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Mews Briefs
Israeli cost-of-living shoots up
TEL AVIV (JTA)—The cost-of-living index in Israel rose by
27.5 percent in July, breaking all previous monthly records, the
Central Bureau of Statistics reported, attributing the massive
increase to price hikes stemming from decreases or cancellation of
government subsidies and currency devaluation.
The subsidy cuts and devaluation took place July 1.
The bureau said the large price increases stemmed from higher
costs of all consumer items apart from those of fruits and vegeta
bles, which experienced seasonal reductions. Food went up in July
by 39 percent, household outlays by 34 percent, and transport and
communications fees by about 36 percent.
B’nai B’rith elects Brazilian
BUENOS AIRES (JTA)—Business executive Bruno Levi of
Sao Paulo, Brazil, has been elected chairman of the Latin Ameri
can section of the International Council of B’nai B’rith. He succeeds
Dr. Isaac Frenkel, an attorney from Santiago, Chile. Levi, who
was born in Trieste, Italy, in 1924, has lived in Brazil since 1939. A
member of B’nai B’rith since 1968, Levi is president of B’nai B’rith
District 25 (Brazil), president of the Regional Council of Sao Paulo
and vice president of B’nai B’rith’s Regional Council.
Israel strikes unique medal
NEW YORK (JTA)—A new medal from Israel, designed by
Yaacov Agam, an innovative Israeli-born artist, features a central
holographic glass disk, which bears the inscription: “And there was
light,” in English on one side and Hebrew on the other. This medal,
commissioned by the Israel Government Coins and Medals Corpo
ration, appears to be the first use of holography on a government
issued coin or medal.
When held to the light, the holographic disk reveals a three-
dimensional Star of David, which symbolizes “the Jewish people’s
unique role in the world—to raise sparks and make them holy—to
bring the light out from its hidden place,” according to Agam.
Inner Cabinetpro-Lavie fighter
TEL AVIV (JTA)—The Inner Cabinet recently voted in favor
of continuing development work on the Lavie fighter plane and its
subsequent production. The 10-man Cabinet voted 8-2, with
Finance Minister Yitzhak Modai and Minister-Without-Portfolio
Ezer Weizman voting against.
Modai was reported to have demanded that the development
costs for the plane should be borne by the U.S. He proposed that
the Cabinet set up a special committee composed of members
representing the Finance and Defense Ministries, to look into the
costs.
Egypt lifts tourism restrictions
TEL AVIV (JTA)—Egyptian Tourism Minister Wajih Mo-
hamed Shindi, who arrived in Israel recently for a three-day visit,
told a press conference in Jerusalem that he had assured Prime
Minister Shimon Peres during a meeting that Egypt had cancelled
all restrictions on Egyptian tourists coming to Israel, now that the
Israel Defense Force has left Lebanon.
50-shekel note to honor author
JERUSALEM (JTA)—Nobel Laureate author Shmuel Yosef
(“Shai”) Agnon will be featured on the new 50-shekel note soon to
be released.
The new note will be the highest denomination in Israel’s new
currency—at least for the rest of 1985. There are reportedly plans
to introduce a new 100-shekel note during 1986.
A specimen of the new note exhibited by the Bank of Israel
showed Agnon in a large black skullcap reading, and surrounded
by books. The author was an observant man, and many of his
literary works were suffused with religious themes.
The present 10,000 shekel note portraying Golda Meir will be
reissued, in almost the same form—with only the three zeros
missing: it will be the new 10-shekel note.
The present 100-shekel note, showing Revisionist leader Zeev
Jabotinsky, will be dropped.
TEP leader lauds ‘bridge builders’
Editor:
As national executive director of
Tau Epsilon Pi Fraternity, I have
learned that fraternities are a micro
cosm of our society, and with the
good must come the bad. Above
all, the job calls for a constant
monitoring of violations of local,
state and university laws.
Like most fraternities, TEP con
stitutionally prohibits hazing of
any kind. These practices at our
two Georgia chapters (Emory and
UGA) have been modified every
year and are today negligible.
Perhaps the biggest problem I
find myself facing is monitoring
drug and alcohol abuse. Alcohol
abuse has yet to be reckoned with
by college youngsters, who view it
as a temporary four-year insanity
that will disappear with the passage
of time. Nothing could be further
from the truth, and at college social
events, including fraternity parties,
fully 50 percent of those who attend
are legally drunk. Drug and alcohol
related deaths are the No. 1 cause
of death!
Because they are illegal, “hard”
drugs are most difficult to monitor.
The fact that they are illegal makes
for secretive possession and con-
sumption. H allucinogenics,
“Whip-its” (laughing gas), LSD,
“Angel Dust,” and “Ecstasy”
(recently outlawed) are common
on most campuses. At many
schools, we have seen an alarming
increase and use of cocaine. Once a
college student becomes addicted
to its use, this expensive drug
becomes financially obtainable only
by dealing or selling. In a fraternity
house, where there is a plethora of
potential users, the method of intro
duction is the same as it is on the
streets: free samples and peer pressure.
