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PAGE 14 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE July 25, 1986
AMERICAN
• H O T. E L
For personalized assistance call:
DORIS J. PERMAN
Catering Director
688-8600
Fine Kosher Catering Bar Mitzvah
Conventions ■ Bat Mitzvah
Special Events Wedding / Receptions
Theme Parties
Dr. Marvin C. Goldstein, President
SPRING STREET AT INTERNATIONAL
ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30303
the
Golde i\Budd ha
restaurant
Nail Wizard
New Location
Toco Hills Center, By Blimpies
634-NAIL
Manicures • Pedicures • Sculptured Nails
Adventure story
A volunteer for Israel
Grand
Opening
Nail Wizard Salon
Grand Opening Special:
Sculptured nails, 1 set $ 30 00
633-5252
An exciting experience in au
thentic Mandarin and Szechuen
cuisine. The menu is a pleasing
combination of modest prices
and more than 100 exotic
entrees and dinner combina
tions.
Hours
Mon. - Thim.. 11:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Fri. - Sat. ........ 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Sun. 12 noon - 10 pan.
Open 7 Days
Fleet
cars
and
trucks
MR 2
Leasing all
makes and
models
TRADITION
You Can Count On It!
We Welcome All Organizations,
Meetings and Luncheons.
REDUCED PARKING AVAILABLE.
time—a time they made us mint tea
and shared homemade treats with
us. It was a time for socializing, a
time to learn about the Americans
and their home-life and to gain
some understanding of us.
At first, most soldiers could not
speak English and we spoke almost
no Hebrew, so the common lan
guage was a sign language of sorts
with a little Yiddish. In a short
time it reversed itself. We were
speaking Hebrew and they were
learning English. To be a part of
this scene was pure pleasure.
Many would ask why we would
leave our comfortable homes and
families to serve in the Israeli army,
especially living in such conditions.
How could we make them under
stand that this was the least we
could do for these struggling peo
ple so long oppressed! How could
we explain how we empathize with
these young people who when
reaching the age of 18 years must
serve in the army (two years for
girls and three years for boys).
Those who wish to further their
education and postpone army ser
vice until their education is com
plete must serve an extra year.
Then, too, there is the reservist
time. Each year the soldier returns
for a month of duty, unless there is
a crisis when service can be for two
or three months. To leave their
families, businesses, jobs for all this
time each year creates untold stress
not only on the economy but on
the families. We, the volunteers in
the army, helped to reduce this time
by our mere presence and eager
ness to help.
Businessmen become mechanics
overnight; secretaries can be found
testing electrical equipment; doc
tors and professionals of all kinds
may be found painting tanks and
trucks and others serve in many
areas demonstrating talents they
had never previously discovered.
No goldbricks or griping in this
army!
No training program is needed.
Just the enthusiasm and willing
ness to learn.
The warmth and generosity of
the soldiers and civilians more than
made up for the discomfort of
sleeping on army cots, eating the
same army food for a month and
such other facilities uncommon to
our daily American life.
One day a week was set aside as
tour day. The bus would come, the
oranges and lunch packed and off
we would go for an exciting and
interesting sightseeing tour. This
was seeing Israel as no tourist
could envision. We came to a greater
understanding of the country, the
people and philosophy while work
ing and living with them at base
and in private homes. We spent a
weekend at a kibbutz picking
oranges and as guests of the kib-
butzniks; families hosted us on
Shabhat in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv
and we were hosted at a moshay
on another Shabhat. Wherever we
went with our little Volunteer patches
be it the cities, the countryside or
Continued next page.
Danny Tourial
Danny inuites you to see
and drive the all-new
1986 Toyotas.
Harriet Meltzer in uniform.
in excellent health. Participants
perform non-combatant, behind-
the-scenes work for the Israeli army;
pay reduced air fares; are provided
housing and meals and a look at a
'way of life very different from their
own. All this while they observe
the lifestyle and arrive at some
understanding of what the Israeli
people are about.
During my first volunteer stint
at an amphibian tank corps base,
the electrical equipment was tested,
cleaned, packed and inspected. The
group consisted of some 47 volun
teers representing various states
and ranging in age from 18 to 68.
In 1984 at a medical supply unit 1
came to appreciate the “M. A.S. H.”
television series, as we inspected
the kits (medical duffle bags), re
placed missing supplies and sized
rubber boots, gloves and masks,
and enjoyed the interaction with
the soldiers (ranging in age from 18
to 45).
At first the soldiers were some
what skeptical and one could almost
read the expressions on their faces
(What is she doing here? 1 thought 1
left my mother and grandmother
at home but it seems they sent
replacements). Yet, in no time this
all changed as we became the mishu-
gana gals and guys—volunteers
working so hard. In fact, the soldi
ers came from all corners of the
base to see what these volunteers
were doing.
It took a while to realize that the
volunteers were depriving the sold
iers of their usual break times
because of our very nature: wor
kaholic attitudes and the desire to
be productive. Each day about 10
a.m. and 3 p.m. the soldiers would
encourage us to “relax, take it easy
and don’t work so hard.” In turn
we would tell them we did not
come to Israel to relax but to work,
work, work. This interaction was
almost like a cartoon at first. It
took us about a week to under
stand this was their tea break
1905 Clairmont Road
(1 2 black south of :•
North Druid Hills Road)
Willett Toyota
2650 N. Decatur Rd.
Decatur, GA 30033
299-0551
by Harriet K. Meltzer, VFI
I began the first part of my
Israeli adventure as a tourist in
1979 but it could not compare to
the more exciting times of 1983
and 1984 when I served as a Volun
teer For Israel (VFI) in the Israel
Defense Forces (IDF) program.
As a child I was not a strong
Zionist but became a member of
Hadassah and B’nai B’rith in my
late teens and became a life member
of Hadassah and have felt that
Israel needs our support in every
way possible. All my adult life I
have enjoyed volunteering, whether
at a home for battered and abused
children, the Cancer Society or the
synagogue.
After reading a blurb in a local
newspaper while living in Boca
Raton, Fla., 1 contacted the VFI
office and shortly thereafter an
interview took place. I can recall
being forewarned about
the primitive conditions on base,
lack of the usual comforts, work
hours, heat, etc. Indeed, a really
extreme picture was painted but I
was undaunted and determined to
make my mark on this little Jewish
nation.
Since making this decision and
now ranking myself as a “reservist”
in the Israeli army, I have served
for one month at a time, two con
secutive years and am looking for
ward to my return hoping to take
along a contingent from Atlanta.
The New York-based organization
provides this opportunity to Jews
and non-Jews from around the
world who meet the criteria of age
and health. Volunteers must be
between the ages of 18 and 65 and