Pages 21-48 - Telfed

Cover Storymember Mervyn Polliak that “Finallyour army is doing what it should havedone a long time ago” was brazenlyand colorfully emblazed throughout thecentre of town.The writer had joined a Table to TableThe Bar-On Family from KibbutzNir Am. Marcell (2nd from left),Dana (far right) during a visit from t r u c k f r o ma Telfed delegation last year. Adele Raanana withBassin representing Telfed (2nd from right) parcels - muchof it collectedby Telfed volunteers - for delivery tothe soldiers at bases in the area. The firststop was Sderot.There was a festive mood as peoplewere walking the streets, mothers werepushing prams and kids were playing ina park. Twenty minutes later they weredoing none of those things. The ColourRed alert had been sounded and the residentswere back in their shelters.Such is war!Mervyn believes “the governmentis going to have to spend millions ontherapy” for a generation brought up on adaily diet of death. And not only the children!“While shopping at a supermarketin Ashkelon recently, a balloon popped.Do you think all the people around didnot panic?”Marcell Bar-On from Kibbutz Nir-Amsent out an email during the war remindingall “to remember the young peopleand children living under the threat ofKassam bombs for more than 8 years.”She included in her email the You-Tubevideo her 21 year-old daughter, Danahad made a few months earlier duringthe six month ‘truce’.“I was unaware that Dana had madethis video and saw it for the first time onthe 7th day of the war.” So emotional andhard-hitting was this 10 minute video thatit circulated around the globe as peopletapped into what young residents in thesouth had been enduring for the pasteight years.“I have a wonderful life, a lovingfamily, a great job, lots of friends and aboyfriend.” She smiles as she strugglesto hold back the tears. “But all this isshadowed by the Kassams.” Dana takesthe viewer back to ‘an earlier life’ whenshe was quite relaxed about the situationuntil “I was at the pool with my friendsand a Kassam flew a few metres above us,shaving off the branch of the tree above.The branch landed on us and the Kassamexploded close by. There was chaos andI was shaking and screaming as were myfriends. That day my life changed. Therewas smoke everywhere and I ran, screamingand shaking, looking for my sisterand my dog.” This she describes as her“wake-up call.” She would soon receive22

SELWYNSOFFERFOR ALL YOUR BUILDING NEEDSOFFICES• DECKS•PERGOLAS•ADDITIONSTHE FINEST QUALITY & DESIGN WITH REAL CAPE SERVICEOVER 30 YRS OF BUILDING EXPERIENCE050-572-3120 08-6718601another at the Shaar HaNegev Schoolwhere she was lecturing on epilepsy.“There was a Colour Red alert and weran to the shelter. A Kassam landed in thegrade 8 classroom obliterating everything.Can you imagine if the children had stillbeen inside?”So while there was calm, “I fearwhen we will return to ‘normal’ again,when each day I will be afraid of dying;of never seeing my brother, my sisteror my parents again.”On the 27th December2008, Dana’s life sadlyreturned to “normal.”In the first week of thewar the Colour Red alertsounded 28 times on KibbutzNir-Am.NO PLACE TO HIDEFor Rene Weinberg,Chairperson of Teled’sOut of rocket range:Rene Weinberg,Chairperson ofAshkelon’s TelfedRegional Committee withher family enjoying arespite from the war atKibbutz Yizreel. Seenhere with Arnie andPeggy Friedman.Regional Committee in Ashkelon, thephone call came through just at theright time. “We live on the 14th floor ofa high-rise in the centre of the city. Onthe second day of the war we ran to our‘Safe Room’ following a Colour Redalert and waited for a BOOM.It came! The building shookterribly. It was very scary, particularlyfor my youngest, whois twelve. We waited a minuteand then ran onto our balconyand saw smoke bellowing frombelow.”An hourafter a Gradfrom Gazahad visiteddestructionon a housenext door tothe Weinbergfamily, theyreceived a23

Cover Storycall from Telfed. “We are doing a phonearound of our community and seeinghow you guys are coping,” explainedthe friendly voice. It was Dorron Klineand thirty minutes later not only was thefamily organized for the next six days,but were packed and heading in their carfor Kibbutz Yizreel. All it took was onecall to Telfed Executive member ArnieFriedman who had also organized forthirty children from the south to spend aweekend on his kibbutz.“While staying on Yizreel, we visitedour friends in Kiryat Ata, north of Haifa.During the Second Lebanese War theycame to Nitsanim Beach near us for aboutthree weeks to escape the Katushas fromHezbollah. Who expected that within twoyears the roles would be reversed? Andwhen again Katushot were fired fromLebanon in the last week of the Gaza war,it brought home, this is a small countrywith - no place to hide.”Nowhere to hide might have struck themind of a new oleh from Johannesburg.Byron Gerber had been in Israel less thanstory continued on page 25top: Janine Gelley, Chairperson of theKfar Saba Regional Committee, and HilaryKaplan sorting out provisions for soldiersand families in the South.center: Jonny Klompas, Chairperson ofthe Beit Shemesh Regional Committee, atarmy base near Gaza delivering provisionscollected from a drive in Beit Shemesh.right: Editor David Kaplan receiving letterswritten by Sderot schoolchildren to later bepresented to soldiers. The taking of thisphoto was interrupted by an incomingKassam rocket.Community ResponseWithin hours of the war breaking out, Telfed begana phone-around ofthe community inthe south as well asposting on its websitean invitation forpeople who wishedto spend time out offiring range to callthe Telfed office. “Weoffered to find themaccommodation with Southern African families inthe centre and north of the country,” explainedDorron Kline. “As an example, the Weinberg familyfrom Ashkelon spent 6 days on kibbutz Yizreel,”says Dor ron.“For the mostpar t however,p e o p l e p r e -ferred to stayat home.”F o l l o w i n gr equests forcer tain itemsfor the soldiers fighting in the south, the TelfedRegional committees of Kfar Saba and Beit Shemeshmobilized their communities and together with theirrespective partners, Table to Table and Stand byMe, collected the items, packed and then deliveredthem to the soldiers in their army bases near Gaza.The Telfed Committeesof Haifaa n d R i s h o nLeZion/Rechovotalso sentprovisions.24

10 Kikar Haatzmaut, Netanya; Tel: 09-8607000, Fax 09-8620719Winter/Spring Specials• SOUTH AFRICA: airfares from $1030• LONDON: from $400• NEW YORK: from $750• HONG KONG: from $810• ZURICH: EUR 705 (incl. 7 nights Hotel Carlton Black Forest)(Prices include all taxes and fuel charges)“YOUR TRAVEL EXPERTS”Contact: NIEL BOBROV for additional dealsto all destinations 09-8607000For Your TravelRequirements,Wherever, Whenever...Call Hilary Kaplan at:09-7672404050-5372522hildav@netvision.net.ila week when he was diving for cover inBeer Sheba.Unfazed, he remarked, “At least I hadwarning, even if was only 60 seconds.”In Johannesburg he had no such luxury.“Two years ago I was attacked in myhome and shot in my chest and leg. I wasleft to die but miraculously survived afterspending nearly four months in intensivecare. It’s much safer in Israel despite thesituation. At least the government here isconcerned about your safety. Not so inSouth Africa.” Byron is suing the SouthAfrican Minister of Safety and Securityfor “failing in terms of the Constitutionto protect the life, limb and property” ofits citizens. “What Israel is doing in Gazashows the lengths this government will goto protect its citizens.”BEING THERERalph Lewinsohn, like the Poliaks,is a member of Kibbutz Kfar Aza. Herecalls an evening of music and dance asa welcome respite from war. “Over the lastfew months, our lives had been dictatedby sirens and the PA system warning ofincoming missiles. Also, we had beenreceiving continual text messages on ourcell phones about what time lunch wouldbe served in the bomb shelter or not toleave our homes because of an expectedmortar barrage.” And then one day a differenttype of message was received. “Itwas an invitation to an impromptu musicalevening at Kibbutz Sa’ad.” cont. on page 26BiltongBoereworsDryworsPickled Brisket• 100% Pure Beef - only spices added• Home deliveries can be arranged• Fresh supplies available every week• Vacuum packed deliveries countrywideGordon 09-7713331 / 050-373779825

