THE JEWISH NEWS
THIS ISSUE 50c
- SERVING DETROIT'S JEWISH COMMUNITY
JANUARY 23, 1987 / 13 TEVET 5747
South Lebanon's War
Of Proxies Heats Up
The South Lebanese Army is supposed to defend
Israel's northern border, but experts doubt its ability
HELEN DAVIS
Special to The Jewish News
The recent spate of raids by Is-
lamic fundamentalists on the South
Lebanese Army, which left 13 dead
and scores more wounded, has sent a
chill down the collective spine of mili-
tary strategists in Jerusalem.
As Israel's proxy in the tangled
web of Lebanese affairs, the predo-
minantly Christian South Lebanese
Army (SLA) is at the heart of
Jerusalem's strategy for defending its
northern border.
Its primary function is to keep a
host of hostile forces from Israeli
throats, and with Israel's two most
dangerous foes in Lebanon — the
Palestinians and the fundamentalist
Hizbollah movement — enjoying a re-
surgence on its doorstep, a question
mark now hangs over the milita's con-
tinued ability to protect Israel's inter-
ests.
The attacks could not have come
at a worse moment for the 1,800-
strong SLA which, wracked by des-
ertions, was in the midst of a recruit-
ment drive designed both to replenish
its ranks and stem a perilous decline in
Continued on Page 14
Fresh Air Center
Near Shopping Mall
Vacant supermarket to be a temporary Tamarack
Adventure Center at Tel-Twelve
ALAN HITSKY
News Editor
A Tamarack Camps Adventure
Center to serve youth, teens and senior
adults is being planned to open in Feb-
ruary at the vacant Chatham super-
market south of Tel-Twelve Mall. Offi-
cials of the Fresh Air Society (FAS) are
working quickly to obtain needed ap-
provals and permits for the four-
month pilot project that is aimed at
bringing "camp to the city."
Ramco-Gershenson Inc., owner of
the property, has agreed to lease the
30,000-square foot store to FAS for $1.
Joel Gershenson, R-G president, is a
former board member of FAS. The cor-
poration plans to build a hotel on the
site.
"If the pilot program is successful,
we'll look for another site for next
year," Robert Lipsitz, associate direc-
tor of FAS told The Jewish News. He
plans the project to end by June 1.
"Once the weather gets warm, we pre-
fer to see the kids outdoors."
The FAS board last week voted
$30,000 to fund the Adventure Center,
and Fresh Air is seeking donations of
playground equipment, landscaping
supplies, floorcovering and other
materials to build a camp-like setting
inside the building.
The plans call for an arts and
crafts center, nature center, playg-
round, sports area, obstacle course,
100-seat amphitheater and fire circle,
picnic area, as well as a community
services information center. The
Continued on Page 14
Amazing Marketplace
94
Baby M Dilemma
42
Births
Business
Engagements
Entertainment .. . ..
Obituaries
Single Life
Torah Portion
Women
86
46
82
. 57
109
89
24
76
Oakland County Circuit Court's
three women judges
and determined
are Jewish