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Page 14 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE December 12, 1986 * 4 - ■' 'X "•*. m W>U7>^I|W, . • 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. 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