Cover StoryLeah andMarvynPoliak ofKfar Aza.MNET ANDSATELLITE TVCall theAmericanTechnician:Meir Levmore050-7207010POPE-GERIINSURANCEFOREXCELLENCERalph arriveda little late andcould hear thesinging fromi n s i d e t h ebasement competingagainstthe sound outsideof “heavymachinegunfire as well asthe drone of overhead helicopters.”He entered and noticed there werenot enough chairs for everybody.Don’t be fooledBy the size of the ad.Get the best serviceFrom the most reliableIn the businesscar and house insurance- English Summary -medical and life insurancecountrywide (09)862-4824So people stood. It did not matter. “Whatwas important was to just be there. Thetunes were mainly Israeli folk, some datingback to the days of the Palmach. Therewere songs of hope and the longing forpeace. Almost everyone knew the wordsand people were swaying and wavingarms.” Joining in was a platoon of youngreserve paratroopers who towards the endof the evening started dancing the Hora. Itwas cramped and difficult to form a circlebut nothing could stop us. We danced- religious and secular, men and women,soldiers with their assault rifles on theirbacks, smiling and singing.” They allknew that when the music would stop, “itwould mean stepping back into reality,”or as the 21-year-old from Nir Am sadlyexpressed, “Our normal life.”Through all the ongoing pain andanguish, one image encapsulates the pastas much as it embraces the future.It is a picture of Ralph Lewinsohnstanding alongside a war-battered EgyptianBren halftrack on Kibbutz Kfar Aza thatwas stopped dead in its tracks in 1948 byyoung Israeli fighters. Six decades later, atree grows inside the halftrack occupyingthe space where Egyptian soldiers oncesat. Today it is a memorial - unpretentious,understated, with no plaque of dates ordetails of a war that has had no genuineend. If there was to be a plaque, the wordsof Isaiah would suffice: Let us beat Swordsinto Plowshares. “They can come at uswith all the instruments of death, but weJews are here to stay,” says Lewinsohn.“We are rooted here.”The tree in the halftrack affirms thissentiment. •26

Book NookTOURING THE PASTOut of a negative emerged a positive. Duringthe second intifada (2000-2005), licensed tourguide Adrian Wolff from Ramat Hasharonfound himself virtually out of business. The touristswere staying away and Adrian suddenly had “moretime on his hands and less income.” Why not useit profitably? After years of study and an intimateknowledge of Israel’s landscape and history, madehim think, “Why not write a book?”Tour guide andauthor Adrian Wolffwith overseastourist at MasadaThe result is a 360 page chronology of Israel,from prehistoric times until the present day, coveringall three religions - Judaism, Christianity andSWEET REVENGEAs a tour guide, you must meet someinteresting people with fascinatingstories? One of the many Adrian relatedwas of an 85 year old lady, on her firstvisit to Israel. “She told me how as ayoung married woman in Prague, theNazis took her and her husband to aslave labour camp. At some stage,her husband was killed. One day whenthe nearby town was bombed by theAllies, she noticed that the guards atthe gate had left their positions. Shesimply walked out, barefoot and inher prison garb. She made it back toPrague where she found that her entirefamily had perished. With the help of anon-Jewish friend, she obtained a job asthe telephone operator in the GestapoHeadquarters in Prague. Every eveningshe would pass on information to thelocal underground.”Islam. Says the author: “The book is of value tonewcomers to the region’s history, as well as forthe more knowledgeable, who would appreciatean aide-memoire.” Adrian has sold over 1200copies.While readable as a reference book, it serves asa comprehensive guide, categorizing places andevents. Interspersed, are photographs taken byAdrian from his tours as well as biblical quotationsthat bring alive the historical content andlocation.The opening paragraph invites the reader. “TheJews have lived continuously in Israel since about1750 BC in an area defined in the Bible as theLand of Israel or “Eretz Israel” (I Samuel 13:19).The Greeks called the region Ioudaia (Judeo);the Romans, Iudaea (Judea); the Christians,Terra Sancta (The Holy Land); and the Arabs,Palestine.”The rest of course, is all history.You can visit Adrian’s website at www.israeltours.co.il oremail him at aewolff@inter.net.il27

NuptialsRobyn, daughter of Cecily and BarryHack (Raanana) married Dan, son ofLili and Itzik Druker (Hadera).Yaron, son of Lynne and DavidConroy of Beer Sheva (exPretoria/Cape Town) marriedDanna, daughter of Yuhudit andYoram Maimon of Beer Sheva.Saul, son of Tamara and Geoffrey Israelof Ramat Hasharon, married Ravit,daughter of Zahala and Abraham Eliezer.MazalTov!LOOKING TO PURCHASE OR INVEST IN A NEW HOME IN ISRAEL?Telfed is investigating a number of exciting new building projects following on from our highlysuccessful project in Modi’in, where over 100 apartments were sold to Southern African Olim andinvestors, at a significant discount.•Hadera and Netanya are two major cities in the centre of Israel that have new apartment developments.•Hadera: in a new and trendy part of the city - anarea surrounded by private villas. Prices range NIS665,000 (3 rooms) - NIS 765,000 (5 rooms).Rabcoproperty management & consultants ltd.Jack Rabin• Property Consultants• Property Portfolio ManagementToyota Towers, Yigal Alon St. Tel AvivPOB 20395, Tel Aviv 61203Tel: 03-624-1718 Fax: 03-624-1798•Netanya: in the Eastern part of the city, withinwalking distance of the Netanya Academic Collegeand a beautiful JNF forest.•Prices range from NIS 950,000 (4 rooms) - NIS1,150,000 (5 rooms).If either of these projects interests you, pleasecontact Dorron Kline at Telfed via email: dorron@telfed.org.il or call 09-790-7818.Based on your responses, we will decide on howto move forward!28

The South African SaleWorld record prices achieved at auctionBonhams is holding the nextSouth African Sale in October2009. We are currently seekingconsignment of works for this sale.Giles Peppiatt, director ofSouth African art, regularlyvisits Israel to appraise worksfor forthcoming sales and wouldbe happy to inspect individualworks or a whole collection.To arrange an appointment fora confidential valuation, pleasecontact Joslynne Halibardon 02 999 8337 or email:sapictures@bonhams.comIllustrated:Maria Magdalena (“Maggie”)Laubser (South African, 1886-1973)Indian girl with poinsettiasoil on canvasEstimate: £100,000 - 150,000Bonhams101 New Bond StreetLondon W1S 1SR+44 (0) 20 7447 7447+44 (0) 20 7447 7400 faxwww.bonhams.com/southafricawww.bonhams.com29

