established 1948 TELFED JULY 1996 VOL. NO. 3 A SOUTH AFRICAN ZIONIST FEDERATION (ISRAEL) PUBLICATION SPORT Cape Argus Cycling Tmir, London Ntiiralhon. tecli Rug'"")- I iir Israel Tennis (Vnlcr LryiNc tN\:^ BUSINESS tin eating in Sptiri SPECIAL BREEPfSBIDSigiBBEL ^ o - election special, art scene, letters, BOOK review, nuptials. AND MORE NORTHTI\ . V X y W 46 SOKOLOV (2nd Floor) RAMAT-HASHARON Tel. 03-5400070 Home 09-446967 F a x 0 3 - 5 4 0 0 0 7 7 July 1996 Dear Friends, Travelline habits have really changed with Israelis now taking many short trips a year instead of the traditional "Summer Vacation" which lead to a mass exodus in July and August. The pattern now is to take short weekend jaunts to Prague, Paris, London, Rome or Budapest. This in addition to the Nofshonim to Turkey, Cyprus and Greece. Carol and I spent a marvellous four days (3 nights) in Prague last month, it is really the most beautiful and interesting city in Europe today. Magnificent buildings and architecture, the Jewish quarter is a must for every tourist visiting Prague and is Ju.st fascinating with the old Shul, Cemetery and moving memorial to the 80.000 Jews killed in Czech. All the names are beautifully written on a wall names that all of us will recognise from our families past history. Prague is also a music lovers paradise with a never ending number of concerts held daily at tens of locations around the city. We were fortunate to hear a 300-strong choir in the main Cathedral singing together with the Prague Symphony Orchestra. After a few days in Prague, you will have the feeling that you want to return. Packages start at approximately $580, depending on the grade of the hotel. We can also, of course, offer packages to all other European destinations. Please give me a call and we will be happy to assist with any of your travel requirements. T h a n k Y o u Best regards, Terry Kissel CONTENTS UNDER FIRE the personal stories of pioneers from South I N T H E M A I L 2 —IInour Africaseries, who"A respondedSpecial Breed," to thewe call torecord partici P E O P L E 4 pate in the most exciting adventure of the 20th century for a Jew — the rebirth of the nation of ELECTION SPECIAL...1i Israel. They came to build and fight in pursuance of that dream in the hope that future generations COVER STORY 16 would live and prosper in peace and security. Whilst their dream of statehood has been well won. their A R T S C E N E 2 4 hopes for peace, now tantalizingly close, still seem B O O K N O O K 2 6 to painfully elude our grasp. Who should know this better than the brave people N U P T I A L S 3 0 of the towns and settlements on our northern border whose lives are so often disrupted having to spend NOTICE BOARD endless days and nights in their bomb shelters, How TELFED TIDINCS 34 many parents are asked the question, as one mother we interviewed was asked by her five year-old son, FEATURE SERIES 38 "Are there bomb shelters in heaven for Grandpa?" In our cover story, we interviewed former South NEW ARRIVALS 42 Africans living on our northern frontier, tapping into their lives and hearing how they coped during B U S I N E S S 4 4 the recent Operation Grapes of Wrath. Their spirit ol determination was typified in one mother's ac KEREN TELFED 50 count of how they continued to observe Yarn RELIGION HaShoah. Yoin Ha'Zicaron and Yom Ha'Aizmant in their bomb shelter. SPORT 54 May the day dawn when a grape will not be associated with the horrors of war. but with the C O N D O L E N C E S 5 8 fruition of the hopes of our early pioneers. R E G I O N A L N E W S 6 0 Dnvid Kaplan Chairman ot the Editorial Committee CLASSIFIED 63 PRODUCTION ADDRESSES Editor Becky Rowe South African Zionist Federation (Israel) Editorial Committee Chairman: David Kaplan Beit Clal. .'i Druyanov Street. Tel Aviv 6! 110 Design and Layout: Becky Rowe P.O. Box 11556. Tel Aviv 611 U Business Manager: Lena Nulnian Telephone: 03-6290131. Fax: (03)6295099 Editorial Committee: Sharon Bernstein. Regional Offices David Couzin. Janine Gelley. Hilary Kaplan. Haifa: contact 03-6290131 Mark Kedem. Rossie King. Narda Korakin. Liana Beersheva: 07-418697 Koton. Jonathan Osrin. Sidney Shapiro. Marcelle Jerusalem: 02-618135. 