Passport For Adams 1943-09-21 Starring Robert Young

Summary

Episode Summary: "Passport For Adams" (1943-09-21)

Host: Harold's Old Time Radio
Starring: Robert Young as Doug Adams
Release Date: January 21, 2025

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Introduction

"Passport For Adams" is a captivating episode from Harold's Old Time Radio series, set against the backdrop of World War II. Starring Robert Young as Doug Adams, a seasoned country editor, the episode delves into Adams' journey to the pivotal war city of Tel Aviv, Palestine. Written, directed, and produced by Norman Corwin, with a musical score by Lucian Marowick and conducted by Lud Gluskin, the episode offers a rich tapestry of wartime narratives, cultural insights, and personal interactions.

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Characters and Setting

Main Characters:

• Doug Adams (Robert Young): A dedicated country editor dispatched to report on the United Nations' efforts during the war.
• Perry Quisenberry: Doug's amiable and somewhat lighthearted companion, providing comic relief and camaraderie.
• Aviva Harsahav: A charming Jewish woman from Tel Aviv, whom Perry meets and expresses interest in.
• Mr. Shamir: A bricklayer in Tel Aviv, symbolizing the city's growth and resilience.
• Miss Katinski: An official at the chief repair depot, offering insights into Tel Aviv's military contributions.
• Sergeant Patrick X. O'Shaughnessy: An American soldier stationed nearby, sharing his perspectives on anti-Semitism and local dynamics.
• Aviva Harsahav: Doug's gracious host, representing the hardworking and hospitable spirit of Tel Aviv's residents.

Setting:

The episode is primarily set in Tel Aviv, Palestine, during a time when the city is flourishing despite the ongoing war. The narrative captures the juxtaposition of a growing metropolis amidst global conflict, highlighting the cultural and social dynamics of the era.

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Plot Overview

Arrival in Tel Aviv

Doug Adams and Perry Quisenberry arrive in Tel Aviv via Flight 21, experiencing a slight delay before their journey begins. Their conversation reveals Perry's fascination with Aviva Harsahav, a woman they met on the plane. Doug, ever the professional, encourages Perry to focus on their mission but not without a touch of humor and sibling-like teasing.

Exploring the City

Upon arrival, the duo is greeted by the beauty of Tel Aviv—its blue waters, white buildings, and vibrant streets. Perry becomes enamored with the city's aesthetics, comparing it to a "technicolor picture" and expressing a newfound romantic perspective. Doug remains observant, emphasizing the city's rapid growth from desert dunes to a bustling urban center in just 35 years.

Interactions with Locals

The narrative introduces Mr. Shamir, a bricklayer who shares his pride in contributing to Tel Aviv's infrastructure. His heartfelt reflections highlight the city's transformation and the collective effort of its Jewish inhabitants to build a homeland after enduring the horrors of European ghettos.

Doug and Perry visit a local newspaper stand, where Doug discovers his own article featured in the "Davar of Palestine Evening News," showcasing the international reach of his work with Consolidated. Their interactions with Sergeant O'Shaughnessy provide a contrast between American soldiers and the local Jewish community, underscoring themes of unity and resilience.

Cultural Immersion and Personal Connections

Perry's burgeoning romance with Aviva leads them to her family's farm-suburb, Yagia Kapayim, where Doug is warmly received by Aviva and her father, Mr. Harshahav. The family shares stories of transformation, describing how barren land was transformed into fertile gardens and robust infrastructure through sheer determination and collective effort.

Doug's formal address during a community gathering encapsulates his admiration for Tel Aviv's spirit. He praises the city's lack of visible poverty, the absence of beggars, and the general optimism despite wartime challenges. His speech underscores the universal human spirit and the hope that thrives even in the darkest times.

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Key Discussions and Insights

Resilience and Growth

Mr. Shamir's reflections at [07:17] delve into the emotional and physical labor that fueled Tel Aviv's growth:

Mr. Shamir [07:17]: "You see things grow. He's rehof Allenby. This fine growth street with palm trees and this modern building. This was a sand dune when you were still a child."

This sentiment highlights the collective resilience of the Jewish community in transforming their environment amidst adversity.

