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1 Israel Spirit Inspires Service Group's Tourists
Boris Smolar's
'Between You
and Me'
(Copyright 1969, JTA Inc.)
ON THE FIRING LINE:
Bet She'an, a township with apopulation
of 13,000, with 10 schools, with 26 kindergartens, with a textile factory,
with nicely paved streets, with a public park, with numerous newly
built houses, is one of the places in Israel which is under constant Arab
fire. It is located three
mines from the Jordanian border. So I went to
Bet She'an.
Jordan claims she does not receive any arms from the Soviet gov-
ernment. Nevertheless, no less than 50 Soviet "Katyushas" and other
Soviet heavy mortar fell into Bet She'an when the township was shelled
from the Jordanian side. Seven inhabitants were wounded,
the syna-
gogue was destroyed and two houses demolished.
No Israeli troops are seen on the street in Bet She'an although the
battle front is so close. But the sandbags which one sees at each build -
ing, and on the roof of each house, testify to the fact that "somewhere
Members of the Israel Study Mission of the Detroit Service Group, expressed admiration for the
!
spirit of the people of Israel and their determination to overcome their multitude of problems. The group
around" there are military units and fortifications ready for retaliation
at any given moment.
completed two weeks in Israel seeing first hand the effects of the present "peace" on the people. They
During the day—on days when there is no shelling—life goes on as witnessed what is being done for the tens of thousands of Jewish immigrants who arrive in Israel every
Usual in this town. People are at work in the textile factory, at
building year. and talked to government officials about the future needs of the country. The Detroit Service Group
new houses, stores and offices; mothers push baby carriages; children
of the Jewish Welfare Federation conducts the tour annually prior to the Allied Jewish Campaign-Israel
play in the streets under the green trees; and people stand in line Emergency Fund drive which raises the needed funds for the continuation of health, welfare and educa-
Made the city hall building either to pay bills or to receive aid.
tional services in Israel and in other countries where Jews need aid. Samuel D. Jacobs was chairman of
the 1969 Israel Study Mission with Oscar U. Band serving as co-chairman. Those who went on the mission
Shelters are seen on the squares, open for any emergency. Their
entrances are marked with the word "shelter" and they go deep under-
were Mr. and Mrs. Jack Abugow, Mr. and Mrs. Band, Mr. and Mrs. N. Brewster Broder, Mrs. Jacob
ground. Some of them can take in as many as
Citrin, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Citrin, Mrs. Max Conway, Dr. Leon Fill, Mr. and Mrs. Hugh W. Greenberg,
100 people.
Mr. and Mrs. Jerome C. Hirsch, Mr. and Mrs. Joel G. Jacob and Mr. and Mrs Jacobs. Harold S. Berke of
At night the picture is different. The streets are veiled in a black-
the staff of the Federation and Mrs Berke accompanied the group. Following the Israel section of the tour,
out. While the children sleep at home under the care of their mothers
.—seldom undressed and always ready to seek safety in the nearest some of the participants went to Vienna where they visited facilities of the Joint Distribution Committee
shelter—the fathers keep vigil on the roofs and other strategic posi- which assists refugees front east European countries in emigrating to Israel and other free countries
tions. "Hot line" telephones from these positions keep the camouflaged of the world.
military posts in the vicinity on the alert, Within minutes the enemy's
fire can be answered. Within minutes Israeli bombers can appear over
the enemy's position to retaliate.
The reason the Arabs in Jordan shell Bet She'an is to keep the
population in constant fear and to make them leave the area.
"This purpose they will never achieve," says Mayor Jacob Mak-
Idev, who immigrated from Tripoli to Israel in 1949 as a young
member of the Youth Aliya. On the contrary, not only is nobody leaving
. I the inspiration which you will re-
is
•ceive will be remembered for a
Bet She'an. but the town is well on its way to becoming an industrial
dtt
long time to come."
center for the entire region. New schools are being planned, new
I There are two main groups from
houses are being built, new industries established.
Detroit presently being formed to
Life under the enemy's fire is becoming a normal kind of life in
go on the missions leaving Nov. 2
Bet She'an. No Jordanian mortars, no Russian "Katyushas," no Arab
attacks will frighten anybody in this front line town to move to another
' and Jan. 18. There also will be
Detroiters going on other dates.
place. The population is composed of young people, all determined to
Anyone interested in "Operation
Stay where they are and to make Bet She'an a growing regional center.
a
*
*
Israel" may join one of the two
FACING THE ENEMY: Kfar Ruppin lies only about a half-mile
Detroit groups, or he may take
from the Jordan border. This means it is directly under Jordanian fire.
part in one of the nine other trips
leaving Nov. 23 and 30, Dec. 14,
You can see the enemy's position from here.
Jan. 11 and 25, Feb. 1, 8, 15 and
In Kfar Ruppin—one of the best kibutzim in Israel—the children
22.
have not slept in their beds for the last two years. Every night they
•
go to shelters deep in the ground. There are special shelters built for
Leaders in the 1970 Allied Jewish
children and infants with berths, toilets, running water and an electric
Campaign-Israel Emergency Fund
kitchen. The shelters are air-conditioned and have stocks of food suffi-
are hopeful that they can all go on
cient to feed the children for several days in case of a bombardment
one of the missions, Zuckerman
which may last a long time. Several mothers must be in the shelter
said.
with the children at all times.
Among those who have indicated
The several hundred adults in the kibutz go on with their daily
their intention to participate in the
work exposed to shelling from the Jordanian side where the enemy
tours are Leonard Baron, Toby
can see with field glasses every open move made by an individual.
