EDITORIAL
Unfinished Business
While we wish everyone a holiday of hap-
piness, repentance and self-examination, we
leave 5752 with the sensation that there are
many issues still far from completion. So, it's
difficult and premature to look at the High
Holidays this year as a chapter closing.
"Continuation" seems more appropriate.
How will Detroit's Jewish community re-
bound from a "flat" $26 million Allied
Jewish Campaign, an effort that required
special "Days of Decision" to lift the
numbers to 1991 levels?
The issue of Jewish education also re-
mains up in the air. The Giles Commission
pointed out that changes are needed for
afternoon religious schools and those who
teach and run them. But there is also a
sense here that the role of the Federation
vis-a-vis religious day schools is less clearly
defined.
As a community, we encourage an oppor-
tunity for a Jewish day school education for
every Jewish child. It's easy to encourage,
but can we pay for it? The rules of our soci-
ety are clearly different. Day school teachers
want and deserve salaries and benefits more
in line with public school teachers.
If tuitions must rise to meet these
demands, do we start turning away
families who can't afford them? In the big
picture, what do we say to these children
when they become adults and we ask them
to donate money to Israel and other Jewish
causes?
Maybe the real question is what will they
say back to us? "What is Israel? What is
Dry Bones
Federation? Why wasn't someone there
when my parents couldn't afford to send
me years ago?"
Again, issues of money are always the
bottom line when we talk about the future
of Jewish agencies such as the Home for
Aged, Jewish Family Service, Jewish
Vocational Service and even Sinai
Hospital. Many times during the year,
Jewish News editorials called for Federa-
tion to re-evaluate its 60-40 formula, giv-
ing 60 percent of the Allied Jewish Cam-
paign to Israel and recipients outside of
Detroit, the rest staying here.
We are a community that worries out
loud about its own preservation, about
staggering intermarriage and assimilation
numbers. But while we cry out, we don't
always act. If more money isn't kept at
home to fund education, to fund senior
citizen care and provide for social service
needs, then how can we question Jews who
choose to go outside of their own commun-
ity for services.
We think that times change, and with
them must come a change in the ratio and
the thinking behind it. There is no ques-
tion of our support and love for Israel. It's
exactly why we think change and the left
over business of 5752 must be courageously
taken up now.
If our policies do not change, the path we
follow will change things by default. By
then, there will be less for Israel, less for
Detroit's Jewish community, and less of a
Detroit Jewish community.
It's leftover business.
LETTERS
Success Story
At Borman Hall
My father has been a resi-
dent of Borman Hall for the
past eight months. Before
choosing Borman I spent a
considerable amount of time
evaluating various nursing
establishments and walked
out of most of them in tears.
Borman Hall was the last
home I visited and the only
one that made my difficult
decision easier. I was impress-
ed by the many activities
listed on their monthly calen-
dar, such as outings to the zoo,
the circus, weekly movies,
bingo, music therapy, current
events, monthly birthday par-
ties, religious services, Yid-
dish hour and many more.
I visited all three floors and
saw the satellite dining rooms
and activities for the resi-
dents that are unable to par-
ticipate on the main floor. I
watched the staff interact
with the residents and they
called them by name. They
knew their likes and dislikes
and they treated them with
the respect they deserve.
I have gotten to know many
of the staff, as well as the
residents in the past eight
months and overall I am still
very pleased. They are willing
to address any problems that
arise. My father did not like
some of the food he was being
served so the director of food
services met with my father
and myself, went through a
check list of his likes and
dislikes and tried to honor his
requests.
My father was not walking
when he came to Borman,
however with physical
therapy and a determined
staff he's walking today. He
was hospitalized twice while
in Borman and different
members of the staff called
me at home to follow up on
his condition.
I expect my father will be
leaving Borman soon and
nobody, including his per-
sonal physician, ever expected
that would happen. The staff
at Borman deserves the credit
for his miraculous recovery.
I'm not oblivious to the pro-
blems or shortcomings of Bor-
man (Jewish News, Sept. 11).
However on balance there is
also a lot of love, compassion
and care given by the staff;
but they can't do it alone.
The community must be-
come more actively involved
to help make Borman Hall
the fine facility it has the
potential to be.
Mary Robiner
Beverly Hills
Applause For
Singles Service
If I were Rabbi Roman of
Temple Kol Ami at this mo-
ment, I would be throwing up
my hands in disgust and
hollering "I give up — there's
no way to win this one!" .. .
I, too, attended the
American Jewish Committee
singles program referred to in
a letter in last week's Jewish
News, and was witness to the
verbal attack levied at Rabbi
Roman as the mob-appointed
representative of the entire
religious community. Person
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LETTERS
after person assailed area
temples and synagogues for
not doing enough (read: doing
nothing) to make singles feel
welcome in their congrega-
tions.
Now, maybe Rabbi Roman
and I heard wrong. What I
heard was: Do something
special that speaks directly to
singles as viable and valuable
members of the Jewish
community.
Rabbi Roman obviously
heard the same message I
heard. He could have done
what the other rabbis have
done — waited for "someone
else" to be the first. But he ac-
cepted the challenge as
groundbreaker, and initiated
the first-ever Rosh Hashanah
singles services .. .
I already have my ticket for
the services, even though I
vowed 20 years ago never to
attend religious services ex-
cept for weddings or b'nai
mitzvah. What's really eerie
is that I'm looking forward to
it. Now there's a measure of
success.
Rabbi Roman and his con-
gregation are to be commend-
ed for taking that first step
and making we singles feel
special for a change.
Lissa D. Hurwitz
Farmington Hills
Finnish Student
Finds A Home
The response from the
Jewish community to the ar-
ticle that Lesley Pearl wrote
about the foreign student
from Finland who needed a
home was wonderful. Many
families expressed a strong
desire to house an exchange
student for 11 months and I
was able to give quite a few
family names to Youth For
Understanding.
Sharon Hammermann has
been placed with a family
who lives in Southfield. She
now attends Southfield-
Lathrup High School. I just
talked with Sharon and she
loves her new family very
much. Also, she is pleased
with the classes that
Southfield-Lathrup has to of-
fer, especially in the music
department.
Judy and David Goldis
Farmington Hills
Remembering
Jonathan Pollard
As Jews gather together in
synagogues around the world
during the High Holy Days of
5753, my brother, Jonathan
Pollard, will once again be
alone in solitary confinement.
It is time to bring an end to
his senseless suffering.
There is now an emerging
consensus within the
American Jewish community
demanding the long overdue
termination of the gross
miscarriage of justice in my
brother's case. This consensus
has been achieved largely
through efforts of rabbis and
their rabbinical groups and
associations cutting across
the entire spectrum of the
American Jewish community.
The latest major group to
join in this call for justice is
the B'nai B'rith International
which, over the Labor Day
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