Anti-Semitism and Political Climate

Sergeant O'Shaughnessy's dialogue at [13:38] addresses anti-Semitism:

Flight Announcement [13:38]: "There's a concentration camp for Nazis out in Serona... there's a Jewish watchman guarding those Nazis. Ain't that poetic justice for you, huh?"

This exchange underscores the absence of anti-Semitism in Tel Aviv and reflects on the broader global fight against Nazi ideology.

Cultural Appreciation and Human Spirit

Doug Adams' speech at [21:59] encapsulates his observations and the essence of Tel Aviv:

Doug Adams [21:59]: "All the good little impressions do add up, and when you put them together with the big things, the pride and industry of your people and your fine cultural life... this city seems to me a living example of what can happen when the human spirit... is just given a chance to flourish."

His words serve as a homage to the city's enduring hope and the universal capacity for growth and positivity.

Personal Connections and Farewells

The episode concludes with heartfelt goodbyes between Doug, Perry, and Aviva, symbolizing the personal bonds formed amidst professional endeavors:

Doug Adams [25:20]: "I think you people have a wonderful word that you use for greeting. The word shalom."

Aviva Harsahav [25:42]: "I hope so, too, my friend. Well, shalom."

These exchanges emphasize the mutual respect and admiration developed during their stay, leaving listeners with a sense of closure and optimism for future encounters.

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Conclusion

"Passport For Adams" masterfully weaves together themes of resilience, cultural pride, and the enduring human spirit. Through the eyes of Doug Adams and Perry Quisenberry, listeners are transported to a Tel Aviv that stands as a beacon of hope and progress amidst the turmoil of World War II. The episode not only entertains but also educates, offering insightful commentary on the societal transformations and personal stories that define this pivotal era. The inclusion of notable quotes with precise timestamps enriches the narrative, making it both engaging and informative for audiences old and new.

Transcript

[Narrator]

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[Robert Young]

The Columbia Broadcasting System presents Robert Young in Passport for Adams.

[Perry Quisenberry]

Hey, Doug, get a load of the lieutenant.

[Doug Adams]

What about the lieutenant?

[Perry Quisenberry]

Pretty cute, ain't she?

[Doug Adams]

Yeah, pretty cute. Now, let me finish riding this cable, will you?

[Perry Quisenberry]

I wonder if she's taking the plane.

[Doug Adams]

To Tel Aviv with us. Could be.

[Perry Quisenberry]

Doug, how long is a flight from here to Tel Aviv? Doug, do you hear me?

[Doug Adams]

Yeah. Let's see. Here's the timetable. Cairo to Lyda. That's the airport for Tel Aviv. Jerusalem, Haifa, Beirut. Oh, here it is. Flight 21. Cairo, Lyda. 2 hours and 25 minutes.

[Perry Quisenberry]

I wouldn't mind if it was 2 hours and 25 days. As long as that babe's in the party. Now, there's my idea of a beautiful dame.

[Doug Adams]

Don't you ever think of anything else but beautiful dames?

[Aviva Harsahav]

Sure.

[Perry Quisenberry]

Passable dames.

[Doug Adams]

I hope we're not going to have any trouble with you in Tel Aviv Quiz. Don't forget your promise. After what happened last week, my dear.

[Perry Quisenberry]

Adams, you are looking henceforward at the most impeccable character that ever.

[Flight Announcement]

Attention, passengers on Flight 21 for litter, Tyfa and Beirut. Departure has been delayed one hour. Flight 21 will leave at approximately 13:30.

[Doug Adams]

Well, an hour to kill, huh?

[Perry Quisenberry]

In that case, I think I'll lose no further time than striking up an acquaintance.

[Doug Adams]

Hey, wait a minute, Romeo.

[Perry Quisenberry]

Now, look, leave us. Not pull my coattail, will you?

[Doug Adams]

Sit down. Sit down. Why don't you spend this hour striking up an acquaintance with the Hebrew language? In as much as you're going to a Jewish city. You'll get along better with Tel Aviv if you take some time with his handbook.

[Perry Quisenberry]

I know plenty of Hebrew. Olive.

[Doug Adams]

Vase. Vase.

[Perry Quisenberry]

Gimbal.

[Doug Adams]

Dollar.

[Sergeant O'Shaughnessy]

Kibbutz.

[Perry Quisenberry]

Schlemiel. Ganiff.

[Sergeant O'Shaughnessy]

Kosher.

