, THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

••
U.S. Racquetball Craze Finds Jews as Active Participants

Red Tomatoes, Gold Sands

BY GIL SEDAN

(Copyright 1976, JTA, Inc.)

For four months the
Jewish National Fund
has operated 13 powerful
Johnson tractors, biting
hungrily into the desert
land of the Rafah Open-
ing. The giant tractors
removed 1.5 million
cubic meters of land at
this northern edge of the
Sinai Desert — eventu-
ally getting almost 400
acres of flat land, to be
settled next spring.
The tractor operators
had to carefully remove
hundreds of mines spread
over the area, the
ngerous remains of
`three wars which had
taken place in the area
since 1948.
The cost of the project
was $750,000, half a dollar
per cubic meter. This is
but a drop in the large-
scale land preparation
work carried out by the
JNF throughout the
Rafah Opening and the
Gaza Strip. •
The point is that these
projects are considered
among the safest invest-
ments in Israel today.
Within a short period of
time the new settlements
in the Rafah Opening and
the Gaza Strip have be-
come an economic success
story, due to highly sophis-
ticated greenhouses that
allow for the intensive
growing of tomatoes.
Most of these tomatoes
are exported to Europe in
winter months when
there is no other source
for these vegetables, and
when European house-
wives are paying a lot of
foreign currency for a
good tomato.
The original green-
houses were purchased in
Holland and were
adapted for Israeli condi-
tions by Solel Boneh, the
giant Histadrut-owned
conglomerate. Now Solel

Boneh builds its own
greenhouses, exports
them, and has improved
them to allow'small trac-
tors to work inside the
houses. Because of the
heat, work is usually done
early in the morning and
late at night.
So far only tomatoes
•are grown in the
greenhouses, but there
are experiments to grow
other crops, such as flow-
ers. The first batch of
in
grown
flowers
greenhouses will go to
Europe soon. Additional
exports will be made
throughout the winter
until the end of April.
This is the period when
Israel actually. controls
the European market.
According to surveys, the
market can absorb any
quantity Israel would
send. Thus the question is
how much Israel can pro-
duce.
With the rate moshavim
are popping up in the
Rafah Opening, tomatoes
will keep moving via
Europe, and–foreign cur-
rency toward the empty
Treasury accounts. The
new settlements are care-
fully selecting new
settlers to secure social as
well as economic quality.
However, there are
problems, primarily that
of cheap hired (that is Be-
douin) labor. Former De-
fense Minister Moshe
Day an recently warned
that if the situation per-
sisted, the Jewish far-
mers might become
"feudal" landowners and
their Arab laborers their
"vassals."
For better or worse, a
new reality has emerged
in the Rafah Opening, a
reality that will no doubt
havefar-reaching
economic, social — and,
perhaps even political ef-
fects.

Fiat Defends Libya 'Purchase

NEW YORK — Under
increasing pressure from
the Italian press,
Giovanni Agnelli of the
giant Fiat automotive
firm has defended the
sale of 1 .0 percent of the
company to Libya.
dictator
Libyan
Muammar Qaddafi has
been a virulent supporter
of the Arab boycott of Is-
rael and Jews and one of
the most radical Arab
leaders.
But Agnelli said Fiat
business dealings with
Israel and the Jewish
member of the Fiat board
were never discussed dur-
g the 18-month negotia-
‘Dris for the Libyan pur-
ji las e.
The Jewish member of
Fiat's board is Simon Al-
dewereld, representing
the Lazard Freres bank-
ing. company.
La Stampa, the Turin
newspaper owned by Fiat,
is edited by a Jew, Arrigo
Levi, wh -ose resignation
was once demanded by
Libya for a satirical article
about Qaddafi.
Agnelli said he is also
worried about the reac-
tion of the American
Jewish community. Fiat
sells 100,000 cars each

year in the U.S. Agnelli
said, "Once they examine
the facts they will find no
reason to worry."

