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RUTH LITTMANN STAFF WRITER
A
Rising For The Fallen
PHOTOS BY GLEN N T RIEST
scho lchildren.
quilt made by
remembrance
vital was a shy child. She loved
to read and play the flute. She
served in Israel's air force and lat-
er studied art at the Sorbonne in
Paris, France.
"Revital sounds just like (us),"
Samantha and Samantha wrote
in a message to the girl's parents.
"(We) enjoyed doing a project
about her."
While in the air force, Revital
met Ron Levy, the man she want-
ed to many. Revital and Ron died
together, victims of an attack in
the Kremizan, at the foot of Har
Gilo in Jerusalem.
Despite the somber mood
of the day, Yom Hazikaron
activities gladdened Israel De-
fense Forces official David Engel,
temporarily stationed in Amen-
ca.
"We don't enjoy this type of cer-
emony," he said. "But it was very
emotional. As an Israeli, I really
appreciate it. I feel that the De-
troit Jewish community is really
deeply involved in Israeli cul-
ture."
The program ended with the
"Star Spangled Banner" and
"Hatikvah" (The Hope), Israel's
veiling of a tapestry created by national anthem. For people like
people stood at attention.
Earlier that day in Israel, the Jewish children throughout met- Sam Berman, the hope contin-
same type of siren stopped a na- ropolitan Detroit.
ues.
The tapestry glistened, an ar-
Mr. Berman followed in his
tion. Every year on Yom
Hazikaron, the ominous tone, ray of sequins and colorful pan- brother's footsteps by joining Is-
then a minute of remembrance, els against a royal-blue rael's military. After serving in
demand ongoing appreciation for background. Students and teach- the 1956 war, he took an emer-
the fallen. More than 18,000 have ers with day schools, temples, gency trip to America to reunite
died in Israel's wars since inde- synagogues and youth groups with family prior to his father's
worked for weeks on the project. death. He met his wife Minnie
pendence in 1948.
Next week, 900 metro Detroi- here, and they stayed.
At the JCC, flags of Israel and
Mr. Berman can't regularly
America flanked posters of ters will travel with the tapestry
rainbows and doves. Children re- to Israel on Michigan's second visit his brother's grave in Israel,
cited poems in Hebrew and Eng- Miracle Mission. In Jerusalem, so he has donated money for the
lish. One of the poems recounted they will present it to the parents landscaping around a permanent
a youngster's realization that her of children who fought and died war memorial to Israel's fallen
for their nation.
soldiers, erected and dedicated
elder sibling died in war.
Each panel represents a fallen last year outside the JCC's main
"Is that a true story?" whis-
soldier. Each soldier was gradu- entrance.
pered a boy to his mother.
For Mr. Berman, that memo-
The mother whispered some- ated from Jerusalem's Boyer
thing back to her son and both School. Metro Detroit children rial is like a grave. It helps
also prepared books for parents him keep in touch with his
nodded.
One objective of this year's of the deceased. Each page de- brother, Alter. Mr. Berman
knows what Alter would say if
Yom Hazikaron commemoration scribes a military casualty.
For Samantha and her friend, he saw Israel today, 47 years af-
was to strengthen feelings of pa-
triotism for Israel among Amer- also named Samantha, two ter he died.
"He would say the same thing
ican Jewish youth. Chaired by young girls in Detroit, Revital
I say when I go there now — that
Hannan Lis and Marta Rosen- Seri is more than a casualty.
In class, they learned that Re- it is something wonderful." ill
thal, the event included the un-
J
14
CONTINUED FROM COVER
His brother followed in 1948.
Alter was killed shortly there-
after.
"He lived on a kibbutz and
then decided to join the army. He
wanted to complete his military
duty and bring our parents over.
It didn't work out that way," Sam
remembers.
"About three months after Al-
ter joined the military, I received
a telegram saying he'd been killed
on the southern front, in the
Negev, fighting the Egyptian
army."
The conversation stops. It's
hard to talk about these things,
Mr. Berman says. Sometimes, it's
hard to remember.
The metro Detroit Yom
Hazikaron program, sponsored
by the Jewish Federation and
Michigan-Israel Connection, fea-
tured prayers, songs and speech-
es. A siren's blast in Shifman Hall
silenced the crowd. One thousand