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The Southern Israelite
The Weekly Newspaper For Southern Je\'" v
Since 1925
Vida Goldgar Luna Levy
Editor and Publisher Associate Editor
Leonard Goldstein
Advertising Director
Eschol A. Harrell
Production Manager
Lutz Baum
Business Manager
Published every Friday by The Southern Israelite, Inc
Second Class Postage paid at Atlanta, Ga (ISSN 00388) (UPS 776060)
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Southern Israelite. P O Box
77J88. 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:
American Jewish Press Assn.: Georgia Press Assn.; National Newspaper Assn.
The
Southern Israelite
A Prize-Winning
Newspaper
A good investment
A lot of people devote considerable time to seeking good
investments. We explore stocks, bonds, funds, real estate—all the
while searching for the best return on our dollar.
T here is one investment that should not be overlooked. That is
the investment in the future of our Jewish community.
Using this theme, the Hebrew Academy will hold its annual
membership telethon Sunday June 1. This investment is not for
short-term gain but provides a life-long dividend through Jewish
education for children.
Since the opening of the Academy as Atlanta’s first Jewish day
school, we have been fortunate to add the Epstein School, Yeshiva
High, and the newest, the Torah Day School. Each has a role in
ensuring that young people of today receive the educational tools
which will enhance their future leadership.
As the Academy prepares for its annual telethon, officials have
one concern. Since the recent announcement of plans to relocate
and enlarge the school, they fear that many long-time supporters
may opt to pass on the membership drive in anticipation of the
sure-to-come building campaign.
The two—and both are important—are separate and must be
kept that way. Funds pledged during the telethon are vital to
ongoing programs of the school and, if the Academy is to continue
to provide the high quality of education expected of it, there can
be no holding back when we are asked to become a “Friend of the
Hebrew Academy.”
Remember, it’s an investment in the future.
Better Newspaper
Contests
Interview with
by M.J. Rosenberg
fditor. Near fa'I Report
Prime Minister Shimon Peres
was asked a tough question by
Israel radio when he sat down for
an Independence Day interview
(May 14). Political correspondent
Oz Frankel asked if Peres didn’t
consider it something of a contra
diction to be celebrating independ
ence on the day he “received a
check for nearly $400 million from
the U.S. ambassador."
Peres said that he didn't see any
conflict. He noted that France and
England both receive assistance
from the United States and yet no
one questions their independence.
“Their dependence on the United
States is 10 times greater. In fact,
the United States protects the con
tinent of Europe not only econom
ically but militarily. Furthermore,
the extent of economic aid is tre
mendous, approximately $130 bil
lion annually.” Peres therefore
concludes that since the aid Israel
receives from the United States “is
much less than that received by
European countries, our depend
ence is less.”
The prime minister added that
he believes that U.S. aid for his
country is a two-way street. Israel
has nowjoined the United States in
the research and development of
the “Star Wars” project and—unlike
other Mediterranean states—is
permitting the United States to sta
tion a Voice of America transmit
ter within its borders. Peres noted.
“I think that the United States con
siders Israel to be one of three of
four countries on which it can rely
..not only because of our military
capability but because we are a
unique combination, a democratic
country with conviction and a
country which can defend itself
with its younger generation.”
On another matter, Peres made
clear his determination that the
current war of words with Syria
not escalate into a new military
conflict. Peres has no illusions about
the Syrians. Unlike the Reagan
administration, Peres does not hes
itate to lay responsibility for ter
rorism (and specifically the at
tempted April 16 airplane bombing)
at Syria’s door. “The very fact that
three Syrian diplomats have been
expelled from London proves that
the British government believes that
there was a link between the Syrian
embassy in London and those who
tried to attack the El A1 plane,” he
says.
He notes that the fact that El A1
was the attempted target does not
relieve others of the responsibility
to respond. “Today an attack on
any plane,..is a strike at the free
dom of international air routes.”
In other words, he would like to see
other Western states take some
action. “The free world is becom
ing more and more aware of Syria's
central role in terrorism. All the
active terrorist organizations —
those of Hawatmeh, Jibril, Habash,
Abu Nidal, Abu Musa—are either
on Syrian territory or under Syrian
control.” He predicts that it will
soon “become clear” that Syria,
“which is crafty and quiet, fulfills a
role in terrorism which comes close
to that filled by Libya.”
Nevertheless, Peres goes out of
Peres
his way to let the Syrians know
that Israel is trying to avoid another
war. He says that Israel has ap
proached Damascus about the
possibility of “dialogue” over the
Golan Heights and Lebanon and
also about “comprehensive nego
tiations.” The Syrian response was
negative but Peres is ready for
negotiations with Syria on any
scale at any time.
