---~ INSIDE: From The Editor, page 4 Around Town, page 8 R. I. Jewish Historical Education, page 9 Association 11 130 Sessions Street RI 0 290 6 VOLUME LXXI, NUMBER 34 FRIDAY, JULY 27, 1984 30t PER COPY' Life In Israel: Inflation Eats Shekel Ellis Island To Be Restored As Museum Of Immigration by Sylvia L. Mehlman because it's always going up in shekels," J ewish Times she complained. They live in a fourth-floor The Israeli government has been as walkup apartment in a fairly good good as its word. It repaid t he 54 ,487 neighborhood. Israeli shekels it exacted from us as a Faced with a roster of many patients one-year compulsory "loan" when we who had stopped coming for routine bought our new car last year. check-ups, a hitherto popular dentist There's a catch though. It has to do with resorted to the expedient of calling his a 400-plus percent yearly rate of inflation. patients to find out where he stood with When we paid for our French-made car them. "Don't think we've changed dentists (there are no Israeli-manufactured cars) in just because we haven't been in for American dollars on June 17, 1983, the awhile/' was a typical answer from a young 54,487 shekels we loaned t he government mother. "We just can't afford it right amounted to $1,189. When we received now." our repayment by registered mail on June Economic Situation Worsens 26, 1984, the money had shrunk to $238. A As t he economic situation continues to day later, the money was wo rth only $235, wo rsen, strikes and slowdowns in public according to the official rate of exchange. -and private sectors, or threats of such job T he check came in an envelope actions, have become widespread. postmarked Jerusalem on J une 18. A "Back-to-work" court orders fo r "slow-down" by postal workers to protest employees in essential services have only the erosion in their salaries may have partially stemmed the tide. prolonged our getting it even beyond the A work dispute by radio and television normally slow service we are accustomed employees brought broadcasting, to in the city. Every day of delay in including newcasts, to a lurching halt. At receiving the check, cashing it and first, only regular programs had been spending it has cost us additional dollars. affected, with TV offering curtailed news Young Russian Jewess at Ellis Island, 1905. (Photo by Lewis Hine) Florence, an elderly American who lives coverage, and radio presenting recorded with her sister and brother-in-law, . music all day, with interruptions for by Walter Ruby people who arrived at Ellis Island - receives her income in dollars from the occasional short news summaries or J ewish World almost half of the population of t he United USA and doesn't usually worry too much special news bulletins. When letters A publicity buildup is in high gear for · States. We have many monuments to about the daily plunge of the shekel in started to arrive indicating great the Centennial for Liberty - a project to great figures.of earlier periods of American dollar terms, with its concomitant rise in satisfaction with the new regimen on the restore and refurbish the Statue of Liberty history like Washington, Jefferson and shekel-listed prices. But she reads the part of many listeners, the broadcasters in time for lavish centennial celebrations Lincoln. Yet it was these new immigrants, newspaper. When her great-nephew told decided that sterner measures were called on July 4, 1986, which are expected to who poured into this country bv the her that he would like cash for his for, and stopped all broadcasts. include a procession of the largest millions in the years preceding World birthday · gift, she found it necessary to The political parties, which had been grouping of tall ships ever assembled, War I, who really built this country into offer him a word of warning. spending a fortune on the preparation of presidential speeches and a glorious what it is today." "I told him t hat if he wants it in propaganda films to influence voters in fireworks display. Land of Golden Opportunity shekels," she said, "he'd better spend it the forthcoming national elections, However, relatively few people know Lax, who serves as chairman of the right away or it won't be worth anything." appealed to the Supreme Court to issue a about the effort on behalf of the Statue of International Council of B'nai B'rith, is Purchase Imported Goods directive calling for the airing of election Liberty is linked to an even more himself the son of Eastern European Many Israelis get rid of their broadcasts, as fixed by Israeli law. The ambitious undertaking - the restoration Jewish immigrants who arrived on Ellis deteriorating money as fast as they can by order was granted and otherwise deprived of nearby Ellis Island, where 17 million Island in the early 1900s. "My parents buying things, particularly imported viewers were granted the dubious boon of a new Americans first stepped on American came to this country to escape pogroms," items. Others are using accumulated half-hour each night of slickly prepared soil by 1892 to 1924, as a living museum of he said. "In my youth, I used to hear about savings, particularly in "work-study-travel U.S.-style "spots" for the various parties, immigration. Work has begun on Ellis discrimination and anti-Semitism in funds" contributed to jointly by employers allocated according to a formular based on Island, today a virtual ruin, on the Europe, where Jews were treated as and employees to t ravel abroad. Similarly, the relative current strength of the parties, restoration and preservation of the Great outcasts. In America, on the other band, this year's month0 long Israel Festival in and following each other in rapid Hall and other key buildings and the everyone had a chance to make it. Many J erusalem was a great financial as well as succession. reconstruction of the old sea wall in time people came expecting a goldine medina, artistic success, with more than half the As befits the only show in town, there is for the island's own centennial celebration but America proved not to be a golden tickets bought well ahead of time at a a large emphasis on entertainment in in 1992. land, but rather a golden opportunity. special discount by Israelis. these political broadcasters. Each party According to Phillip Lax, chairman of Many people came here without a penny Such luxuries are rapidly moving has its own signature jingle sung to a the Ellis Island Restoration Commission, and became the peers of the land." out-of-reach for many young families, catchy tune, there are dancers, intricate the restoration of often overlooked Ellis Lax said the recreation of Ellis Island however. For instance, Rachel would also visual effects, parades of happy-looking Island is every bit as meaningful for the has special significance for American like to buy many things before their prices people marching along with a confidently nation as is the refurbishing of the more Jews. "Our experience in this country go up, but like many young parents, she smiling party leader, endorsements by glamorous 'Lady' on Liberty Island. shows that a Jewish community can only and her husband are having difficulty sports and entertainment stars. The large "The Statue of Liberty, a gift from live and flourish in a democratic "ending the month." They have no sooner parties have even hired house comedians, France, symbolized the ideal of freedom atmosphere," he said. "In preserving our cleared up one month's overdraft on their who poke gentle and not-so-gentle fun at for the new arrivals, but we should not identity and our understanding of the bank account at a very high interest rate, the opposition. forget that they· first set foot on Ellis preciousness of our freedom here in than they are already borrowing into next Only occasionally are there brief, brief Island. Then they knew that they were in America, our people - especially the month's income. speeches by party notables on what they the United States of America," said Lax. young people - must be told over and "We have to pay $300 rent every month. want to emphasize as issues in the "Today," he added, "more than 100 over again of the American Jewish It's almost all we can do to keep ahead of it (l'ontinued on page 7,1 million Americans are descended from (conlinul•d on pag:t• l ::! 1 - 2-THE RHODE lSLAND HERAID, FRIDAY, JULY '¥7, 1984 .R.I. HERALD•t>••,.,..•t>,.,..•••I>,.,.. 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