THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Boris Smolar's
SetWeen You
• •• and Me'
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Editor-in-Chief .
Emeritus, JTA
(Copyright 1978, JTA, Inc.)
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PERSONALITY PROFILE: Few, very few, national
Jewish leaders in this country gained such prominence in
such a comparatively short time of service on the national
Jewish scene as did Jerold C. Hoffberger Who has completed
his three-year term of office as president of the Council of
Jewish Federations, the central body of the organized
Jewish communities.
As his term of office in the. CJF expired, the United
Israel Appeal lost no time to "grab" him to be chairman. In
his new position, as head of MA — through which the
United Jewish Appeal transmits every year hundreds of
millions of dollars to the Jewish Agency for humanitarian
and cultural needs in -Israel — he succeeds Melvin
Dubinsky, the "old-timer" and very popular Jewish leader
who made his mark of distinction not only as chairman of
the board of the UTA, but also as a member of the executive
committee of thejewish Agency in Jerusalem and its board
of governors, and as national chairman of the United
Jewish Appeal and also of the CJF, JDC and other very
important Jewish bodies.
Hoffberger, who also plays a leading role in these
major organs of the American Jewish community, emerged
into national Jewish leadership from Baltimore, his native
city. There he was, and is, active not only in Jewish organ-
izational life locally, but also in, non-sectarian affairs. A
leading industrialist, he is president of the Carling Na-
tional Breweries, as well as chairman and director of
numerous other business enterprises. He is also chairman
of the Baltimore (Orioles) Baseball Club. He served as a
captain in the U.S: Army in World War II.
JEWISH TOTALITY: What makes Hoffberger so
outstanding and popular among Jewish leaders?
Anyone who comes in contact with him cannot help but
be impressed with his personality, his warmth, his interest
in human needs, his deep dedication to Jewish needs, his
devotion to Israel, his concern for strengthening Jewish
identity and continuity. He is a combination of idealism
and pragmatism, strength and humanity, intellect and
compassion, a man of great ability, logical thinking and
dynamic action.
These qualities seem to be a family. trait in the
Hoffberger family. He speaks with adoration of his late
brother-in-law Irving Blum, who also served as president of
the Council of Jewish Federations.
This spirit of totality is the basis of Hoffberger's ap-
proach to Jewish communal activities. In his view, Jewish
`needs are inter-related and Jewish undertakings — no
matter what cause they serve and whatever their separate
commitments may be — all depend on one another and
impinge on one another. For some the UJA is the abiding
concern while for others it is Jewish education and health
care. Collectively they figure in the sum of the Jewish
vitality as a people, This is Hoffberger's philosophy.
Total commitment to the cause of Israel and the taking
of a paramount interest in the needs of local communities
are not to him isolated concerns. He believes that American
Jewry can, when necessary, concentrate its energies on
behalf of Israel in a display of. oneness that is majestic in
scope; it has shown it during the Six-Day War and the Yom
Kippur War. He also believes that it is important that the
American Jewish community develops greater sensitivity
to changing priorities in the overall areas of responsibility.
THE NEW CHALLENGE: Hoffberger assumes the
UTA presidency when UTA is confronted with the challenge
of the newly proclaimed "Project Renewal" in Israel. The
project is new in every sense. It has never been attempted in
Israel, or in the United States, or anywhere else in the
world. It is a project to make depressed neighborhoods
socially independent through a comprehensive program
that attempts to overcome poverty and social distress.
Hoffberger looks upon "Project Renewal" as a first step
in assisting Israel toward economic recovery. Israel's prob-
lems, he says, are no less because it has prospects of a truce
with Egypt. By assuming part of the burden for Israel's
human development, American Jewry will help the Jewish
state finally to concentrate on long neglected economic
development.
To Hoffberger "Project Renewal" is an inspiring first
step in assisting Israel toward social elevation and eco-
nomic recovery, but a first step only. American Jewry, he
says, responded to Israel's cry for survival in war. It must
also respond in peace to a cry for self-sufficiency. "Just as
we linked Israel's survival to Judaism's survival, we must
link Israel's self-sufficiency to Jewish dignity," he stresses.
Said Rav Hanan, the son about it, even if 70 years of
of Ray: "Everybody knows happiness have been de-
why the bride is brought creed and sealed for him on
into the bridal chamber, but High, the decree is changed
if anypne, speaks obscenely , for him into eyil,".
Friday, December 29, 1978 15
Jerusalem School Considered A Model for the U.S. Poor
By JOSEPH POLAKOFF
(Copyright 1978, JTA, Inc)
Israel's May Boyar High
School in Jerusalem for
bright youngsters in poor,
backward families may be a
model for economically and
culturally disadvantaged
American youths in the
opinion of America's
number one social services
administrator.
Joseph A. Califano Jr.,
U.S. Secretary of Health,
Education and Welfare,
foreshadowed priority for
adopting the Boyar experi-
ment in two ways following
his late November visit to
Israel where he signed a
unique Israeli-American
two-year agreement for
cooperation in educaiton be-
tween the two countries.
One sign of his particular
interest is that of the dozen
activities envisioned in the
program. The first under-
taking is to be a symposium
for university professors of
the two countries in
Jerusalem on preparing the
disadvantaged for useful
roles in their country's life.
