DETROIT)

THE JEWISH NEWS

Tills Week s Top Stories

War And
Remembrance

At a memorial service for Israel's war dead, local residents
defend the IDF's recent actions.

JILL DAVIDSON SKLAR STAFF WRITER

10

The annual memorial service, chaired by
ecades have passed since the day Sam
Berman found out about his brother's Hannan Lis and Marta Rosenthal, attracted
death in Israel's struggle for freedom. about 950 local residents. Highlighted by
presentations from youth involved in
But the pain is still as fresh as in 1948.
Standing in the shadow of an outdoor Detroit's Project Discovery and representa-
memorial statue he co-sponsored at tives from Jerusalem's Boyer High School,
the Jewish Community Center in West the program focused mainly on those who
Bloomfield, Mr. Berman spoke of the haunting gave their lives in Israel's wars. Also remem-
bered were the victims of recent terrorist bomb-
sorrow he feels.
ings in Jerusalem, Ashkelon and Tel
But more than a memory weighed
on his mind Monday night. Like many Colonel Yair Golan Aviv, as well as the late Prime Minis-
ter Yitzhak Rabin.
of the Israeli
of the participants at the Yom
Defense Forces
Following the hour-long service, par-
Hazikaron ceremony, Mr. Berman
bows his head
ticipants received red carnations to
could not remain silent about the new
during a moment
place at the foot of the outdoor statue
struggle Israel faces: criticism the Jew-
of silence.
memorializing the fallen, and a candle
ish state has attracted for its actions
to burn at home. Each flower in the
against Hezbollah.
"I am supporting the Israeli government," he heap was wrapped with the names of soldiers
said after placing a red carnation at the base of who had given their lives; each candle carried
the statue erected to commemorate the Israeli one of their biographies.
The event was sponsored by the Michigan-
war dead. "People who do not live in Israel don't
Israel Connection, the Jewish Federation of
understand."
`The only way to protect themselves in that Metropolitan Detroit, Friends of the IDF and
situation is with force. There is no other way," was co-sponsored by the Jewish Community
MEMORIAL page 7
he said.

Half Out
Of The Saddle

Richard Lobenthal, AEU senior man for
nearly four decades, is stepping away
from full-time status.

ALAN HITSKY ASSOCIATE EDITOR

LOBENTHAL page 20

PHOTO BY GLENN TRIEST

D

Richard
ick Lobenthal has seen a lot in 37
Lobenthal:
years. And it's not that he's tired,
Stepping back
or seen too much. "It's just time for
after 37 years.
a change."
The 61-year-old Michigan region di-
rector of the Anti-Defamation League is stepping down
in June after 37 years with the agency, 35 here in De-
troit. National ADL in New York has begun the search
for a replacement.
Mr. Lobenthal is taking a five-year consultancy with
ADL. "It starts out at minimal pay," Mr. Lobenthal said,
"and goes down each year from there." He and his wife,
a psychologist, plan to remain in the Detroit area.
Mr. Lobenthal began with ADL in 1959 in Texas,
took over its Richmond, Va., office, then moved to De-