22
Friday, December 13, 1985 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
CLOSE-UP
A Hero
Continued from Page 20
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New York headquarters. But
Feder's retirement has been far
from complete. He has been
serving as the director for JDC
programs in Roumania and
loving it.
"I think this last assignment
— Roumania — is probably the
most satisfying," Feder com-
ments. "I guess I wasn't really
happy being an administrator.
I have so much fun with this
job. There are 26,000 Jews left
in Roumania. About 60 per-
cent are over 65. Last year
more than 2,000 people, most-
ly younger people, emigrated
to Israel. About 1,500 will go
this year. Emigration to Israel
is open. JDC doesn't like to see
families split, but in this case,
when you think of the prob-
lems people have in bringing
aged parents to Israel, it's dif-
ferent. It's cheaper to keep the
aged in Roumania. They want
to stay, and we have very de-
cent institutions for them.
They feel comfortable.
"Even so, the people need so
many things. There are so
many things I can bring them.
I mean, you can't just go out
and buy glue for ergotherapy
in Bucharest, so I bring along
a dozen when I come — which
is usually about eight to ten
times a year. Once I actually
brought in strings for all the
stringed instruments in the
orchestra," he marveled.
"But the greatest satisfac-
tions," Feder continued, "are
working with Rabbi Moses
Rosen and with the commun-
ity. The leaders are so sincerely
interested in their community.
It's an oasis for Jews. Mothers
_ bring their youngsters at age
three so they can begin singing
in the choir. The young people
come to everything. Why are
they attracted? Where else can
they go to make friendships,
the communist clubs? You see
the warm associations they
make, the Hebrew lessons, the
choir, the happiness and com-
fort on holidays when they are
singing and laughing together.
I love the holidays there —
celebrated with such gusto!
"I worry about Roumania
when Rabbi Rosen is gone,"
said Feder. "He is 73. He has
an apartment in Israel where
he spends some time. We in
JDC tried to bring in a re-
placement for him last year,
but the government threw him
out. There will be no rabbi
when he's gone."
Feder admits that he will be
loath to relinquish his last
assignment with JDC now
that he, himself, has reached
age 70. When his wife, Marika,
retires from her position at the
Geriatric Hospital at Geneva,
they may consider returning to
the United States where their
daughters, Ann and Joan, both
work in helping professions —
Ann is a social work supervisor
in a Veterans Hospital and
Joan is an occupation thera-
pist at the _Payne Whitney
Clinic in New York (Gene is a
physician in Great Britain.
Meanwhile, Ted Feder con-
tinues his "active retirement,"
overseeing JDC's $4 2 million
program in Roumania and
serving as a liaison with the
U.N. High Commissioner for
Refugees, the League of Red
Cross Societies and the Inter-
national Committee of the Red
Cross. Looking back on his
days as a young soldier burn-
ing with ambition to help his
people, he can consider himself
and his mission fulfilled. [1]
Hospital Funds Nixed
37911 GRAND RIVER AVE., FARMINGTON HILLS
Jerusalem (JTA) — The
The situation touched off an
Knesset Finance Committee angry exchange between Fi-
Monday voted down a $10 mil- nance Minister Yitzhak Modai
lion assocation to Histadrut's and Premier Shimon Peres at
sick-fund, Kupat Holim, which the Cabinet meeting. The Fi-
the Cabinet approved Sunday to nance Minister accused the gov-
relieve the financial crisis in the ernment of profligate spending
which would ruin his economic
country's hospitals.
The committee withheld ap- recovery plan. Peres retorted
proval because it was not satis- that Modai was "demoralizing
fied with explanations of how the nation." The verbal battle
the money would be used. Kupat was sparked by the hospital al-
Holim, with a serious cash flow location.
Also at issue Sunday was a
problem, has been unable to pay
for patients' services for which it Cabinet decision to raise police
has been billed. The same prob- wages to bring them in line
lem has affected other sick- with the pay of army profes-
funds, with the result that Is- sionals. The decision followed a
rael's public hospitals cannot series of angry protests by
meet bills long outstanding and policemen's wives. Peres said
may be forced to curtail services police wages had eroded more
than planned for by the eco-
and possibly shut down.
Hospital directors across the nomic program and noted that
country said Monday the situa- the government's reserve budget
tion has passed the danger allowed certain flexibility to re-
point. Several hospitals are dig- lieve those hardest hit by the
ging into their emergency medi- austerity regime.
Modai said after the session
cal supplies without approval of
the army which is in charge of he was no longer responsible for
the economic program.
emergency medical store rooms.
ti