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Page 4 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE December 5, 1 986 Editorial ‘Remember when...’ Who among us has not at one point or another said, “Remember when...? And the older we get, the more memories we have to share. No wonder, then, that “Remember When...?” is the name chosen for a cooperative effort to reach out to shut-ins and other isolated and lonely elderly Jewish persons. Bringing together resources of Jewish Family Services Inc., the Atlanta Jewish Community Center and Ahavath Achim Synagogue. “Remember When...?” will train volunteers to provide members of our aging community with extra caring and the opportunity for reminiscing about their life experiences. It has long been known that contact with young people has a beneficial effect on the elderly. Perhaps less realized is that this contact is a two-way street. In today's mobile society, when grandparents often live in distant cities, young people may miss out on marvelous reminiscences of a time and a lifestyle they never knew. Though training for the program is not limited to the young, it is available for those 13 and older. Sharing memories encourages intergenerational friend ship. helps older persons to come to terms with aging and to recognize their own self-worth. In the program, emphasis is placed on “venerable” rather than “vulnerable.” Like so many programs w hich can be coordinated by pro fessional staffs but depend on volunteers to really make them work, “Remember When...?” is seeking volunteers now. There's even a training period to help volunteers learn to draw out others' experiences and to make them more comfor table with older people. The training is free for those who agree to v isit someone a minimum of one hour a week for 12 weeks; but for a small charge, others interested may participate. There's another benefit. Besides helping others and enrich ing one’s own life, the program provides a tool to record and preserve the history of our Jew ish community. Harriet Cohen, 873-2277; Dot Cohen, 525-61 58; or Shonni Schwartz, 875-7881, can give more information. It's a mitzva. ‘Curiouser and curiouser’ The still-unfolding story ol who knew what, when they knew it. and what they did about it gets curiouser and curiouser. Now it appears that President Reagan personally sought help from Shimon Peres last year to get hostage William Buckley (who turns out to have been a top CIA agent) freed from his captors. It will take a lot of unraveling before all the ramifications come clear. Still, we're encouraged that the wheels have been set in motion. Vida Goldqar New news is old news 1 justified taking advantage ol the lull holiday weekend and not popping into the office Sunday by promising that at least I would write this column at home. 5 There’s only one problem with that. All of my background ma terial and my “column idea” folders are at the office. Perhaps a logical topic would be Iran, but 99 percent of columnists all over the country have done or are doing that. I don't know that I have anything constructive to add t-o that subject at this stage, though 1 may later. So here I sit. typewriter humming. Sunday's gloomy afternoon last fading to night. To add insult to injury, the toothache that's been plaguing me all weekend is again battling the painkiller, and il the light bulb ol an idea doesn't flash soon, there'll be no “60 Minutes" for me. Aha! An idea. Those of you w ho've v isited me at the office won't be surprised to learn that my office at home is equally well-stocked w ith stacks of newspapers, an overflowing file cabinet and a desk filled with papers. In this case, though, the news papers are back issues of The Southern Israelite. What did 1 write about in this space? Mv column was about the annual Women’s Plea lor Soviet Jewry. This year’s plea takes place the dav this issue goes to press but we'll have a report next week. In 1984. the program called tor direct contact between Atlantans and “adopted” refusnik families. On the day of the event, a mass of pack ages was mailed to the Soviet Union. Honorarv chairperson. First l.adv of Georgia Elizabeth Har ris said. “It is by our actions, it is by our voices, it is by our commitment that we help them to have the faitli. the hope and the courage that one dav free dom will be theirs.” That certainly hasn't changed. And we will con tinue to speak out on behalf of Soviet Jew ry as long as the need exists. It w ould be nice to think that it I made this same kind of comparison two years from now there would be religious freedom in the Soviet Union and those wishing to leave would all have been granted visas. But don't count on it. Moving on. I noted that Congregation Beth I efi 1 lah was being organized and Rabbi Yossi New was named as its spiritual leader. Now. two years later, the congregation not only has a “home” on High Point Road but operates a summer camp as well. The Southern Israelite The Voice of Atlanta s Jewish Community Since 1925 Vida Goldgar Jeff Rubin Editor General Manager Luna Levy Managing Editor Published by Sun Publications, Inc. also publishers of The Kansas City Jewish Chronicle Stan Rose Steve Rose Chairman and President and Publisher Co Publisher Second Class Postage fxiid at Atlanta. Ga tISSN OOiHHi (UPS 776060) POSI MAS I LK: Send addrexx i hanges to The Southern Israelite. P O Box 250287, Atlanta, Georgia 30325 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 250287. Atlanta. Georgia 30325 Location: 300 Atlanta Technology Center, Suite 365, 1575 Northside Dr., N.W., All., Ga. 30318 Phone (404) 355-6139 Advertising rates available upon request. Subscriptions: $23.00 a year. 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 Better Newspaper Contests My brainstorm was to pull one of those at ran dom to see what made news then. I reached into the stack at random and pulled one out. 1 checked the date. It was eerie. This was the Dec. 7. 19X4. issue. The first issue of December that year, just as this is the first issue of December in 19X6. l et's make some comparisons. One front page story told of Jewish groups criticizing a National Park Service decision to use government funds to sponsor a nativ ity creche on public park land in Washington. II that sounds familiar, pull out last week's TSI and reread the current creche story. Also on page I is a photograph of Betty Good- Iriend with a model of the site of the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington. East week we announced the selection of James Ingo Ereed as design architect lor the museum. It's rewarding to sec this project moving along. i — There are four types of men: the neutral, w ho savs, “Mine is mine and yours is yours”; the boor, w ho says, “Mine is yours and \ ours is mine, , the pious, w ho says, “Mine is yours and yours is fours , and the wicked, who says, “Mine is mine and yours is mine. Mishna: Ahot, 5.10. And speaking of worship, our synagogue sche dule of 1984 listed 19 places where Jews could attend services. Now there are 22. The Jewish Family Services Inc. had just opened its doors in the Selig Building next to The J emple. A recent visit to that agency was a real eye opener and proved that they’ve settled in nicely. On an ironic note, the back page of our 1984 issue announced that Bernard Kalb had been named spokesman for the State Department. It hasn't been that long since he resigned in frustra tion alter the administration’s “disinformation campaign against Qadaffi came to light. 1 here was a lot more in the paper, of course, but you get the idea. It will be interesting to check back two years from now and see how this week’s news relates to what’s happening then. Keep readin’.