44
April` 13, 1041
THE DETROIT JEWISt-I 'NEWS'
Israel becomes accessible
for the handicapped tourist
HOWARD, GAIL,
JOEY & SCOTT
NISKAR
Wish All Their
Friends & Relatives
A HAPPY
PASSOVER
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BY PAUL HIRSCHHORN
Haifa — In the past it was
difficult, and sometimes
impossible, for the handi-
capped to fulfill the dream
of a pilgrimage to the Holy
Land. For those who wanted
to be baptized in the River
Jordan, there was no ap-
proach for wheelchairs. For
the Jew longing to place a
note in the cracks of the
Wailing Wall, a long, wind-
ing stairway was the deter-
rent.
But today, due in part to
the work of a dedicated Is-
raeli sociologist and in-
creased awareness of the Is-
raeli public, these dreams
are within reach. A special
access ramp now makes it
possible for the disabled to
enter the Jordan River and
a new access road enables
the handicapped to be dri-
ven to within easy reach of
the Western Wall.
Egged, Israel's transpor-
tation cooperative, has out-
fitted a special bus to carry
wheelchairs. The Israel
Museum in Jerusalem has
installed lifts on its stair-
ways. Hotels around the
country have enlarged
doorways, installed special
rest-rooms and remodeled
guest rooms. Palex, an Is-
raeli travel company, now
arranges special planned
tours for the disabled and
elderly, with medical per-
sonnel available on a
stand-by basis.
These improvements
have come about, partly, be-
cause of increased public
awareness in Israel of the
problems of the handi-
capped. It is estimated that
there are more than 250,000
French Jews
mark CRIF
anniversary
Moses slaying the Egyptian taskmaster. From the Metz Haggadah.
A Joyous
To The Entire Jewish Community.
Cadillac Asphalt & Paving Co. &
Clawson Concrete Co.
Paris (JTA) — French
Jewry celebrated the 40th
anniversary this week of
the founding of the Repre-
sentative Council of French
Jewish Organizations
(CRIF) by members of the
Jewish underground in
German-occupied France
during World War II.
The principal ceremonies
were held Sunday in Lyon
where Klaus Barbie, the
wartime Gestapo chief
there, is now in prison
awaiting trial for crimes
against humanity. In
attendance were the Ar-
chbishop of Lyon, Cardinal
Albert Decourtray, who
stressed his solidarity with
the Jewish people, and De-
fense Minister Charles
Hernu who noted that Bar-
bie, known as the "butcher
of Lyon," is finally being
brought to justice. There
were also ceremonies in the
village of Izieu.
CRIF was founded in
Lyon by a Jewish judge,
Leon Meiss, who was in hid-
ing from the Nazis at the
time. Today it is the repre-
sentative body of 50 major
Jewish organizations in
France.
subsidiaries of
a
4
4
ft
A
disabled persons in the
country, represented by
some 17 separate organiza-
tions. A recently passed law
requires that all public
buildings be accessible to
the handicapped.
In addition, New York-
born Alan Kirschenbaum,
who found himself facing
difficulties when he tried to
tour Israel with his handi-
capped 12-year-old son, has
launched an all-out effort on
behalf of the disabled in Is-
rael.
Kirschenbaum compiled
a list of all Israeli tourist
sites and restaurants acces-
sible to the disabled. Based
on this information, he ran
test tours for the Israeli
handicapped, which proved
extremely successful.
In order to expand travel
services to the handicapped
— and to the elderly who
find normal tours difficult
— Kirschenbaum chose
Palex Tours. A series of
tours was planned, and an
English language brochure
outlining available trips
was published in English.
(The booklet is available
from Palex Tours, P.O. Box
33015, Haifa 31033, Israel.)
The tours cover the entire
country, including a stay on
a kibbutz. They are tailored
both to those in Israel for a
long holiday, and those who
wish a shorter tour. Medical
personnel and stand-by
facilities are also listed.
Israel Tourism Ministry
Presidents dispute
German arms for Saudis
New York (JTA) — West
German Chancellor Helmut
Kohl, in a letter to the Con-
ference of Presidents of
Major American Jewish
Organizations, has ac-
knowledged that "we Ger-
mans bear a special respon-
sibility for Israel's security"
but said it was "essential"
for West Germany "to pur-
sue an even-handed policy
toward all states in the
region" the Presidents Con-
ference reported.
In reply, Julius Berman,
chairman of the Presidents
Conference, said that the
impending massive sale of
military weapons and
supplies by West Germany
to Saudi Arabia could "im-
peril the very survival of the
Jewish state." Berman de-
clared that this danger was
underscored "by the threat
of jihad -4 holy war —
against Israel by King
Fand."
The letter from Kohl was
in repry to an earlier cable
sent by the Conference of
Presidents urging cancel-
lation of the proposed arms
sale. In his reply, Kohl said
no decision on selling arms
to the Saudi regime had yet
been taken, but defended
the sale on the ground that
Saudi Arabia was a "mod-
erate" Arab state, that any
sale would be limited to de-
fensive arms, that no
Leopard tanks would be in-
cluded and that "none of the
weapons systems that may
be supplied to Saudi Arabia
would ever be used to attack
Israel."
Berman responded to-
Kohl with a letter em-
phasizing, "Given the fun-
damental fact that all of Is-
rael's Arab neighbors ex-
cept Egypt are in a state of
active or suspended war
with the Jewish state, it is a
contradiction to acknowl-
edge 'special responsibility
for Israel's security' while
pursuing an even-hdded
policy toward Israel and its
enemies."
"In our view," Berman
continued "Germany's fixed
and permanent moral re-
sponsibility to the country
that is now the homeland of
Julius Berman
so many victims of Nazi per-
secution far outweighs any
need for 'even-handedness'
— and is surely superior to
the desire for profits that
Germany might gain from
selling arms to the Saudi
regime."
The Presidents Confer-
ence chairman said he could
not accept Kohl's view that
the Saudi threat of jihad
was not based on "reality."
Berman recalled that "more
than half-a-century ago,
when Hitler's infamous
Mein Kampf was published
in Germany, Jews were
urged to disregard the
blueprint for destruction it
contained. Those who re-
fused to take Hitler seri-
ously learned . . . that his
words were not an idle
threat but a warning of the
horror to come.
"In 1984, the Jewish
people cannot dismiss King
Fand's warning of jihad and
cannot accept any promise
that weapons in his hands
would never be used to at-
tack Israel. No government
that claims to carry a spe-
cial responsibility for Is-
rael's security should place
its trust in such a prince."
Berman rejected Kohl's
assertions that any
weapons sold to Saudi
Arabia would be "defensive
in nature" and that the
Saudi regime was a "mod-
erate" one. The wide range
of weaponry to be sold to
Saudi Arabia, Berman said,
"can readily be turned to of-
fensive use against Israel."