58
Friday, December 27, 1985 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Wedding, Rehearsal and
Ceremony Assistance
Lee Wolin
Call The Jewish News
354-6060
3544433
GOING SOUTH?
WHEN YOU COME BACK, MAKE SURE
YOUR PICTURES ARE AS VIVID AS
YOUR MEMORIES.
processing by
THE
CRAINE it CORCORAN'S FULL SERVICE ONE HOUR LAB
443-1808
southfield plaza • southfield rd.
between 12 & 13 • across from Farmer Jack
YEAR END
WINTER SUITS
Our entire stock of 100% wool
and wool blend suits. Drastically
reduced to make room for spring
merchandise.
Sizes 4-16. Regular S250-S300.
WINTER DRESSES
Exquisite designs for the office,
the board meeting and after hours.
100% silk, wools, crepes, flannels
and more. Sizes 4-16.
Regular S98-$320.
0%
WINTER SLACKS
Beautifully tailored 100% wool
and wool blend trousers. Many
with comfort-ease waistbands.
Sizes 2-16. Regular S60- S 105.
WINTER SWEATERS
10%
WINTER SKIRTS
ALL LONG-SLEEVE
BLOUSES
evoraS's
Dp,iGNE I? [MESSING AT DISCOUNT PRICES
FOCUS
GET SWUM .
100% Italian wool in solids, plaids
and herringbone. Some with
leather trim.
Sizes 4-16.
14 Mile Road & Northwestern Highway
next to Jan Drake's Garden Cafe
West Bloomfield / Phone 626-5860
Mon.-Fri. 10:30-5:30
Thursday 10:30-8:30
Sunday 10:30-5:00
Closed Saturday
Has Aliyah Department
Become A Fiefdom?
BY CARL ALPERT
Special to The Jewish News
Haifa -- The Jewish Agency
has of late been. subjected to con-
siderable criticism, ranging all
the way from "The Jewish Agency
is just a building in Jerusalem
with a bunch of Volvos out front,"
to more serious critiques of its
financing and operations.
No department of the Agency is
more vulnerable to criticism than
the one which is devoted to en-
couragement of aliyah to Israel.
Few people are more serving of
sympathy than many of the de-
voted, competent and hard-
working shlichim (emissaries)
sent overseas by this department,
who fail to receive the cooperation
and backing from Jerusalem
which they require in order to do a
good job.
Ever since the flagrantly politi-
cal appointment of Haim Aharon
as chairman of the Aliyah De-
partment there has been a steady
deterioration both in operations
and morale, and in the statistics of
aliyah to Israel. In the first half of
1985, immigration from North
America declined by 20 percent
after a 30 percent drop the previ-
ous year. The decline from Latin
America was 25 percent. At the
same time, shlichim in the field
complain of a breakdown in com-
munication with Jerusalem.
Yet bureaucracy reigns sup-
reme in the head office where no
less than 62 persons are engaged
in office and administrative work,
not counting those working in ul-
panim, absorption centers, chil-
dren's institutions, retirement
and nursing homes, social work-
ers, etc. It is also reported that the
head office provides 20 of these
functionaries with cars for the
performance of their duties,
which in most cases are paper
work in the office.
The chairman of the depart-
ment is always available for tele-
vision interviews or for issuance
of statements to the press, or for
his feud with the Ministry of Ab-
sorption, but remarkably silent
when it comes down to the actual
business of promoting aliyah. A
series of letters, dispatched to his
office by this writer, seeking lit-
erature, information and promo-
tional material to enable the writ-
ing of a series of articles to en-
courage aliyah, all went un-
answered, even when sent by re-
gistered mail. Unhappy staff
members, to whom we reported
this state of affairs, were not the
least bit surprised. It appears we
are not the only ones being sys-
tematically ignored.
A serious proposal from a re-
sponsible American Zionist,
which has been endorsed by a
number of Knesset members,
looking to the creation of an
American-sponsored city in Is-
rael, has been cold-shouldered by
the chairman of the Aliyah De-
partment.
Meanwhile, the fog has not
been lifted from the situation sur-
rounding duplication of work
done by the Aliyah Department
and the government Ministry of
Absorption. Duplication, compet-
ition and confusion are rampant,
with the Jewish Agency com-
pletely unwilling to give up any of
its operations which provide a
political power base, even though
vast funds are being spent. The
case of aliyah suffers, and in Is-
rael many immigrants get a run-
around from one agency to
another.
Last year's budget of the Aliyah
Department was $70 million. If
that were divided by the number
of immigrants, many of whom
come independently of the de-
partment, we would get a fantas-
The head office
provides 20
functionaries with
cars to perform their
duties, which in most
cases is paperwork in
the head office.
tic figure of what each oleh costs.
This year's budget is a deep, dark
secret.
Many question the need for the
close to 100 shlichim. now
stationed overseas, but at ledst
they deserve better cooperation
from their head office. The
director-general of the depart-
ment, an efficient and faithful
civil servant, was forced out of of-
fice this year because he proved
more loyal to the cause of aliyah
than to the politician who serves
as chairman. A new director-
general has been named, a re-
markably good choice, but it re-
mains to be seen how long he will
be able to endure the domination
of the chairman.
As immigration declines from
year to year, the budget of the
Aliyah Department goes up. After
all, there are lots of jobs to be pro-
tected, not to speak of the political
ambitions of Aharon. What little
is done by the department is re-
markably unimaginative, drab
and unappealing.
Syrian Strength
Double Israel's
London (ZINS) — The Institute
for Strategic Studies says Syria
has \ nearly doubled its armed
forces within the last three years
and now has .a standing army
nearly three times the size of Is-
rael's.
The institute reported that Sy-
rian forces have jumped from
220,000 in 1983 to 402,000 in
1985. The Syrians also have
272,000 reservists. Israeli forces
are placed at 142,000 and 400,000
reservists.
Syria now has 4,200 tanks com-
pared to Israel's 3,600. But Israel
has 684 combat aircraft compared
to Syria's 500.