Holding backthe yearsA unique formula based on royaljelly can help keep you youngin mind and spirit, says its creatorIrene Stein / Sara Lavie /Back in the early16th century therewas an Indianlegend doing therounds of Puerto Rico that amagical Fountain of Youthexisted somewhere in theenvirons, whose curativepowers would restore thehealth and youthful vitality ofany old person who bathed init. An explorer Ponce de Leonwas so entranced by this myththat he got together three hugesailing ships and set out insearch of this supernaturalspring, braving foreign watersand hostile locals andeventually ending updiscovering Florida. Yoursearch need not be sodramatic, for if Irene Stein is tobe believed, an elixir of youth isavailable to you direct to yourdoorstep – and its name isIrena. According to Stein,Irena is a unique formulationthat blends a myriad herbaland natural ingredients thatwork independently andsynergistically to optimize theoverall effect of the compoundon the body. The formula isbased on royal jelly, thenourishment of the queen beethat in itself is lauded for itsmultiple health benefits andhas been used for healing inChina for centuries, andincludes among many othersKorean ginseng, known for itsenergy-giving properties,30magnesium, potassium, zinc,an array of vitamins andglutamic acid, which is knownto delay the aging process.Irene Stein, who is creditedwith introducing the West tothe health benefits of royal jellyin the ‘70s, has dedicated alifetime to her passionatepursuit of the benefits of royaljelly and to creating her Irenaformula. For the better part of30 years she has workedclosely with eminentbiochemists, herbalists andalternative health doctors toproduce what she calls “theultimate health supplement –100% natural andnon-addictive, and morepotent than anything elsecurrently available.”“Throughout my entire careerwith various royal jellyformulations, and we’re talkingabout more than 30 yearshere, I have never had oneinstance of an ill healthside-effect, from any of mycustomers, who have includedcelebrities, sports stars andeven the British royal family,”says Stein. “Irena is not a curein itself,” she adds, “it is anadaptogen, which means it is afood that helps the body tohelp itself, and creates abalance.” According tomedical literature, adaptogensare naturally occurringsubstances that enhance thebody’s ability to cope. TheyadvertisementIrene Stein, right, aged 44, and her mother, Sophie, aged 75. Youthful vitality.’Irena combines all the vitamins, minerals andamino acids we need and even acts as anatural hormone balancer, making it anexcellent supplement for women going throughthe menopause,’ says Stein.work on a cellular level tonormalize the function of everycell, so stimulating the healingprocess to boost the body’snatural defenses and helpingthe body to function normally,especially in difficultcircumstances, such as, forexample, the aging process.“Old age is the only thing thatcomes to us without effort,”quipped American writer GloriaSpitzer. And indeed it comesto us all, bringing with it avariety of health problems,both mental and physical.Generally as we get older, thebody’s immune systemweakens leaving us moresusceptible to ill health anddisease; energy levels drop,especially if combined withillness; mental sharpness isknown to deteriorate in oldage, all of which can have anadverse effect on quality of lifeand lead to depression andgeneral lack of joie de vivre.But anyone who flicks throughIrene Stein’s publicity materialcan see a different picture ofold age in the photograph of

Irena. A myriad of natural ingredients.her mother, Sophie, takenwhen she was 75. The pictureshows a bright-eyed ladybrimming with good health,glowing skin, and a healthyhead of hair. “When I startedmy mother on the royal jellyformula,” Stein recounts, “like16 million other people inBritain, 80 percent of whomare over 70, she suffered fromcrippling arthritis. After only ashort time on the formula, thepain began to diminish, until itdisappeared completely andnever returned.”Beating arthritisStein attributes this result toIrena’s ability to reduce painand swelling in the joints,thereby increasing mobility andflexibility, by the inclusion ofpantothenic acid, glutamicacid, phenylalanine,manganese, silicon,phosphorous among othersand by the presence ofmagnesium and potassium. Allof which may sound prettybaffling, but the results fromdouble blind trials conductedamong arthritis sufferers arepretty clear: “Patients takingIrena, whether for rheumatoidor osteo arthritis, or ankylosingspondylitis reported significantreductions of pain levels – itwould seem that improvementassociated with taking Irenawas significant,” the test reportstated. Take for example thecase of Albert Painter. At 50,he had to quit his job as aplasterer as his severe arthritisin his knees and shoulders“nearly killed him” and his neckwas so stiff, he couldn’t lookup at the ceiling. The pain kepthim awake at nights and drovehim into a long deepdepression, and he evenended up in a psychiatrichospital. And then he startedon a three-month course ofIrena. The turnaround didn’ttake long, he says. His spiritsstarted to lift and the painlessened. He became moreactive, more socially involved,fitter and more flexible. Best ofall for Albert, now that he is ingreat spirits, he has met Anneand they are now a very happycouple enjoying the fruits of afull and loving relationship. Vastimprovements in generalhealth were also recorded in atrial on residents of an oldpeople’s home in Cardiff,where for the three wintermonths that the test was run,hardly any illnesses occurredand medical help was barelysought. In a medical trial onelderly patients inLoughborough, too,improvement was noted in anumber of areas after thepatients took a course ofRoyal Jelly: increased appetite,weight increase, animprovement in mentalalertness, generalimprovement in hair growthand skin tone and increasedfeelings of well-being. “Irenacombines all the vitamins,minerals and amino acids weneed and even acts as anatural hormone balancer,making it an excellentsupplement for women goingthrough the menopause,”says Stein. “There are anumber of supplements outthere that can work very wellfor individual afflictions, butthey have to be taken indifferent ways and at differenttimes, and many people forgetto take them. I offer them thewhole lot in one little phial thatworks 10 times morepowerfully than the individualingredient.”Treatments A-ZIn her books, which becamebest-sellers in the industry,Stein runs an alphabetical listof disorders that the Irenaformula is known to alleviateand even why. So for example,Stein claims Irena is effectiveagainst angina as the royal jellyand ginseng in it increasehaemoglobin levels andenhance blood flow throughthe body and the inositol inIrena lowers cholesterol,ensuring the arteries leading tothe heart do not becomeblocked. Both of theseconditions are also improvedas a result of many otheringredients that are presentwithin the formulation, saysStein. Back pain is reduced asIrena oxygenates the bloodand speeds the healing of tornligaments and fightsinflammation, she says. Theformula also deals withdigestive problems as thecalcium, sulphur magnesiumand bismuth in Irena combineto clean the digestive tract andcounter stomach acid,indigestion and heartburn, andshe even tackles some of theother side effects that comewith aging, little spoken aboutin public literature.Incontinence, she says, can betreated with Irena, as themagnesium, calcium andvitamin C – all of whichenhance muscle tone – canhelp strengthen the sphinctermuscle. And forget thoselurking niggling illnesseswaiting around every corner,says Stein: Royal Jelly willboost the immune system, sheclaims, strengthening thebody’s defense against illnessand restore strength andvitality, to which many of hercustomers testify.When Sue Adams’ mothercame back from hospital afterhaving a mini stroke, she wasvery tired, confused andadvertisementcompletely dependent on herfamily to cook and take care ofher. But when she started onIrena, “the response wasalmost immediate. She is backto her daily walks and cookingand shopping for herself. Herattitude now is that she wouldprefer to be independent andget on with life,” she writes.This demonstrates that Irenacan also have a positive effecton mental outlook, attitude andgeneral mood, which can alsoaffect how the body fightsdisease. Irene believes that ahuge percentage of illnesscomes simply from the wrongattitude of mind. Age doesn’tjust bring with it the physicaleffects on the body; the mindand the “spirit” also wear withtime. Mental clarity oftenbecomes clouded, energylevels drop.Clients of Irene Stein,however, have written herhundreds of letters tellingher how Irena has alsosharpened their mentalagility and lifted their energylevels and general mood.But the true testimony canbe seen in Irene herself.At the age of 66, Irene Steinhas the vibrant looks of awoman many years herjunior, her hair is thick andglossy and not one of themis gray.But it’s her energy thathas most people who meether quite astounded. Shetakes vigorous walkseveryday, plays tennis regularlyand will still often put in a12-hour work day in thethriving business shesingle-handedly created. Sohas Irene Stein managed tocreate the mythical Fountainof Youth? “Not quite,” shesays, “but every time I readfrom a client how Irena hashelped their lives, I know Ifeel a little bit younger.” Andit’s easy to see why: “Irenahas given me back my life,”Annette Parslow, an arthritissufferer wrote to her. Howcan that not make you feelgood?For more information about theIrena Royal Jelly formulation callIrene Stein on 09-9509850,054-5305125 or on her UK mobile07831 641199.Alternatively, you can e-mail her atirenest@netvision.net.il, or visit theWeb site: www.irenesteinrj.com31Vitality 23

