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THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Trials, Tribulations of Israeli Tour Guide
World Zionist Press Service
"Look, for the great
majority of tourists I work
with — particularly the
non-Jewish tourists — I'm
Israel, the only 'live' Israeli
they meet on a one-to-one
basis.
"I, a nice Jewish boy
from Brooklyn, represent
5,000 years of history — Ab-
raham, Isaac and Jacob,
Jesus and the 12 Apostles,
Gush Emunim, Peace Now
and the government. It's a
terrible burden."
But it is a burden that
Walter Zanger, 44, tour
guide, former Reform rabbi,
former chaplain in the U.S.
Army, appears to relish. Or
he wouldn't be doing the
toughest, most demanding,
most exhausting job in the
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tour business.
Tour guides are a spe-
cial breed: they are indi-
vidualistic, talkative,
with dominating per-
sonalities. They have to
be intelligent to be ac-
cepted into the Israel
Tourism Ministry's guid-
ing course in the first
place and they have to
have the physical and
emotional stamina to
cope.
Zanger has been a guide
for six years.
A strange thing happens
between tourists and their
guide. The group develops a
dependence syndrome,
something similar to the re-
lationship_ between
psychiatrist and patient.
Women quite often fall in
love with their guides ("You
have to watch that," says
Zanger.)
This dependence is not so
great with Jewish tourists
who feel more at home.
"Jews usually have
friends or relatives living
here. I'm not their sole
contact with Israel, so
they are more relaxed.
"But Christian groups are
more complicated. They are
serious. They know their
Bible inside out. They have
tremendous expectations.
They are on a pilgrimage to
the Holy Land, and I'm the
Jew who is going to make it
all happen for them.
"For fundamentalist
Christians, having a Jewish
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guide on whom they are to-
tally dependent can be a
serious dilemma. Do they
trust me or not?
"I have to establish my
authority with them early
in the tour. When I tell them
something, they must be
able to believe me or the
whole thing is disaster —
particularly when we are
dealing with controversial
theological issues."
Fortunately, Zanger,
with a degree in philos-
ophy and theology from
Amherst and 10 years at
the Hebrew Union Col-
lege under his belt, also
knows his Bible inside
out.
"I really enjoy working
with Christian tourists.
They ask questions and are
enthusiastic. They're nice
people. In fact, there are
guides who won't work with
anyone else. They say the
Christians are more polite,
more tidy, more orderly,
more appreciative . . .
"I've had just one group
that I'd never want to guide
again. A bunch of born-
again Christians, real
Zionists who saw Israel as a
fulfillment of prophecy. The
only problem was they
didn't like Jews. Ten day of
Jew jokes.
"They were at me day and
night to see the light. What
with that and the Jew jokes,
it was too much. Never
again.
"I've had other disas-
ters. I'm particularly
wary of a Christian group
travelling with a Jewish
tour leader. Oh beware of
that! The Jew wants to
censor every damned
thing I say. 'Tell them
this, Walter. Don't tell
them that, Walter.' Terri-
ble!
But that's the tsuris.
What counts, what keeps
the guide hooked on his pro-
fession, is the tour that goes
well.
"Israel can be so terrific,
so exciting," says Zanger.
"Archeology, history, reli-
gion, beautiful parks, scen-
ery — the lot. It can be
mind-blowing. And every
day of the trip can be more
sensational than the last.
"When that happens
nothing is ever quite the
same again for any person
in that group. Whatever
they do afterrards, they
have a different perspec-
tive. Israel really changes
people."
* * *
Twice a year, hundreds of
hopeful, would-be tour
Nazi Thanks
JDL for Beating
NEW YORK — American
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Covington said his cuts
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Whoever blushes seems
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Friday, February 20, 1981 23
LIFE'S SPECIAL EVENTSTh
guides apply for a place in
the Jerusalem Tour Guides
course — a rigorous, 18-
month program of study and
field trips under the au-
spices of Israel's Ministry of
Tourism.
Of the many that apply,
few are chosen. Candidates
are sifted through
psychometric tests, exam-
inations, interviews with
psychologists and the board
of admissions. The school
has places for only 50 stu-
dents, and as many as 500
apply for each intake.
Once accepted, the stu-
dents — of all ages and
backgrounds — are lectured
in geology, climate, topog-
raphy, archeology, pre-
biblical, biblical and post-
biblical history, Judaism,
Christianity, Islam,
Zionism, the Holocaust and
the methodology of guiding.
They spend 70 days in
the field, exploring Israel
from one end to the other
under the tutelage of ex-
perienced guides.
Those who stay the course
and graduate become
licensed tour guides, a much
coveted title. For without
the license it is illegal to
work as a guide.
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