Be Strong and of Good Couragel
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TB^n A J O U R N A L F O R O L I M F R O M SOUTHERN TELFED AFRICA VOL. IV. NO. 7 — DEC. 1978 • JAN. 1979 SHALOM! When t assumed command of the South African Zionist Federation's Israel Office seventeen years ago, I did so with a great deal of uncertainty and trepidation. To a new oleh, as I then was, the as signment seemed so gargatuan and the respon- bility so overwhelming that I questioned my ability to do justice to the job. B y u n h a p p y q u i r k o f f a t e , m y a p p o i n t m e n t c o incided with the start of the period of financial hardship suffered by the office as a result of a severely reduced budget dictated to by circum stances beyond our control which lasted until after the Six-Day War. Reeling from the restrictions which necessitated retrenchment of staff and severe reduction of fa cilities. the office re-organised to cope with the new reality and did so successfully. The staff, L E I B F R A N K highly motivated and the Committees of dedicated It is with sincere regret that I have to an Honorary workers generally have carried out their responsibilities with exemplary devotion and always nounce that, after nearly thirty years of loyal with that personal touch of which the Israel Office service with the South African Zionist Federa — o r Te l f e d , a s i t i s n o w c o l o q u i a l l y k n o w n — - tion — the last seventeen years of which have been spent as Director of our Office — Leib is justly proud, it has been a heavy responsibility Frank has, because of certain circumstances, de but also an inspiration lo be part of Telfed. cided to relinquish that position. The Israel Office has had its share of setbacks Strenuous efforts to persuade him to carry on and difficulties as well as a fine record of achieve have regrettably been unsuccessful. ments to its credit and as I take my leave, having resigned from office. I hope and pray that Telfed We hope, however, to have Leib serve as an will be strengthened in manpower and be given honorary member of the Israel Executive where his vast experience, knowledge and insight into the necessary financial resources to expand its our work will prove invaluable in our activities. a c t i v i t i e s a n d r e n d e r e v e n b e t t e r s e r v i c e s t o t h e community of South Africans and Rhodesians — On behalf of myself and all my colleagues and new olim and vatiklm. students, volunteers and the staff, I wish Leib every success and happiness visitors — who continue to turn to the office ir» in his future activities. ever-increasing numbers. HERTZEL K.\TZ ' Be strong and of Good Couragel Chairman Leib Frank LT D . T O U K S A T R AV E L itratl'i Itadifig operator to and from South Africa Give us a call for all your travel arrangements. Phone 03-52140 and ask for Susan who is at the service of all our English speaking clients. FLY NOW PAY LATER — ONLY ISL.891 PER MONTH! Departures Returning to Tel-Aviv 2 APRIL — 29 APRIL — plan early for Pesach Total group fare (winter departures) ISL.11,885 10 per cent down payment ISL. 1.189 Remainder of ISL.10,697 In 12 payments i.e. ISL.891 each p.m. compulsory land arrangements or our booking fee of ISL.355. OTHER FARES STILL AVAILABLE Normal fare $1262.00 (payable In S.A.) Excursion 19/75 $912.00 (payable in S.A.) Excursion 14/45 $815.00 plus land arrangements (payable only in Israel) Youth fare $670.00 (payable in S.A.) Group fare (winter) $669.00 (payable only in Israel) WINTER SCHEDULES Depart Tel-Aviv Arrive Johannesburg Wednesday 09.00 El Al 511 18.30 M o n d a y 1 6 . 4 0 S A A 2 6 7 09.30 (Tuesday) Depart Johannesburg A r r i v e T e l - A v i v Thursday 11.45 El Al 512 21.35 I S u n d a y 2 1 . 