SHABBAT SHALdif
VOU LVIII, NO. 11 - 6NISANi57S1 THURSDAY, MARCH 21i 1991
75*
Review Pages
BAKER'S
United States halls Ismeir
ByHUGHOBGEL
TEL AVIV — Taking a fevv moments out of his hectic diplomatic ^c^iiiiie last Wei^k, American seci^tai^ of slate Jameslt^ feelings ahout his whirlwind visit to Israel.
He hailed the Jewish state as the 'iiving^ thriving proof of man's hope and of the ultimate triumph of good oyer evil.'^ He said that impression overwhelmed him pQ his visit last week to the Yad. Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem^ which he called ''a very grim monument to a grimmer truth. :
**As I emerged from the darkened memorial building into the light of modem Israel, I could see that you had built in this country the antidote to despair,- Baker told a rapt audience at the community centre school in Carmiel,
He; landed in, the^ Galilee development towm, lajg^ populated by recent inu^ giants, in the course ^^fj^ h^Ucbpter tour oyer Israel, ihe' West Bank and the Golaun Heigjhts/TheAmericat) cabinet member was accompanied ^^4>y^ Israeli" fore^ pafwd !^€h^ amd:^^ Ybssi Ben-^Haiian^eonimand-ant of the Israel Defence Force StoffCoUegC:w
Greeted by Carmiers mayor, crowds of, residents from all over the area, and
before," said Baker, who was on his first trip to the Jewish state since taking office in 1989. **Growing up in Texas, in a religious family, we were particularly conscious of the two countries — the United States, where we lived, and; ancient Israel, where the basic foundations of the Chnstian fmtht were laid,^ /^iit isiaei is^ hot drtiy ia piJM^ with st^^^ have a vigorous pres^^^ Very bright futu^ Paker added^ **As the propftpt fore^^^^^ told^^hediyl^o baci^to liie^Ahd tH^ is not isiitj^
those jews of the Soviet Uhion^ those who lost hope there, recover that hope here,*^ Baker said. He assured his audience: young children waving Amer-   *^ou are not alone in building ican and Israeli flags. Baker   the great hope of Israel today, said he hoped Operation   The American people share Desert Storm would be the  ybur pride, your values, your last war in this region. If there   belief in democracy, your was a political message for   strength in defending your Israelis in the secretary's  existence. And we are proud remarks, it was buried deep in   to be helping you as you open emotional imageiy. your doors to Jews from the
**Seeing Israel sdclose, I   Soviet Union and from Ethi-somehow feel 1 had seen it opia.**
Shaihir, secretary of 9tat4 look for peace
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Baker alsb! stressed . the ^'strategic alliance tliat; enables u^ to- woirli together on id^t important
. Baker ^aid: all Anjericans supported United States^pres-
idem^«0fg^ J^ush*&.d^^oi\, 'to. assisi' israelrwitli PalHot;
-'N00ne can doubt... thai Ute American cbmm/finWio Israel's saburify Is firm" .
— U.S. secretary of state James Baker
issues.** He praised Israel again for its conduct under unprovoked attacks by Iraqi missiles.
-I can think of few occasions in history when a nation under attack by a merciless foe such as Saddam Hussein held its breath and, through its self-restraint, facilitated successful American and coalition efforts to destroy the threat,** he said.
anti-missile batteries, "'even as our own forces worked ceaselessly to destroy the Iraqi Scuds. No one can doubt today, 1 think, the wisdom of IsraeFs decision for restraint.;
No one can doubt today our commitment, that the Ameri-^ can commitment to Israer^ security is firm.
"The storm is now over,** Baker observed. jta
Compiled from pispaiches
JERUSALEM ~ American secretary of state James Baker held two rounds of what were described as ^'constructive"* talks last week with Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Shamir.
But while the two leaders agreed, during ane^rly-nidming talk at the Prime Minister's Office, on the needto advance prospects of regional peace through a ''two-track approach,** they apparently did not discuss the thorny issues of whether Israel would be willing to make territpriat concessions in exchange fbr diploniatic recognition by its Arab neighbors.
