`The American Brody' Trains Israel Gagers
By
JESS SILVER
(Copyright me, .rrA, Inc.)
Talbot "Tal" Brody of Trenton,
N.J.. former All-America basket-
ball player at the University of
Illinois, has completed his military
service and is going home. His
service hitch was in the United
States Army, but "home" is Israel,
where he is regarded as a national
hero, and adopted son.
Brody left for Tel Aviv where he
plans to marry, settle down and
enjoy La Dolce Vita, helping Is-
raelis to learn to play basketball
through a series of clinics and
classes at the Orde Wingate School
of Physical Education at Netanya.
His bride-to-be is a luscious sabra
who visited his parents in Trenton
during the spring.
As an American, and especially
an outstanding athlete, Brody
has a special fascination for the
Israelis. He first visited that
country in 1965, as a member of
the gold-medal winning United
States M ac c a b i a basketball
team. There was an immediate
love affair between Tal and the
country and its people. He finds
it hard to put into words. The
Israelis say it rather easily,
every time he scores a basket
or feeds an Israeli. The word is
"BRO-DEE! BRO.DEE!"
After the Maccabia, Tal re-
turned to Israel and joined Mac-
cabi Tel Aviv. He led Maccabi Tel
Aviv's basketball team into the
finals of the European Cup cham-
pionship. It was a home and home
series. Maccabi Tel Aviv won one
game and lost the other. The
champion was decided on total
points. Maccabi Tel Aviv's oppo-
nent won on that basis, but Brody
became firmly entrenched as an
Israeli hero, and later, in a news-
paper poll of sportswriters, was
declared Israel's Athlete of the
Year.
During 1967, before and after the
Six-Day War, Brody continued to
endear himself to the Israelis. .He
volunteered to hold basketball clin-
ics for Israeli troops and travelled
to the various fronts. His appear-
ance was therapy. His presence as
"The American Brody" was widely
hailed. Remembered is the picture
of Tal, arm in arm with Moshe
Dayan. It was reprinted in news-
papers around the world. To the
Israelis, Brody meant a visible tie
with Americans, and a concern by
Jewish Americans. That it was
through the medium of sports was
all the more appealing. Here was
an American who cared and was
concerned enough to go out of his
way not only to remain in Israel
during the hard times, but to make
himself available to Israeli troops
for basketball instruction, and the
inevitable bull-sessions. He speaks
Hebrew, learning it the hard way.
through study and conversation.
the streets of Old Jerusalem, Is-
Brody's impact on Israel, and
the affection in which he is held, raeli soldiers on guard against
became apparent early during his incidents, kept inquiring, "Brody?
stay in Israel through an ex- Brody? Is he with you?"
change of letters with Israeli
Or the evening of the Maccabia
sportswriters. But the full impact gold medal basketball game be-
came last year.
tween the United States and Israel,
The 1969 United States Maccabia won by the Israelis. As each of the
team was quartered at the Ramat players stepped onto the court, he
Aviv Hotel in Tel Aviv. Each day, received applause. But the biggest
visitors kept inquiring if Brody hand was reserved for Tal. He is
was around. They wanted to see an inspiration to the Israelis, espe-
him, to talk to him, to deliver cially the youngsters, who mimic
messages from his Israeli friends. the way he plays, the way he
Tal, however, was late in arriv- walks and the way he talks. He is
ing in Tel Aviv to join the United easy going and friendly and com-
States team. He was in Greece. mands the admiration and respect
where he was a member of the of the hard-bitten sabras.
winning American service squad
Before leaving for Israel this
that captured the International
Military Basketball Championship. time, Brody stopped off at the
When Brody finally did check offices of the United States Com-
into the Ramat Aviv Hotel, it was mittee of Sports for Israel in New
as if all of Israel somehow had York. He had a request. Could any-
one make available to him basket-
been tuned into a special wave-
ball instructional films to help him
length. Literally hundreds of per-
sons dropped by, morning, noon teach the sport once he gets
"home?" If anyone has such film,
and night to see him.