0 0 S A A 6 6 14.00 (Monday) For further details please call Susan. Published by the Israel office of the South African Zionist Federation, P.O.B. 11556. Tel Aviv, 5th Floor. Beit Clal, 5, Druyanov St.. Tel. 290131; Jerusalem office: 14, Rehov Metudela. Tel. 02-64205; Haifa office: Room 26, 5 Bank St.. Tel. 521908; Beersheva: 11 Hamaccabim St.. Tel. 73811. Editor: Ethel Schwartz; Publication Committee: S. Liebgott (chairman), M. Miodownik. L. Frank, H. Katz. H. Blumberg. The views and opinions expressed In this journal are not necessarily the opinions of the Publication Committee nor of the Israel Executive Committee. L E I B F R A N K NEW ISRAEL EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN Congratulations and best wishes for a successful A T R I B U T E term of office to HERTZEL KATZ, the new Chairman by Sol Liebgott — Vice-Chairman, of the South African Zionist Federation Israel Ex S.A. Zionist Federation. Israel Executive ecutive. The Talmudic passage >a •'V ""aK pS DX (if 'I'm Max Miodownik. who bas now completed four not for myself, who will be for me) is widely known years in office, will continue to serve on the Israel to all who grew up in the Zionist movement due to its melodious tune. What is perhaps known to E x e c u t i v e e x o f fi c i o . a lesser degree are the words which follow — ■'JX TO ■'JNirai (if I am only for myself, what Details of the new Executive Committee will am I?). The corollary is of course abundatnly clear. How rich and how worthy is a-life which has been appear in the next issue of TELFED. entirely devoted to the service of one's fellow man. These words come to my mind when I think back on the almost forty years that it has been my privi lege to have known Leib Frank who has served his fellow-man selflessly throughout this period. (From previous column) My initial encounter with Leib in the late 1930's in Johannesburg was at a meeting of what was maximum sense of the term and it was inevitable then known as the Young Mizrachi, a precursor of that he would make his life in Israel at the first Opportunity. This opportunity In fact presented what is now B'nai Akiva. Coming as he did from a itself when Sam Levin, the beloved secretary of the traditional Jewish background it was natural that Leib should have his initiation into Zionist philos Federation's office in Tel Aviv, resigned. Leib was offered this position which he unhesitantly ac ophy through the Religious Zionist Movement in which he then played an active role. cepted. At the outbreak of the Second World War in Leib's service to the Zionist Movement since 1939, Leib Joined the Signal Corps of the South he assumed office in Tel Aviv in 1962 is now part African Army and after a period of training he was of South African Zionist history. Indeed, is there sent to serve "Up North" where he rendered dis a better known name amongst South African set tinguished military service. tlers than that of Leib Frank? Whether it be the comparatively minor task of advising a tourist what After his discharge from the forces and after to see or the far more serious task of assisting s e v e r a l y e a r s i n c o m m e r c e , L e i b ' s c a r e e r a s a in the manifold problems of settling olim. Leib was Zionist civil servant par excellence commenced the pivot around which all activity revolved. His when he was appointed general secretary of the time was limitless, his patience inexhaustible and Central African Zionist Organisation. It was during his desire to help and find solutions to the seem his almost one-and-a-half decades of service that ingly insoluble knew no bounds. Rhodesian Zionism reached its zenith. Leib was a combination of administrator, organiser and fund The Hebrew term to dedicate one's life to one's raiser, and though his headquarters was in Bula- work is nrayt' vn tP'Tprf?. Le-hakdish is derived wayo his domain covered both Rhodesia and what from the Hebrew word Kadosh meaning holy. In is now Zambia (then Northern Rhodesia, which deed it can with truth be said that the zeal which harboured an active Jewish community). To this Leib applied to his work can only be described day, almost seventeen years since his departure, as Holy. many Jews speak in glowing terms of his sterling and indefatigable service which contributed so That he leaves the full-time service of the Federa largely to the prominent place held by the Rhode tion with the blessings and good wishes of his sian Zionist movement. colleagues is very much an understatement. His personality is entrenched within the walls of the Leib, however, was a Zionist in the true and Federation and when the history of South African Zionism is written surely the name of Leib Frank (Continued next column) will occupy an honoured place within its pages.