Report From Israel
Southwestern Jewish Press, August 10, 1956, Pages 1, 4
By Albert A. Hutler
Executive Director, United Jewish Fund, San Diego
JERUSALEM – Israel is a paradox. This is
a nation under siege, but at first glance it seems to be anything but that.
At first glance Israel seems to be a nation at peace. Construction and
reclamation goes on in Israel. Even in
my first hour in Israel, on the ride from Lydda Airport, up through the Judean
Hills to Jerusalem, as a member of a ten-man study mission of Executive
Directors of Community Campaigns, affiliated with the nation-wide United Jewish
Appeal, I saw new land being tilled. Wherever I went in Israel I saw new villages
being developed, new factories going up, new pipelines are being built and I
even saw new towns in the first stages of life.
The people go purposefully about their self-appointed tasks of building a young
nation in an old land. They work hard
and long under the broiling mid-summer sun. Thbeir pleasures are simple – a cuop
of tea in a sidewalk café, an occasional movie, a cumsitz or “come and sit down”
social evening with friends – but they wholeheartedly enjoy these
unsophisticated social events.
It is only after one is here a day or two that you begin to feel the
tension. You begin to notice tht the
roads are dotted with military vehicles, that the cheerful street crowds are
sprinkled with men—and women—in khaki.
You pick up a paper at breakfast almost any day and read of a border incident.
And, as you begin to understand the geography of the country, these incidents
come as a shock. It was, for example,
less than 48 hours after I left Lydda Airport to go to Jerusalem that a young
Israeli was killed by infiltrators, striking under cover of night, less than
five miles from that very airfield.
Whether it is the biggest metropolis or the smallest town, you see the earth
being torn up for air-raid shelters. In
farming villages you see slit trenches being dug, barbed-wire fences being put
up. In Tel Aviv, you see middle-aged men
give days of their time to perfect civil defense measures against the dread
possibility of bombs falling from MIG-15s.
You make a telephone call to bring greetings from someone back home to
friends in Israel and you find that the man of the family, aged 35, father of
two, is off on his annual 33-days of military service.
You talk to average citizens—workers, shopkeepers, waiters, farmers – and you
begin to realize that everyone is staggering under a heavy burden of
expenses. One example: the state at best
is poor and, while it has carried out the amazing accomplishment for this part
of the world of free and compulsory education up to the age of 14, high-school
education is still neither free nor compulsory; and the average wage earner
must pay more than one month’s salary to send a single, teen-age child to high
school for one year.
Taxation, direct and indirect, is extremely heavy as the nation endeavors to
pay the high cost of national security. The Director –General of the Ministry
of Finance, the highest civil servant in the ministry which collects the taxes,
told our group of Community Campaign directors, that an ordinary middle-class
citizen must pay 20 percent of his income in direct taxes and 25 percent in indirect
taxes. Forty five percent of a family
man’s income to the state is no small piece out of wages.
But there is no alternative. The danger of war and modern war’s destruction
hangs over this little country. Arab
statesmen thunder out dire threats in public utterances. Egypt races to rearm
with Soviet weapons, and the other Arab states are not far behind.
And yet Israel has not abandoned her other goals and obligations. Israel is probably the only country in the
world which is trying to do three things simultaneously—to absorb a continuing
stream of immigrants, to carry out large-scale development programs, to build
her defenses to meet a vast potential threat. Economically, this is an
incredible challenge to a small country with limited resources.
How, then, can all this be done at one and the same time? First of all, through taxation and voluntary contributions
by the people of Israel. The Israelis
pay all the normal expenses of statehood – from health services through traffic
police – out of taxation. Further, the Israelis are forever digging down into their pockets to make
voluntary contributions – in the space of a few months they gave IL. 18,000,000
to a Defense Fund.
Secondly, the Israelis have slashed all no-essential expenditures. The
government has cut back on construction of all but buildings for which there is
an extremely urgent need. Many plans for
expansion or improvement of government t
service have been shelved, even though most of these plans make sense and are
needed. The government work force has been cut and there is a freeze on all new
employment.
Thirdly, contributions from abroad. As the State of Israel perforce has had to
devote more and more of its resources to defense, more and more of the
responsibility for immigration, immigrant absorption and agricultural
development has gone to agencies financed largely by the United Jewish Appeal.
The government formerly financed the program of housing immigrants. Its new
burdens have forced it to put down that responsibility. But the immigrants must be housed. And the
UJA-financed Jewish Agency has taken up the burden. This is but one example,
there are others.
The fact is that thousands of men and women need refuge in Israel and clamor to
come to Israel. The fact is new
immigrants already here are not yet fully absorbed into Israel’s economy and
culture and need continued help. The
fact is that Irael is like a house with foundations and walls but no roof—the job
of building is but half over.
(To be Continued in Next Issue)
*
Warning: Racketeers exposed in Los Angeles are now operating in San Diego.
