July 23 Night
Jewish Refugee centers
Bob describing Southern Israel and the Ma’abarot (refugee centers).
Bob Describing Southern Israel and Maabarot
July 23, 1957
Dear Mom & Dad,
On the way back from the great crates we viewed the other side of Beer Sheva. One thing really attracted me in Jerusalem. All the cars were very old. The buses are now manufactured in Israel. The contrast was that in the Negev where the Mountains are huge, and the roads had many large industrial tractors and machinery in use. Where the roads are level old trucks are used. However the most popular type of transportation is the light motorcycle and motor scooter which is Israeli produced and called a Vespar. It gets about 100 miles to a gallon & 2 seats. We returned to Jerusalem at about 2 and I went to sleep.
Today I got up & walked though Jerusalem on a Hadassah tour. I saw the Hospitals including the new medical center and the existing vocational High Schools. The type of construction is similar to that on Cropsey Avenue and Bay Parkway without any steel. Of course I can converse with anyone and had long talks with many children. The trades like electricians, machinist etc. or else want to go to a farm and join the army. What a contrast to the parents who like to tend shop and in general look hopeless. The kids speak Hebrew and confident and physically very strong also very friendly.
In the afternoon we went to a beautiful swimming pool in the Judean Hills. There was a large group of kids of NAHAL (something like a pre training course of the army) I spoke with them. They came from about ten countries in the last five years. Now they also are learning to become an asset to the nation.
On returning we passed through the farms and village of Kastel which changed hands seven times in 1948. It must have been murder to take.Nearby was a huge cement plant and a huge granite quarry from which pieces of granite as big as trucks were being removed and turned into bricks by cutting. It was very interesting.
We then passed a Maaraba which houses new refugees. I’m sorry to say that once again as in 48 there just aren’t enough homes to accommodate the flood from all over the world. Well that’s all for now except that I wish we were all together. Alan don’t worry if the Arabs would start they would get a welcome I didn’t believe could exist. The Jews could wipe them right off the map.
Your Loving Son, Bob
David’s Comments:
Hadassah Mt. Scopus Hadassah Ein Kerem
July 23,1957 Late at night
”On the way back from the great crater we viewed the other side of Beer Sheva.“
The Great Crater (today known as the Ramon Crater) is about 85 kilometers (52 miles) south of Beer Sheva. You can see the most beautiful desert scenery – especially during sunrise and sunset.
“The buses are now manufactured in Israel.”
Two companies, Merkavim and Ha-Argaz, manufactured and assembled buses in Israel in 1957.
Anyone who would like to see pictures and stories of those old buses can visit the Egged Museum in Holon.
“However the most popular type of transportation is the light motorcycle and motor scooter which is Israeli produced and called a Vespa. It gets about 100 miles to a gallon & 2 seats.”
Vespa had an assembly plant in Tzfat, Israel. There is a 1957 video of the Israeli Vespa Club. For more detailed information see “Vespa” by topic.
“We got back to Jerusalem at 2 and I went to sleep”
The two letters detailing Bob’s itinerary indicate that the buses departed Jerusalem on Monday July 22nd 5:00 AM , and returned at 2 A.M the following morning – a 21 hour tour .
“ Today I got up & walked though Jerusalem on a Hadassah tour. I saw the Hospitals including the new medical center”
The group was touring the site in Ein Kerem, where the new Hadassah Medical Center was in construction in 1957.
Hadassah Ein Kerem was built after Hadassah Mt. Scopus was forced to close after 78 Jews including 23 women were killed by Arabs.
Hadassah Ein Kerem opened in 1961 and was under construction in 1957. The youth group was shown where Hadassah would be building the Ein Kerem Campus.
Israel recaptured Mt. Scopus in 1967 but it was not until 1975 when Hadassah Hospital on Mt Scopus was reopened to Jews starting with 100 beds.
It was not until 1975 when Hadassah Mt. Scopus hospital was reopened
Hadassah Mt Scopus Massacre Virtual Library
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-hadassah-convoy-massacre
Hadassah Mt Scopus Massacre Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akDiuD1lKWM
“The type of construction is similar to that on Cropsey Avenue and Bay Parkway without any steel.”
It is interesting how my dad took pictures of the construction and compared it to how they built on Cropsey Avenue in Brooklyn where he lived. It is no surprise that he later became successful in the construction business in the USA.
In the 1990’s he also invested in a company that built modular houses in Israel for the new immigrants that came in from the former Soviet Union and Ethiopia.
“The kids speak Hebrew”
The kids came from all different countries and were absorbed into the newly established State of Israel and learned Hebrew almost immediately. Today many of the new immigrants move into communities with the same ethnicity and continue to speak their native tongue. For example Americans move into a place like Efrat, Hashmonaim, Bet Shemesh or Raanana with other Americans and continue to speak English. Russians move into communities with other Russians and continue to speak Russain. In 1957 the new immigrants absorbed into Israeli society and spoke Hebrew immediately.
“I can converse with anyone and had long talks with many children”
My father randomly spoke to anybody when we would go on trips. He thought the best way to learn about the area was is to speak to the people living there. My mom is the same. Their knowledge of Hebrew while in Israel helped a great deal, as many of the local Israelis, including the new immigrants, did not speak English.
“In the afternoon we went to a beautiful swimming pool in the Judean Hills.”
Below is picture of Bob at pool.
“There was a large group of kids of NAHAL (something like a pre training course of the army) I spoke with them. They came from about 10 countries in the last 5 years. Now they also are learning to become an asset to the nation. “
My father was probably referring to the Gadna program which trained under commanders serving with the Nachal infantry brigade. The “10 countries” they came from is a prime example of “kibbutz galuyot” (ingathering of the Exiles) and how the Nachal Brigade became the vehicle for settling the Land.
“On returning we passed through the farms and village of Kastel which changed hands 7 times in 1948. It must have been murder to take.”
“We then passed a Maaraba which houses new refugees. I’m sorry to say that once again as in 48 there just aren’t enough homes to accommodate the flood from all over the world.”
Maabarah – Houses new immigrants during the 1950’s. In the 1990’s, my father invested in an Israeli factory that built modular houses for the new immigrants from the Soviet Union and Ethiopia in the 1990’s.
“Alan don’t worry if the Arabs would start they would get a welcome I didn’t believe could exist. The Jews could wipe them right off the map.”
Bob didn’t want his little brother or parents to be scared. He also wanted to teach his little brother to be proud of a Jewish Army.