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Remember The Cause
We Seem To Want To Forget

THE PROMISED LAND

Last Sunday, a small gathering participated in
this disease than ever before. The American
a memorial service.
public, indeed the Jewish community, seems
It wasn't for people killed in a war with bul-
bored by it. Yet, like an underground fire burn-
lets. It wasn't to remember the names of the vic-
ing out of control, the last thing we need to do
tims of a terrorist act. Anytime someone dies, is stop the focus.
in defense of one's country, or as an innocent
There are drugs out there that are dramati-
victim, it is something we should always car-
cally
prolonging the life of AIDS patients. Yet,
ry with us.
these drugs are so expensive, they are wiping
Yet, 50 or so people who met at the
out the savings and life insurance policies of
Maple/Drake JCC should have been joined by
many victims. Huge segments of people who
hundreds more. They were there to participate can't afford treatment won't have these treat-
in a Michigan Jewish Aids Coalition-sponsored ments available at all. -
World Aids Day program. They were there to
Yes, AIDS still carries a stigma, though it's
light yahrtzeit candles, to talk of those who had
not necessarily homosexuality anymore.
died and the potential they had left behind.
We're turning our back on a killing disease,
There are now millions of people in this world
we, the people whose mandate is to shed light
who are infected with HIV, the virus that caus- on the world to care, to help.
es AIDS. The disease kills grandmothers,
There are few people in our country who can
toddlers, brothers, mothers and uncles. AIDS
say they absolutely don't know anyone who has
was stigmatized for years as a "gay" disease,
the virus. We don't even know yet what the pull
something that could be blamed on a certain
and the impact on Jewish communal services
lifestyle.
will be. AIDS doesn't care if you are Jewish or
Clearly, the cases of AIDS that are showing Irish Catholic — it still kills.
up today most often have nothing to do with
Michigan Jewish AIDS Coalition and its
one's sexual preferences. People are getting sick; cause belong on the front burner
all of the time.
people are dying. Whether it matters or not to Education, advice and friendship
are among
you, Jews are not exempt in any way.
the services it can offer ow- community.
Clearly, future treatment and concern over
"Jews don't get AIDS.”
this disease will not be hampered by the stig-
Don't ever bet your life against that one.
ma mentioned above. Now, there's a new con-
Next year, when it's World AIDS Day, re-
cern: apathy. People are less concerned about member the cause.

Observing The Light,
And Sharing Its Sanctity

22

Our traditions instruct us that it is not enough
come overwhelming odds and we have tri-
to simply light the Chanukah menorah with- umphed.
in the privacy and sanctity of our homes.
Placing the candelabra behind glass
Rather, we are obligated to
also makes a statement about
place the menorah in a win-
ourselves. It says we have a
dow, fully visible to those in
home where God has a place
the outside world who pass by
at the table. It says the glow
on a cool, crisp December
of spirituality can be found
night. It is not enough for us
within
the four walls of our
to partake in the ritual as in-
dwellings,
and we are not
dividuals, or as isolated fami-
ashamed
to
demonstrate
it.
lies. We must share these eight
When Judaism breathes among
days of beauty and light with the
the members of our families, light and
greater community, Jewish and non-Jewish.
warmth are the by-products.
By placing a menorah on a window sill, we
We illuminate the darkness on Chanukah
are announcing our pride in Jewish
so
that others may see that light and feel
peoplehood. It is a personal and public
that
warmth. So go light your Chanukah
celebration statement of our survival.
menorah
this year (before your Shab-
It says we've been down, but we've nev-
bat
candles
of course). And make sure
er been out. We've always bounced back
that you have some friends and family
from adversity. With God's help, we have over- around to share the glow.

by Jordan B. Gorfinkel

-- THIS "8E6R- K6GGER" MARK
WE'RE l'ALKIN' 'BOUT? I MEAN - -
"MarORBIK6" MARK "MASH
MARK..? MOSIIIIZN471 MARK ..9!

1

'WE SAMO.
NOW HE'5 LEA
MOVE D t0 ING 70RAH 2 FULL
/SRAfL AND rIM E IN &"51f/1/14 3
fRINAirD 01/7: 1 AND CALLING HIM-
5EL-r mos/a'.

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GLOSSARY: FRUMMED OUT=YIDDISH/COLLOQUIALISM FOR BECOMING TORAH-LAW OBSERVANT
2 TORAH=LITERAL-
LY, THE FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES; USED HERE COLLOQUIALLY, AS A BROAD TERM ENCOMPASSING ALL OF JEWISH LAW
YESHIVA=TORSH COLLEGE

Letters

Is Attention
Deserved?

I was incensed to open the Nov.
15 edition of The Jewish News

to find an article dedicated to a
person involved in a non-entity.
That a paper devoted to De-
troit's Jewish community should
laud and lend credence to such
foolishness as Jews for Jesus is
either ignorance or stupidity at
its zenith. Reading the rest of
this "puff piece," I wondered
what was the ultimate purpose.
The NAACP does not run ar-
ticles on the grand dragon of the
Ku Klux Klan, so why should a
Jewish newspaper write about
an anti-Jew? Bad enough we live
with anti-Semites; why should
you want us to live with anti-Se-
mitic Jews?
I have learned that trying to
convert the "proselytizer" is a
waste of time. Jews have never
killed other Jews to teach them
how to find God. We have never
killed other people to fulfill our
belief in our God. As a matter of
fact, Jews must please man be-

fore pleading to God. This is the
basic difference between Jews
and gentiles.
Before a Jew can beg God for
forgiveness and pray for anoth-
er year of life, that Jew must go
to any and all people whom he
has injured in any way and beg
forgiveness for his actions. Only
then can he recite the Kol Nidre
prayer. We do not need embell-
ishment or revision of the only
religion to serve for almost 6,000
years.

Dr. Alvin V. Pensler
Napa, Calif

Be Informed
To Criticize

In the issue of Nov. 22, you pub-
lished a letter from an Eve
Garvin of West Bloomfield. Ms.
Garvin refers to the Jewish res-
idents of Hebron, including the
yeshiva students there, as draft-
dodging, anti-Zionist loafers liv-
ing on the public dole, including
contributions to the UJA.

INFORMED page 26

