50 Friday, September 11, 1982
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Readers Forum
Materials submitted to the
Readers Forum must be
brief. The writer's name will
be withheld from publica-
tion upon request. No un-
signed letters will be pub-
lished. Materials will not be
returned unless a stamped,
self-addressed envelope is
enclosed.
Nonagenarian's
Reflections
Editor, The Jewish News:
What can a man or
woman look forward to, who
are in their late 80s advanc-
ing to their 90s, or are al-
ready in their 90s?
I have interviewed many
people who are in those
ages, and their opinions . are
mostly about their families,
and some pleasure in life,
and I cannot blame them.
However, I have written
some of my own ideas,
which I think is O.K.
Have faith in the Lord the
same as you have had
throughout your life.
I • hope to maintain the
love of my children and
grandchildren, and I
hope they will have the
same love for me.
I hope to keep in touch
with my friends as I get on
in years, and they should
not, forget me.
I must not forget that I am
a Jew, and that the state of
Israel belongs to all the
Jews all over the world, and
should support Israel,
whether it be in finances,
visits or meetings and wel-
fare.
Give a helping hand,
whenever the occasion
arises, regardless of the de-
. nomination, either blaibk or
white, as it can happen to
any one of us.
Be kind to people,
whether you know them
or not.
If you have reached the
80s or the 90s or over, and if
you have a hobby, maintain
it so that you will be able to
have an active mind.
Above all, do unto others,
as you would have done to
yourself, which has a ten-
dency of bringing out "the
faith" you have in you.
Joseph Shapiro
(Editor's note: Joseph
Shapiro, a resident of
Borman Hall-Jewish
Home for Aged and a fre-
quent contributor to The
Jewish News, will celeb-
rate his 92nd birthday
next month.)
* * *
Aguda Explains
IDF Exemption
Editor, The Jewish News:
Moshe Ron, in his
"Episodes from War in
Lebanon" (Aug. 20), re-
ported that Agudath Israel
and other religious circles
in Israel exerted pressure
on Defense Minister Ariel
Sharon to cancel a soccer
match between a Lebanese
team from a Marjayun vil-
lage and an Israeli team
from Rehovot on the Sab-
bath.
In making this report,
Mr. Ron noted that "Aguda
members do not take part in
the Lebanese war since
10,000 of their yeshiva
scholars are exempted from
military service on religious
grounds." The truth is that
Aguda members did take
part in the Lebanese war,
and while it is true that
yeshiva students are
exempt, it is only for the
period • that they pursue
their studies. Once they
have completed their study
in yeshiva, most serve in the
army.
The reason for the exemp-
tion of yeshiva students is
simple. The Jewish nation,
as much as it needs an army
to protect its borders, also
needs a spiritual force to
guide it in the years ahead.
Without such a force the
soul of the Jewish people
and, indeed, its perpetual
links to Mount Sinai could
not be guaranteed.
Rabbi Menachem Lubinsky
Agudath Israel of America
* * *
Synagogues'
Dues Structure
Editor, The Jewish News:
This is an open letter to
the "Shuls" of Metro Detroit
who participated in the
Membership Open House of
Aug. 29.
The Jewish News an-
nouncement for the open
house specifically indicated
that no family would be de-
nied membership due to fi-
nancial hardship. My hus-
band and I found this to be
totally untrue when we vis-
ited a few of the shuls and
contacted others.
We both have a difficult
time understanding the
fraudulent claims in the ad
by the particular shuls and
The Jewish News' policy in
accepting them for print.
As a recently married
couple we are very anx-
ious to make Judaism a
central part of our home.
We have two boys and
would love for them to
learn the joys and re-
sponsibilities of being
Jewish today.
Although it goes without
saying that the dues-paying
membership is the support
system of our synagogues,
what good is all the finan-
cial resources if there is no
membership to serve? We
personally went so far as to
present negative tax re-
turns to validate the neces-
sity for reduced dues and
stated emphatically our
strong desire and willing-
ness to become active, con-
tributing members of the
congregation.
The shuls' representa-
tives were most happy to
hear o f our energy and
drive, but still required
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funds in excess of our ability
to pay.
Many young (25-40)
couples and singles alike
are finding the dues
structure of most
synagogues prohibitive.
Their desire to become and
remain active in the
"Jewish" way of life is an
unlikely possibility, thanks
to the "Houses of Worship"
Nho clearly value money
more than the people who
wish to belong.
We are strong and vib-
rant supporters of our faith
with energy and determina-
tion to get things done. I feel
that it will be the loss of our
synagogues not to have us
in their fold. We will sur-
vive, but will they as they
keep away prospective
members?
Mrs. Robert (Michele)
Mitchel
* * *
News Media
and Lebanon
Editor, The Jewish News:
Has the media (newspap-
ers and TV) presented an
unbiased, accurate account
of Israel's position in Leba-
non? Understandably,
philosophies and opinions
vary among the ethnic
groups involved, and it is for
the media to present equal,
even-handed truth-bearing
information that would
allow its readers and view-
ers a fair opportunity to
judge for themselves. Un-
fortunately, this has not
been the case with the Is-
raelis for a few of the follow-
ing reasons:
Very little, if anything,
was said either in the past
or present regarding the
PLO cruelties that were in-
flicted , upon the Lebanese
people — perhaps as many
as 100,000 murdered on
PLO orders — all of this not
denied by the PLO.
