UJA Mission to Israel
Page 17-THE NEWS-June/July, 1987
Cont’d from page 16
Holocaust Romemberod: a memorial service at Yad Vashem.
UJA Press Photo
at Project Renewal in Tiberias
proved that children are the
same the world over. They are
noisy and gregarious, and they
want love, attention and
recognition whether they are
in Israel or the United States.
Yigal Barkan who immigrated
to Israel from New York with
his wife £md five children has
so much energy and love for
Project Renewal. Spirit!
Dark rain clouds hung
overhead and a cold wind blew
down from the forbidding hills
of Golan Heights as we ap
proached the Army Unit to
view t£ink maneuvers—live
shells—practice targets. The
explosions were deafening.
This was one tank; one can on
ly imagine a hill filled with
tanks, ours and the enemies,
and shells exploding all
around. “Bombs bursting in
air!” Chilling! The soldiers
were so young; boyish faces
covered with peach fuzz.
There, but for the grace of
God, goes one of my four sons.
There were four men in the
tank, and all cem fill the posi
tions of the others. Believe me,
they hit EVERY target. The
tank was designed by General
Tal, and interestingly, is call
ed Merkeva which, in Hebrew,
means chariot. The Romans
never would have believed it.
As we trudged through the
deep ruts made by the tanks in
the muddy field, I recsJled
Alex saying that at the end of
the day, the tank crew washes
the tank and readies it for the
next day before food and sleep.
After all, the Syrian border is
only three and one-half miles
away. Spirit!
Rain clouds were with us on
The United Jewish Appeal’s
Missions Department has
taken almost 1,000 Jewish
community leaders to Israel
on 20 customized trips in the
first three months of 1987.
The participants, caucusing at
the end of each Mission, rais
ed $2.4 million to support
humanitarian programs and
social services for Jews at
home, in Israel and in 33 coun
tries around the world. Based
on UJA statistics, each par
ticipant on a UJA Mission in
creased his/her gift by a card-
for-card average of 114
percent.
While the itineraries vary
depending on the nature of the
constituency. Mission par
ticipants have taken part in a
wide variety of activities.
They included: welcoming the
Sabbath at the Western Wall
in Jerusalem; meeting Israelis
from all walks of life; spending
an afternoon with kibbutz
families as guests; ascending
Masada at dawn; greeting
Ethiopian immigrants at a
Jewish Agency Absorption
Center supported by
UJA/Federation Campaigns;
visiting historic sites, chatting
with soldiers at an army base
during lunch and meeting Pro
ject Renewal residoits who ex
plained how they have rebuilt
their neighborhoods and their
lives. ContribuUH*s who have
been personally involved in
Campaign 1^ see with their own
eyes what their support has
The town of Safed, where “As
cent Institute is headquartered.
—UJA Photo
the drive to Safed, the artists’
colony. Winding streets and
alleyways led us to many
galleries with fantastic artists
and paintings.
Across the Jordan, more a
stream than a river, but thrill
ing to see, and through the
Jordan Rift Valley, we finally
ascended the Judean Hills on
our drive to Jerusalem. On the
way, excavation is “fitting”
the battle in Jericho as did
Joshua. It was thrilling to get
the first glimpse of the towers
of the golden city, Jerusalem,
in the distance, and to pass
Bedouin tents on the hillsides
at the same moment. The tent
flaps were up to catch the
warmth of the morning sun,
and the goats grazed on the
sparse tufts of grass. Alex
said it is the wish of every Jew
in the world to one day
celebrate Shehecheyanu atop
Mount Scopus and attend
Shabbat at the Western Wall.
I have had this privilege.
The first “free” time in six
accomplished.
Federations which have had
community and special group
missions to Israel in the first
quarter of this year included
Atlanta, Boston (Physicians),
Chicago (Physiciems, Mature
Singles), Celeveland (Leader
ship), MetroWest N.J. (Young
Leadership), New York City
(Women’s Division, Wall
Street, Westchester Country
Club), Phoenix, and Pitt
sburgh (Future Leaders, Next
Generation).
There were also UJA na
tional Missions geared to
specialized constituencies
where participants came from
all sections of the United
States. These included Alloca
tions, Gesher, Rabbinic
Cabinet, Winter Singles and
Young Leadership.
