.1 )4)1 )11 !If Z OVI t) I" 1 fl fe t 11' .1 TRAVEL ( We're FEELING GOOD! You'll get a healthy glow from our special January 2 FEELING GOOD issue. It's our first annual pull-out supplement devoted solely to health, fitness and well-being. We'll focus on the latest ideas and trends— as well as the tried-and-true — to give you a .comprehensive picture of how you can feel and look your best. And our convenient format will make it easy for you to refer to favorite articles and advertisements again and again. So exercise good judgment! If you're not currently a subscriber, now is the time to call Mrs. Miller at 354-6060 to assure . you receive your guide to FEELING GOOD. For advertising information, contact your account executive or The Jewish News. Photographed at JCC Health Club-Maple/Drake THE JEWISH NEWS 17,44 iewt avt, 34 Friday, December 26, 1986 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS IDF Gave Volunteers A Taste Of Army Life EDWIN G. SIEGEL Special to The Jewish News W hich army accepts volunteers from any country in the world, both men and women up to 65 years old (and even older)? The Israeli army does and hopes to increase the number of volunteers from the present 3,000 a year to at least 4,000. And you don't have to be Jewish to volun- teer. When my wife and I ar- rived in Israel in September to begin the Volunteers For Israel program, we didn't know what to expect or where we would be stationed. When we arrived at our base — the Israel Defense Force's central food distribution cen- ter about 15 miles southeast of Tel Aviv — and we were . shown our living quarters, our initial reaction was one of dismay. Husbands and wives were separated and as- signed to barracks with up to six people in a room, the beds • were double decker type (my wife accepted an upper bunk because .most of the other weren't eren't agile enough to climb up to it), toilet facilities were in another building 50 yards away from the barracks and we were is- sued heavy cotton work uni- forms although the weather was unusually hot. Still, we hadn't come to Is- rael on vacation. We came to help the country and to show our solidarity with the Is- raelis. We accomplished both goals. The feeling of self- satisfaction and gratification after completing our tour of duty made it all worthwhile. • Our tasks included as- sembling wood crates and cardboard cartons, receiving • fresh fruits and vegetables and repacking them for re- shipment, grinding coffee, and packing spices and con- diments. The soldiers who worked with us were not front-line troops and were not strongly motivated. They were sur- prised to hear that we were working for no pay and that we have paid for our own air- fare to Israel. When the soldiers saw how enthusiastic we were in performing our tasks, they gradually in- creased their participation until their output equalled ours. Volunteers for Israel isn't all work and no play. We toured one day each week in an army bus, led by a trained guide.. We were free to leave the base on weekends. If we didn't have Shabbat plans, our group leader, a civilian serving in the reserves, would arrange for us to visit Edwin G. Siegel is a consulting engineer and a Huntington Woods resident. a kibbutz or an Israeli fam- ily. At the end of our three weeks' duty, "graduation exercises" were held in the command headquarters. The camp commander handed out certificates and lapel pins to all the volunteers and thanked us for our contribu- tion, noting that each volun- teer replaces a reservist, sav- ing Israel $600. I was surprised that not one of the volunteers quit be- fore the end of the program. It was a greater surprise when 16,of the 24 volunteers, Each volunteer replaces a reservist, saving Israel $600. including my wife and my- self, volunteered for an extra week in order to make up for a delay in the arrival of the next group. We plan to keep in contact with several volunteers from our group an hope to join them next year for another tour of duty. Navon Decides On Censorship Tel Aviv (JTA) — Education Minister Yitzhak Navon has taken an equivocal position on the issue of censorship. He be- lieves it should be abolished in connection with theatrical productions, but film censor- ship is justified. The matter arose over a Youth Theater production of The Explosion on Ahlan Street, a play dealing with Jewish- Arab relations that presents a mixed marriage in a favorable light. The Youth Theater, whose productions are for young audiences, is under the aegis of the Education Minis- try. Navon originally opposed the play on grounds that it could encourage marriage be- tween Jews and Arabs. After a meeting with the Playwrights Association, he changed his mind. Asked by Israel Radio why he backtracked, Navon explained that his ministry examined the issue of theatri- cal censorship and decided it was not worth the effort. Candy Coated Tel Aviv (JTA) — Sanitation workers who were called to find out why sewers in the reli- gious township of Bnei Brak near Tel Aviv have been blocked for the past ten.days solved the mystery, Somebody dumped about a ton of choco- late syrup down the drain and it solidified. Bnei Brak Mayor Rabbi Moshe Orenstein is try-' ing to find out who to sue.