,. 56 Friday, March 9, 1919 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Levenson's New Book Continues His Skill as Philosopher-Humorist Sam Levenson is very humorous. This has been es- tablished. He also is notably philosophical. His stories and his epig- rams never suffered from the suggestive. Sam Levenson's humor gains new status in "You Don't Have to Be in Who's Who to Know What's What" (Simon and Schuster). There is a "Preamble to the Prologue" in which Levenson defines a self- analysis with the skill of the author who charms, delights and puts the reader in a good mood.. Here is a good way to start his new hilarious philosophic trends, in the prologue's preamble: "I had a delightful profes- sor of education at Brooklyn College who taught his fu- twe teachers' (me amongst them), in pseudo- Brooklynese, that to put over a perfect lesson you kad to stick to one simple rule: 'Tel 'em what you're gonna 'learn 'em'; then `learn 'em'; then ask 'em: `What did I just 'learn you'?' "So, then, what am I going to 'learn you?' "First, that over the cen- turies ample and deserved SAM LEVENSON tribute has been paid to the wit and wisdom of the world's literary sophisti- cates, the Aristophanes', Swifts, Wildes, Voltaires, Twains, Shaws . "And, secondly, that men of letters (and this is the special lesson of the book) are not endowed by their Creator with a monopoly on wit or wis- dom. Like they say: "You don't have to be in Who's Who to know What's What. "I must forewarn you,. dear reader, that the table of contents is deceptively light, but the content itself deals (albeit humorously) with some of the most seri- ous, often painful, aspects of human existence: love, marriage, family, religion, freedom, war, morality, poverty, wealth . . . subjects that in fact comprise the basic contents of the human comedy." Under 22 sub-chapter headings, such as "You Can Try Laughing," "Live and Let 'Live," "Idol Worship- ers," "From Witch Doctors to Rich Doctors," "Freedom from Freedom," "What I `Learn' You,", etc., Leven- son keeps the readers laughing. Exemplary in his usual style of playing on words with innumerable ideas are: Children's explana- tions of the reasons for violence on their level add up to about the same validity as adult explana- tions of adult rumbles. The following came from nursery school teacher peace-makers: "Why are you hitting Ar- thur?" "Freddie is absent." "Why did you put sand in Richard's mouth!" "It was open." "Why did you kick Philip in the stomach?" "Because he turned around." "How did Billy break your hammer?" "I hit him on the .head with it." * * * I am taking the liberty of listing the most fre- quent charges of the people against the United Nations: They are located on the original site of the Tower of Babel. They condemn nations to death by elocution. They are expert at bring- ing disorder out of chaos. They are a summit meet- ing that's not on the level. Other judgments are longer and even stronger: One reason the Ten Commandments are so short and clear is that Moses didn't have to send them through the UN. ing shortage. Then it must be only a rumor started by people with no place to live. What this country needs is the spirit of '76 and the prices of '36. We should' send the People to the conventions and let the candidates stay home and watch television. Until you're 21 your par- ents take care of you. After you're 65 the government looks after you. Today I am 21. Do you have any plans for the 44 years in between? Youth Lobby for Soviet Jews * * * And then there are the personal "just to let you know how I feel" mes- sages: You're a real conserva- tive, the kind of guy who thinks that nothing should be done for the first time. The government is like a huge elephant that sits on a baby'bird to keep it warm. You say there is no hous- Rep. Robert Drinan, chairman of the Interna- _ tional Committee for Anatoly Shcharansky, is shown addressing more than 200 students from 28 univer- sities who gathered in Washington recently to brief their legislators on the new crises facing Russian Jews. The youths opposed a new bill by Illinois Sena- tor Adlai Stevenson which would, in effect, destroy the Jackson Amendment which links Soviet human rights to U.S.