Jewish Post, Indianapolis, Marion County, 27 October 1967 — Page 8

Th, EDITOR'S CHAIR

Americans For Aliyah It was to be hoped that by now some of the American Jewish leadership might be involved in a program for aliyah that would have not only the united support of the American Jewish community, but some chances of striking the spark that would eventually create the climate for a continuing movement of inspired young people to Israel attracted by the bold nation-building experiment which is transpiring there. Unfortunately as it may seem to be to the historian, the American Jewish community assigns its responsibilities on an ad hoc basis. Fund-raising is in the hands of the United Jewish Appeal, a separate organization with allegiance to no one specifically, but to the community at large on a basis of general acceptance. Community relations work is assigned to the National Community Relations Advisory Council. Its support and acceptance is on a more precise basis, since it has its own constituents in more than 70 communities and the backing of the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds. Sale of Israel bonds is of course in the hands of a separate organization, whose control is in Israel, but whose inspiration and activity are in the U.S. Jewish community. And so on down the list, whether Jewish Education, rabbinical groups, Jewish affairs on campus, etc. all are allocated to some agency which has a responsibility to one segment or one Jewish organization in the total Jewish community. That means then that if the promises to support aliyah almost every national Jewish leader made to Israel when they rushed to the Jewish State following her hour of crisis are to be more than pious and ephemeral responses to an emotional situation, then a national aliyah organization must be formed. Very little can be achieved by permitting Israel or her emissaries or the Zionist groups in the United States to mastermind and control this very significant need for Israel, unless we mean to use this chaos as a method of evading the responsibility. Aliyah has as much value for the U.S. Jewish community, if not more, than it has for Israel, although there is no need to get involved now in this kind of sterile discussion. That national meeting we urged be convened shohld not be postponed much longer. It should be held no later than next February, although January still provides us enough time to make the necessary arrangements for such a convocation.

Gas Depletion Of Chanukah PITTSBURGH — A 25-year-old Pittsburgh air force lieutenant, just back from 140 combat missions in Vietnam, nearly had to ditch his F-4C Phantom jet when his gasoline supply showed empty during one mission. But like the miracle when the Maccabees found that flask of oil in the Temple which burned for eight days, that’s the way it was with my crippled plane said Lt. Stuart Segal. Somehow the jet kept going and I landed in DaNang. 14. Segal, currently home on

Recalls Story For U.S. Pilot leave before heading for his new post with the Air Defense Command, Perri AFB, Dallas, Texas, said he flew 100 missions over North Vietnam and 40 over Laos in support of the Royal Laotian Forces. He has been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with three clusters, the Air Medal with 12 clusters and a commendation medal. He is a nominee for the Silver Star. Lt. Segal was also chosen to personally ride with his wing commander, air ace Col. Robin Olds, on the Colonel’s 100th combat flight

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We are going through the period when cute sayings are refuting excuses for synagogue non-attendance. In congregation bulletins, you will see these sharp, almost brilliant repartees, such as the one below, which we are sure will also be widely reprinted. Why Do You Stay Away From The Synagogue Because it rains? You go to work when it rains. Because it is hot? So is the ballpark. We’re airconditioned. Because it is cold? It’s warm and friendly inside. Because you are poor? There is no admission charge. Because you are rich? Be grateful to the Source for such a Blessing. Because no one invited you? You go to the movies without being invited. Because there are hypocrites? You associate with them daily. Because you have young children? You get a baby sitter for other purposes. Because your clothes are not expensive? Synagogues are not supposed to be fashion shows. Because your Synagogue asks for money? So does your grocer. Because you have plenty of time to go later? Don’t be too sure. Now that you’ve read it, we’ll tell you that this is from Rabbi S. Nulman’s East Side Torah Center, in Manhattan. But does this kind of rationalization really achieve anything. Are we really discussing the problem? When someone says they don’t attend services because the synagogue asks for money or is snobbish, etc., do they really mean this. Of course not. What they are saying is that the synagogue no longer has meaning for their lives. That of course is the crux of the problem. In the past, fear and awe of the Lord instilled faith in Jews. Today, that faith is no longer present because the fear has evaporated. And of course the fear never can be reinstilled, and shouldn’t be. We need an entirely new rationale for Judaism and acceptance of its precepts. It is slowly almost too slowly, emerging. Many of the concepts which have been discarded will be refurnished, and reinstalled — such as for instance the chosenness of Israel, recognition and the proud acceptance of our difference. This need not be chauvinism, for if it is, then it becomes self-defeating. But it is entirely possible to supplant fear with a more constructive approach to Jewish living. Strong family ties, high morality, living for others and love instead of fear are the basis for this new rationale for Jewish living. In the end it will be found that love was always the predominant factor in Juuairm, not fear, and it is this affirmative instead of negative approach which has been the strength of Judaism through the ages. • WE’VE BEEN CLIPPING over a period of a few months letters from the Jerusalem Post, the English-language daily of Israel, protesting against the inefficiency and of the Jewish Agency when it comes to reception of olim, new immigrants, in Israel. Our original plan was to devote a chair to the publication of some of these letters. You’ll notice how the olim must grit their teeth and bear it when they meet with the indifference of the bureaucrats who have been responsible in part for such a large percentage returning disillusioned to the lands of their ori-

