* Page 17-THE NEWS-Jtine/July 1994
Lightning UJA Mission to Israel Stresses Need for Tourism, Solidarity
By Harvey Cohen
The page of the calendar
would be turned to May in just
a few days. Wendy Smith, a
sophomore at Yale, was prepar
ing for final exams when she
abandoned her books and left
for Israel for 36 hours. Cindy
Fox and Traci Taylor both of
Charlotte, were at the Federa
tion’s Young Leadership gradu
ation. Travel agent Francine
Mellon was contacted during the
middle of a convention in Chi
cago, repacked her bags and
took off for Israel instead of
returning home The inspiring
words of Emily Zimmern about
missions to Israel were all Cindy
and Traci needed to make a
decision to go...now! Fox, a
marketing research analyst,
went to her boss the next day
and asked for time off. Taylor
did the same thing at First Union
where she is employed in the
Human Resources Department.
Fox and Taylor were among
the 365 Jews from 57 cities and
towns across the country who
made a lightning-paced 36-hour
visit to Israel. Their purpose was
to display their solidarity with
Israel in light of violent terrorist
efforts aimed at destroying the
peace process. Soon after their
return, a peace accord was
signed.
The trip was initiated by the
United Jewish Appeal and or
ganized in less than a week by
UJA in cooperation with El A1
Airlines, the Israel Ministry of
Tourism and the Conference of
presidents of Major American
Jewish Organizations UJA Pres
ident Marvin Lender, who
chaired the National Solidarity
Mission said, “It was urgent for
us to express our solidarity in
Israel and then carry a message
back to Diaspora Jewry that
Israel is safe and beautiful and
it is crucial to continue visits and
tourism to Israel.”
The morning following their
arrival in Jerusalem, United
States Ambassador Edward
Djerejian told the mission par
ticipants of recent developments
concerning negotiations be
tween Israel and the PLO, as
suring them that the United
States was working to ensure
that Israel would have peace
with security. Later that day,
Israel’s Ezer Weizman told the
group that at this pivotal point
in history, Israel is negotiating
for peace from a j)osition of
strength.
Despite its brevity, the 36
hours that the UJA National
Solidarity Mission spent in
Israel made a far-reaching im
pact. “When I joined this mis
sion, I thought my main aim was
giving a message to other Amer
ican Jews about visiting Israel,”
said Smith as ■ the group con-
Israel’s President Ezer Weizmui addresses the 365
participants from 57 US communities on tiie United
Jewish Appeal’s National Solidarity Mission as, I. to
r., UJA President Marvin Lender and UJA Executive
Vice President Rabbi Lurie look on.
eluded its visit, “But even in the
very short time we were here, I
realized that our message to
students and families we spoke
to...was touched that we came
and eager to hear what we had
to say. I’m already planning to
Soviet Teenagers Arrive in Israel
In Current ORT ‘Youth Aliyah’
Some 400 teenagers from the
republics of the former Soviet
Union have been brought to
Israel as part of Project Na ‘Aleh
(Let us make Aliyah), and are
studying together at the Joseph
Harmatz ORT School of Engi
neering in Jerusalem and at
ORT Natanya. Most are in the
11th grade and are 16 to 17 years
old.
“On my most recent trip to
Israel,” commented Sandy Isen-
stein, national president of
Women’s American ORT, “I
had the wonderful experience of
meeting a class of 30 of these
Sandy Isenstein, right, national president of Women’s American ORT,
meets a young teenager form the former Soviet Union at the Joseph Harmatz
ORT School of Engineering in Jerusalem. Photo by DebU Cooper
youngsters who are studying a
the ORT School of Engineer
ing. I was greatly impressec
with their adjustment to life ir
Israel, their courage and tha
of their families who deemec
it necessary to remove thei
children from anti-Semitisn
and a dangerous political situ
ation.”
In addition to their studies,
the Soviet teenagers participate
in extracurricular activities to
gether with their Israeli counter
parts. The Israeli government
hope that upon completing
their education, the students will
choose to remain in Israel and,
eventually, effect the immi
gration of their families as
well.
More than 252,000 students
presently are enrolled in ORT’s
800 school and projects. The
ORT program encompasses 52
countries and is the largest non
governmental network of voca
tional educational and technical
training centers in the world.
SINCE 1883, IT HAS BEEN OUR PRIVILEGE TO
SERVE THE JEWISH FAITH.
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come back soon with my friends
to continue the dialogue.”
Taylor said, “I’m sure some
people have put off going to
Israel because they weren’t sure
if it was safe or not, but if that’s
all that’s keeping them from
going, let me tell you I felt safer
there than I have at times leaving
work late in downtown Char
lotte.” Reflecting on their expe
riences, Fox and Taylor both
agreed they vill go back to Israel
just as soon as they can.
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can’t be delivered. Please notify us
when you move. Write to: CJA/, 5007
Providence Road, Charlotte, NC
28226.
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Hinrichs Financial Group
230 S. Tryon St. - Suite 1400
Charlotte, NC 28202-3215
(704) 371-8600
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