THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, May 23, 1975 13
Detroiters Gather in Israel on Lag 6' Omer Holiday
Editor's Note: Harold
Kempner, the author of
this interesting report
from Israel, was a promi-
nent Detroit social worker
and community activist.
He went on aliya to Israel,
where he joined his chil-
dren, in 1973.
their accomplishments in
true "naches fun kinder"
fashion.
Mrs. Marshall Goldman,
whose husband is presently
manager of a Natanya ho-
tel, was equally proud of her
children, aged 15, 16 and 18,
who have become fully inte-
grated. The oldest, Mari-
lyn, is entering the Sherut
La'am service, a Vista-like
component in lieu of army
service for religious girls.
By HAROLD KEMPNER
Former Detroiters pic-
nicked on Lag b'Omer at a
site encircled by an ancient
'le forest and springs in
Judean Hills. The reu-
nion was the annual outing
of old and new olim from
the Detroit area at Ein
Hemed national park, near
the main highway to Jeru-
salem.
The picnic grounds turned
into an island of former Oak
Park, Southfield and De-
troit residents who shared
memories of bygone days
and exchanged problems
and joys of living in their
newly-formed homeland.
It was the nostalgia of
landsleit gathered at annual
reunion and eager to learn
about old friends and
places.
The annual Lag b'Omer
gathering, the fourth since
1970, is the brainchild of
several Detroiters now
residents of Jerusalem.
Through personal contacts
and meetings they kept
alive an informal group of
ex-Detroiters residing in
the Jerusalem area.
An advertisement in the
Jerusalem Post brought sev-
eral minyans from the De-
troit area, including a group
of senior students of Akiva
Hebrew Day School now
studying in Jerusalem.
The organizers were Mrs.
Chuck Levi, Israel (Harold)
Lax and Mrs. Reishai Kra-
kower. They were assisted
HAROLD KEMPNER
by Mrs. Marshall Goldman,
Yehuda Cern and Dina Le-
bow, all of the Jerusalem
area.
There were surprise
guests at the reunion: Char-
lotte and Harold Dubin,
Mrs. Boris Joffe and Max
Carmen.
Several students now
attending Hebrew Univer-
sity joined, particularly
for the baseball and foot-
ball sessions, to the delight
of the surrounding Israeli
Yeshiva bocherim. Larry
Sklar, son of William
Sklar, and Ken Bruss
were the Hebrew scholars
who joined the games.
The star of the reunion
was Zygmont Lax who
dubbed himself the
"richest" man from Detroit.
He is a five-year resident of
Raanana. Two of his chil-
dren also reside in Israel,
and he is "rich" with 12
grandchildren and six great-
grandchildren, five of them
Sabras.
One of his grandchildren,
Yehuda Cern, is head of the
electrical department of the
Jerusalem College of Tech-
nology. Zeide Zygmont
gathered his brood at the
picnic and proudly recited
The group from Akiva
Hebrew Day School, all
12th graders, included
Susan Rothenberg, Terri
Leiderman, Sandra Weiss,
Minna Selmar, Marlene
Gliksberg and Leah Her-
man. Lynn Dombey, a re-
cent graduate of Akiva
joined them at the picnic.
(Kempner added in a note
that his Hebrew has im-
proved so that he now en-
joys Israeli television and
the newspaper Maariv. As a
member of Mismar Ezrochi
he patrols weekly from mid-
night to 3 a.m. with the
same M-1 rifle he had in
New Guinea in 1943. He
adds, however, "Rehovot is
•
■ 1111.1.
safe, more than anywhere
else in the world and you
can walk a free and proud
man.
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THIS IS
THE YEAR
to visit Israel and
observe for ourselves
the present quality of its life.
THIS IS
THE YEAR
to repledge our
support to the state
and its people and the
democratic principles they uphold.
THIS IS
THE YEAR
to demonstrate our
kinship and affection
for the Israelis and
laud their courage and
love of freedom.
"As Jews — as a people
who have lived in disper-
sion and who have been
refugees from and in all
parts of the world; as a
people who understand
profoundly the need of a
national homeland and the
agonies of not having one
— we understand and
sympathize with the peo-
ple of Vietnam who now
seek to rebuild their lives
far from their native land.
"We call upon all citizens
of our country and commu-
nity to be mindful of our na-
tional and religious heri-
tages, and of our
responsibilities."
`Failure of Talks
Good For Israel'
TEL AVIV (ZINS) —
General Arik Sharon said
that the collapse of Kissin-
ger's mission was a fortun-
ate occurrence for Israel.
Had Kissinger's mission
to arrange a new agreement
between Israel and Egypt
succeeded, Sharon added, it
would not have prevented a
war but merely have made
Israel's position more diffi-
cult and vulnerable to_heav-
ier casualties in case of a
new conflict.
In commenting on the
possibility that Sadat may
send troops to the eastern
banks of the canal after
opening the waterway,
Sharon declared that this
will be an act of war against
Israel and that the Israeli
army would have to take
strong measures in re-
sponse.
felt eir%
& U aff. h Repturtne
Vietnam Refugee Aid Urged
The Rabbinical Commis-
sion of the Jewish Commu-
nity Council of Metropolitan
Detroit unanimously
adopted a resolution calling
upon all Americans to "open
their hearts and to extend
their helping hands to the
people of Vietnam now
reaching and settling on our
shores."
Commission president
Rabbi Moses Lehrman of
Cong. Bnai Moshe stated
that the resolution was
adopted in response to re-
ports that some Americans
were uneasy over the effect
that a new wave of immi-
gration would have during
the current economic diffi-
culties.
The resolution stated in
part:
"The American people are
now called upon to offer
sanctuary to those Viet-
namese refugees who wish
to live in the United States,
in peace and security.
.
FIRESTONE
This is the year to join the
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departing on July 15 via El Al Israel Airlines
14 Unforgettable Days
Transportation, accommodations, food, and sightseeing will $
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•
FOR DETAILS, PHONE 968-0820
JEWISH NATIONAL FUND
22100 Greenfield. Suite 102
Oak Park. Michigan 48237
SEWN KASEMETH LEISRAEL