THE JEWISH NEWS
113 This RONT
Week's Top Stories
Township Approves
It's Not Easy
Being Green
B'nai
Israel
Construction
Israeli and Detroit women speak out against
the peace treaty, and on behalf of Israel's
future.
ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM ASSOCIATE EDITOR
t wasn't the first time Janet that you have to speak out. I am
Aronoff had read the PLO a Jew and these are Jews."
It's the kind of support the
covenant, but as she reviewed
it again last week she couldn't Women In Green's founder said
help but be struck by its contents. she cannot do without.
"We are really counting on the
"I kept seeing the words `No
Zionist State,' " she said. "I decid- Jews in the States, in England, in
ed to underline it every time it ap- Canada and throughout the Di-
peared. You should have seen all aspora to be the ones who will now
step in," Ms. Matar said. "What is
the marks when I was done."
This is one of the reasons Ms. going on here (with the arrests,
Aronoff, a resident of Bloomfield with those who oppose the peace
Hills, remains committed to work- treaty being silenced) is ab-
ing with those who have no solutely frightening."
Women In Green was started
qualms about their support for a
in
1993 by a handful of friends
state
of
Israel.
She
ex-
Jewish
plains: "Israel is who we are. It's concerned for the future of the
where we come from. It's our Golan Heights. Among them was
Ms. Matar, who serves today as
whole being."
Her latest efforts include sup- co-chairman of the group with her
port for the Women In Green, an daughter-in-law Nadia.
Ruth Matar was a jewelry de-
Israel-based organization found-
signer
at the time, a native of Aus-
ed two years, not long before
Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader tria who spent the war years in
Yassir Arafat signed a peace ac- Sweden after being rescued as
cord. The group, in the words of part of a children's transport. She
founder Ruth Matar, is commit- married an American and came
ted to "keeping Eretz Yisrael a to the United States, where she
Jewish country for our children lived until 1976. That year, she
and fdr the children of Jews all and her family made aliyah.
Ms. Matar had no interest in
over the world."
Ms. Aronoff is part of a new demonstrations or politics — "I
metro Detroit chapter that hopes was very happy to be sitting at my
to increase information about and bench designing jewelry" — but
gain support for the Women In then she began to sense things
Green. Already, the chapter is changing in Israel.
"The dream went sour," she
participating in a project on be-
half of the Jews in Hebron and is said.
Fearing for the future of chil-
working to establish a speakers
bureau to inform the communi- dren, she said, she and some
friends began speaking out. They
ty about Women In Green.
Ms. Aronoff said she has been quickly were labeled "fanatical
intrigued by the Women In Green settlers," a description which con-
from the start. A longtime activist tinues to amuse Ms. Matar.
"Some of us are young, some
on behalf of Soviet Jewry, she
found it curious that women who are middle-aged women," she
appeared to be doing nothing il- said. "But we certainly don't look
legal were routinely arrested and like fanatical settlers and we
aren't fanatical settlers. What we
imprisoned.
"One of the things I always are is ordinary people."
They formed a group called
loved about being an American
Women
For Israel Tomon-ow, but
was having the opportunity to
protest," she said. "So I couldn't the press labeled them "Women
understand why the police were In Green," a reference to the green
stopping these women, and even- hats they wear. ("That's because
there is no 'green line' " between
tually even beating them up."
Politics aside, the issue is con- Israel and the territories, she said.
"All of Eretz Yisrael is green.")
cern for other Jews, she said.
Today, the organization has
"I remember times when Jews
have been in danger and nobody some 5,000 members in Israel and
said anything," she said. "I believe GREEN page 8
I
The West Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees overrides
planning commission recommendation and approves
Shaarey Zedek B'nai Israel expansion.
DAVID ZEMAN STA F F WRITER
0
vercoming the oppo-
sition of its own
planning commis-
sion, the West
Bloomfield Town-
ship Board of
Trustees has unan-
imously approved construction
of a religious school at Shaarey
Zedek B'nai Israel.
"Clearly, it was a project that
should have been approved; it's
important for the area," said
trustee Michael Schwartz, a
Southfield attorney. "It was the
right thing to do."
The 7-0 vote, taken Nov. 6,
overrode the recommendation
of the township's planning
board last month that the ex-
pansion not be approved out of
an apparent fear of traffic con-
gestion.
Some residents of the adjoin-
ing Autumn Ridge Subdivision
had expressed concern that fam- administrator at Shaarey
ilies using the expanded school Zedek.
Indeed, at the Nov. 6 hearing
facilities might use their side
in which the expansion was ap-
streets as shortcuts.
But trustees say such fears proved, not a single resident
have since been alleviated at the rose in protest, Mr. Schwartz
West Bloomfield site, at the cor- said.
The 23,000-square-foot ex-
ner of Walnut Lake and Green
pansion
would add 21 class-
roads.
Congregation officials note, rooms, a media center and
for example, that they have library to the synagogue/Apple-
agreed not to allow right turns baum Parenting Center.
The congregation currently
onto Green Road in the hours
when the religious school is in rents space at Ealy Elementary
session. Shaarey Zedek said it School to conduct Hebrew-
would also petition the county school classes during the week.
road commission to install a The classes will shift to the new
addition when work is complet-
traffic signal near the school.
"The board looked at all the ed in late 1997, school officials
studies, satisfied itself about the said.
Students will continue to use
concerns of neighbors, looked at
the
Shaarey Zedek site in
the amount of space the build-
ing would take up on the lot and Southfield for Sunday school in-
felt comfortable that we should struction. ❑
go ahead," said Malcolm Katz,
Moon
Mania
Temple Israel
gets in phase with
the Jewish calendar
ALAN HITSKY ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Story on page 14