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El Al offers train tours TEL AVIV (JTA)—Israel Railways, in cooperation with El Al Israel Airlines, has developed a new tourist service. Special reduced rate tickets which may only be purchased outside of Israel through El Al or a local travel agent, make it possible to view a new landscape of the country. A ticket priced at $3.00 will be good for any one round trip on the railway system. $12.00 will provide one month of unlimited travel. One can board the train, get off at an intermediate stop, tour the area and then take the next convenient train to the final destination. Special arrangements can be made to stop at unscheduled stations if travellers let the railways know in advance! British Jews help Vietnamese LONDON (JTA)—Britain's Jewish community will play its part in welcoming and helping to absorb the 10,000 Vietnamese refugees whom the government has said that it will allow into this country, Chief Rabbi Immanuel Jakobovits said at a press conference. He recalled that he himself had come to this country as a refugee from Nazi Germany. He arrived at age 16, speaking no English. Now he is in a “privileged position” and wants to do whatever is possible to help today’s refugees, he said. Generals differ; so what’s new? TEL AVIV (JTA)—Gen. Kamal Hassan Ali, the Defense Minister of Egypt, said Monday that “as a military man" he was not impressed by the security value of Israeli settlements on the West Bank. He made that remark at an impromptu press conference following a helicopter tour of the region. If his host, Defense Minister Ezer Weizman was embarrassed, he rose to the occasion by observing that history is filled with generals who differ in their views and conceptions of how to solve specific problems. Passion Play revisions help NEW YORK (JTA)—An official of the Anti-Defamation | League of B’nai B’rith has expressed gratification that revisions have significantly reduced the anti-Semitic potential from the 1980 Passion Play in Oberammergau, West Germany. Nat Kameny, chairman of the ADL’s national program committee, praised Oberammergau officials and villagers “for their willingness to listen to Jewish criticisms of the traditional pageant to make changes in accordance with the spirit, principles and guidelines of Vatican II.” More Americans visit Israel NEW YORK—Nearly 30,000 Americans visited Israel in June 1979, a four percent increase over the same month in 1978. In the first six months of 1979, 136,227 Americans visited the country. Commenting on the increase in light of the economic situation in the 11.S. and the general slackening in overseas travel, Israel Zuriel, Israel's commissioner of tourism to the United States, pointed out that Israel’s excellent value for the U.S. dollar, as well as the low cost of hotels, sightseeing, meals and extras in comparison with most other overseas destinations, had contributed to the continuing development of American tourism to the country. Beg in’s health improving JERUSALEM (JTA)—Premier Menachem Begin’s condition continues to improve and he may be discharged from Hadassah Hospital at the end of this week, a medical bulletin said Tuesday. Dr. Silvan Lavie, head of the medical team that has been treating Begin for a minor stroke he suffered two weeks ago, said a series of tests made Monday showed “significant progress" toward improving his eyesight Begin’s vision was impaired by a small clot lodged in a blood vessel supplying his brain. Begin conferred at length with Deputy Premier Yigael Yadin in his hospital room. The Premier's press advisor, Shlomo Nakdimon, said he was looking well and was walking in his room. He has begun reading former President Richard Nixon’s auto biography, an indication that his vision has improved, Nakdimon noted. Nevertheless, Begin will need a period of rest at home before returning to work, his doctors said. letters to the editor Letter campaign for Soviet Jews Editor: How wonderful that Russia has been opening the gates wider and letting more Jews emigrate but how sad for the thousands of refuseniks still in the USSR, many imprisoned, who are continually denied exit visas. In the joy of discovering that our phone calls, letters, and marches have been heeded by the Russians who are affected by public opinion (especially before the Moscow Olympic Games), we, as concerned American Jews, have lost some of our real for action. For our brethren still in the Soviet Union, it is time for us to renew our endeavors. What will happen after the Olympic Games? Or when the SALT talks have been wrapped up? One Russian official, Konstantin Zotov, threatens that “After the Olympic Games, we will bring things to ahead. Some of your people will be allowed to leave and some of you will go a damn sight farther Eastwards.” Unmistakeably, the threat was to Siberia. Anatoly Sharansky is in dire need of medical attention; Vladimir Slepak serving five years in internal exile has been hospitalized for pneumonia, and Ida Nudel, in similar exile, interviewed by the BBC said, “I so want to believe that some time I will rise up the board of an El Al aircraft and my suffering and tears will remain in my memory only and my heart will be