National Missions Chair
man Victor Gelb of Cleveland
hailed the substantial increase
in 1987 UJA Missions. “Our
trips,” said Gelb, “are
especially designed to provide
a unique adventure to the land
and people of Israel so that
donors can see what their gifts
have achieved. Going behind
the scenes, and meeting the
people who have shaped and
shared Israel’s history, creates
Happy
Fathers
Day
days made possible viewing
the Dead Sea Scrolls at the
Israel Museum, and a walking
tour of the Old City which in
cluded residential eireas, the
Citadel, Arab Market, Chris
tian and Armenian neighbor
hoods, the Via Dolorosa, the
Church of the Holy Sepulchre,
sections of the Prado, the main
street from Roman times
which had been excavated. A
panorama of sights, sounds
and smells filled the Arab
Market. It was teeming with
people being pulled into the
shops by merchants selling
brass, silver, paintings,
ceramics, leather goods,
spices, candies, and even t-
shirts emblazoned with Coca
Cola in Hebrew.
A tour of the Museum and
Art Gallery at the Holocaust
Memorial, Yad Vashem, was a
very touching experience, as
was the special Yizkor Service
in the Hdl of Remembrance.
Several members of our bus
group participated in the ser
vice by laying sprays of
flowers on the names of con-
an exciting experience that
will always be remembered. I
am extremely proud of what
has been accomplished in the
last three months and I look
forward to achieving new
heights in UJA Missions to
Israel in 1987.”
Additional information on
UJA Missions to Israel may
be obtained by calling Alan
Isaacs at 212-818-9100.
centration camps engraved on
the floor tiles. I wear my
Remembrance pin proudly.
Hitler did not realize that his
documentation of the attemp
ted annihilation of the Jews
would provide an historical ac
count for the whole world.
At Mount Herzl, the
military cemetery, generals
are buried next to privates, all
with the same simple white
headstones. “No pictures,
please,” requested Alex, and
all of us understood why.
Our last day was spent driv
ing through the desert and
along the Dead Sea to
Masada. What a thrill as its
nine hundred foot height ap-
pe£ired agEunst the clear blue
sky. Several of our group
elected to climb the heroic
stronghold, made it intact,
and reported, that it was not
too difficult. The less adven
turous of us took the cable car
up which provided a spec
tacular view of the Dead Sea
desert. The ruins from Herod’s
time teased the imagination:
swimming pool, ceramic tile
baths - REALLY! Just the
logistics of transporting the
building materials those
thousands of years ago, bog
gles the mind. One lonely
pomegranate was growing
against a stone w£dl. Was this
a left-over from the days of the
zealots?
One C£mnot visit the Dead
Sea without floating on it — in
it — whatever. Just don’t
swallow it! Beautiful resort
hotels are on the shores of the
Sea. People were worshipping
the sun, just as in any warm
climate, and the men especi£d-
ly were enjoying the fact that
the beaches are topless. Spirit!
Avi Manos, native-born Israeli,
worits in Havat Ha Noar, a Youth
Aliyah Village.
It was sad to be leaving on
the tenth day; so many pic
tures, so many memories. We
from the South laughingly
nicknamed fgdafel the Jewish
hushpuppies. One of our group
rode a camel in Jericho. The
acres of date palms, bananas,
vegetables and flowers, even
the vineyards growing by the
grace of the drip method, are
etched in my memory. Dark
eyed boys in Jerusalem were
selling forty postcards for one
dollar. After buying forty “dif
ferent” cards on two occasions
from the same boy, I told him
that if I bought anymore. I’d
go into the business and give
him some competition. With a
big smile and a “Thanks, dear
lady”, he was gone.
The singing was so joyous,
as was the dancing. We were
msirvelously entertained by
Orot Haschuna, a group of
very talented young people
from underprivileged back
grounds. Spirit! Being with
three hundred people from all
over the United States, some
of whom have become good
friends, was a wonderful ex
perience. However, the thrill of
seeing Israel, touching on the
history of the Icuid, meeting
the people who have overcome
such adversity with spirit, that
was the real experience.
Sometimes when I am sitting
quietly with the warm North
Carolina sun on my face, 1
close my eyes, think of those
nine marvelous days in Israel,
and 1 can almost hear Alex’s
step as he boards the bus, and
booms, “Boker Tov!” “Boker
Tov, Alex, and thank you!”
Table’s
wmtmg
At Morrocrofts a sense of tradition is the specialty
of the house.
kelax in the easy sophistication of the piano bar
where leather and mahof^any reflect the warmth of
fire light
Feel at htnne in the comftMt of our dining room
while you savtw prime beef, fresh seafood and
veget^)les prepared to their advantage and your
spedScations Explore our wine cellar. Savorourhors
d’oeuvres. And linger over temptiilg desserts with
your cofiee and liqueurs.
Morrocrofts is more
than a restaurant — it is
a style.
Vour table’s waiting
Come to Morrocrofts
at the Park Hotel
2200 Kixfar* IkMd. CkmrtoOt. Sortk CsroMm Mill.
i64^2X
I
Almost 1000 Went to Israel
on UJA Missions Early This year