02-6.34822 Weiss, Debbie Zabow Ra anana Merkaz Klita: (Wed. iiftenioon. call Tel Aviv Cover and Artwork: David Kaplan ofllce for an appoiiitmeno Advertising: Lena Nulman South Africa Proofreader: Victor Sanua 2 EIray Street. Raedene. Johannesburg 2192 P.O. Box 29203, Sandringham. Jhb 2131 Telephone: 011-4851020 To advertise in Teifed Magazine, piuine I.ena: (03)62901.11 The views and commenls expressed in ariicles in ihis pithliealion arc not necessarily tiio.se of the South African Zionist Federation (Israel) or of the Editorial Board. The organisation is not responsible for the advertisers and the insertions in this magazine. |N THE MAIL SPECIAL BREED O l i m e n c o u n t e r . I'm here to stay Thank you very much for the enlightening article and my resolve on my cousin. Charlie Mandclstam. in the Feb has been and re ruary '96 issue. I wish you to know how happy m a i n s t o t a c k l e the family is that he has been duly recorded as each problem a committed cluiluiz in the pre-1948 aiiyah. His a s i t a r i s e s love of Israel and indeed his loyalty and and to face singlemindedness became an inspiration lor many each new others. day with Sincerely. excitement Mrs. Tessa Budow happy expectations. I Cape Town revel in the freedom from fear of being mugged and the freedom to go out alone at night, with the certain knowledge that if I scream long and loudly GO AND SEE FOR YOURSELF enough a crowd of inquisitive Israelis will rush With reference to Jay Shofet's. "A Classic out to investigate the disturbance, and probably Zionist Tease." 1 presume he thought he would add to it. entertain us with his acute sense of humour and Nomi Meltz perception of the South African Jewish psyche. Jerusalem It is very simplistic to enumerate the hards and the too's: — hard to gel a good price for your FROM OUR HEARTS home, hard to get your money out of the country. loo hard to make a living in ksraeU too expensive, We, the soldiers and commanders stationed in too primitive, foo foreign, too dry, tj>o hot. the north would like to let you know how much I have more than a suspicion that Zionist ar we appreciate your thoughtfulness in preparing dour among the South African Jews has possibly special packages for distribution to our soldiers been tempered by more than considerations of a in Lebanon during Operation Grapes of Wrath. The many packages sent by the South Afri physical and financial nature. There are many of lis who actually strive for spiritual balance and can Zionist Federation and members of Mo.sliav Manof were boosts of morale to the soldiers and fulfillment. Unless one develops eye-scales and becomes deaf. iM is much more difficult to tind helped them get through the more difficult mo here. South African Jews have never been ashamed ments of their service during the operation, [see of being Jews. They're proud to admit it. The ma Telfed Tidings, page 34| jority of South African Jews are traditional Thank you again, Ashkenazim. It is most disconcerting to airive here Hadar Harris. Educational Officer and find that among the hundreds oi pockets oi self-contained orthodox congregations, practices which are generally accepted as halachic and proper Need a Greeting Care in South Africa, are not good enough here. Then so many more have been added that one feels one or Girt? has entered a totally different religion. Tclfctl's Special Occasioti cards arc now availalilc 1 would like to suggest that Mr. Shofet makes •Individually liaiid-foilcd in five allrnctivc dcsis"? an extended visit to .South Alrica. to the homes including New Yc.ir greetings of the ordinary Jews — not the rich and not those •8 in a pacU for only NI53() on all the 'professional Jewish' committees, to •All proeewUlo Keren leifcd verify whether his observations so cavalierly aired, arc valid. Conlacl; Mitlielle (09)7745708, lanltte (09)7657725, rl""""" However, in spite ol the many dilliculties all Telfed (03K)2iX)l 31, I3eiilali in jeru.^alcm (02)61^ > ^2^ 2 J'' ' V ' ^ - 1 • .• n' 111 \ hJ „J-.1 tipiiii , t Private Banking with Tradition Rothschild Bank AG Zollikerstrasse i8I, 8034 Zurich Tel. 01/384 71 I! Consullanl in Israel: Joel L. Katz P.O. Box 3167. Herzlia B 46104 Telephone (09) 505 102 Telefax (09)505 104 A Member of the Worldwide Rolhschild Group 3 PEOPLE (left) Dciiwse Kirsh ciiul Ronald Proas exhihiling a copy of the Scroll to the inimitable former mayor of Jerusalem, Teddy Kollek. (below) the late Yitzhak Rabin, fonuerPrime Minister of Israel who led the Israeli forces to victory in 1967. sif{ns his name to the Jerusalem Scroll. To Rabin's right .stands Ehud Olmert, Mayor of JeriLsulem. SICN UP, FOLKS ere's a different angle to making a donation.