Friday, July 20, 1984 9

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

LOCAL NEWS

Seniors linked to Ramla

BY CHARLOTTE DUBIN

Special to The Jewish News

To Ramla with love —
that was the message from
residents of Jewish Federa,
tion Apartments as they
sent off the first of several
suitcases filled with hand-
made clothing and toys to
the senior citizens of De-
troit's Project Renewal sis-
ter city in Israel.
The residents of Prentis
Towers in Oak Park and
Hechtman Federation
Apartments in West Bloom-
field had been knitting,
sewing and buying for
weeks. Everything from
scarves, hats and sweaters,
to dishtowels and toys was
going into the "Suitcases for
Ramis."
At the other end, elderly
residents of the Agash Bilu
neighborhood gathered at
the Ramla Senior Citizens
Center, eagerly awaiting
their American guests.
They were not disap-
pointed. Accompanying
Ramla's mayor, Yoram
Rabi, were Detroiters Jane
Sherman and Larry Jac-
kier, local chairmen of Proj-
ect Renewal; Jewish Wel-
fare Federation President
Joel Tauber and Mrs.
Tauber; and JWF Executive
Vice President Wayne
Feinstein.
The first suitcase in-
cluded letters expressing
the desire of the Federation
Apartments residents to
strengthen personal ties
with the people of Ramla.
During the past five
years, the Jewish commu-
nity has supported Project
Renewal efforts to provide a
network of social services,
housing and cultural out-
lets in Ramla. The city, lo-
cated halfway between
Jerusalem and Tel Aviv,
was settled largely by im-
migrants from North Af-
rica, and Project Renewal
has done much to improve
their lives. Renovation of
the senior citizens center

Packing up "Suitcases for Ramla" are from left: Manci
Molnar, Ann Katlein and Shirley Hasnas of Hechtman
Jewish Federation Apdrtments. .

has been a special project of
the Jewish Welfare Federa-
tion Women's Division.
The idea for "Suitcases for
Ramla" originated with
Joel Gershenson, a member
of the Jewish Federation
Apartments board and the
Jewish Welfare Federa-
tion's Project Renewal
Committee. The idea was
quickly taken up by the
residents.
Friedman,
Esther
president of the Floor
Representative Council at
Prentis Towers, organized
residents who quickly went
to work sewing, knitting
and writing letters. Mean-
while, over at Hechtman
Federation Apartments,
Shirley Hasnas, Anne Kat-
lein and Manci Molnar
formed a "Ramla Commit-
tee," filling two large boxes
with items.
Jane Sherman showed off
the Detroiters' handiwork
to the Ramla senior citizens
and helped Jackier disti-
bute the letters.
Although Detroit's finan-
cial commitment to Ramla
will be coming to an end in
the not-too-distant future,
the personal commitment
will continue. This week, 20

young people arrived in Is-
rael on a unique mission of
friendship, in which they
will be teamed tip with 20
Ramla teen-agers, touring
with them, living with them
and learning with them.
The program, under the
auspices of the Fresh Air
Society, was made possible
through a grant from the
Max M. Fisher Jewish
Community Foundation,
funded by United Jewish
Charities.
Ramla's mayor, Yoram
Rabi, summed up what this
partnership with Detroit
has meant to the people of
Ramla:
"Israel has done well in
defense, in industry, educa-
tion and aliyah. But one
thing we dirid't do well was
to renovate and renew our
neighborhoods where so
many immigrants settled.
You came with your good
will and good ideas, and
have helped the people of
Ramla far more than you
realize. Detroiters are won-
derful."
On July 4 — America's
Independence Day —
Ramla showed its apprecia-
tion to the driving force be-
hind Project Renewal. With
her husband Larry and son
Scott among the 500 guests
in attendance, Mrs. Sher-
man walwarded honorary
citizenship of Ramla. The
outgoing chairman of De-
troit's Project Renewal
Committee received the key
to the city.

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Wins tribute

Ramla's mayor, Yoram Rabi, right, greets the Jewish
Welfare Federation President Joel Tauber, representing the
'fit
Jewish co,rnmunity olDetroit.%

Dr. Robert Rockaway, son
of Mrs. Betty Silverfarb of
Oak Park, will be listed in
the 1984 edition of Marquis'
Who's Who in the World.
Rockaway moved to Is-
rael in 1971 and is a profes-
sor in the department of
Jewish history at Tel Aviv
University. He has served
as president of the Israel
Association for American
Studies.:. • -

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