I EDITORIAL

W(=>FIL_IED

Right Here In Southfield

In Part 2 of our three-part series ex-
amining Southfield, The Jewish News
compared Southfield and the Jewish Fed-
eration's Neighborhood Project to similar
cities and projects in the East and Midwest.

We found that Detroit, among the cities
we looked at, was alone in having a Fed-
eration which offered no-interest loans,
with the express purpose of attracting Jews
into Southfield and Oak Park. We also
found that in the Neighborhood Project's
short four-year history, over 450 loans had
been approved, more than similar projects
in place for many more years.

What we also learned was that
Southfield and the Detroit area did not
hold sole ownership over Jewish or white
flight, that the other cities were all too fa-
miliar with the problem. Some of the areas,
however, did a better job than Southfield in

promoting black and Jewish relations.

It's clear that Southfield, a working,
multi-ethnic community, has a great deal
to be proud of. The city's quality public
schools, public services, library, economic
opportunities and recreational areas give
the city a quality of life that the other
areas we looked at long for.
Sometimes it helps to leave town and
take a look at what the other guy is doing,
if nothing more than as an educational
tool. But perhaps, more importantly, by
visiting other cities, we learned that every-
thing we need to make a multi-ethnic
suburban model work is right here in our
backyards, our streets, schools and sub-
divisions.
We can make it work, not from afar in a
neighboring town, but right here in
Southfield.

Enough Name Calling

Enough of the name calling.
We all suspected a long time ago that
David Duke would make his way to Mich-
igan and other states on the presidential
primary ballots.
We all know by now that he is a former
grand wizard in the Ku Klux Klan. We
also know that the tailored suits he now
wears and the coded language are all very
transparent.
But calling him every name we can think
of is not going to make David Duke go
away. It will, instead, strengthen him and
his cause. This is not to say that we should
ignore him. We should, however, funnel
more of our energy, analysis and effort on
what is not working in mainstream
government and mainstream America
that makes the political climate so
favorable for Duke. When the economy was
getting away from us, too many took it for
granted that our local and national elected

officials would take care of everything.
They haven't.
The role of the politician here cannot be
taken for granted, but it has. David Duke
will not go away by throwing names at
him. Who cares if he is a Democrat or a
Republican? Who cares if his name recog-
nition is better than all of the Democratic
candidates combined? The problem is the
ball was dropped somewhere along the
line, and we need to ask those on watch
why it happened so that we can learn from
it and right our country.
Sure he can be called a hatemonger, but
while we're finding names for Mr. Duke,
let's pick up the phone and call Lansing.
Let's call Washington. If the choice is not
to call the politicians and hold them ac-
countable, then all we'll have left is just
name-calling. And if that's the result, then
you'll be able to call Washington one day
and ask for Mr. Duke.

Sunday Results Super

Recession, a snowy, icy day, the hoopla
over the Lions, the dreariness of the GM
layoffs. There were many reasons to feel
concern at this year's 12th annual Allied
Jewish Campaign Super Sunday. But as
someone once said, "The facts don't always
count?'
The Campaign put a great deal of em-
phasis on the needs of the Detroit Jewish
community; some 4,500 area Jews are
living at or below the poverty line. This
year, maybe there was more emphasis in
the training given to volunteer callers to be
sensitive to the needs of the community. If
a person needed help, volunteers assured
them the Federation wasn't just there
to collect money, but to help.
The response: overwhelming. A day's
total pledges of $830,000, a 12 percent in-

6

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1991

crease over last year's total. Think of it,
this comes when times are tough.
The truth is, at gathering after gathering
in Jewish America, the Detroit Federation
and Allied Jewish Campaign are con-
sistently the talk of the nation. What
usually is commented on is this commun-
ity's ability to respond to a need. Hence,
last winter's rally in support of Israel and
the allied forces fighting against Iraq.
Hence, the millions of dollars collected in
addition to Campaign funds to support the
exodus and resettlement of Soviet Jews.
Now, in the face of a terrible recession, the
community is coming through again.
The Super Sunday headquarters at the
United Hebrew Schools was teeming with
activity. It was a job well-done by everyone
concerned.

"Now that were sitting around the same table..."

LETTERS

Golan Heights
A Tough Issue

In the bilateral talks in
Washington, the Syrians in-
sisted that Israel withdraw
from the Golan Heights accor-
ding to UN Resolution 242
from Nov. 22, 1967.
The Golan was captured by
Israel in June 1967, in a war
of defense that the Arabs im-
posed on Israel. Resolution
242 does not speak about
withdrawal from "all" "the"
territories but from ter-
ritories. The article "the" and
the term "all" are missing
intentionally.
By withdrawing from the
Sinai, which is 91 percent of
territories captured in 1967,
Israel already fulfilled the
paragraph about "with-
drawal." Now it is the Arabs'
turn to offer Israel peace and
security.
Prior to the June 1967 war,
the Golan Heights was one of
the most massively fortified
regions in the world. The ter-
rain was covered by extensive
minefields and by three solid
lines of heavily armed con-
crete bunkers connected by
trenches. The ascent from the
Israeli side was steep and dif-
ficult, and anyone attempting
it was exposed to heavy
Syrian fire from the moun-
taintops.
On June 9, 1967, Israel
launched the counterattack
that finally put an end to the
Syrian menace atop the
Heights. Among the Syrian
army documents captured
there were maps detailing an
operational plan for the con-
quest of northern Israel, up to
Haifa. Clear evidence was
also found that Soviet
military advisers had been
stationed in forward positions
on the Heights.
By the outbreak of the 1973
Yom Kippur War, Syria had
increased its tank inventory

h"--

nearly eightfold, to 2,000; its
air force numbered almost
400 combat aircraft; it had
five armored and mechanized
divisions, 34 surface-to-air
missile batteries and 1,200
artillery pieces.
It was only Israeli control of
the Heights, at the outset of
that surprise invasion of
1973, which prevented the
Syrians from penetrating
deep into Israeli territory and
wreaking untold havoc and
casualties on Israel's civilian
population.
The fact that some of
Israel's main water sources,
such as the Banyas River,
originate on the Golan
Heights is a crucial
geophysical factor.
The Golan Heights might
be one of the toughest issues
because of its strategic impor-
tance and the radical, fanatic
nature of the Syrian enemy.

Yitschak Ben Gad

Consul General of Israel to the
Midwest, Chicago.

Pleased With
Southfield-Lathrup

For the past few years, I
have read in The Jewish
News articles concerning
Southfield in general and the
Southfield school system in
particular. I have lived in
Southfield for almost seven
years and I am proud to be
part of such a friendly,
vibrant community. I am
especially proud to be part of
Southfield-Lathrup High
School.
After my children com-
pleted the eighth grade at
Hillel Day School, they con-
tinued their studies at South-
field-Lathrup. My son, who
graduated last June, is now
attending the University of
Michigan. Because he was

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