[Perry Quisenberry]

Gefila. Fish. Yehudi, manoin.

[Doug Adams]

Ah, splendid. You have a remarkable command of pigeon. Yiddish. Thank you. Which has so little to do with the Hebrew language. I'm sure you could profitably spend an hour with this booklet. Why can't I read it later? Won't do you any harm to get a general idea of the city before you get in trouble there, as you undoubtedly will.

[Perry Quisenberry]

All right, if it'll make you Happy? I'll read the thing.

[Doug Adams]

See? Let me count the words in this cable. Forster South Syndic USA filing 3000x Tel Aviv wednight since Moscow via te ran hey, Doug. What?

[Perry Quisenberry]

Ain't the Jew supposed to be one of the oldest racial groups in the world? If not the oldest?

[Doug Adams]

Yeah. Why?

[Perry Quisenberry]

Then how does it happen that the only old Jewish city in the world is just 35 years old?

[Doug Adams]

Well, that's a long story. Quiz. You see, it's like this.

[Robert Young]

Columbia presents Passport for Adams, the sixth of a series of programs starring Robert Young as Doug Adams, a country editor who's been sent on a trip around the world to visit the cities and talk to the people of the United Nations. Tonight's program, written, directed and produced by Norman Corwin, takes Adams to the important war city of Tel Aviv, Palestine.

[Doug Adams]

What's the matter? You in a daze?

[Perry Quisenberry]

Hmm? No, no, I'm fine.

[Doug Adams]

Well, then put on your bag and take off your hat. You're here. You've arrived.

[Perry Quisenberry]

I was just thinking about something.

[Doug Adams]

Well, I hope you're out of the trances before Christmas.

[Perry Quisenberry]

Nice room, ain't it?

[Doug Adams]

Yeah. Pull up the blinds, will you, while I hang up these coats?

[Perry Quisenberry]

Okay. Hey, look at this, Doug.

[Aviva Harsahav]

What is it?

[Perry Quisenberry]

Practically all of Tel Aviv from this window.

[Doug Adams]

This is a swell view. Did you ever see bluer water than that?

[Perry Quisenberry]

Now, look at that beach, will you? Blue and white.

[Doug Adams]

Hey, you don't have to fall out of the window, son.

[Perry Quisenberry]

Yeah, but look at them white houses against that blue sky. Doug, if you saw that in a.

[Doug Adams]

Painting, you wouldn't believe it. Sure I would. Depends on the painter. Oh, it's like a technicolor picture.

[Perry Quisenberry]

Panchrome V100, some laws. Everything blue and white. Primitive colors, you know. It's kind of symphonic in a way, if you know what I mean.

[Doug Adams]

Hey, I've never seen you in such a froth. Quiz. What's come over you? Hm?

[Perry Quisenberry]

Well, what's the matter?

[Doug Adams]

There's a different look in your eyes ever since we landed at Lydda. What's going on here? Why? Out with it, quesenberry. Out with what? Did you fall for that girl officer on the plane or something?

[Perry Quisenberry]

I fall for the girl officer on the plane.

[Doug Adams]

You sat next to her all the way up from Cairo, looking at her like a love sick calf. What's her name?

[Perry Quisenberry]

Aviva Harsahav.

[Doug Adams]

Egyptian?

[Perry Quisenberry]

No, no, Jewish. She's a member of the British ats. Sort of a British whack name. Like Aviv means spring, you know, Tel Aviv means hill of spring. Well, you see, her name?

[Doug Adams]

What's she doing on the plane?

[Perry Quisenberry]

She lives in this burg. She's born here. She's home on a furlough. Lives on a farm with a funny name which I forget. Why are you so curious all of a sudden?

[Doug Adams]

Quiz. Look at me.

[Perry Quisenberry]

What's the matter? Oh, what's so funny?

[Doug Adams]

I really. I really believe you're smitten.

[Perry Quisenberry]

Don't be crazy. I just met the girl.

[Doug Adams]

She's pretty, all right.

[Perry Quisenberry]

We had a fine talk and all that.

[Doug Adams]

What did you talk about?

[Perry Quisenberry]

Well, how she used to work on the corrective farm here.

[Doug Adams]

Collective farm.

[Perry Quisenberry]

And how about they used to dance the Horror on Sabbath? That's a kind of a Jewish Chitterburg dance, I guess.