Solidarity Breakfast in Ashkelonsponsored by Telfed.Offloading parcels for soldiers.TELFEDHEADSSOUTHThe Year That WasThe Telfed Beit Shemesh Regional Committee travelled to Sderot and purchasedgoods from stores in the city, thereby supporting the local economy. These products werehanded out to soldiers at the nearby army base.Telfed’s Kfar Saba, Haifa and Rishon Le’Zion Regional Committees gatheredtens of boxes of snacks and toiletries from donors. These were distributed to the soldierson the war front.The Telfed Scholarship Committee awarded 82 scholarships to students studying atacademic institutions in the South. Additional scholarships were awarded to six studentsin Be’er Sheva, who assisted Ethiopian students with their English studies.The Telfed Endowments Committee assisted with the construction of a computer roomat a hostel for young girls at risk and sponsored a unique drama therapy programme forsufferers of schizophrenia in Kiryat Gat.The Telfed Klita Committee sponsored a Friday morning communal breakfast in Ashkelonfor the Southern African community who were under threat of rockets.Annette Milliner (l) packing parcels for soldiersat the Table to Table warehouse in Ra’anana.Looking to the future. A Telfed delegation visited the site northeast of Beer Sheba wherethe new town of Carmit, (earmarked to be 40% English-speaking) will soon emerge.Telfed visits the Bar-On Family fromKibbutz Nir AmWolfie and JeanKangisser from KfarSaba arriving withprovisions for thesoldiers.Young 32 South Africans from Tel Aviv pickingvegetables for families in Sderot.Telfed Delegation visits the site of the future town of Carmit

In The MailPicture PerfectDear Editor,As one of the group whowas privileged to be onthe historic ‘July’ flight,covered in your TelfedNovember 2008 issue The South Africans AreComing, I congratulate you on the choice ofa wonderful photograph on the cover - anOleh Chadash with his baby at the Kotel. It’sa picture that speaks a thousand words.photo: Brian HendlerI also wish to comment on the viewsexpressed by Jonathan Bloom that theleadership and particularly the Rabbinatein S.A. are not pro-aliyah. In defence of theRabbinate, I wish to point out that Johannesburg- and perhaps only one congregationor suburb - does NOT constitute all SouthAfrica.Having lived in Pretoria, Durban, and morerecently Cape Town, the rabbis and Jewishleadership are pro-aliyah. My Cape Townrabbi was thrilled when I decided to makealiyah. He assured me I was performing amitzvah. I have to agree with Evan Gordonin the same article that in the next five yearsmany Jews will leave South Africa and thatthe Rabbinate must harness their talents andinfluence to encourage aliyah.Dion Futerman, Ra’ananaEd note: The poignant photograph above was takenby former South African Brian Hendler.In the photograph on page 36, “Well KeptSecrets”, Elliot Katzenellenbogen is on thetop right. The young lad on the bottom rightis the undersigned. Thevery handsome, specialfellow on the bottomleft is the late Sid Langbart.Continue the goodwork.Joseph (Josie) Shlain, Neve AmirimDear Editor,While commending you on the excellenceof Telfed Magazine, this letter is avery gentle reminder that Israel is a partyto the Berne convention on copyright Law.I refer to the photo of Stanley Kaplan,Chaim Chait (z’l) and Bolly Malin (z’l)on page 16 of the November issue. Not onlyis there no attribution of the source of theOops. We apologise for the incorrect spelling of RabbiMoshe Silberhaft’s surname in the letter “Aliya of theTorah”(Telfed, November 2008) Ed note. Since the lastissue, the Tel Ha’Shomer Hospital Rehabilitation Dept. helda ceremony inaugurating the donated Torah scroll fromthe town of Messina. The donation was brokered by Telfedand Rabbi Moshe Silberhaft, the Rabbi of the SA CountryCommunities. The donors are the Klaff family – the lastremaining Jewish family in Messina today.Dorron Kline, Telfed Chairman Maish Isaacson, Sara Klaff, Prof. MikeHeim, Leon Klaff, Rabbi Moshe Silberhaft, Jack and Deana Klaff,Marlene Woolfson (née Flax), Alan Woolfson, Loozik Woolfson, Merle(née Flax) and Ronald Proos and Sidney ShapiroCAPTIONS ImperfectDear Editor,The magazine, as always, contains interestingand emotional personal stories. Allowme one small correction.33

