Ohio Jewish Chronicle. (Columbus, Ohio), 1991-06-06, page 01 |
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€i THE Ohio Hist.Society Libr 19B2 Veima Ave. g, Columbus, Ohio >I3211 - -■' ^0MP UOOKJNQ FDRTHERiqHT l\ty The Ohio Jewish Chronicle Serving Columbia and Central Ohio Jewish Community for Over 60 Years VOLUME 69 NUMBER 23 JUNE 6,1991 24S1VAN5751 DEVOTED TO AMERICAN AND JEWISH IDEALS r Breakthrough reported in Gaucher's treatment page? Murray Ebner to be Honored at BJ dinner '_ page 3 Israeli diplomat says need for funds urgent a- ■ t . '• :-A page,3 Ethiopian Jews arrive in Israel ., ' page*4 Changes sweeping Latin America pg. ;e4 JFS holds Annual Meeting Gouricil receives award Scholar/Athlete nominees announced t^JCC •-w- -,.\:--r,'pagfi:l4: In The; Chronicle ox '■ At The JCC ........ i........., 14,15 Community ,_.!...'A.:_,..'...,'.'.....'.-.,.,..-'- 5-7 ■ FjrontPage',.' V:...'..".,y.t......i.,.',,. 2,3 Lifecycle .,...,..,..%.... ';..'• ,. 8,9 • Marketplace .,,..'..-... > .\,,. v ,,-..,.• 11 flew Generation \ .,..,..;.... 12,13 Synagogues ....1........... '•*•-',; .'.Vi'..... 1Q ':$&$* a a *»:.v ■ '"?:.v'^: :v '■' ,;>;'' •^ DIRECT ABSORPTION ABANDONED Israeli Government decides to create jobs for Soviet Immigrants By Gil Sedan JERUSALEM (JTA) - Israel's ministerial committee on economy has approved a plan in which the government would assume most of the burden of providing employment for new immigrants. This represents a sharp departure from the policy established last year to leave immigrant absorption to the free market and is an admission, in effect, that the policy failed. According to preliminary estimates by the Treasury* the plan will cost.over $2.16 billion. But it will not solve Israel's overall problem of unemployment, which was rising even before most of the new immigrants entered the labor market. There are presently an estimated 100,000 jobless in Israel, and the number increases as immigrants pouring into the country begin looking for work. Butthe plan, which Finance Minister Yitzhak Moda'i will submit shortly to the full Cabinet, provides job opportunities for no more than 50,000 immigrants. Some would be employed in large-scale, government-sponsored economic development projects, while others would be given jobs at some 30 to 40 large industrial plants, where the state would pay their wages. At the same time, the government plans to enroll 20,000 to 36,000 new immigrants iii vocational courses over the next six months to train them in the skills necessary to participate in the development projects. "Despite the additional jpb solutions, we shall still face a high rate of unemployment in the next few years," David Brodett, director of the Treasury's budget office, told the Knesset Economic Committee recently. The new economic measures coincide with Moda'i's recent announcement that the government would abandon the laissez-faire policy of "direct absorption" in favor of direct government intervention in the immigrant absorption - process. The changes are an ac- • knowledgement that the initial assumptions by Moda'i and Bank of Israel Governor Michael Bruno were flawed. They had assumed that massive aliyah would itself get the wheels of economic recovery turning with minimum government interference. Now the worsening plight of new immigrants who are without jobs or adequate shelter has convinced the economic policy-makers that the state must act or the boon of aliyah could become a catastrophe. Moda'i explained thei changes in a recent interview' in the Israeli daily Ha'aretz. "One must understand what direct absorption means today," he said. "The immigrants leave the airport, take a taxi to a place of ■ their choice, wake up the local mayor in the middle of the night, and he provides them : with temporary shelter at a local school. "I am saying that whoever can manage on his own should continue with the direct absorption, but I assume we shaft" have to switch to planned absorption," the finance minister said "For example, if we set up , an industrial zone in Nevatim (in the Negev), we shall offer it to the immigrants, if they want to come they will come; if not, not," Moda'i said. _ So far, seven public works projects employing immigrants have been approved.