10 fridayr November:11, 1983.
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Local Talent Now Dominates
Israel's Rock Music Scene
Israeli rock star David Broza playing to an audi-
ence at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Home-
produced music with Hebrew lyrics is the "new wave"
in Israel.
By DAVID HOROWITZ
World Zionist Press Service
In the decade or so since
the Yom Kippur War, the
popular music scene in Is-
rael has changed considera-
bly.
Ten years ago, Israeli
kids were buying records by
English and American ar-
tists — with sales of home-
produced music restricted to
Israeli standards by long es-
tablished singers such as
Chava Alberstein and
Yehoram Gaon. Israeli rock
singers were few and far be-
tween, and posed no threat
to the American and British
groups dominating the
charts.
But in 1983 all that has
changed. The "latest thing"
in Israel is no longer the
song that was number one
in the states six months ago.
It is far more likely to be the
latest release of David
Broza, Tislam, or Zvika
Pick, all Israeli pop stars
singing in Hebrew.
Rock groups have
sprung up all over the
country, and have
smashed the overseas
dominance of the music
scene with songs every
bit as good as the interna-
tional competition — and
with a scarcely discerna-
ble, but nonetheless es-
sential, "Israeli feel."
The reason for this
change stems mainly from
the increasing attention Is-
raeli radio stations have
started to give popular
music. The army's radio sta-
tion "Galei Zahal," has re-
cently been giving hitherto
unheard of air-time to rock
music. National radio had
previously paid little atten-
tion to rock, but seeing their
listeners were lapping up
the army's shows, they in-
troduced their own largely
popular channel, "Reshet
Gimmel."
Israel however, has been
forced to adopt a markedly
different charting system
than the American and
British methods, which are
based on record sales.
Israeli record companies
realize that it is uneco-
nomical for their singers to
make singles. The record
buying market in Israel is
so small that even a number
one single wouldn't sell
enough copies to cover its
own costs.
In Israel, when an ar-
tist releases a new album,
the most commercial
song is played by the
radio stations as the "fea-
tured track" from the al-
bum, rather than releas-
ing it as a single. Listen-
ers are invited to write in
with their votes for the
various featured songs
played each week, and in
this way the charts are
compiled.
Israeli rock stars are
numerous and varied —
from the western type rock
of Benzine, via the wit of
Dani Sanderson, to the
more Eastern music of
Shimi Tavori and Zohar Ar-
gov.
Israel is really just begin-
ning to latch on to popular
music. The emergence of
rock as an important factor
of young life in Israel is a
good indication of how des-
perately teenagers need
entertainment. In a country
where 18-year-olds are in
the army, and where exter-
nal and internal tension are
never far away, music pro-
vides a much needed release
— an escape from pressure.
The kabalist Rabbi
Yehuda Hechasid (1638-
1700) believed that a man
marrying a woman with the
same name as his mother
light lead to embarrassing
situations over who he was
talking to.
Reconstructionist Founder Kaplan Dies
NEW YORK (JTA) — Dr.
Mordecai Kaplan, the foun-
der of the Reconstructionist
movement and considered
one of the most influential
scholars in the history of
Judaism, died Nov. 8. He
was 102.
Many of the key develop-
ments in Jewish life today
are based on concepts Rabbi
Kaplan developed during
his long career — concepts
like the organic Jewish
community, Judaism as a
religious civilization with
its spiritual center in Israel,
the synagogue center and
summer camp movements,
the public celebration of Bat
Mitzva, and an American
version of the European
Jewish
self-governing
community (kehilla).
Rabbi Kaplan's ideologi-
cal history was one of a
struggle between the Or-
thodox beliefs he was
taught and by which he
lived, until he decided that
such a Jewish outlook was
incompatible with the out-
look of Jews born and raised
in the unique freedom of
American life. Out of that
struggle, the Reconstruc-
tionist philosophy emerged.
He was denounced by
the Orthodox who put
him in "herem" (excom-
munication), a somewhat
less than drastic ban in
an open society.
Rabbi Kaplan originally
developed Reconstruc-
tionism not as another
branch of Judaism, but as a
stimulation to thinking in
The Greening of the Desert
Eucalyptus trees grow in a Negev "liman."
By MARY KROSNEY
Israel Govt. Press Service
BEERSHEVA — An Is-
raeli forestry expert, in-
spired by ancient desert ag-
ricultural techniques, has
dotted the brown rolling
hills of the Negev desert
with green trees.
Gideon Saphir, an execu-
tive of the Jewish National
Fund, is the man behind a
project to beautify desert
roads with the man-made
oases by capturing run-off
rainwater during wet
months.
Seventeen years ago,
Saphir insisted on initiat-
ing what many called a
"hare-brained scheme" of
planting the small groves in
catchment areas without
resorting to artificial irriga-
tion. Today, travelers and
Bedouin shepherds can
thank him for the precious
shade and pleasing splashes
of color in the sometimes
bleak landscape, where 10
inches of rain fall annually.