In The Mailphoto, the caption stating that they were ontheir way to the south is incorrect. The photowas taken during the 1948 War of Independencewhile the three in the picture were on abus ride while attending a course in Haifa.I know, because I wason the same course. Itook the picture andthe copyright is mine.Telfed can relax. Iwon’t be claimingdamages for copyrightinfringement. Keep upthe good work. Telfedis a great magazine.Best wishesMaurice Ostroff, Beth ProteaTHE ART SCENEDear Editor,I must express my congratulations andthanks on the article you wrote with greatfluency about our work - Pamela Silver,Debbie Kampel & I - in the November 2008issue of Telfed magazine. I appreciated theway you integrated the Olympian elementsof fire, water and earth (mud) expressed inour work.We Southern African Litvak artists are frequentlyignored in the local press, in contrastto the coverage we receive internationally. Ihave represented Israel in 26 internationalart museums and art centres and to date havewon nine international awards.Basil Frank, JerusalemDear Editor,1948 (l-r)Bolly Malin, Stanley Kaplanand Chaim Chait.Photo: courtesy of Maurice Ostroff.Following your article and Bonham’sadvert of the Irma Stern painting in TelfedMagazine, I contacted them to let them knowthat I had an original charcoal drawing, whichI had bought from the artist personally beforeI left South Africa in 1952.Can you believe it?! Giles Peppiatt fromBonhams came from London to Ashkelon—and of course loved the drawing. I made anexcellent copy ’cos I wouldn’t be able to livewithout looking at my “African Princess” asI have been doing for the past 50 years.Anne Bloch, AshkelonDear Editor,WAR & REMEMBRANCEI feel it’s unfair. Each year in the mediacoverage marking the anniversary of the endof WWII very little is reported on the contributionof Jewish servicemen and women.In my family, five of my siblings - threebrothers and two sisters - served. Two werekilled, another seriously injured.Maybe Telfed Magazine could remedy thisannual omission, so we can show pride in ourprecious sons & daughters who served SouthAfrica and the Allied cause, some of whomreturned only in the “Roll of Honour.”Helene Magid Halle, Neve Amirim.Ed. Note: We agree and that is why we ran aCover Story in 2002 on the 60th anniversary of theBattle of El Alamein, interviewing former TelfedDirector Leib Frank who was seriously injured inthat famous battle.Having lost both her brothers, Telfed Magazinespoke to Helene to find out more about the Magidfamily of Cape Town.The two brothers who lost their lives, Lieutenant‘Vicky’ and Warrant Officer ‘Mosie’ “were in the War34

from the beginning, first chasing the Italians outof Abyssinia.” Her youngest sister aged 17 wastoo young to volunteer “but was so insistent thatthe army found her a job as a secretary.” Rose,her older sister, drove a military ambulance, whileanother brother, Benny, served as an intelligenceofficer in North Africa.Pure coincidence led to an unexpected familyreunion. It happens in war. Vicky, while on leave inCairo “decided to pop into the SA Airforce Club.”And who does he see at the bar? None other thanhis brother Benny. But that was merely a precursorto the biggest surprise of all. There, walkingtowards the two Magid brothers was their sisterRose who had been transferred to Cairo to run theAir Force Club.“It was a happy moment,” but it would be thelast time they would ever be together. Benny wasinjured in the Battle of Tobruk. “He lay underneathhis smouldering lorry, his leg sticking out. Hedared not move. The German soldiers moved fromone destroyed army vehicle to the next looking forsurvivors. One came up to Benny’s truck, saw hisleg and kicked it. Benny played dead to perfectionand the Germans went off.” Badly injured, Bennywaited until he was rescued and was airlifted backto South Africa. His brothers were less ‘lucky’. Theywould go on to serve in Europe, and after the warended, while flying wounded soldiers home, “theplane crashed. Both my brothers were killed andare buried in Khartoum.”Helene, who was a young teenager during thewar made aliya in 1950.Dear Editor,I served throughout the War of Independencein the 72nd Battalion of the 7thBrigade. I correspond regularly with myex-72nd comrade Joe Woolf who sent meextracts from the November 2008 TelfedMagazine containing news of his havingtraced records of the recommendation for theaward of medals to Locky Fainman (z’l)andElliott Katzenellenbogen (z’l).While I hardly knew Elliott, I knew Lockyvery well as he was our unit’s medic. Thoughstill a medical student at the time, Lockywas an exceptional and courageous medicand I am not at all surprised at his receivingthe recommendation for a medal.I would like to have the “Well KeptSecret” published in the SA Jewish Reportbut obviously require your permission tobase my letter on the article in the Telfedmagazine.With best wishes for a peaceful 2009 forIsrael and Jews everywhere.Mendel Cohen, JohannesburgHelen’s brothers together unexpectedly,enjoying an respite from the war.35

Keren TelfedThe Keren Telfed Fund was started over 25 years ago. Donations are used to assist members ofour Southern African community during times of individual need or national crisis.All donations are acknowledged in this column as soon as possible after receipt thereof.Donors.......................................................HonoreesLea Lacob............................................................... Keren TelfedNatalie Ginsberg..................................................... Keren TelfedWoolf and Renee Rakin.......................................... Naomi Fredman – birthdayCynthia Mendelsohn.............................................. Keren TelfedHarry and Nili Karabel........................................... Tzippy Sheer – 80th birthdayHertzel and Lola Katz............................................ Barbara Hallis – birthdayGerald and Freda Wolman...................................... Cecile Rechtman - 70th birthdayNaty and Denise Tobias; Berry and Shulamith Schwarz;Blima Nudelman; Gerald and Freda Wolman;Howard and Yehudit Glazer................................... Mike Solomon - 70th birthdayMossie and Joyce Tucker; Esme GoddessFiggy and Shana Katzman; Sheila Swiel;Vic and Helen Hirsh; Nokkie and Vicky Scher....... Jack and Rae Galloon – 50th anniversaryFrank and Hazel Goldstein..................................... Jock Kahn – birthdayBessie Etzman........................................................ In appreciationErnest and Nesta Lessem ....................................... Bertie and Berry Hammar – new homeBella Lipman.......................................................... Alec and Gertie Zimmerman – 50th anniversaryDorron Kline.......................................................... Brenda, Geoff and Michelle Kline – birthdaysBea Jacobson.......................................................... Alec and Gerty Zimmerman – 50th anniversaryPhyllis Sacher......................................................... Morris and Pauline Borsuk – new homeJack and Sarah Goodman....................................... Lily Wolman – 90th birthdaySally Levy.............................................................. Martin Peled – birthdayNatalie Rosenzweig................................................ Keren TelfedGerald and Freda Wolman...................................... Shula Abramowitz – 70th birthdayMike and Ilana Leiter............................................. Hazel Dobrin – 70th birthdayLeon and Frieda Sarnak, Hertzel and Lola Katz,Uri and Beryl Milunsky ......................................... Hymie Josman – 80th birthdayStan Bergman and Abe Wake................................. Cecil Taitz - birthdayHertzel and Lola Katz............................................ Benny Raphael – 80th birthdayMonty and Myra Zion............................................ Louis Zinn – 95th birthdayProf. Asher SusserMichael Cohen....................................................... Keren TelfedBasil and Joyce Geller ........................................... Boaz and Monica Menashe – anniversarySheila Swiel........................................................... Cyril and Riva Morris – Cyril’s birthday, and their new homeSheila Swiel........................................................... Ike and Natalie Gilinsky – anniversaryLennie and Selma Cartoon..................................... John and Lola Harris – 40th anniversaryBasil and Joyce Geller............................................ Boaz and Monica Menashe – anniversaryMalka Gulis............................................................ Mervyn and Jackie Kloss – 40th anniversaryMike and LoraineSolomon.36

