86 Friday, October 31, 1980

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Reconstructionists Planning
Kaplan Centennial Programs

NEW YORK — The Mor-
decai M. Kaplan Centennial
year will be inaugurated at
a celebration at New York's
Waldorf Astoria Nov. 22 by
the Jewish Reconstiuc-
tionist Foundation. Philip
M. Klutznick, U.S. Secre-
tary of Commerce, and- Sen-
ator Carl Levin (D-Mich.)
are hontrarY• chairmen of
the sponsors committee.

RABBI KAPLAN

Stanley
Rabbi
Rabinowitz of Washington,
D.C., Rabbi David Polish of
Evanston, Ill., and Rabbi
David Brusin of Skokie,
chair the Rabbinic Kaplan
Centennial Committee. The
Centennial will culminate
on June 11, 1981 when
Rabbi Kaplan, recently re-

Israel and U.S.
Are Compared

WASHINGTON — A new
booklet entitled "Israel and
the U.S.A.: A Comparison of
Two Allies" has been pub-
lished by the Jewish War
Veterans. There is a charge.
For information, write. the
Jewish War Veterans of the
U.S.A., 1712 New Hamp-
shire Ave., N.W., Washing-
ton, D.C. 20009.

Zionist Leader Dr. Emanuel Neumann Dies

TEL AVIV (JTA) — Di-.
Emanuel Neumann, who
for more than 60 years held
leadership roles in the
Zionist movement in the
United States and Israel,
died Oct. 26 at age 87. _
He was a former chair-
man of the World Zionist
Organization-American
Section, serving in that
capacity from 1968 to 1972,
and before the reconstitu-
tion of the Jewish Agency
he served as chairman of its
American Section.
Born in Libau, Latvia, Dr.
Drinan Center
Neumann came to the
United States at an early
for Soviet Jews
BOSTON — The estab- age and was educated at
lishment of the Robert F. Columbia University \and
Drinan Human Rights In- New York University Law
formation Center in Madrid School. He was, at the time
was announced at a tribute of his death, a member of
to Representative Drinan the New York State Bar.
As a youth he was one
(D-Mass.) in Boston.
The center, sponsored by of the founders of Young
the Union of Councils for Judea, during the first
Soviet Jews, will operate World War, and editor of
during the International the Young Judean maga-
Review of the Helsinki Ac- zine. He served as educa-
cords which opens this tional director of the
Zionist Organization of
month.
America from 1918 to
1920. In , 1921, he or-
Mary Ploshnick
ganized the Palestine
Mary Ploshnick, coor- Foundation Fund and
dinator of children's serv- was its first national di-
ices at the Detroit Public rector and later its
Library, died Oct. 26 at age president.
54.
In 1925, he organized the
A native Detroiter, Mrs. United Palestine Appeal
Ploshnick was a life and served for two years as
member of the Jewish chairman of its executive
Chautauqua Society, a committee. From 1928 to
member of Temple Israel 1930 he served as president
and its affiliates and served of the Jewish National
as the co-president of the Fund.
temple's bowling league.
In 1931, he was elected a
She also was the founding member of the World
president of Local 1279 of Zionist Executive and the
AFSCME: She was a libra- Jewish Agency for Pales-
rian.
tine, serving in Jerusalem.
She is survived by her He remained in Palestine
husband, Hershel; a until 1939, devoting himself
brother, Raymond to the country's economic
Zaborski; and a sister, Mrs. development;, as well as
John (Virginia) Dean.
vital political matters, such

turned from Israel, will
celebrate his 100th birth-
day.
In connection with the
Kaplan Centennial, the Re-
constructionist movement
had launched a $2 million
campaign to broaden the
scope of the Reconstruc-
tionist Rabbinical College,
and to establish outreach,
youth, adult education, new
publications and liturgical
programs.