Another indication was
that following his return
from Israel, where he
conferred with Premier
Menahem Begin and Is-
raeli Minister of Educa-
tion and Culture Zevulun
Hammer, Califano
praised Israel on several
of its attributes but most
enthusiastically about its
preparation of kids with
potential for leadership.
In an interview here on
his visit to Israel, his first in
nine years, Califano ob-
served that Israeli
' educators assess "all" the
school-age Israeli
youngsters who "are essen-
tially disadvantaged" —
mainly" from Oriental
Jewish families, he noted.
Each year, these educators
recommend about 3,500
sixth graders for entrance
into Boyar. Eventually, "a
couple of hundred," he said,
are admitted for study for
six years in Boyar — from
the seventh through the
12th grades.
"One of the problems we
have with the disadvan-
taged minorities in our
country is we don't get the
bright ones identified soon
enough. By the time they
are taken in some special
program — entered in some
university— they're behind
the eight ball — or getting
compensatory education
courses to try to pick up. It
tends to be a frustrating ex-
perience."
Califano noted that Boyar
is "largely . a boarding
school" with "some" day
students. "Nevertheless, it's
clearly working so well," he
has asked Israelis to provide
data on their experimenta-
tions and methods so that
HEW "at least" could "ex-
pose" American educators
to Boyar's achievements.
In addition to the ses-
sion in January, semi-
nars are to be held in Is-
rael in 1979 on the educa- including teachers and ad- -
tion program on ancient ministrators, and coopera-
and modern Israel for 10 tion in development, re-
to 15 American social search into and evaluation
studies teachers and on of new means to educate the
Israel's education pro- handicapped and other dis-
gram for supervisors and advantaged at the early
curriculum specialists childhood, elementary and
from state \education de- secondary levels.
partments and large
NAP
school systems. In addi-
tion, similar seminars
will be held in the U.S. in
ypewriters Selectric, etc:
1980.
$400
. ,
The program is to be tai-
lored to encourage academic
Add 'n Type
and professional exchanges,
-862-1300_
342-78V
IT
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14500 West 7 Mile . . . Block West of James Couzens
A neighbor of yours
joins a very select group
Dinitz Blasts U.S. Criticism
of Israel as Unwarranted
NEW YORK (JTA) —
Simha Dinitz, Israel's Am-
bassador to the United
States, charged that the
criticism by the Carter Ad-
ministration of Israel's posi-
tion in the stalled peace
negotiations with Egypt is
"unjust and unwarranted."
Addressing a farewell
luncheon given by the Con-
ference of Presidents of
Major American Jewish
Organizations, Dinitz, who
is ending his tenure after
five years in Washington
and is returning to Israel,
said that the current criti-
cism by the Administration
is weakening Israel
"spiritually" and warned
that this "is no less harm-
ful" than economic and
military sanctions.
Recalling the recent
warning by Senate Majority
Leader Robert Byrd (D-
W.Va.) that Congress will
not increase Israeli aid
while Israel continues
building settlements in the
occupied territories, Dinitz
declared "we are not a vas-
sal country. We cannot be
talked to like that." He
added "No one should talk
to Israel in threatening
terms. This is intimidating
the spirit of Israel."
Dinitz described the
present strain between
the U.S. and Israel as a
"dispute." He said the
special relationship be-
tween the two countries
does riot rest solely on
moral values. He stressed
the strategic • interests
Qf
. .
Israel to the U.S., noting
that Israel fights along
with the U.S. "tyranny
and dark forces." Israel
is the only stable Middle
East ally of the U.S., he
declared, adding, "We
must be recognized as
partners."
The Israeli envoy said he
believed that peace "is
going to be signed soon" be-
tween Israel and Egypt be-
cause the stakes are too
great. But he insisted that
Israel will not agree to a
peace treaty that will leave .
it with only a few Years of
quiet. He also said that the
special relationship be-
tween the • U.S. and Israel
"will outlast" the present
difficulties.
Former Secretary of State
Henry Kissinger, who paid
tribute to Dinitz, also
criticized the Carter Ad-
ministration for its criti-
cism of Israel.
Harold .L. ,Weingart is shown above center, with Metropolitan
Life's President and Chief Executive Officer, Richard R. Shinn,
(left) and Darrell D. Eichhoff, Executiful Vice-President (right).
Harold L. Weingart fo the Dearborn Sales Office
of Dearborn has been selected to serve on Met-
ropolitan Lire's Sales Advisory Council. This ex-
clusive group is elected to represent 20,000 sales
representatives to the management process.
Mr.. Weingart recently met with the Council and
Company executives at Metropolitan's-offices in
New York City where information and ideas were
exchanged, aimed at keeping Metropolitan's
producis and services at the forefront of the insur-
ance industry.
This special honor bestowed on Mr. Weingart is
a measure of his competence. It's another reason
you'll know that Mr. Weingart and Metropolitan
can be relied on for the best in insurance service.
Eternal Light'
Marks Its 35th
NEW YORK — "The Et-
ernal Light," the longest
running continuous drama-
tic radio series on the air, is
marking its 35th anniver-
sary this year. "The Eternal
Light" has been broadcast
since 1944 undel- the co-
sponsorship of the Jewish
Theological Seminary and
the National Broadcasting
Company.
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company
20031 Cal-isle
Dearborn, Michigan 48124
Phone 274-0666
Come to Metropolitan.SimiAlty your life.
He who has no wife lives
without joy, without bless-
ing, and without good.
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411.
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