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PACK 4 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE May 9, 1986
Vida Goldgar
The Southern Israelite
The Weekly Newspoper Fo Southern Jev v ~
Since 1925
More than a history lesson
Vida Goldgar
Editor and Publisher
Leonard Goldstein
Advertising Director
Luna Levy
Associate Editor
Eschol A. Harrell
Production Manager
Lutz Baum
Business Manager
Published every Friday by The Southern Israelite, Inc
Second Class Postage paid at Atlanta, Ca (ISSN 003881 (UPS 776060;
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Southern Israelite. P O Box
77388. Atlanta. GA 30357
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 77388, Atlanta, Georgia 30357
Location: 188 15th St., N W , Atl., Ga. 30318 Phone (404)876-8248
Advertising rates available upon request.
Subscriptions: $23.00, 1 year; $41.00, 2 years
Member of Jewish Telegraphic Agency; Religious News Service,
Amencan Jewish Press Assn., Georgia Press Assn.; National Newspaper Assn
Shame on NBC
We find ourselves in the unusual position of siding with the
administration in criticism of a news organization.
Even before Washington’s rebuke to NBC News for agreeing
to keep secret the whereabouts of arch-terrorist Abu Abbas in
exchange for an interview, we thought it was an abominable
decision.
Recognizing that there are many times when pursuit of a story
might necessitate protection of a source, we do not believe this is
acceptable in the case of Abbas, who is accused of being behind
the Achille Lauro hijacking in which Leon Klinghoffer was mur
dered, among many other terrorist attacks. The frustration and
anger we all felt when the Italian government released Abbas
shortly after the hijacking, allowing him to flee to Yugoslavia,and
w ho knows w here from there, is brought back and reinforced by
N BC’s action. Not only did the network give this fugitive a forum
for his threats, but pledged not to disclose where the interview
took place.
No doubt Abbas has moved on again anyhow, but we still
think NBC’s deal has a strong odor.
Days in May
These weeks in mid-May evoke feelings ot both sadness and
celebration.
We turn from Yom Hashoa, commemorating the Holocaust
victims, and Yom Hazikaron, memorializing Israel’s fallen sold
iers. to celebration of Yom Ha’atzmaut, the 3&th anniversary of
Israel's independence, which falls next Wednesday.
In Atlanta, there is an exciting full day of events planned for
Sunday. May 18, at the Atlanta Jewish Community Center to
mark Independence Day. “Passport to Israel’’ will, quite literally,
offer something for everyone, from art exhibits to Israeli food and
family projects to the annual “Walk for Israel.”
Mark it on you calendars.
Regrettably, a conflict kept me from attending the
Interfaith Seder last week but reading Sherry Frank’s
report in last week’s TS1 brought to mind a small
dinner party I attended recently at
the home of a friend. If that wasn't
an interfaith evening. 1 don’t know
what is. The six of us included a
Catholic, an Episcopalian, a
Southern Baptist, two Moslems
and me.
The religious mixture wasn't
planned. It happened when a friend
had visitors from Turkey and in
vited a few close friends in to meet them. I accepted the
invitation with some trepidation even though I'm usu
ally game for the unusual. Em not certain what 1
expected but the stunning blonde stylishly dressed
woman corporate executive was not it. I had espe-
ciallv worn my Mogen David so there’d be no mistake
and took an early opportunity to introduce “Jewish”
into the conversation, w aiting for some sort of stiffen
ing in her attitude.
So much for preconceived notions. What I got
instead was a variation—though obviously sincere —
of "some of my best friends....’’
Then 1 was told that “in Turkey we are Sunni
Moslems. Those Shiites are crazy.” I was also given a
lesson in modern Turkish history from 1923 onward
and I realized how abysmally ignorant I was of that
country. I hadn't known that Turkey was the first
Moslem state in the world that separated the powers
of church and state (mosque and state. I would
imagine); or, that under the first president of the
Republic of Turkey. Mustafa Kemai (Ataturk), the
country cast aside the harem, the veil and the fez and
■jHnntpH WfPctPrni7pH
I aware that Turkey and Israel enjoy good commercial
relations. “I’m so anxious to visit Israel,” said my new
acquaintance, and since the company she works for
does a lot of business with Israel, she probably will.