Remembered, too, is the morning they should be sent to Brody in
the United States Maccabiah team care of the U.S. Committee Sports
boarded a bus for Jerusalem, to for Israel, Suite 1501, Hotel New
spend Tisha b'Av at the Western Yorker, 34th St. and Eighth Ave..
Wall. As the team walked•through New York, N.Y. 10001.
U.S. Teens to Spend Year of Study in Israel
NEW YORK—Seventy-five teen-
agers have left for Israel to take
a year of high school study in Is-
rael as members of the America-
Israel Secondary School Program
of the department of education
and culture of the Jewish Agency
for Israel.
The program launched for the
first time in 1967-68 for 10th grad-
ers, now also offers courses for
11th year studies. The 10th year
course will be given at: the Mosad
Jewish Youth End Summer's Work
as Volunteers Among Poor of South
NEW YORK (JTA)—A group of The 0E0 Community Action
Jewish high school students from Program of Sussex County, Dela-
seven eastern states have corn- ware, invited AJSS to send a group
pleted their volunteer work in the to Seaford. The primary purpose
poverty areas of Delaware, Ken- was the repair of the homes of
tucky and Texas, it was announc- elderly persons who are unable to
ed by the American Jewish Sn- do it themselves or cannot afford
ciety for Service, which recruited to have it done. AJSS campers also
and conducted the work of the co- served in the day care center.
ed groups. During the seven weeks, 62 home
improvement projects for senior
Donald Runsfeld. assistant 10
citizens were finished.
President Nixon and head of the
At the request of the Mississippi
U.S. Office of Economic Oppor-
tunity, praised the groups and River Economic Opportunity Coun-
stated that they had "made a sub- cil, a second group worked in the
stantial contribution to the work area of Fulton and Hickman, Ken-
of our Community Action Pro- tucky. The young people worked
gram. In money terms, their five days a week, about eight
volunteer efforts were probably hours a day, repairing and paint-
ing homes of the poor, both white
worth more than $30,000. but even
more significant than the job they and black, with the owners fur-
accomplished was the spirit in nishing the materials.
In Mercedes. campers helped
which it was done."
the Urban Renewal Agency tear
Henry Kohn, president of the
AJSS and cne of its founders, down three old houses and a large
abandoned church: the lumber
said that these youths, "instead
of going to a summer camp or salvaged will be used for a new
a
resort,
plunked
down
service center for the union. In
visiting
S400 each, plus transportation the El Gatto and Campo Alto bar-
rios, students repaired and re-
costs, if they could afford it,
painted homes of farm workers
fer the privilege ow working for
with paint donated by local mer-
the poor." Ile described the
AJSS as an independent nation- chants.
al organization launched in 1950
"Typically," Kohn said, "an
to give Jews and those of other
AJSS group is initially met by dis-
faiths an opportunity to perform belief and suspicion, but these
humanitarian services in fulfill- young people quickly demonstrated
ment of the teachings of Juda-
that they were sincere and serious
ism."
about working under arduous con-
ditions. The communities soon
realized the value of their pres-
ence."
Alonei Yitzhak Secondary School.
about 5 miles from Caesarea,
and the Hulah Valley Regional
High School at Kfar Blum. The
juniors will be at Mosad Alone'
Yitzhak.
This expanding program, now in
its fourth year, offers full Amer-
ican high school curricula, anc
mented by special courses in the
and Israei
Hebrew language
studies. Full credit for the year
of study in Israel is given by
Xmerican high schools.
Youth
News
Israel Museum Shows
Decorated Oil Lamps
of 1,900 Years Ago
JERUSALEM — A collection of
decorated Jewish oil lamps, only
recently discovered, is being ex-
hibited at the Israel Museum here.
The oil lamps, made in the
short, 65-year period between the
destruction of the Second Temple
and Bar Kokhba's revolt, bear em-
blems relating to the Temple.
which was destroyed 1,900 years
ago.
Included among these emblems
are seven-branched candelabra
(sometimes depicted with nine
branches) and such symbols of
Jewish holidays as citrus fruils.
palm branches and baskets for fhe
first fruit which was carried to
Jerusalem.