* The largest project, expected to cost $281.5 million, will employ 2,600 persons to modernize and expand the national electric power system. Other approved! projects and their costs include $32.5 million for paving new roads, mainly in Galilee and the ►Negev, which will provide 600 jobs; $73.5 million to improve the railway system, providing 700 jobs; $195 million to improve the telephone system, providing 2,300 jobs. Also $26 million to develop water and sewage systems, $60.5 million to build 1,000 new classrooms, and $10.8 million to build and expand 12 industrial parks. In addition, $21.5 million has been earmarked to employ ,10,000 people in the building and construction industry. ENDLESS TASK JDC official feels Israel should leave converts By Gil Sedan JERUSALEM (JTA) - Israel should abandon effoj-ts to get thousands of Jews who converted to Christianity out of Ethiopia, says one of the key officials involved in Operation Solomon airlift. Kobi Friedman, senior representative of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee in Addis Ababa, said he personally feels bringing the converts to Israel would be ah endless task and that the converts are not worthy of such an effort. But he stressed that if the Israeli government makes a decision to bring the converts to Israel, JDC will assist in whatever way it can. Friedman, 39, has been in charge of JDC operations in the Ethiopian capital for the past year. His responsibilities included overseeing food distribution, medical assistance and financial aid for Ethiopian Jews preparing to immigrate to Israel. But he was also the man who organized the network that enabled the sudden, massive evacuation of the Jewish community. His last clandestine operation in the capital was securing the fleet of buses that transported thousands of Jews from the Israeli Embassy compound to the airport. Back in Jerusalem last week, exhausted after the longest week in his life, Friedman was asking himself how' much longer the euphoria over Operation Solomon would last and when the problems would begin. - He was concerned that the desire to bring converts remaining in Ethiopia to Israel might create insurmountable problems. According to figures published here, the number of converts who reached Addis Ababa with the hope of joining friends and family in Israel is 3,000. Another 10,000 converts are believed to have remained see CONVERTS pg. 13
Object Description
Title | The OJC the Ohio Jewish chronicle. (Columbus, Ohio), 1991-06-06 |
Subject | Jews -- Ohio -- Periodicals |
Place |
Columbus (Ohio) Franklin County (Ohio) |
Creator | OJC Pub. Co. |
Collection | Ohio Jewish Chronicle |
Submitting Institution | Columbus Jewish Historical Society |
Rights | This item may have copyright restrictions. Online access is provided for research purposes only. For rights and reproduction requests or more information, go to http://www.ohiohistory.org/images/information |
Type | Text |
File Name | index.cpd |
File Size | 3565 Bytes |
Searchable Date | 1991-06-06 |
Format | newspapers |
LCCN | sn91075643 |
Date created | 2016-10-31 |
Description
Title | Ohio Jewish Chronicle. (Columbus, Ohio), 1991-06-06, page 01 |
Searchable Date | 1991-06-06 |
Full Text | €i THE Ohio Hist.Society Libr 19B2 Veima Ave. g, Columbus, Ohio >I3211 - -■' ^0MP UOOKJNQ FDRTHERiqHT l\ty The Ohio Jewish Chronicle Serving Columbia and Central Ohio Jewish Community for Over 60 Years VOLUME 69 NUMBER 23 JUNE 6,1991 24S1VAN5751 DEVOTED TO AMERICAN AND JEWISH IDEALS r Breakthrough reported in Gaucher's treatment page? Murray Ebner to be Honored at BJ dinner '_ page 3 Israeli diplomat says need for funds urgent a- ■ t . '• :-A page,3 Ethiopian Jews arrive in Israel ., ' page*4 Changes sweeping Latin America pg. ;e4 JFS holds Annual Meeting Gouricil receives award Scholar/Athlete nominees announced t^JCC •-w- -,.\:--r,'pagfi:l4: In The; Chronicle ox '■ At The JCC ........ i........., 14,15 Community ,_.!...'A.:_,..'...,'.'.....'.-.,.,..-'- 5-7 ■ FjrontPage',.' V:...'..".,y.t......i.,.',,. 2,3 Lifecycle .,...,..,..%.... ';..'• ,. 8,9 • Marketplace .,,..'..-... > .\,,. v ,,-..,.• 11 flew Generation \ .,..,..;.... 12,13 Synagogues ....1........... '•*•-',; .'.Vi'..... 1Q ':$&$* a a *»:.v ■ '"?:.v'^: :v '■' ,;>;'' •^ DIRECT ABSORPTION ABANDONED Israeli Government decides to create jobs for Soviet Immigrants By Gil Sedan JERUSALEM (JTA) - Israel's ministerial committee on economy has approved a plan in which the government would assume most of the burden of providing employment for new immigrants. This represents a sharp departure from the policy established last year to leave immigrant absorption to the free market and is an admission, in effect, that the policy failed. According to preliminary estimates by the Treasury* the plan will cost.over $2.16 billion. But it will not solve Israel's overall problem of unemployment, which was rising even before most of the new immigrants entered the labor market. There are presently an estimated 100,000 jobless in Israel, and the number increases as immigrants pouring into the country begin looking for work. Butthe plan, which Finance