The Greatest DSTV Experience in Israel•All sport channels - rugby, cricket, soccer, tennis,motor racing, golf & many others.• If you buy M-net you receive a host of other channelsfor free. including the renowned SHOWTIMEmovie channels• Over 100 channels with an additional option ofincluding Israel TV• Quality Control Professional Installationsמנחם call: For further information,057-56931111oor office, (077)7100-705Is Chronic Pain Sapping You of AllYour Strength and Happiness?Let me help you break this cycle of on-going pain.First Consultation and 20 Minute Session FreeDena Epel Korda, Cranio Sacral Therapist054 487-8735Basil and Joyce Geller, Jack and Ruth Trappler,Leonard and Ina Averbuch, Ernest and Nesta Lessem,Boaz and Monica Menashe, Myrna Kolevsohn...... Kalley Saacks – 80th birthdayWally Katz............................................................. Keren TelfedNetanya Regional Committee................................. Prof. Asher Susser – in appreciationJoe and Jose Grossman........................................... Hymie Josman – 80th birthdaySydney and Myra Joffe........................................... Elsa Shap – special birthdayErrol and Sheryl Berman........................................ Hymie Josman – 80th birthdayErnest and Nesta Lessem........................................ Sam Goldblatt – new homeNathan and Shirley Kansky.................................... Donald Solomons – 80th birthdayJoe and Jose Grossman........................................... Frieda Sarnak – 80th birthdaySheila Swiel and family.......................................... Ann Reiff – 80th birthdayHilda Garrun and Yvonne Kay............................... Ann Reiff – 80th birthdayJoe Woolf............................................................... Keren TelfedHertzel and Lola Katz............................................ Marcus Mandel – 80th birthday Isaac and Maureen LipshitzBasil and Zena Berelowitz, Jack and JaniceFriedberg, Harold and Ros Silver........................... Isaac and Maureen Lipshitz – 40th anniversaryJoe and Phyllis Simon............................................ On the birth of another beautiful grandsonMannie and Rayla Shimoni.................................... Morrie and Pat Basker – 50th anniversaryBryan and Jean Myers ........................................... Michele Shapiro – with hearty congratulations on her achievementSmoky Simon......................................................... Marvelle Koffler – 80th birthdayIN MEMORIAMBeverley Gez.......................................................... In memory of her mother Maureen SacksLea Lacob............................................................... In memory of Harold and Molly BloombergBernard and Marion Werner................................... In memory of Rabbi WernerCecilia Becker........................................................ In memory of Leyland GossLeonard and Miranda Saltz.................................... In memory of Ivan IsraelJackie Schwartz...................................................... In memory of Rafi SchwartzAlon Chazan........................................................... In memory of his mother Marilyn ChazanSender Lees............................................................ In memory of his father, Abe Lees37

Keren TelfedFOOD PARCELS FOR SOLDIERS / FAMILIESSelwyn and Valerie Feinblum................................. Allan and Carol FeinblumStan and Olga Bergman.......................................... Willy Meyerowitz – birthdayCynthia Reingold................................................... For the elderlyJulius and Fay Weinstein........................................ Hymie Josman – 80th birthdayHedley and Tanya Ephron...................................... Benny and Felicia Cohen – 60th anniversaryMAYER PINCUS BAR-EL EDUCATIONAL FUND (in memory of the late Mayer Bar-el)Shai and Sharon Shafrir and family........................ Yanai and Christy Frank – daughter’s birthCarol Naim............................................................. Yanai and Christy FrankFreda Pincus and family......................................... Michael Sacia – Bar MitzvahFreda Pincus .......................................................... Phyllis Sachar – 89th birthdayIssy & Paula Miodownik, Carol Naim, Leon Barel.... Freda Pincus – 89th birthdayPhyllis Sachar ........................................................ Freda Pincus – 89th birthdayKEREN ALIZA (in memory of the late Aliza Hatchuel)Danny and Janine Gelley..............Annette Milliner-Giladi – on receiving the Rebecca Sieff award for volunteerismDavid and Hilary Kaplan........................................ Annette Milliner-Giladi – on receiving the Rebecca Sieff awardMarvyn Hatchuel and family.................................. Ethan Zrahia – Bar MitzvahDanny and Janine Gelley........................................ Sol Kay – 90th birthdayMarvyn Hatchuel, LilyRose Michalowsky;David and Jenny Michalowsky;Andrea and Gadi Tabachnik................................... Benny Raphael – 70th birthdayRollo Norwitz...................................Kenny and Annette Greenblo – 50th anniversaryVICTIMS OF TERROR FUNDDavid and Rae Kopping......................................... Bat Mitzvot of their granddaughters Ruby Sandler,Geena Kopping and Monique RonPhyllis SacharKenny and Annette GreenbloSAM LEVIN MEMORIAL BURSARY (in memory of the late Sam Levin)Isaac and Maureen Lipshitz...................... Clive and Shira Lipshitz – 10th anniversaryPamela and Justin Silver and family......... Cyril Segal – 90th birthdayFrank and Rochie Myers.......................... Les and Tzippy Sheer – 60th anniversaryMervyn and Joyce Lasovsky.................... Les and Tzippy Sheer – 60th anniversaryMaurice Shlomowitz................................ Eddy and Bess Hoffman – 50th anniversaryHilary and Marigold Fortes...................... Eddy and Bess Hoffman – 50th anniversaryPhyllis Collins.......................................... Les and Tzippy Sheer – 60th anniversaryLes and Tzippy Sheer............................... Harry Karabel – 75th birthdayLEV LERA’EV FOOD PROJECT, RAANANAMaish and Jocelyn Isaacson................................... Cecile Rechtman – 70th birthdayMaish and Jocelyn Isaacson................................... Lev LeRa’ev Food ProjectHarry Karabel38

Peopleby David KaplanFace OffVery few would ever havethe opportunity to address theUN. For Efrat Oppenheimer,it came as a participant in thecelebrated Israel TV realityshow, ‘The Ambassador.’Efrat - whose father Bruce is a formerSouth African, and mother Frances, aNew Zealander - came second in thecompetition last year. Although she waslater offered the coveted prize when thewinner withdrew, Efrat declined and iscurrently studying Gender Studies & Filmat Tel Aviv University, as well as being aradio reporter for Galei Zahal on educationand welfare.Not easy reaching the final where aparticipant each week was voted off. Whatwas Efrat’s strategy? “The show’s popularity,”says Efrat “is in part a response to theconcern Israelis have in how their country isTaking after her parents who were both former members ofHabonim, Efrat ran a session last year for the young SouthAfrican Habonim participants on the Machon programme ata seminar held at Kibbutz Shfayim. Seen here are also DaveBloom, vice Chairman of Telfed and Dave Kaplan, Telfedmagazine editor. “For me, Zionism is still a work in progress,”says Efrat. “We still need to work to fulfil the dreams thatinspired my parents as youngsters in the Movement.”perceived in the world. My styleof advocacy was a far cry fromthe typical right-wing approachwhich has an answer to everytroubling question confrontingIsrael.”Says Efrat: “Where Israelmakes mistakes, I wouldEfrat Oppenheimer, rather admit to this than tryparticipant in “The to argue what is patentlyAmbassador” in front wrong. In this way, I believeof the UN building in I will be far more credibleNew York.when I make the case forIsrael when it is justifiablyright. I believe this approach paid off inthe competition.”A graduate of the Seeds of Peace programme,“I was fortunate as a teenager,to mix with Palestinians and Arabs fromother countries.” As a result of this experience“the conflict for me has a face. Weall need to find a solution that is morethan just about being right or winning.”She cites the speech she made at the UNin the General Assembly hall onpeace, where she chose as her‘cultural reference’ (as requiredby the competition), the poem39

