November 1983
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J J October-November 1983 L 'Why do they support Tikvat Yisrael so enthusiastically? see Cover Story — page 5 TRAVEL NEWS RAMAT HASHARON RESIDENTS H O M E T R A V E L S E R V I C E * Merrick Silberman will be happy visit you ai home, at a lime convenient to you, to help you plan your travel arrangements. No obligation — please call Merrick at 656248. * Our u.sual friendly telephone service for all your reservations. AskforJudiorSabrina. * l or courteous, professional, pleasant attention — //;■ us. * Planning a Winter Ski Holiday — or Theatre Tour to London? We will gladlv as.sisi you. * Note that travel tax is payable by all residents, temporary or permanent, including infants. Only tourists/diplomats e.xempted. FLIGHTS TO SOUTH AFRICA f a r e s — R O U N D T R I P G r o u p S . A . A S 9 7 7 (closed dates) 1 2 payments in shekels Group ELAL S1000 (closed dates) on all S.A.A. tickets Excursion S.A.A /EL ALS1.279 (open dates) (P.LP.) Yth/Student S.A,A./EL AL$1.078 M E R R I C K S I L B E R M A N For emergency after hours travel service: Home: Tel. 48301 5 GREENTOURS TRAVEL 81, Hayarkon St., Tel-Aviv 63903 Tel. 03-656248 / 652565 / 652566 A bi-monthly journal CONTENTS for Olim from South Africa COVER STORY 5 Aliya Blues by Allie Dubb Editorial Board: Chairman. Editorial Board: Leon Charney GUEST WRITER 8 Director, SAZF: Itz Stein Avner Tavori questions the S.A. Campus. Director P.R. & Hasbara: Edna Kowarsky Editor: Sheila Meitzer G I L L O N ' S C O L U M N 1 1 Guest Writers; Phillip Gillon. Avner Tavori The Play's the thing Printer: Otpaz Ltd.. Tel-Aviv. F O C U S 1 2 A Dog's Life by Sheila Meitzer P E O P L E & E V E N T S 1 4 Telfed is published by the South African Zionist Federation. SPORT 18 Israel Office. Bet Clal. Bowls, track 5. Druyanov Street, Tel-Aviv 61114 P.O.B. 11556. Tel.: 03-290131 P R O G R A M M E O F E V E N T S 1 9 Telfed Social Centre. Haifa. Raanana. Eilat W E L C O M E H O M E 2 0 A list of New Arrivals J e r u s a l e m O f fi c e : 9. Alkalai Street, Talbieh CLASSIFIED 25 Tel.: 02-630801 Haifa Office: 6. Nordau Street. Hadar Tel.: 04-641058 Beer-Sheva Office: I tiini co\er: Rabbi ScKv>n I ranklin ami (lie 11. Hamaccabim Street congrcgaiicin uC "lik\a( ViM'acI Tel.: 057-73811 jo\ liilK welcome ihcir new an ival. a Setci lorali Imni the i'lkeihcrg C'i)ninuimi>. on Simchai lorah. Sec page 19. 27 ANGLO-SAXON BRANCHES AT YOUR SERVICE THROUGHOUT ISRAEL Apartments to suit your taste, prices to suit your pocket. NAHARIYA 04-929444 04*985322 CARMIEL KIRYAT BIALIKMOTZKIN ACCO 04-916413 04-711837 T I B E R I A S 0 6 7 - 2 1 0 4 3 04-81296 HAIFA KIRYAT ATA 04-444668 053*92496 NETANYA KFAR SABA 052-25381 HOD HASHARON 052-353341 !052-554443 HERZLIYA PITUAH RA'ANANA 052*32358 03-490269 MAOZ AVIV HERZLIYA 052-87258 03-286181 TEL AVIV RAMAT HASHARON- 03-474244 03*846283 HOLON P E T A C H T I K V A 03-903094 SAVYON-KIRON 03-347281 03-994262 RISHON LEZION RAMAT GAN 03-738121 055-34777 ASHDOD REHOVOT054-52632I J E R U S A L E M 0 2 * 2 2 1 1 6 1 051-27102!/3 ASHKELON BEERSHEVA 057*76410 EILAT 059*76210 I ANGLO SAXON REAL ESTATE AGENCY LTD ISRAEL'S LEADING REAL ESTATE ORGANIZATION WITH 27 BRANCHES C O V E R S T O R Y F o r m a n y y e a r s setting of affluence and material success, I was Professor Allie Dubb listening to the same stories of personal w a s S e n i o r L e c t u r e r w disorientation and, often, anguish that I had in Social Anihropo- heard a few months earlier in South Africa from logy, then Director ^ returning Olim. The unfamilar ambience of a of the African house-party in Los Angeles had given way to Studies Institute, at ' the familiar "Aliya Blues" of Ra'anana and the the University of y^im/ Merkazei Rlita! Witwatersrand. He came with his family on That evening in Los Angeles opened up for me a Aliyah in 1978 and is now Director of the project whole new perspective not only on my own for Jewish Educational Statistics in the Institute of Contemporary Jewry at the Hebrew University Aliya but on Aliya in general. It became clear to in Jerusalem. In this article he takes a look at the me that while successful absorption in Israel "Affluent Aliya". presented special problems — ideological, material, social, cultural — there were, in fact, more basic issues affecting all immigrants. Immigration actually comprises two processes: Aliya Blues emigration and immigration. From the moment of decision until that Unal act of stepping into By Allie Dubb the 747, the intending emigrant goes through a process of disengagement — from job, home, Recently, some three and a half years after my friends, family, organisational involvements. Aliya, I was invited to a party in Los Angeles. He prepares himself, and those with whom he Hosts and guest — eighteen couples in all — has important relationships, for his withdrawal had like myself, emigrated from South Africa in from all that has, until then, constituted his life. the late seventies. But that, I thought (not By the lime he boards the plane, he is no longer without a little touch of envy), was probably all a managing director, a resident of Cape Town, we had in common: certainly the luxurious an executive member of his Shul and of the local home, the large sleek automobiles, the lavish Zionist council a member of a sports club and a catering, the richly-gowned and bejewelled lodge, a respected and well-known member of women were evidence of a I'ar easier absorption the community. In sociological shorthand: he than those of us who went to Israel could ever has ceased to play the roles, to occupy the hope for. Or, at any rate, so it appeared... status, to enjoy the prestige attached to them. As the evening progressed, questions about life Eight or ten or twenty hours later, emigrant in Israel were reciprocated with questions about becomes immigrant as he passes though what it was like to be a South African in immigration control at his country ol California. The answers were, to say the least, destination. What happens after that is only too quite unexpected; from one guest after another, familiar to us all: finding a job and I elicited accounts of loneliness, foreigness, accommodation, learning the language, getting family crisis, homesickness, culture shock, to know how things are done, organising disillusionment, alienation. In short, in this children at school and, of course, trying to cope s with the day to day strangeness of a new sharing the same culture and value system and, environment. often, having had family and other ties in the As successful as the immigrant may be in old country — these people came together dealing with the practicalities, however, we because they felt comfortable with one another know both from our own experience in Israel and provided each other with moral and often and from what we saw in Los Angeles that this even financial support. But what was important does not necessarily mean that successful was that they provided continuity. They absorption has been achieved. Why not? The recognised who and what a person had been French say; to part is to die a little. Now while back home. Paradoxically it may be said that the French may have had something more the absorption of Jewish immigrants to the west was accomplished through the social ghetto of romantic in mind, it does remind us of what the landsmanschaft. happened to us when we left South Africa: an important part of us, the "status-set" we had Absorption and integration into Israel is not built, up over the years and which in a renouncing one's roots, cutting oneself adrift significant way defined for ourselves and for from other South Africans but, rather, finding a others who and what we were, has ceased to niche for oneself that is comfortable and exist. And for all that we may have learnt to satisfying and playing one's part as a citizen like cope with our new country {be it Israel oi" any other. If this is facilitated by remaining America) we frequently have a sense of being socially at least, within the familiar and " i n c o m p l e t e " , " u n f u l fi l l e d " . W h a t h a s comfortable confines of a landsmanschaft. then happened is this: although we no longer fill the not only is there no harm done but, in fact, it is a status we did in South Africa, it still remains creative and positive act. Let me take one real in our minds. It continues to define for us example. About a year ago the Tikvat Yisrael who we are.