LIFE IN ISRAEL [... DESIGNS IN DECORATOR LAMINATES For High Quality Formica Always At A Great Discount Israel Is Going To The Dogs • Bars • Wall Units • Bedroom Groupings • Dining Rooms • Credenzas NECHEMIA MEYERS Special to the Jewish News R ALSO SPECIALIZING • Woods • Glass • Marbles • Lucites IT DOESN'T HAVE TO COST A FORTUNE . . . ONLY LOOK LIKE IT! LCALL LOIS HARON 851-6989 ATIO %TO LEASE WITH NO MONEY DOWN . $24963** _,. 1- 1. al - C 1) t r-m_4 Stk. #V8197, V8263, V8234. .. , 1,9WW3i, •., ' , . i .1 ''., . . .--. .. .4: $ 2 9 977* _,. -----...- f --.. „ z . , .,,.,• '' ' ,._., 1,,, , . ,- _- - I ;:ki7 . 7 1 - ' i - 5,VM -11*ek 4., rs L. 0- - ( Stk. #V8117. Vi . t, te t,-,' -''''' - - . l 'a=tC'.= Jr - ...,..0 - $ 39950* 1 70_j [1111 TUR = A ® Stk. #V8055. Stk. #V8107. Stk. #V8281. \IA .. 1 , t 18,,, I VOLVO. ..7 ''' •!' BIRMINGHAM MOTORS .LTD. 825 WOODWARD 1 MILE NORTH OF SQUARE LAKE ROAD 332-8000 'Base() on a 60 month closed end lease. Payment does not include 4% use tax. Monthly payment, refundable security deposit and plate fee due at lease inception. Lease includes 81,000 miles, customer is responsible for excess miles and excess wear and tear. Total cost equals monthly payment times 60. I 4Q F.911),AY,.PQVST 26; ehovot — Not only are most Israelis going on vacation this summer — so are their pets. By now, indeed, Israel boasts several dozen "hotels" where animals can be placed by owners who are vacation- ing or who for some other reason — perhaps their apart- ment is being renovated — re- quire temporary accommoda- tion for their pets. While much less expensive than the Hilton, the Hyatt or the Sheraton, these "hotels" are by no means cheap. They charge between $6 and $12 a day for each four-footed guest, in return for which the animal receives a steady supply of food (suited to his or her individual taste), an airy "room," a sun porch and regular exercise. Providing proper care for an animal, even at his owner's home, doesn't come cheap. For example, keeping a middle- sized dog like an Irish setter costs something like $100 a month, about 10 percent of a middle-class Israeli's take- home pay. And owners with spare cash or exotic tastes can spend a lot more by patroniz- ing one of Tel Aviv's doggy delicatessens or beauty parlors for dogs. In that case, they may wish to protect their investment by taking out an insurance policy on their canine companions, now available from a local company. Not all possessors of pets are willing or able to provide proper conditions for their animals, whom they expect to live on scraps and do without medical care. Yet, according to Rehovot veterinarian Asher Meshorer, this attitude is becoming less common as Israelis learn to be responsi- ble owners of dogs and other pets. Ten or 15 years ago, Meshorer recalls, when the country's total pet population was only a fraction of its pre- sent size, almost all the peo- ple who brought animals to his clinic for treatment were from English-speaking coun- tries or from Central Europe. Now, in contrast, about one- third are from Arab countries and some are even Orthodox Jews — despite proverbial hostility of the observant to animals in general and dogs in particular. Meshorer attributes the growth in pet ownership to in- creasing Westernization and, of course, to higher living standards. He admits that keeping-up-with-the-Cohens snobbery may also play a role, particularly when people pur- chase expensive, pedigreed animals. But he nevertheless believes that most Israelis keep pets because of the warmth and love owners receive from their furry companions. Israel's pet population, like its human population, comes from around the world. This is clear from the fact that the country boasts not only a na- tional kennel club, but also individual clubs for the owners of, among others, cocker spaniels, poodles, col- lies, German shepherds, box- ers, St. Bernards, terriers, Doberman pinschers, schnau- zers; Great Danes, Rott- weilers and sheepdogs. Keeping an Irish setter costs 10 percent of a middle-class Israeli's take-home pay. One thing that bothers those without dogs — and the more responsible owners of canines — is the prevalence of dog droppings on Israeli sidewalks. There are municipal ordinances against pet owners who fail to clean up after their animals, but they are difficult to enforce because fines can only be im- posed if an inspector actual- ly nails the violator at the precise moment that his canine is depositing its bodi- ly wastes on a public pathway. This is not a problem in Arab areas because Israeli Arabs, who have adopted . many Jewish fads and fashions, have so far not taken to raising pets. Only the Beduin own a significant number of dogs, and they are kept for strictly utilitarian reasons — to stand guard and help with the herding of sheep. Program Draws African Leaders Jerusalem — The Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Martin Buber Institute for Adult Education is hosting a group of 34 community leaders from developing na- tions, mostly African, who are participating in an Interna- tional Seminar on Modern Agriculture and Community Development in the Land of the Bible. Countries of origin of the participants are Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Malawi, Uganda, Liberia, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Haiti, Tanzania, the Philippines, South Korea, India, El Salvador and Swaziland. Peres Marks 65th Birthday Jerusalem (JTA) — Foreign Minister Shimon Peres mark- ed his 65th birthday, Aug. 16, at a surprise birthday party thrown by his old friend, Jerusalem Mayor Teddy Kollek. Kollek, who was Peres' friend and colleague under Prime Minister David Ben- Gurion, staged the celebra- tion at a cafe in a Jerusalem suburb where the two men were touring. G. Fein blatt/Media SPECIALIZING IN Sarah Dormon and Tim Severin reach Jerusalem after retracing the route of the First Crusade. The pair began in May 1987 at the French- Belgian border and entered Israel via Jordan and the Allenby Bridge.