EDITORIAL
Increments Of Mist
In A Long Peace Process
O
"A peace which comes from fear and not
from the heart is the opposite of peace." So
wrote Rabbi Levi Ben-Gershon seven cen-
turies ago. That message is particularly
appropriate today, when Israeli leaders
feel that they are being forced by the
United States into a peace conference that
is biased against them.
There is no symmetry in Madrid. Not
only in terms of the numbers of Arab dele-
gations lined up against Israel, but in that
Israel is being asked to give up tangible
territory in return for paper pledges.
Elihau Ben-Elissar, one of Israel's 14
delegates in Madrid, acknowledged that he
is "absolutely afraid" of international
pressure, and that his fear is compounded
by a lack of trust in the United States.
Still, Israel is not only participating in
the conference, but, as Prime Minister Yit-
zhak Shamir said in Madrid, "Our quest
for peace is unrelenting."
This, despite the fact that Palestinian
factions continue to resort to bloodshed and
murder against both Israeli soldiers and
civilians in a desperate attempt to thwart
the negotiations.
The first steps toward any measure of
peace must be an end to violence, and a
recognition that the primary issue is not
Israel's occupation of the West Bank but
the Arab need to recognize Israel as a legit-
imate and permanent presence in the
Mideast.
Any student of history. understands that
Arab hatred of Jews and attempts to
destroy Israel pre-date the Jewish state's
conquering of the West Bank during the
1967 Six-Day War. When Jordan controll-
ed the territory, from 1948 to 1967, there
was no call in the Arab world for the crea-
tion of a Palestinian state.
In a sense, though, moving toward peace
requires the participants to focus less on
the past and more on the future. Their
deliberations will, if successful, benefit
their children and grandchildren more
than themselves.
The framework of negotiations should
not be all or nothing: the concept that
either Israel gives up, for example, all of
the Golan Heights, or not an inch. That
leaves no room for compromise, or incre- .
ments of trust.
Reasonable formulas have been discuss-
ed whereby Israel may choose to relinquish
control of small areas of land — not strate-
gic ones — in return for specific pledges
from the Arab states. In that way, slowly
and gradually, levels of trust can be built,
leading in turn to further compromises.
No matter what happens from here, the
Mideast equation has been changed for-
ever, beginning with the moment Arab and
Israeli delegates sat down together at the
same table. Israel has made the greatest
sacrifice in coming to the peace table,
despite its serious misgivings, because it
has the most to lose.
As for now, we must limit our expecta-
tions and face reality. The best we can hope
for in the near future is not a complete
peace but a cessation of violence. Perhaps
one motivation for Jerusalem's actions are
the words of the Lubliner Rabbi: "Better
an insincere peace than a sincere quarrel."
JFS And NCJW's
Shelter For Abused Spouses
Jews don't gamble; Jews don't drink;
Jews aren't alcoholics; Jews don't abuse
their spouses and children.
Don't believe it. Just like anyone else in
this country, in this world, Jews are faced
with the struggles of the day-to-day that
sometime degenerate into destructive be-
havior.
Perhaps the biggest enemy facing Jews
today is stigma. Many Jews find that once
they are able to get over the hump — that
it's okay to find help — then the healing
will begin.
In many cities, temples and synagogues
that host recovery groups such as
Alcoholics Anonymous are filled to the
brim, but usually with gentiles. You can
find the Jews at a church in a Christian
neighborhood some distance away. We
don't want anyone to know even when we
get help.
That's one of the many reasons why the
efforts of the Jewish Family Service and
the National Council of Jewish Women to
6
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1991
start and sustain a shelter for abused
spouses and children should be supported.
Abuse is a disease that crosses all economic
and religious lines in our community. The
fact that there isn't really a Jewish place to
go perpetuates the stigma and deepens the
pain.
NCJW and JFS realize that to help
preserve the Jewish family, sometimes
that family needs shelter from harm's way.
This project comes at a time when money is
very scarce. The shelter needs this com-
munity's support. It's a worthwhile need in
a community grown more complex by its
very existence at this day and time.
What worries us the most, more than a
lack of money, is that when the shelter
does open, it won't have nearly enough
spaces to go around. There are many hur-
ting families within our own community.
JFS and NCJW want to hug them and
house them. We as a community need to do
what we can to help them.
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LETTERS
Mikvah Article
Was Appreciated
Kudos to Amy Mehler on
her extensive and honest,
"The Magic of Mikvah —
Renewing the Marital Bond
Each Month" (Oct. 18).
As she so clearly indicated
there are no __shortage of
kosher, well-equipped mik-
vahs in our area as well as
many dedicated instructors
for the proper use of mikvah.
The Jewish Marriage Insti-
tute was organized several
years ago with the interest of
assisting newcomers with the
mitzvah of mikvah. Any in-
terested person, whether it be
an individual, couple or
group, may contact us.
For information, call Mrs.
Sora Morozow, 967-4113, or
Mrs. Chaye Sarah Silberberg,
626-1807.
Yasher koach, Amy!
Mrs. Chana Finman
Oak Park
Revisionists Helped
Jewish Community
I wish to extend my thank
you to the Committee for
Open Debate on the
Holocaust, which published
the revisionist advertisement
in the Michigan Daily.
When rabbis and other
leaders of our Jewish com-
munity decry apathy, inter-
marriage and conversion as
leading factors to the thinn-
ing of Jewish ranks; along
comes some vitriolic
organization that heightens
and strengthens awareness in
Jewish culture and identity.
Yes, it was gross negligence
on the part of the University
of Michigan's Daily in their
decision to run the anti-
Semitic lies in the full-page
ad. However, within hours of
publication, thousands of
University of Michigan
Jewish students gathered to
air their objections in public.
Overt anti-Semitism is not
in a state of decline as some
would have us believe.
Perhaps some of us of the
older generation may stay
silent in fear of a backlash,
• but the Jewish students of the
University of Michigan have
said zachor, remember.
So thank you Committee
for Open Debate on the
Holocaust. Our young have
taken up your challenge, fur-
ther helping to secure our
heritage and perhaps proving
our sages wrong in their
predictions.
Jay Korelitz
Southfield
Jews Can Support
Holocaust Center
The Holocaust Memorial
Center should not ask for
state funds.
In my opinion, the Holo-
caust Memorial Center is a
Jewish-created and operated
reminder of man's in-
humanity to mankind.
I applaud Rabbi Rosenz-
weig when he says the HMC
will not charge admission to
the museum. The museum
can and should be supported
wholly by contributions from
the Jewish people.
I can not understand the
hue and cry over $50,000. To
the Jewish people of this
area, that amount can be
donated without much effort.
The HMC is a Jewish
memorial and should stay
this way. The government
should not be asked to sub-
sidize our memorial.
The affluent should get
their 'heads out of the sand.
It can happen here.
Donate to the HMC!
David R Shafer
Southfield