THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Friday, November 16, 1919 21

Boris Smolar's

`Between You
. . . and Me'

Editor-in-Chief
Emeritus, JTA
,. (Copyright 1979, JTA, Inc.)

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.41

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THE CJF ASSEMBLY: The Council of Jewish Fed-
erations is holding its General Assembly in Montreal
through Sunday. Attended by more than 2,000 community
eaders and executives from all over the U.S. and Canada,
he CJF Assembly could be likened toa Jewish Parliament.
It determines annually the policies and programs for the
affiliated communities. Its delegates are chosen by member
community organizations in proportion to their Jewish
population.
The CJF helps Federations to raise close to $500 mil-
lion a year for local, national and overseas Jewish needs.
Recognized in Washington as the representative and coor-
dinating body of Jewish communities in this country, the
CJF is receiving and administrating government grants to
help Jewish communities in the U.S. absorb immigrants
from the Soviet Union. This year it received $24 million for
this purpose; it anticipates it will receive $34 million in
1980.
THE "DROP-OUT" ISSUE: The "hot" issue at the
assembly is the issue of the "drop-outs' — the growing '
number of Soviet Jewish emigrants who refuse to proceed
to Israel, the country of their destination, and remain in
Rome in the thousands where they apply for visas to the
United States. The Jewish Agency is alarmed over the fact
that with every transport from the Soviet Union the prop-
ortion of the drop-outs is increasing; it has now reached 70
percent. The agency has been trying — so far unsuc-
cessfully — to pressure American Jewish leaders to deny
aid in transportation to the U.S. and in resettlenient in the
U.S. to those who refuse to continue the trip to Israel.
Preliminary to the CJF assembly, leaders of about 30
Jewish federations which finance in their communities the
absorption of about 80 percent of all the Jewish newcomers
from the Soviet Union met at a special conference in
Chicago on this subject. They issued no statement and
adopted no specific decisions. From the sentiments ex-
pressed during the discussions at the conference — which
were within a week conveyed to the Jewish -Agency by top
American Jewish community leaders who flew specially to
Jerusalem — a picture emerged showing that:
• The American Jewish community is opposed to de-
nying transit and resettlement to Soviet Jews who proceed
to the United States instead of Israel. This stand is based on
moral and humanitarian grounds and on the age-old
Jewish tradition of "Pidyon Shvuim" — redeeming Jewish
captives.
• A speed-up system of absorbing the resettled new-
comers is needed in the U.S. so that they could become
self-supporting within two months rather than within the
present average of four months during which they are sup-
ported by the communities. The CJF has already under-
taken a number of actions in this direction and developed
guidelines on policies of making loans to the newcomers_
instead of grants for some services, thus reducing the cost of
resettlement for communities.
-• "Drop-outs" who have relatives in the United States
should approach the relatives for aid, especially in small
communities with limited resources. Federations in these
communities will continue to assist in the resettlement, but
relatives must also participate.
DISCUSSION IN ISRAEL: These and other facts
were brought to the attention of the Jewish Agency by the
federation leaders.
Some of these leaders demanded that the Jewish
Agency take a good look at its bureaucratic methods of
absorbing Soviet Jews in Israel — methods which provoke
disappointment among some of the newcomers and result
writing uncomplimentary letters to friends in the Soviet
nion, discouraging them from coming to Israel when they
can be admitted to the United States. The critics, known for
their dedication to Israel, urged a drastic shake-up in the
offices conducting the absorption and resettlement in. Is-
rael. They also urged a change in the Jewish Agency set-up
in Vienna where Jews coming out of the Soviet Union make
their first stop in the free world.

air

Technion Gains Medical Building

HAIFA — The Technion-
Institute of Technology re-
cently dedicated the B.
Rappaport Family Medical
Sciences Building on its Bat
Galim campus.
Philanthropist Bruce
Rappaport, a major bene-
factor of the Israeli univer-
sity, was awarded an hon-
orary doctorate degree and
64 graduates of Technion's
medical school received

their medical degrees.
A library at the medical
school was dedicated in
memory of Alfred
Goldschmidt, father of Mrs.
Ruth Rappaport.

AT LAST. YOU MAY BE ABLE
TO PUT AWAY YOUR GLASSES
OR CONTACT LENSES.

Orthokeratology: A programmed method to reduce,
modify or eliminate refractive anomalies - of the eye.

The normal eye

The myopic eye

Reshape the cornea

Improved sight

Light rays are
focused on the retina

Light rays do not reach
retina in true focus --

Special contact lens
modifies cornea shape

The eye can see
properly after the
lens is removed

A new ocular science,-
providing corrective eye care through the
therapeutic and programmed use of special-
ly designed contact lenses.

IN THE PAST,

structural irregularities
(anomalies) ) of the eye were considered
permanent and no therapy existed to cor-
rect them.

ORTHOKERATOLOGY.

GLASSES or contact lenses were nor-
mally prescribed to compensate for these
abnormalities which cause nearsightedness
(myopia), far sightedness (hyperopia ), or
astigmatism.

SOMEWHAT AS IN DENTISTRY, where braces
straighten teeth, orthokeratology uses spe-
cially designed contact lenses to normalize
the structural irregularities of the eye,
thereby reducing or eliminating refractive
errors. The specially designed contact lenses
are later used as required only as a "re-
tainer."

EYE

TODAY, there is a way to improve your vision
without the constant use of eye glasses or
contact lenses.

117h ilc space does not permit a complete explanation of orthokeratology,
here are answers to sonic of the most asked questions:

Can this method correct all
vision problems?

Much depends on the extent of the change
required. Theoretically, most irregularities
can be corrected. However, each patient is
evaluated individually and advised if cor-
rection is impractical.

Who can benefit most from
orthokeratology?

Those who can and wish to live without
glasses. Police and fire fighters, factory
workers and sports lovers, swimmers and
motorcyclists, and all those who can and wish
to enjoy clear, comfortable vision without
the constant encumbrance of glasses or
contact lenses.

Is there any danger to the eye?

Long range studies are being made at major
universities to determine the effect on eye
tissue. Final results will not be known for
years, however, preliminary reports from
some private practitioners indicate the
method is harmless when performed and
thoroughly supervised by properly trained
doctors.

Undoubtedly, there are other questions you want to ask, and we
invite you to make an appointment with our orthokeratology
department for a complete evaluation. Simply ask about
ORTHO-K.

BELMONT VISION CENTER

Dr. Myron Spalter, Dr. Ron Hernesko
Optometrists
Belmont Shopping Center
20512 Dequindre at 8 Mile Rd. • 891-6200

A dog teaches a boy
fidelity, perseverance and
to turn around three times
before lying down.
—Robert Benchley

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