Friday, January 1, 1983
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Israelis Come Out from Bomb Shelters
By HADASSAH
BAT HAIM
World Zionist Press Service
KIRYAT SHMONA —
Since its beginnings in
1948, the population of
Kiryat Shmona has been an
uneasy mixture of immig-
rants from many lands,
with the largest numbers
coming from North
America. It has had to di-
gest thousands of relatively
unskilled, and in some cases
unlettered, newcomers
often from harsh back-
grounds engendering_
widely divergent cultural
habits and inclinations.
The difficulties have been
compounded since 1967, the
year which saw the start of
the continuous harassment
from the guns of the PLO
over Israel's northern bor-
der.
Now, after 14 years of liv-
ing in the shadow of terror,
the town (official population
14,000) is free to take stock
of its assets and look to the
future. For the first time the
townspeople, having been
welded into an entity by vio-
lence from outside, are
thinking of themselves as a
community. Ethnic di-
visions are pushed aside in
the communal effort to de-
velop the town for every-
body.
The people are still
somewhat dazed by the
suddenness of the way in
which peace broke out,
and the completeness of
the change. It will take
some time to adjust but
plans are already under
discussion for more in-
dustry and improved so-
cial amenities.
The years 1981-1982 had
been the worst in the his-
tory of the town in terms of
rocket and shellfire attacks,
so when the military opera-
tion to silence the guns be-
gan, the people of Kiryat
Shmona rushed to express
their thanks to the army.
They were the first to set up
way-stations with drinks
and cookies for the troops.
On the first day of the war
$1,000 was donated in
neighborhood collections for
the soldiers' welfare funds.
Telephones were set up at
once giving free calls for
servicemen.
Many local boys were in
the first wave of assault
troops to cross the border
and the citizens felt that at
last something active was
being done to counteract the
bombardment which had
been their lot for so long.
According to Marcia
Brown, a community
worker, there were four
stages of acceptance of
the new situation. Firstly,
there was a tremendous
relief as if an unbearably
heavy burden had been
lifted from weary shoul-
ders. "We could suddenly
see the sun shining," was
the way that one teenager
expressed it.
Secondly, there was pride
in the achievements of "our
government," "our boys,"
"our army." Tales of
heroism and examples of Is-
raeli concern for Lebanese
civilians were the currency
These youngsters are happy to be out of the bomb
shelters in Kiryat Shmona.
summer we read and heard
of daily conversation.
After the waves of about improved beaches in
euphoria came the feelings Tel Aviv, of festivals in
of guilt for the high price the Jerusalem. As near as Haifa
country has had to pay for everything was normal,
its security. The figure of while less than 80 miles
368 dead emphasized the away people were being kil-
darker side of victory. This led and homes destroyed.
feeling was exacerbated by Surely if there is war in
the phone calls and letters Galilee, there can not be
received by some of the resi- peace in Natanya."
Finally there is the over-
dents from families of fallen
soldiers: "Our boy has died all atmosphere of uncer-
to keep you safe"; "this war tainty. Many families who
left over the 14 years of
was on your account."
stress have come back and
Yvonne Silverberg, a long are anxious to make their
time householder, thinks contribution to the town.
that it was a mistake to But with the removal of
name the operation "Peace danger there is a possibility
for Galilee." "The country is that the special considera-
one," she said. "Bombs in tion shown by the govern-
Kiryat Shmona are a threat ment will no longer be man-
to Tel Aviv." She said that ifested. Subsidies for the
throughout the years there new enterprises may not be
has been resentment be- available, and deep down,
cause of the attitude of the never expressed, is the lurk-
rest of the country.
ing doubt as to whether it
The town bears the really is over. The shelters
name of Yosef Trumpel- are all cleaned out and
dor and his seven com- ready —just in case.
One possibility of in-
rades who fell in the de-
fense of Tel Chai in 1920. creased employment may be
Trumpeldor's dying the tourist industry. The air
words, as we know, were, is clear and cool at this
"Never mind, it is good to height giving a welcome
die for our country" ("Ehi contrast in the summer to
davar, toy lamut be'ad the humidity of the coast.
artzenu.") Surely he The surroundings are su-
meant the whole of our perb and the people are
friendly. Israeli tourism,
country . . .
"When we were crowded which is in the doldrums,
into the shelters all last needs new ideas.
Top Rabbis Seek Re-Election
JERUSALEM (JTA) —
Premier Menahem Begin
intervened personally at
Sunday's Cabinet meeting
in favor of amending an
existing law so that Israel's
two incumbent chief rabbis
can stand for election to sec-
ond 10-year terms.
Begin was opposed on this
matter by Yosef Burg, inter-
ior minister and minister
for religious affairs, who is a
leader of the National Reli-
gious Party and Justice
Minister Moshe Nissim, a
RABBI OVADIAH YOSEF
RABBI SHLOMO GOREN
member of the Liberal
Party wing of Begin's
Likud. The law at present
limits a chief rabbi to one
10-year term. Shlomo
Goren is the Ashkenazic
chief rabbi and Ovadia
Yosef is the Sephardic chief
rabbi.
Begin originally wanted
Goren and Yosef to be given
tenure until they reach age
70, without elections. He
agreed to elections on condi-
tion that the two incum-
bents be allowed to run.
If the open border with
Lebanon really becomes
free for both sides there
will be considerable traf-
fic back and forth. The
Lebanese are no stran-
gers to the northern
towns. Workers cross
daily into the factories
and farms, the shops and
restaurants. Sports
matches are frequent.
Lebanese children get in-
struction at the Israel
Tennis Center in Kiryat
Shmona.
"The Lebanese are our
partners in suffering. We
know that they have been
victims of the PLO just as
we have and we would like
to establish some joint ven-
tures, mainly with regard to
tourism, together with
them," said an official in the
town.
The word "peace" in
Kiryat Shmona has many
connotations — freedom to
get on with living unham-
pered by the need to locate
the nearest shelter; in-
creased industry, which will
in turn attract more citi-
zens; prosperity that is not
crippled by the demands of
security; friendship with
the Lebanese neighbors and
open borders.
The thought of peace un-
ites all the people of the
region no matter what their
political or national affilia-
tion. On all their lips are
the words, "We are all pray-
ing that it will last."
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