Free Enterprise is one thing – misrepresentation is another.
Southwestern Jewish Press, August 10, 1956, Page 1
In their March 9, 1956 issue, the “Bnai Brith Messenger” gave a great deal of
space to exposing Mr. Lee Soble, super sales promoter, who changes his company’s
name with the seasons. In spite of the
fact that the “Bnai Brith Record” was made aware of his sales tactics it
continued to hire him. Our readers will
recall our own protest last year because of misleading sales tactics in this
area. The local Bnai Brith groups were
assured tht this practice would cease. We have in front of us at this moment a
billhead from the “B’nai B’rith Record” – with a San Diego address and
telephone number. Included in this statement was a memo to the effect that it
would not be necessary to advertise in any other Jewish paper as the “Record”
carries full coverage!
Mr. Samuel Maidman, administrative chairman of the “Bnai Brith Record,” again
assured us that such misleading sales methods would cease. We would like to believe Mr. Maidman but as
long as he hires a man, who has been proven unethical, we have little faith in
his good intentions.” So much for the “Bnai
Brith Record.”
The same sales force called ever one of our regular advertisers and,
representing themselves as a local Jwish Press, they asked for a contribution
to Israel in the form of an ad in the “California Jewish Voice” (published in
Los Angeles and with no distribution here.) We immediately contacted the
publisher of the “Voice” and he claimed no knowledge of these activities,
although his billboards with the same San Diego address and telephone number
are being used.
Other publications included in this racket, with the same address and telephone
number, are the “Episcopal Review” and the “Italo-American.”
We have asked the City Prosecutor and the Better Business Bureau to investigate
this matter and at present are awaiting the results. We feel it is our duty as
a community newspaper to protect the people of San Diego from these racketeers
and we need your cooperation. If you have been contacted for advertising in any
of the above papers, we would appreciate hearing from you.
Harassing San Diego merchants and unethical methods of securing ads can only
lead to bad public relations and ill will toward the local Jewish community.
*
J.W.V. Poppy Day Aug. 14
Southwestern Jewish Press, August 10, 1956, Page 1
Bob Grossman and Christine Rose, Chairmen of Post 185 and Auxiliary[‘s Annual
V-J Day, have set a goal of selling 5,000 poppies on V-J Day, Tuesday, August
14. Teams of Jewish War Vets and
Auxiliary will be stationed at aircraft plants, downtown buildings and major
shopping centers selling the families blue and white poppies of J.W.V. All proceeds from the sale of this simple
token in memory of the Jews who gave their lives in the service of our country are
used for veteran rehabilitation and hospital work in San Diego, regardless of
race, color or creed. This is the Post’s
and Auxiliary’s only money raising affair of the year.
Al Lieb, the newly elected California Department Commander, was a surprise
visitor at the July Post meeting. He spoke of the rise of anti-semitism in the L.A.
area and of Gerald L.K. Smith and his Arab League allies.
Post Commander LeRoy Seckler announced
that the next meeting will feature a tape recording as taken by J.W.V. of Gerald
L. K. Smith’s recent speech before a packed house in Los Angeles.
*
Engagement Told
Southwestern Jewish Press, August 10, 1956, Page 2
Joyce Addleson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Addleson, was engaged on July
22 to Edgar Berner, son of Mrs. Jack Binderman, Jr., all of San Diego.
Edgar, a graduate of the University of Arizona and a member of the Zeta Beta
Tau Fraternity, is in business sin San Diego.
Joyce was graduated from Hoover High School. October 7 ha been set as the date of the
wedding.
*
Betrothal Announced
Southwestern Jewish Press, August 10, 1956, Page 2
Mr. and Mrs. Hans G. Breit, of Los Angeles, takes pleasure in announcing the
engagement of their daughter, Barbara Nicolette, to Lawrence Schiller, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Ted Schiller of San Deigo.
Miss Breit, is the seventh ranked women’s tennis player in the United Sates and
is the former winner of the United States Jr. Girls singles and doubles tennis
championships. She is a graduate of
North Hollywood High School and will be attending U.C.L.A. in the fall.
Her fiancé is a graduate of La Jolla High school and will be a Junior at “George
Pepperdine College in Los Angeles. Mr. Schiller is one of the outstanding young
photographers in the nation and besides being considered as the top tennis
photographer in the United States, he has been awarded the blue ribbon eight
times as winner of the International Graflex Photography Competition.
The couple plan to be married next August and combine their honeymoon with the
National Tennis Championships in Forest Hills, New York.
*
Card of Thanks
Southwestern Jewish Press, August 10, 1956, Page 2
Until she is well enough to personally thank all her friends, Vivian Ernest
wishes to take this means of expressing her heartfelt gratitude for their
kindness and notes of encouragement during her recent illness.