People“No man is an island” by John Donne.“I believe we are all interconnected andneed to find solutions based on what bindsrather than separates us.”Terror In MumbaiTelfed Magazine previously ran a storyof a former South African in Israel, YonaWiseman, who miraculously survived the2004 Tsunami in the Far East. Four yearslater, another former South African wasno less fortunate.While Yona survived a cataclysmicact of nature, Dani (Sheldon) Shein,miraculously escaped a grotesque act ofhuman barbarism.A managing director of a diamondbrokerage and consulting company, Daniis a frequent visitor to India. On the 26thNovember, he was dining in a party of eightat the first floor restaurant in the OberoiHotel. Sitting at a table at the far end ofthe packed restaurant, they had finishedeating and “were arguing over who wasgoing to pick up the tab.” This customaryafter-dinner social spat, turned out to bea lifesaver.“Had we decided quickly, we mighthave been making our way down to thelobby and met the terrorists as they camein,” said Dani.Some minutes later, the waitress walkedaway with a credit card. It would neverbe returned.“Suddenly we heard a loud noise,although no-one raised an eyebrow! Wethought it was the gong in the foyer andkept on eating.” In fact it was the start ofthe attack below. The sound was that ofa grenade.“This was followed by what my diningcompanions explained were firecrackers.”“Normal forthis time ofthe year;probably awedding,”r e m a r k e dDani Shein from Gan Haim, feels lucky tobe celebrating the New Year. Seen herewith his cousin Sue Freedman (lt) andfriend Rona Joffe (rt) Dani (Sheldon)made aliyah from Witbank in 1970.o n e o fDani’s localb u s i n e s sassociates.Dani, whohad served ina fighting unitin the IDF and was familiar with the soundof gunfire, decided to investigate. As hereached the foyer of the restaurant, shotswere fired in by the terrorists who werethen making their way up the stairs. Theyoung woman welcoming guests took abullet in her arm.Dani dived under the first table. “I realizedthis would hardly serve as any protectionand had to find an escape route.”He ran to the kitchen followed by thepeople from his table who had been watchinghim and followed his lead. “It was likein the movies running through this hugekitchen, with a stream of people following.We were guided to an exit door where we40

made our way down into the lobby wherethe terrorists had already exited on theirway up.” Dani would later learn that asthey fled the restaurant through the back,the terrorists burst in through the front.“They grabbed a waiter and instructedhim to set the table cloths alight. Whenhe hesitated they killed him. They thenstarted shooting at everyone they saw asWestern foreigners. Two of the peoplewho were sitting at the table next to ourswere shot.”Six from Dani’s party made it outthrough the lobby. The other two wereforced - because of the crush - to run upthe stairwell instead of down. “One ofthem had a room on the 18th floor and sothe two of them barricaded themselvesinside.” The others continued to the 19thfloor. It was to be their last stop!“The next day, when the Indian forcesbroke through onto this floor, all theyfound were dead bodies, besides a Turkishcouple, who had been spared because theywere Moslem.”As Dani and his companions exited thehotel, a car was waiting, “thanks to thecell phone.” Suddenly, they saw a youngwoman covered in blood. “We pulledher into the car and offered to drop herat home.”“All dead, all dead,” she screamed. Shewas the sole survivor of her family that hadbeen dining in the ground floor restaurant.As we arrived outside her home, we sawa commotion in the street. Soldiers andpeople were crowding the area.”Little did Dani know at the time that theyoung woman lived opposite the HabadHouse, where another horrific drama wasunfolding!People, continued on next page.Jabulani CateringExclusive BBO’sLamb on the SpitBeef BiltongWholesale MeatCall DavidJabulani.marketing@gmail.com054-432175341

Peoplel-r: Aharon Remez, Chief of the IAF, Smoky Simon, Chiefof Air Operations, Shlomo Lahat, in Charge of Bomberoperations and Chris, in charge of maps.No Smoky Without FireReports David KaplanWherever the action, Smoky Simonhas always been ‘in the thick of it’. Itis therefore no wonder he was recentlyawarded the prestigious MenachemBegin Award of Honour for his contributionto the birth of the Israel Air Force andserving as Chief of Air Operations duringthe War of Independence, his untiring workas Honorary Treasurer of the MenachemBegin Heritage Centre, and his long serviceas chairman of World Machal.Smoky has interesting recollectionsfrom an aerial visit to Damascus. It wasJune 9, 1948, the day before the first truce,and Smoky was navigating a Dakota overDamascus on a bombing mission. A monthbefore, Smoky with five years of WWIIexperience under his belt in the SouthAfrican Air Force, arrived in the new Stateof Israel accompanied by his young bride,Myra. They came “on honeymoon” to fightin Israel’s War of Independence.“Bombers? We had none at that time,that’s why we used Dakotas,” says Smoky.Having no bomb racks on these planesSmoky Simon (l) together with fellowMahalniks Maurice Ostroff and Sid Cohen.“we improvised with what we used to call,‘bomb-chucker-outers’. Before openingthe aircraft’s door and pitching-out thebombs, we would tie the bomb-chuckersto each other with rope, so that they wouldnot fall out of the plane along with thebombs. We dropped some sixteen 80-kilobombs, and for good measure threw outcrates of empty bottles which made a terrifyingnoise scarring the hell out of thepopulation below. If we did not have thegoods, we had to pretend!”Smoky’s plane did six runs over Damascusthat night creating the impression “thatwe were part of a large formation.”Although the damage caused was probablynegligible - “a few fires” - the nextday, “all the foreigners fled Damascus,as they feared our ‘air force’ was aboutto hammer them.”THE NON-JEWISH CONTRIBUTIONAs Chairman of World Machal, Smokyalways has his pulse on the lives of hisformer comrades-in-arms. Referring tothe exoneration by former PresidentBush of Charles Winters, a non-Jew,who helped acquire and smuggle vitalaircraft from the U.S. to Israel, Smoky42

Peopledrew Telfed Magazine’s attention to therecent passing away of another non-Jew,South African Milton Boettger, known as“Butch Ben Yok”, who flew as a wirelessoperator/ air-gunner in the Israel Air Force.“Butch had a ‘Jewish heart’ to the extentthat he even used to go to Cheder with hisJewish pals,” said fellow machalnik ZanSwartzberg in a tribute to the passing ofhis good friend. “So when years later,Butch learnt that volunteers were queuingup at the Zionist Federation offices to fightin Israel’s War of Independence, he joinedus.” With Butch’s WWII experience, hehad “the perfect credentials.”Together with a group of nineteen machalniksfrom Southern Africa, they took aserpentine route via Rome to Czechoslovakia.There, in a secret out-of-the-wayairfield, they were brought face to facewith three B-17 Flying Fortress bomberssmuggled out of the USA. After fitting-outthe B-17s with bomb racks, bombs, andguns, the Machalniks were ready to fly theaircraft to Israel.Smoky thought it not a bad idea to killtwo birds with one stone, so together withthe Chief of Air Force and South AfricanDov Judah, it was decided that on theflight to Israel, the B-17s would attackCairo and bases in the Gaza Strip.And here is the interesting connection.The aircraft that were smuggled out of theUSA by the non-Jewish Charles Winterswere flown to Czechoslovakia, and werethe same B 17s that the non-Jewish Butchand his comrades then flew on to Israel,bombing Egypt en route.Smoky reveals that “amongst the 425volunteers who flew in the Israel Air Forceand in Air Transport Command (ATC), 92were non-Jews, representing 21.6% of allthe flying crews. In the face of the U.N.embargo on arms exports to the MiddleEast, ATC was a lifeline for bringing in alltypes of ‘illegal’ armaments from abroad.”Nine non-Jews, who were killed either inaction or in accidents, are buried in themilitary cemetery in Haifa.Times have changed, and yet in someinstances not. The writer cannot fail to notethat the same targets in the Gaza Strip thatButch and his fellow Machalniks bombedin 1948 were again bombed in December2008 and January 2009.Peace remains as elusive as ever!43

