THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Boris Smolar's SetWeen You • •• and Me' ••• - Editor-in-Chief . Emeritus, JTA (Copyright 1978, JTA, Inc.) • I 111 • ► 1.. 0 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 1 B M I 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. at .11,11140.1,11,001,4..r 74,, IA 0.4., 0Metropo9itan Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, New York, N.Y. 411. • 2.4., c. 4.