68 Friday, November 4, 1983 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Gerald Naftaly Is Seeking Re-Election to OP Council Jewish-Founded May's Marks 100th Anniversary Gerald E. Naftaly, mayor pro tern, has announced his candidacy for re-election to the Oak Park City Council. GRAND RAPIDS — May's, the western Michi- gan department store chain founded by the late Ab- raham May, celebrates its 100th anniversary this fall. Although the May fami- ly's personal involvement in the company ended in 1967 with the sale of the chain to an out-of-state, publicly- held corporation, the suc- cess of May's provided in- spiration to the state's 19th Century Jewish retailers. May's was an early example of what the department store would evolve into dur- ing the 20th Century. May opened his first store in Grand Rapids in 1883, under the name Giant Clo- thing Co. The store de- veloped a solid reputation throughout the country and, following a decision by Naftaly, 31, was elected in 1977 as the youngest councilman in Oak Park history and re-elected to a four-year term in 1979. Having received the most votes in that election he has served as mayor pro tern from 1981 through 1983. A resident of Oak Park for 30 years, Naftaly serves on the city's recreation advi- sory board and is a trustee on the employees retire- ment system. He is past president of the Oak Park Central Kiwanis Club and is a member of the Goodfel- lows in both Oak Park and Detroit. He also serves r GERALD NAFTALY other community service organizations. Naftaly was recently elected to the Michigan Regional Advisory Board of the Anti-Defamation League and is a member of the Jewish Welfare Federation 1984 Had- racha program. Naftaly's family is affil- iated with Cong. Beth Ab- raham Hillel Moses. He was graduated from Wayne State University with a degree in business administration. Over-Worked? JERUSALEM (ZINS) — The Israel Physicians Union argued that public service doctors were entitled to salary increases because there has been no increase in the number of hospital beds in recent years despite a 400,000 in- crease in population. - The doctors claim the lower percentage of beds per population increased their workload. The Israel Health Minis- try countered that the qual- ity of health care in Israel is on a par with all the highly-developed nations in the world, including the U.S. One day is equal to every day: To: The Jewish News -t 17515 W. 9 Mile Rd. Suite 865 WEI JUST From Paste in old label C NAME L Effective Date J I T Shown at last week's dinner on behalf of Yeshiva University are, from left, Gary Torgow, Marvin Be- rlin, Mrs. Joanne Zuroff, honoree Dr. Arnold Zuroff, Rabbi Herschel Schacter of Yeshiva U. and Rabbi James Gordon. Boris Smolar's `Between You .. . and Me' Israel Pullout from Lebanon May Spur Syria to IYo Same' NEW YORK (JTA) — Lebanese Foreign Minister Elie Salem said Sunday that a complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon may provide the Syrian government with a needed incentive for it to withdraw its troops from Lebanon and end what the Lebanese offi- cial termed as Syria's "il- legal" occupation of his country. "We believe that the withdrawal of the Israeli forces would be a major in- ducement for the Syrian forces to withdraw from Lebanon," Salem said in an interview via satellite from MK: Lebanon Partition Is Unavoidable Southfield, Mich. 48075 Meyer May, Abraham's son, to display clothes on wooden hangers (unheard of at the time), was recognized around the world. / In 1905, the company was incorporated under the name A. May and Sons and shortly opened two other stores in Grand Rapids, Michigan's sec- ond largest city. The 1967 sale of the chain by the May family was fol- lowed by a five-year finan- cial decline which nearly bankrupted the operation. In 1972, the company was purchased by Norman Talmo. Since Talmo took over the business, May's has experienced an 800 percent increase in sales. A store has been opened in Boca Ra- ton, Fla. and another one is planned for the Novi area. Yeshiva University Honoree Bern, Switzerland on , the ABC-TV program "This Week with David Brinkley." Salem is in Switzerland for Lebanon's national re- conciliation conference. Salem suggested that progress at the talks would depend on the ac- tions by the Lebanese representatives as well as the "forces behind" them. The Lebanese official, speaking of the four-nation multinational force, said it represented a "major com- mitment" to "salvage the Lebanese democracy." U.S., Soviets Leading Arms Exporters: Study Editor-in-Chief Emeritus, JTA (Copyright 1983, JTA, Inc.) THE JEWISH BIRTHRATE: Jewish leaders in this country are greatly concerned over the continued growth of intermarriage which is already reachng close to 50 percent of all Jewish marriages in some communities. However, their concern is at present even greater over the constant substantial decline in Jewish births. From the anxiety expressed at a two-day conference on the decline in the Jewish population — the first