:VoTtVar.
VW> ;`. 0?"•.,4%
910
.>:
‘4
vR
vec
AViNsE
.•
Yom Hazikaron Shows Us All
The Strength Of Our Connection
Two years ago, the Michigan Miracle Mission
reached one of its most somber moments.
Sirens sounded, traffic came to a halt. People
in the streets stopped talking to one another.
That day the scene at the military cemetery in
Jerusalem was one of families and friends hug-
ging and in tears.
On Tuesday evening, just days before the sec-
ond Miracle Mission was scheduled to leave for
Israel, the haunting siren sounded again. At Yom
Hazikaron services at the JCC, a packed audi-
ence sat and stood in reflective silence. For that
moment in time, we were all in Israel, we were
all connected to the Israeli military, to their fam-
ilies and to the remorse. The message of Israel's
fallen was as important here at home. Equally
as important was the participation of children.
While we read about a lessening in the connec-
tion between American Jews and Israel, Tues-
day evening's commemoration showed an i i rgent
bond.
That bond is best symbolized by a tapestry,
crafted by area children, and commemorating
the fallen soldiers, all graduates of Jerusalem's
Boyer School.
Two years ago, Congregation Adat Shalom
vividly connected Detroit with Israel, as it pre-
sented the Frankel School in Jerusalem with a
Torah. This year, the connection will continue
as Miracle Mission participants will present the
Boyer School with the tapestry. Metro Detroit
children also prepared books for parents of the
deceased. The tapestry presentation is an im-
portant part of next week's mission.
The connection between Detroit and Israel re-
mains strong and active. We recently experi-
enced the visit of the Partnership 2000 mayors.
Our Yom Hazikaron memorial was poignant and
important. On May 21, the community will come
together one for the Incredible Israel Fest.
Many people returned from the first Michi-
gan Miracle Mission changed in some way. The
memories influenced lives and bring back tears
and laughter for us all. As one Michigan Mira-
cle Mission I participant said, "I never laughed
so much and cried so much."
The 900 of Mission II should have a safe, won-
derful experience. We want you to laugh and
to cry. But we want you to come back with an in-
ternal "siren," one that doesn't stop you in your
tracks for only one moment a year. But a "siren"
that makes Israel part of your personal Jewish
fabric on a daily basis.
Knee-Jerk Emotions
At emotionally charged Holocaust remembrance
ceremonies across the nation last week, Jews
voiced the need to stop hatred in its tracks. If the
Shoah weren't enough of an example, the ter-
rorist bombing in Oklahoma City the previous
week gave witness to the tragedy that can re-
sult from unmonitored hate.
With the accused perpetrators of this home-
grown terrorism in sight, public discourse has
quickly focused on the atmosphere in which such
horror can take place. Americans are asking how
premeditated mass murder of children could
happen here. This is not unlike the Jewish com-
munity's long struggle to understand how Hitler
could rise to power and be allowed to pursue the
systematic destruction of our people. The Nazis,
however, presented a sanctioned plan of terror
and then murder. No sane person is suggesting
that our government is directly involved in this
latest horror.
This tragedy also has expectedly become part
of the national political debate. In the wake of
Oklahoma City, politicians have been quick to
point fingers in many directions through innu-
endo or direct statement. We are concerned that
our lawmakers — on all sides — have con-
tributed to an atmosphere that nurtures anger
that potentially leads to violence. The last sev-
eral national elections have seen increasing vit-
riol. Our radio airwaves are filled with knee-jerk,
emotional responses to the complicated issues
facing America.
We have heard a lot since April 19 about the
jump from political rhetoric to car bombs. And
we have listened to proposals that could infringe
on liberties in the hope of stopping future vio-
lence. Underlying much of this is a sad sense
that the system does not work and therefore
must be subverted. This, however, is not true.
America remains the world's wealthiest coun-
try and the one most protective of First Amend-
ment rights. We have our problems, but few
doubt the quality of life and the potential for per-
sonal advancement here. The majority of us fight
for the same thing — a better America with more
opportunity.
