It's Time For New Leadership
Leadership.
What is it? Who has it? What does it take to
be a leader?
A conversation came up recently about the
leadership in the Detroit Jewish community.
We joke sometimes at this newspaper that the
same 25 names seem to find themselves in sto-
ries and features throughout the year. We all
know names such as Bob Aronson, Jane Sher-
man, David Gad-Harf, Gary Torgow, Joel Tauber
and David Page. These are hard workers and
a small portion of our leadership.
The key for a leader, though, isn't as obvious.
The act of writing a check for a charity we be-
lieve in, yes that can be defined as an act of lead-
ership. Not all of us, though, are blessed with
the resources that vault us into positions of lead-
ership because of our financial generosity.
Leaders, however, volunteer hours at Borman
Hall. Leaders tutor children and adults. Lead-
ers teach in Jewish educational settings, because
they believe in the cause of our people's very sur-
vival.
Leaders put coins into pushkes and teach their
children to do so as well.
The truth is, there are many other leaders in
our community whose names don't appear as of-
ten as the Larry Jackiers, Harlene Appelmans
and others. The key to good leadership is not a
speech, a check or anything else. Everyone listed
here and the hundreds not listed are leaders De-
troit can be proud of, because they have learned
how to reach back, grab the hand of someone else
and pull them to their level or beyond. Good lead-
ers help make other leaders. A good leader isn't
interested in creating followers.
Leaders also have mentors they trust.
It's time for more leaders to emerge from our
community. It's time for our existing leaders to
reach back and grab the hands of those willing
to work the hours and pay whatever the price
might be.
Whether it is Federation work, volunteering
at Sinai, teaching our children, raising funds for
Israel or packing grocery bags, there are more
leaders needed.
End The Fatwa
It is now 5 1/2 years since Iran's Ayatollah
Khomeini issued a fatwa against novelist Salman
Rushdie. The ayatollah is dead, the writer is in
hiding and the fatwa, the Islamic death sentence
against Mr. Rushdie, is still in effect. Which all
goes to show that some of the most incorrigible
of deeds live on long after us — and that a writer
had better be darn careful about his craft these
days.
After the initial shock that certain cultures and
religions still cling to the antediluvianism that
death is the antonym for freedom of expression,
many countries, mostly in western Europe, de-
nounced the fatwa; a few were silent. Many writ-
ers rallied around Mr. Rushdie; a few were silent.
And so it continues: Mr. Rushdie lives a life of
subterfuge and caution; his supporters hold oc-
casional rallies and benefit dinners; an occasional
statesman or politician scolds Iran. And the
world continues on its merry way.
Last May, Rep. Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) intro-
duced a draft resolution in Congress condemn-
ing the fatwa. Now, almost half a year since first
introduced, the resolution still sits in the House
Foreign Affairs Committee. The committee and
the full House should act with full speed to pass
it. As long as the fatwa stands, as long as future
fatwas are possible, all free speech and free ex-
pression also are under a potential death sen-
tence.
Clinton's Triumph?
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Although the story has not yet spun out to its
conclusion, Sunday's diplomatic drama that
averted a United States-led invasion of Haiti
may be a welcome signal to a world that needs
firm, creative American leadership to meet the
challenges of a new era.
As last-ditch negotiations with Haiti's military
leaders were being pursued, President Clinton si-
multaneously demonstrated a clear willingness
to mobilize American military might in defense
of democracy and human rights. This potent com-
bination undoubtedly prevented significant blood-
shed — and was good news for American military
personnel who will not face a hostile army while
attempting to restore a semblance of democracy
to Haiti. It also was good news for other nations,
including Israel, whose personnel are part of the
international force that will ease the transition
back to the democratically elected government of
President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
What is less clear is what this means for oth-
er troubled areas of the world, including the Mid-
dle East. Sunday's agreement left too many
unanswered questions: When, exactly, will Mr.
Aristide return to power? How will American
forces respond if the junta's leaders stall their
departure? Will the Clinton administration —
and the American people — make the long-term
commitment required to establish a stable
democracy on the unfertile soil of Haiti?