She travels just about everywhere else, including
Iran. There, she carefully followed the custom of
wearing headcovering and a drab heavy coat until, in
the airport on her way out, she read a magazine story
which called Ataturk a heretic and said the current
president of Turkey should have his hand chopped off
for removing the headcoverings of a child in a rural
village and saying, “This beautiful child’s brain must
not be clouded by a veil.”
That did it! Thoroughly angered, my new acquain
tance pulled the scarf off her own head and took off
the coat that concealed her short sleeved blouse. It’s
probably a good thing her plane left shortly or she
may very well have found herself in jail.
Admittedly, this young woman (in her early 30s) is
from a city in western Turkey and her almost unac
cented English was the result not only of attending
excellent schools but also receiving part of her educa
tion in the United States. Whether the views she
expressed extend throughout the country or not, 1
don’t know, but she knew a lot about her city’s syn
agogues and Jewish customs and life in the home of
her “best friend.”
Now I know we have many Atlantans who came
here from Turkey and they may have very difficult
memories of their home country. Remember. 1 was
hearing all this from a woman born in the ’50s but the
knowledge and descriptions of things Jewish didn’t
come from books.
I think I got more than a history lesson that even
ing. It was another reminder to keep an open mind.
Milk and honey
by Stanley M. Lefco
J hey call it Chalav. an acronym
for Chug Ee Hashka’ah B - Yisrael,
which translates from Hebrew as
the Club for Investment in Israel.
Chalav. coincidentally, also means
milk.
This investment club is the pro
duct of a local stockbroker, Doug
Ross, who accepted the challenge
of Consul General lssachar Katzir.
He encouraged Jews to become
involved in Israel by investing in
the country’s burgeoning industries.
Israel, Katzir asserted, was fight
ing its second war ot indepen
dence: the taming of the economy.
A transplanted Bostonian, who
graduated from the University of
North Carolina in 1978, Ross did
his homework. B’nai BYith had
been sponsoring such clubs, and he
obtained information from it as
well as contacting a host of other
organizations. He wrote letters to
Israel and even made a trip to New
York to meet with brokers at Leumi
Secuiities. When he returned, he
was ready to begin forming an
investment club for Israeli stock.
He contacted friends and ac
quaintances and in a short time
had signed up 23 interested members.
Under investment club rules, the
maximum the club could have is
25. Soon the group began research
ing Israeli companies, but realized
that the task of deciding where to
invest might exceed the collective
abilities and analysis of the group.
Since the group originally planned
to meet monthly, making quick
decisions would also pose a prob
lem. As it turned out, some of the
reports of the companies were in
Hebrew, presenting yet another
problem.
The club decided to focus on hi-
tech companies that are actively
exporting their wares. For one
thing such companies are less
likely to be dependent on the unpre
dictable and volatile Israeli econ
omy. For another they were pro-
v iding goods in a growing market.
Many of these companies are in
volved in the health, aerospace,
computer and defense areas. A
number are outgrow ths of the mil
itary industry. For example, one
company, Elbit, developed the
technology for destroying the sur-
face-to-air missile sites in L ebanon.
That capability appeals to a world
market.
About 25 to 30 of the companies
sell on the over-the-counter mar
ket, but the club has decided that it
will also buy and sell directly on
the Tel Aviv Exchange. To com
pensate for its lack of expertise, the
club made contact w ith a broker at
L.eumi Securities in New York,
who handles the accounts of a
number ofinvestment clubsaround
the country.
During 1979-80, Ross lived on
Na’an Kibbutz, outside of Reho-
vot. While on the kibbutz he w orked
in the kitchen, which served its
1,200 members. He also worked in
the factory, which assembled
sprinklers. Ross developed a strong
love and commitment for Israel
and is trying to master the lan
guage by studying Hebrew daily.
He’s serving as the club’s first
president along with Mike Jacob
son, treasurer, and Kenny Berk,
secretary. He sees the club as a first
step to becoming a liaison between
Georgia and Israel. Although he
views this as an exciting wav to
learn about and support Israel,
Ross is not shy to admit that he
hopes to see the club make money
and, in turn, reap a profit for its
members.
He expects to see more clubs
form soon in the Atlanta area.
Maybe the second, suggests Ross,
would be known as D’vash. Hebrew
for honey.
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