EDITORIAL
Good News About Sinai
It wasn't too long ago that Sinai
Hospital's future seemed day-to-day at
best.
Seemingly crippled, with excruciating
debts and declining patient volume, the
hospital was the focus of countless merger
rumors. But then came an extraordinary
effort by the medical staff to boost patient
count, and the Hunter Group, a manage-
ment team brought in by the hospital to
assess its needs and implement changes in
its operation.
Then came management personnel
changes as well as layoffs numbering
around 200. And then an announcement
last quarter that the hospital came out in
the black at $66,000. A drop in the bucket
when we're talking millions of dollars in
health care. But now in its most recent
quarter, the hospital is looking at $1.6
million in the black, certainly no drop in
the bucket. More good news comes in terms
of patient census which is up to about 380
beds daily from the low 300s.
Phillip S. Schaengold, Sinai's new presi-
dent and chief executive officer, is realistic
when he says that two quarters of prOfitable
operation doesn't automatically mean that
Sinai is out of the woods. He added that
along the way toward the goal of financial
and managerial success, Sinai could still
show negative numbers in any given
quarter.
But the point is, the hospital is now tight-
ly managed and under control. Its hope and
its dream is to once again become the
hospital of choice for the Jewish commun-
ity above and beyond areas such as
obstetrics and rehabilitation.
Talk of affiliation? Yes, they are still in
the air and they are still possible. But as
Mr. Schaengold said, it is better for Sinai to
be dealing from a position of black ink or
strength than it was a year ago mired in
red.
He wants this to be the top address in the
Jewish community for health care. Based
on the recent numbers, and the commit-
ment the hospital is making to serve the
Jewish community, Mr. Schaengold and
the hospital should not be regarded
anymore as also-rans or a place to avoid.
They look like they are in the race to stay,
and this Jewish community should utilize
Sinai, and its physicians, whenever possi-
ble.
Selling Out
News item: President George Bush this
week vetoed legislation linking a resump-
tion of favored nation trade status for
China to improvements in Beijing's
abysmal records in the areas of human
rights and unrestrained arms sales to the
Arab Middle East.
He did so, he maintained, on the grounds
that presenting China with an ultimatum
would prove counter-productive. However,
commentators noted the president was at
least as concerned with protecting substan-
tial American grain sales to China, the
world's biggest market.
News item: The Bush administration last
week was reported to be toying with the
idea of dusting off its proposed sale to
Saudi Arabia of 72 advanced F-15 planes.
The administration claims that Saudi
Arabia needs the aircraft to defend itself
against the possibility of a resurgent Iraq.
Commentators noted that the White
House's timing has less to do with Saddam
Hussein than it it does with the perception
that congressional opposition to the sale
may be weak now because of America's
need to boost the ailing defense industry.
These are but two instances of how the
Bush administration, feeling vulnerable on
the economy, and rightly so, has displayed
a dangerous penchant for short-term polit-
ical expediency over responsible, long-term
policymaking.
In both cases, Israel suffers.
Remembering Syrian Jewry
With the rescue of Ethiopian Jewry and
the ongoing emigration of Jews from the
former Soviet Union, the organized Jewish
community has focused increased attention
on the plight of the approximately 4,300
Jews still in Syria.
Most of the remaining Jews are confined
to the, ghettos of Damascus, Aleppo and
Qamishli. They are prevented from
emigrating, live under constant surveil-
lance and are often persecuted. Two
brothers, Eli and Selim Swed, spent three-
and-a-half years in prison without being
charged, only to be sentenced last May to
six-and-a-half years on unspecified charges.
Judy Feld Carr, chairman of the Cana-
dian Jewish Congress task force on Syrian
Jewry, reports that the condition of the
Swed brothers is not very good. She says
6
FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 1992
she is certain that they were tortured at
the beginning of their imprisonment.
Next Shabbat, March 14, which is
Shabbat Zachor, the Sabbath of Remem-
brance, a time when Jews traditionally
recall the threat to their existence, has
been designated by the Jewish Community
Council as a day for local rabbis to call at-
tention in their sermons to the plight of
Syrian, Jews. The Council also is
spearheading a campaign which en-
courages area representatives to join the
Congressional Caucus for Syrian Jews.
Advocates believe there is a window of
opportunity for long-suffering Syrian Jews
during the peace process because the
government in Damascus craves interna-
tional respectability, particularly from the
West.
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LETTERS 1--
SMART Cuts
Are Protested
We are two elderly ladies
(86 years old) who rely on the
SMART bus service to take us
to doctors, shopping, etc. To
take this service away from
us leaves us stranded in our
homes and apartments.
We feel we are cheated of
enough things such as
medical privileges and don't
think it is fair to take away
the one thing that gets us out
of the house without relying
on our children and grand-
children. We are proud people
and like to do things for our-
selves once in awhile.
Please don't take this ser-
vice off and leave us strand-
ed waiting for someone to
take us places. Our in-
dependence means some-
thing, if not to you, it does
mean something to us.
Ethel Greenberg
Gertrude Snider
Southfield
Community
Responds To AIDS
While we commend The
Jewish News for printing ar-
ticles about AIDS ("Jews
With AIDS Find Little Help,"
Feb. 21), there is, in fact, a
considerable amount of work
being done within metro-
politan Detroit's Jewish com-
munity to help Jewish people
with HIV/AIDS and their
families that was not reported
in this article.
Since last June, the
Michigan Jewish AIDS Coali-
tion (MJAC) has been connec-
ting Jewish social service,
religious and community
organizations with locally
established AIDS groups.
MJAC has linked Jewish
Family Service (JFS), Jewish
Information Service, and over
30 established AIDS agencies
throughout the metropolitan
area.
JFS will provide any of
their already functioning ser-
vices to people with
HIV/AIDS and their families.
Services provided by JFS and
local non-denominational
AIDS organizations include:
support groups, buddy-
support system, information
and referral service, in-home
respite care, Kosher Meals-on-
Wheels, pastoral support,
educational materials and
Programs, speaker's bureau,
transportation services,
medical and legal informa-
tion, and case management.
Jewish Family Service is
setting up support groups for
family members of people
with HIV/AIDS, but unfor-
tunately, at this time, few pe-
ple have stepped forward to
request such groups.
Jewish Information Service
refers callers with questions
about AIDS issues to the ap-
propriate people or organiza-
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