150 Friday, September 13, 1985 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 1111311 111117 T1M'2 Best wishes for a happy, healthy New Year Best wishes for a happy, healthy New Year to all our friends and relatives to all our friends and relatives Max Glass Mr. & Mrs. Philip Katz Manya & Henry Feldman Mr. & Mrs. Sam Flatt, Donna & Ami Best wishes for a happy, healthy New Year Best wishes for a happy, healthy New Year Bonnie, Barry, Cindy & Steven Jacobs Allan, Lill, Aron, Sara, Jack, Steven & Matt Kominars Best wishes for a happy, healthy New Year Best wishes for a happy, healthy New Year Danny, Sue, Ryan & Lauren Lefkofsky wan ry 11113 tin3"2 May the coming May the coming year be filled year be filled S. Josen Family with health and with health and lanpn nalz mcn happiness for happiness for all our family all our family and friends and friends Hymie & Fanny Greenbaum Sidney & Shellie, Jeffrey & Tona, Marc & Alan The Leitsons', 1111311 111115 to all our friends and relatives to all our friends and relatives Mr. & Mrs. Leon Halpern Sol & Ethel Lakind . Wishing all our family and friends a year of health and happiness Wishing all our family and friends a year of health and happiness Irving, Doreen, Lori & Shelly .Lichtman Mr. & Mrs. Karl Gutman N. .1,. , ,, 4.‘, l?, ,-. . ,. rk '$' '`?, P3 ,■■ • , ,,; it $4.:',10. f.k., The Kaufman's Karen, Jerry, Lisa & Brian Jr *j Irwin & Arlene Niskar, Mike, Gary & Terri , Wishing all our family and friends a year of health and happiness w Wishing all our family and friends a year of health and happiness Wishing all our family and friends a year of health and happiness Alex & Elizabeth Joseph j: • Wishing all our family and friends a year of health and happiness Jacob & Helen Reisman & Family ' I v.• ,k .44 gS Wishing all our family and friends a year of health and happiness Wishing all our family and friends a year of health and happiness Mr. & Mrs. Josef Klein Claire & Arthur Schwartz 111111111ERNW1111111 11111151FERCIEM May the coming year be one filled with health, happiness and prosperity for all our friends and family. May the coming year be one filled with health, happiness and prosperity for all our friends and family. Mr. & Mrs. Morris J. Flatt Teck Cleaners NEWS Olim: Hardship And Success Jerusalem — One of Israel's bravest chapters was undoub- tedly written in the five years after the state was established when a population of 600,000 absorbed an equal number of immigrants, the majority of whom arrived destitute. Most of these new immig- rants, who came from the dis- placed persons camps of Europe, as well as from hostile North African and Middle Eastern lands, were accommodated for periods ranging from between six months and five years in ma'abarot (transition camps). Some camps were small and consisted of several hundred immigrants who were quickly moved to agricultural settle- ments or alternative urban apartment houses. But many were huge, refugee-like camps with thousands upon thousands of residents who lived at first in tents or tin huts, and later in wooden shacks or asbestos pre- fab housing units containing one or two rooms. The population suffered se- verely from overcrowding, in- adequate facilities, lack of em- ployment and resultant social problems. At first, meals were provided at the camp for all the immig- rants, but this proved to be too demoralizing and other systems were introduced. The Jewish National Fund, which financed the ma'abarot, and later the fledging Israeli Government were afraid that the camps might foster. an un- productive, underprivileged population and made efforts, both privately and publicly, to prevent this. Veteran citizens opened their homes to the newcomers, while volunteers taught Hebrew to the children and to the adults. Meanwhile, the government embarked on a massive building campaign to construct perma- nent housing for the immigrants and, indeed, 78,000 units were completed between 1948 and 1951, a remarkable achievement for the tiny, struggling state. But still, there was only one room for every four newcomers. About 100,000 people lived in ma'abarot in 1949. By 1951, al- though 400,000 new immigrants had found permanent housing, 250,000 were still living in 23 transition camps throughout the land. By 1954, the policy changed and immigrants were sent di- rectly to settlements from the ships or planes they arrived in. However, even in 1958, there were still 20,000 families in ma'abarot. . Les, Marcia, Yale, Mitch,.David & Chris Despite the difficulties, people who experienced life in the transition camps remember the visionary and communal spirit which characterized the atmos- phere, and the idealism and comradeship which flourished there. Most of the former meabara settlers have gone 'on to become valuable members of Israeli society and some are today lead- ers in various fields — in poli-