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k •T3 > c rr .fa. H 1 PI C/1 O e H a pi * 2 33 jo > pi H Pi 2 te vC 30 O' 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. ff »