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Great Nominee

Sens. Carl Levin and Donald Riegle Tuesday an-
nounced their nomination of Paul D. Borman for
a lifetime judge position sitting on the U.S. District
Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
Mr. Borman is currently serving as the Chief
Federal Defender of the Legal Aid and De-
fender Association of Detroit. Mr. Borman was
nominated along with Wayne County Circuit
Court Judge Denise Page Hood, who if select-
ed, would be the first black in 13 years to be
named to a federal judgeship in the state. The
other nominee is John O'Meara, a partner at
the Detroit firm of Dickinson, Wright, Moon,
Van Dusen & Freeman.
Mr. Borman is also a past president of the
Detroit Jewish Community Council and has al-
ways served the Jewish and general commu-
nities with the utmost integrity and
perserverance.
We congratulate the senators on their choice
and Mr. Borman for the nomination and
appointment he so richly deserves.

cosus.PIEa

Letters

Holocaust Article
Omitted 2 Groups

Paul D. Borman:
Nominated for judgeship.

Remembering Elul

Rosh Chodesh Elul comes to us Means Mental
Preparation on Wednesday, August 18. It marks
a time when families begin their preparations for
holiday get-togethers. It's a time when rabbis and
cantors prepare what can amount to a keynote ad-
dress for their congregations.
More importantly, the preparation for
Tishrei and the Yom Tovim, supersedes a good
meal and an affective sermon. The month of
Elul should be seen as an opportunity to begin
the process of self-evaluation. It's a time when
we can take stock of ourselves as we prepare
to ask for forgiveness in just weeks ahead.
Our sages write that these days of Elul are
vital if we are to make the most of the Days
of Awe. The image of the open "Book of Life"
sealed for the year symbolically comes to mind
as do the shofar blasts.

Midrasha as well as other educational orga-
nizations and synagogues are offering classes
to help us all get ready. Midrasha's course of-
ferings cover everything from explanations of
holiday liturgy to the importance of solving un-
resolved emotional issues between ourselves
and our friends and families and God. The is-
sues of repentance and explanations of the
Akedah and other spiritual themes are also to
be offered in Midrasha's four-part series, be-
ginning August 18.
Whatever one's affiliation or choice of wor-
ship, it is so important for all to find a teacher,
a course or a class as the most telling days of
the year approach. We need to learn how to
make proper use of these days of teshuvah or
repentance. No time is too early, but Elul gives
us, at least, a final chance.

Dry Bones

THE DETRO

I'VE WO? SEEN
ANY-? .TH I tvG
QuITE CAKE IT./

Kudos for the very insightful
article on Holocaust education
— "Mending the Broken Heart"
— appearing in your Aug. 6
issue.
I note in passing that dis-
cussion about the Holocaust Ed-
ucation Coalition omitted
mention of two important mem-
bers: The Hidden Children of
Michigan and the Albert Ein-
stein Lodge of B'nai B'rith. The
Hidden Children are a found-
ing member of HEC and have
long advocated the need for
more Holocaust education.
Because of the large number
of telephone calls we have re-
ceived, I also wish to note that
tax-deductible donations to
HEC may be made by mailing
checks made out to HEC to
4000 Town Center, Suite 420,
Southfield, MI 48075.
Burt Ansell
Chair, Holocaust Education
Coalition

The Rabbi, Gays
And The Nazis

In response to the comments of
Britian's Rabbi Jakobovits
("Rabbi Favors Genetic Engi-
neering" July 30) concerning his
favorable view of genetic engi-
neering as a way of eradicating
homosexuality, a joke has been
circulating around the Jewish
gay and lesbian community.
It goes like this: What's the
difference between Rabbi
Jakobovits' view and the Nazi's
Final Solution to eradicate the
Jews? Answer: Not much.
Howard Israel
Bloomfield Township

Why Publish
Rabbi's Remarks?

The former chief rabbi of
Britain suggests (July 30) that
he has a "solution" for Ortho-
doxy's problem with the exis-
tence of homosexuals. He would
like the world to eliminate ho-
mosexuality through genetic
engineering.
We are sorry to inform you,
Rabbi, but the Nazis thought of
it first. They called it the "Final
Solution."
As every living Jew is re-

sponsible to bear witness to the
Holocaust, how can a rabbi ex-
plain to the God of Abraham
that any human being is un-
worthy of respect and compas-
sion?
Once again we ask The Jew-
ish News how such a hate-filled
article is considered news-
worthy?
Board of Directors, Simcha
Editor's note: We believe the
public has a right to know
what prominent people are
thinking, whether or not we
agree with their views.

Demjanjuk
Still A Nazi

John Demjanjuk is a Nazi war
criminal who served as a guard
at the Sobibor death camp,
where 250,000 Jews were sys-
tematically murdered. He'
should not be welcomed back
into this country.
While the Israeli Supreme
Court recognized that there is
some doubt whether Demjan-
juk was Ivan the Terrible of
Treblinka, the guard who se-
verely beat, tortured, and
maimed naked Jews as they
were herded into the gas cham-
bers, the court also found "com-
pelling documentary evidence"
that Demjanjuk was trained by
the German SS at the Trawniki
training camp and became a
Nazi guard at Sobibor, another
extermination camp.
The same evidence which
raised a question as to Dem-
janjuk's identity as Ivan the
Terrible also placed him con-
clusively at the Trawniki train-
ing camp and at the Sobibor
death camp. This evidence can-
not and should not be ignored
in any decision to readmit this
despicable Nazi war criminal
into the United States .. .
Reasonable people can agree
that if Demjanjuk is not Ivan
the Terrible then his life should
be spared. But where there is
such overwhelming proof of his
complicity in other war crimes
at Trawniki and Sobibor, he
should not be set free. He
should be tried on such charges
in Israel.
But even if Israel refuses to
try him on such charges based
upon a legal technicality, under

DERIANJUK page 8