128 Friday, September 25, 1981 THE DETROIT JEWISH HEWS 9sh, Hashana: Time for Retrospection, Rededication By DVORA WAYSMAN World Zionist Press Service JERUSALEM — Rosh Hashana has always been a time for looking backward as well as forward. We stand at the threshold of a New Year, but before we take our first faltering steps, we try to assess what went wrong with last year's dreams. Sometimes the blame is ours, sometimes we feel that circumstances over- whelmed us. Usually we have regrets. Perhaps for the first time, I am looking back with se- renity. The year 5741 was good for me personally, and — with everything in perspective —I think it was a good year for Israel. We didn't win any world popu- larity polls for some of our actions, like wiping out the nuclear reactor ir•Baghdad before it wiped us out or for our pre-emptive strike against terrorists in Beirut, Jerusalem, Israel. It was support I feel in this Jewish more than a physical state. journey and it took me Here in Israel, I also half-a-lifetime. It was a found my roots and a heri- spiritual journey which I tage. Judaism was a. burden and, with God's help, will began as an uninformed, to me in my youth, a social continue to do so with assimilated Jewess and handicap, an embarrass- strength and dignity. ended, detours not with- ment. Now it is a rich standing, as a Zionist and treasure-house, a source of Why was 5741 a good year committed Jewess. strength and comfort. It is for me? I didn't come into an For I found many things an inexhaustible well of inheritance, discover the in Israel that have made my wisdom, and it is only in Is- fountain of youth or even life rich and fulfilling. I rael that you can fully have a face-lift. On the con- found myself part of a fam- understand what it means trary, it was even more dif- ily. It is such a secure ex- to be a Jew. The Bible is a ficult to cope with Israel's spiralling inflation. Yet, perience emotionally to live living entity; its prophecies among your own people. are fulfilled before your when I look back, I smile. Like any family, there are eyes. You walk the streets A number of factors plenty of arguments, dif- where kings and prophets contribute to this seren- ferences of opinion, even at walked; live your life in the ity. The main one is that I- times bitterness. But they city of David. continue to live in are still my people and I feel I believe it is because I Jerusalem, the abiding their caring in a million came to live in Israel that capital of Israel. To me, ways. I reached my potential as this is a profound. mira- I have travelled consider- a writer — certainly it cle. I still think of it with a ably in my life, and lived in was Jerusalem that made sense of wonder that I and loved other places. But me a poet. Poetry is an made the journey from nowhere else haveI ever felt overflow of emotion, and Melbourne, Australia to the sense of belonging and I experienced it in Jerusalem for the first time. I found words shimmering and sparkl- ing in a way they had never done before, threading themselves nearly all of the first edi- pertaining to German onto a jewelled necklace tions of works by Moses Jewry," including several that became poems. Mendelsohn and the poet thousand family trees and Prose was not adequate to Heinrich Heine; and many hundreds of family his- describe the sound of the of the early classics of tories, some published and city . . . the sighing of pine Zionism. some in manuscript form, trees laden with secret sor- Letters and manuscripts which trace ancestry "to the rows; the sight of minarets, from more than 150 literary 18th, 17th, and still earlier turrets and domes; masses estates reflect the intellec- centuries." of grey stone turned golden tual life of German Jewry Many regions are re- at dawn, deep indigo at and a unique collection of presented in registers of dusk. The feel of cobbled 550 unpublished memoirs, vital statistics, including streets under your feet in written by Jews from 1790 Berlin, for which birth, the Old City. The perfume of to 1945, offer insights into marriage and death re- Jerusalem in the early the social and cultural as- cords are preserved for morning, wafting herb- pects of their lives. the period of 1714 to 1855. laden from the Judean hills. but Israel understandably puts survival before popu- larity. We have survived Baeck Institute in NY Preserves Rich History of German Jewry By BEN GALLOB (Copyright 1981, JTA, Inc.) More than 3,000 volumes in the 50,000-volume li- brary of the Leo Baeck In- stitute in New York City tell the story of almost every Jewish community in Ger- many in their long and il- lustrious history before the Nazis destroyed most of them, according to a report in a recent issue of the "Jewish Cultural News." Not only the Jews of Germany but also those of Austria and other German- speaking areas of Europe are the concern of the insti- tute. The report said that "much of the work of collect- ing, recording and preserv- ing that culture is carried out at the Baeck research center." Founded in 1955 to serve as a research and study cen- ter, the institute also has archives and a museum. The report said that while sister institutes function in London and Jerusalem, only the one in New York has a library and archives "considered the outstanding documentation center of its kind in the Western hemi- sphere." tither books deal with the general history of German Jewry and cover theology, philosophy and literature. Also included are family histories, re- ports about business enterprises owned by Jews, and a rare collec- tion of more than 700 preiodicals from the 19th and 20th Centuries. There are pamphlets by Martin Luther about Jews; The New York institute is considered "the most impor- tant specialized depository