*
Personals
Southwestern Jewish Press, August 10, 1956, Page 2
After forty years separation, Mrs. Ben Smith of this city and her first
cousin, MRs. J. Peiser, of New York City, were reunited. Mr. and Mrs. Smith spent a week at the
Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles as the guests of Mrs. Peiser.
*
Martha and Joan Dewey—touring Europe with a University Student Tour – are “having
a wonderful time.”
*
Mrs. Herbert Latkin of Little Rock, Arkansas, is visiting her parents, Mr. and
Mrs. Harry Levinson, of this city and renewing old friendships.
*
On August 11, Mr. and MRs. Leonard Slater nd thbeir two daughters, Amy and
Lucy, will visit Mrs. Slater’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Louis Moorsteen for two
weeks. Mr. Slater, associated with “News
Week” will cover the Republican Convention on August 20.
*
Another visitor to San Diego was Mrs. Grace Disraeli of Los Angeles, whose son,
Richard, took her to the bullfight in Tijuana last Sunday .. her first.
*
Sam and June Sosna are having a grand time traveling and visiting relatives
along the way. They visited son, Philip, who I a guest of Mr. and MRs. C.W.
McDaniel in Baxter Springs, Kansas; will visit Mr. Sosna’s brother in St. Louis
and attend the 50th wedding anniversary of his cousins Mr. and Mrs.
Schwartman in Chicago.
*
Ilene Heiman will have one of the leading parts in the Junior Theatre’s
performance of the “Cradel Song.”
*
The Jewish Community Center Baseball tam won the North Park Championship. At
present they are playing in the run-off for the Pacific Coast Conference
Championship.
*
Maedell Richlin, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. Richlin, is attending summer school
at Harvard University. She is working for her doctorate in the field of child
guidance. In the Fall, Maedelle will return to Los Angeles where she is a
public school teacher.
*
Thank You
Southwestern Jewish Press, August 10, 1956, Page 2
Sam Slayton wishes to thank his friends for their thoughtfulness during his
recent illness.
Rose Smith thanks her friends for their kindness during her illness.
Dr. Harry Brookler appreciates the expressions of condolence over the death of
his brother, Dr. Morry Brookler of Winnipeg, Canada.
Mrs. Harriet Kaplan, who was a resident here only one month when her husband
died, expresses in a letter from New York City her appreciation for the
kindness shown to her by certain members
of the community.
*
Visitors to our fair city are Mr. and Mrs. George Mortin of East Meadow, L.I.
As houseguests of Adele and Irving Mortin, J.C.C. executive, they are getting
acquainted with their three nephews.
*
Jerry and Rudy Hess send regards from the North Woods in Wisconsin.
*
Hadassah Forms New Mr. and Mrs. Group
Southwestern Jewish Press, August 10, 1956, Page 2
Hadassah is pleased to announce that Mrs. Herbert Solomon is chairman of the “Young
Mr. and Mrs. Hadassah Group.” This newly
organized group will meet evenings and invite anyone interested to contact Mrs.
Solomon.
Hadassah’s membership chairman, Mrs. Sam Cohen and Mrs. Howard Hoffman,
announce that all prospective members will be guests at the hotel luncheon
meeting to be held on September 19. Beginning with sherry cocktails, the afternoon
promises fun, delicious food, musical entertainment, and beauty provided by an
original couturier fashion show. The theme of the premier showing will
spotlight each member herself as a “portrait of Hadassah” at the mirror
decorated tables.
*
City of Hope
Southwestern Jewish Press, August 10, 1956, Page 2
The City of Hope All Day Bus Trip will take place on Tuesday, August 21. Reservations must be in by August 15, with
Ethel Berwin, 4833 Canterbury Dr.
*
Bay City Picnic
Southwestern Jewish Press, August 10, 1956, Page 2
The entire community is invited to a Picnic to be held on Sunday, August 12, at
Pepper Grove… 11 a.m. There will be
food, games, prizes for children and entertainment, according to Mrs. Ralph
Schwartz, President.
On Thursday, August 16, a membership dinner and pizza party will be held in the
gardens of Mrs. Sanford Sack, 4726 Lucille Dr., at 7 p.m. Entertainment will be
provided by the Mazal-tov Dancers. Guests speaker will be Mrs. Leo Antokal,
representative of Dist. No. 4 of the B.B.
Women. For reservations call BR-7-3417.
*
Yo-Ma-Co Club
Southwestern Jewish Press, August 10, 1956, Page 2
On Wednesday, August 22, th Yo-Ma-Co Club, will have a Sports Nite featuring
Sam Stein, former worlds wrestling champion as its guest. The meeting will be
held at the Highland Landis Hall.
Members are reminded tht August 15 will be Yo-Ma-Co’s night at the ball game. Seattle will be playing San Diego and all
guests are invited to attend and root for the home team. For further information contact Vic Silverstein, JU-2-0332
or BE-9-3229.
*
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