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: