When 'Judith' Caine to Israel
By YAEL DAYAN
Over a year ago, a new kibbutz
was added to the more than 220
communal settlements in Israel.
Unlike the others, it was not
politically affiliated nor run by
elected secretaries nor did it earn
a Profit from agriculture. But it
was populated by the international-
ly famous Sophia Loren, ,Peter
Finch and Jack Hawkins.
A signpost pointed to a hill in
Western Galilee. It read "Shaarei
Hagalil," or "Gates of Galilee," and
a dirt road took the visitor to a
model 1947 kibbutz, the like of
which is not to be found in Israel
today.
A few huts, a water tower, sheds
for equipment and machinery,
central dining room, children's
quarters and a small office all set
in a rocky, barren landscape en-
joyed a cool mountain breeze and
overlooked the sea.
Miss Loren, Finch and Hawkins
arrived on the scene after this
kibbutz of 19 buildings — plus a
mile of road, a bridge, piped-in
water, electricity and telephone
service — had been constructed
for the production of Paramount's
"Judith." (Now showing at the
Royal Theater.)
The script was written by John
Michael Hayes, and is based on
an original unpublished short story
by novelist Lawrence Durrel.
Judith, portrayed by the beau-
tiful Miss Loren, is a product of
a Nazi concentration camp.
Betrayed by her German hus-
band because of her Jewish
heritage, her good looks saved
her from death in the gas
chambers.
Void of hope, suspicious, in-
secure, shrewd, she arrived in Is-.
rael not as a dedicated Zionist
immigrant but -a hurt woman. Kib-
butz life is something she cannot
conceive of, and having witnessed
the sub-human she is utterly strip-
ped of belief in anything that is
plainly human.
The Gates of Galilee kibbutz. is
fighting for survival, first against
the British, later against the
Arabs. Leading the fight is Aaron,
as played by Peter Finch, the sec-
retary of the settlement, an under-
ground fighter, whose dedication
and shrewd belief dictate his - ac-
tions. Judith is motivated only: by
her personal needs, Aaron only by
the national ones, but, though
suspended for the major part of
the story, love between the two
prevails.
The plot covers the struggle
against the British, illegal im-
migration, and after the proclama-
tion of the state of Israel, the
beginning of the war against the
Arabs.
In- • Israel, historical a n d
irCheological sites cannot be
separated from. modern locations.
Director Daniel Mann used loca-
tion sites including the beach
at Atlit, where the Crusaders
erected a castle in the 13th
Jewel Box Revue
Century, and the city of Acre,
a port built by the Phoenicians,
rebuilt by the Crusaders and
beseiged by Napoleon. On the
site of the "Judith" kibbutz the
remnants of an ancient Cana-
anite city were discovered while
leveling the location ground.
The production was greatly as-
sisted by the Israeli government,
which tries to encourage filming
in Israel. "Judith" was the first
major production to be filmed en-
tirely in the young nation. As such,
it caused much excitement.
Dialogue was discussed in cafes
in Tel-Aviv and casting from
among local actors resulted in long
lines which included top theater
actors as well as pretty aspiring
starlets all willing to taste the
flavor of kibbutz life, providing
it was the right kibbutz, where
the food was prepared by an im-
ported chef and a natural tan
was covered with make-up.
The police force was busy keep-
ing Miss Loren safe from curious
sabras and the local papers began
devoting daily pages to long
descriptions of the stars and their
actions. Director Mann had spent
a few months in Israel and became
a familiar figure in the Galilee.
Finch's connection with Israel was
a military one, stationed there with
t h e Australian troops during
World War II, and Miss Loren
had no adjustment problems. Her
natural charm, ease, lack of
capricious mannerisms and the few
Hebrew words she learned only
added to her immense popularity.
After three months of intensive
production the film company bid
Israel adieu. The new kibbutz life
was terminated and a new-orchard
was planted where cameras and
reflectors once stood.
Youth Held on Bail
in Yonkers Arson
YONKERS, N.Y. (JTA)—Seven-
teen-year-old Thomas Ruppert was
held in Yonkers City Jail on $50,-
000 bail following his arrest on
charges of setting fire to the Yon-
kers Jewish Community Center
last Dec. 20, causing the deaths of
nine children and three adults.
The youth was released last Fri-
day from a hospital, where he had
undergone 17 days of court-order-
ed - psychiatric examination after
allegedly confessing he set the
fire. He had been in custody of
the Westchester Family Court
until his release from the hospi-
tal, when he was immediately ar-
rested.
An attorney filed a motion in
Federal Court in New York City
to prevent Westchester County of-
ficials from prosecuting the youth.
