THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
14 Friday, November 19, 1982
Detroiters Inspired by UJA Mission to Prague and Israel
Mission Diary
Prague
By SHELBY TAUBER
OCT. 5 — Prior to the
Nazi invasion of Czechos-
lovakia, there were 375,000
Jews living there. Only
50,000 survived the Nazi
occupation and, by 1950,
half of those had emigrated
to Israel. The Soviet Union's
reversal of its pro-Israel
stand after 1949 led to an-
other mass exodus, reduc-
ing the population to 16,000
by 1951.
The Jewish population
today is about 13,000, with
OCT. 6 — Upon our arri-
val we are met by Dr.
Golsky and Mr. Radvansky,
the president and
secretary-general of the
Council of Jewish Com-
munities. They welcome us
with joy and flowers — what
a Jewish thing to do! We are
the first Jewish group to
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There is a farewell dinner
at the Community Center
with our new "family." We
are entertained by a won-
derful choir and say good-
bye to our new friends.
There is much sadness.
the vast majority living in
Prague. That's all that's left
of a culturally-rich Jewish
community.
Larry Jackier explains
that we are the first Jewish
group to go to Czechos-
lovakia, part of an exchange
with the Czechoslovakian
government. In return for
our promise to send Jewish
leaders — and U.S. dollars
— the Czechoslovakian
government is sending an
exhibition of the finest
Judaic artifacts existing in
the world to the U.S. for a
seven-city tour. It's such a
good feeling to go as a
strong, open Jewish group.
On a United Jewish Appeal mission to Israel
last month, active Detroit Allied Jewish Cam-
paign leaders demonstrated their solidarity with
Detroit's Project Renewal twin city of Ramia.
They also visited the Jewish community of
Czechoslovakia.
The group was led by Lawrence Jackier and
Jane Sherman. Participants included Michael
Berke, Marlene Borman, Susan and Robert Cit-
rin, Diane and Sol Colton, Henry Dorfman, Marcy
and Michael Feldman, Miriam and Fred Ferber,
Doreen Hermelin, Joseph Jackier, Nancy and Dr.
Joseph Jacobson, Belle Kukes, Dr. John Marx,
Cecille Raichlen, Toby and Abraham Satovsky,
Julius Schaumberg, D. Lawrence Sherman and
Shelby Tauber.
The attached mission diaries were written
by Shelby Tauber, who offers her impressions of
Prague, while Cecille Raichlen reports on the
gathering in Israel.
Mission Diary -
Israel
By CECILLE RAICHLEN
In the top photograph, in a classroom in Detroit's
Project Renewal twin city of Ramla, are, with Detroit
T-shirts, seated in front, Miriam Ferber; seated in
back, center, Abraham Satovsky and Nancy and
Joseph Jacobson; and at far right, Marcy Feldman. In
the bottom photograph, at Theresienstadt concentra-
tion camp are, in front from left, the Jacobsons,
former Detroiter Phil Fisher of Florida, Czech guide
and Belle Kukes.
OCT. 8 — We are on the
come here since 1968. How
bus at 7:45 a.m. to go to
isolated they must feel.
Prague is very beautiful Theresienstadt, the "model"
— called "the city of spires concentration camp. A
and columns." Although the marvelous couple, Mr. and
population is about Mrs. Lausher, survivors of
3,000,000, there are few this camp, guide us
cars or people on the streets. through. It must be unbear-
We are taken to the Inter- able for them. This camp
Continental Hotel, which is was shown to the Red Cross
to "prove" that Jews weren't
lovely.
being
slaughtered.
We are briefed by Mark
Over 30,000 prisoners
Talisman, who has dedi-
cated the last year-and-a- passed through here, many
dying from the inhuman
half to setting up this ex-
change. He stresses the im- conditions, many more in
portance of telling others the death camps to which
what we see here, urging they were sent. This one,
however, was called "Hit-
others to come.
OCT. 7 — We start the ler's gift to the Jews."
OCT. 9 — We go to
day at the Jewish Town
Hall, not unlike our Detroit Shabat services at the
Jewish Welfare Federation Altneu (Old-New) Shul, the
building. We break into oldest in Europe. It is Or-
groups, ours going to the thodox, and men and
Maiselof Synagogue. It women are segregated. I
houses the most fabulous meet a wonderful ''Russian
collection of synagogue woman, Rachel, and her
silver from the 18th Cen- son, Eric. He is studying to
tury on and hundreds of become a doctor in the
Soviet Union. Rachel is very
Torah curtains.
From there we go to the bright and articulate in
Old Jewish Cemetery, English, but also very
where 12,000 are buried — guarded.
The group
OCT. 10
12 layers deep. The cemet-
ery is in terrible disrepair, takes a subway to the new
but there is one man we see Jewish cemetery — 300
trying to clean up the years old and the most
beautfiful cemetery I've
weeds.
Then we go to see an ex- ever seen. We see many
hibition of children's art, familiar names, including
drawings done while they Tauber, Brandeis and
were interned at the There- others of people we all
sienstadt concentration know. And we see Franz
camp. it is heartbreaking. Kafka's tomb.
The collection is entitled, "I
Never Saw Another Butter-
—
After lunch at the Jewish
Community Center restau-
rant, we are brought to the
warehouse containing the
33,000 articles of Jewish
religious art. It is mind-
boggling. The Nazis
gathered this extensive col-
lection of the finest silver,
tapestries, tzedaka boxes,
clocks and paintings from
all over Bohemia and
Moravia. The items were
brought to Prague where
the Nazis intended to create
a museum to a people they
had destroyed. We all feel a
terrible anger and sadness.
OCT. 11 — Touchdown at
4 p.m. — Ben-Gurion Air-
port — with pounding
hearts, heavy eyes. Four
hours later, we stand at
Modiin, birthplace of the
Maccabees. Five hundred of
us become 1,100 as men and
women gather with the
people of Israel. We light
1,100 candles to glow in the
night as symbols of our
strength and unity.
OCT. 12 — We listen sob-
erly to the economic facts of
the Peace for Galilee opera-
tion in Lebanon — facts that
could mean cutbacks in aid
to those most in need.
We reach Elkana, a set-
tlement in Samaria over-
looking Tel Aviv — and
two-thirds of the population
of Israel. Following an ad-
dress by Defense Minister
Sharon — sobering, strong,
yet muted — there are the
words of the children's choir
singing of peace in the hills
and valleys.
We head back to Kfar
Blum for a lovely evening of
home hospitality with Is-
raelis.
OCT. 13 — On the bus at
5:30 a.m. we head north to
Metulla and from there past
the Good Fence into eastern
Lebanon. We travel north-
east to view some units of
the Syrian encampments in
the Bekaa Valley — from
afar, amuse. A discussion
of the Lebanon operation
takes place with Israel De-
fense Forces officers, press
liaison and 18-year-old boys
away from home for _ five
long months.
South again, we head for
Ramla to meet our friends
in our Project Renewal sis-
ter city.
OCT. 14 — Three
thousand Americans and
Israelis march in an amaz-
ingly solid mass of human-
ity and superhuman spirit.
We crowd streets of
Jerusalem on our way to the
Western Wall. Deputy
Premier Levy and Mayor
Kollek address the crowd,
and we sing Hatikva with
pride and love.
Later, we gather to hear
Prime Minister Begin.
* *
Detroiters, with mission leader Lawrence Jackier
at right, carry a Detroit-Ramla sign during the United
Jewish Appeal mission parade through Jerusalem.
c:j