EMANUEL NEUMANN

as his negotiations with
King Abdullah of Transjor-
dan.
Returning to America in
1940, Dr. Neumann devoted
himself during the war
largely to the political af-
fairs of the Zionist move-
ment and for several years
served as its political repre-
sentative in Washington.
He organized the American
Palestine Committee And
carried on negotiations with
the State Department.
As a spokesman for the
movement, he testified
twice before the Foreign
Affairs Committee of the
House of Representa-
tives and was largely in-
strumental in securing
final passage of the
Palestine Resolution by
both Houses of Congress
in 1945.
In 1943, Dr. Neumann
organized and also headed
the .Commission on Pales-
tine Surveys which brought
together a distinguished
group of American experts
to design the engineering
plans known as the Jordan
Valley Authority Project for
hydro-electric and power
developments in Palestine.
This plan, encompassed
in the report published
under the title "TVA on the
Jordan" is the blueprint

Gentile Volunteers Have Impact on Kibutzim

By MOSHE RON

The kibutz movement's
newspaper "Yahad" (To-
TEL AVIV — Israel's gether) reports that ap-
kibutz movement has at- proximately 70 converts
tracted attention through- are joining kibutzim each
out the world. Young per- year. Many convert in
sons building agricultural order to marry Jewish
and industrial settlements spouses; others convert
in sparsely-populated bor- without wanting to
der areas have also at- marry.
There is no law which
tracted foreign youngsters
to help them on the kibutz states that kibutz members
for varying lengths of time. must be Jewish, but it is an
In many cases, these vis- unwritten code among the
its have led to many gen- kibutzim. The secretariat of
tiles converting to Judaism the kibutz movement,
_ in order to marry Jewish therefore, advises. gentiles
members of kibutz for vary- who wish to permanently
join a kibutz to convert.
ing lengths of time.
This policy, has been the
In many cases, these vis-
subject
of many debates
its have led to many gen-.
tiles converting to Judaism among the kibutzim.
Every year thousands of
in order to marry Jewish
members of the kibutz. This Swedish girls arrive in Is-
problem has led to the es- rael through "Svekiv," the
tablishment of an ulpan for special agency which or-
gentiles at Kibutz Saad. ganizes their voluntary
The youngsters are taught work in kibutzim.
Helen Sommerfeld, a
Jewish laws and customs in
preparation for conversion 23-year-old Swedish
Jewish girl, has been in
to Judaism.
In some cases, it has been Israel two years. She
reported that girls return- married Raffi, who was
ing from these conversion born in Kibutz Neve Yam,
classes have come into con- and she works at the
flict with their prospective Svekiv office. She told us,
We are mostly dealing
husbands who do not follow
with women; this_inontka
the Jewish customs.

The Jewish News Special
Israel Correspondent

group of 100 Swedish
girls came to Israel and
only four men."
Ten years ago, Richard
Milrod of Sweden who had
stayed on a kibutz decided
on his return to Sweden to
organize groups of young
people to visit Israel. Some
2,000 Swedes passed
through the office of Svekiv,
nearly all of them women,
who have come to work on
kibutzim.
Svekiv has an office in
Sweden and one in
Natanya. The Natanya
office has nine employees.
Everyone wishing to go to
Israel and work at a kibutz
has to pay 2500. Kroner
($650) and be in the 18-32
age group. In return, he re-
ceives his fare and two
months stay in Israel. The
visit can be extended up to
one year.
The applicant must sub-
mit a questionnaire, supply
a health certificate and
pledge not to use alcohol or
drugs. The Svekiv office
chooses the kibutz for each
applicant. This way the
kibutz obtains cheap man-
power and the Swedish vol-
unteer learns about the
country and its society.

More and more voices
in the kibutz can be
heard, demanding re-
striction of the Swedish
worker-volunteers, be-
cause this contradicts the
principle of "Jewish
work" of the kibutz
movement. Hashomer
Hatzair was demanded a
reduction in this man-
power by 50 percent!
The manager of Svekiv in
Natanya, Mrs. Frieda
Brenner, said that the
kibutzim believe the
Swedish girls are a
"danger" for the young male
members of the kibbutzim.

