Lots of people put off writing a will. It can be scary to think about. After all, wills are for Old people. Sick people. Rich people. Other people. A view of the Rhine as It flows through Basel. Herzl's Footsteps Echo In Basel But if there are people you care about, a will is more than just a good idea. Safeguard their future. Draw up a will. And after you have, ask yourself: 1. Does your will provide for charities you value? - RUTH ROVNER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS F rom the window of his office in Basel, Switzerland, Dennis Rhein has a view of the Rhine River and one of the sturdy stone bridges that span it. It's almost the same view that Theodore Herzl saw when he stood on the - balcony of a hotel in Basel and gazed at the river as he dreamed of a Jewish homeland. A well-known photo- graph shows Mr. Herzl looking down at the river. - It was taken when Mr. Herzl came to Basel in 1897 to convene the world's first Zionist Congress. During the visit, he wrote in his diary, "I have founded the Jewish State in Basel." No wonder many Jewish visitors are drawn to this city on the Rhine because of its special place in Zionist history. "We get enormous interest from Jewish tourists. Especial- ly when they're on the way to Israel, they often stop in Basel first," says Mr. Rhein, executive vice president of the Basel Tourist Board and a mem- ber of the State Parlia- ment of the Canton of Basel. "And it's not only the 1897 Congress that was held here. We had 10 other Zionist Congresses in Basel. The last one was in 1946, right before the Jewish state was found- ed." Because of Basel's ir t it i unique place in Israel's history, Mr. Rhein, who is a member of one of the oldest Jewish families in Basel, is often called upon to be an unofficial ambas- sador. He's been to Israel numerous times and has been on hand to welcome many Israeli delegations to Basel. For instance, the Jewish National Fund's 90th anniversary celebration was held in Basel in December 1991. "There were 300 people from all over the world who attended, including a large American delega- tion," says Mr. Rhein, who is already involved in pre- liminary plans for another gala event. The year 1997 will mark the 100th anniversary of the first Zionist Congress, and plans for a festive celebra- tion are already in the works. But the Jewish traveler who comes to this cos- mopolitan river city in northern Switzerland doesn't have to wait until 1997 to commemorate Zionist history here. This is a city where those in the tourism industry are knowledge- able about Basel's special place in Israel's history and eager to help travel- ers explore that theme. There is, for instance, the special tourist pam- phlet in three languages — English, German and Hebrew — which Mr. BASEL page 94 2. Do you need language in your will to help you provide for your community in a way that is meaningful to you? Let us help you. Contact the Jewish Federation Endowment Fund office, 642-4260, ext. 202. Federated Endowment Fund of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit P. 0. Box 2030 • Bloomfield Hills, MI 48303-2030 CASH MARV SAYS For Current, Like New MATERNITY Career - Dressy BABY BABY Downtown Northville (313) 3472229 CUSTOM WALL MIRROR SPECIALISTS ( AMERICAN ‘11r CANCER SOCIE'TY' Help us keep winning. TUB & SHOWER ENCLOSURES MIRRORED BIFOLD OR SLIDING DOORS , INSULATED GLASS REPLACED j •TABLE TOPS • STORM DOO1S & WINDOWS • PATIO DOOR WALLS REPLACED • STORMS & SCREENS REPAIRED VISIT OUR SHOWROOM .Suggested List Price SAVE FROM 20% TO 50%• al ESTABLISHED 1920 MOBIL AUTO GLASS SERVICE Z.34 7 . .3 74: c 7 a) MINI IMF Ln INN TIRES & ACCESSORIES GLASS & AUTO TRIM CUSTOM WALL MIRRORS OVER 69 69 YEARS OF SERVICE SOUTHFIELD: 24777 Telegraph 353-2500 Other locations: Wayne and Lincoln Park 93