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Page 14 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE December 12, 1986
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Program helps young Jews explore heritage
by Richard Bono
1SI Mall witter
When the Jewish pioneers
came to Palestine, facing, liter
ally, the task of“building” a Jew
ish homeland, they often sang
“Livnot U’Lehibanot,” which
means “To Build and to be Built.”
Today, the words are used to
designate an unusual work-study
program where college-age A-
merican youth help rebuild the
old city of Tsfat while being
“built” with a deeper understand
ing of their Jewishness.
Livnot U’Lehibanot is a three-
month, work-study program in
the old city of Tsfat. It was
founded by American-born Aharon
Botzer, who has designed the
program primarily for those
young Jewish Americans, who
grew up with a modicum of Jew
ish education, but who are lar-
gely unaffiliated with traditional
Jewish life.
Livnot U’Lehibanot is for those
young Jews who would like to
be, but are not. active members
of their local Jewish communi
ties, volunteering their talents
and energies to furthering Jew ish
aspirations and ideals. The pro
gram exists for those people who
long tp understand the Jewish
traditions taught them in their
childhood, but who have ques
tions.
“One thing that is lacking in
American society is a sense of
responsibility for something out
side of one’s ow n self,” according
to Botzer. “That is something
very basic to Judaism: a feeling,
an obligation to the Jewish peo
ple. Not only Jewish people, but
to the person next to you, the less
fortunate.”
For three months, Livnot
U’Lehibanot participants, who
range in age from 20 to 30 years
old, help rebuild the old city of
Tsfat in a strenuous, hands-on
program that takes place primar
ily in the mornings. Their after
noons are spent in classrooms
learning ancient and modern
Jewish history, customs and tra
ditions. It is during these rigor
ous and regimented 12-13 hour
days that these young Jewish
Americans begin to explore their
inner feelings as they discuss and
share their ideas on the larger
questions of Jewish life.
“Most participants are college
graduates,” said Botzer. “They
have serious questions. They ask
about their relationship to the
universe, about the role religion
plays and about war. They are
looking for something in life that
has meaning to them. There are
plenty of Yeshivot and there are
plenty of secular places for them
to go, but there is nothing like
us."
Botzer began attracting cur
ious English-speaking youth
w hen Livnot U’Lehibanot started
four years ago. About 20 people
fill each of the four three-month
sessions. He gears the program
to people from non-religious or
slightly religious backgrounds:
people who desire more Jewish
ness in their lives, but who’ve
found no resource for it.
Classroom education and dis
cussions are an integral part of
Livnot U’Lehibanot, but it is the
hands-on physical work rebuild
ing portions of the old city that
generates feelings of accomplish
ment and satisfies students’ de
sires to be part of Jewish life.
In an interview with The
Southern Israelite, program di
rector Botzer eagerly showed off
a portfolio containing pictures of
completed Livnot U’Lehibanot
projects.
The social welfare department
of Tsfat is tapped into Livnot
U’Lehibanot, which provides a
myriad of services to the depart
ment, including painting apart
ments and insulating them in
preparation for the winter.
Other projects include the lay
ing of a new floor in a Tsfat old
city house, reconstructing Tsfat’s
Hassidic Chabad House and
building a new children’s play
ground for the area’s recent influx
of Ethiopian immigrants.
In addition, they volunteer
some time to the geriatric ward
of the local hospital.
“T he work that we do is work
that they all see the results of in
the three months they are there,”
said Botzer. “That is the criterion
we use lor doing work. You don’t
feel like a migrant worker.”
Hard physical work, the inten
sive learning environment and
the closeness of living three
months with small peer groups
makes for an atmosphere ripe for
developing friendships. While
the program is intense, partici
pants nonetheless conduct them
selves in a free and easy manner,
according to Botzer.
“Girls wear shorts. Guys do
not wear kipot,” he said. “They
be themselves, but they work
hard and learn about Judaism.”
Botzer, who holds a bachelor
of science degree in education
from Ohio University, has struc
tured the educational component
of Livnot U’Lehibanot to pro
vide a fundamental knowledge of
the Jewish experience. The classes,
Botzer says, are conducted in an
“open, questioning” environment
and include such subjects as
Modern Jewish History, Zion
ism, Great Minds and Ages.
