Paga2 THE NEWS-March, 1982
Editorial
Across The Editors’ Desks
Israel Calls
There are numerous reasons why not to go to Israel this
year. The cost. The dangers. Other priorities. Waiting for
children to grow older. Lack of time. Lack of interest.
There is only one good reason to go to Israel this year. It
belongs to us.
The Israelis themselves are the first to tell their American
visitors: “Your concern gives us strength. Believe in Israel.
It belongs to you., too. You are bur partners in life. Your love
for Israel is our success. Our secret weapon is love. We are
not afraid.”
We Americans have a variety of appropriate ways to ex
press that love. We may make annual gifts to local Federa
tion. Or work to support special Israeli causes, such as
Hadassah Hospital. Or buy Israel Bonds. We can speak out
on behalf of Israel before the community. '
All of these actions and more are necessary. But there is no
substitute for a visit to Israel — in the flesh...'for the first
time or to return. One hds to see, feel and hear Israel to ap
preciate what it represents to the Jew.
To ignore the call to Israel is the same as to turn one’s back
on any precious, cherished possession. Our roots are firmly
planted in Israel regardless of our origin. Where Abraham
walked, we walk. Where David ruled, we rule. What Herzl
created, we create.
That is why our hearts pound, the tears of joy are shed and
we breathe faster when we stop onto Israel soil. We are as
much at home in Jerusalem as we are in our American com
munity. Maybe even more so.
The reasons not to go to Israel will be with us forever. But,
in truth, there is no excuse if we believe that Israel calls to
us. There is a way to go to Israel this year.
There is a tour for every pocketbook and every kind of in
dividual. The first-timer. The observant. The fund-raiser.
The professional, media person, salesman, or member of a
fraternal lodge. There are tours for young people, old people
and everyone in between.
There are countless tours to Israel with side trips to
Europe and Africa.
Many rabbis offer excellent trips for members of their
synagogues and community. Rabbi Richard Rocklin of Tem
ple Israel in Charlotte, for one, makes an annual trip to
Israel which is especially meaningful since he once lived in
Israel and his oldest daughter was born there. •
B’nai B’rith, Hadassah and other Jewish organizations
aJso have scheduled tours which meet a variety of pocket-
books and interests.
In recent years, few trips to Israel have been better
organized and better received than United Jewish Appeal
missions. There are national, regional and local UJA mis
sions leaving the United States regularly. They are noted for
being well planned and with unusual access to newsmaking
people and places in Israel.
The UJA mission is particularly well received by Israelis
because they clearly understand the function of missions,
which is to have Americans carefully study the country and
return to explain it to others. In the process, more money
comes into Israel that is sorely needed for the best of
reasons.
For that reason, the red carpet is rolled out. High ranking
members of the Knesset become accessible. Army posts on
the Golan Heights are opened. Settlers in Judaea and
Samaria stand ready to be of assistance. Kibbutz residents
prepare meals. Top leaders in government attend dinners, or
welcome people on missions into their office and homes.
For those who are active in local federations, communities
can sometimes provide subsidies to travel to Israel on mis
sions. It’s a worthwhile investment for all concerned. Those
who return from Israel, especially from missions, appreciate
what it means to support that tiny, troubled state. They are
ready to ask others to do more by following their good exam
ple.
Parents with Bar and Bat Mitzvah aged children are get
ting wise. It’s often less expensive to take families to Israel
for B’nai Mitzvot than to have the usual affairs back home.
The impression left on the family, especially the candidate,
is beyond measurement. It’s the way to do it today.
Roni Millo, a member of the Israeli Knesset, recently told
a group of American visitors how important it was to make
the commitment to visit and support Israel this year. “We
need your presence here,” he said. “There is no future for
Israel without your support. There is a partnership. Helping
Israel is helping yourself. Without Israel... there is no
Jewish future.”
We know the reasons not to go to Israel. But there are bet
ter reasons to go.