Perhaps the greatest toll is exact
ed upon the majority of the chapter,
the non-users. Sworn to the concept
of brotherhood, they maintain a
conspiracy of silence. They either
leave the fraternity or allow the
“abusers” to flourish while they
pursue their education, allowing a
once-strong chapter to become
weak and ineffectual.
It is for this reason that 1 write
this letter to mention a brave group
of young men from our Nu chapter
at the University of Georgia. Nu
chapter was founded 61 years ago
at Athens, and our alumni list
reads like a who’s who among the
prominent civic and social leaders
both locally and nationally. In com
munities such as Atlanta, Savannah,
Augusta, Macon, Columbus and
many cities in between, TEP men
are responsible and caring citizens.
The list is endless, including the
founder of our National Scholar
ship Foundation, the late Isadore
Heiman, a well-known Atlanta
businessman and philanthropist.
The recent drug use and excessive
vandalism at UGA has become a
scandal and is certainly not confined
to TEP. What does mark our fratern
ity chapter as unique are the men,
19 and 21 years old, who have
stood up and said, “Enough is
enough!” With the help of the
university, law enforcement
agencies, and their adviser, Larry
Baumwald, these students have ap
proached their alumni and the
national offices in an effort to rid
their chapter of this cancer. Their
efforts have been worthwhile. I am
proud to say that TEP at UGA will
be clean of drug use and vandalism
this fall. Alumni have supervised
this operation and plans are under
way to provide a fraternity experi
ence in an atmosphere supportive
of a college education.
A reorganization plan such as
this requires a great deal of effort
on the part of these young men,
and a goodly number have volun
teered to serve and support this
program. Others of our undergradu
ates have decided not to take part
and have resigned.
There should be no indictment
of those who have made that deci
sion. It is made of their own free
will and will be respected by all.
There is, however, a special com
mendation for those who have chos
en to stay. To the many alumni,
parents and friends of the TEP
fraternity: What has happened at
the University of Georgia is no
cause for shame. Rather, it is reason
to rejoice and take pride in how
one national fraternity, at one
school in the nation, had the cour
age to solve a problem with the
support of students, parents, alumni
and university administrators.
The constant vigil to protect
young men all over the country
who are members of this fraternity
goes on, and the story and courage
of Nu chapter will be repeated at
other schools soon enough (if it has
not been already). To parents, we
pledge vigilance; to alumni, we
promise to preserve the noble legacy
that you have left behind.
Since 1923, William Allen Drom-
goole’s poem “The Bridge Builder”
has been part of our fraternal educa
tion. It is the allegory of an old
man going along a highway who
stops to build a bridge over a
chasm deep and wide. When ques
tioned why he would spend the
time and effort when it was doubtful
that he would ever use the bridge
again, he replied:
“This chasm has been naught to me
To that fair-haired youth may a
pitfall be;
He, too, must cross in the twilight
dim-
Good friend, I am building this
bridge for him.”
To all of you who have stood by,
thank you, “Bridge Builders.”
Michael /vers
JFS responsive to the elderly
Editor:
Faye Landey’s letter in The South
ern Israelite of Aug. 2 raised numer
ous concerns about the current and
future needs of the elderly Jewish
population in Atlanta. These are
significant concerns—housing, nu
trition. companionship, financial,
health care —we share your
questions. On the other hand, Jew
ish Family Services Inc. is respond
ing to many of the needs of our
elderly population and developing
new programs to meet others needs.
As an agency philosophy we involve
the elderly in defining needs and in
determining the nature of the ser
vices offered.
Jewish Family Services Inc. offers
concrete services such as home de
livered Kosher Meals-on-Wheels,
Dial-A -Ride-Transportation
(DART), outreach to Jewish resi
dents in non-Jewish nursing homes
information and reterral, discus
sion groups at the Jewish Tower
and the Jewish Community Center
and Family Life Education pro
grams.
Other services include clinical,
mental health and supportive ser-
ices at the Jewish Tower and at the
Jewish Family Services office; out
reach services are also provided by
us in the community. We provide
psychiatric consultation and medi
cation, when appropriate, and ser
vices to the homebound and iso
lated.
We offer services to families of
aging parents in Metro Atlanta
and also consultation and appro
priate reterrals to families of aging
parents living in other parts of
Georgia and in other states. The
volunteer program at Jewish Fam
ily Services is comprised of friend
ly visitors, Meal-on-Wheels and
DART drivers, DART dispatchers,
para-professionals and profession
als, as well as Teens In Motion
which includes all ages of young
people in relationships with the
Jewish elderly.
We are now studying the effi
ciency of our services in the com
munity. How many more individ
uals and families should and could
be reached with more funding
and/or more services?
From the Atlanta Jewish Feder
ation population study and otljer
materials we are trying to deter
mine what services will be needed
in the future and what the charac
teristics of the population group
might be.
We appreciate the questions you
raised about the Jewish elderly.
Like you, we would like more
questions answered so that strate
gies can be developed and imple
mented, to more effectively and
efficiently respond to the growing
needs of the Jewish elderly in Atlan
ta.
Harriet L. Cohen, ACSW
Supervisor, Aged Department
Jewish Family Services. Inc.
Give Blood.
Give Ufe.
Vfcll Help Will \bu?
PAGE 5 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE August 30, 1985