THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS By SIMON GRIVER - JERUSALEM — Accord- ing to Genesis, God spent six days creating the uni- verse and rested on the seventh. This is the work pattern followed in modern Israel. Perhaps paradoxi- cally, it is the religious political parties that are among the leading advo- cates of a change-over to a five-day week. The fact that most Is- raelis still work six days seems surprising to some observers, considering that all the industrialized West and most of Eastern Europe have a five-day work week, while same are even dis- cussing a four-day week. The enigma becomes the more mysterious because experts like Zvi Yogev, so- cial researcher at the Insti- tute of Productivity in Tel Aviv, who have carried out extensive studies on the subject, assert that every- body would gain and almost nobody lose by a shortened week. At the moment, Israelis work an assortment of hours. The hardy kibutzniks are renowned for rising at the crack of dawn and working into the afternoon six-days- a-week and often more during harvest time. Most bank and shop em- ployees have a split day, resting during the tradi- tional "siesta" hours from 1 to 4. Those in- volved in the tourist in- dustry must work all manner of hours. But by far the largest por- tion of the country's work force is employed in fac- tories and offices, working an average of 45 hours a week, starting Sunday morning and finishing at 1 p.m. on Friday. Yet something of a silent revolution has been going on in industry, which is rapidly becoming a five-day operation. More than a third of Israel's industry has now changed over and in some sectors, like elec- tronics, more than 90 per- cent of companies have a Sunday to Thursday week. In such cases, it is usual to work a nine-hour day. "Within five years, and certainly 10," says Yogev, "all of Israel will revolve around a five-day week. It is unlikely that there will be legislation but the market forces are irresistible. Fac- tories that operate around the clock must calculate on three eight-hour shifts. Ef- ficiency is raised, costs are reduced and employees' lives become more comfort- able. "Newspapers are full of advertisements for job opportunities offering a five-day week as a major inducement," he says. In fact, Yogev's research, gleaned from 20 factories that have recently under- gone the transition to a shortened week, showed that one-third of employees were initially opposed to the new schedule, although most of them later reversed their opinion. Yogev's data shows that a longer day neither exhausts employees nor interferes with their evening activi- ties and hobbies. Surpris- ingly, while Israelis are 'well known for spending their Shabat on the beach, or at beauty spots, only 10 percent use their free Fri- days for trips. Most do household chores, their shopping and banking. Of single people, 30 per- cent take trips, although the majority go to visit their family. Even religious people, who cannot take trips on Shabat, do not take long car rides on Friday. Only five percent of those with free Fridays have taken extra jobs. Even if the companies themselves make sig- nificant savings by shut- ting the factory down for an extra day and consid- erably increase their effi- ciency, the Manufactur- ers' Association, repre- senting the nation's industrialists, claims the economy can't afford the changeover and has come out vehemently against the suggestion. Neither is it easy to see the kibutzim making the Former Detroiter to Direct Disney Feature Tiger Town' Former Detroiter Alan Shapiro will - turn his boy- hood love affair with the De- troit Tigers into a movie for cable television to be aired by the Disney Channel this fall. Disney has signed Shap- iro, 25, to direct ''Tiger Town," the story of a young baseball fan's devotion to his hometown team and its aging star outfielder. Shap- iro developed the idea and wrote the screenplay for "Tiger Town." Justin Henry, who was nominated for an Academy Award for his work in the movie "Kramer vs. Kramer," will play the part of the boy and Roy Scheider has been signed for the out- fielder's role, which is loosely based on former Tiger Al Kaline. Shapiro, who lived in the Detroit area until he was 15, is a graduate of the film school at New York University and now lives in Los Angeles. He worked for two years as a writer-director in a Warner Brothers de- velopment program be- fore being signed by Dis- ney as a screenwriter. He has also completed the screenplay for a theatri- cal feature on divorce as seen through a child's eyes. "Tiger Town" will be filmed on location in Detroit this summer and aired dur- ing the World Series in Oc- tober. change. Some commentators say that the Manufacturers' Associations' opposition is simply a bargaining post- ure, for the Histadrut Trade Union Feder'ation has linked the demand for a five-day week with a reduc- tion in the hours worked from 45 to 40. Legislation on the ques- tion is unlikely because both the major parties, Likud and Labor, although supporting the shorter week, have never taken the subject sufficiently seri- ously. But the religious par- ties, NRP and Agudat Yis- rael, are eager for a change so that Jews can better pre- pare for Shabat and utilize the long weekend to main- tain the sanctity of the Shabat. Moslems too are eager for the change as Friday is their Sabbath. As a minor- ity, many of them end up working although they would prefer not to, rather B'HAM - SOUTHFIELD - TROY Phone as some traditional Jews in the Diaspora would like not to work on Saturday, but do so for financial convenience. Book on Kashrut NEW YORK — The joys and problems of keeping kosher in today's world are discussed in a new book on kashrut just published by United Synagogue Youth. "The JeWish Dietary Laws: Sanctify Life" by Rabbi James M. Lebeau examines the philosophical and theological underpin- nings of kashrut as well as the- practical aspects of keeping kosher. For information on the 180-page softcover book, write United Synagogue Youth Publications, 155 Fifth Ave., New York 10010. There is a charge. 21 "TOM'S SERVICE COMPANY" Israel Moves Toward 5-Day Week World Zionist Press Service Friday, July 15, 1983 • Refrigerators • Heating • Dishwashers • Air-Cond • Apt. 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