They are beginning to pre-
fer Jewish volunteer or even
paid labor.
Svekiv has appointed
22-year-old Swede Tomas
Forsap to deal with the per-
sonal affairs of the volun-
teers. He visits the kibutzim
and listens to problems and
complaints of volunteer and
kibutz members.
It appears that 90 percent
of the volunteers are satis-
fied with the conditions.
There are only few cases of
users of drugs. There are at
least 20 marriages between
Swedish girls and male
kibutz members a year.

used by the government of Foundation, and served
Israel in its water develop- as its chairman. The
ment and engineering pro- foundation, of which Dr.
gram.
Neumann was honorary
When the Anglo-
chairman at the time of
American Committee of In- his death, had been car-
quiry was established at the rying on education and
end of 1945, Dr. Neumann cultural activities, in-
was charged with the re-
cluding the publication
sponsibility of organizing of modern Hebrew
the presentation of the classics.
Jewish case at the hearings
In 1961, he received the
in Washington and deliv- • Herzl Gold Medallion
ered the principal address Award for "distinguished
before-that body.
service to Zionism" awarded
Early the following by the Zionist -Organization
year he proceeded to of America.
Palestine accompanied
Widely recognized as a
by two. American writer and lecturer, Dr.
engineers, for the de- Neumann was a
st
tailed presentation of the
president of the Th
it
Jordan Valley Authority Herzl Institute and Founda-
Project before the tion, and former chairman
Anglo-American Corn-
of the editorial board of
mittee.
Midstream. He was a
At the end of 1946, Dr.
member of the board of the
Neumann played a con-
United Israel Appeal and
spicuous part in the pro- the Jewish National Fund
ceedings of the World
of which he was an honorary
Zionist Congress as a leader president.
of the American delegation.
There he was again elected
a member of the World
Zionist Executive and of the
Jewish Agency. Early in
1947 he went to London to
Unveiling announcements
represent the Jewish
Agency in the final negotia- may he inserted by mail or by
The Jewish News, 17515
tions with the British calling
W. Nine Mile, Suite 865. South-
Foreign Minister and his field, Mich. 48075. 424-8833. Writ-
ten announcements must be ac-
associates.
One of his most signific- companied by the name and ad-
ant services to the Jewish dress of the person making the
insertions. There is a standing
cause was made in the fall of charge
of $7.50 for an unveiling
1947, when he took an notice measuring an inch in
active part in the presenta- depth, and $12.50 for a notice two
tion of the Jewish case be- inches deep with a black border.
fore the United Nations at
The family of the late
Lake Success. As a member
Minnie Baxter announces
of the Jewish Agency Dele-
the unveiling of a monu-
gation to the United Na-
ment in her memory on Oct.
tions, he negotiated with
26 in Lakeside Cemetery,
repreSentatives of govern-
rhents and helped to bring Miami, Fla.
about the adoption of the
The' Family -
resolution on the partition
of the Late
of Palestine on Nov. 29,
1947.
MORRIS
He was honorary
LUX
president of the Zionist
-Announces the un-
Organization of America
veiling of a monument
and served as its president
in his memory 11 a.m.
in 1947-1948 and in 1956-
Sunday, Nov. 9, at Beth
1958. From 1957 to 1963 Dr.
Tefilo Cemetery. Rabbi
Neumann headed the World
Yolkut and Cantor Ad-
Union of General Zionists
ler will officiate. Rela-
as its president.
tives and friends are
In 1962, Dr. Neumann
,asked to attend.
founded the Tarbuth

Monument
Unveilings

The Family of the Late

RITA ABRAMS

Announces the unveiling of a monument

in her memory 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 2, at

Machpelah Cemetery. Rabbi Syme will of-

ficiate. Relatives and friends are asked to

attend.

The Family of the Late

BEN ZUPNITSKE

Announces the unveiling of a monument
in his memory 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 9, at Beth
Tefilo Cemetery. Rabbi Gorrelick will of-
ficiate. Relatives and friends are asked to
attend.

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