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The Best Education

Each year at this time the familiar bell rings, sig-
naling a new beginning at schools throughout
metro Detroit. Their backpacks filled with fresh
notebooks and newly sharpened pencils, their
lockers adorned with photos of family, friends
and the cast of Beverly Hills 90210, their lunch
boxes packed with peanut butter-and-jelly sand-
wiches and candy bars — and maybe even for
a rare few, sliced carrots — students make their
way back to the halls of study.
For some families, the end of August also
means it is time again to start writing those
checks — very large checks, in fact, to pay for tu-
ition at Jewish day schools. For many, it's an
overwhelming financial commitment. It means
skipping a family vacation, foregoing evenings
out with a spouse, buying clothes at inexpensive
stores and paying upwards of $7,000 tuition a
year, for each child.
For the sons and daughters of these parents,
it means an unparalleled commitment to study.
At secular schools, students are expected to ex-
cel in math, English and science. At Jewish day
schools, students are challenged to master not
only math, English and science, but Jewish his-
tory, Talmud and Hebrew language.
And for what?
For one of the most important contributions
we will ever make to our own future, our
community and indeed the entire Jewish peo-
ple.

This is why it's especially disconcerting when,
as the school year begins, there's word of a pend-
ing strike at Hillel.
Our concern is not who is right and who is
wrong (if indeed, the issue even can be divided
with such a clean cut), but how quickly this mat- Americanization
this year. What do you think? Is-
ter can be resolved. Invariably, such a dispute
raelis can afford all the luxuries
left untended means bitterness, anger, fear, pow- Versus Sellout
of a highly developed Western
er struggles, passionate ultimatums, hostility, I thought your recent article country — vacations, fine restau-
and finally, disinterest. Along the way, it's the about the "Americanization" of rants, new cars, nice new homes,
children who suffer most.
Israel by Boaz Dvir was inter- etc. And we need your money,
Many leaders of tomorrow's Jewish commu- esting but lacking. I, for one, have too? I don't think so.
nity will come out of our day schools. They will been living in Israel since the war
D. Jay Ahron
be rabbis and cantors, federation directors, com- in Lebanon but have observed
Ann
Arbor
1 Tel Aviv
munal service organization heads, teachers, syn- this cultural phenomenon from a
different
perspective.
agogue and temple presidents. They will be
Boaz Dvir
among the most committed Jews in this coun-
Misstated Fact
ty, and each day their lives are being shaped by
the teachers and administrators of our Jewish
Regarding "Greetings From Is-
day schools.
rael" by Boaz Dvir (Aug. 9): Boaz,
It is a new school year, soon to be a new Jew-
Boaz, you obviously have been
ish year, and time to renew our commitment to
spending too much time in Tel
making Jewish education a top priority. As we
Aviv or reading The Jerusalem
do so, we hope for a quick and peaceful resolu-
Report.
tion to the problems at Hillel and restate our con-
Cafe Atara is not (yet) a Piz-
tinued gratitude to those who contribute to
za Hut — at least not as of Sun-
day, Aug. 11, when my husband
Jewish day schools, as well as the families who
and I had delicious gazpacho
send their children to Hillel, Akiva, Yeshiva Beth
T-shirts: An American import?
there and watched the crowds on
Yehudah and Darchei Torah, recognizing that a
Rehov
Ben-Yehuda.
community without day schools is no Jewish com-
In case any of your readers
munity at all.
haven't yet awakened to the fact
Frumeth Hirsh Polasky
that Zionism is as dead as dirt in
Saginaw
Israel, let the frank truth be
known: The only place it flutters
its last weary breaths is in the Franchise Nyet
simplemindedness of the Dias-
pora. Of course, American corpo- Regarding Boaz Dvir's Close Up,
"Greetings From Israel" (Aug. 9):
sages and suggestions. The advertising phrase rations have infiltrated Israeli
"Next Year in Jerusalem"
soil like the plague; or did you be-
"image is everything" sums it up. But there is a lieve
all those $10-billion loan for McDonald's? Josef Stalin was
very different message for the teens who, for guarantees came without a price? a tyrant, but he did one good
thing: He kept the franchises out
almost one week every summer, attend the Mac- Don't be fooled.
cabi Games. Here, the resounding theme is that
Israel has been bought by For- of Eastern Europe.
it's cool to be Jewish. Judaism says we are what tune 500 CEOs who care about
Ralph Slovenko
we are as a result of what we do, not what we as much for Israeli sovereignty
Professor
of
Law and Psychi-
and
Jewish
identity
as
they
do
say. If it were an advertising line, it would be
atry
which way the wind blows. If any
"substance is everything•"
Wayne State University
reader
of
The
Jewish
News
The Maccabi movement, an outgrowth of Jew-
ish Community Centers throughout the world, doesn't realize this, he has never
been to Israel for an extended pe- Thoughts On
continues to prosper. There is talk performers riod
or lived in a world where the
may someday compete in a Maccabi arts festival. term "daaaah" has no meaning. Votes, Terrorism
The idea strikes the right chord at the right time. It's time to wake up.
I would like to comment on two
We Israelis have imported all items in your Aug. 9 publication.
of America's worst attributes en
First: Neal Sher's articles
masse, i.e. a TV-citizenry that is about Dole and the Jewish vote.
desensitized, fragmented, glut- Mr. Sher doubts the sincerity of
tonous, cynical, self-interested, Dole's "sponsoring in 1995 legis-
instant-reward-oriented, shallow lation to move the U.S. embassy
and lacking in higher culture.
from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem
At the same time, we have (something which he had previ-
failed miserably to import any- ously opposed)." Why did he not
thing worthy into the country ex- mention that Clinton decisively
cept material "stuff." Whoopdedo. favored such a move in his 1992
Now we have a rich country, but campaign and then refused to do
everybody's so afflicted with "get- so even though the Congress fa-
rich-quick" they can't think. Wel- vored the move by a substantial
come to the Holy Land.
To respond: :( So, What Do You Think?'
vote?
Don't be fooled either when the
27676 Franklin Road, Southfield, MI 48034
UJA calls asking for donations VOTES page 30

Letters

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Cool To Be Jewish

Detroit should be rightfully proud of the contin-
gent of teen-agers competing this week in New
Jersey at the Maccabi Youth Games. Our story
on the games begins on Page 3 and was writ-
ten by Associate Editor Alan Hitsky, on location
in New Jersey. Coverage, complete with a list of
all the winners and plenty of photographs, will
continue next week.
We send praise to the coaches and parents of
these champions, not to mention the competitors
themselves. The hours of dedication paid off in
more ways than one.
We live in an assimilated culture where youth
are bombarded by too many inappropriate mes-

6355360 @MCIMAIL . COM .

11

10

O

Do You
Think?"

At what point do you start think-
ing about the High Holidays?
How do you prepare?

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