EDITORIAL

A Glass Half Full

w

ith the setting of the sun this evening comes Rosh
Hashanah, that holiday of both completion and beginn-
ing.
On the new year, we pause. We look at ourselves and at the other
descendants of Adam. We look in wonder and concern and hope at
the world we have helped to create. And we think of the year that
lies ahead and of the vast possibilities within it.
For the Jewish people, the year now ending has been one of much
trauma, but in the spirit of the holiday, it is useful to look ahead
with hope and to see how even some of the troubling events of the
past year may point toward progress.
For instance, the Palestine Liberation Organization's diplo-
matic success (which now appears to be waning) and the accompa-
nying continuation of the intifada may well have contributed to
Israel's decision to pursue the advancement of a peace plan that
would satisfy both sides.
The turmoil rendered by the Who Is A Jew issue led some Jews
to fear they were second-class Jewish citizens, but it also led to new
and, hopefully, fruitful discussions among the main branches of
Judaism motivated by a fear of further rifts.
Israel's abduction of Sheik Obeid may have strained U.S.-Israeli
relations, but it also focused new attention on the plight of the
hostages held by terrorists in Lebanon. And the convent at
Auschwitz strained Jewish-Catholic relations, but the Catholic
hierarchy's almost worldwide support for the Jewish position and
its denunciation of Poland's Cardinal Jozef Glemp showed the fruit
of years of Catholic-Jewish dialogue.
The Book of Ecclesiastes, which will be read in synagogues dur-
ing Sukkot, instructs that there is "a time for every season under
heaven." A time for tearing down and a time for building up;

A time for weeping and , a time for laughing,
A time for wailing and a time for dancing;
A time for throwing stones and a time for gathering stones..."
When the wild, untuned sound of the shofar is heard this Rosh
Hashanah, let it summon us to new seasons and new joys, to new
days and new realities. For, if the holiday is indeed a celebration of
the beginning of the entire human race, then we owe it to
ourselves and our Creator to make the new year one of harmony
and truth and understanding.
L'shanah Tovah. Happy New Year.

LETTERS

Jewish Singles
On High Holidays

As the High Holidays ap-
proach, I sit and meditate
about how lucky I am to have
my children to cook for and
attend High Holiday services
with.
The Jewish religion is
predicated on togetherness
and is extremely family orien-
tated. What of the Jewish
single whose parents, close
relatives and other siblings
are deceased or live out of
town, and haven't any
children or a spouse to attend
services with or have dinner.
Does the Jewish religion con:
done ignoring these people?
Do we have no responsibility
to the Jewish person who is
totally alone?
I think it would be advan-
tageous for The Jewish News
and the synagogues to open
communications for joining
people that usually spend the
holidays alone with others in
the same situation. I know
that I would welcome an in-
vitation to have dinner and
attend services with my peers
if I were alone.
How about a campaign to
publish a phone number for
Jewish singles who cannot af-

8

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1989

ford to attend services in a
synagogue or temple of their
choice, or do not have anyone
to enjoy a holiday dinner
with?
My belief is that the Jewish
community is very narrow-
minded in their thinking
when it comes to single
people. With the funds
available though Allied
Jewish Campaign, I feel that
every effort is not being made
to consider needs of the
Jewish singles whatever age
they might be .. .

Sharon Stein

Southfield

B'nai Moshe Quote
Out Of Context

The Sept. 22 article,
"Jewish Buyers for B'nai
Moshe," left an erroneous im-
pression that I wish to clarify.
The words attributed to me
would appear to place doubt
on the sense of community
responsibility being shown by
B'nai Moshe leadership.
In fact, the full text of my
comments to your reporter
would have shown that the
Jewish Welfare Federation
appreciates our continuing
discussions with B'nai Moshe.

Congregational leaders have
acted responsibly in this issue
and have shown every con-
sideration for meeting the
needs of our Oak Park
Community.

Dr. Conrad L. Giles
President,
Jewish Welfare Federation

American Jews
Deny Themselves

We are writing to tell the
community that the Israel
which is reality today is not
the Israel of the media.
By not traveling to Israel,
American Jews are denying
themselves the experience
which can only occur in the
Jewish land for which we
have waited for 2,000 years.
While we are all troubled
greatly by the intifada and its
ramifications, our absence
during these troubled times
will not bring peace between
Arab and Israeli. Our absence
will make a statement to
Israelis and to the world as to
our own willingness to let
others define how we see
Israel and how we relate to it.
If you have never been to
Israel, now is the time to go.
If you have been, go again.

Unless you have been there
within the past six months,
there is probably something
new to see. The Jerusalem
Museum in the Citadel will
educate you. The Jewish
Quarter restored will charm
you. The new-found courtesy
of Israeli drivers will astound
you. The smoke-free busses
and public buildings will
make you believe in miracles.
We have traveled the length
and breadth of the country
within the past two months.
It is still beautiful. It is still
green and full of flowers. Its
streets are still safe to walk
day and night.

In Israel you can sightsee,
participate in nature hikes
and walking tours and, of
course, shop . . . A walk down
Ben-Yehuda Street, packed
with people on a Saturday
night, cannot be duplicated
anywhere in the world. Our
own young people know that
is the place to find fellow
Americans on tour in Israel.
There are tourists from all
over the world in Israel in-
cluding Japanese, Europeans
and Africans. Youth groups
visited this summer in
numbers greatly exceeding
previous years. What is miss-

ing in Israel today: American
Jews in great numbers pro-
viding emotional and
economic support in a time of
stress, visiting with Israelis,
exchanging ideas and infor-
mation unavailable except
through personal interaction.

Helmut and Etta Bernard
Henri and Anaruth Bernard
Robert and Greta
Bernard Brown
Betsy and Miryam Bernard
Ezra and Amy Cutler
Josh Cutler
Jacqueline Kaufman
Mark Leuchter
Brian Schiff
Joel and Margaret Shere

Human Relations
Choice Questioned •

I was disappointed to learn
that the Rev. Alex Brunett,
chief ecumenical officer of the
Archdiocese of Detroit, will
receive the 1989 Leo Franklin
Award in Human Relations
from Temple Beth El of
Birmingham.
I first met Fr. Brunett this
past April when he spoke at
a Holocaust Memorial
ceremony. I told Fr. Brunett
when he was on his way out
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