Friday, November 1, 1957—THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS-2
20 —
Purely Commentary:
By Philip Slomovitz
which was published in Israel in 1953 and was com-
pletely sold out in a very short time.
"We look forward to another book by Bernard
Isaacs," one literary critic here said, and he pre-
dicted another sell-out for any book of short stories
by the Detroit scholar. "He is a great story-teller,
and it would be a pity if he did not collect all his
works and produce them for us again," the critic
said. "Israelis love short stories, and Mr. Isaacs can
produce just what we need here."
Stamps Gain Recognition
JERUSALEM—Under the direction of Moshe
Cohen, the Israel Ministry of Posts has established
a special philately department and its influence al-
ready is felt throughout the world.
Every congress of philatelists in the past five
years, and every philatelic exhibition, in all parts
of the globe except in Arabic countries, has had
Israeli representation.
The reason for the Israeli philatelic interest is
two-fold: the uniqueness of the designs of the new
state's stamps, and the emphasis they place on
Biblical history and historic Jewish traditions.
The first Israeli stamps depicted ancient Jewish
coins, dating from the Jewish wars of independence
against Rome in 67-70 and 132-135 C.E. A later series
featured birds on air mail stamps, reproducing the
symbols that decorated synagoguges and tombs 2,000
years ago.
A defense series also is included among the new
Israeli stamps and among the most attractive stamps
are those issued on the occasion of the Jewish High
Holy Days.
The Tribal Set, Youth Aliyah issues and the
Landscape Series are attractive collectors' items.
There are Technion, Magen David Adorn and
Memorial Stamps in the available series, and the
collective popularity of the attractive designs attest
to the vision of the philately department.
Aids in Water Research
REHOVOT—At the fabulous Weizmann Institute
of Science, the foundation for which was laid by Dr.
Chaim Weizmann, the first President of Israel, seri-
ous studies are now being made to ascertain the
movement of underground waters and the age of
subterranean reservoirs.
Water is one of the most important elements in
the life of Israel. It was the shortage of water sup-
plies that caused serious delays in the country's up-
building. The problem gradually is being solved, and
the Weizmann Institute, located in an area of gar-
dens that is conceded to be the most beautiful in all
of Israel, plays a major role in the water research
efforts.
With the aid of a grant from the Ford Founda-
tion, the very rare isotope of hydrogen with radio-
active properties, known as Tritium, is used in this
study into Israel's water resources. The research is
done in the Department of Isotope Research by
skilled scientists. The Weizmann Institute scientists
explain that Tritium is continuously formed in the
atmosphere by the action of cosmic rays and is
swept down by rain. Since Tritium decays relatively
fast, fresh rain water contains a much higher con-
centration of this isotope than water stored under-
ground for many years. The scientists point out that
by measuring the Tritium content it is possible to
determine quite accurately the age of such water
Israel — a Land of Miracles and
Firsts: Even the initial rainfall of
the year provides a sense of accom-
plishment.
resources and whether they are being renewed by
rainwater or have been sealed off as a static
"pocket."
Location of sealed-off water resources is ex-
pected to provide additional water supplies for the
vast reclamation activities planned in the Hills of
Jerusalem and in other parts of Israel where new
settlers from Eastern Europe and Moslem countries
are being settled at the rate of 10,000 a month.
The Weizmann Institute, where research is be-
ing conducted in agricultural chemistry, bacteri-
ology and synthetic and pharmaceutical chemistry,
has had the interest of Detroit Jews for nearly 15
years. During a visit in Detroit by the late Dr. Weiz-
mann, before the re-establishment of the Jewish
State, the first Detroit Committee for the Weiz-
mann Institute was formed under the chairmanship
of Nate S. Shapiro. Leonard N. Simons and Law-
rence Michelson played important roles in behalf
of the Institute.
Meyer W. Weisgal, the chairman of the Weiz-
mann Institute's executive council, under whose
leadership the scientific center has grown to great
proportions so that it now compares equally with
the institutes for advanced sciences at Princeton
University and Carnegie Institute, said that several
scientists from Michigan already have participated
in the research efforts here and that others are ex-
pected to join in the Weizmann Institute's efforts
which are aimed to benefit not Israel alone but the
entire Middle East.
Detroiters as Settlers
EIN DOR—If it is true that Detroit has led the
way in fund-raising in behalf of Israel, it is equally
true that young Detroit Jews are among the largest
contingencies of American youths in this country.
You'll find Detroiters in the border settlement of
Sasa (Israel Stashefsky; Eli Segal and his mother,
Elsa Segal, who for several years made chocolates
in Detroit).
They are in Urim, and Mishman Halmek, and
Gesher Haziv, and Ein Hashofet and many more
centers.
The most interesting group is in Ein Dor, in
the Galil. Here you meet Max and Shoshanah (Ma-
ry) Harris, Sarah (Levin) and Ben Kutnick, Hillel
Grossman, Abba Salter, Miriam (Levin) and David
Niemoff, Zvi Fenstenstein and Niemoff's parents,
Mr. and Mrs. Max Niemoff.
The Max Niemoffs joined their children here
about eight years ago and the elder Niemoff has at-
tracted interest in wide Israeli circles with his hobby:
the training of canaries.
Invariably, when you ask a Detroiter in an Israel
Kibutz (collective colony) what is "the best product
in the farming settlement," the answer is: "our
children." Then he talks about the crops and the
chickens. Two of the Detroit couples at Ein Dor al-
ready have four children each.
Supermarket Experiment
HERZLIAH—From this model city, located 12
miles from Tel Aviv, has emanated a controversy
that has created one of the most exciting economic
disputes in Israel.
In the section known as "Shikum Olei America"
—the residential section of settlers from America,
there are three families of Detroiters—those of Her-
bert Hordes, Alan Feinberg and David Crohn. Crohn
is manager of the Tel Aviv Mortgage Bank. A Uni-
yersity of Michigan graduate, who has earned decora-