Israel Wants A Role Change,
So Why Not Follow Through?
There are so many indications that change is
happening in relations between Israel and the
Diaspora. Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin com-
mented at last November's Council of Jewish
Federation's General Assembly that Israel was
now in a position to help the Diaspora in terms of
continuity and spirituality.
What he didn't say was that change has evolved
from the needs and requirements of a state not
yet 50 years old. Israel has a robust, growing econ-
omy and a gross national product in excess of $65
billion. This, despite an Arab boycott that has
blocked billions in investment and trade for Israel.
Now, Deputy Foreign Minister Yossi Beilin has
told Americans that their charitable dollars are
not needed at all and would be better spent
investing in Israel's economy and in preserving
their own Jewish futures.
Mr. Beilin was rebuked by Mr. Rabin. While
his proclamations are simply too extreme, they
again raise an important issue: Why don't we keep
more of the dollars raised through our fund-
raising appeals here, strengthening our own
Jewish communities at a time when they are
crumbling under the burden of a frail, aging pop-
ulation, lack quality Jewish educational opportu-
nities for children and adults, are teeming with
dysfunctional families, lack funds to buy kosher
food, and the list goes on . . . The United Jewish
Appeal, America's most successful fund-raising
organization, raised almost $850 million in 1992,
mostly through local federation campaigns. About
40 percent of that amount was sent to Israel and
other Jewish communities in need via the Jewish
Agency and the Joint Distribution Committee. Its
efforts are laudable and vital for Jewish life abroad
and home. It also means that about 60 percent of
funds raised stayed in the communities where
they were raised,or went to support organizations
that provide services to those communities.
In Detroit, about 60 percent of the approxi-
mately $27 million pledged to the Allied Jewish
Campaign goes overseas. And with the current
Exodus II campaign to assist in the resettling of
emigres from the former Soviet Union, more than
70 percent of dollars raised here now go overseas.
Given the statements made by Mr. Rabin, Mr.
Beilin and others . . . and the proportion of total
funds raised via the UJA which go overseas, our
federation needs to keep more dollars home.
Not one percent or two percent, but in amounts
that can begin to reverse years of scattering
crumbs to the various organizations and institu-
tions which rely on funds from Federation's Allied
Jewish Campaign.
A strong Israel needs a strong American Jew-
ish community. One which can regenerate and
reinvigorate itself. It needs American Jews who
care enough about themselves and Israel that they
can exercise their political rights and muscle
whether for loan guarantees, foreign aid, or
separation of church and state.That's the invest-
ment Mr. Rabin and Mr. Beilin and other Israelis
are looking for. That's what our local federation
and its leaders need achieve in their allocations
process.
Letters
Jews, Palestinians
And Peace Process
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Several news items in The Jew-
ish News of Jan. 21 dealing with
the sputtering Israel-PLO
negotiations and the apparent
erosion in American Jewish
support for the Declaration of
Principles of Sept. 13, 1993
merit some elaboration.
An increasing number of
American Jews and Israelis are
questioning Arafat's ability "to
deliver" on his promises in view
of the PLO chairman's declin-
ing jurisdictional authority to
speak and act on behalf of his
strife-torn hierarchy and the
simmering resentment among
Palestinians in the territories
over his high-handed, dicta-
torial mode of operations.
Equally questionable, indeed
quixotic, are the initiatives of
certain Jewish organizations "to
assist" Israel in the implemen-
tation of the projected peace
process. Thus, Americans for
Peace Now, on a mission to
Syria presumably to explore
possibilities for Israeli-Syrian
peace unknown to either
President Clinton or Prime
Minister Rabin, returned
armed with the following sen-
sational scoops: namely, once
Israel vacates the Golan
Heights, "everything is open for
negotiations."
In "reading" the English-
language Syrian press, the mis-
sion gained the "impression"
that "Israelis being mentioned";
as regards Syrian Jews, the
"feeling" seemed to be "that exit
visas are being issued."
The American Jewish Con-
gress, on the other hand, being
never at a loss to break new
ground in expanding its do-
mestic agenda, is initiating "a
comprehensive study of the
inequities between Jews and
Arabs in Israel." The study is
intended to help the Israeli
Arabs "find themselves," and
the sponsoring organization will
provide "impetus for the study."