The secretary also met with   that apprdachv and was giari
fied by the measure ^f accord he reached Witli^-B^ Pazner des^ibdd ^hemttu*!^-ing meetiiig as
and constructive,** and con-diicted in a "positive spirit.** He said the prime.minister agreed with Baker*s view that there is, at present, "an oppor- ; tuhity to do sbmetfaihg** for % regional peace. The aide: saiid ^aker did not raise th^landr v foi>peaceifformula, whic United 0^ State;s. president f George Btish^i^iidi^^
'Mideasl'pi^ce^-^':^ '^■''i^^^^-^mmm' Yossi Ben-Aharph, dir- ■
10 prominent Palestinian Arabsi^from the; Adiminstered Territories; and ^Ekstfiieri^ le^mjr who had qlearly received a "green light** from PLO chairman Yasir Arafat. Although no breakthroughs were expected or achieved, the meeting was an unack-^ nowledged gain for the PLO, which was still in theintema-tional doghouse for its support of Iraqi president Sad-daiiv Hussein in the recent ulf w^r.
mtr,^ much' ofHhem with nobody else present, Were
recognized ta be the; critical -^etprrgeneral of the. Prime part of his two^ay visit to   Ministers Office, said later on
Israel, which followed meetings with eight Arab foreign ministers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The secretary has been trying to push the idea that Middle^ EaM<viieace must., be pursued^^n:"two tracks'*'— between , Israel and . Arab states, and between Israel and Palestinian Arabs.
Shamir*s media spokesman, Avi Pazner, said the prime minister had endorsed
Israel Radio that Israel wants direct talks with Arab states "without preconditions.**^ If they materialize, "we would then grapple with the territorial dimensions,** he said. ^^Bakek: hadva jsepjB^rp^^
ddfi&iicc^ :^jm^ Areas, -iJ^w^lft^ss^^ necessary to curb local terror and unrest in the Territories beforeproductive talkscan be BAKER —Page9
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Community Forum
unday
examines
eniors
Survey
Poor health, inadequate English and lack of transportation stop Soviet Jewish seniors who arrived in Vancouver over the past five to 10 years from participating fully in the local Jewish community, a Jewish Seniors* Needs Survey has revealed.
Dr. Dina Golbvan, one of 13 of th^ survey-s researchers, made that finding when she conducted 30 interviews entirely in Russian. Besides encountering dimculties in taking part in local Jewish programsrGolovan discovered, emigre seniors living in the West End and on Marine Dr. also, want the Jewish community to'help build quieter^ more centralized housing closer to Jewish socul, religious and cultural life. '
Involving more than 400 separate interviews overall, conducted by 11 volunteers and two professionals, the project wassponsored by the Seniors Advisory Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver.
Survey results will be discussed this Sunday, March 24 during a community forum at Temple Shdloih. A comprehensive analysis by Michael Goldberg, research director of the Social Planning and Research Council of B.C. ^nd the project's coordinator, will keynote the meeting, slated for i to 4:30 p.m.
The study was made possible through a grant from the Seniors Independence Project of the federal health and welfare ministry^
"The Needs Survey will show if the agencies we have are adequately dealing with vitally required services,'* said Seniors Advisory Council chairmanMoUy Klein. "And, if not, it willreveal what is needed now and in the years ahead.**
Klein said it*s hoped the forum wiU make the Vancouver Jewish community aware of "ever-increasing major needs of our senior popular tion" such as refiable transportation, housing; information about seniors* services, ahd the
solving of problems of loneliness and physical :abuse...^r..
"Those (Russian Seniors) I interviewed expressed a general contentment with their lives. They were happy with the help provided by the Jewish Family Service Agency when they arrived,** said Golovan. : She noted that Soviet Jewish seniors receive old-age pensions. "They may live alone, but aren*t lonely. They're much happier than they were in Russia,** concluded Golovan.
A sampling of 16 interviews conducted by another volunteer, Ruth Godlovitch, similarly revealed that« seniors are generally satisfied with their lives. Her interviewees, almost all of whom were longtime Canadians, indicated that often their linkage with the Vancouvet-Jewish community consists of periodic involvement in religious services at Beth Israel or Schara Tzedeck.
Godlovitch found those in her group to be mostly independent and self-sufficient. They "wereh*t concerned at this time that the day might come when they may need to be in a senior*s residence — and they didn't feel it too FORUM - Page II
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