Leonard Rubenfield, the district
attorney, had said previously he
would seek a first-degree murder
indictment against the youth.
An All-Male Show
The lavish Jewel Box Revue, featuring 25 of the world's fore-
most female impersonators, opens today at the Fox Theater. Also
on the screen will be "Arizona Raiders" in color.
+1,
Danny Raskin's
LISTENING
MICHAEL MICHLIN, veteran
Hebrew teacher and school princi-
pal, has made it a hobby to collect
valuable letters, photographs and
documents. . . . He also has kept
a diary ... Under date of April 11,
1934, his dairy shows that Nechama
Lazaroff Schaver (Mrs. Morris L.)
sang "Mi Yivneh Bayit b'Tel Aviv"
at a function that was addressed by
Golda Myerson, now Golda Meir.
. . . A children's home, to be known
as Beth Nechama, is being erected
at Rishon l'Zion in Mrs. Schaver's
honor. --
* * *
SOL MANNES lost his wallet,
with $195 in it, at the Windsor
racetrack . . . Two weeks later
the wallet was returned in the
mail . . . His papers were intact
and the $195 had grown to $250
. . . There was also a thank you
note, explaining the finder had
won $300 with the unexpected
stake, and was returning it with
a $55 bonus.
* * *
SID SACHES, commercial artist
and advertising man, thinks he set
a record for long traveling post-
cards . . . He sent a batch of mail
from Mexico City to the folks back
home and most of the mail arrived
45 days later . . . After many ex-
planations and excuses, his friends
now truly believe he was down
there below the Rio Grande.
* * *
JERRY GIBBS, localite on the
stage, radio and TV scene, almost
became, a Broadway star . . . Had
featured role with Robert Cum-
mings and Art Lund in the stage
play, "The Wayward Stork". . .
Was on the road with it until hit-
ting New York . . . The critics gave
it quite a panning, but referred to
"the Fat Man," portrayed by Jerry
as a funny bit .. . However, with
the rest of them, Jerry in New
York became just a falling star
with "The Wayward Stork."
* * *
IRVING AND DOROTHY CHAI-
KEN are celebrating their 28th
anniversary . . . not the 25th, as
recently errored . . . Iry and Doro-
thy have recently returned from
an eight-day trip to Las Vegas.
* * *
ON DISCOVERING THAT she
was an avid square dancer, fellow
campers during her recent tour to
Switzerland asked Alice Gold to
teach them . . . She managed to
get some records mailed from the
States, and amidst explanations
that women usually don't call
dances, she started' teaching . . .
An afternoon later, Swiss, German,
Greek, British, Scandinavian and
American campers were all doing
well, and Alice was so hoarse she
couldn't talk . . • "This is one of
the most interesting camps I've
ever been to," Alice heard one of
the Swiss campers excitedly tell a
visitor. "Why we even have an
American call girl."
* * *
AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER
Arnold Rogin startles fellow pho-
togs by telling them he has the
world's most remarkable camera
. . . "It has a maximum aperture
of f/2, automatically aims and
focuses in half a second, automatic-
ally adjusts aperture in even less
time," he says. "The color film on
which it records is stereoscopic
and self-renewing after every ex-
posure. The development time is a
fraction of a second.". . . Expen-
sive? . . . priceless—it's the
human eye.
U.S. Agency May Probe
Refusal of Employment
to Orthodox Jews
By a long road we know a
horse's strength, so length of days
shows - a man's heart. — Chinese
WASHINGTON (JTA) — The
U.S. Equal Employment Opportu-
nity Commission, an agency cre-
ated by the Civil Rights Act, may
investigate instances of discrimi-
nation against Orthodox Jews aris-
ing from the refusal of some to
work on Saturday.
Chairman Franklin D. Roosevelt
Jr. of the commission Tuesday
wrote Sen. Jacob K. Javits, New
York Republican, that "our gener-
al counsel has outlined this matter
for the commission's attention, and
I hope that we will be able to con-
sider this important question very
soon."
The Senator had requested ac-
tion by the commission following
complaints by constituents t h a t
Orthodox Jews had suffered diffi-
culties in obtaining both private
and governmental employment be-
cause they insisted upon honoring
the Sabbath. A question was raised
as to whether such discrimination
represented a violation of civil
rights laws.
proverb.
LET MIllICO
LIGHT the HAY
Elegance
In Crystal and Gold
It is better to suffer an injury
than to commit one.—Chinese prov-
erb.
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Friday, February 18, 1966-31 tomemoemo••••••••ssommereamomeo•cm