked of friendship I liked his
ideas. In coming months, you will be reading more
about Yehud From tune to time. The Southern
Israelite will carry letters and opinions from the
people there as a first step toward “getting to know
you “ The letter below, received by Claire Gettinger
after her visit to Yehud, is a start.
Jonathan writes from Yehud
Dear Mrs Gettinger
1 was very surprised and happy
to recent your letter and I enjoyed
reading it I asked my mother to
write this letter for me since it is
hard for me to write a long kettei in
English and Hebrew would be
hard for you to read I will tel! you
about inyseil as you asked me to
On June 25. 1 had ms !2th
bsnbday — next year 1 will be Bar
Mitzva 1 play basketball and next
year I hope to play on a league
team for youth. 1 started learning
how to play tbe trombone a few
months ago and I like n sery much.
1 can already play simple songs like
Jingle Bells
1 have twin brothers named
Joshua and David They are 17
and going into their Last sear of
high school. Joshua plays the
trumpet and David, the French
horn When 1 learn to play better,
we w ;!1 make a tno and play music
together
Mv brother Joshua also plavs
tennis for sport, just like your son.
and David plavs basketball and
raises pa-asects for a hobhv
\k e also have canaries, a hairless
dog named Snoopy and goldfish
Snoops is a Mexican hairless dog.
and be only nas hair on his head
and the tip of hts tail Fvervone
thinks that we shave him
I belong to the Scouts 1 like it
very much Ik e go on trips and
hikes and I will go on a Scout tnp
this month for four da vs \k e sleep
m tents, cook outdoors and base
sports and games and contests
My parents and my little brother
Gideon , w ho is fne years old I are
coming to the I S (this summer)
for one month to sisit all our
family and fnends there (in New
York and Connecticut). I was born
in Connecticut and only my little
brother was horn in Israel I came
here with my family when I was
only three years old
My parents are both English
teachers here in Israel 1 was
interested to read that you were
teaching poor children in Georgia
Please write to me and tell me all
about your trips and what you did
with them In Israel we also have
many children who come from
poor homes with sery btg families
and thev need a lot of help too
I am beginning seventh grade in
September and will have many
subjects to study including
Hebrew. English. Geography.
Historv. Arabic. Art. Science.
Mathematics, and others 1 am
doing a summer protect on my
own. abvvul the moon and its path
around the earth and the sun
1 am sending a picture of myself
and my brothers in our
Sukka two years ago My mother
and lather send their best regards
and wish you a good summer
vacation Hoping to hear from
you soon Sincerely yours.
Shalom
J. mat hart Sthtrskt