If the administration vigorously works to im-
plement the agreement, it will send a strong sig-
nal of America's determination to push
diplomacy to the limit and to back diplomatic
agreements until real change is achieved. That
message will be heard loud and clear in the Mid-
dle East, where American security guarantees
almost certainly will be a major component of a
Syrian-Israeli deal.
Letters
Build Value
In Membership
It is rare that Laurence Imerman
and I agree on responses to con-
temporary Jewish challenges,
having previously debated other
issues on these pages. However
to his recent piece (Sept. 16), I
can only add a resounding "well
done," at least for the most part.
Having served as a temple
president and as part of our
membership committee for sev-
eral years, I have talked to many
who first ask if we supply the ser-
vices they are shopping for and
secondly, what's the price? They
represent for the first time in sig-
nifi.cant numbers, the children of
unaffiliated parents and the
grandchildren of new Americans
who transferred their embrace of
democratic ideals to a slackening
of parental influence over the re-
ligious decisions of their children.
Thus we wind up with the
"Steve's" of the world who see af-
filiation expense, not as an oblig-
ation, but as a charity and a
"bottom-of-the-stack" one at that.
Are sanctions the answer as Mr.
Imerman suggests? I think not,
for that only exacerbates the prob-
lem and does nothing to positive-
ly influence the next generation.
It is much more important to help
build value in Steve's membership
through integration into syna-
gogue and temple life so that he
can begin taking "ownership."
We should also not lose sight
that at least Steve chose to affili-
ate which is more than most these
days. Thus, don't look upon Steve
as a target of sanctions but as an
opportunity to become a revers-
ing trend for future generations.
Let me add two additions to
Mr. 'merman's list. First, do not
make admittance policies so
strict as to avoid the possibility
of some taking advantage of you.
The fewer barriers and less in-
trusive your policies are, the
greater you have served your peo-
ple. Provide both a relaxed entry
cost to build value and, more im-
portantly, a prevalent attitude
that welcomes Jews as members
of a new extended family and not
for the money they provide to the
balance sheet.
Secondly, for the consumers,
the challenge is to develop strate-
gies and tactics that extend mem-
berships, joining earlier and
staying longer to remove the
mindset that membership
equates to purchased services. A
simple strategy of having an age
11-13 youth group that turns over
14 year olds as a class to the old-
er youth group can do wonders to
overcome the B'nai Mitzvot fall-
out by having that event be part
of a continuum rather than a des-
tination.
For those of us active in temple
and synagogue membership ef-
forts, Mr. 'merman's thoughts are
well received. We should also rec-
ognize that we must not throw out
the baby with the bath water.
Iry Wengrow
Troy
Promoting An
Illusory Peace
According to The Detroit Free
Press, Rabbi Daniel Polish of
Temple Beth El is just one of the
U.S. rabbis who promote a
Mideast peace process requiring
Israel give up land for peace and
proclaim their willingness to
share the risks involved. But
what exactly are they risking?
How many of the rabbis are
moving their families to join Is-
raelis living side-by-side with
members of the PLO and llamas
whose covenants call for the de-
struction of Israel and those who
stand in the way of that goal?
How many are ready to serve
and have their children serve in an
Israeli army that faces increased
security threats because PLO and
llamas followers are being armed
and borders are shrinking?
How many are ready to sup-
port, or already support, the fam-
ilies of victims of terrorist attacks
made easier by a peace process
limiting the activities of Israeli
security forces?
No matter. In violating the
terms of the year-old government
signed on the White House lawn
— by refusing to revoke the PLO
covenant calling for the destruc-
tion of Israel and by continuing to
call for Holy War against the Jew-
ish state — PLO leaders and fol-
lowers have shown the world that
the peace they offer is illusory.
In return for an illusory peace,
illusory risks are the only ones
the rabbis — or Israel — should
be willing to take.
Dr. Sheila lambert
Oak Park