19 THE JEWISH NATIONAL FUND of Detroit 16NISH 110J1CillAL are worked out. He dismissed the "illusion" held by Tavin that American Jewish educators are opposed to teaching about Israel and Zionism. "The vast majority are personally committed to Israel and Zionism and to giving it an important place in the curriculum." nother outcome of the Caesarea Process has been an undertaking by the phil- anthropists and federation leaders involved in the Jew- ish Agency to actively pro- mote and support aliya from western countries, primarily from North America. The Aliya Commission of the Caesarea Process set up to implement this commitment is co-chaired by Irwin Field of Los Angeles, chairman of the United Israel Appeal, the channel through which UJA funds are conveyed to the Agency. What does it mean for "non-Zionists" to support aliya from Diaspora communities that are not faced with imminent threats to Jewish life? Does it mean that they have come to share some of the classical Zionist pessimism concerning the viability of con- tinued Jewish existence in the Diaspora? Not necessarily. It has now become fash- ionable for federation leaders to promote aliya, because support for aliya from the West is coming to be perceived as part of a federation's general obligation to strengthen Israel, and to help members of their community who choose to live in Israel. Such a move is not regarded as an act of betrayal or rejection of one's Ameri- can Jewish roots, but as an act of positive Jewish fulfillment that deserves communi- ty support. These federation leaders are not motivated by the classical Zionist im- perative to restore the vast majority of the Jewish people to its homeland, nor by a sense that American Jewry is doomed. And this is perfectly understandable given the amorphous, - non-ideological "pro- Israel" sentiments common to the great mass of American Jewry. As a result of the Caesarea Process, there are now five North American communities — Milwaukee, Atlanta, Ibrontc;, Los Angeles and Miami — which have launched dein onstration projects to develop models of community support for aliya. These pro- jects are intended to go beyond support for aliya provided since the late 1970s in a number of North American communities by Aliya Councils. For the last two years, however, the project has not progressed much, mainly because the WZO Aliya De- partment has not given it priority, nor has it appointed any senior department official to be responsible for pushing it. Los Angeles, however, has not been con- tent to wait for Jerusalem to point the way, and has in fact helped point the Aliya De- partment in a new direction. This new de- parture, which was recently approved by the LA federation and the WZO, seeks to transform the aliya shlichut there along the lines of the partnership model pioneered by the community shlichut. The plan seeks - to integrate the work of the aliya shaliach based there with community organiza- tions, primarily the federation. This would help overcome the aliya shaliach's biggest problems, which are gaining access to mainstream community forums and gain- ing legitimacy for aliya as an option for Jewish fulfillment. here are diverse attitudes within the WZO to greater "non-Zionist" involvement in what used to be regarded as a strictly "Zionist" pre- serve. Some of the WZO leaders in Israel are gen- uinely pleased by this shift in attitudes and priorities among their Diaspora part- ners in the Agency, but are not so eager to undermine their own independent power base in the WZO. Other WZO leaders in Israel are ideologically opposed to the en- tire notion of partnership, whether in the Agency or the WZO. They believe that the Diaspora should have an essentially pas- sive role in these arenas, and should defer to what they see as the inherent superiori- ty of the Zionist leadership on issues con- cerning Zionism and Israel. Such attitudes are most strongly entrenched among the leaders of Herut. All this points to a dilemma for the WZO. It originally took in the Diaspora philanthropists as "partners" in the Jewish Agency, hoping that this would increase Since the mid 1970s, the slogan "We are all Zionists" has in many ways become a reality. contributions, which it did. But it also made Zionists out of these Diaspora lead- ers, and made them acutely aware of the shortcomings of the WZO in carrying out, its work abroad. Now that the federation leaders are saying "we can do it better," how can the WZO legitimately deny them the right to try? Having invited the Diaspora philanthropists to be partners in the work that the Agency carries out in Israel, can the WZO spurn the Diaspora desire to be partners in the work of the WZO abroad? lb do so might protect the WZO's short-run political interests, but at the expense of long-run gains for Israel. June 20: The attempts of the Reform and Conservative movements to increase their in- volvement in Israel and Zionism through the Agency and WZO. Part Three (KEREN KAYEMETH LEISRAEL) INC. Invites you to attend the TESTIMONIAL DINNER honoring RABBI M. ROBERT and SONIA SYME In Recognition of their Spiritual Leadership and many serv- ices and contributions to the community, to the Jewish people and to the State of Israel. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 1986 Congregation Shaarey Zedek 27375 Bell Road, Southfield Cocktails Dinner 6 p.m. 7 p.m. General Chairman ROBERT SOSNICK Couvert $125 Dinner Chairman DAVID B. HERMELIN Dinner Co-Chairpersons BARTON M. BERMAN SUE ELLEN EISENBERG PAUL BORMAN MILTON J. MILLER SIDNEY RUBIN FRANKLIN J. ELL1AS President JNF Council of Greater Detroit EDWARD ROSENTHAL Executive Director JNF Council of Greater Detroit For further information and reservations, please call JEWISH NATIONAL FUND 557-6644 mit