gin, their idealism destroyed. Our hope is that continued pushing on our part will bring about the removal of the Jewish Agency from immigration work, and the allotting of it to a department of the Israel government. To the Editor of The Jerusalem Poet Sir, — A recent letter in this column from a tourist who prefers to be known as one of the Children of Israel rather than a visitor reminds me of a phrase used by an American volunteer in describing the feelings of many American Jews she knows. She refers to the “emotional commitment” that they have toward aliya. Having previously studied in Israel for a year, she well knows, as do many of us here of the wide gap between emotional commitment and realistic ability to settle in Israel. Those of us who have successfully reestablished our lives in Israel know only too well the problems presented in the search for suitable housing and for employment which enables the head of the family to support his family. Intelligent immigrants are willing to adjust their standards of living. The standard below which they are not willing to live is of course an individual matter, but is a factor which must be considered in planning for Western immigration. Each immigrant has a given amount of idealism, this idealism being one of the motivating factors in aliya. Add to this a “reservoir of reserve” — in the areas of idealism and ability to adjust, and he is well on his way. But not by idealism alone can the immigrant survive in Israel.

Heads of families must concern themselves with financial facts of life which were not a consideration in the United States. Tie absence of rental housing, the high cost of secondary schooling, and the low purchasing power of one’s salary' put a real dent into the idealism and emotional commitment. The petty annoyances of the bureaucratic procedures become magnified. It was only when the hue and cry from immigrants’ organizations became so great that changes took place. And still, entrenched interests give way not to the need for intelligent planning on their own initiative, but only to pressure via “protektzia” or from immigrants’ groups. It is to these organizations that the authorities should turn in the present planning for Western immigration. The rose-colored glasses will then come off and everyone will get down to planning for the realities of the situation. Planning should not be done by people who are holding on to jobs created by realities of the past If they are not able to view the problems in the context of 1967, they should step down, gracefully or otherwise. If they convey attitudes to newcomers which are rejecting (we had our share of suffering and deprivation, now that you’ve come to Israel you can suffer a little too), they can only hinder rapid resettlement and adjustment. If the climate of acceptance, not only by the man in the street, but by supposedly intelligent authorities and institutions, will continue to be one of encouraging the physical presence of Western immigrants but refusing tq^accept other aspects of the contributions they can make, then the call for Western immigration is a hollow one. Let us not confuse this point with the contributions of invited scientists, professors and the like who come for a year or so and whose advice is sought and usually, but not always followed, but rather be aware of the fact that newcomers are expected to conform in thought, deed and outlook to the existing climate. MRS. SUE ZOHAR DESHEH Jerusalem, September 3.

The Pain Of Leaving One Community For Another

BY RABBI MAURICE DAVIS I return with the turn of the year to this column too long forsaken. Although I have no desire to show or see home movies, nonetheless, bec a u s e the absence was prolonged I s h a 1 1 ind u 1 g e myself with snatchDavis es autobiographical. If this kind of column is not your particular cup of tea, please feel free to stop reading

as of now, and wait for the next installment. No one will ever find out. The last time I wrote for this paper was back' in June. I took a kind of sabbatical then because the world was creeping in on me, squeezing out any free time as toothpaste out of a tube. Last June my number one son was graduating from High School. My number two son was about to observe his bar mitzvah. And I was in the process of saying goodbye to the Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation. In July my family and one other family fled westward to

commune with some of nature’s fancier handiwork; peaks and canyons (Pike’s and Grand), geysers and glaciers. Our modes of transportation varied from 18,000 thrust-power jets to one horse power horses, and just about everything in between. The purpose was hiatus. After eleven years with the Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation, I was about to leave for White Plains, N.Y., and I could not go from the one to the other directly. There simply had to be time to let the change sink in, almost a kind of sitting shiva for the (Continued on Next Page)