Green benefits of Winter

CARL ALPERT

For over two decades more than 2,000 influential figures in the American Jewish community and in the American economy have received a green semi-monthly newsletter that usually opens with an eye-catching headline such as "I refuse to consider Israel as the land of despair" and "There's good news from Israel."

The postmark is Milwaukee, Wis. The sender is Elmer L. Winter, founder and chairman of the Committee for Economic Growth of Israel (CEGI). Winter's intent is to inform and guide readers on how to do business with Israel. He provides information on economic opportunities throughout the country.

Companies that have followed his advice have brought mutual benefits to themselves and to Israel's financial stability.

Winter occasionally gets negative reactions from people who want CEGI to challenge Israel's political decisions. He believes Israelis should reach their own conclusions on such matters without advice from abroad. His bulletins therefore confine themselves to issues related to foreign investment, research and incentives.

CEGI also assists American companies that want to invest in Israel by helping them work through government regulations and bureaucracy. It suggests Israeli companies for subcontracting, research and development, and software development.

The reader cannot come away from a reading of the green newsletter without feeling optimistic about Israel's general situation, despite what the headlines may be reporting.

Has Winter ever been discouraged and thought of discontinuing his bulletin?

"The times when I have thought of closing up shop in CEGI have been very few," he told us. When he feels discouraged, he looks at the sign he hung on his desk in 1976, and carries on. The message: "Hang in there, Elmer."

Winter was co-founder of Manpower International in 1948 and was its president until retiring in 1978. He holds a degree in law, has written 11 books and has been active in civic and economic affairs in Wisconsin and nationally.

In 1976 when Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin enlisted his support to help build the economy of Israel through American invest-ments, expansion of research and increased exports. The result was CEGI.

"I don't think it is the Jewish thing for me or others to sit on the sidelines while so many Israelis need our active participation, not just words of support," Winter wrote us. "Giving dollars to Israel is important, but long term we need to help Israelis develop a strong and viable economy. They need economic independence, which we are committed to helping them attain. We plan to keep the CEGI motor running full speed."

Elmer Winter is 92 years old and refuses to retire. "I can't rest and disregard the interests of the Israelis while there are 280,000 Israelis who are unemployed and over one million Israelis who live below the poverty level, all needing our help,'" he told me.

Carl Alpert is a free-lance writer living in Haifa, Israel.

Home