20
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS /
Friday, June 21, 1980
Bill Haber Steps Down, But Looks to ORT's Future
War Is Predicted
TEL AVIV (ZINS) — The
Strate
the gic
head of
Studies Center, Gen. Aron
Yariv, predicts that Syria
will try to engage Israel in a
limited war.
By DAVID LANDAU
JERUSALEM (JTA) —
Dr. William Haber is 81-
years-old and has been
president of the World ORT
(Organization for Rehabili-
tation Through Training)
Union for 25 years, and was
president of American ORT
for 30. One might have ex-
pected, therefore, a measure
of conservatism on the part
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of this grand old man of
Jewish public life.
But not a bit of it. Haber,
an economist of distinction
who once headed the de-
partment of economics of
the University of Michigan
and is still active at U-M, is
sprightly and forward-
looking in his approach to
life in general and to ORT in
particular. He is immensely
proud of the revolutionary
changes that ORT has
undergone during this past
quarter-century under his
stewardship and eagerly
anticipates an even bolder
and speedier evolution in
the years ahead.
Haber stepped down as
world chairman at ORT's
recent 100th Anniversary
Conference in Jerusalem.
His place was taken by
former Israeli Ambassador
to the UN Chaim Herzog,
who is now in private law
practice and is also nursing
a burgeoning career as a
Labor Party politician with
ministerial ambitions.
It is fitting enough that
an Israeli take over the
ORT top lay spot in view
of the fact that two-thirds
of the organization's
vocational school proj-
ects now operate in Is-
rael. Out of some 100,000
young persons receiving
ORT vocational training,
more than 60,000 are Is-
raelis.
Under Haber, ORT all but
phased out its once-
widespread network in
North Africa, as the Jewish
communities there made
their way to Israel, France
and North America.
After Israel, ORT's sec-
ond most important area of
operations today is France.
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roun, Chad, Guinea,
But the most rapidly grow-
Malagasy (Madagascar),
ing, says Haber, is South
Mali, Nigeria, Rwanda,
America. By the turn of the
Senegal, Turkey, Upper
century, ORT hopes and
Volta and Zaire. They in-
plans to double its numbers;
clude setting up voca-
to have 200,000 students
tional training programs
under its wings.
in which ORT draws on
But\ the changes under
its accumulated experi-
Haber have not been merely
ence which is recognized
in numbers or in geograph-
by intergovernmental
ical dispersal but mainly in
and other bodies (World
terms of what educational
Bank,\, UN agencies,
opportunities ORT offers.
Asian Bank, U.S. Aid
Gone are the days when
Program, Canada, Swit-
ORT schools trained young
zerland and Sweden) p Q
Jews — and a great many
virtually
unparalleled.
older Jews, refugees and
This international ass.,
unemployed persons — in
DR. WILLIAM HABER
tance effort gives ORT
the traditional Jewish skills
"great - benefits
ization
raises
through
its
of tailoring, cabinet-
making or diamond polish- own campaigns and the experience-wise," says
United Jewish Appeal cam- Haber. The organization's
ing.
Today, says Haber, the paign through the Joint Israel connection has never
focus is on computers, Distribution Committee been an issue. On the con-
trary, the outgoing
automation, avionics, allotment.
president
hints, the ORT
Apart from its vocational
electronics. And ORT's
planners keep their ears training work among connection with African
and eyes carefully tuned mainly Jewish youth in and other countries some-
to employment and mar- many countries, ORT is also times provides "excellent
ket trends in the various engaged in technical assis- windows for Israel to look in
countries in which the tance programs in a number at this time when diploma-
of Third World countries. tic relations are severed."
organization operates. -
While Haber has handed
"We were doing badly in These projects are funded by
over
the day-to-day leader-
Buenos Aires," Haber re- international organizations
calls, "until we opened a or by state governments, ship of the organization, he
intends to remain active
computer school — and not by the UJA campaign.
At this time, such proj- and involved as a member of
overnight we were choked
ects are in operation in the ORT board for many
with applicants . ."
ORT today, moreover, Burma, Burundi, Came- years to come.
both in Israel and abroad, is
not rigidly devoted to turn-
ing out craftsmen and tech-
nicians. If a student is seen
to have aptitude, he is
JERUSALEM (JTA) — A
encouraged to pursue an
academic career and is pre- report in the Cairo daily
pared for it as well as in any Al Ahram quoting Chief
Rabbi Immanuel
high school.
ORT in the U.S. was tra- Jakobovits of Britain as
ditionally a matter of rais- supporting the creation of a
ing funds rather than Palestinian state, elicited
spending them. The federal another vow from Premier
government, after all, Menahem Begin that this
Haber notes, offers an excel- would never occur and a
lent vocational training blast against Rabbi
program of its own. "But our Jakobovits , from
people — particularly our Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi ,
Women's American ORT Shlomo Goren which
with its 150,000 member- amounted to a call for his
ship — wanted to see ac- excommunication.
Rabbi Goren issued his
tion." They wanted to see
RABBI JAKOBOVITS
close to home an example of statement although he was
how ORT's money is spent aware of Rabbi Jakobovit's
denial of the Al Ahram re- the settlement policies of
around the world.
port. This satanic declara-
Haber does not hide his tion" as well as previous the Begin government.
Begin, addressing the
own reservations about declarations by Rabbi
developing an American Jakobovits "disqualifies national convention of
program. But, he con- him from leading a Jewish the American Red Magen
cedes, the organization congregation," Rabbi Goren David for Israel here, did
not refer directly to the Al
bowed to the natural and
Ahram report. However,
understandable desires said.
He called on the "rabbis of
of the membership, and is the world and the Jews of he reiterated Israel's
now planning a number Britain to remove this position never to permit a
of schools across the U.S. dangerous man from our Palestinian state on the
For many years, there has midst." Rabbi Jakobovits West Bank and its inten-
been one ORT school in New has been a frequent critic of tion to retain permanent
control. of security in that
York, mainly intended for
territory.
new immigrants seeking a
new trade or vocation to Lansky's Visa
He also appealed to
begin life in the U.S. Re- Request Denied
International Red Cross i
cently, another New York
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Geneva to extend forr
school was opened, the
recognition to the Mat_
Bramson School. It was in- Reputed Mafia financial David Adorn.
wizard,
Meyer
Lansky,
has
tended to serve the indig-
enous Jewish community, been refused a one-month
but, with the rise in the flow tourist visa to Israel, after Council Extends
of Soviet Jewish immig- the Jewish state originally UNIFIL Mandate
rants, it caters now to a granted the visa.
UNITED NATIONS
The Israeli government
majority of Russian new-
(JTA) — The Security
reversed
its
earlier
decision
comers.
Council extended last week,
Explaining ORT's budget saying that Lansky, 78, still the mandate of the United
is
active
in
organized
crime.
breakdown, Haber stressed
He once sought Israeli Nations Interim Force in
that the governments of
Lebanon (UNIFIL) for an-
countries where ORT oper- citizenship, but was expel- other six-month period,
led
from
Israel
in
1971
at
ates, as well as other West-
until Dec. 19, 1980. The vote
ern governments interested the request of the FBI, was 12-0 with the German
in overseas aid, contribute which sought Lansky on Democratic Republic and
significantly to ORT's out- charges of tax evasion. He the USSR abstaining.
lay, thereby more than dou- was acquitted and renewed China did not participate.
bling the funds the organ- his efforts to settle in Israel.
Jakobovits Blasted Again
on Palestine State Stand