Prayer, Jewish Law, Concepts
JERUSALEM (JTA)—Interior
Minister Yitzhak Peretz, who
must comply with a Supreme
Court ruling to issue a Jewish
identification card to a woman
converted by a Reform rabbi, or
resign, has said that he would
appeal the high court’s decision
in the case.
A three-justice panel, headed
by Supreme Court President Meir
Shamgar, ruled unanimously last
I uesday that the Interior Minis
try may not inscribe the word
“converted” on the ID card of a
convert to Judaism. It acted in
the case of Shoshana Miller, who
was converted to J udaism in 1982
by Rabbi David Klein, a Reform
rabbi in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Miller immigrated to Israel in
1985, claiming the automatic
citizenship granted every Jew.
and Ethics of the Fathers.
There is also a course called
Jewish Calendar, which serves as
an introduction to the annual
cycle, including the holidays,
their customs and their signifi
cance to modern Jews.
Botzer was in Atlanta recently
both to visit his relatives, Jack
and Ben Hirsch, and to encour
age Atlantans to contribute to
Livnot U’Lehibanot. Through
current and future donations
from the Jewish community here,
Botzer is in the process of buying
a building adjacent to some
property Livnot U’Lehibanot
currently owns.
Once purchased and refur
bished by students in the pro
gram, the new building, which
w'ill be called “Atlanta House,”
will become the dormitory for
Livnot-U’Lehibanot. Current liv
ing conditions are cramped and
Peretz, who heads the Orthodox
Shas Party, said in an interview'
that he would seek a rehearing of
the case before a panel of five
justices. The Supreme Court
usually agrees to a rehearing on
issues considered to be of major
public interest. Peretz said this
issue has “major ramifications.”
He himself has come under
attack from other Orthodox
rabbis for granting Miller Jewish
status on her ID card, even with
the qualification “converted.”
Justice Menahem Eylon, a member
ol the panel, stated in an adden
dum to its decision that the quali
fying “converted” was contrary
tohalacha. Many Orthodox rabbis
agree with him on that point but
refuse to countenance Jewish
status for a person converted by
a non-Orthodox rabbi.
Peretz blasted the American
Reform rabbi who converted
uncomlortable with students
often assigned to living quarters
with four or five to a room.
Livnot U’Lehibanot maintains
a kosher kitchen. Cooking, clean
ing and general upkeep at Tsfat is
the total responsibility of the
students, with tasks on a rotating
schedule.
Assimilation and mixed mar
riages are thought by some to be
the beginning of the downfall of
Jewish life. It is a notion that
concerns Botzer.
“In another 20 years, who is
going to be reading The South
ern Israelite?” he asked. “It won’t
be mixed couples. Mixed couples
are reading it now'. But their
children will not read The South
ern Israelite. I think it should all
be a concern for the Jewish peo
ple. The question is what to do
about it.”
Clearly, Botzer considers Liv
not U’Lehibanot to be at least
part of the answer.
“People come to us from mostly
non-affiliated backgrounds,” he
said. “They come to Israel because
they arc Jewish and want to
experience their homeland. They
wonder ‘what is this 4,000 years
of heritage I’ve had stuffed dow n
my throat since I was 10 years
old?”’
“Livnot U’Lehibanot is not
meant to make them religious,
but meant to make them con
front what it means to be Jew
ish,” Botzer added.
Miller for “misleading” her. “I
believe she came with a pure
heart and a willing soul to link
her life to that of the Jewish peo
ple” but “Reform rabbis plunged
her into difficulties by converting
her un-halachically,” Peretz said.
“They would have done her a
kindness had they directed her to
go to a Rabbinical Court.”
As a result of being “led astray,”
and given the publicity surround
ing the case. Miller will never be
able to marry in Israel or in an
Orthodox synagogue abroad,
Peretz said. He said that he would
argue at a rehearing that allow
ing non-halachic converts to reg
ister as Jews in Israel would
amend the standing law on mar
riage and divorce which gives
Orthodox rabbinical courts ex
clusive jurisdiction.
Use of ‘convert’ to be appealed
by David Landau
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