Page 10-THE NEWS-May, 1985
A First Visit To Israel
Charlotteans’ Impressh
Young Leadership Mission
By Alan Blumenthal
My wife, Lee, and I went on
a January, 1985 Young Lead
ership Mission to Israel. It
was our first visit.
I was amazed at how
modern many things are in
Israel: buildings, restaurants,
styles of dress, etc. Yet,
everything is so tied to Israeli
history and Middle Eastern
history, one can not help but
come away with a greatly
enhanced appreciation of both
Jewish survival ability and
Jewish ingenuity.
We saw £ill sections of Israel
except the Sinai region. Some
of the highlights were: an
Ethiopian Absorption Center;
the tour of Project Renewal at
Acco; the Jewish Diaspora
Museum; visiting two Kibbutz
settlements; climbing Masada
and learning about its history;
hearing the Dead Sea Works
lecture; the Wailing Wall;
touring the Old City, parts of
Jerusalem, and YAD
VASHEM. I especially en
joyed the four opportunities
we had to meet and talk with
Israelis. It gave Lee and me a
first-hand understanding of
how Israelis think and live.
Why should other Jews go
to Israel? Because they are
Jews and it is important for
American Jews to see Israel
first-hand, learn what is hap
pening there, and get a much
better understanding of why it
is important for us to support
Israel.
Charlotte UJA Mission participants are shown on Mt Scopus as they enter Jerusalem for the first
time, March 1985.
Reflections Of My UJA Mission — February, 1984
By Philip Blumenthal
I believe the UJA missions
are of great v£due to all Jews
interested in their cultural and
spiritual heritage. For those
who have never been to Israel,
a mission is a wonderful in
troduction to the land and its
people. For those who have
been before, a mission takes
them places no other tour
could and allows them to meet
people with different perspec
tives concerning the issues
facing the country.
The missions are designed
to show the promise and prob
lems of the country. Israel
faces many challenges, in
cluding defense, economics
and immigration. On our mis
sion, we were given the oppor
tunity to meet with a variety
of Israelis who confront these
problems every day and
discuss possible solutions.
The promise of the Country'
is shown to peu-ticipants in
many ways. Medical ad
vances, solar technology,
agricultural techniques and
sports programs are just some
of the areas where you see pro-
L to R: Herman, Anita, Phillip Blumenthal at the Dead Sea.
gress made while overcoming
enormous difficulties.
The true value of the mis
sion lies in the feeling of
oneness which you experience
with the people. Nowhere was
this more evident than in the
meeting our group had with
the conununity with which
Charlotte has been joined
through Project Renewal. To
have the opportunity to talk
with fellow Jews from entire
ly different backgrounds in an
effort to find solutions to a
variety of problems illustrates
the common bond we all share.
A UJA mission in Israel is one
of the best ways to experience
the spiritual and cultural
heritage common to all of us as
Jews.
-4
bRANd NEW
Contribution Cards Now Available At Jewish Social Services
Please make your next contribution in honor of or in memory of loved ones, to Jewish
Social Services. Your contributions are tax-deductible and will enable us to continue our
present low fee policies and to expand future programming. Call us at 364-6594 or
366-5007.
Share your family with Israel
The United Jewish Appeal
1985 National Family Missions
June 9-19, July 4-14, August 11-21 and Decembei
A UJA Family Mission will introduce you and your d
heritage and to the uniqueness of life in the Jewish he
■ It’s a people-to-people, family-to-family experience.
■ It’s an opportunity to visit Israel, the land and its pe
and recent immigrants.
■ It’s an encounter with the residents of Project Renei
with the new pioneers settling the barren hillsides i
■ It’s a chance for your family to trace our people’s his
with our future.
Discover Israel—
and have a great time t
Mission features include:
■ Five-star hotels and kibbutzim.
■ Touring with UJA-trained guides and special res
Transportation on modern, air-conditioned toui
■ Special youth programming led by trained cour
■ Kashrut will be observed.
Applications with a $200 deposit per person must be
weeks prior to departure.
Conditions
All costs include round-trip airfare New York/Tfel Avi
arrangements (hotels, meals, taxes, transfers, guides,
porterage and program.)
The exact cost of the mission varies according to the r
children sharing a room as well as the time of the ye
UJA National Summer Singles (age: 22-40) Hatikvali
July 21-31 Cost: $1800.
Application deadline: June 10
For further information, please contact your fedei
the UJA Department of Overseas Programs,
1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, N.Y. 1010*
(212) 757-1500.