National Geographic Article on Syrian Jews to Be Retracted

NEW YORK (JTA) A
highly distorted presentation
of, the condition ,of Syrian
Jewry which appeared hi the
April issue of the "National
Geographic" magazine will
be corrected in its November
issue, -it was announced by
the American Jewish Con-
gress which conducted a five-

Al

month protest against the ar-
ticle...and the magazine.
Phil Baum, associate exec-
utive director of the AJCon-
gress, who coordinated the
protest which included the
picketing of the magazine's
headquarters in Washington,
said he received a letter
from Joseph R. Judge, the

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magazine's assistant editor,
stating that the AJCongress'
concerns about the article
"will be amply demonstrated
and acknowledged in our No-
vember issue."
Baum said he did not know
what the "National Geogra-
phic" would say, but noted
that its agreement to modify
the original article was "a
victory for the cause 0,1 Syr-
ian Jews, whose fight for
freedom was gravely jeopar-
dized by the distortions in the
April article."
The AJCongress charged
that the magazine article by
Robert Azzi; a free-lance
writer, "left the clear im-
pression that Jews in Syria
are treated decently and that
the Syrian government main-
tains a tolerant and even be-
nign attitude toward them."
The article also claimed
that "the city of Damascus

still tolerantly embraces sig-
IMI••11.•••0•11•1•0■111•04M•43 1...4•••■•:•■•••••••••1•OW•1•1••041111.01i
nificant numbers of Jews"
and quoted a Damascus rab-
Boris Smolor's
bi as saying Syrian Jews
"have rights like any other
citizens."
The AJCongress comment-
ed that "surely even 'the 'Na-
tional Geographic' editors
must be aware that a rabbi
Editor-in-Chief Emeritus, JTA
in Damascus under the men-
(Copyright 1974, JTA Inc.)
acing surveillance of the
Syrian government can do
JEWISH SCHOOL SEASON: The American Jewish
nothing other than to laud school season opened this pa
-st week under the impact of
his captors."
special efforts on the part of organized Jewish communi-
ties to stimulate parents to send their children to Jewish
schools.
Bonn Israel Envoy
The New York Federation of Jewish Philanthropies has
BONN (JTA) — West Ger-
many's new ambassador to authorized a substantial sum of money for the Board of
Israel is to be Per Fischer, Jewish Education to insert a full-page advertisement in the
a 51-year-old senior official New York Times and to develop other means — including
in the Bonn chancellery. a "hot telephone line" — to attract parents to the need of
Fischer will replace Jesco giving their, children a Jewish education. Other Jewish com-
von Puttkamer, who is ex- munities are also developing new methods aimed at increas-
pected to go to Belgrade as ing enrollment.
Whether these innovations will bring the desired results
ambassador.
is yet to be seen. Experts in the field of Jewish education
fear that there will be no increase this year in the number
of children registered in Jewish schools; the number, has
been decreasing during the last few years.
The educators attribute their pessimism to the growing
inflation which forces many families to reduce, expenses—
including the sending of children to Jewish schools where
tuition averages more than $1,000 a year.
The experts also cite the birthrate among Jews, which
is now reaching the "zero level" in a number of com-
munities.
With these factors in mind, Jewish community leaders
Every '75 Oids has a new Maximum Mileage System
that helps make it a better car in several ways: nevertheless are determined to achieve a breakthrough in
Our best mileage in years. Smooth-running school registration this school season. They are allOcating
engines. Fewer tune-ups and less routine more funds for Jewish education and displaying more
energy in reaching Jewish families with the thought that
maintenance. -
Jewish education is indispensable to Jewish self-preservation.
And—better exhaust emission control.
DISSENSION IN DAY-SCHOOLS: Whether the number
The System represents the most advanced en-
gineering and technology we can built into a '75 of Jewish children in congregational and afternoon schools
Olds'. It includes a new catalytic converter (see this year will increase, decrease, or remain at the same
below)—and a lot more. ,
level as last year's is not yet clear. The outlook is, how-
There's a new high-energy'ignition, for a hotter ever, more clear with regard to the all-day schools. Experts
spark and improved ignition performance.
consider the Jewish all-day schools—most of which are
Also, Olds engineers adjusted shift points in Orthodox—as having reached their plateau.
transmissions. Installed low-ratio economy axles.
Inflation is expected to be only one of the major, factors
And made GM-spec steel-belted radial tires hampering growth this year. Tuition in the Jewish all-day
standard.
school is practically prohibitive for many families under
As you can see, we've done a lot
the present economic difficulties, especially for many Ortho-
GM
to improve the gas mileage capability
dox families where, the parents are small earners and never-
of every 1975 Oldsmobile.
theless consider it their duty to send all their children—
New Catalytic Converter—designed for long life. especially the boys—to all-day Jewish schools. Some of the
poor families are granted reductions in the tuition fee, but
This "pod" full of platinum-palladium coated beads pro-
vides a new way to reduce most emissions—after sending children to a Jewish all-day school remains a finan-
combustion, in the exhaust. It does a more cial problem.
effective job—and it eliminates some
The other major problem developing now within the
of the gas-robbing, combustion-stage all-day school is the dissension among parents who send
controls of the past. Best of all, it al- their children to such schools. There are today many Con-
lowed Olds engineers to re-tune the en-
servative families who prefer to send their children to all-
gines to run smoother and give better MPG than last year.
day Jewish schools rather than to -desegregated public
schools. The parents in such families, while interested in
giving their children a Jewish education, object nevertheless
to the ultra-Orthodox indoctrination their Children undergo
in the all-day Orthodox schools. They must send their chil-
dren to these schools because there are no Conservative all-
day schools in the neighborhood, but they resent education
that is extremely Orthodox.
,
It is estimated that in some of the Orthodox all-day
schools at least 50 per cent of the pupils come from non-
Orthodox homes. In New York, there are some 20,000 chil-
dren from non-Orthodox homes among the total of 50,000
attending Jewish all-day schools. In some Orthodox schools
about 40 per cent of the pupils were withdrawn last year
by their non-Orthodox parents who stress that they want
a Jewish education for their children but not an education
built on Orthodox dogmas.
Those objecting to extreme religious practices in the
schools claim that the ultra-Orthodox methods confuse the
pupils coming from non-Orthodox homes and develop in
them a split personality. They argue that in the Orthodox
schools the children are taught the kind of Jewish behavior
which is contrary to the behavior of their parents at home.
The conflict among parents over the programs and the
religious practices in the all-day schools may precipitate
the development of more Conservative all-day schools lead-
ing at the same time to a reduction in the number. of pupils
in the all-day Orthodox schools.
FEDERATION SUPPORT: The growing recognition of
the all-day schools as a key component in the overall area
of Jewish education is reflected in the increase of financial
support which these schools are now receiving from Jewish
federations and welfare funds. A survey of 36 cities reveals
that day-schools received last year one-fourth of the total
federation allocations to Jewish education..
For the 10 large cities—Boston, Chicago, Cleveland,
Detroit, Essex County, N.J., Los Angeles, Miami, Phila-
delphia, St. Louis and San Francisco—federation support
for all-day schools increased 22 per cent during the survey
period.

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Friday, Sept. 27, 1974-13

We raised the gas mileage
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•