Friday, Jolt 28, 1911 21
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Boris Smolar's
`Between You
. . . and Me'
Editor-in-Chief
Emeritus, JTA
(Copyright 1978, JTA, Inc.)
SUMMER MEDITATION: There was a time not so
long ago when assimilation was the "Problem Number 1" in
American Jewish communal life. As the younger genera-
tion grew up, mixed marriages became the dominating
problem. Today, the "Single-Parent Family" —the deterio-
ration of Jewish family life — is beginning to take a front
place in the problems that plague the Jewish community.
This does not mean that the first two problems have been
solved. On the contrary, assimilation and mixed marriages
are increasing. But they have reached a status of becoming
"accepted" as part of American-Jewish life even by many
who deplore them. Not so yet with the increasing break-
down in Jewish family life, through the ever-growing
number of "single parents."
In the summer months the disietegration of Jewish fam-
ily life is especially visible in the Jewish summer camps for
children. This summer, about 25 percent of the children in
Jewish resident camps are from "single-parent" homes.
The father and mother are separated or divorced. The camp
is a relief for them. It relieves "single parents" from custo-
dial service. At the same time it offers the separated or
divorced parents the opportunity to each visit separately
the child in the camp for a few hours on different days.
Never do the children of "single-parent families" see their
parents together in the camp.
In the Jewish day camps the proportion of children com-
ing from "single-parent families" is this summer even grea-
ter than in the resident camps. In larger Jewish com-
•munities their percentage is higher than in the smaller. In
some New York City area camps children of "single-parent
families" make up more than 60 percent.
PLANS FOR ACTION: The summer months give major
Jewish organizations time for planning action on the
"Single-Parent Families" problem. This phenomenon
weakens the structure of traditional Jewish family life,
creates problem children and imposes special burdens on
community service agencies.
The American-Jewish Family will be a major theme of
the Council of Jewish Federations General Assembly in
November. Preventive services to maintain the cohesive-
ness and strength of Jewish families will be stressed.
The American Jewish Committee too is now engaged in
conducting an extensive study on the various aspects lead-
ing to the deterioration of Jewish family life and on
methods of nurturing a healthy family. Some of the major
Jewish federations, recognizing the growth of single-
parent families in their communities, are establishing task
forces to study the problem of both children and parents in
such families.
Some of the federations are now seeking to analyze the
existing services of their local agencies for families at the
"moment of crisis" — at the moment of divorce or widow-
hood. They are also studying therapy-type services and the
introduction of family-life education programs dealing
with marital adjustments and communications.
A study now completed by the National Jewish Welfare
Board established that the number of children in Jewish
resident camps coming from "single-parent families" is ris-
ing about five percent a year. The weekly fees have been
raised this summer at an average of $4 per child in a day
camp and from $5 to $13 in a resident camp. But few
parents complain. They accept the increase, since keeping
the child in a camp frees them from responsibility of super-
vising the child at home. The category upon whom the
increase cost falls heavy are widows, some of whom have
two children and must work to maintain a home for them-
selves and their children.
In the day camps, there is this summer a large proportion
of children between 3 and 6 years of age. They are picked up
by buses which bring them home before the end of the day.
It is estimated that more than 9,000 children are under
care of Jewish child care agencies in seven large cities, most
of them in their own homes. There are children under care
of local Jewish child care agencies also in smaller com-
munities.
U.S. Jews to Counsel Drop-Outs
JERUSALEM (JTA) —
The Jewish Agency plans to
enlist American immig-
rants to Israel who speak
Russian in an attempt to re-
duce the high rate of drop-
outs among Soviet Jewish
emigres who opt to go to
countries other than Israel
— chiefly the United States
— after they reach Vienna.
According to the latest in-
formation, the drop-out rate
is running close to 60 per-
cent.
The plan was suggested
by Raphael Kotlowitz,
chairman of the Jewish
JERUSALEM — The Dr.
Mortimer M. Kopp Lounge
was dedicated in the Harry
S Truman Research Insti-
tute Building on the Heb-
rew University's Mount
Scopus campus.
lieves the Americans would
be more credible than the
Israeli-settled Soviet im-
migrants who now counsel
their former countrymen at
the Vienna transit centers.
The Americans can dispel
Dedication
Agency's immigration de-
partment. Kotlowitz be-
the image that America's ,
streets are "paved with
gold," according to Kot-
lowitz who thinks it is that
image which attracts the
emigres to the U.S. rather
than to Israel.
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Agency Leaders to Meet in Israel
NEW YORK — Close to
500 Jewish community pro-'
fessionals from throughout
the world will gather in
Jerusalem Aug. 13-17 for an
in-depth conference on the
future of "Jewish People-
hood."
They will attend the In-
ternational Conference of
Jewish Communal Service,
which is holding its fourth
convocation in 11 years.
d
Yitzhak Navon, president
of Israel, will open the con-
ference which includes a re-
ception at the Israel
Museum hosted by Mayor
Teddy Kollek, a march to
the Kotel on Tisha b'Av, a
presentation at the
Jerusalem Theater and a
meeting with Prime Minis-
ter Begin for the heads of
major national and interna-
tional agencies.
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