Veterans Day:
Mideast To Midwest

B'nai B'rith Celebrates
Its 150th Anniversary

JENNIFER FINER STAFF WRITER

JENNIFER FINER STAFF WRITER

y

om Hazikaron is a very
emotional day for Oved
Yavine who served in
the Israeli army for 10

years.
"Most of us (Israelis) have
lost someone we were close to,"
Mr. Yavine said. "Yom
Hazikaron is a sad day in Is-
rael and you always see a lot
of people crying."
This year, Mr. Yavine will
not be in the country of his
birth for the memorial day. In-
stead he will be in Farmington
Hills, where he moved nine
months ago. But he said he will
never forget what it's like to be
in Israel on Yom Hazikaron.
Each year, Yom Hazikaron
— Israel Remembrance Day —
honors those who died during
military service. This year the
holiday falls on April 12.
Mr. Yavine will not be able
to watch an entire country
stand still while sirens mark a
brief period of silence in honor
of the fallen. He will not be able
to visit the cemetery where his
grandfather is buried.
But he will still commemo-
rate Yom Hazikaron. He will
continue to remember his

the Civil War.
Although memorial services
are held and those who have
lost friends and loved ones hon-
or the holiday, its meaning
tends to be much different for
the general population.
To many, the last Monday
in May is a day for appliance
sales, pool openings and a date
that makes wearing white
clothing fashionably legal.
Doron Levin, 43, and his

thentic."
Barry Kideckel, a Grand
Blanc resident who served in
the U.S. Navy from 1967-1969,
agrees.
"In Israel, they are much
closer to war," Mr. Kideckel
said. "We are fortunate we've
never had a war in the U.S.
The younger generation is fur-
ther removed and I think they
look at our Memorial Day in
a different way than the older

Former Gov. William Milliken signs a proclamation for B'nai B'rith Day.

T

"Israel is younger
and so are its
wounds. Issues
there haven't been
resolved, and in
that sense their
commemoration is
more authentic."

Doron Levin

grandfather who died in the
War of Independence and his
friends who gave their lives
wearing an Israeli army uni-
form.
"Where my grandfather is
buried, there is such a contrast
of people who have died," Mr.
Yavine said. "There are graves
of people who died during the
war in 1948 and families visit-
ing the grave of a son they lost
just a few weeks ago."
Seven weeks later, America
will celebrate its Memorial
Day. It is a day to honor those
soldiers who have died since

Israel's Independence Day follows Yom Hazikaron.

wife Adina each have Israeli
and American citizenship and
served in the Israeli army. Mr.
Levin, who now lives in West
Bloomfield, said that while
both memorial days honor
those who have sacrificed their
lives for a country's existence,
the manner in which they are
observed is quite different.
"Israel is younger and so are
its wounds," Mr. Levin said.
"Issues there haven't been re-
solved, and in that sense their
commemoration is more au-

generation. It's been quite a
while since we've been involved
in a major war and the mean-
ing has been lost a little over
the years."
Irving Keller, the national
service officer of Jewish War
Veterans, said the significance
of Memorial Day is lost be-
cause it has been made into a
commercialized weekend. He
and other veterans want to see
it observed on May 30 every
year no matter what day of the
week it falls on.

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hirty-seven years ago
David Bittker and a group
of friends from the same
University of Michigan
fraternity banded together and
formed the Centennial Lodge of
B'nai B'rith.
Mr. Bittker has been active-
ly involved ever since.
This year, he and other B'nai
B'rith members around the
world will celebrate the organi-
zation's 150th anniversary. De-
troiters will honor the
anniversary this weekend dur-
ing a reception at the Novi
Hilton.
Nationally, B'nai B'rith was
founded by 12 Jewish immi-
grants in New York. By 1857,
Pisgah Lodge, Detroit's first
B'nai B'rith lodge, was formed
with 25 members.
Today, 4,500 men and
women are members of this or-
ganization in Michigan. Local
B'nai B'rith activities range from
doing tax returns for senior cit-
izens to holding blood drives and
sponsoring political forums.
This state's major contribu-
tion to the international orga-
nization was the idea behind the
1913 establishment of the Anti-
Defamation League of B'nai
B'rith. Concerned about in-
creasing anti-Semitism, B'nai
B'rith members in Detroit be-
lieved a formalized structure
was needed to combat hate.
At its inception, B'nai B'rith
had as its purpose unifying Jews
of varied origins, religious view-
points and economic back-
ground. Together, these
immigrants raised $60 to initi-
ate the organization. Its first

project: establishing a fund for
widows and orphans.
Today, 150 years later, the or-
ganization has broadened its fo-
cus to change with the times.
With a half a million members
in 50 countries, B'nai B'rith is
committed to Israel, providing
service to the community and
attempts to unite Jewish peo-
ple.
"One of our goaLs is to pull the
community together," said John
Rofel, the local council president.
"As Jewish people spread out
over a wider area, we need
something holding us together
or we're going to lose our corn-
munity."
With a maturing national
membership, B'nai B'rith has
recognized the need to recruit
and incorporate young adults
into the organization. Last No-
vember, a Young Leadership
Network was chartered locally
with 166 members under the
age of 40.
"One of the gaps we're trying
to fill is addressing the needs of
the young adults who have fin-
ished college but don't have fam-
ilies here," said Alexander
Ornstein, the District 6 presi-
dent (the district includes Michi-
gan and seven states).
"We're trying to provide an
opportunity for them to meet
and interact with others in an cr,
organization they can feel com-
fortable
Added Sheri Benkoff: "The —1
Young Leadership Network cc
provides an important place °-
..<
for the torch to be passed so
there will be a future for B'nai 15
B'rith."

CO

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