Friday, December 24, 1976 53

BY HASKELL COHEN
(Copyright 1976, JTA, Inc.)

mont and Ft. Lauderdale,
Fla. Hogan, despite his
There is a new sport
Irish sounding name, is a
practicing Jew, and is
which is sweeping the
only an 18-year-old
country — racquetball —
youngster who has taken
that seems made, appa-
over in the pro ranks.
rently, for the Jewish
The others who seem to
gentry. Racquetball, on
be doing very well on- the
an organized professional
circuit include Jerry
basis, has only been
played for the past three
Hilecher, also playing out
years, and four out of the
of St. Louis; Mike Zeitman
top eight winners on the
of Tennessee, a perennial
pro circuit are Jews.
semi-finalist on the circuit
This is a game that is
in all of the tournaments;
Steve Serot of San Diego;
and a new, up and coming
star, Ben Koltun, an 18-
Fears You, Free People?
year-old out of St. Louis,
who was the national
But
undoubtedly
certain
they
will
(Editor's note: The
junior amateur champion
be
folowing is excerpted from
through last year, has
The most horrible: Prison
a poem by Soviet Jewish
joined the pros and is be-
Interrogation
activist Felix Kamov-
ginning to knock off some
Questioning with partiality .
Kandel, translated by Ilya
of the money on the gravy
They leave, but I remain.
Levkov of the National
train.
They hide, but I have no place to
Conference on Soviet
The National Jewish
hide.
Jewry.)
Welfare Board Sports
FREE PEOPLE, what is it you
Committee has taken
By Felix Kamov-Kandel
fear?!
cognizance of the fact
The king goes as far as he that racquetball is sweep-
They come casting furtive glances
Under cover of darkness
can, not so far as he would. ing the country and is

played with a small
strung• racquet, unlike
the paddle-ball racquet,
on four-wall handball
courts. There is also a pro
touring circuit.
The leading money-
makers over the past few
years are led by Marty
Hogan of the Jewish
Community Center of St.
Louis, who in the past two
months alone has won
$4,000, capturing the ti-
tles in Burlington, Ver-

Who

In clumsily saddled hats
With raised collars.
Their appearance is vividly
"spyish",
You can spot them a mile away.
If a man is mustached
The mustache can be viewed
conspicuously.
If a woman is bespectacled
It can be assumed the specta-

410.4111.44.4.4

pushing four-w'all
ball players to. :the
sidelines so that it is.con-
templating running the
first annual national
tournament within the
next year.
It appears extremely
likely, according to
Harold 0. Zimman of
Lynn, Massachusetts,
the chairman of the
NJWB Physical Educa-
tion Committee, that the
first racquetball tourna-
ment will take place dur-
ing the 1977 season with
the likelihood that reg-
ional champions from all
over the nation will con-
gregate in an ideal area to
compete for the national
title, both in men's and
women's play.
St. Louis, Kansas City
and Detroit, apparently,
have adequate playing
facilities for this sort of
tournament, and in all
likelihood will be consi-
dered for the housing of
the championship finals.

t

•

4.. 4 •

.

Be sure your

4

cles are conspiratory.
They enter a room and whisper

friends and relatives

immediately:
"Where are the hidden mic-

rophones?"

are as informed

But this phrase by now I know by
heart:
"Where are the hidden mikes?"
"Don't know — I am myself curi-
ous about those mikes"
Often they do not laugh at all
Because of their fear.
And when they do
It is high pitched and nervous.
After all is it a kinderspiel?
They are almost in Siberia,
in Gulag,
almost in the clutches of the sec-
ret police!
"Do you think they monitor us" —
They ask
"I do not bother to think — I am
indifferent"
"We too" — and laugh in a brave
whisper.
Observing each other with our
eyes,
While smiles appear on our faces.
It is impossible to monitor smiles
Smiles are highly non-dangerous!
If you are not being watched, of

as you on

Jewish happenings all

around the World!

Give them a

gift today!!

•414411.

—

This space contributed by the publisher.

course.

All we can
tell you is that
men who
don't smoke
live about
6 years longer
than men who
do smoke:

If you want someone
to help you slop smoking
cigarettes, contact your
American Cancer Society.

AMERICAN
CANCER SOCIETY

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Then we begin to converse
On the most general themes,
Kid each other,
Exchange regards from friends
And tell our latest news
Which, as a rule, is unhappy
Who got a refusal,
Who got imprisoned _
And who lost his job.
They are interested in everything,
For that purpose they come.

They even take notes
With intentionally unclear

handwriting.

They repeat several times
In order to make certain their

notes are true.
What luck that custom officers ha-

ven't yet learned
How to frisk people's minds!
And then they leave.

Saddling their hats clumsily,
Raising their collars,
Covering their faces behind
spectacles and mustaches.
Hurrying back to their hotels
Hoping that the guide didn't

notice their long absence.
Hoping that none will report them,
Hoping that no one will undertake

"measures"
Unknown which or what,

r

AMEN

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