[Doug Adams]

It happens to be the national dance.

[Perry Quisenberry]

And how she used to come in from the farm at night with her family and go to the concerts at the Tel Aviv Orchestra. I guess it's a kind of a local swing band, but classy, you know, like. Like Mark Warno.

[Doug Adams]

Yes. A man named Toscanini was its first conductor. That's right.

[Perry Quisenberry]

She said that too. Yeah, she did say symphonic, come to think of it.

[Doug Adams]

And so did you say symphonic a while ago? You really got hit between the eyes, didn't you, junior?

[Perry Quisenberry]

Ah, you're dizzy with the heat adders. We just had an interesting chat for a couple of hours, that's all. You don't have to make a big thing out of it.

[Doug Adams]

Okay? Okay. Relax.

[Perry Quisenberry]

Okay.

[Doug Adams]

Okay.

[Perry Quisenberry]

You too.

[Doug Adams]

Now, let's unpack this stuff and then go down and eat, huh? Then we can go around town and talk to all kinds of people, okay? I like to get a good cross section of this town. Lots of colorful people here. It's a sort of meeting of east and West. They say there are more different languages spoken here than in any city of its size in the world.

[Perry Quisenberry]

I speak three myself.

[Doug Adams]

That so?

[Perry Quisenberry]

English, American and double talk.

[Doug Adams]

Come on, stop dreaming and unpack.

[Perry Quisenberry]

Hey, Doug.

[Doug Adams]

What?

[Perry Quisenberry]

Can I ask you something?

[Doug Adams]

Sure.

[Perry Quisenberry]

Did you fall in love with your wife the first time you met her?

[Mr. Shamir]

Yes. 80 generations, Mr. Adam. Think of it. 80 generations.

[Doug Adams]

That certainly is a long time for a people to be without a home.

[Perry Quisenberry]

By the way, Mr. Shamir, did you ever hear of a girl named Aviva Harshahava?

[Mr. Shamir]

No, I'm sorry.

[Doug Adams]

You were saying, Mr. Shamir, that your work.

[Mr. Shamir]

Yes, you see, I work with a pick and shovel. I carry bricks in these construction jobs. It's not an easy work. Certainly nothing like practicing law. But something happens to you here. You see things grow. He's rehof Allenby. This fine growth street with palm trees and this modern building. This was a sand dune when you were still a child. This whole place was desert 35 years ago. Now it's the biggest city in Palestine and the happiest in the Middle East.

[Doug Adams]

And you feel that you've been a part of its growth, is that it?

[Mr. Shamir]

Feel I can look around me in the city and see the very bricks I've carried. See them standing in place, doing their job. Why, the Beth Ha'am, house of the people. Pent on ground I help to be.

[Perry Quisenberry]

Pardon me. Do you mind letting the heart. Mr. Charmy? I'd like to get a taste of.

[Doug Adams]

The ways we're talking, Mr. Adams.

[Mr. Shamir]

I suppose I'm romantic and sentimental about it, but after all, the work of a bricklayer does sometimes outlast the conquest of kings. I often think about the people who were locked up in the miserable ghettos of Europe just a few years ago and now have shelter and peace and clean air and sunshine in the houses we've helped to build. Sure, I'm happy. Why shouldn't I be happy?

[Perry Quisenberry]

Hey, did I hear straight? Is that guy selling papers or singing opera?

[Doug Adams]

He's selling papers. Here, boy, let's have a paper. It's the Davar of Palestine Evening News. There's a good makeup on this front page.

[Flight Announcement]

Hey, it's printed all in Hebrew.

[Doug Adams]

Sure, what do you expect? Look, pictures of fighting in Italy. No.

[Perry Quisenberry]

Little Abner or Joe Palooka.

[Doug Adams]

No, not even Dick Tracy. See? I guess this is the editorial page. Sport page. Hey, what is it?

[Perry Quisenberry]

Say, what the heck is a picture of you doing in there?

[Doug Adams]

This must be one of my pieces for Consolidated.

[Sergeant O'Shaughnessy]

Hey, look.

[Perry Quisenberry]

And there's my pictures of Liberia with Hebrew captions. Hey, we're international celebrities, you know that.

[Doug Adams]

Consolidated certainly gets around with that syndicate of all the unexpected.

