7 50 2 0 ELUL 5755 / SEPTEMBER 15, 1995 National Agenda CJF delegates share visions at North American conference in Southfield. RUTH LITTMANN STAFF WRITER W ords like "gloom and doom" pep- munities totals $3.67 billion. That includes pered the seminars. $1.08 billion in public monies for Jewish At the Radisson Plaza Hotel hospitals. this week, nearly 250 Jews from "We knew that we were dependent on the United States and Canada took part government. This study confirmed that in a three-day conference addressing is- fact beyond our expectations," said Joan sues of common concern: impending U.S. Strauss, associate director of community budget cuts to social-service agencies, im- planning for CJF. migration, American-Israeli relations, The question, in light of probable, among others. deficit-reducing government cutbacks (up The three-times-a-year conference is to $980 billion over the next seven years), sponsored by the Council of Jewish is how to save programs sponsored Federations. CJF, the umbrella group for through agencies, like Jewish Federation 189 Jewish federations in North America, Apartments ; the Jewish Home for Aged sponsors the "quarterlies" as a down-to- and Jewish Vocational Service. The cut- business series of committee meetings and backs have been proposed as part of a con- workshops. gressional attempt to balance the federal "It's been a very productive quarterly budget by the year 2002. for me so far," said Robert Aronson, exec- "Our Allied Jewish Campaigns have utive director of the Jewish Federation of been able to provide supplementary as- Metropolitan Detroit. "It's a chance to be sistance, but the government system has updated and move the national agenda really made it possible, in many respects, forward." for us to take care of refugees and the el- That agenda is riddled with complica- derly," said Paul Berger, a quarterly del- tions this year, said staff from the egate from Washington, D.C., who Washington, D.C., office of CJF. At risk moderated a discussion on Monday. are billions of federal, state and local dol- "What we are facing as a national com- lars to Jewish communal programs na- munity is far worse than the consequences tionwide. of the Great Depression," he said. A working draft of one CJF study re- "Unfortunately, right now we're moving ports government funding for 45 corn- AGENDA page 8 Sibling Circle An expanding Family Circle helps brothers and sisters of persons with disabilities. JILL DAVIDSON SKLAR STAFF WRITER Story on page 14 Fence In The Woods eace Huntington Woods questions residents' right to an eruv. RUTH LITTMANN STAFF WRITER p oles, wire and Sabbath observances reeled in controversy at a recent meeting of city commissioners in Huntington Woods. At issue: the eruv, a community "boundary" enabling Jews to carry babies, books and canes, push wheelchairs and perform other such duties otherwise pro- hibited on Shabbat. The eruv is a physical border — like a fence, wall or telephone wire — symbol- ically broadening private property to make a neighborhood into one extended yard. Where there is no barrier, observant Jews, with the help of utility companies, often erect poles linked by fishing wire. Members of the Huntington Woods Minyan and other local Jews want the eruv, and they point out that Southfield and Oak Park already have eruvs. So do )arts of West Bloomfield. However, Huntington Woods commis- sior ars aren't so enthusiastic. During their publis. meeting Aug. 22, the topic took more thaii an hour to discuss, although it was not introduced as a formal agenda item. Gilda Jacobs, a former Huntington Woods commissioner, said the city offi- cials were "splitting hairs." "Really take a good look at what our community is, at what our community stands for, at what its values are," she told them. "To me, the eruv is just another way of neighbors helping neighbors." At the meeting, Rabbi Yerachmeil . Rabin, who leads the Huntington Woods Minyan, described the eruv plan and asked commissioners for approval. The eruv would run the perimeter of Huntington Woods' 1.5 square miles and necessitate the erection of two 12-foot poles on a public right of way along 11 Mile Road. The minyan would raise mon- ey for the eruv, estimated at $20,000. The rabbi also said there would be a need for several "lechis," thin rails at- tached to existing telephone poles. The lechi, which reaches upward to the low- est horizontal wire, forms the requisite right angle for a halachically correct fence. The proposal caused some confusion among city officials. Mayor Ronald ERUV page 10 If Middle East peace is to be attained, its groundwork must be put in place by young leadership. A summer camp in Maine brings teens together for this very reason. JENNIFER FINER STAFF WRITER Story on page 40 Single Research Speeding A single guy airs a singles series. Jewish women find a niche on the auto showroom floor. Story on page 83 Story on page 49