THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
`Jewish' Town Is Rising in Quake-Torn Guatemala
BY JOSEPH POLAKOFF
_ (Copyright 1976, JTA, Inc.)
In a semi-arid sector of
Guatemala, 50 miles
down the Atlantic High-
way that runs through
the mountains from
Guatemala City to the
seaport of Puerto Barrios
on the Caribbean coast, a
"Jewish town" is arising
from the rubble and de-
struction that once was a
part of the community of
Sanarate before the ear-
thquake struck it last
rch 4.
is "Jewish" because
e 1,200 Jews of
Guatemala, together
with Jewish or-
ganizations and indi-
viduals in other parts of
the world have generated
a fund for 350 houses for
families whose homes
were destroyed. None of
the benefitting families is
Jewish. In fact, no Jew is
known ever to have lived
in that community al-
though Jews have made
their homes in many
parts of Guatemala since
they first came to the
Central American coun-
try a century ago.
When the earthquake
plunged Guatemala into a
vast emergency project,
the Jewish community
responded immediately
with a $20,000 cash grant
to the government and
provided volunteers for
all kinds of activity. Then,
the idea arose for a spe-
cial project and "Ladril-
los para Guatemala" —
"Bricks for Guatemala"
— was born.
Enrique Engel, 95-
year-old patriarch of the
community and among
Guatemala's foremost pat-
riots, was named head of
the project, and Marcel
Ruff, president of
Guatemala's Bnai Brith,
its secretary.
Of the $225,000 raised
thus far, Guatemalan
Jews contributed
$125,000. Israelis gave
$41,000 and the Joint Dis-
tribution Committee
added $10,000. The re-
mainder was in more
than 500 donations from
Jews who wrote letters of
sympathy and support
from many countries.
Jose and Abraham
Tennenbaum, brothers in
Guatemala City, are con-
tributing a new elemen-
tary 'School building for
about 500 children. Sana-
rate had a population of
12,000.
para Guatemala" is es-
sentially a self-help proj-
ect. Each family to get a
house has to build it, sup-
plying only the labor.
With 10 persons working
each of 23 machines, pro-
ducing 16,000 bricks a
day, 200 houses were
completed by September
and 150 more are to be
finished before this year
ends. Each house costs
Nathan saw brick- about $600. The houses,
making machines, in- 20 feet square with a ce-
vented in Colombia, which ment roof, replace the
convert earth, sand and former primitive adobe
cement into a block easily houses in which the
and simply. He suggested families had lived.
Guatemala's Jewish
the community provide the
machines and materials community engaged in
while the Guatemalans the project despite finan-
give their labor to build cial problems within its
own community, some of
new homes.
them caused by the ear-
The idea took hold im- thquake. The Ashkenazi
mediately. "Ladrillos synagogue incurred a
The vision for "Ladril-
los para Guatemala" is
credited to Abie Nathan,
who runs the Israeli radio
station "Voice of Peace"
and flew to Egypt in Nas-
ser's time in a peace ef-
fort. To help stricken
Guatemalans, Nathan
brought 100,000 chocolate
bars for Guatemalan
children.
Ann Arbor's Beth Is-
rael Congregation will
mark its 60th
anniversary at 9:30 a.m.
Shabat services Saturday
and at a Founders Dinner
that evening.
Founded in 1916 by
Osias Zwerdling, Israel
Friedman, William Bitt-
ker, David Freidman.,
Philip Lansky and David
Mordsky, the congrega-
tion -boasts a membership
of more than 200 families.
In 1951, the congrega-
tion moved to its present
site at 1429 Hill St., in the
Hillel Foundation-Beth
Israel building. At that
time the congregation
changed its name to Beth
Israel Community Center
becoming an umbrella or-
OSIAS ZWERDLING
ganization for all groups in
the Ann Arbor Jewish
community.
In 1965, it re-adopted
the name Beth Israel
Congregation and af-
filiated itself with the
United Synagogue of
America, the organiza-
tion of Conservative con-
Reva Taubman Leads Drive
Reva Taubman has
been named Women's Di-
vision advance gifts
chairman for the 1977
AJC-IEF by Women's Di-
vision Campaign chair-
man Dulcie Rosenfeld.
Mrs. Taubman will
chair the major gifts
meeting of the Women's
Division at the home of
Irwin and Bethea Green
in Frahklin Nov. 30.
Guest speaker for the de-
ssert luncheon will be
Annette Dulzin, the wife
of Leon Dulzin, treasurer
of the Jewish Agency for
Israel.