When Sadat was assassi-
nated by fanatics, there was
dancing in the streets and
gaiety among the PLO.
Newspapers carried mini-
mal accounts of this and it
was acknowledged by the
PLO.
The media, during the
expulsion of the PLO
from Beirut, had exten-
sively used the term
"PLO Fighters." More to
the truth, it should have
been "PLO Fighters for
Terrorism." After all,
they have acknowledged
their terrorism and, in
the past been referred to
as "Terrorist Groups."
Now the media refers to
them as "Fighters."
The media makes lots of
ado about all of the victori-
ous receptions the PLO ter-
rorists have received. One
wonders about this. After
all, practically all Arab na-
tions were reluctant .to har-
bor a group of terrorists that
could destroy their govern-
ment.
The multitudinous recep-
tions in Tunisia, Syria and
other accepting goyern-
ments, as shown on TV,
indicated these govern-
ments were 100 percent be-
hind the PLO efforts.
Not so. In reality, it was
the multitude of Palesti-
nians in each involved
country that turned out in
droves to belie the true feel-
ing of these governments!
(Perhaps all orchestrated by
the PLO.)
The projected $100 mil-
lion Arab lobby — its ob-
jective to poison the
media against Israel with
falsehoods and decep-
tions — has decided that
"all efforts must be con-
centrated inside the
United States in order to
change the U.S. stand."
Has our media men-
tioned anything about
this?
Israel's position on the
so-called carnage in Leba-
non has been that these
charges have been highly
over-exaggerated. Reports
from many unbiased indi-
viduals and independent
groups indicate unfairness
in media reporting. An Is-
raeli air officer said that
"the accusations of random
or indiscriminate bombings
were completely untrue."
Nothing was mentioned re-
garding same by our local
newspapers.
Perhaps above all, the
media has not made efforts
to understand Israel. She
wants peace, needs peace,
and must have peace to sur-
vive. However, when an av-
owed terrorist group (PLO)
has a single purpose in
mind, to destroy Israel, and
has perpetrated many acts
of terrorism, Israel has and
will protect her people.
The Israelis want to live
in peace and sometimes it is
necessary to fight in order to
live in peace.
Aaron Goldberg
* * *
Pressuring
Our Ally
Editor, The Jewish News
Russia is pressuring her
"Socialist: Sister States"
(her satellites) for decades
by now, ever since she "lib-
erated" them, to do her bid-
ding, and the Free World
assails that. And rightly so.
The United States is now
pressuring Israel to accept
that suicidal "Peace Plan"
of giving up her own historc
land of Judea, Samaria and
Gaza, and welcome there
her sworn enemy, to be her
next door neighbor. In the
application of undue pres-
sure, the difference is only
in the methods of exerting
it.
Both Super Powers act to
impose their will, their par-
ticular brands of solutions
upon their smaller, weaker
and dependent "allies."
Both Super Powers coerce
their client-states to act
against their own best
interests.
Russia uses brute force
and naked aggression,
and installs in power
quislings of her makings
and likings (as in the
cases of Poland, East
Germany,
Hungary,
Czechoslovakia,
Af-
ghanistan). The U.S. uses
far more sophisticated
ways of pressure: with-
holding vital deliveries,
agreed-to assistance,
arming the enemy (Jor-
dan, Saudi Arabia, etc.)
and courting the Arabs.
The so-called "Palesti-
nian refugees" could be
integrated and totally ab-
sorbed into their host coun-
tries, wherever they now-re-
side, and so much easier, for
their language, culture, lit-
erature, folklore, religion,
tradition are the same,
especially into Jordan,
whose inhabitants are 85
percent Palestinians any-
way, with the exception of
the ruling Hashemite
Dynasty.
Of if they insist upon
creating yet another Arab
country to the already exist-
ing 21, let them follow Bar-
bara Tuchman's reasonable
and valid proposal and let
the generous Arab Big
Brother, Saudia Arabia,
offer them from her unin-:
habited vast territory just a
small chunk of land for such
purpose. An. insignificant
fraction of the billions of
Arab petro-dollars can eas-
ily finance this whole
enterprise.
It would once and for
all remove the homeless
of their "Palestine Arab
Brothers." This, or simi-
lar solutions should have
been done a long time
ago.
The Israelis, surrounded
by enemies, know best what
is good for them. They cer-
tainly know it better than
the new map-makers who
from the safety and distance
of thousands of miles away
wish to play Santa Claus to
the Arabs by reshaping that
region with radical surgery
at the expense of our proven
ally, Israel.
Pressure, coming from
either side, be it in crude or
in subtle form, smacks of
gang tactics, and it is most
assuredly incompatible
with the lofty principles of
American democracy, and
with the rules of fair game,
even in politics and in high
diplomcay as well.
Albert B. Belton
New York
China to Buy
Israeli Arms?
PEKING — A group of Is-
raeli arms merchants have
accepted an invitation to
visit Peking to exhibit
sophisticated tank elec-
tronics to Chinese defense
officials, according to West-
ern sources.
China maintains no dip-
lomatic or trade ties with Is-
rael although reports of
arms deals between the two
countries have surfaced
within the last few years.
It was reported that the
Israeli government-owned
Tadiran electronics firm
was sending representa-
tives to China sometime
within the next five weeks.
The Chinese are also seek-
ing to buy Mirage fighter
jets from France and Har-
rier jets from Britain, the
sources said.