[Perry Quisenberry]

Hold on, chum. Do you see what I see across the street? Or is that a desert mirage?

[Doug Adams]

What?

[Perry Quisenberry]

A soda fountain selling coal orange Aid and frosted milkshakes.

[Doug Adams]

Well, so it is. First thing like that since we left the state.

[Perry Quisenberry]

Tel Aviv. I love you.

[Miss Katinski]

Would you like to go out to where it's less noisy? A tank shop isn't exactly ideal for a quiet interview, is it?

[Doug Adams]

No, I guess not.

[Perry Quisenberry]

And beside my nerves on edge, I almost got run over by a on my way here. You know, if I knew any Hebrew swear words, I'd have told a monkey driving at him.

[Doug Adams]

An American soldier, he'd have never understood Hebrew cuss words.

[Perry Quisenberry]

That's just the point.

[Doug Adams]

He was bigger than me.

[Miss Katinski]

Well, here we are. Let's step inside the office. Much better.

[Doug Adams]

Yes.

[Miss Katinski]

Now, you were asking about these shops, Mr. Adams.

[Doug Adams]

Yes. How does it happen? There's so much military equipment here.

[Miss Katinski]

It's all war material. You see, this was the chief repair depot for the British 8th army in the African campaign. Many a tank we patched up here in Tel Aviv went back and gave the Nazis hell, if you'll pardon the expression. We feel pretty proud of our contributions.

[Doug Adams]

I understand under British mandate, there's no conscription in Palestine.

[Miss Katinski]

That's right.

[Doug Adams]

Well, are there many Jewish volunteers from here in the armed forces?

[Miss Katinski]

Over 22,000 and growing all the time.

[Perry Quisenberry]

By the way, Miss, did you ever hear of a girl named Harsa Hav in the ats?

[Miss Katinski]

Well, there are several families in the city by that name. It's the Hebrew for Goldberg, you know.

[Perry Quisenberry]

Oh, her first name's Aviva. Lives on a farm somewhere, but I forget the name. Wish I knew where to find her.

[Miss Katinski]

Well, she might be in town for the histadut. Neshev.

[Doug Adams]

What's that?

[Miss Katinski]

Neshev is our word for party. They hold it on the Sabbath.

[Perry Quisenberry]

When did the Sabbath start?

[Miss Katinski]

Friday at sundown. See a lot of folk dancing there.

[Perry Quisenberry]

This Neshev sounds like it ought to be plenty photogenic, eh, Doug? Don't you think we ought to cover it come the Sabbath?

[Doug Adams]

Okay, Chris. Tell me, Ms. Katinski, what's the feeling in Tel Aviv? About the war in general, I mean, about the basic issues. Atlantic Charter, the movement toward world collaboration.

[Miss Katinski]

Mr. Adams, you say you're stopping at the Gatrimon?

[Doug Adams]

Yes.

[Miss Katinski]

Did you notice the name of the street that's on?

[Doug Adams]

Well, I don't believe I noticed it now.

[Miss Katinski]

It used to be called Harakan street, but the name was officially changed some time ago to Rakow Fumat Hamiakudats, which means street of the United Nations.

[Doug Adams]

What did you say your name was, Sergeant?

[Flight Announcement]

O'Shaughnessy. Patrick X. O'Shaughnessy. South Chicago, Illinois.

[Doug Adams]

And I take it you're with the Air Force? Is.

[Flight Announcement]

Yeah. We got an air drum out near the Lowenthal farm. As a matter of fact, our mess hall is in Lowenthal's old barn.

[Perry Quisenberry]

Ever meet a farmer named Harsahav?

[Flight Announcement]

No, can't say as I did.

[Sergeant O'Shaughnessy]

Shalom, gentlemen. Yes, A wet lit beach gentleman we.

[Doug Adams]

Already ordered gave it the other way there.

[Sergeant O'Shaughnessy]

Oh, all right, fine.

[Perry Quisenberry]

And tell them to step on it, will ya? I'm starved. Very good.

[Doug Adams]

Tell me, Sergeant, how do you like it here?

[Flight Announcement]

Oh, I like it fine.

[Doug Adams]

You like the people?

[Flight Announcement]

Yeah. Not many Irish here, but I like the Jewish people fine. There's a non denominational church they put up here for all different soldiers. And you want to know something?

[Doug Adams]

What?

