Missions in Israel

Under way in Israel this week is a campaign to get Jewish children out of the Christian mission schools. "Our children are being severed from the faith of their fathers," proclaimed a poster signed by Israel's Chief Rabbinate. "The danger to our children from missionaries cannot be exaggerated. They represent a danger to the Jewish religion and nation."

The Christian schools, mostly in Jerusalem, Jaffa, Ramie and Nazareth, were established by the nine major Protestant and the eight major Roman Catholic missions now operating in Israel. Not many Israeli children go to them (about 1,500 of the 300,000 under 14). Those who send their children to the mission schools are mostly poor parents to whom the missions' free hot lunches, free school books (Jewish schools charge parents about $6 a term) and after-school sports are a big inducement. Some better-off Israelis are also attracted by the Catholic schools because they use French for all lessons, and offer extras--piano, typing, etc.

Sponsor of the drive against the Christian schools, which began with the Jewish (New Year last month, is the Keren Yeldenu (Our Child's Fund), a citizens' organization. It has removed some 1,400 children from mission auspices during the past two years and placed them in 37 youth clubs and day nurseries. Charges of coercion frequently fly back and forth be tween mission schools and their opponents.

Missionaries feel that Jewish fears for their children's faith are unfounded; though they teach them in a Christian atmosphere, they train them to be loyal to their parents and homeland and do not permit them to be baptized.

But to many fiercely nationalistic Israelis, this is not enough. Said one of them last week: "For our boys and girls these namby-pamby vagaries are no good.

They've got to learn the tough way -- the way of youth groups with their three-day marches into Negeb and the way of pre-military training courses -- what it means to be an Israeli."

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