stein, who attended Temple Beth
El's religious school for a short time
as a girl. She and her husband do
not belong to a temple or syna-
gogue.
"It wasn't one of those things
that was attractive to me. I never
thought of it as my country," she
says. "I'd never been to Europe, so
there were a million other places I
would rather have gone to."
Mrs. Goldstein concedes that
fear of random episodes of violence
is lurking somewhere in her mind,
but "I don't scare easily and I don't
think it would keep me away from
Israel."
Area Jews say
terrorist violence is
not a consideration.
client canceled his trip. The next day, he re-
booked "because he really wanted to go," he says.
"A lot depends on the travel agents, if they're
willing to push," Mr. Hochheiser says. "I push
tourism in Israel. I believe in the destination."
Crown Travel books four or five trips to Is-
rael each week, mostly for "visiting friends and
family" travelers. But Mr. Hochheiser also
serves the Miracle Mission segment, or those
who visited Israel perfunctorily and want to re-
turn for more.
With few exceptions, area Jews who have
been to Israel — and some who haven't — say
the threat of bombs wouldn't keep them away.
Nor are they attracted by the long stretches of
sandy beaches along the Mediterranean and
Red Sea. Most say Israel is a place to explore,
not to hunker down for a lazy sojourn.
Irving Protetch, a property manager for the
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, says
Bound f I' Israel
Worldwide Tourism, 1989-1995*
-------------- --
-
.
E u ro pe
c a
eri
'Data provided by the Israel Ministry of Tourism.
She says she and Mr. Goldstein
would like to return to Israel, but
there are other places they are ea-
ger to see first.
Mrs. Goldstein's daughter, Jodi
Burke, a 27-year-old research as-
sistant at Bozell Worldwide Ad-
vertising in Southfield, has never
been abroad. As a girl, she was one
of two Jews in her Union Lake
school and was not affiliated with
luxury hotels and Western-in-
a synagogue. Israel was remote, if
spired restaurants "mattered
she gave it any thought at all.
not a whit" to he and his wife
"I grew up not even knowing the
Babs and "wouldn't in the fu-
possibility [of going to Israel] was
ture.
there. It seemed so far away from
"We know if we go to Israel,
where I was," she says.
the reason we're going there is
But she was moved by the Gold-
different than going to the coast
steins' photographs and their ac-
of France or to London. I
counts of their trip. And before her
wouldn't pick Israel as where I
grandfather died, "he got me in
would go for a sitting-by-the-
touch with some really important
beach vacation, unless it was
things he learned, like surviving
some special bargain," he says.
the concentration camps. At one
Eight years ago, the Pro-
point, I felt so out of touch with
tetches made their first trip to
that. Going to Israel would further
Israel with a group from Tem-
my
sense of connection [with him]."
Top: Melvyn and Marie Goldstein
ple Kol Ami. It was their second
Ms. Burke, a Farmington Hills
never thought they'd go.
trip abroad.
resident, would take inspiration to
Above: Michael Hochheiser
The West Bloomfield couple
go to Israel from other sources, as
loved the country but had de-
well.
ferred the trip because of the ex-
"I have a lot of Lebanese friends who've said
pense. Still, they'd like to go back a lot of wonderful things about Israel," she says.
some day. But neither of their
Dr. Bernie Sivak, a staff anesthesiologist at
children, both in their 30s, "has Sinai Hospital, has never visited Israel and his
ever shown any interest in it," reasons are complex, but personal safety is not
Mrs. Protetch says.
one of them.
A trip to Israel last year with
He explains that he feels somewhat uncom-
the Federation's Miracle Mission fortable about the divisions between Palestini-
was a revelation for Melvyn and ans and Israeli Jews, although he would have
Marie Goldstein of Bingham voted for Binyamin Netanyahu and Likud if he
Farms.
were a citizen. And, he feels that he needs to be
They'd never been before, but more than just a passive observer carted around
not because they were afraid of from sight to sight by bus. A Federation or syn-
terrorist violence. It just wasn't agogue trip holds no appeal for him.
in the cards. They booked a trip
Dr. Sivak, 69, didn't always feel the same way.
after friends came home raving In 1967, during the Six-Day War, he and two
about Israel.
other idealistic physicians quickly organized a
"I'd never in my life thought trip to Israel to help treat wounded soldiers. He
I'd go to Israel," says Mrs. Gold- winsomely recalls that the war ended before