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December 12, 2003/Kislev 17 5764, Vol. 56, No. 12
Showing solidarity
15 local delegates attend the UJC General Assembly
DINA KRAFT
RACHEL POMERANCE
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
From left, Larry Frazin, Fran Frazin, Bob Mautner, Randi Sherman, Jeanette Flom, Adam Schwartz, Vicki Cabot and Michelle Steinberg prepare to take part in the march through Jerusalem on Nov. 17.
Photo courtesy of Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix
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Having Israeli, American and Canadian flags and hoisting signs naming their hometowns, thousands of delegates at the Jewish federation system's General Assembly wound their way through the back alleys, markets and main streets of Jerusalem, vowing to stand by Israel.
Some 4,300 North Americans and 2,000 Israelis gathered in Jerusalem Nov. 9-13 for the annual assembly of the United Jewish Communities, the umbrella organization of North American Jewish federations.
Under the theme "With Israel, In Israel: Shaping Our Common Future," the 2003 assembly featured a welcome by Israel's president and prime minister. Delegates were scheduled to tour the country, visiting a range of sites from immigration and absorption programs and high-tech companies to programs to aid needy Israelis.
On the Nov. 10 solidarity march through Jerusalem, soldiers and delegates linked hands and danced the hora, vendors at the Mahane Yehuda market cheered, Israeli folk music and shofars blared, and blue and white balloons bobbed overhead.
"The excitement of being in a crowd of 5,000 to 6,000 people, all dedicated to 'Standing with Israel in Israel' was fantastic," says Patsy Bakunin, one of 15 delegates representing Phoenix. "But the gratitude of the Israelis - those lining the streets and the merchants handing us flowers and fruit as we passed by - was what made the march so memorable."
For local delegate Larry Frazin, what stood out about the march "was the enthusiasm, the excitement, the great reception we had from people along the way."
"There was so much pride of everyone to be there," adds Fran Frazin, Larry's wife.
Adam Schwartz, executive vice president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix, says the march was particularly meaningful because he has a good friend who lives near Mahane Yehuda.
"I got a call on my cell phone with my friend asking, 'Are you part of the huge group that just started marching in the shuk (open-air market)?' ... After trading a few calls, we were able to meet and continue the march together," recalls Schwartz.
Security was tight. Police and soldiers manned street corners along the march route, which had been blocked to traffic. Pedestrians were searched before being allowed to enter parts of downtown Jerusalem.
Local delegate Norma Hoffman says she knew that security was present, but she felt little tension or anxiety.
"I was not the least bit on edge," she notes.
Delegates say coming to Israel was a matter of principle.
"I think this is the best time to visit as now, more than ever, we must show our solidarity for a country that belongs to all of us," says local delegate Michelle Steinberg. "We have as much of a responsibility to take care of Israel as Israelis do, and we need to be there to demonstrate that we take that responsibility seriously."
As the four-day gathering opened Nov. 9, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told delegates that the Jewish people would not be deterred by terrorism.
"Our enemies have got to understand that the Jewish people cannot be broken," says Sharon.
For many General Assembly participants, the Nov. 10 march epitomized the conference's feel-good spirit.
At most General Assemblies - typically held in North America - the customary question is, "When was the last time you were in Israel?" says Fred Zimmerman of Nashville, Tenn. Here in Israel, "it just feels right, and it's something that defies words," he says.
Judy Rosen of New York also was glad the event was being held in Israel. It "shows the centrality of Israel and how important it is for the spirituality of the Jewish people," says Rosen.
David Ben-Porat agreed. Porat, a 29-year old Israeli, has helped clean up after terrorist attacks in downtown Jerusalem as a volunteer for the Hatzolah emergency response service.
The night of Nov. 10 was his first time patrolling the streets on a happy occasion, he says.
It gives a "good feeling for every person here," says Ben-Porat, marching on behalf of his in-laws from Minnesota.
David Cohen, 59, closed his photo shop along the march route so he could watch "our brothers coming together" in support of Israel.
"This is the Jewish home of all the world," he says. "We know that the Jewish people of the world are with us."