Mrs. Taubman is a
member of the Women's
Division board of direc-
Fashions For Girls dike
sizes 4-14
Lar. est selection of this size ran .e in area
Gifts Galore and Resort Wear Too
Open Fri. Nov. 26 10-8
Fidelity Bank Bldg., Suite 100
Heritage bldg., suite 100
24901 Northwestern Hwy. at 10 Mile Rd., Sfld.
Mon-Fri 10-5
Sat 10-3
air ticket. The American
nurses serve under a
one-year. contract.
Thanksgiving
Deadline
The Jewish News
has an early deadline
of noon today for all
local publicity to ap-
pear in the issue of
Friday, Nov. 26. Mate-
rial not received on
time will be withheld
from publication and
published the follow-
ing week if still timely.
The Finest in Kosher Catering
under supervision of the orthodox rabbis
Place Your Carry-Out
Turkey Dinner Orders
for THANKSGIVING
gregations. Rabbi Allan
D. Kensky has been
spiritual leader since
1971, and Dr. David E.
Schteingart as president
since 1974. A new
synagogue building soon
will be built at the corner
of Washtenaw and Austin
Ayes.
The anniversary celeb-
ration will include the
chanting of part of the
liturgy by Zwerdling.
Philip Seymour, cemet-
ery committee chairman
will be honored, and Dean
William Haber will be
guest speaker. Victor Gal-
latin, longtime financial
vice president of the con-
gregation, also will be
honored "for his years of
service to the Jewish
community."
Also All Kinds of Carry-Outs
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Herut Wins Zionist
Election in Belgium
tors and the board of the
Jewish Home for Aged.
BRUSSELS (JTA) —
She served as Advance The Herut Party won the
Gifts chairman in 1976 Zionist elections in Bel-
and associate chairman gium with 38 percent of
in 1975.
the total vote.
Assisting Mrs. Taub-
The second list was a
man are chairmen Mar-
lene Borman, Rosalie coalition of Mapam,
Kolbert, Barbara Berry, Hashomer Hatzair and a
use boner, Frieda ''''non-party list which won
Stollman and Shelby 22.5 percent of the vote,
Tauber, and members- followed by a "Union of
United
at-large Bernice Deutsch, Democratic
Vivian Deutsch, Jean Zionists" which obtained
Frankel, Diane Grant, 22 percent of the vote.
Diane Hauser and Esther
The list which com-
Jones.
bined General Zionists
and individual candi-
dates under the heading
Jewish Fighters
"Am Ehad" obtained
to Honor Founder
18.35 percent of the vote.
NEW YORK — The • Belgium is the first
American Federation of country to hold elections
Jewish Fighters, Camp for the World Zionist
Inmates and Nazi Vic- Congress. Ten percent of
tims will hold its first Jewish families took part
annual dinner Dec. 12 at in the vote.
the Waldorf-Astoria
Hotel and will pay tribute
to its Honorary President Argentine Jews
Eli Zborowski and his Dedicate Grove
wife, Diana Zborowski.
JERUSALEM (JTA)
Mr. and Mrs. Zborowski
are being honored for Shmuel Gorensky, Jewish
"their work and dedica- community president of
tion in Holocaust studies, the San Juan district in
and for bringing its, Argentina, and a delega-
awareness closer to tion from the district at-
tended the dedication
youth."
The founder of the Fed- ceremony of a San Juan
eration, Eli Zborowski, is Grove on the slopes of Mt.
the immediate past pres- Tabor in the Galilee.
ident of the Federation.
Other groves are to be
He served as president planted by the Argentine
for more than five years. Jewish communities.
Importing Nurses
STAR KOSHER CATERING
Ann Arbor Synagogue Marks 60th
,4Vew Umelittioit
_ 357-1123
badly- damaged roof and
the sanctuary cannot be
used. Services are held in
the basement.
The Sephardic Magen
David Synagogue, oldest
in Guatemala, cannot be
used at all because of its
weakened roof. The Re-
form Synagogue, for-
merly a private home,
was not damaged. In
addition, Guatemala's
Jewish school with some
70 pupils, is in dire finan-
cial straits.
Guatemalans are im-
mensely grateful for the
Sanarate project. One
sector of the new houses
is named "New
Jerusalem" and a street
is called "Avenue of Is-
rael." A bronze plaque
permanently expresses
thanks to the Jews of
Guatemala and Israel.
Israeli Hospital
TEL AVIV (ZINS) —
Tel Hashomer Hospital,
one of Israel's leading
medical centers, is now
employing registered
nurses brought from the
United States.
The hospital's director,
Prof. Shoni, explained
that this was necessary
because of the shortage of
trained personnel in Is-
rael.
He further said that the
American nurses are paid
the same wages as their
Israeli counterparts but
that the American nurses
have their transportation
covered by a round-trip
Friday, November 19, 1976 23
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