[Flight Announcement]

There ain't no anti Semitism here.

[Doug Adams]

Well, what about anti gentilism? Any of that?

[Flight Announcement]

Oh, hey, as a matter of fact, you know, I wondered about that the first time I was here. But there ain't no such thing.

[Doug Adams]

No sign saying white Semites only?

[Flight Announcement]

No, nothing like that.

[Doug Adams]

No Jewish newspaper ad saying restricted clientele?

[Flight Announcement]

No. And you want to hear something else? There's a concentration camp for Nazis out in Serona. That's just outside of town. And these Nazis were the worst kind of fifth columnist before the war. They were stooging around to stir up trouble against the Arabs and all that, you know. When the war came, they were chucked into the clink, see? And you know what?

[Doug Adams]

What?

[Flight Announcement]

There's a Jewish watchman guarding those Nazis. Ain't that poetic justice for you, huh?

[Doug Adams]

I take it the Nazi prisoners are not whipped and tortured by the Jews.

[Flight Announcement]

No, no, I've seen them. If anything, I think they're getting off too easy.

[Doug Adams]

They don't have to wear a swastika on their clothes or the word Deutsche pinned on their back?

[Mr. Harshahav]

No.

[Perry Quisenberry]

You mean they don't have to scrub the streets while the people stand around laughing and insulting them?

[Doug Adams]

No.

[Flight Announcement]

What do you think this is, a civilized country?

[Perry Quisenberry]

If I was these Jews in Tel Aviv, I'd shoot them Nazis down like dogs, every one of them.

[Doug Adams]

That's what 22,000 of these Jews are doing, quiz. Shooting down Nazis. But where it counts the most on the field of battle.

[Flight Announcement]

You know something? I found out after being here six months that anti Semitism stuff you run across in certain places back home in the States is nothing but a racket. Gullible people get sucked in just the way they did in Germany when they fell for Hitler.

[Doug Adams]

Yeah, that's right. It's one of the oldest rackets in the world. Making a scapegoat out of a minority. There was a time when Christians were a minority, too. And they were scapegoated right into the arena to be mangled by lions.

[Flight Announcement]

Yeah, you said it, brother. Say, who's that?

[Perry Quisenberry]

Harry James, making with the trumpet.

[Flight Announcement]

Oh, that. That's the old guy. Comes around every Friday night to blow the horn, announcing the Sabbath. They observe Sunday on Saturday here, you know.

[Doug Adams]

Or maybe it's we who observe Saturday on Sunday, considering the Hebrews had their Sabbath in practice a long time before we did.

[Perry Quisenberry]

You mean it's a Sabbath Right now?

[Flight Announcement]

Sure begins sundown Friday. Well, all the shops have to close.

[Perry Quisenberry]

Now then this is the night they got that big neshava, ain't it?

[Mr. Shamir]

That's right, Mac.

[Perry Quisenberry]

So long, you guys. I ain't very hungry. I'm on my way to a poke dance. Hey, Chris, come.

[Doug Adams]

Uh, where would you find her?

[Perry Quisenberry]

Quiz? No, I'm still searching for her. She's about my height.

[Doug Adams]

Well, I'll keep on looking on this side of the crowd over here.

[Perry Quisenberry]

If you spot a Doug, whistle with two fingers in your mouth, will ya?

[Doug Adams]

Okay.

[Mr. Harshahav]

Mr. Quincy.

[Mr. Shamir]

A beaver.

[Perry Quisenberry]

Say, I'm glad to see you.

[Doug Adams]

I've been looking.

[Mr. Harshahav]

Come on, Mr. Quincef, let's join the dance.

[Perry Quisenberry]

Quizzenberry. Come on.

[Doug Adams]

You like it?

[Perry Quisenberry]

You really will chance ancest? It's too genuine.

[Mr. Harshahav]

All right, you then.

[Perry Quisenberry]

No, no, wait a minute.

[Mr. Shamir]

I, I.

[Doug Adams]

Hey. It was terribly good of your daughter to ask us to visit you here on the farm, Mr. Harov. I always wanted to see a collective farm.

[Aviva Harsahav]

Why, it's been a great pleasure to show you around, Mr. Assam. Not often we have a privilege of this. So why don't you take your coat off and be comfortable?

[Mr. Harshahav]

Well, yes, please do, Mr. Adams.

[Doug Adams]

Thank you, Mrs. Hatahoff. I will. If you don't mind, would you care.

[Mr. Harshahav]

For a drink of wine from Jewish grapes grown at Yagia Kapayim?

[Doug Adams]

I would indeed. Is Yagia Kapaim another collective like this?

[Mr. Harshahav]

It's the new garden suburb of Jerusalem. The name in Hebrew means the labor of thine hands. After one of the sons of David.

[Doug Adams]

Yes, very beautiful name.

[Aviva Harsahav]

Here you are, Mr. Adams.

[Doug Adams]

Thank you very much. Where's Quiz gone?

[Aviva Harsahav]

He's sitting on the porch with Aviva. I bring some wine out to them.

[Mr. Harshahav]

I do it, darling. It won't be long before dinner, Mr. Adams. I hope you won't mind waiting.

[Doug Adams]

Oh, no, don't worry about that.

[Aviva Harsahav]

We have 300 for dinner every night, you know.

[Doug Adams]

As many of you as that?

[Aviva Harsahav]

Oh, yes, yes. And after dinner tonight, there's a general meeting which all but the children attend. They go to bed, you see.

[Doug Adams]

I hope you have better luck getting yours to bed than I have with mine.

[Aviva Harsahav]

Oh, you have children, have you?

[Doug Adams]

Yeah, two. Boy and a girl. You like to see their pictures?

[Aviva Harsahav]

Oh, very much indeed.

[Mr. Harshahav]

Did I hear you say you had pictures of your children? I'd love to see them.

[Doug Adams]

Oh, dear. I find I've left them at the hotel.

[Mr. Harshahav]

Oh, that's too bad. How old are they?

[Doug Adams]

5 and 8. But don't get me started talking about my kids. I'm the typical father, you know. We are offline, Mr. Heiserhav. Do I understand that this was completely barren soil when your collective started?

[Aviva Harsahav]

Oh, my friend, when we came here, there was nothing but waste left, not. Not even water. Sometimes only a bucket a day for 50 people. And we had to fetch that bucket from miles away and pay very dearly for it. But we dug our own wells. We built our roads.

[Doug Adams]

You mean the fine roads we came out on were built by you people?

[Aviva Harsahav]

Oh, entirely. Entirely. Everything. Everything that you see here is the work of bare hands, Mr. Adams. The houses, the roads, the new reservoir, orchards, vineyards, gardens. All other work of free Jewish men and women. Many of them people who were hounded and persecuted in some of the so called enlightened countries of Europe. And they came here. They bought their way here. Almost as your pilgrims went to America for independence and a chance to make their own life out of a wilderness.

[Doug Adams]

I don't suppose it's been easy.

[Aviva Harsahav]

We could tell you some stories. What good thing isn't hard to come by? Do you know Vanny?

[Doug Adams]

No, I guess not.

[Mr. Harshahav]

That's the dinner bell, Mr. Adams. Yeah? Would you get Mr. Adams Coke from the closet?

[Aviva Harsahav]

Another sip of wine before we go to the mess hall, Mr. Adams?

[Doug Adams]

No, thanks. This is fine, thanks.

[Mr. Harshahav]

Are we all ready to go to dinner, Mother? Yes, Aviva.

[Doug Adams]

Well, Ms. Harshahar, has quiz been telling you all about America?

[Miss Katinski]

No, as a matter of fact, we were discussing poetry mainly.

[Doug Adams]

And Doug.

[Perry Quisenberry]

Doug, did you know that they have holidays here to celebrate the birthdays of poets?

[Doug Adams]

Yes. Did Quiz tell you about the great American poets Whitman and Sandburn?

[Miss Katinski]

No, but he read me some poetry.

[Doug Adams]

Oh, Longfellow?

[Perry Quisenberry]

Well, no. Quesenberry.

[Flight Announcement]

Adams.

[Aviva Harsahav]

The Queensberry Shila Consolidated Syndicate.

[Sergeant O'Shaughnessy]

Shalom, Chavelim. I know you will forgive my speaking English tonight, but this is in order that our friends from the United States, Mr. Douglas Adams and Mr. Perry Quissenberg, may understand all that is being said. As our good secretary has just told you, we are going to dispense with the business at hand to welcome Messrs. Adams and Quissenberg to your farm. However, I would just like to announce at this time that on Monday, September 27, there will be an important meeting of the Hispadrut, the General Labor Federation, to discuss the program of collaborating with the Jewish Agency in the training of pilots and mechanics for the raf. And now I'm going to extend the privilege of introducing our guests to Kaver Alia Harzahan, who has been host to them since they arrived earlier in the day.

[Aviva Harsahav]

Mr. Adams is an American newspaper editor on an assignment to visit the allied countries and to tell his own readers back home how he finds the people of the United Nations. All of you have read his articles which by a most happy coincidence have been running in the Davar. And I know that you have as many questions to ask of Kaverim, Adams and Quesenberg as they have been asking Tel Aviv in the past week. But with his leave, I should like to call upon Mr. Adams to speak to us now for as long as he wishes, and to say anything that is in his mind to say whether about what he has seen in his voyaging or what he has seen here, or what he hopes to see. Mr. Douglas Adams of Centerville, United States of America.

[Doug Adams]

Thank you very much. I. I'm afraid I'm no speech maker, ladies and gentlemen. I have enough trouble expressing myself in writing where I can at least use an eraser and go back and begin again. And this is a pretty unusual situation for me. But if you don't mind, why, I guess I won't mind either. Mr. Quisenberry and I have been in Tel Aviv and its vicinity for about a week now, and I can tell you that we've been much impressed by both big things and little things. Maybe those are one and the same thing. I guess they are. It may seem a little thing that although Tel Aviv is not a rich city, one rarely finds a beggar here, in contrast to other cities I've seen. It may seem a little thing that there are no ragged children with sore eyes nor hungry looking people on your streets. I don't mean that everybody's well off here in a material sense. I've seen otherwise. But all the good little impressions do add up, and when you put them together with the big things, the pride and industry of your people and your fine cultural life. We attended the Habima and Ohio theaters, for instance, and your excellent agriculture. I guess you know about that. All in all, the picture becomes one of infinite hope, and I begin to understand why the people here are so happy. Happy in spite of the war, being close to you here, in spite of bombs having been dropped on your city and having lost many of your friends, in spite of large political problems which I know are going to take patience and hard work to straighten out. But above all, this city seems to me a living example of what can happen when the human spirit, which believe me is the same in Centerville as it is in Tel Aviv, is just given a chance to flourish like any other of God's living Things when people are given a chance to live the way they were intended. To live in a home of their own, living by the labor of their hands and raising children to be useful citizens of the better world, which we all hope is in the making. Thank you for everything.

[Perry Quisenberry]

I'd like you to hear another poem which I wrote last night, Aviva.

[Miss Katinski]

But your plane leaves in five minutes, Perry.

[Perry Quisenberry]

Oh, well, then I'll leave it with you. It's entitled Viva Aviva. It's kind of a love poem. I'd like you to remember me by.

[Doug Adams]

It and write me when you read it. I've been looking for you. You got your duffel bag? Quiz. We'll leave in a couple of minutes.

[Perry Quisenberry]

Yeah, yeah, I'm all set.

[Aviva Harsahav]

He'll let me help you with the grip.

[Doug Adams]

Oh, that's all right. Thanks, Mr. Hosshau. Well, sir, it was good of you to come to the aerodrome with us. I appreciate it more than I can say. All you've done.

[Aviva Harsahav]

Not at all, Mr. Adams, was our pleasure. I wish we could see more of you.

[Doug Adams]

Well, I'd just like to say one thing before I leave. I think you people have a wonderful word that you use for greeting. The word shalom.

[Aviva Harsahav]

Yeah. Meaning peace.

[Doug Adams]

Yes. And I hope that if and when we meet again in a future not too distant, that word will be invested with a new meaning and a more lasting one than we've ever known.

[Aviva Harsahav]

I hope so, too, my friend. Well, shalom.

[Doug Adams]

Shalom.

[Robert Young]

You have been listening to Passport for Adams, starring Metro Goldwyn Mayer's distinguished Robert Young. Tonight's program was written, directed and produced by Norman Corwin. The original musical score was composed by Lucian Marowick and conducted by Lud Gluskin. Max Lippin was technical advisor. Next week at this time, Columbia's Passport for Adams takes war correspondent Doug Adams to Moscow, capital city of our great fighting ally, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.