11 •
Tourism Is Israel's Important Industry
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
JERUSALEM—A new era dawns for Israel's
tourist possibilities. Already, the visitors to this
interesting country are matching the traditional
"seventy nations" in the "ingathering of the exiles."
There is hardly a country on earth that is not rep-
resented by the visitors. From East and West,
North and South, they come here to see how the
Jewish State is progressing, how its people live
here, how they strive and struggle, how they pray
for peace and at the same time prepare to defend
themselves.
The approach of the Tenth Anniversary Year is
bringing new activity to the land. Jerusalem is be-
ing provided with new street lighting to illuminate
the planned celebrations. Much is being renovated
throughout the land and there will be many new
stadiums for public gatherings.
Meyer W. Weisgal is the directing genius of
the planned celebration. He has ideas which are
expected to bring more than 100,000 American
Jews to this country during the anniversary year.
One of Weisgal's hopes is that each synagogue
in America should send a minyan to Israel during
the anniversary year. Another calls for an observ-
ance of Bar Mitzvahs of American boys in Israel—
and if that is too difficult, to make the major gifts
to Bar Mitzvahs trips to Israel.
Meir DeShalit (who is affectionately known here
as "Meme"), of the Prime Minister's Office, who is
Weisgal's chief associate in the Tenth Anniversary
planning organization, told us that Israel will make
every effort to provide all facilities for tourists; to
establish motels and to increase facilities of existing
hotels; to assure schooling for children of visitors
who come here for prolonged stays.
"We are studying tourists' needs, and we hope
to make the visits of American Jews most com-
fortable here," DeShalit said. "We are training a
new corps of waiters, to assure the best restaurant
service. As those who now are visiting with us
know, everything is available here—the best food,
outstanding art objects, hotels that can be compared
with the finest anywhere in the world. We are
anxious for our kinsmen in America to come here,
to share the joy of the Tenth Anniversary Year
with us, to be witnesses to the great achievements
in our land, to the wonders that are being done
with Israel Bond dollars and the income from the
United Jewish Appeal which helps rehabilitate tens
of thousands of our oppressed and dispossessed
fellow-Jews."
Eilat Has Integration Solution
EILAT—This southernmost point of Israel, on
the Gulf of Aqaba, faces the borders of Jordan and
Saudi Arabia and is only three miles from Egypt.
In Jordan, this port area is known as Aqaba. Eilat
retains its name from Biblical times.
Here, as in the rest of Israel, Israelis are
showing a deep interest in what had happened in
Little Rock, Ark., and in the actions of Gov.
Orval E. Faubus. The integration battle in the
South of the USA makes the front pages of all
local newspapers. It is more than a passing in-
terest: it is a sort of amazement at what is oc-
curring in a civilized land, as one man, a third
generation Palestinian Jew, explained it.
"Look around you," he said. "Here you see Jews
from Egypt, Turkey, Abyssinia, Kurdistan, Romania,
Hungary, Morocco, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, the United
States, Canada—I could go on and on to enumerate
scores of countries. There are very light skinned
and very dark skinned among us. No one blinks an
eye at the difference in racial and nationality back-
grounds. My children go to school with youngsters
that are very black. It makes little difference to
any one of them where the other stems from. As
long as they behave, they are together.
"That's how all of us feel about it. If a man is
good, no matter how black his skin, he is welcome
in my home, he is my friend and fellow country-
man, our children fraternize. If he misbehaves, it
is a matter for the police."
At King Solomon's Mines, 'where Israel's copper
industry is being developed, another spokesman,
picking up the integration issue, pointed to the
blackest man in the canteen. He explained that the
man was an Abyssinian, a Falasha Jew, one of the
group of very dark-skinned Jews who were dis-
covered 50 years ago in Abyssinia by the late Dr.
Chaim Faitlovitch, a Jewish scholar who accidently
came across the group of strict Jewish observers
who claimed their origin from the Land of Israel
from the days of King Solomon and the Queen of
Sheba. Now many of them are settling in Israel.
"He is a highly intelligent man and we love to
be with him, to welcome him to our home and to
fraternize with him, but we are not compelled to
kiss him," the Jewish spokesman, who came from
Conservative, Reform Expanding to Israel
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
JERUSALEM—Both the Amer-
ican Jewish Reform and Conser-
vative elements are planning to
establish themselves here.
The Reform synagogue, to be
established in connection with the
proposed archaeological museum
and center, is still in the visionary
stage. The ground reserved for it
near the King David Hotel has
not yet been broken.
Greater progress is in evidence
in the establishment of the Con-
servative (Jewish Theological)
Seminary Center in Jerusalem.
Three buildings are planned, ad-
joining the Hebrew University in
Jerusalem. It is to be a joint proj-
ect of the Jewish Theological
Seminary, the Rabbinical Assem-
bly and the United Synagogue of
America.
The idea is for students for the
Conservative rabbinate to spend
a year in studies at the Hebrew
University. There will be a resi-
dence hall for 100 single students,
with a wing to accommodate 25
married couples. These facilities
will not be limited to Americans:
Israelis also will be welcomed.
There will be a dining hall at
this Seminary Center, a library
and other facilities. The purpose
is to encourage studies in the
areas of Jewish thought and
philosophy.
It will take time for Reform
and Conservative thinking to gain
ground here. But, it is certain to
come—very soon. Many Israelis al-
ready are establishing small min-
yanim where men and women sit
together—as a reaction against
ultra-Orthodox domination. The
American liberalization influence
may take hold sooner than any
one believes.
Friday, October 25, 1 957—THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS-
Purely Commentary: