22 Friday, September 11, 1982
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
New Zealand Jews Benefit
Israel, Maintain Traditions
By HEIDI PRESS
May The Blessings
Of Peace,
Good Health and Happiness,
Be Yours Throughout
The Coming New Year
nzrarizn
7132,5
Marvin & Claire Tamaroff
and Family
and Staff of Tamaroff Buick-Honda
We take it for granted
that at Passover we can go
to the local supermarket
and buy matzo and kosher
wine and all the other ac-
coutrements for the Seder
table.
But New Zealand's
4,500-member Jewish
community isn't as lucky,
for its Passover products
must be imported from the
U.S. Cake mixes must be
ordered in advance. Wines
come from Israel.
Despite the distance from
large Jewish centers where
these items are readily
available, Jews in New Zea-
land make up a vibrant,
active and committed com-
munity.
According to Carole
Gotlieb Zelcer of Auck-
land, New Zealand, who
was in Detroit this sum-
mer as the guest of Drs.
Paul and Barbara
Goodman of Huntington
Woods and Dr. and Mrs.
Max Hoffman of South-
field, New Zealand's
Jews are visible on a
variety of levels.
For example, the deputy
mayor in Wellington is
Jewish. The mayor of Auck-
land and his predecessor are
both Jewish. A few Jewish
Our Best Wishes
for a year of
Health, Peace
and
Happiness
AGINS INSURANCE AGENCY
AGINS ESTATE & CORPORATE PLANNERS
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Celebrating over a half century of insurance service to the community
CAROLE ZELCER
businessmen have been
knighted.
For Israel and Jewish
causes, New Zealand's Jews
are particularly involved.
Following the Six-Day War,
New Zealand's Jews con-
ducted a drive for the
United Israel Appeal, which
Mrs. Zelcer said showed "an
exceptional turnout."
Bnai Brith, Women's In-
ternational Zionist Organ-
ization (WIZO), and Bnei
Akiva and Habonim are the
most strongly supported
Jewish organizations. New
Zealand's Jewish National
Fund affiliate also is quite
active, Mrs. Zelcer said.
The daughter of the
late New Zealand Zionist
leader Isaac Gotlieb, who
visited the Detroit Zionist
organization in 1950, Mrs.
Zelcer lived in Hastings, a
small community, where
she raised her four sons.
She taught her children
Hebrew with the use of
tapes, and when it came
time for their Bnai
Mitzva, a rabbi had to be
flown in. The family
moved to Auckland "for
the children— to be in the
Jewish community," she
said.
New Zealand's Jewish
community is concentrated
in three major cities, the
capital — Wellington, Au-
ckland and Christ Church.
It is in Christ Church where
the Orthodox synagogue
celebrated its centenary re-
cently.
Dunedin also has a
synagogue. In Auckland
there is an Orthodox
synagogue and in Wel-
lington "a liberal temple,"
but mechitza (division of
men and women in the
sanctuary) is practiced in
all of them.
"Services in a United
States Conservative
synagogue are exactly what
we have at home, except
that women participate,"
she said. She remarked
about the availability of
taleisim for men in the syn-
agogue. In New Zealand,
taleisim have to be pur-
chased from overseas.
Kosher meat is avail-
able within the country.
A shohet is based in Wel-
lington and kosher meats
are pressure packed and
frozen.
Asked if New Zealand's
Jews encountered any
anti-Semitism,
she said it
„
was rare.
"Only recently a Wel-
lington shul was desec-
rated." She added that
Hillel groups on college
campuses are active. "They
serve to crush the anti-
Semites," she said. "The
majority of the (college)
students are for the Jewish
kids."
She said the PLO sent a
representative to the New
Zealand government seek-
ing permission to open up
an office.
Resettlement of Soviet
Jews is currently being
undertaken by New Zea-
-land's Jewish commu-
nity. According to Mrs.
Zelcer, Wellington has a
committee to "rehabili-
tate" Russian Jews, and
there is always a flat and
a job for them.
"Some like to assimilate
with the Jewish commu-
nity. Some, like the older
ones, keep to themselves,"
she said.
She added that many
don't even know they'i'e
Jewish until they see their
passport. -However, she said
that they pursued a-Jewish
lifestyle. Three couples who
had civil marriages in Rus-
sia, renewed their vows by
having Jewish marriage
ceremonies in New Zealand.
Mrs. Zelcer became ac-
quainted with Dr. Hoffman
during World War II, when
he was stationed with the
Navy in New Zealand. Her
family hosted Dr. Hoffman
and they became good
friends. Mrs.- Zelcer asked
him to help her find a
Jewish pen pal from the
U.S. and he provided her
with the name of Barbara
Goodman. Prior to their
marriages the two corre-
sponded, but soon lost track
of each other.
It was a quirk of fate
that when Dr. Hoffman's
son Mark was in New
Zealand as part of his
world tour, that he found
Mrs. Zelcer. She hoped he
could help her find her
lost pen pal, and with the
aid of his father, reunited
the two.
Mrs. Zelcer, an avid
weaver, had a dual purpose
during her three-month
U.S. visit. She participated
in a weaver's convention in
Seattle, Wash., where she
displayed some of her crea-
tions and attended work-
shops.
She said she was sur-
prised by the availability of
Jewish foods, ritual articles,
greeting cards for Bnai
Mitzva and other simhot.
Most of all, Mrs. Zelcer said
she was surprised by how
large Detroit's Jewish
community is, remarking
"Wherever I go I see chais
and Magen Davids. I seem
to be bumping into them
everywhere!"
She said that although
Jews in New Zealand are
classed as a small ethnic
group, they still are visible.
"New Zealanders as a
whole know we are there.
We are accepted."
Deborah is Hebrew for
bee.