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How We Can Help
n astonishing number of Jews from
around the world continue to make
aliyah, even in the face of the
Palestinian assault on Israel.
A recent article in New York Jewish Week
reported that 50,000 Jews from the former
Soviet Union will this year join the one million
who have come from there over the last decade.
Additionally, Israel expects to bring 5,000-
8,000 immigrants from Ethiopia in the next 18
months, and more than 15,000 Jews from
Argentina are slated to make aliyah this year.
While the influx is welcome — Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon has spoken of trying to
attract up to a million new Jews —
the numbers create heavy demands
for social services. Immigrants often
need help finding jobs and housing,
many need language instruction, and
some need substantial broad education so that
they can thrive in Israel's advanced society.
But Israel's social service agencies have been
ordered to reduce spending so that more of the
national funds can go to the defense effort. A
program that gave every immigrant $2,500 for
resettlement needs has been cut in half.
In response, the United Jewish Communities
has approved a new effort to increase funding
for the Jewish Agency for Israel and the
American Jewish Joint Distribution
Committee, which will direct the efforts to aid
the immigrants.
Robert Schrayer, national chairman of the
UJC's UJA-Federation campaign, told Jewish
Week that the fund-raising goal would be set
A
after a gala kickoff event at which 75-100
families will each pledge upwards of
$500,000. He said 10 donors have already
pledged a total of $25 million. That is a
great start, and, depending on the enthusi-
asm recorded at the kickoff event, could lead
to a much bigger goal being set for the
nationwide effort, which local federations
will be asked to support.
We hope that when they do get into the
action, the locals will make a wide appeal for
funds rather than just turn to a few wealthy
individuals to fulfill the assigned quota.
While wealthy individuals deserve great
thanks for their generosity, this is a
cause that could help ordinary
American Jews be more involved
with Israel.
Many of us have felt enormous
frustration in the violence of the last 11
months because we have seen little opportuni-
ty to take concrete steps to help our embattled
spiritual home. The many solidarity missions
have had great symbolic value and they add a
few dollars to the devastated tourist industry,
but they are no substitute for the direct finan-
cial aid that this effort will provide.
In future, calmer years, when the issues
arise about Israeli feelings for American
Jews, perhaps those making aliyah now will
remember that it was Americans who helped
them begin their new lives. And, for us, the
opportunity to give now will be a powerful
affirmation of the ties that we have to both
the Jewish state and the Jewish nation. 0
Dry Bones
EDITO RIAL
AMP-
GLospdagioN
Da4ONS-RAToRS
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ARE NOT
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PRO
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A Missed Opportunity
Honesdale, Pa.
T
he Palestinians never miss
an opportunity to miss an
opportunity. That's a rap
they've carried since reject-
ing a United Nations partition plan
for a two-state solution in 1947. These
days, it seems Israel's foreign ministry
and its representatives are mimicking
their Palestinian counterparts.
At an annual five-day retreat last
week hosted by Hillel: The Foundation
for Jewish Campus Life, Israel's counsel
general for the Mid-Atlantic states,
Giora Becher, managed to not miss an
opportunity to shake Israel's fragile
image in the United States.
In front of a hall packed with 400
Jewish college students from more
than 150 campuses and several foreign
8/31
2001
28
Related story: page 20
countries — plus a New York Times
reporter — Becher transformed
Hillel's Israel Day from an empower-
ing opportunity to learn more about
Israel's position in the conflict to a call
for the unsuspecting students to be
"our soldiers ... our commandos, in
the public campaign we are having
here (in the U.S.)." His introduction
set a tone that New York Times writer
Jodi Wilgoren captured and developed
in her Aug. 25 article.
Well, excuse me, Mister Counsel
General, but these young adults are
involved with Hillel to maximize the
number of Jewish students "doing
Jewish" with other Jewish students on
their respective campuses. And 80 per-
cent of the programming at the retreat
related to this. The imagery of sending
19- and 20-year-old students to the front
lines as soldiers and commandos, to fight
the battles that Israel's foreign ministry
Foreign Minister Shirrion
and American Jewish commu-
nal leadership have been losing
Peres has been quoted as saying
on college campuses, is repulsive
that if you have good policies,
for the students and horrific for
then you don't need good pub-
their parents.
lic relations. And if you have
bad policies, then no amount of
Palestinian students have
taken the offensive on many col-
public relations will help. Israel's
lege campuses, using mock
leadership has yet to develop
checkpoints and other gimmicks ARTHUR M. and articulate a clear, unam-
to generate sympathy for their
biguous message about its posi-
HORWITZ
cause. And with school coming
tion in the current conflict. And
Publisher's
back into session, their reason-
that's bad PR, plain and simple.
Notebook
ably well-orchestrated efforts are
Where are you, Abba Eban?
expected to intensify. For the
After all, weren't you the one who
most part, American Jews on college
let the world know the Palestinians never
campuses are uninformed about Zionism
missed an opportunity to miss an oppor-
and Middle East geopolitics and are poor-
tunity? Perhaps you can teach your former
ly positioned to communicate Israel's
colleagues in the Israel foreign ministry
positions proactively and accurately.
a thing or two about effective commu-
So, it makes sense for Jewish student
nication. Never missing an opportunity
leaders on their respective campuses to
to miss an opportunity thanks to the
arm themselves with facts and figures.
counsel general — is a rap that continues
And that was Hillel's intent.
to stick with the Israeli leadership, too. 71