The lamps, made by Jews ban-
ished from Jerusalem. were found
only recently to the southwest of
the city. Stone masons who dec-
orated ossuaries (receptacles for
bones of the dead) in a similar
fashion probably also made the
molds for these lamps.
The exhibition at the Israel
Museum was organized jointly with
the government's department of
antiquities.
Arab Girls From West Bank at Hadassah
'Nasser's Eagles'
Under the heading "Nasser's
Eagles," Newsweek this week
stated:
"Egypt's pilots blame Russia for
much of the weakness of their air
force. (Cairo has only about one
pilot for every two aircraft, when
the desired ratio is exactly the
opposite.) The fliers say Moscow
gave them only three to five hours
a month flight time (U.S. trainees
get up to 21 hours) and that the
Russians were inferior to the
Indian teachers used in Egypt.
Egyptian instructors, they com-
plain, were as bad as the Rus-
sians and were picked more for
their politics than ability."
Beth Moses Men Co
Forty-five Arab girls from the Hebron Vocational Training Center
on the West Bank of Jordan visited the Hadassah-Seligsberg Com-
prehensive High School to meet girls their own age at one of the
country's leading comprehensive high schools. Shown are students
from the Weest Bank Center being served refreshments made by
Seligsberg students at the end of the tour. These exchange visits, in
addition to promotion good will, help to encourage the Arab girls'
interest in career preparation. Some 30,000 Arabs from the West Bank
and Gaza find employment daily on the Israeli side of the border.
Friday, August 28, 1970-35
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
to Bat for USYers
Beth Moses Senior United Syna-
gogue Youth will take on the Beth
Moses Men's Club at the Henry
Ford High School baseball field
12:30 p.m. Sunday. Any boys who
would like to play may contact
Alan Goldberg. KE 7-9413.
They Made
The Grade
ELI C. HALPERN, son of Rabb',
and Mrs. Israel Halpern of Cran
trook Dr., and STANLEY GOR
)ON, son of Rabbi and Mrs. Jame',
;ordon of Wales Ave.. Oak Park.
'.ave been accepted for a year a'
almudic studies in Israel. Halpern
will study at Yeshivat Har Etzion.
.ind Gordon will study at Yeshiv..
ilakotel. The schools are two of
.ix institutes of higher talmudic
-tudies sponsored by the Tor:
duration department of the Jew-
Agency in New York.
•
ROCHELLE IIANDELSMAY.
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Zeli
Handelsman of Oxley Rd., Sout.''
field, received her masters degre
,n education this summer in co
.neneement e•:---t.'os at the Ur
versify of Michigan.
tye Dot:lots
Prescriptions Filled
PRESCRIPTION OPTICAL CO.
543-3343
26001 Coolidge
BAR MITZVAH
SWEET agIXTEEN
DANCE PARTIES!
Myerson to Wash Cars
The members of Myerson Bnai
Brith Girls are planning a car
wash fund-raising project for 10
a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday at Mike's
Marathon station, 10200 W. Nine
Mile, Oak Park.
For information, call Laura
Meyers, president, 398-6664.
What is religion? That which is
never spoke n.—Henry David
Thoreau.
We furnish
everything,
but the kids!
Art Linkletter's
Corner 12 Mile L Evergreen
Phone 357-1215 or 588-0300
Rta.A.ipt
Bloomfield Nursery School
IS NOW TAKING ENROLLMENTS FOR AGES 2 1/2 to 51/2
• SEPTEMBER 1970 NURSERY SCHOOL (State Licensed)
Hot Lunches
Gary B. Moss, M.A., B.S.
Tran , pertation
Shelly moss, B.S.
Call 851-4666
4230 Middlebelt Rd.
West Bloomfield Township
WORKMEN'S CIRCLE NURSERY
18340 West Seven Mile
a UNIQUE experience for the pre-schooler -- an ex-
posure to YIDDISH-KEIT through songs, language and
holiday celebrations; cushioned with an introduction to
the physical, social and emotional world around him.
REGISTER NOW - TRANSPORTATION
KE 7-5440