A group of some 250 young men and women from the New York area have arrived in Israel and begun semi-military training for a few days before serving as volunteers in settlements on the Golan Heights from which many regular members have left their work to answer their reserve call-up orders. Another group of 250 is due to join them next week.
The 500 American Jews who have volunteered are mainly between the ages of 18 and 30 but there are also some married couples in their late 40s who have also joined the group. All participants are paying their own fares to and from Israel, but their stay in Israel is being borne by the kibbutzim where they will work.
Jews from the U.S. and other countries have always volunteered to help the kibbutzim and farmers in Israel in previous wars. But this is the first time they are also being offered a form of basic military training. This, however, is of greater psychological value to the participants than it is of actual military value to the army.
ISRAELIS RAISE ALMOST $6 MILLION FOR THE ARMY
Meanwhile, an Israel radio and television day-long phone-in donation and auction sale program raised 142 million Shekels (just under $6 million) for the army last Thursday. The record figure was well above the minimum $1 million hoped for, and even more than the most optimistic figure of $2 million or $3 million mentioned by some officials.
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