THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS — Friday, August 1, 1958- 12

Literacy Problems Arise in Israel

By ELIAHU SALPETER

grants there are 20.4 per- between men and women: Only
cent total illiterates (plus 1 22.2 percent of male Oriental
JERUSALEM — Figures on percent readers only).
immigrants are totally illiter-
literacy among the adult Jew-
It is interesting to compare ate, while 52 percent of the
ish population of Israel, just
released by the Ministry of the language distribution Oriental immigrant women can
Education, jolted many an old- among those who read and neither read nor write.
Israel is making great ef-
timer who still lived in the write. Of the 93.8 percent of
conviction—despite some vague literate old timers, 16.1 can forts to improve the literacy
ideas about the influence of do so only in Hebrew, 6.7 per- rate of the country. The main
mass immigration—that this cent only in some foreign effort is directed toward youth.
country has one of the lowest language, and 71 percent in The compulsory education
both Hebrew and foreign lan- guarantees that illiteracy is
rates of illiteracy.
guage. Among the 78.3 per- eliminated equally among the
Compared to the rest of the cent literate newcomers, on children of Oriental and of
Middle East and to Asia, this the other hand, 7.6 percent European parents. Consider-
is still true. But compared to can read and write only in
able achievements have been
the West, Israel now has a Hebrew, 29.7 percent only in scored in eradicating illiteracy
considerable population which some foreign language and 41 among teen-age Oriental immi-
cannot write or read. Of all percent in both.
grants. Service in the Army
the Jewish adult population,
Illiteracy is more than is the best school for many
13.4 percent can neither read
of them. However, there is still
nor write,, while one percent twice as high among women
the problem of the adult and
as
among
men,
both
among
can read (and perhaps sign his
older generation, for which
the oldtimers and the new
or her name) but not write.
immigrants. While 2.9 per- no really satisfactory solution
To what extent this ad-
has yet been found.
cent of men and 8.4 per-
verse statistic is influenced
cent of women among old-
by the mass immigration,
timers are totally illiterate,
the following figures will
among new immigrants male
show: Among those born in
illiteracy is 12.3 percent and
Israel or who immigrated
female illiteracy 28 percent.
before the establishement of
The high illiteracy rate
the State in 1948, the total
among newcomers is easily un-
illiteracy rate is only 5.6
derstandable, since a large ma-
WASHINGTON (JTA) — The
percent (plus 0.6 percent of
jority of the new immigrants American Jewish Congress criti-
readers but non-writers),
come from backward countries
while among new immi- of the Middle East and North cized Administration proposals
which would make "the exercise
Africa. However, why is it of the right to a passport" de-
that one out of 20 oldtimers pendent upon the "largesse" of
can neither read nor write? the Secretary of State and ques-
MODIFIED (-411"5`cl®
And what is the explanation tioned State Department restric-
AMERICAN PLAN
4.,,j
for the relatively many old- tions on travel to Israel after
doily per person /
* double occ.
timers who read and write the Sinai war.
tilts, Aug. 22
only in some foreign tongue
Testifying before the Senate
(se Aug. 23-Oct. 31)
but not in Hebrew?
INCLUDING TWO
Foreign Relations Committee,
SUMPTUOUS MEALS I OCEANFRONT
The explanation is twofold. Sanford H. Bolz, Washington
2Sth to 26th Sts.,
•50 rooms out of 238
Miam i jeig h
Primarily it is because the di- counsel of the American Jewish
See Your Travel
vision mark between "old- Congress. expressed disapproval
Agent
timer" and "newcomer" is ar- of the Administration's efforts
bitrarily set for statistical pur- to make passports an accessory
poses at May 14, 1948, when of foreign relations.
Israel's independence was de-
In the statement submitted
clared and free immigration by Bolz, criticism was aimed at
started. Thus a person who the State Department for deny-
arrived from Morocco, for ex- ing passports for travel to Israel
ample, at the beginning of in 1957 "long past the time when
May is considered an old- disorder had ceased." He said
tither, and if he can still this ban on passports to Israel
ST. AGATHE des MONTS, QUEBEC
neither read nor write, is in- was allowed to operate "as a
Dream Island of the Laurentians
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cluded among the oldtimers' form of economic sanction or
Paradise for Honeymooners
illiteracy rate, while his neigh- pressure upon Israel sorely in
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Cocktail Lounge • Orchestra
of the same month, is a new- over and Easter tourist traffic."
Golf • Water Skiing Instr.
Dietary Laws
comer and is entered in that
Write for Complete
statistical. category.
Information and Free
Color Brochure
There are among the old- Sen. Javitz Denies
timers
people who arrived Israel Immigration
ACAT1ON PARADISE
many many years ago—some
before the First World War, is Threat to Arabs
WASHINGTON, ( JTA) —
and there are such among
them who read and write only Sen. Jacob K. Javits, New York
in Yiddish or in the language Republican, took issue with
Sen. Ralph E. Flanders, Ver-
Angelus Summer Resort
of their country of origin.
mont Republican, on the lat-
510 North Shore
The
explanation
of
that
South Haven, Mich.
ter's recent allegation in the
one percent of the Jewish
AMERICAN
OR EUROPEAN PLAN
population who can read but Senate that unrestricted im-
migration of Jews to Israel
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not write is rather simple:
• Delicious Food
was a threat to the Arab
• Beautiful Modern Rooms
there
are
Jews,
particularly
states.
• Private Bathrooms
elderly people, who can read
• Counselor for Children
Sen. Javits told the Senate
• Planned Activities • Movies
in
Hebrew
in
their
Bible
or
• Dancing • Show Nights
that "the fact is that Israel's
their prayer books, but have
• Get-Acquainted Parties
immigration is at one of the
• Nightly Entertainment
never mastered the art of
lowest
levels which that state
writing.
has experienced since it first
Special Rote
Naturally,
illiteracy
rate gained independence 10 years
During August
among newscomers from Eu- ago." He cited figures showing
n Per Day
rope
or America is very low— that only 8,534 newcomers en-
`r Including
about 3.5 percent. Among im- tered Israel in the current year
Meals
migrants from Asian and Afri- up to July 1.
In Our Beautiful Flamingo
Dining Room
can countries, on the other
"A very important point is
hand, there is about 36 per- that these immigrants are not
Phone: South Haven 837
cent of illiteracy. Here there culled, as has been alleged,
Chicago AM 2-6268 or CE 6-5309
is also a striking difference from lands where Jews do not
live under social and economic
Eloutb. ItTesevers's 3r111110111t letosertf
pressures, but, rather, the
overwhelming preponderance
Now Open
comes from within the Soviet
bloc satellite nations of Eastern
Europe where Jews are under
tremendous pressure, and from
countries around the Mediter-
WO* Videikai NON COIN Awl*
ranean and in North Africa,
80 was of happiness. Florida luxury
and also Iran, where the situa-
of modest rates. Dream SWIMMING POOL
tion is made extremely diffi-
Rooms with bath . . . Suporb Food • .
cult, indeed, for Jews," Sen.
Planned Activities—Orchostra (FREE CHA-CHA
Javits stressed.
Lessons) Midnight snacks, Tennis,
He did not mention Sen.
Shuffloboord, Golf, Horse-beak Riding.
Flanders by name but it was
Children's Supervisor.
clear that his remarks were in
BIGGEST FLOOR SHOW
reply to an attack on Israel's
EARLY RESERVATIONS
immigration policy voiced sev-
ADVISABLE
eral clays ago by Sen. Flanders.
Sen. Javits said that "misunder-
rife. for 41.91` blephor 7419 South Hoven, hikhisool standing" had been spread in
the Senate about Israel.