On Saturday, President Clinton applauded
the national media for focusing on the human
tragedies in Oklahoma City, rather than mak-
ing twisted heroes of the terrorists. We are not
blind to the political manipulation here. A week
earlier House Speaker Newt Gingrich said that
most journalists were socialists opposed to Re-
publican ideology. We would rather the fight be
focused on the right issues rather than squab-
bling over who is responsible.
As another presidential election season be-
gins, we hope all candidates pledge to debate the
ideas, to discard the personal attacks. Until our
leaders demonstrate that political change can
take place within a system that depends upon
an exchange of ideas, the notion that real change
requires terror and hatred will flourish.
Letters
Nostalgic
Experience
The pre-Passover feature article
describing our holiday prepara-
tions and family traditions was
handled with aplomb and sen-
sitivity by Jennifer Finer. For us
personally, it was an exhilarat-
ing and nostalgic experience.
Friends and relatives, many from
far-off places, who are faithful
readers of the Jewish News,
made us into instant celebrities
with their enthusiastic notes and
phone calls.
Gladys and Ted Allen
Southfield
Are We Already
Becoming Forgetful?
fered. After all, in 25 years, very
few survivors will remain. As I
left the ceremony, I saw some old-
er people looking at my children
and myself, and as our eyes met
I understood they were thanking
me because they knew I will nev-
er forget.
Shelly Mendelson
Farmington Hills
Does Clinton Care
About Pollard?
As reported in the Jewish News
(April 28), the Israeli government
is making another appeal to gain
the freedom of Jonathan Pollard.
Whether it will be more success-
ful than prior attempts is prob-
lematic. As previously, the issue
is being raised personally by
Prime Minister Rabin with Pres-
ident Clinton.
Were Jonathan Pollard some-
one other than a Jew, and were
the country spied for other than
, Israel, the President's decision,
to do the right thing, would be
easier.
Compare, for example, Pol-
lard's sentence of life imprison-
ment with that of William
Whalen, who spied for the former
Soviet Union in the 1950s. Dur-
ing the Cold War, Mr. Whalen,
who occupied a sensitive position
in Operation Paperclip, provid-
ed classified information to the
former Soviet Union. Like Mr.
Pollard, he pleaded guilty to spy-
ing. Unlike Pollard's sentence,
Mr. Whalen was sentenced to 15
years in prison, later reduced, in
1966, to six years.
What was Operation Paper-
clip? According to Linda Hunt, in
her important book Secret Agen-
da, it was a highly classified U.S.
government program whose ob-
jective was to rescue and reha-
bilitate hundreds of German
scientists, engineers; and experts
in the Soviet Union. The program
was begun, in 1945, shortly after
Nazi Germany's defeat. The Ger-
mans were employed by the U.S.
government to continue the work
they had been doing during the
war. This work included areas
such as rocketry, aeronautics,
chemical and biological warfare
and medicine. All this, of course,
was considered vital to national
security.
I've witnessed the callousness of
my generation many times, but
I never felt so moved that I felt
I had to express my feelings in
a public forum.
I've attended many Jewish
events, commemorations and
memorials over the years and I've
grown accustomed to being one
of the youngest in attendance.
We lead very busy lives and the
last thing most people want to do
is go to one of these type of
events.
On April 30, the six million
Jews lost in the Holocaust were
memorialized at the JCC. The
ceremony was very moving and
was well attended by the sur-
vivors of the war. There were
beautiful speeches and songs and
it was very inspiring to me to wit-
ness this event. At the same time,
however, I was quite disturbed.
Where were all the children of
the survivors? Or grandchildren?
If there was a theme to the
memorial, it was "Never Forget."
I'm sure that these children will
never forget what happened to
their parents during the war. But
what about their children and
the future generations? It scares
me to think that the Holocaust
and its courageous survivors
could be forgotten. I am not writ-
ing this letter to condemn those
of you who did not attend this
event but asking you to think
about juggling your busy sched-
ules next time one of these events
takes place so you too can be wit-
ness to the faces of those who suf- POLLARD page 8