Educational Reform

It's perhaps premature to take sides on Gov.
John Engler's educational reform proposals,
but it is important that the Jewish commu-
nity study them and stay informed.
Without question, the Jewish community
should support a funding plan that would
insure high-quality public school education.
If part of that plan means monies to raise the
level of education in areas from Kalkaska to
Detroit, then it should be considered. We
should be able to look at our state and not find
so many school-funding inequities.
For parents of parochial school students,
there are questions as well. The availability
of vouchers to parents of parochial school
children would ease the burden of ever-
increasing payments. But would this be at the
expense of top-flight public school education?
Then there's the issue of charter schools. What
role will they play?
These are just some of the concerns ex-
pressed by parents and educators in our
community.
But there are other issues as well. Will the
level of Jewish Federation funding for day
schools stay the same or decrease if the state
is providing vouchers for parochial school
students?

Right now, uncertainty seems to be the only
certainty. That, and our community's desire
to provide the best in education for its chil-
dren. Over the years, we've seen teacher
strikes at day schools as well as day schools
struggling to make payroll. We've also seen
Jewish students turned away from private
schools in some instances, and we've even seen
a day school — Yavneh Academy — close its
doors.
School reform falls under an umbrella of
responsibility. Whose responsiblity is it to fund
Jewish day schools, and do we necessarily
desire the government being involved in
religious education?
On Oct. 19, the Jewish Community Coun-
cil will discuss these issues, beginning at 7:30
p.m. at Temple Beth El. It's an opportunity to
learn and express opinions on the course of
education in this state in a town-meeting
format.
Clearly it's early. But it's also the best time
to learn what role we all need to take. As the
citizens of Kalkaska experienced last March,
the coffers can run dry, and nobody, not even
the state, will necessarily step in and stop it
from happening.

Letters

Jews And
Minorities

I am responding to your articles
and editorial in your Oct. 8 edi-
tion. The topic was the rela-
tionship that Jewish people
have with different races. I was
so pleased to see our Jewish
community is finally recogniz-
ing the need to approach this
subject that makes many peo-
ple squeamish.

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President Bill Clinton is right to have given
American diplomacy six months more to work
in Somalia. The United Nations seems inca-
pable of settling Somalia's problems on its own,
even more so with Secretary General Boutros
Boutros-Ghali's continued insistence that war-
lord Mohammed Farah Aidid is the primary
bad guy. American superpower strength car-
ries with it superpower responsibilities, and
bailing out of half-completed tasks is an abro-
gation of that responsibility.
The course in Somalia will not be easy. Gen.
Aidid's men could attack U.S. forces at any time,
particularly if he sees the diplomatic tide going
against him, and the United States will have
to respond in kind.
The United States became involved in So-
malia out of humanitarian concerns. It would
be inhumane to pull out now and to just let the
chips fall where they may in Somalia ❑

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Farmington Hills

Proper Treatment
For A Hero

Staying The Course

Imagine this: United States forces acting as
peace keepers as the Golan Heights come un-
der attack from radical Arabs determined to
scuttle a peace accord between Syria and Israel.
Using car bombs, snipers and landmines, the
terrorists manage to kill 15 Americans and take
one prisoner.
Congress, TV pundits and public opinion polls
say it's time to pull out and the president, bow-
ing to political pressure, reluctantly agrees. As
a result, the intricate peace agreements between
Israel and Syria, the PLO, Jordan and Lebanon
all fall apart, and the Middle East is embroiled
in new hostilities.
Sound farfetched? Maybe. But given the
growing desire of Americans to stay aloof from
international involvement, it is a possibility.
And it is even more probable that in Somalia,
renewed clan civil war and starvation would
follow an immediate United States pullout.

than us?
I say no more silence, no
more panic and no more exit-
ing. We need to talk about this
very important subject now.
Many say the subject of race
relations is uncomfortable and
they would rather avoid it.
However, the subject requires
goals and some planning. You
don't just wake up one day and
confront issues that have been
with you your whole life. These
issues will not be easy to an-
swer.
Anita Bogorad

V
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For years, I have been ask-
ing relatives and friends who
share my same faith why our
people keep making the same
mistake and contributing to the
destruction of communities by
exiting them when people
whose skin is different than
theirs choose to become their
neighbors.
These communities and
schools have grown and ex-
panded, still safe and highly ac-
claimed in academics. Housing
values are stable and still prof-
itable. But change has taken
place, minorities move into the
neighborhood. Possibly right
next door.
They are similar income
earners to us and seek and de-
sire the same for themselves
and their children as we do. So
why is it that Jews find it so dif-
ficult to live, work, socialize and
care for people that are slightly
different than them?
Why is it that we contribute
so heavily to the polarization of
our metropolitan area? Why
can we not step up to the chal-
lenge that society places upon
us, to live and work with peo-
ple who are slightly different

With due respect to my old
friend Alan Hitsky, The Jewish
News missed an opportunity
Oct. 8.
I read Mr. Hitsky's story on
Page 22 of the recent death of
Michigan resident Carl E.
Crudington, a gentile who flew
combat for the fledgling Israeli
Air Force in 1948. If the facts in
Mr. Hitsky's story are any-
where near accurate, the story
should have been on Page 1 and
much more extensive.
A hero such as Mr. Cruding-
ton should be highlighted. His
courage and friendship to the
State of Israel should be retold
in great detail. It's obvious that
Mr. Crudington shared with his
family the values he fought for.
They planted trees in Israel in
his memory.
Beyond a singular story, per-
haps The Jewish News ought to
investigate a way in which the
Michigan Jewish community
can memorialize Mr. Cruding-
ton's bravery and character.
Albert Holtz

West Bloomfield

Peace, Halachah,
PLO, Lubavitch

In his letter of Oct. 1, Dr. Zvi
Gitelman would like us to be-
lieve that there are a number
of recognized halachic authori-
ties who approve the peace
accord with Arafat, based on
the principle that saving lives
supercedes many command-
ments.
This contention flies in the

LETTERS page 8