full of triumph and victory. And G-d grant, it will happen soon!” So while we are joyful at the increase of Soviet emigrants, we must not forget the prisoners and so many other Jews losing their jobs, being denied visas, bravely putting themselves and their families in critical positions with the government all because they wish to live in the country of their choice. We must continue to write letters to our congressmen; the leaders of the Soviet Union (first commending them on their recent increase of Jewish emigration and then urging them to continue all humanitarian efforts); as well as refuseniks who need our encouragement. A Malava Malka “Evening of Letter Writing" will be held on Saturday night, Aug. 18 at 10 p.m. at 1403 Stephens Drive (near Briarcliff and LaVista). Please come, bring extra stationery, and show you care. Ruby Grossblatl Beth Jacob Committee for Soviet Jewry TSI photo stirs warm memories Editor: With pleasure and warmth of remembrance, I read the short article under the picture of Cantor Baruch Grabowski, Cantor/ Rabbi of Nuremberg, Germany (The Southern Israelite, July 13). In July of 1975 Marilyn Ginsberg and 1 were on a Eurail tour of Europe. Friday night of July 11 was Marilyn’s father’s yurtzeit, and we wanted to visit a synagogue. We found one in the telephone book and called to find out the time of the service and to see if we were welcome. The synagogue is part of an old age home. When we arrived we found that two seats had been saved for us on the second row. The sanctuary was very small and filled with elderly, and a few young couples with children, who participated in the service. The service was conducted in Hebrew. After the service we were introduced around, and I remember meeting one couple who, with their blond, blue eyed children, had just converted to Judaism. Cantor Grabowski explained that there were quite a few conversions mainly because of the guilt feelings stemming from the Holocaust. After the service we enjoyed a nice long visit with the cantor in his study. He and his wife and children are from Argentina and are in Europe because of Mrs. Grabowski’s operatic career. When they got to Nuremberg, the synagogue persuaded them to stay and, although he is not an ordained rabbi, he agreed to accept the job. He explained to us that most of the German Jews who survived World War II, who could, have emigrated, and those who are left are the elderly. Also many of the Jewish people in Germany are from the Iron Curtain countries. He felt that the feelings between the Christians and Jews are strained, and he was looking forward to leaving Germany. After our nice visit he walked with us through part of the city, and shared with us his favorite site, the Kaiserberg Castle, all lit up and quite a beautiful sight at night. Nuremberg, a most interesting city and once the seat of Nazism, looks centuries old. One has to keep reminding oneself that the city was bombed heavily during the war. When the Germans rebuilt the city they must have sprayed Objection Editor: Recently my wife decided to sign up for a photography class at the Atlanta Jewish Community Center. However, she quickly realized the first class would have to be missed because of a very basic conflict. The class began on August 2, which happened to be the Ninth of Av on the Jewish calendar, the day of mourning for Jerusalem. She called to inquire as to the possibility of delaying the class one week (and was told) that it was AJCC policy not to close or to diminish programming on the Ninth of Av. The Ninth of Av is a very important day in the Jewish calendar. Of all the fast days, only 1,000 years of dirt on the outside walls. Cantor Grabowski reflected that you have to be wary of people who rebuild exactly the way it was before it was destroyed, especially using the same bricks. During a morning city tour we were atop the city at the Kaiserberg Castle when I asked our guide where the Nuremberg trials were held. She pointed out towards the whole city and said, “There.” Susan K. Barnard to policy Yom Kippur and the Ninth of Av should be observed by pregnant or nursing women and those not gravely ill. It is such an important day that all activities that would distract one's attention from mourning the loss of Jerusalem are forbidden. Among these activities are pleasurable activity such as photography. Even the study of Torah is very limited. Other Center policies are equally disrespectful to the history of the Jewish people. With such policies, it is very difficult for Jewishly concerned members of the Center to support or in some cases to participate in Center activities. Bob and Trudy Fergusson State solons petition for Nudel SAN FRANCISCO (JTA) A petition urging the release of Prisoner of Conscience Ida Nudel, a leading human rights activist in the Soviet Union, was signed by over 120 state legislators who were attending the National Association of State Legislators Conference here last week. The legislators petitioned the Soviet government to “please release Ida Nudel and allow her to emigrate to Israel." Their petition will be delivered to Soviet Embassy officials in Washington. P»ge 5 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE August 3, 1979