DETROIT
Mideast Crisis Brings Concern
But Little Tension To School
SUSAN GRANT
Staff Writer
W
est Bloomfield High
School student P.J.
Cherrin, 17, is de-
termined not to let events
half a world away damage
his relationship with his
Arab friends.
It's not always easy. P.J., a
Jew who was in Israel when
Kuwait was attacked, be-
lieves war with Iraqi Presi-
dent Saddam Hussein is a
necessity, the only way to
drive him out of Kuwait and
out of power. One of his
friends, a Muslim girl who
didn't want to be identified,
says, "Kuwait was once part
of Iraq. It is our belief that
we have a right to take it
back."
Sometimes their discus-
sions get a little heated, P.J
admits. But the two students
do their best to understand
the other's point of view.
And they always walk away
as friends.
At West Bloomfield High
School, where more than 30
percent of the student body
is Jewish and there are a
growing number of Arab,
Iranian and Chaldean
students entering the
classrooms, principal Dr.
Gary Faber recognizes ten-
sions between the two
groups can flare up, espe-
cially if there is a clash in
the Middle East.
Tensions did escalate
when officials decided to
evacuate the school after Dr.
Faber received a bomb
threat around noon Tuesday,
said Dr. Seymour Gretchko,
school superintendent.
Students were taken out of
the building for an hour.
They returned to classes
when the West Bloomfield
police, who had also received
the threat, searched the
building and determined the
call was made by juveniles
after reviewing a tape of the
call.
Security has been tighten-
ed at the school, said Dr.
Gretchko, who does not
know if the bomb threat was
related to the crisis.
Dr. Gretchko admits that
if there wasn't a crisis, the
school might not have been
evacuated. "But it was a
combination of cir-
cumstances which led us to
take that action."
For the past few years, the
school has aggressively tried
to halt any tensions between
14
FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 1991
students of different cultures
by stressing the need to
work together, Dr. Faber
said. More than 30 teachers
have been trained to handle
group discussions on racial
relations and other emo-
tional issues which could
divide a classroom or school.
"Cultural diversity is a
major theme in this school,"
said Dr. Faber, who en-
courages students from all
cultural backgrounds to
meet each other. "The kids
know it and seem to accept
it."
That's not to say there
aren't individual cases
where conflict arises and
racial slurs are uttered, he
said. But most of the
offenders are in 9th grade,
and are quickly taught what
will be tolerated and what
won't.
"You can't change people's
beliefs, but you can change
people's behaviors," Dr.
Faber said. He knows if he
can control the negative be-
havior and get his students
to talk to each other then
"we can change over their
beliefs."
So when the Iraqi army at-
tacked Kuwait Aug. 2, "we
took steps to deal with the
issue," Dr. Faber said. "We
encouraged teachers to have
classroom discussions and
we provided teachers with
resources from the media
center which dealt with both
sides. We've discussed that
no one wins in a war in
terms of bloodshed and loss
of life. The kids are learning
there are peaceful solutions
to the conflict."
This week teachers were
given handouts to help
organize a discussion on the
crisis including a map of the
Middle East and a history of
events which led to the
situation.
"If we do identify students
who emotionally need an
outlet, we have a group of
trained teachers to deal with
that. So far, we have not had
a single student ask for it,"
he said.
"This school is doing a
good job preparing us," said
P.J., who appreciates the
frank conversation in the
classrooms and hallways. "I
think you have to talk about
it."
Yasi Navai, 17, a Muslim
from Iran, said, "I don't feel
any tensions at all with my
Jewish friends. Maybe it's
because I'm not an Arab. I'm
Iranian. Many of the kids
don't seem to be anti-Iraqi.
There may be some anger
about what Saddam did. But
I think everybody wants to
be friends."
That doesn't mean
students aren't worried
about the possibility of war.
"I have family in Israel,"
said Marcy Morton, 17.
"When President (George)
Bush went to talk to Saddam
Hussein (sic), a lot of my
friends in Israel were sent
home by their parents."
