12 Friday, September 14, 1979 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Jerusalem's Lack of Industrial Development Creates Problems Israel's Jerusalem, largest city, has not been developing industrially at an adequate pace in recent years according to a recent story by Harley Braidman in Israel Digest. Industry should account for nearly 20 percent of eco- nomic activity, yet it now accounts for only 11.5 per- cent of all economic activity, as compared with 25 per- cent in Tel Aviv and 19 per- cent in Haifa. City indus- trialists are concerned be- cause in the last five years no industrial firms have been established in the cap- ital, the number of building starts and apartments in stock has fallen, and there are no new hotels under construction. One of Jerusalem's main problems is the fact that it has a special character as a university, civil service, and government adminis- trative city. These account - for the majority of activity — no less than two-thirds in fact. Further, Jerusalem's work force is much lower than the national average, due to the fact that the population includes a par- ticularly large number of people on welfare and many yeshiva students. is then What Jerusalem's industrial situation on the ground? The capital enjoys De- velopment 'B' status, under the Encourage- ment of Capital Invest- ment Law. It also pos- sesses industrial parks, extensive research and development facilities, modern highways and very good banking serv- ices. There are excellent voca- tional schools and colleges, but because of the dearth of science-based industries, there is a drain of trained personnel in the capital. Al- though the expensiveness of the land and the high de- velopment costs have deter- red potential investors from coming to Jerusalem, industrial rent is relatively low because the Jerusalem Economic Corporation has provided space to scores of small plants and workshops which moved to five indus- trial parks. Nevertheless, the eco- nomic organizations and firms in Jerusalem have been lobbying the Knesset members to press for De- velopment-'A' status or even special status under a new law. As for the employment situation in industry, there are, a disproportionate number of Arab production workers in Jerusalem, fac- tories and workshops, which make for an imbal- ance in the political and se- curity situation. One-third of the indus- trial force is Arab, and absenteeism by Arab workers could disrupt industry severely. There are indications of syn- dicalist action outside Histadrut frameworks by Arab workers, and even political organization in the guise of social and economic activity. At the moment, 9,000 Jews are needed annually to redress the employment balance in industry, or a net rise of 4,000 workers. In fact, however, in Israel as a whole, only 4,000 people went into industry last year. What can be done to re- medy the situation? The an- swer seems to be science- based industries which can provide work opportunities for university graduates. One such firm, Basic Auto- mation, which produces micro-processors, has pro- vided employment for 40 graduates. Six new industrial science-based firms are going up in Jerusalem this year in the medical, phar- maceutical, food and acous- tic waves fields. A toxicolog- ical laboratory is being es- tablished and the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism is hoping for an- other 10 new firms to be es- tablished in 1980. Despite this turn for the better, there are other problems. For example, Atarot, the largest indus- trial zone, does not even enjoy a regular bus serv- ice for bringing em- ployees to and from work. The East Jerusalem Electric Cor- poration has not been able to maintain a consis- tent, unbroken electricity supply and some firms have installed their own generators to offset the millions of pounds worth of lost production. The answer, industrialists say, is electricity from the Israeli national grid. Another vital drawback is the high cost of housing, which is causing young married couples to leave the capital. Prices of apart- ments more than doubled in 1978. Yet another field in which Jerusalem could be further boosted is tourism, though there has been fine progress in the past. Atarot Airport should become interna- tional, with charters direct to Jerusalem. There should be an air terminal in the capital to ease the pressure on Ben-Gurion Airport. The train service to Jerusalem must be improved, with a new terminal. A new route to the coastal plain should be planned. Land should also be made available for hotel building and a special center built for holding international con- gresses, as rather unexpec- tedly, the Jerusalem Con- vention Center is fast be- coming too small for this purpose. Commercial and tourist complexes in suburbs would eas pressure on the cente f town and attract investors to the capital. Even though Jerusalem has a special character as the capital city, a university town and the center of the country's administration, it is unhealthy that its eco- nomic and industrial base is, not developing more rapidly and the authorities should surely give a higher degree of priority to reversing the present-trend. Deaf Brother's Feel for Sound Led to Youth Seeking Cantorate By DANIEL STONELEIT (COPYRIGHT 1979, JTA, Inc.) "What do you hear?" I asked him. "Corey opened his mouth and his voice would rise and fall, getting softer and louder; just like shaping phrases in a piece of music where you have a crescendo and decrescendo to bring across the words more effec- tively. He was feeling my expression and imitating it He was able to pick up the vibrations of my voice by feeling his bed and the wall, which conduct sound. Corey would also watch my mouth. He's a very talented lip reader, and was able to piece this into his under- standing of what music is. "That night was a tre- mendous discovery — and it helped to shape the course of my life since. I discovered Cong. Bene Shalom and began work- ing with it. "Shortly after, an old woman came up to me in the congregation after I had been singing and said she hadn't heard a human voice that clearly in her whole life. Nobody had ever sung for her before — and I was singing for her!" "People often ask me, Why a cantor