Minister Yitzhak Moda'i will submit shortly to the full Cabinet, provides job opportunities for no more than 50,000 immigrants. Some would be employed in large-scale, government-sponsored economic development projects, while others would be given jobs at some 30 to 40 large industrial plants, where the state would pay their wages. At the same time, the government plans to enroll 20,000 to 36,000 new immigrants iii vocational courses over the next six months to train them in the skills necessary to participate in the development projects. "Despite the additional jpb solutions, we shall still face a high rate of unemployment in the next few years," David Brodett, director of the Treasury's budget office, told the Knesset Economic Committee recently. The new economic measures coincide with Moda'i's recent announcement that the government would abandon the laissez-faire policy of "direct absorption" in favor of direct government intervention in the immigrant absorption - process. The changes are an ac- • knowledgement that the initial assumptions by Moda'i and Bank of Israel Governor Michael Bruno were flawed. They had assumed that massive aliyah would itself get the wheels of economic recovery turning with minimum government interference. Now the worsening plight of new immigrants who are without jobs or adequate shelter has convinced the economic policy-makers that the state must act or the boon of aliyah could become a catastrophe. Moda'i explained thei changes in a recent interview' in the Israeli daily Ha'aretz. "One must understand what direct absorption means today," he said. "The immigrants leave the airport, take a taxi to a place of ■ their choice, wake up the local mayor in the middle of the night, and he provides them : with temporary shelter at a local school. "I am saying that whoever can manage on his own should continue with the direct absorption, but I assume we shaft" have to switch to planned absorption," the finance minister said "For example, if we set up , an industrial zone in Nevatim (in the Negev), we shall offer it to the immigrants, if they want to come they will come; if not, not," Moda'i said. _ So far, seven public works projects employing immigrants have been approved.* The largest project, expected to cost $281.5 million, will employ 2,600 persons to modernize and expand the national electric power system. Other approved! projects and their costs include $32.5 million for paving new roads, mainly in Galilee and the ►Negev, which will provide 600 jobs; $73.5 million to improve the railway system, providing 700 jobs; $195 million to improve the telephone system, providing 2,300 jobs. Also $26 million to develop water and sewage systems, $60.5 million to build 1,000 new classrooms, and $10.8 million to build and expand 12 industrial parks. In addition, $21.5 million has been earmarked to employ ,10,000 people in the building and construction industry. ENDLESS TASK JDC official feels Israel should leave converts By Gil Sedan JERUSALEM (JTA) - Israel should abandon effoj-ts to get thousands of Jews who converted to Christianity out of Ethiopia, says one of the key officials involved in Operation Solomon airlift. Kobi Friedman, senior representative of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee in Addis Ababa, said he personally feels bringing the converts to Israel would be ah endless task and that the converts are not worthy of such an effort. But he stressed that if the Israeli government makes a decision to bring the converts to Israel, JDC will assist in whatever way it can. Friedman, 39, has been in charge of JDC operations in the Ethiopian capital for the past year. His responsibilities included overseeing food distribution, medical assistance and financial aid for Ethiopian Jews preparing to immigrate to Israel. But he was also the man who organized the network that enabled the sudden, massive evacuation of the Jewish community. His last clandestine operation in the capital was securing the fleet of buses that transported thousands of Jews from the Israeli Embassy compound to the airport. Back in Jerusalem last week, exhausted after the longest week in his life, Friedman was asking himself how' much longer the euphoria over Operation Solomon would last and when the problems would begin. - He was concerned that the desire to bring converts remaining in Ethiopia to Israel might create insurmountable problems. According to figures published here, the number of converts who reached Addis Ababa with the hope of joining friends and family in Israel is 3,000. Another 10,000 converts are believed to have remained see CONVERTS pg. 13 |
Format | newspapers |
Date created | 2009-10-14 |