Along the march route, delegates paused to embrace Israelis standing by the side of the road, exchanging greetings in a mixture of Hebrew and English.
Delegates thanked soldiers and policemen for protecting the country, flashed wide smiles and posed for pictures. Soldiers and police clapped in return.
Such support "warms the heart," says Ami Mizrahi, a policeman who helps oversee security at Mahane Yehuda.
"We roll out the red carpet to them," Mizrahi says. "If only more would come."
The march gave Vicki Cabot, federation president, the opportunity to reflect on reciprocal appreciation between the Americans and Israelis.
"Shopkeepers greeted us with dates and oranges and flowers, onlookers with huge smiles and applause. Of course, it was us who should have been recognizing them - the regular, ordinary Israelis who travel these streets daily, go to work, send their kids to school, ride the buses, frequent the cafes and shops and restaurants, who are the real heroes," she says.
Mahane Yehuda, Jerusalem's main open-air food market, has been a frequent terrorist target, and many people now fear to shop there.
Ahead of the march, police swept the market area, banned cars and motorcycles from parking and did security checks on shoppers.
Cabot felt that the added security did not detract from her Israel experience.
"Security was, for the most part, unobtrusive. We walked the streets freely, shopped, ate, toured with little restraint or worry," she says.
"I'm not at all nervous," says Dov Altman of Toronto, marching with a Canadian flag draped around his shoulders. Being here "shows they are never going to shut us down. We are going to continue to live and grow," he adds.
At spice shops and stands of figs, mangos and oranges, marchers stopped to buy food and exchange greetings with vendors, who waved flags and shouted boisterous welcomes.
"They should come every day," says fruit vendor Yossi Chai.
Israel's tourist industry has been devastated by the three years of violence since the Palestinian intifada began. Conference organizers said the visiting delegates would pour some $15 million into the Israeli economy.
Ina Silverman, an English teacher from New Haven, Conn., who has been to Israel some 25 times, said she was appalled that more North American Jews do not visit the Jewish state.
"In our time we have had people who crossed the desert to get here. Some have been sent to jail," says Silverman. "And all we need to do is spend $1,000 and get on a plane."
Caught up in the spirit of the parade, Marian Frankston and David Weisberg of Harrisburg, Pa., burst into the "mummers strut," a typical dance from their home state.
"If someone asked how long" the parade was, "I wouldn't be able to tell you in time or distance," says Weisberg, explaining that the event's power had made it feel like a "single moment."
"When you're here, you live in a moment, but you're also living with such history," adds Frankston.
Among those marching were several dozen Ethiopian Jews. They carried framed photographs of relatives still in Ethiopia and posters that read, "Our Brothers in Ethiopia Love Israel Too: Bring Them Home."
At the conference, Stephen Hoffman, the UJC's CEO, urged Israel to bring descendants of Ethiopian Jews known as Falash Mura to Israel. Hoffman has said the federation system might provide financial aid to Israel to help absorb some 20,000 Falash Mura still in Ethiopia who want to immigrate.
The Israeli Cabinet voted in February to expedite their immigration, but critics accuse the government of foot-dragging.
"The General Assembly has been a tremendous success because of the energy and commitment to care for every Jew, wherever they may be, in the spirit of one community united," says Rabbi Eric Lankin, director of UJC's religious and educational activities.
The march ended in downtown Jerusalem's Zion Square, at the bottom of the Ben-Yehuda pedestrian mall. That area also has been a target of suicide bombings in recent years, and stores and restaurants in the area have struggled to stay open.
Delegates were urged to spend the rest of the evening shopping and dining in the city center.
"We did not get all the way down the Zion Square because it was just jammed," says Larry Frazin. "Instead we ate and did some shopping."
Dorit Hoja, a secretary from Jerusalem, was among the Israeli delegates in the march. She said the sight of so many Diaspora Jews in the streets gave her hope.
"We are so happy they are in Israel," she says. "They make me feel like they are our people, that we are not alone.''
Barry Cohen, Leisah Namm and Beth Olson contributed to this report.
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