People cont.Nachalniks 1956: Zvi?, Harold Kaufman, Aubrey Levin, Herman Hirshmann,Robert Amoils, Mefaked Nachal (Ben Barak?), Zvi?, Amos, Victor Nel,Luke Lukowsky z’’l, Eric Friedland, Phil Minster, Benny Touse, Mula?,BabyfaceFollowing the over 800 Southern Africanswho volunteered in 1948 to fight inIsrael’s War of Independence, in 1956there was a new generation ready againto respond to the call.Herman Hirshmann was one of theyoungest South Africans to sign up.“A face like a kid, his fellow volunteerscalled him Baby on the plane comingover and it’s stuck with him ever since,”relates Raymond Sive a long-standingfriend of Herman, who turned 70 last yearand celebrated with a bash at the pub onKibbutz Tzora. “To know Herman is to beinspired by him,” says Harold Kaufman.Raymond, Harold and Herman were comrades-in-armsduring the Suez Crisis.While the nationalization of the SuezCanal in 1956 caused an internationalcrisis, for Herman, the crisis becamepainfully personal.During a training incident with liveammunition, Herman took a bullet in hishead. “He bordered between life and death,but between excellent medical care andsheer determination he survived,” saysRaymond. Doctors told him that whilehe had received excellent care in Israelhe needed to face reality. “There has beenserious damage to the brain they told himand he must forget about his plans to study.But these doctors did not know Baby,” saysRaymond. “He returned to South Africa.where he studied optometry and ran hisown business.”Tsora 1956: (l-r)Baruch Weiner z»l,Bracha z»l , Nira,Betty Goldwasserz»l , Zvi ?, HermanHirshmann,Robert Amoils,Yehuda Kaplanz»l, Nira, MervynHurwitzNevertheless, over the years his healthinevitably deteriorated as a result of thehead wound, and today he is bound to awheelchair livingwith his sister andbrother-in-law inKiron.Is he bitter?“Not at all,” saysRaymond. “Hehas a marveloussense of humour,a positive outlookon life and lovescompany.” TheHerman on a tiyul in the Negevwith his sister and brother-in-law.44

party was a treat. His friends and formercomrades came from all over as did hisbrother from the USA. A presentation ofphotographs from the various periods ofhis life was screened. In addition, Hermanwas presented with a personal messageand a signed photograph from ShimonPeres, who as then Director-General ofthe Ministry of Defense, visited Hermanand presented him with a Tanach. It standson his bookcase to this day.”Harold presented ‘Baby’ with a certificateof trees which had been planted by hisfriends as part of a project to rehabilitatethe forests in the north that had been burntduring the Second Lebanese War.Raymond says that Herman enjoysmeeting with old friends. “I invite thosewho have not seen him in a while, to givehim a call at 03-6350948.”Teething ProblemsMost people today are aware of thepopular programmes of Birthright andMASA, bringing thousands of youngsterseach year to ‘experience’ Israel.But what is there for the seniors? Dr.Anthony Widmonte is a dentist in Johannesburgand is the first South African tovolunteer for a programme in Jerusalemthat has been running since 1980. DVIor Dental Volunteers for Israel is a freedental clinic in Israel for children of need.“Because dental health care costs are notcovered by the government’s health services,our non-profit clinic is the only meansDr.AnthonyWidmontetakescare of apaitent.by which Jerusalem’s underprivilegedchildren can receive oral health care,”explains Debbie (an Australian marriedto a former South African from BenoniEvan Fishman) and who works for DVIencouraging overseas dentists to volunteertheir professional services for periods of1-4 weeks.The volunteer dentists from abroad areprovided with a furnished free apartment- many bring their families - and join theirIsraeli colleagues in performing between1000 - 1200 treatments each month.During the past 28 years over 4,500 dentistshave participated in the programme.“Weneed to publicize the programme more inSouth Africa.” Continues Anthony, “Withmy kids and grandkids living in Har Nof,it’s great to be able to visit my familywhile at thesame timecontributem e a n i n g -f u l l y t othe societyhere.””As muchas peoples a y I ’ mdoing goodwork, believe me, I’m the one that feelsenriched.” Anthony will be back laterthis year, hopefully joined by fellow SouthAfrican colleagues.For more information, visit www.dental-dvi.org/il or contact Debbie atDebbie@dental-dvi.org.il45

In MemoriamThe Telfed chairman Maish Isaacson, members of the Executive, the Director and Staff expressheartfelt condolences to families whose loved ones have passed away in recent months:Anita Liberman (Netanya)Bennie Klug (S.A.)Cynthia Lipschitz (Tel Aviv)Eliezer Krieger (Tel Aviv)Hannah Kenigsberg (Johannesburg)Linda-Anne Kenigsberg (Johannesburg)Harriet Schlosberg (Herzlia)Issy Berelowitz (Jerusalem)Ivan Israel (Tel Aviv)Joe Flaum (Carmiel)Leyland Goss (Modi’in)Lily Meltzer (Herzlia)Luba Moss (Netanya)Mary Getz (S.A.)Mary Nowikow (Raanana)Max Geffen (Raanana)Rafi Schwartz (Netanya)Rhoda Sklar (Jerusalem)Robert Gordon (U.K.)Ronald Davimes (Tel Aviv)Ronnie Hassett (Durban)Rose Rubin (Ashkelon)Rubin Levin (Gan Shmuel)Ruth Alexander (Haifa)Solly Harris (Tel Mond)Sydney Davimes (Jerusalem)Theodore (Tee) Kolnik (Tel Mond)Tuxi Blau (S.A.)Pier Kruger (S.A.)Solly Mallach (Raanana)The Chairman, editor and members of the Telfed Media Committee express heartfelt condolencesto wife Sarah and sons Daniel and Eliezer and their families on the passing of Dr.Issy Berelowitz,who for a number of years was Telfed Magazine’s Jerusalem correspondent penning articles onJewish contributions to science and medicine, Jewish life in early 20th century South Africa andthe contributions of South Africans in Israel.aThe Telfed Chairman, Director and Staff express heartfelt condolences towife Raiza, children and grandchildren on the passing of Ivan Israel, who inthe early years, was an active member on the Telfed Tel Aviv Regional Committee,organizing social and cultural events at ‘the Fed’ building in RechovAmishav in Tel Aviv.aIvan Israel z’’lCorrections.The late Henry Katzew, author of the monumental work ‘South Africa’s 800’ and whose tributeappeared in the last Telfed magazine, did in fact live for a few years in Israel. Henry had been theeditor of one of the leading Jewish newspapers at the time, ‘The Zionist Record’.In the tribute to Harry Hurwitz, we apologize for an omission in the list that should have read:Heartfelt condolences to his wife Freda, son Hillel, daughter-in-law Jennifer, grandchildren Sharon,Nirit and Ilan and two great-grandsons, Boaz and Eitan.46

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