-Soviet trade. Vietnamese Boat People Mark Successful Integration in Israel By JERRY CHESLOW - World Zionist Press Service The 102 Vietnamese refugees who arrived in Is- rael (from the over-crowded Tung An freighter anchored in Manila Bay at the end of 1978), will have an easier time being absorbed into Is- raeli society than you might think," said Dr. Tran Quang Hua, the Israel govern- ment's adviser on their integration. "It's true that there is a difference between Israeli, Western-style democracy and Vietnamese, Oriental Communism. But one must not forget that most of the adults in the group grew up under the Western-oriented Saigon regime, before the Communists took over three years ago." Dr. Hua, a cardiac sur- geon at Israel's Tel Hashomer Hospital, should know about the absorption of Vietnamese immigrants. A year and a half ago, he and 65 other Vietnamese . who fled from their country, were brought to Israel. Of the first group, as many as 62 remained in Israel and four went to the United States to join family members. All of the adults are working as doctors, dentists, labor- ers, and one couple has opened a very successful Vietnamese restaurant in Jaffa. The children have adapted to the schools. Dr. Hua maintains that the living standard among the Vietnamese Israelis is higher, than both the standard in Vie- tnam and that of the av- erage Israeli. apartment was outfitted as a clinic for the initial check ups. The examinations con- firmed the findings of the doctors who visited the ref- ugees while they were still on the Tung An. All 102 were in good health. Since the refugees brought practically noth- Unlike the arrival of the ing besides the clothes on first group, the 102 refugees their backs, volunteer saw familiar faces when organizations provided they descended from the boxes of clothing and plane at Ben-Gurion Air- toys-. At the absorption center, the newcomers port. Dr. Hua and about 40 members of his group were were assigned flats that on hand to translate from • were furnished down to Hebrew to Vietnamese and basic- kitchenware and vice versa. They had also food. They also were advised the government on given pocket money. how to deal with the new ar- They are to stay at the rivals. center for three months, while they learn basic He- Dr. Hua had told the gov- brew and find jobs. After- ernment that Vietnamese do not consider conditions of waids, they are either to find their own apartments seven people to .a three- room apartment as over- or pay a small rental fee for staying at, the center. Like crowded. He also informed all imigrants to Israel, the the authorities on a number refugee will receive gov- of little things to ease the Vietnamese initiation, ernment subsidies to help them pay rent on private down to the flavor of tooth- apartments over the next paste they liked. five years. The refugees were - "Hundreds of Afula brought to Afula, center of families have offered to the verdant Jezreel Valley, and--put up in a 32- adopt the Vietnamese Adorned with the famed Israeli hat, the kova apartment absorption cen- families (an Israeli practice temble, this Vietnamese child shows his devotion to ter that had been set aside to help newcomers accli- his native country and to his adopted nation, Israel, for the hoped-for immigra- mate,)" explained Mayor by waving the flags of both countries. tion of Iranian Jews. One Ovadia Ali. "Our labor ex- change has more job offers for the Vietnamese than there are refugees. This is because the first group that came a year and a half ago have made such a good name as good and diligent workers. Do you know that two Tel Aviv-based com- panies have even offered to open branches here, just to take advantage of the Viet- namese manpower?" The job offers were mainly for craftsmen, industrial workers, nurses, cleaning and maintenance people, dairy workers and restaurant help. For their part, the refu- gee, speaking through their leader Tran Thuan, a school teacher who lost his wife and son in the es- cape from Vietnam, pledged to do their best to adopt themselves to Is- raeli ways. Because of the language difficulties, the children, who have already started school, are now learning mainly handicrafts and physical education, as well as the Hebrew language. Special nursery school kin- dergarten classes have been set up for the younger refu: gees. And the adults have already started their ulpan Hebrew language courses. Famous Concert Series En Gev's Musical Festival Set for Passover Holiday EN GEV, Israel — The Danish Ballet, the Haifa 36th annual En Gev music Symphony Orchestra, the festival will take place at Israel Philharmonic, the this kibutz on the shores of Jerusalem Symphony Or- the Sea of Galilee during chestra, Jubilee Singers, Passover and Easter. The Gevathron Choir and Arik' festival draws crowds from Einstein and Hanoch all over the world to hear Shalom. international artists per- form in the village's impres- _ For information, write the Israel Government sive auditorium. The 1979 schedule in- Tourist Office, • 350 Fifth . cludes soloists of the Royal Ave., New York 10001. n The waterfront fish restaurant at Kibutz En Gev is a pcipular spot with music festival , visitors.