I FOR WOMEN `Sabta Frieda' Makes Her Mark At Israeli Army Base In Negev ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM Assistant Editor YOUR WEDDING SPECIALIST 553-4867 For our nearest location, see our ad in Ameritech PagesPlus: 31543 West 13 Mile Just W. of Orchard Lake, Farmington Hills YOUR BAR/BAT MITZVAH something special when personally photographed by PHOTOGRAPHY in the historic "Ward Eagle home" 29655 W. 14 Mile Rd. 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National president from 1977-1981 of Na'amat (then known as Pioneer Women), Mrs. Leemon met regularly with Israeli leaders in- cluding former prime min- isters Menachem Begin and Golda Meir, as well as Jerusalem Mayor Teddy Kollek. But never did she experience Israel quite like last June when she spent three weeks working at an IDF base. Last winter, Mrs. Leemon chanced to read an adver- tisement for Sarel, a New York-based organization that coordinates volunteer programs in Israel. The ad invited Americans to vol- unteer for three weeks in Israel working for the army, a kibbutz or a hospital. The work would relieve an Israeli soldier from reserve duty, the ad said. Mrs. Leemon was planning to spend several summer weeks in Israel, where she was organizing a Na'amat conference set for November. Why not, she thought, stay an extra three weeks and help out at an army base? "I had no idea what I was getting into," she says to- day. The 400 Sarel volunteers arrived at Ben-Gurion on May 28. Mrs. Leemon was there to greet them. "I thought they would all be senior citizens," she said. "But some of them were 17, 18 years old." At 70, Mrs. Leemon was the most senior member of the group. Mrs. Leemon and 19 other volunteers were assigned to work outside Beersheva at Mahane Natan, a supply- depot for the southern army command. Their day began with a 7 a.m breakfast of halvah and chocolate spread and ended at 5 p.m. Work consisted of selecting Frieda Leemon, right, with fellow volunteer Pam Ely of New Jersey at the Mahane Natan army base outside Beersheva. reusable material from secondhand military equip- ment, such as cartridge belts and canteens. Volunteers included two sets of a mother and daughter, the head of the United Jewish Appeal in Des Moines, a retired engi- neer and a young woman and her fiance. "We came from all diff- erent walks of life," Mrs. Leemon says, "but we really bonded." In the afternoon the vol- unteers, officers and soldiers working on the base ate lun- Volunteers included two sets of a mother and daughter, the head of the United Jewish Appeal in Des Moines, a retired engineer and a young woman and her fiance. ch together. Because of fami- ly or personal problems, soldiers assigned to Mahane Natan are not involved in combat. Though Mrs. Leemon strongly recommends the Sarel program, it is not the sort of thing that might- ap- peal to travelers whose idea of "roughing it" means stay- ing at the Hilton. Or as Mrs. Leemon explained, "If that (being on a military base) is what camp is like, I'm glad I never went." First was the matter of ac- commodations. The vol- unteers stayed in barracks on base. Their shower con- sisted of two pipes, complete- ly exposed until one creative woman made shower cur- tains of plastic bags. The bathroom was about a quarter mile away from the barracks. Most of the men on the base did not speak English, though four of the 20 Ameri- can volunteers knew Heb- rew. Among the four was Mrs. Leemon, a student in Nira Lev's Hebrew class at United Hebrew Schools. Their volunteer work was "no fun and games," Mrs. —4 Leemon says. Sorting through the military equip- ment outside in 100 degree temperatures, "was not play. We really felt like we 44 were doing something." And when not checking canteens and cartridge belts, I Mrs. Leemon was assigned kitchen duty. She admits she was a tough boss for her fellow worker, Ofer, who I took little interest in mopp- ing and scrubbing. "I told him that every work is important and every I work is worth doing well," she says. "I wanted that kit- chen spotless." 44 Mrs. Leemon wasn't sure her words were sinking in . _ until one afternoon when Ofer approached her. "Come and see," he said, leading her to the kitchen. "You see it's shining." From then on, Ofer began 44 referring to Mrs. Leemon as "Sabta Frieda," Grand- mother Frieda. "That caught on," she says. "Soon everybody was -