for the deaf? They can't hear you,' " Ronald Eichaker says. For six years, beginning at age 16, Eichaker has served without pay as can- tor for Cong. Bene Shalom, Hebrew Association of the Deaf, in Skokie, Ill. A first-year student at Cantors Institute-Seminary College of Jewish Music, which grants the diploma of cantor and the degree of Bachelor of Sacred Music to those men wishing to enter the cantorate, Eichaker maintains his close ties to the congregation, flying to Skokie for High Holy Day services and keeping in con- stant communication with the congregation. His commitment to this unique congregation, the only one of its kind in the country with a full-time rabbi, began long before he wanted to be a cantor. It stemmed from his rela- tionship to his younger brother Corey, who is deaf. Eichaker shared a room with his 10-year-old brother. One evening when he was practicing There had been a congre- his singing, Corey lay gation for the deaf in Skokie down to go to sleep. for 20 years, but it had no Eichaker stopped sing- rabbi or cantor, and was run ing. Corey looked up and asked him why he had on a volunteer basis. The congregation would rent stopped. "It surprised me," rooms in other synagogues Eichaker remembers. "I for services since it could not afford a building of its said, 'But you can't hear own. At this point, a rabbin- me.' Corey replied, 'Yes I ical student at Hebrew can.' Union College, Douglas Goldhamer, would fly in from Cincinnati to conduct weekly services for the con- gregation. The members of the congregation decided that they wanted to hire Goldhamer as rabbi when he completed his studies. It was Eichaker's mother who suggested that they meet. Eichaker recalls, "Rabbi Goldhamer and I talked about a service that would serve the needs of the deaf. He was taking sign language instruction in preparatien for his future assignment. Deaf people wanted a real congregation. I was very enthusiastic when I heard of his plans and hopes. When he asked me to be the cantor of the congregation, I made one stipulation: I could not ac- cept payment. This was to be my mitzva." on, then From Eichaker drove 100 miles from Northern Illinois University every week to participate in services. His brother is a member of the congregation. His mother had assumed Corey would not have a Bar Mitzva because he was deaf. Rabbi Gol- dhamer began to teach Hebrew to both the adult deaf and the children. Since then, many have marked their Bnai Mitzva with biblical readings — including Corey. Eichaker explains the format of the services for the deaf. The rabbi reacts the prayer in Hebrew first. He then repeats it in English while using sign language. This has a function of ex- pression, of drawing words out, as in music and dance. A sign can be made to shape a phrase so it's not just words out of a book, but a feeling being expressed. Similarly in the sermons. Sign adds a dimension, like Marcel Marceau miming `Charge- of the Light Brigade' and Orson Welles reading it. It combines vocal and visual communication. This is the essence of the services. When the rabbi reads from the Torah, again he reads first and then signs. Bar Mitzva boys learn to pray in the same way the rabbi does and to deliver their sermon the same way." Eichaker chants the serv- ice in Hebrew, and says that it was a slow process to edu- cate the deaf in Hebrew. "I now have a choir of deaf people, led by a woman, Lois Gordon, who has been with me for the entire six years. She's hard of hearing, but not totally deaf. She can pick up my sounds a little easier than a deaf person. Her knowledge of sign is in- valuable; she signs while I sing. Usually it is just she and I in a Sabbath service. She stands next to me. It's not word-to-word relation- ship in sign language. I' shape the phrase of a song and there is a rest in the music. I hold the note out to see where Lois is, and end the phrase at the same time. It is very important that we begin and end every phrase at the same point to keep the symmetry of the song. "When we do Hebrew it's even more difficult. Lois cannot read my lips in He- brew so it's up to me to know the prayers in English and know where she is. This takes practice since most of the service is now in He- brew." It has been only in the last two months that a very significant event has happened in the congre- gation: the deaf are now singing; they are moving their lips and making sounds as they sign!" Cong. Bene Shalom pur- chased its own building four years ago. It now has a membership of 250. Some congregants travel from Tulsa, New Orleans, California and beyond to attend services at least onf.e a year, and many deaf and hearing people from the greater Chicago area come every week. Stamps Depict Israel History Pictured above are Israel's first stamps, released on May 16, 1948. The stamps depict ancient Hebrew coins which were issued almost 2,000 years ago. It was decided that every By ISRAEL I. BICK year the most important Israel Stamp events linking the Jewish Collectors_Society Starting in 1948 when the people should be commemo- first stamps were issued rated, regardless of any almost on the day of inde- other stamps released that pendence the founders year. As a result, the annual unanimously agreed that New Year and Indepen- the_ancient coins of the last dence Day series came into - periods of freedom should be existence. The first commemo portrayed. Thus the stamps at were inscribed "Hebrew issued after the Post" and depicted coins of Hebrew coins was a series of the Bar Kokhba (132-135 five in 1949 honoring CE) and the war of the Sec- Jewish New Year and pic- ond Temple (66-73 CE). turing antique scrolls. The first Iridependence Mechanical facilities and supplies were virtually un- Day series showed some of obtainable, yet they were the early ships bringing Jews hoMe to freedom in. issued in two days. When Israel was chosen their own country. The 1950 high holida; as the name of the free Jewish state, a stamp was series was designed by issued in blue and white, tist Arthur Szyk, t :!" showing the flag with the onetime indifferent Jev, Magen David that had been who rediscovered his faith chosen as the official banner alter the state of Israel came into being. of the state of Israel.