To go to Israel this year will be to understand why Israel
must settle and retain Judaea and Samaria (the West Bank);
to talk with the settlers and know their future; to walk on the
Golan Heights and witness the meaning of keeping secure
borders; to discover a Jewish history that is as ancient as
time itself and as recent as yesterday.
To go to Israel this year is to discover and find ourselves.
... rr Richard At Klein
The College View
“People to see... Places
to go.... Things to do.”
The above common pre
cept has resulted in a
dangerous “dead end” for
the young Jewish adult com
munity. Ideally, it would be
nice if Charlotte’s Jewish
college students (for the past
winter break) would spend
their “social time” with
other counterparts. But, un
fortunately, this ideal situa
tion is not taking place.
What is to be blamed for
the dilemma can not be fairly
resolved nor is important.
What is important for the
Jewish community as a
whole is a solution.
Instead of a situation
where the young Jewish
adults’ social time can rarely
be spent on other consti
tuents of our community,
Charlotte’s organized
Jewish groups should spon
sor get-togethers, dances and
outings for our young adults.
It is time for the Charlotte
Jewish community to invest
in a common future; if not
now, there might not be a
community later.
— Mark Farbman
N.C.S.U., Raleigh, N.C.
|AT)ULT movie
For The Record
By Norman Olshansky
Regional Director
Anti-Defamation League of
B’nai B’rith
An individual called me
the other day and asked if I
Would put them on our mail
ing list. What might appear
on the surface to be a simple
request is really very com
plicated. I told him that we
have many mailing lists and
that for any one person to be
on every mailing list would
\y&f by
ill* in 111
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ismrL
■ I'
ifis a Lofct/am
1'Nani TMfC,3vrii>c nave.
QOiSTtOtJ
Vpeomiug UJA MiMMlont
National Family Mission: June 20-30
National Family Mission:* July 11-21
National Singles Mission: July 18-28.
For information on these and other missions to Israel
contact Ira Schulman (366-7382) or Marvin Bienstock
(366-0358).
THE CHARLOTTE JEWISH NEWS
Published monthly by:
Charlotte Jewish Federation
Marvin Bienstock, Director
Jewish Community Center
Harold Cohen, Director
Charlotte Hebrew Academy
Eleanor WeingUas, Director
Editors Ann Langman A Rita Mond
Staff Monroe Katz A Lisaa Millman
Copy deadline the 6th of emcb month
P.O. Box220188, Charlotte, N.C. 28222
generate much more mail
than I think anybody would
want not to mention the fact
that some of our mailings are
highly technical and/or
restricted for the confiden
tial review of our own leader
ship and staff. Some of our
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use by rabbis, others for
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terest to lawyers and other
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terested in legal aspects of
our activities. We even have
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I suggested that the best
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ADL is to become a
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Bulletin. A two year
subscription to this publica
tion is only $4.00. By the
way, financial contributors
to ADL who are members of
our Society of Fellows,
receive a free subscription to
the Bulletin.
Probably the best publica
tion relating to local ac
tivities of the ADL in our
region, is “News-N-Notes”
which is edited by Jules
Mintzer. This publication is
sent to ADL board members,
rabbis and Jewish communal
professionals as well as
financial supporters of the
League in Virginia and
North Carolina. In any
single issue you will find up
dates on ADL responses to
concerns ranging from
religious discrimination to
the Ku KIux Klan.
Too often, the only infor
mation people are familiar
with concerning the work of
ADL is that which they read
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Obviously, the national
media will pick only that
which is most dramatic and
“newsworthy.” Much of our
work goes on behind the
scenes with little fanfare, yet
is extremely important and
effective in fostering
positive Jewish community
relations. You can be better
informed. Your regional of
fice is offering on a limited
basis to readers of this col
umn a free copy of the na
tional ADL Bulletin and the
Virginia/North Carolina
regional publication “News-
N-Notes.”