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Marketing Committee
Needed Immediately For JCC

Enough.
There have been detailed studies made over
the years. Basically, each one has come up with
the same result: The Jewish Community Cen-
ter is a member/service oriented . organization.
But who is marketing the facility to bring in more
members and more dollars? And if critical mon-
ey-making programs such as the health club are
losing masses of members, why isn't there a per-
son in place whose job it is to market it? Give us
the name of one person who is marketing the
JCC full time.
Instead, the library gets closed to cut costs.
Instead, the Discovery Room is open by ap-
pointment only. Instead, programs are being cut
and people will lose their jobs to justify a bottom
line.
Two weeks ago, JCC officials revealed to the
community the uncertain shape of its financial
condition. It ostensibly turned its problems over
to the community and said, "Here, now tell us
what you want us to do."
Now, when its executive director, Dr. Morton

Plotnick, is asked to reveal specifics for the mar-
keting of the JCC's very survival, there are none
to be offered the community.
With well over $1 million in Federation funds
going annually to the JCC, it is time for Feder-
ation to take a stand. If anything, it needs to prod
the JCC and, at the very least, urge a workable
marketing plan.
Federation should assemble a marketing over-
sight committee. If the JCC is bold enough to
come to the community on one hand, it needs to
do more than just tell us its problems. It needs
to listen to what we have to say, and it needs
to change.
Putting a marketing plan in place is certain-
ly not a new concept for the JCC. It's been sug-
gested for years. But it must be done.
Unfortunately, it's reached a point where the
only way the JCC can be accountable is to have
a separate Federation marketing oversight com-
mittee to make sure there is a plan which will
be implei&nted in the best interests of the en-
tire community.

Middle East Is A Region
Of Troubled Prayers

The degree of emotion invested in the debate
over religion's role in American public schools is
minor compared to what's happening in the Mid-
dle East. There, Arab governments are trying to
persuade Islamic religious leaders to join the
battle for normalization with the Jewish state.
The most intractable part of the conflict, these
governments know, is rooted in fundamentalist
Islam's rejection of Israel's existence.
Saudi Arabia's top religious leaders are
mulling over a fatwah, or religious decree, that
would permit negotiations with Israel. Such a
document would enable Saudi Arabia, the
guardian of Islam's most important shrines, to
openly talk with the Jewish state.
And two weeks ago, Egypt's mufti, that na-
tion's highest religious official, said he would vis-
it Israel. "I should go to my enemy in his house
and show him he is wrong and take all the means
that would help me obtain my rights," Mo-
hammed Sayyed Tantawi told an Arab maga-
zine.
Although not comforting on the surface, such
remarks must be understood in context. By pro-
claiming a willingness to meet with Israelis, Mr.
Tantawi implicitly recognized Israel's existence.
His government did that years ago. Only now
are he and many of his religious colleagues fol-
lowing suit.

Of course, some Muslim voices take the op-
posite path. llamas, Islamic Jihad, the Moslem
Brotherhood and other radical groups call the
Jews "infidels" who must be forcefully removed
from their land. For proof, they point to their in-
terpretation of verses in the Koran.
Debate also is raging among religious leaders
in Israel. In the mid-1980s, Ovadiah Yosef, who
was then the chief Sephardic rabbi, ruled that,
in theory, one could return land for peace in the
spirit of pikkuach hanefesh, or saving lives. Many
of the rabbi's colleagues vociferously disagreed.
To them, relinquishing any of Eretz Yisrael, the
biblical land of Israel, was contrary to God's de-
sires. Last year, some even said that Jews re-
siding-in the West Bank must resist forced
evacuation by Israel's army.
In such a radicalized region, theology has a
heightened, almost palpable significance. Un-
dermining such claims against Israel's existence
— and against Israel's ability to compromise —
is critical for a comprehensive peace. The gov-
ernment of Israel and the United States must
encourage Islam's moderate voices. And the gov-
ernment of Israel must promote the views of such
Jewish theologians as Rabbi Yosef. Ignoring such
a challenge inevitably will lead to the death of
any credible and constructive political solution
to the longstanding troubles of the Middle East.

Letters

Consider JCC's
Contributions

I wish you jocks who seem so con-
cerned about the comparative
virtues of the health clubs in our
city would expand your vision
and consider the many contribu-
tions our Jewish Community
Center makes to this communi-
ty, to your children, your grand-
children and to the state of
Michigan.
Do you know we have a fine li-
brary with treasures of Judaic
reference materials? Do you
know that-we in Detroit were the
pioneers of Jewish book fairs
throughout the country?
That we service students, Jew-
ish and non-Jewish, from the en-
tire state of Michigan who come
by bus to visit the Holocaust Mu-
seum. That the JCC Library en-
courages these students' use of
our library resources to help
them write their research papers
(the Holocaust Library does not
permit circulation). In addition,
our library services all the needs
of our membership: from the chil-
dren in our day care who have
their first library experiences to
university students who have no
other Judaic resources. Our li-
brary is open to the public, mem-
bers and non-members.
When I weigh our role in the
spreading of education through-
out our state, I'm very willing to
work at minimum wages. I am
proud to think that maybe some-
one who uses our library facili-
ties has been enlightened and
that the futures of our children
and grandchildren are thereby
more secure.
After all, we are the "People of
the Book." It will be a sad day
when we relinquish that title.

Ann Parker
librarian,
Jewish Community Center

Response Given
To JCC Critics

The purpose of this letter is to re-
spond to the letter that Bert J.
Green wrote in the Feb. 3 issue.
Mr. Green listed several alleged
"problems" relating to the JCC's
Health Club, including that:
1.They frequently lost his laun-
dry;
2. The staff is curt and rude;

3. The price is not competitive
with other area health clubs;
4. They dose more days than nec-
essary; and
5. Management did not negoti-
ate a price and reduction with
him.
I strongly disagree with all of
these statements. I have had the
pleasure of belonging to the
JCC's health club since 1971, and
usually use these facilities about
three times per week. Over this
period, they "lost" my laundry
fewer than five times, and have
replaced it (at no charge) each
time I informed them about this
situation. Secondly, I have been
most impressed with the profes-
sionalism of the staff. Manage-
ment seems to hire capable and
friendly employees — all of
whom greet me with a warm hel-
lo each time I go there.
The price is competitive with
other "full-service" health clubs.
Even if I could save a few dollars
by going elsewhere, the competi-
tors' prices do not include such
other JCC non-health club-re-
lated activities such as the Jew-
ish Ensemble Theater, Book
Fair, library and children's pro-
grams. Shouldn't all Jews sup-
port our own Jewish Community
Center? The JCC also provides
financial relief for many needy
families' general membership
dues.
As a Jewish organization, the
JCC must close on all significant
Jewish holidays. Yet, the JCC re-
mains open (at least hslf a day)
for all secular holidays, includ-
ing July 4 and New Year's Day.
Finally, while the JCC's health
club often offers certain reduced
prices to attract new members,
it should not significantly reduce
membership dues for current
members' renewals. Members'
negotiation skills should not form
a criterion for their dues assess-
ment.
In summary, I love belonging
to the JCC's health club.
Alan Reinstein
Farmington Hills

Nothing Less
Than Chutzpah

As an Israeli citizen residing here
temporarily, I was both insulted
and outraged upon reading the
editorial "Suspend the Peace
Talks" in your Jan. 27 edition. In
NOTHING page 10