of genealogical material Ten t By SIMON GRIVER World Zionist Press Service JERUSALEM — The tennis revolution has made further inroads into Israeli - society during the last year. The momentum of the sport's rising popularity has been maintained by the opening of new centers in Jerusalem and Ashkelon and additional courts in Jaffa. It is estimated that tennis is now the country's biggest participation sport. Spearheading the revolu- tion is the Israel Tennis Centers organization (ITC), whose project of establish- ing 65 courts at seven cen- ters catering to 85,000 chil- dren is as much a social as a sports program. Most of the centers have been located in poor neighborhoods and aim to educate and better inte- grate disadvantaged chil- dren into society. The fact In addition to serving as a The muted sounds, the repository, the institute sense of history, the sponsors research projects spiritual quality of this et- and hosts seminars. ernal city. Seven shofarim usher in the New Year at alb Western Wall in Jerusalem. I have always been a writer, but it was only in Is- rael that I really found something to say. Last Jerusalem Day, at a cere- mony at City Hall, I re- ceived an award from Mayor Kollek for my writ- ings about this city. It seemed to me ironic that I was accepting a prize for what Jerusalem had given me . . for I am its debtor, not its benefactor. So for me, 5741 was a good year. And this year, as I step as an Israeli into 5742, it will not be with hesitancy but with confidence in the things I have found here — my people, my faith, my heritage. Israel has given me untold riches that mul- tiply in value every day that I continue to live here, and their bounty is inexhausti- ble. "Shaping A Poem" by Dvora Waysman Generations Td never known Somehow had molded me Into a Jew. I sprinkled it with faith Adding a new dimension To my long-held belief Of all that existed Was what my senses knew,. Now I had something more than Reality. I added lots of vision And a handful ordreams — That there could be a homq- land For the lost and lonely Ones who'd been discarded By an uncaring world .. . A refuge. The garnish was the thrill of building a new land Where even a dead language Sprang to life; and deserts Were green with promise Of tomorrow. Finally the dedication To those who gave their lives I took a measure of yearning For a vision and a hope. For something from the past. I found I'd made a poem The longing forged a link Of my life. Its name Welding me to my people — Was "Israel." Is Becoming Israel's Most Popular Sport- that a team of world class tennis youngsters has been produced has added icing to the cake. The man behind ITC is South African born Dr. Ian Froman. The former Israel Davis Cup captain got the program underway despite the indifference of the coun- try's sporting authorities. In 1976, the 16 court Ramat Hasharon center was opened with a 5,000- capacity center court. Training programs for 8-14 year olds were so successful that it was decided to extend the centers nationwide. Most importantly, it was discovered that chil- dren brought to Ramat Hasharon from poorer areas began to show im- proved behavior and to gain a new enthusiasm for life. So centers were built in Ya'acov Yona, chairman the world's most talented of the citizens committee of youngsters. Max Osheroff, Katamonim spoke of a new 14, and Gilad Bloom, 13, era of hope for the people of both winners of world titles, his deprived neighborhood. were stars of a squad who "In the past the people of had just returned from Bar- Katamonim have felt angry celona, Spain where Israel because they have been had finished second in the overlooked," he said."Wedo 25-nation Coupe del Sol not want charity but the championships. The cream chance to show our ability of the country's players are and the tennis center is the groomed at their local cen- kind of sporting and educa- ters through extra training tional facility that can and then sent to the Ramat transform the lives of the Hasharon center for work community's children." outs with the nation's best. Jerusalem Mayor The ITC program has Teddy Kollek noted that been financed by world GILAD BLOOM the center will help inte- Jewry and the Katamonim the northern, development grate the neighborhood and Ashkelon centers were town of Kiryat Shmona into the life of the capital financed through Project (eight courts) and Jaffa (this because children and Renewal by South African year expanded to 17 courts). adults will come to the and British Jewry, The Police in the Ramat Katamonim area from Ashkelon center -was Hatamarim quarter of Jaffa throughout the city to opened by hometown hero (one of the country's tough- play on the courts. "If the Shlomo Glick ste i n, now est neighborhoods) reported double aim of sporting 49th in the world tennis that juvenile crime was cut and social progress can ratings. by halfin the first year that be achieved here as Later this year, ITC's the center was open. elsewhere in the country ambitious program will In July, ITC officially it will be a remarkable reach completion when cen- opened their centers in the success," he said. ters are opened in Haifa Katamonim quarter of Kollek was then given a (eight courts) and Arad (five Jerusalem (11 courts) and friendly reprimand by Fro- courts). But demand for Ashkelon (17 courts). Here man for venturing onto the more facilities is bound to too it is hoped that children courts without tennis shoes. mean continued expansion will spend their time con- The crowd at the ceremo- and it was recently an- structively, on the • tennis nial' Opening were then nounced by ITC that they ' etal\18% rather than getting 'treated to 'tt . display of re- will construct a center in into trouble. . markabletennis by some of