Citrin, Marvin I. Danto, Dr. Wil-
Several buildings in Mar Ruppin have been damaged by Jordanian fire
liam Deutsch, Irwin Green, Ben
but they were repaired within two days by the kibutz.
Etkin, Arnold E. Faudman, Mit-
A few yards from the settlement are the military positions of
chell Feldman, . Edgar Fenton,
Israel's armed forces. They are well camouflaged and the soldiers live
Meyer M. Fishman, Benjamin H.
in bunkers the kind of which have never been constructed by any other
Frank. David Frank. Samuel Fran-
army. Their construction is. naturally, a military secret, but no one
kel, Stanley Frankel, Dr. Milford
would notice them from the outside, and the soldiers inside feel very
Golden, Warren D. Greenstone,
Comfortable. Heavy artillery is similarly well camouflaged.
Merle Harris, David Hermelin,
I was taken down the dirt road which is mined in order to prevent
Milford Nemer, Arthur Howard,
infiltration of saboteurs from the Jordanian side, and was brought
Max Lebowitz, Jack W. Milen, Mil-
under the military escort to the electrified barbed wire fences which
ton J. Miller, Donald J. Purther,
constitute the border. Here you see the armed Arabs on the other side
Alan E. Schwartz, Hyman Safran,
about a city block away. They see you too.
Herbert P. Sillman, Mel Shulevitz,
You look at the Israeli soldiers and their commander—all young
Richard Sloan, Bruce E. Thal, A.
Detroiters are seen here at kibutzim and on the Jordanian border
people: sonic are taxi drivers, others are intellectuals. Here they are
Richard Tischler, Walter Wolpin
on recent J tours of Israel, Paul Zuckerman and Hyman Safran, and Paul Zuckerman.
all members of one family, exposed to hot sun and always alert to the
among those seen in the photos, were among the tour leaders,
enemy's fire. "Is there anything I can do for you?" I asked one of the
Those interested in taking advan-
• • •
young soldiers who escorted me to the very front line. I realized
tage of this opportunity to see first
Detroit men who go on "Opera- away from home and business, the hand the situation in Israel should
immediately how foolish my question is. put to a person whose life is
always in danger. "Yes, he says, "you can give me one of your Ameri- tion Israel" during the 1969-70 sea- chartered flights leave New York call Sol Drachler, assistant direc-
son will see history in the making. on Sunday evening and return the tor of the Jewish Welfare Federa-
can cigarettes."
I don't smoke, but I always take with me a carton of American They will have the unique experi- following Sunday afternoon, allow- tion of Detroit, WO 5-3939.
cigarettes whenever I fly to Israel. "You seem to be a lucky fellow, I ence of viewing the problems and ing sufficient time for connecting
Two women-only missions for
reply jokingly, "I hapfien to have with me a full carton." I take the the hopes of the people of Israel. flights back to Detroit on the same campaign leaders are scheduled
carton from my El Al flying bag and hand it to him. He is over- They will meet with high ranking day.
for Nov. 16 and Feb. 22, 1970.
whelmed and thanks me on behalf of his entire platoon. This he did not Israeli government and Jewish,
"We have planned the missions
Agency officials to discuss present
expect. His commander stands on the side and nods approvingly.
to give American Jews an insight 31 Americans, Canadians
BOMBERS IN ACTION: Yardena is a village on the very front, conditions and the future of that into the promise of Israel and the
less than one kilometer from the Jordanians. It is settled by Kurdistan beleaguered nation. They will be difficulties its citizens face daily," to Spend Half Year
Jews-58 families consisting of 430 people, including 260 children. The escorted to the Jordan Valley and chairman Zuckerman said. "Those,
in Kibutz Misgav-Am
Settlers have a collective cotton field 60 acres long, but they cannot go other border areas for on-the-scene joining us will take part in high-1
NEW YORK — Thirty - one
out in the field to work without clearance from the military authorities. briefing about Israel's defense level briefing sessions with key
problems.
youn
Americans and Canadians,
IL Is too dangerous to be seen in the open in Yardena.
Israeli leaders, visit areas not age 18-23, left for Israel Sept. 30,
The people here are in a gloomy mood but none intends to leave
"Operation Israel," is a series open to tourists and review the'
the place. They are only within walking distance of the enemy, and of one-week fact-finding missions complete scope of the social and for a half-year Sherut La'Am
their settlement is shelled almost every day, at night and in broad sponsored by the United Jewish welfare requirements of the coun- service in Kibutz Misgav-Am in
the northern hills of Galilee.
daylight. Only the day before our arrival, one settler was injured Appeal.
try."
A group of 37 youngsters depart-
seriously right at the entrance into a shelter. Twenty were injured
"Participation
Paul
Zuckerman,
in
the
missions
is
a
ed for Israel several weeks ago
national
I
during the last weeks.
Here, like in Kfar Ruppin, the children have not slept in beds for chairman of UJA who is in charge an excellent way to demonstrate , and are spending a year in Kibutz
two years. They live mostly in shelters and are there even during the of the 1969-70 "Operation Israel," our solidarity and support to the ; Shoval in Israel, it was announced
day. Children are growing up here without knowing how it feels to sleep has announced that there will be Jewish people in Israel," Zucker- ; here by Yehoshua Leor, the na-
In a soft bed at night. Front life has, in fact, become their "normal ' 11 seven-day missions available man continued. "I urge everyone; tional coordinator foe Sherut
who can to make a trip because ' La'Am.
life. Last week the settlement was attacked by mortar fire three times from Nov. 2 to Feb. 22.
Paul Zuckerman, National UJA Chairman, Helps
Organize Series of 7-Day 'Operation Israel' Tours
e
in One day.
To minimize the amount of time 48 Friday, October 10, 196!
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THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS