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PAGE 2 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE May 2, 1986
The Atlanta Area Now Has
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SIX BOOKS FOR THE PRICE OF FIVE
WITH THIS COUPON
325-4501
1658 La Vista Rd., (Briar Vista Center)
Coupon expires Aug. 20. 1986
Books must be same average price
OVERWEIGHT m S£ K
BOYS & GIRLS 7-16
ADULT PROGRAM
• WARM. FRIENDLY. FAMILY RUN SINCE 1968
• SUPERB WEIGHT LOSSES • EXCITING ACTIVITIES
• FEATURED TODAY" & "60 MINUTES" TV SHOWS
PERFORMING ARTS
Dane*, thaatra, drama, music
CRAFTS
Caramica, silk acraaning. sawing
NUTRITION
Oiat Ed. cooking claasas. waigh-in
SPORTS
Tannis, haatad pool, softball,
hockay, Soccar. baskatball.
voiiayball
HI TECH
Computers, vidao gamas, go-carts
TRIPS
NYC. Washington. Toronto. Boston
Woodworking, arts and crafts
EXERCISE
Aerobics, body building,
ellmnastlcs
EVENING ACTIVITIES
Socials, vidao. disco, antartalnmant
MORE FUN Horsaback. riftary. archary. ovarnight tant camping, fishing
CAMP SHANE
THE ETTtNlEtG FAMILY
FERNDALE, NY 12734 RD1, BOX 48W
SEND FOR BROCHURE
914-292-4644
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FAILURE HURTS
Your child is struggling through this school year, barely grasping new
ideas, and losing self-confidence with every poor grade.
If school work was difficult this year, how will your child cope
with our state’s new 70-point passing grade requirement?
Your child can do better in school by attending the Huntington
Learning Center. Individualization is the key: teaching vital basic skills
in reading, vocabulary, math and other areas that your child needs now
to succeed in all the years to come. While building basic skills, we also
strengthen our students’ self-confidence and motivation to learn.
Complete educational evaluation
Individualized instruction in basic skills
All state-certified teachers
No contract requirements
Convenient after-school and summer hours
Recommendations from over 95% of parents of Huntington Learning
Center students confirm our approach works!
Sandy Springs
at Perimeter
851-9700
THE HUNTINGTON LEARNING CENTER"
1986, Huntington Learning Centers, Inc
You are cordially invited to
The Temple and Sisterhood
Officer and Board
Installation
Shabbat
Friday, May 9
8:15 p.m.
The service will be dedicated to the loving memory of
Judith Lee Kirschner.
In observance of Yom Hatzmaut, Israel Independence Day,
the guest speaker will be the Consul General of Israel,
Issachar Katzir.
Hie Temple
1589 Peachtree Street
873-1731
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Fear of flying takes its toll
on Israeli tourism dollars
by Edwin Black
—Jerusalem
Terrorism is finally winning in
its battle against Israel’s tourism,
and industry sources pinpoint
American Jews as leading the wave
of cancellations.
Tourism is arguably Israel's
leading industry, yielding more
than a billion dollars in needed
foreign currency and providing
jobs to 24,000 Israeli families.
Terrorists, of course, know the
economic and moral importance
of Israeli tourism. Hence, air mas
sacres and hijackings carry a spe
cial efficacy—a strike against both
the Israeli economy and its acces
sibility to the world. So threaten
ing is this tactic that on his recent
trip to America, Prime Minister
Shimon Peres made a public appeal
on television for Americans to
stand firm in their travel plans.
But in the face of the Libyan
crisis, the traveling public melted.
The Easter and Passover tourism
decline hit Israel very hard. Sitting
at the telex machine of the Jerusa
lem Hilton one can just watch the
business evaporating. “Montreal
group failed to materialize, please
cancel.” “Unable to complete plans
for Los Angeles group tour, regret
cancellation.” One hotel staffer
remarked, “We’re almost afraid to
turn on the telex machine. All it
tells us is cancellations.”
While the cancellations are com-
BATHROOMS
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Complete bathroom
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Plumbing repairs
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Shower pans
replaced
MAKING DREAMS COME TRUE
(404)971-8162
MARK BRESSLER LYNN BRESSLER
MASTER PLUMBER JOURNEYMAN PLUMBEK
DESICiNER/BUILDER DESIGN SPECIALIST
ing from around the world, Israeli
tourism sources observe that Euro
pean cancellations are in the mi
nority: “They live with terrorism
on their continent day in and day
out.” Likewise, Christian pilgrims
from both America and Europe
are holding fast in their travel
plans.