"Impetus" is an unmistakable
euphemism for "financial help."
One wonders, therefore,
whether the Jewish communi-
ty of Greater Detroit, which
helps finance the American
Jewish Congress' operations
($48,000 in 1993), has been
requested to underwrite the
cost of a study about "Arab
inequities in Israel"?
Worthy of comment also is
the JTA news item reporting on
remarks made by Lester Pol-
lack, chairman of the Confer-
ence of Presidents of Major
American Jewish Organiza-
tions, in a recent address in
Israel. He said that, while
"American Jews are entitled to
hold whatever beliefs they
want" on Israel security poli-
cies, "they should express their
views in responsible and effec-
tive ways."
"We do not believe," con-
tinued Mr. Pollack, "that the
New York Times should be the
vehicle for these communi-
cations."
It is hardly talmudic pilpul
to perceive in these remarks an
allusion to a Jan. 7 letter in the
New York Times from Henry
Siegman, executive director of
the American Jewish Congress,
in which he referred to all
Jewish settlements in Judea,
Samaria, Gaza and the Golan
as "obstacles to peace."
Ezekiel Leikin
Southfield
Letters
Borman Hall Decision
Sends Wrong Message
It is with a great deal of sad-
ness, anger and disbelief that I
contemplate the impending
closing of Borman Hall, as
announced by our local Feder-
ation, and the resulting, sub-
sequent deterioration of
conditions at Borman Hall.
Along with many others in our
community who oppose such
abandonment of our frail and
elderly, I feel helpless and
powerless.
My late father lived at Bor-
man Hall for seven years. His
care wasn't always up to our
standards, but he was not
ignored and he was happy. He
had his shul, kosher meals, hol-
iday programs, family who
visited him
regularly and
a fairly atten-
tive staff of
caregivers.
Now, I visit
Borman once a
week as a vol-
unteer. My
"job" is to con-
duct a journal-
ism class with
a dozen or so of
the very alert
residents, ul-
timately re-
sulting in
publication of
the resident
newsletter,
"Haimishe
Happenings."
The resi-
dents with whom I work are
very vociferous in their feelings
about the home's closing. They
feel abandoned, frightened, con-
fused and uncertain as to their
futures. They feel they are
being robbed of their dignity.
And now, to compound these
feelings, the situation at Bor-
man Hall is deteriorating. Peo-
ple in key administrative
positions have left to take on
new jobs, as have several social
workers, including the entire
Activities Department.
The nurses and aides are
also leaving and people are not
receiving the care to which they
are entitled. Resident morale is
at an all-time low.
Federation has repeatedly
stated that they don't want to
be in the nursing home busi-
ness. But, in my opinion, they
must stay in the nursing home
business. We must answer the
needs of our community, even
when demographics change.
We've adjusted our budget to
accommodate new Americans,
single parents, those with a
range of social problems, ill-
nesses and disabilities. So must
we accommodate our aging el-
derly population.
How can we send dollars to
Israel — must we be the city
contributing the most to Israel?
— and deprive our own citizens,
most of whom have led produc-
tive lives, who have been com-
munally involved and who may
have even solicited funds for
UJA, the dignity and security
of care in a total Jewish en-
vironment during their most
senior years?
Is this the lesson we want to
teach our children? Is this the
way we ex-
pect to be
treated when
we grow old-
er and, per-
haps, become
dependent on
others?
Perhaps if
more of the
"decision
makers" vis-
ited the
Home, min-
gled with the
residents,
stayed for tea
or even a
meal, heard
some of the
incredible life
stories,
shared a hug
. . . perhaps they wouldn't be so
insensitive in their perception
of the residents' needs.
Perhaps if families of resi-
dents had a voice in these deci-
sions, an understanding of the
dire needs of these very fami-
lies regarding their elderly
could be achieved.
Jewish law tells us that we
must address our own city's
needs before we address the
needs of other locales. As a Zion-
ist, I certainly don't advocate
eliminating our contributions
to Israel and elsewhere, but the
allocations should be adjusted
to provide for our pfessing local
needs — the most important
right now being the building of
a new Borman Hall.
Joanne Berezin Zuroff
Farmington Hills