national conference of this kind in American Jewish history, spon- sored by 30 leading Jewish organizations — it became evident that the Jewish family is in trouble. The confer- ence, held in New York this week, was addressed by leaders from major groups in American Jewry and by outstanding experts in the Jewish family field. It was convened primar- ily to deal with the "catastrophic" drop in the Jewish birth- rate. The Jewish birthrate is believed to have dropped below replacement. It is down to 1.5 children per family. Given the present trends, the Jewish share in the general popula- tion in the country — which is presently about 2.7 percent — will inevitably shrink. It is estimated that at the present rate of decline in Jewish child-bearing, the Jewish-popula- tion stands to be reduced by 1.5 million within 18 years. Dr. Robert Gordis, the noted Jewish scholar who stimulated the calling of the two-day conference and chaired it, is of the opinion that the community must promote a goal of a minimum of three children per family to prevent this loss. JERUSALEM (JTA) — Eliahu Ben-Elissar, chair- LONDON (ZINS) — The man of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Secu- United States and the rity Committee, contended Soviet Union are the world's Monday that the partition major arms exporters, fol- of Lebanon was both un- lowed by France, Britain The Jewish population in the U.S is today about five and Italy, and then Brazil avoidable and necessary. million. If it is reduced through birth control to 4.3 million, - and Israel, according to the Ben-Elissar made his re- it will still remain the largest Jewish community in the marks at a session of the International Institute of world. However, the atmosphere of Jewish life will not be committee where Premier Strategic Studies. South Af- the same. The community will become a body of aging and Yitzhak Shamir voiced rica and South Korea are aged. The Jewish elderly will be one-fifth of the population. strong objections to the U.S. now entering the field. :There will be no large Jewish student youth. Jewish influ- plan to arm a Jordanian According to Frost and ence in various fields of the general life will not be felt to the task force which would be Sulivan Inc., a market re- extent it is felt now, not to speak of the effect which the loss part of the American rapid search company, Israel ex- of 25 percent of the present Jewish population will have on deployment force poised to ports to Argentina, Bolivia, Jewish continuity. protect the Persian Gulf. Chile, Colombia, Mexico, The institutions of marriage, child-bearing and family The plan was turned down Venezuela, El Salvador and by a Congressional panel Nicaragua. Turkey was the are widely questioned today among the general population in the U.S. and appear to be weakening. However, to Jews this week. only European customer Ben-Elissar said that listed, but Frost and Suli- the family has been the bastion of the Jewish tradition and both Syria and Israel have van said Israel has sold experience. It was the center from which everything else interests in Lebanon and some captured PLO ar- stemmed — Jewish identity, Jewish continuity, Jewish therefore that country mored vehicles to Romania. education, involvement in the community and in religious should be divided, cruel as it Israel is said to be cooperat- life. Jewish tradition refers to marriage and child-bearing would be. He maintained ing with the U.S. by sending in terms of sanctity. "Pru Urvu" — "Be Fruitful and Multi- ply" — is a biblical injunction. that any other solution weapons to Honduras. would be detrimental to Is- No wonder, therefore, that the problem of seeking rael. Ben-Elissar, who was None of the arms expor- ways to reverse the trend among young Jewish families to Israel's first ambassador to ters rivals the Soviet Union abstain from having children has brought about a united Egypt and a protege- of or the U.S., which export front of all elements in American Jewry. The two-day con- former Premier Menahem $10 billion to $15 billion of ference was sponsored by the American Jewish Committee, Begin, is one of the most inf- weapons a year. Although American Jewish Congress, Council of Jewish Federations, luential of the younger the U.S. sells to more coun- young leaders of the United Jewish Appeal, JWB, Bnai members of Herut. He ex- tries worldwide — 67 as op- Brith, JESNA, which is the central body for Jewish educa- pressed his views on Leba- posed to Russia's 28 — the tion, the Zionist Organization of America and other groups. non as that country's war- Soviet Union is the leading The central bodies of all congregations — the Orthodox, ring factions were about to exporter of major weapons, Reform and Conservative — and their central rabbinical open a meeting in Geneva according to London's In- organizations were among the sponsors, as well as all major aimed at national reconcili- ternational Institute of Jewish women organizations, from Hadassah to Women's ation. Strategic Studies. American ORT.