European budget travelers and
Christian pilgrims customarily pa
tronize three-star establishments.
And indeed, three-stars report that
while their waiting lists are gone,
they are still operating near
capacity.
It’s the four-and-five-stars such
as the Hilton and Sheraton which
employ the most people, that have
suffered. That’s because they de
pend upon an American Jewish cli
entele, mostly groups. And the
American Jewish community is lead
ing all other market segments in aban
doning travel to Israel. The man
ager of one major hotel declared.
“In February 1985, this hotel had
1,899 Americans. This February
we had 447. That’s a 76 percent
drop.”
So severe is the cancellation cri
sis that the King David Hotel re
corded only half its customary oc
cupancy rate in February. In March,
other five-stars expected a 70 and
80 percent occupancy, but were
compelled to limp along with 40
and 50 percent rates. “We’re just
watching the headlines,” said Sam
Witkin, sales manager of the Je
rusalem Hilton. “Groups are can
celing and rebooking and then
canceling again. We don’t know
from day to day.”
The night before Pesach, man
agement sources at the Tel Aviv
Sheraton reported, “Normally at
this time our hotel is more than 100
percent occupied—that is, we have
a waiting list. Now, it’s down to 69
percent.” The Tel Aviv Hilton and
Jerusalem Plaza suffered similar
losses. The assistant manager of
one Jerusalem five-star confessed:
“For the Passover dinner itself—
usually totally sold with Ameri
cans—we have only 45 percent.
But most of that group is Israelis.
It you count the foreigners, it
might be down to 10 or 20 percent.
These losses do more than hit
big hotel corporations and na
tional currency reserves. They af
fect individual Israelis in a deeply
personal way. Most Israeli hotel
employees are paid a mere token
wage and derive the bulk of their
salary from a share of the 15 per
cent service charge assessed every
guest. When hotel rooms are va
cant paychecks go down. A Tel
Aviv front office manager admit
ted that she would bring home a
paycheck only half as good as last
Pesach.
Thus far, most hotels have res
isted any thoughts of layoffs, ac
cording to Gideon Efrati, front
office manager at Sheraton’s Jer
usalem Plaza.
Abraham Kotzer of Israel’s
Ministry of Tourism declares that
American Jews are “playing into
the hands of terrorists by not com
ing to Israel. Instead of Americans
beseiging Fibya, Fibya has be-
seiged the Americans.” Ironical
ly, adds Sam Witkin of the Jerusa
lem Hilton, “while the newspapers
give the impression that Israel is
like Beirut, the reality is that the
country is tranquil and perfectly
safe.” And of course anyone who
has been in Israel during the
Fibyan crisis knows that the coun
try is perfectly at ease.
Indeed, you can still walk
through Jerusalem’s Independence
Park at midnight. You can still laze
on a Tel Aviv beach sipping a glass
of freshly squeezed orange juice.
Israel is more beautiful than ever,
more equipped for tourism than
ever. And no one is there to see it.
But abandoning Israel during
this crisis is more thanjust a missed
sunset. It’s a direct reflection on
American Jewish commitment to
Israel. If American Jewry accepts
the notion that Israel is still strug
gling to survive, and if American
Jewry wants to be part of that
struggle, it shouldn’t fight by hid
ing in its house and tearing up
flight coupons.
Israel was created by transporta
tion. People hugged the rusted bel
lies of leaky cargo ships after the
Holocaust just to get in. Until just
a few years ago, tourists were rid
ing buses in Tel Aviv still equipped
with racks for bullet-proof steel
window guards.
American Jewry must ask itself
if Muammar Qaddafi is determin
ing its travel plans, or is it their
continuity to the Jewish State. It
can’t be both ways. This is the one
time the injunction “Next year in
Jerusalem” is a cop out.
1986 The Feature Group Inc
Give Your Heart To Mama!
Or a coffee mug. Or a stuffed fuzzy bear.
Or whatever your mother would like.
But, be a good child and have Balloons
Over Atlanta attach a beautiful, colorful
balloon arrangement to your gift. UPS
shipments available. All major credit
cards accepted. Call Balloons Over
Atlanta today - 231-3090 - for the
details. And don’t be late. Mother’s Day
is May 11.
ATLANTA
3101 Peachtree Road
231-3090
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