•

•

We Call On COJES
To Make Its Mark As Listener

Senior Writer Julie Edgar's article on the Com-
mission on Jewish Eldercare Services (COJES)
brings to focus Federation's desire to smooth out
the future of care for our Jewish elderly.
The hiring of Linda Blumberg is a strong step
to achieving this goal. So is the addition of re-
tired Beth Abraham Hillel Moses Rabbi Irving
Schnipper. There are few people in the Detroit
area who have spent their careers in the "trench-
es of giving" like Rabbi Schnipper.
Our concern and our challenge to COJES is a
simple one. Yet, for some, it may be complex. We
worry that while the elderly community and its
families need the support of the organized Jew-
ish community, we are equally concerned that
the last thing a family needs is another layer of
bureaucracy.
We encourage COJES to cut through the lev-

els of red tape and spend a great deal of time lis-
tening to the elderly and to their families. There
is certainly a "board room" component to any
commission, to any agency. Yet, as committed
workers such as Rabbi Schnipper can tell any-
one, it's the faces of the families. It's the words
they say, the pain they feel. We have to make
sure that not only do we have commissions in
place, but that we do a better job of hearing what
the people who need COJES are saying.
These are not castaway people. They are mem-
bers of our Jewish community, and they have
voices, points of views, concerns and needs.
It's important that COJES's role is that of com-
munity educator. But, it is equally important
that COJES let itself get educated. Listen to the
people. They'll tell you what they need.

THE PROMISED LAND by Jordan B. Gerfinkel
I'M NOT- PUSHY... s JUST TRY TO

* Ilk oh... )-

WHAT'S BOTHER-
ING YOU, HONEY?

SET AN Xikfv1PL-6...

HE COMPLETELY IGNORES AU- MY
ATTEMPTS TO BRINa

HIMBACK -r0

JUDAISM.

C

aurs BeEN PUSHING`
YEARS!
YOUR BUTTONS
FACTS-- LOUIS IS AN Aii-10/_97-: N

BERNIE -- THE

`ACE

FOR

wif r'' A,17,?
'

BUT 'THEN &NO'

UP His WDD/SHK0/17

!PAW- HE DOES IS AGGRAVATE YOU,

.51-0P

soeuvo

H/MI

Create Informed Choice

A segment within Israel's Orthodox political par-
ties has tried on and off for the past decade to
bring a more narrow definition to the require-
ment of being called a Jew. Apparently, this
group is at it again, hoping that Prime Minister
Binyamin Netanyahu's fragile coalition cannot
turn back its cause.
The latest round comes as the Israel Supreme
Court deferred to the Knesset on deciding the
validity of a non-Orthodox conversion presided
over in Israel. The issue was a prime one at last
week's federation movement's General Assem-
bly in Seattle, Wash.
The last time "Who Is a Jew?" was hot was
in 1988. The matter quickly became one of in-
ternational Jewish disunity — by all sides.
At that time, a delegation of American Jews
flew to Israel to lobby Knesset members against
the efforts to pass legislation that would tighten
the definition of a Jew, one that would ostensi-
bly negate the life-cycle ceremonies of non-Or-
thodox rabbis.
The American leaders won that fight, but they
may still lose the war. That is, while we believe
that in general terms they are headed in the right
direction, they must realize that Israel's Ortho-
dox political factions can and will use power pol-
itics to manipulate the Knesset.

Concerned American Jews must finally real-
ize that, as non-Israeli voters, direct action is
rightly out of their hands. Nevertheless, they
keep trying, albeit in different ways. In fact, they
are getting better by being pro-active instead
of reactive. We approve of this.
Yet, they should rechannel efforts to focus from
the Israeli lawmakers to the Israeli people. In
time, that group will elect legislators more in line
with their thinking and educate others as to their
political force.
Sadly, as in North America, far too many Jews
in Israel are removed from Judaism. We should
invest time and money in the marketing of our
religion to secular Jews, most of whom find the
`Who Is a Jew?" controversy irrelevant and bor-
ing. And we should do so by using ideas and texts
from all movements. In the process, we will in-
crease pluralism and observance in Israel. And
we will perform an even greater mitzvah: We
will bring many Jews back to the glory and won-
der that is Jewish life. This would likely result
in more Orthodox Jews as well, ones more in-
terested in spreading knowledge and mitzvot
than the politics of division.
We shouldn't let prejudice against any side
narrow our vision from doing what is right for
our collective future.

6355360 @MCIMAIL . COM .

"

S

Do You
0 What
Think?"

Are you offended when you see Christmas
decorations at a public place? Does it make
you feel better to see a Chanukah decoration
as well?

To respond: "So, What Do You Think?"
27676 Franklin Road, Southfield, Ml 48034

Letters

Thanks For
The Memories

After reading Assistant Editor
Gail Zimmerman's Nov. 1 Edi-
tor's Notebook ("It's Time To Say
Yes To High School Reunions"),
I was compelled to write you to
tell you how I was feeling.
First and foremost, I am filled
with regret that I did not make
the sincere effort to come in for
the weekend. It was quite ironic,
but the people featured in the ar-
ticle's photos brought many hap-
py memories flooding back to me.
I had a tremendous crush on
both Eddie Gutman and Jimmy
Goodman in middle school. It was
great to see their smiling faces in
the paper. Diana Kuper and I

were friendly in middle school,
too.. I doubt she'd remember that
she took me to the best
Chanukah party I ever attended.
Fran Klein and I were buddies

then, and at sleepovers, her
brothers scared me out of my wits
with ghost stories.
Sandy Birnholtz and I used to
play together when we were kids.
I'm sure he wouldn't remember
that our parents were friends
back then.
Ann Fishman and I became
friends in high school, and she
was one of the sweetest girls I've
ever known.

Helene Goldstein Kessler, Bill Elson
and Cindy Diogenes Frey celebrate at
Oak Park High School's Class of 1966
30-year reunion.

I doubt I would have remem-
bered these little memories, ex-
cept for your article. I will
certainly never miss another op-
portunity to come to a reunion.
And although Gail Zimmer-
man and I weren't friends in high
school, we do have something in
common: Her brother-in-law
Marvin Cohen took me to our se-
nior prom!
Thanks for the memories.

Bonnie Stern Godel

Boca Raton, Fla.

Perpetrators
Vs. Victims

I was really stunned and hurt
when I opened The Jewish News
and found an article about my for-

PERPETRATORS page 28

=„