He believes that if Damascus
appraised its own situation realis
tically it might decide that a reduc
tion on tensions with Israel would
be to its advantage. After all, Syria
is in terrible economic shape. It has
not succeeded in its attempt to
subdue Lebanon. Both Iranian-
backed Shi’ite and Sunni religious
fundamentalists are giving the
Alawite regime problems. Accord
ingly. President Hafez Assad might
be wise to decide to reach “tactical
arrangements” with Israel. On the
other hand, he could follow the
more predictable route and try war
with Israel instead. Peres is not
optimistic about the choice Assad
will make. But he is not goingto let
any opportunity for dialogue pass.
This double-edged approach
seems to be the hallmark of Peres’
leadership. On the one hand, he
lets the Syrians and the other rejec-
tionists know that he will hold
them responsible for any attacks
on Israelis or Jews, at home or
abroad. On the other, he makes
clear that he is ready for negotia
tions over virtually everything at
any time in any place. It’s a good
formula, one that keeps the ball in
the Arabs’ court. Unfortunately,
no one seems ready to play.
Exchanging Galuts
by Carl Alpert
— HAIFA
A good number of Soviet Jews
want to come to Israel, but cannot.
The Jews of America and the free
West can come—but don’t want
to. What of the close to 120,000
Jews in South Africa who, accord
ing to all reliable reports, are
beginning to pack their bags?
Indeed, thousands have already
departed—for Australia, New Zea
land, Canada, the U.S., with few
going to Israel.
It is no longer a secret that the
matter has been discussed on the
very highest levels of government
in Israel and in the Jewish Agency.
How can South African Jews be
convinced to come to Israel'.’ When
all the speeches had been made,
and all the incumbent “experts”
had voiced their opinions, Israel’s
minister of immigration absorption
departed for an intensive tour of
South Africa.
He spread the word among the
Jews of Johannesburg and Cape
Town and other cities. Come to
Israel! You will be given mortgages
of up to $40,000 on very easy terms
to enable you to acquire your own
home. You will he permitted to
build homes as large as you wish.
Customs regulations will be eased,
and you w ill be permitted to import
your personal belongings almost
without limit.
Upon his return he had nothing
encouraging to report. His offers
had fallen on deaf ears.
Has it not occurred to anyone, in
the government or in the Jewish
Agency, that they have been play
ing the wrong melody? While it is
true that one must be able to live
here in dignity, the fundamental
appeal of Israel for Diaspora Jews
has little to do with economics.
Zionism, in its essence, offers not a
more prosperous life, but a differ
ent kind of life—one composed of
many strands drawn from Jewish
sources, from history, from a
national heritage. Some translate
this into terms of religion, others
into culture, into nationalism or
into a mystical, almost undefinable
sense of personal indentification
with history.
Has anyone tried to talk
seriously to South African Jews in
these terms? The community there
has always been proud of its much-
vaunted Zionist movement, and of
the large sums raised annually for
Israel. It their emphasis was mis
taken, they must share the blame
with the authorities in Israel and in
the Jewish Agency w ho have always
judged the success of Zionism
everywhere in the Diaspora by the
sums of money raised.
The mortgages and the relaxa
tion of bureaucracy are all neces
sary to assure a successful integra
tion. but even the absorption pro
cess is in the long run influenced by
the initial motivation for aliyah.
buch motivation grew spontan
eously among the masses of the
persecuted Jews of Europe, and in
the hearts of the Jewish second-
class citizens of Arab lands—but it
does not come automatically to
Jews of the free and prosperous
West. Nor can it come overnight. It
must be the result ot a long process
of education.
It is not enough just to change
the music. Those who have been
responsible for the encouragement
and promotion of aliyah for the
past dozens of years simply don’t
know the right tunes. Perhaps it is
time to change the whole orchestra.
A vain hope! Those who have
tailed dismally are unwilling to
admit that their program is a
shambles. Enormous sums of money
are being spent annually on an
outmoded and inadequate promo
tion campaign which completely
fails to take into consideration the
conditions under which it oper
ates. A big business would call for
a market survey. Has anyone
thought of making a scientific study
of those who do come to Israel,
and then pursuing the program
along the lines indicated'.’
Year follows year, and Jews b>
the tens and hundreds of thou
sands move around in the Dias
pora, exchanging one galut (Rus
sia, South Africa) tor another. Arm
Tadmor, director of Telem, an
aliyah movement \vith spirit and
Continued next page.
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