28 Friday, August 28, 1981

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Jobs, Not Shelling, Is Major Kiryat Shmona Problem

KIRYAT SHMONA —
Hanna Belenik is 78 years
old. She has given birth to
five children in her lifetime
and lost three to starvation
and Nazi artillery in the
siege of Leningrad.
In 1975, three years after
the death of her husband,
Hanna and her family fi-
nally received exit visas
from the Soviet Union. Her
son and her daughter chose
New York. For Hanna, liv-
ing in Israel — living as a
Jew — was a life-long
dream. At age 72 she came,
alone, and settred in Kiryat
Shmona.
"I love it here," she said in
a mixture of Yiddish and
Hebrew. The air is clean
and I am healthy and
happy. Israel is the greatest
country in the world."
But when asked about the
terrorist attacks, she loses
her smile and lapses into
her native, familiar Rus-
sian.
"When the katyushas
come, I remember Lenin-
grad and I am frightened."
The katyushas came with
vicious vengence in July,
when terrorist rocket at-
tacks escalated along Is-
rael's northern border. An
elderly man and a 14-year-
old boy were killed and 42
others injured in three
separate attacks. Scores of
buildings were damaged,
including a synagogue.
Many residents fled south
to safer territory. Hanna
and her 23 elderly compan-
ions living in the old-age
facility also were
evacuated. The Jewish
Agency Aliya Department
transferred 15 families to
Ashkelon.
With the announcement
of a cease-fire — though few
here believe it is more than
a temporary lull — the resi-
dents of Kiryat Shmona are
beginning to return to their
homes. Even the old-age
facility is full again and
Hanna and her friends are
back in their small apart-
ments,- determined to stay
despite the fear that is part
of daily life in Kiryat
Shmona.
This northern Israeli de-
velopment town, estab-
lished by the Jewish Agency

Hanna Belenick, right, and a fellow resident are
shown at Kiryat Shmona old-age hostel which was
evacuated during the July shellings by the PLO.

in 1949 on the ruins of an Shmona's commercial dis-
abandoned Arab village, trict and closer to the Pales-
has been a favorite terrorist tinian guns.
Under Project Renewal
target for 30 years. More
than 100,000 people have the neighborhood is linked
lived in Kiryat Shmona to 26 communities in the
over the past three decades, southeastern United States,
yet at any one time the through the United Jewish
population never exceeded Appeal. With the exception
18,000 residents. • Cur- of its physical rehabilita-
rently, Kiryat Shmona is tion, the problems of the
home to about 13,000 Is- Sprinzak neighborhood are
common to the rest of the
raelis.
to development town.
according
But
"We need to extend the
Menahem Hight, regional
director for Project Re- social portion of Project Re-
newal, terrorist rocket at- newal to the entire town,"
tacks and artillery are not said Hight. "For example,
the main reason for Kiryat the old age facility where
Hanna Belenik lives is in
Shmona's fluid population.
"Kiryat Shmona has al- the neighborhood. It was
ways been a target. Yet, there -before Project Re-
people want to live here. newal, but we were able to
The air is pure, the climate supplement the staff and
cool and the pace of life is provide additional services
not like in Tel Aviv. The to improve the quality of life
residents know how impor- for the elderly. There are
tant this community is as an more elderly throughout all
outpost . . . a Jewish , Kiryat Shmona who need
presence in the Galilee. the same services.
They want to be part of that
"We also need to provide
presence.
adult education, youth serv-
"But we always lose popu- ices, pre-kindergarten pro-
lation, not because of grams, health facilities,
katyushas, but because recreation programs and
there are no opportunities mother and child clinics —
for young people. Project all the things we have
Renewal can help provide
started in Sprinzak —
those opportunities."
Project Renewal, the joint throughout Kiryat
effort between the people of Shmona."
The single greatest diffi-
Israel and the world Jewish culty, and the one that
community for the com-
prehensive rehabilitation of causes the population to
change, accord-
Israel's distressed constantly
ing to Hight is the serious
neighborhoods, began in lack of meaningful em-
Kiryat Shmona in the ployment. There is very lit-
Sprinzak neighborhood, the tle industry of any kind in
oldest part of town, located the entire region. Approx-
on its northern edge. Sprin-
40 percent of the
zak is far from Kiryat imately
work force is unemployed.
Many are on welfare. The
municipality itself employs