"The land in this area is
basically unfit for ag-
riculture," says the
khaki-dressed, tanned
forester, who has worked
for the JNF out of
Beersheva for the past
three decades. "But sim-
ply by building a two-
meter-high dam out of
earth in a river-bed-type
area where water collects
in rainy winter months,
anyone can successfully
cultivate trees." Saphir
estimates that one person
using a tractor can com-
plete the task in one day.
Selecting a spot where
water naturally accumu-
lates, with moderately steep
hills surrounding - it, a
worker levels the site,
builds the small dam, digs a
spillway on the side to re-
lieve pressure from the dam
when rainfall has been un-
usually plentiful, plants the
trees — and then watches
them grow. Only minor re-
pairs to the dam are re-
quired over the years.
Israelis call the site a "li-
man," the Hebrew word for
harbor (namal) spelled
backwards. The technique
is similar to agricultural
practice of the ancient Na-
bateans who famed the
Negev desert further south
with the aid of "catchment"
areas.
The Negev area enjoys a
soil crust called "loess"
which forms on top of the
earth after the rainy period
and prevents evaporation to
a significant extent.
Generally speiking, the
limans have been planted
with eucalyptus trees, the
first type of tree planted by
Gideon Saphir; over the de-
cades it has proved to be the
most hardy for the project.
"The eucalyptus can stand
for months in water," ex-
plains Saphir, relating that
they have been used in Is-
rael's north to dry up
swampy areas, "and yet
they grow quickly in arid
zones."
journal, "The Reconstruc-
tionist."
With the publication in
the 1930s of his major
work, "Judaism as a Ci-
vilization," Rabbi Kap-
lan delineated the basic
structure of his outlook,
in which he defined the
elements of "an evolving
religious civilization."
This was to be developed
in his prolific writing
over many decades. A
bibliography of his
printed works on the oc-
casion of his 100th birth-
-0,
day included over 700
MORDECAI KAPLAN
items.
Born in Lithuania, Rabbi
non-Orthodox forums. His
ideas profoundly influenced Kaplan came to the U.S.
Reform and Conservative with his parents at age 8. A
Judaism, but the pressures student at the JTS from the
for change which his teach- age of 12, Rabbi Kaplan was
ings generated led to the ordained in 1902 and began
crystallization of the to serve as "minister" of
movement in its own in- Cong. Kehilath Jeshurun in
stitutions.
New York. Later, he be-.
One was the Society for came the rabbi there after
the Advancement of receiving his ordination on
Judaism (SAJ), the pilot a trip to Europe in 1908.
Reconstructionist congre- Appointed as the dean of the
gation in Manhattan, which Teachers' Institute of the
Rabbi Kaplan founded and JTS in 1909, Rabbi Kaplan
served as rabbi even while worked there for a half a
continuing his teaching century, retiring in 1963.
duties at the Jewish He immigrated to Israel
Theological Seminary of several years ago and
America and his busy taught at the Hebrew Uni-
schedule of writing and lec- versity. He recently re-
turing.
turned to the U.S.
Rabbi
Kaplan also
Kaplan was considered
founded the Reconstruc- an intellectual giant and
tionist Rabbinical College was one of the key figures,
in Philadelphia and taught along with Judah Magnes,
in it. The Reconstructionist Israel Friedlander and
movement also has a net- Samson Benderly, in the
work of congregations in development of various in-
many parts of the United tellectual circles in New
States and Canada, in addi- York before World War I.
tion to the Mevakshey De- One of his earliest acts was
re ch Synagogue
in the 'founding of Young Is-
Jerusalem, and its own rael.
Pancreas to Aid Diabetics
By ELLEN DAVISON
Israel Government Tourist
Office
A diabetic, who must
depend on insulin injec-
tions because of the fail-
ure of his pancreas, has
the proper balance of the
hormone for only a short
while. Either his system
is overdosed with insulin
immediately after receiv-
ing an injection, or it is
underdosed just before it
is time for the next one.
TEL AVIV — Most people
think that diabetes was
conquered with the de-
velopment of injectable in-
sulin.
No so, says Israeli
technologist Omri Talmon.
Insulin injections stave off
the immediate danger of
diabetes, he explains, but - According to Talmon, sci-
the long-term complications entists are generally con-
are very serious, as evi- vinced that the overdose-
denced by the fact that underdose therapy of daily
diabetes is the third-biggest injections results in long-
killer in society and today term medical problems
afflicts more than 10 mil- which shorten the life ex-
lion people in the United pectancy of diabetics —
States alone.
such disabilities as blind-
Talmon is the Israeli ness, heart disease.
project initiator for a joint
The new artificial pan-
American-Israeli effort to creas, which is being de-
build an artificial pancreas. veloped cooperatively by
The device is aimed at , Israel-based Omikron Sci-
automatically regulating entific Ltd. and and the
the amount of insulin the University of Southern
diabetes patient ingests so California in the U.S., will
as to avoid overdose or eliminate the overdose-
underdose. It should be on underdose syndrome, Tal-
the market by 1985.
mon said.
"Over 65 years of traditional service in the Jewish community with dignity and understanding."
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