(Copyright, 1958, JTA, Inc.)

Jewish Congress
Testifies Against
Passport Bill

Cows.le.ly
• k.

S9

/1.•elfalt ,,,d do•rter)

Ghana Chief Lauds Israel

WASHINGTON (JTA) —
Prime Minister Kwame Nkru-
mah of Ghana lauded Israel in
an address before the National
Press Club and indicated re-
jection of any United Arab
Republic complaint against
Ghana-Israel friendship.
Dr. Nkrumah said. Israel
might be a small country but
that it had achieved remark-
able development in 10 years
through the skill of its
people. He credited Israel with
having aided Ghana and men-
tioned Israeli assistance in the
founding of the Black Star
shipping line.
He indicated that he told
Nasser in Cairo that there
could be no objection from
any African government to
Ghana's relations with Israel.
Although a meeting of African
leaders agreed on a definite
policy toward the Algerian
issue, Dr. Nkrumah said the
Israel question was avoided for
the reason that Israel is not
on the African continent while
Algeria is a part of that
continent.

Reform Congregations
In N.Y. Call For Ban
On Bingo In Synagogues

NEW YORK, (JTA) — Dele-
gates to the annual meeting of
the New York Federation of
Reform Synagogues urged all
synagogues, churches and rep-
resentatives of religious institu-
tions to ban "bingo and simi-
lar games as a means of main-
taining the house of God." The
delegates adopted a resolution
calling "organized and continu-
ous gambling" as a means of
fund-raising by religious institu-
tions a peril to the "teaching
of worthwhile values."

He expressed belief a United
Nations summit conference
could help solve the Ar•b-
Israel dispute. At the same
time, he said that there was
"only one solution"—a face-to-
face meeting "and then we will
know who is fooling the other."

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