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regular income.
"We need industry here,"
Hight said, "real jobs that
can provide a decent living
THE FINEST AND
for families. While attract-
LARGEST POOL BUILDER
ing industry to Kiryat
Shmona is not a formal part
IN THE MIDWEST
of Project Renewal, we are
Almost a quarter of a century of
hoping that, through the
supplying discriminating buyers has
earned an unequaled reputation for
involvement of people from
Miami Pools.
the United States, we can
And, if you purchase a pool from Miami. well give
find investors. The social
S150.00 to your: Temple or Synagogue.
programs will provide for
You are cordially invited to visit .r beautiful indoor display
their financial needs. Then
at 33060 Northwestern Highway at Fourteen Mile Road.
Financing available now.
the population will become
stable. The people will stay
despite the katyushas."
33060 Northwestern Highway SOUTHFIELD OFFICE: 358-0012
Physical rehabilitation,
" West Bloomfield, Michigan
ROMEO, MI. OFFICE: 752-6333
often the largest component
626-5131
in a Project Renewal
neighborhood plan, is not a
major problem in Kiryat
Shmona. There are fewer
than two dozen apartment
METROPOLITAN DETROIT, MICHIGAN
buildings in need of expan-
sion or renovation. The
town has two community
0011 MIN ow
centers, both supported in
lare 4mra
part with funds_from UJA/
community campaigns, one
CONGREGATION SHAARIT HAPLAYTAH
that has functioned for
IS PROUD TO ANNOUNCE
years and a new facility is
opening in the Sprinzak
neighborhood.
Part of the cost of the new
center was provided
with The Esteemed and Highly Acclaimed
through Project Renewal
Cantor Seymour Greenstein
-
and, although construction
has been delayed due to
Rosh Hashonah: Sept. 28, 29, 30, 1981
5142
damage caused by a rocket
1981
Yom Kippur: Oct. 1, 8, 1981
-
attack, the facility will be
To be held at the- Glenn Schoenhals School
functioning soon.
16500 Lincoln Drive • Southfield, Mich.
One important part of the
rehabilitation plan is
Donation $25.00 per person
unique to the community.
The High Holidays will soon be here, so make your reservations.
While other Project Re-
Sonia Popowski
Sol Kleinman
Jack Waksberg
newal neighborhoods are
Ticket Co-Chairman
23471 KENOSHA Chairman
converting unused shelters
557-3994
KE 5-3589
398-6861
into youth clubs, in Kiryat
Shmona more shelters are
Louis Apfelblat Simon Schwarzberg - Leo Halpern
required. Since the resi-
353-9231 541-1450
557-1141
542-0521
dents spend considerable
time in the shelters, Project
Mrs. Ben Fisk
Gedale Elbaum
Abe Weberman
Renewal is seeking to im-
Ticket Chairman
prove the facilities and pro-
545-1244,
548-7339
626-5224
vide recreation and pro-
All proceeds from High Holidays will go toward the Memorial Center
gramming to help occupy

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CONGREGATION SHAARIT HAPLAYTAH

HIGH HOLIDAY SERVICES

ADAT SHALOM
SYNAGOGUE

Cordially Invites You To Attend

OPEN HOUSE

Book Documents
Source Materials
on Soviet Jews

NEW YORK — Source
Book on Soviet Jewry, a
116-page, annotated, inde-
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Union, has been published
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The volume contains 650
entries listing and describ-
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cles, journals and docu-
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Soviet government policy,
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to Soviet Jewry's condition,
as well as with a variety of
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