"I worry about Israel, but I
think Israel can take care of
itself," said Micole Schultz,
16, a former Hillel Day
School student. With fears
that terrorists will attack
Jewish institutions in the
United States, she is con-
cerned Hillel will be a
target.
Yasi, who has family in
Iran, said she can't forget
how her relatives suffered
during the eight-year-war bet-
ween Iraq and Iran and the
geographical closeness of the
two countries. "I'm not
Saddam's biggest fan."
"I don't want war," said
Mark Goldberg, 16. "But it
probably will happen simply
because Bush and Hussein,
both for their own reasons,
want war and it becomes a
self-fulfilling prophecy."
"I don't think we should go
to war," said Marcy, who be-
lieves sanctions should be
given more time to work.
Yasi, who spent Tuesday
afternoon working on the
school's prom fashion show,
admits it seems trivial to do
a show when she realizes
that the United States could
be at war. "But you can't
stop everything," she said.
Still, Yasi can't escape the
feeling of sadness over the
prospect of war.
"We've never dreamed or
imagined America would be
involved in something so
destructive," Yasi said. "We
hoped we would be the ge-
neration that would never
see a war. It's very sadden-
ing and depressing." El
ty, combined with the fact
that their daughter missed
her family, prompted their
decision to bring Gitty home,
Mrs. Schwartz said.
But their influence only
went so far. The Schwartzes
still have a son, who is stu-
dying at a yeshiva, in Israel.
"He said his place is
there," Mrs. Schwartz said.
"He wants to be there to
help Israel."
Harold and Michelle Platt,
originally of Oak Park, are
in the exact opposite situa-
tion of many foreigners now
in Israel: They're not strug-
gling to find a plane out of
Israel; they want to find a
way in.
The Platts returned last
month from Israel for a four-
week visit to the States.
With one son, three
daughters and 17 grand-
children living there, Mr.
and Mrs. Platt are eager to
return to their Jerusalem
home.
Mr. Platt said he is con-
cerned about the situation in
the Middle East, "but I don't
let it get me down."
Added Mrs. Platt, "Our
worst fear is not getting
back" to Israel.
The Platts have been
devoted to Israel since their
1969 visit. They bought an
apartment in Jerusalem and
decided to live much of the
year there. They've made 38
trips to Israel in the past 21
years.
"And now we really want
to get back," said Mr. Platt,
who is retired. He and his
wife are trying to arrange a
flight to Frankfurt, where
they could catch an El Al
plane to Ben-Gurion Airport.
El Al is the only airline still
flying in to Israel. Mr. Platt
said he's trying every way to
get to Jerusalem while
avoiding a stop at JFK
International, an airport Mr.
Platt said he hates.
Mr. Platt has been receiv-
ing daily phone calls from
his children, who have
reassured him that every-
thing in Israel is all right.
"My kids aren't worried at
all," he said.
Ofra Fisher, executive di-
rector of Detroit's Agency for
Jewish Education, and her
husband Sam left for Israel
on Wednesday. Plans for the
trip were made long ago, but
Mrs. Fisher said she had no
intention of canceling. On
the contrary, she said: "If
it's always important to go
to Israel, it's especially im-
portant to do so now."
Artwork from the Los Angeles Times by Barbara Cummings. Copyright. 1989, Barbara Cummings. Distributed by Los Angeles Times Syndicate.
Detroiters Torn
Continued from Page 1
a one-year program in Har
Nof.
Rabbinic leaders in Israel
are assuring citizens that
the country is safe, Miss
Schwartz said. School ad-
ministrators left the choice
of returning home to the
girls.
"They told us, 'If you're
scared of war, you can go
home,' " she said. "They also
told us, 'If you don't want to
go back but your parents
want you to, we'll talk to
them.' "
All but five of the students
left Israel.
Miss Schwartz's mother,
Esther Schwartz of Oak
Park, said she and her hus-
band struggled with the
decision as to whether their
daughter should return to
the United States.
Their concern for her safe-