The Phoenix Jewish news., 1954-10-15

(EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the
last of a series OF firSt-hand re-
ports on Israel by the cO-pubIi-
sher of the Phoenix Jewish News,
who, with her husband, visited
the Jewish state this past sum-
mer.)
By Bertha Goldman
CHOW DID YOU find conditions
in Israel in general?"
What did you really think OF
Israeli"
Those are the questions that l
have been asked most frequently
since our return. And so l shall
try to answer them, and to make a
few random observations as they
came to us during the two weeks
that we spent trying to take in
every possible experience in our
much-too-short stay in Israel.
Once before 1 said that the nice
est thing about Israel is its people.
We met many of them from many
stations in life, and it was our
firm impression that each wants
more than anything else for the
visitor to enjoy Israel. They want
to show the country at its best,
and they want the visitor to get
all out of his trip that he desires.
We met new Israelis, like my
own cousins, who have been there
less than three years. And we met
the friends and relatives of many OF
our friends who asked us to look
them up. Each gave us a little
of himself and a view of Is
rael that was a bit different from
that of the next person.
Then there were the govern
ment people, including its publi-
city representatives and others.
There were the organization rep
resentatives and our own friends
whom we had met among Zionist
visitors coming through Phoenix
during the past 10 years. Our
hotel rooms in Jerusalem and Tel
Aviv all too often reminded me
of the offices of The Phoenix Jew
ish News on deadline day! But,
however tired we might have been,
we welcomed each visitor and en-
loved them all. And we thank all
of you for your part in letting
us meet your people.
WE WE'RE FURNISHED guides
by the government and the var
ious organizations, as well as hir-
ing guides ourselves on several
occasions. To a tourist, his guide
is like having a ''good uncle" in
Israel. He becomes your close
friend before your trip is ended.
There is a well-developed tourist
industry in Israel. The accommo-
dations and food are as fine as in
Europe, though the food, while
plentiful, is not as varied as on
the continent. :.
But you need no longer be afraid
of shortages. Israel has whipped
that problem, at least for the time
being. 1t has sufficient food for
all =. not like we know sufficiency
in the U. S. but enough to go
around. There is nothing that the
American dollar cannot buy, any
where in your travels. And Israel
is out to make the American
tourist feel at home.
THE QUALITY OF the read
ing. and the ability Of every taxi
driver, porter and elevator opera
tor to discuss the latest books,
plays and concerts, are a never
ending revelation to the visitor
to Israel. The book stores are fill
ed with American books on philo-
sophy, psychology, archaeology and
history. There is very favorable
rate for buying English-language
books, and even ,high-quality poe
ket editions are advertised and
sell out in a few days.
We loved reading the Jerusalem
Post. read every single sentence
in every paper while we were
there. When l remarked on this to
Mrs. Agron, the wife of the Posts
publisher, she said it was COM
mon practice among the Israelis,
since there are usually only four
pages in each paper. So every
sentence is a news digest.
The Post is a wonderful paper
and, incidentally, so is the pub
lication called Israel Speaks.
which is published here in Ameri.
ca for those of you who like to
keep up on EretZ.