Sinai's Sale Could Result
In A Special Jewish Fund

There's a great deal of rumor circulating through
our community concerning the sale of Sinai Hos-
pital.
Indeed, Sinai's chairman of the board Mark
Schlussel has confirmed for The Jewish News
that Monday could be the key day in the history
of this city's Jewish hospital, and the rumors
could end right there.
The sale could result in a fund that would di-
rectly help in the health and social care of Jew-
ish families for generations to come. The money
would not go to Israel, education or synagogues,
according to Mr. Schlussel. It would be called
simply The Jewish Fund.
At the same time, the Sinai Health Care Foun-
dation would continue to administer and allo-
cate its funds as a subcommittee.
The Fund could play a major role in the sta-
bility of this Jewish community, and it could end

THE PROMISED LAND by Jordan B. Garfinkel

COME IN,
REBECCA--
COME IN!

up accomplishing Sinai's mission of care in the
long run.
There are still many details to be worked out.
The future of Sinai's highly skilled medical staff
and its caring, highly skilled CEO, Phillip
Schaengold, are unknown at this time. It is our
hope that all of the professionals who have giv-
en their lives and services to this community will
still be involved in a major way. We also en-
courage the negotiators to insure this commu-
nity a place where kosher food would still be
available to Jewish patients.
But ifs more than kosher food. Jewish patients
should also have a place where chaplaincy is
available, and staff members and physicians who
are sensitive to any concerns or needs they have.
We're certain that this will be of importance to
the boards, the experts and the advisers who will
continue their negotiations on Monday.

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A Christmas Gift
From Jews

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22

How many of us awaken on Dec. 25 to find the
city and its suburbs pretty well shut down in
observance of Christmas?
And how many of us find ourselves in the in-
ertia zone, taking in as many reruns of It's a
Wonderful Life as we can possibly absorb, or
stocking up at the video store the night before?
Then there's the frantic evening hunt for an
open restaurant. A taste of Chinese seems dif-
ficult to ignore, but Indian will do. Then, of
course, it's back to the movies or home to watch
a football game. Something — anything!
There is, however, plenty for Jews to do on
Dec. 25. We're not talking about helping our
gentile friends unwrap gifts or drink egg nog.
We speak, of course, of the essence of being a
Jew — fulfilling our commitment to our reli-
gious beliefs while helping others. The fact is,
many organizations, municipalities, hospitals,

nursing homes and other charitable
groups need our help.
Dec. 25 provides an opportunity to
fill in as a person who feeds the elderly
in a hospital. There's a chance to work
doing easy filing in a police dispatch-
er's office. Doing this and countless
other jobs helps permit a non-Jewish
employee or volunteer to spend the
holiday with family and friends — just
like we want for our own observances.
This also helps promote interfaith re-
lations.
There are other places to help, too.
Goodness knows there are ample op-
portunities to serve meals in a soup
kitchen, fix up homes for those who
can't do it themselves and even hand out mat-
tresses in a homeless shelter. Many Jewish
groups around the country will be coordinating
such efforts on Dec. 25. Locally, the Federation k
can use some volunteers for its Christmas Day
projects. Call Federation, (810) 642-4260, to find
out more.
And don't wait until Dec. 24 to decide. Make
that telephone call as soon as possible. Orga-
nizations need your commitment to work an
hour or all day so that they can give employees
some free time on Christmas.
Now, here's the catch. When you're done and
you feel good, don't plan to do this again next
year. Do it next month. It's the right kind of pre-
sent to our society. It's not sitting under a tree.
It's one that exhibits our values as Jews.

Letters

Misplaced
Sentiments?

This is in response to the letter
from Mr. Sid Schulman ("Too
Much Coverage" Nov. 22) con-
cerning an earlier article on Jew-
ish prisoners ("A Lost Tribe,"
Nov. 8).
I agree with Mr. Schulman
that we prisoners deserve nei-
ther sympathy nor respect for

C5-

A Hebrew class at Jackson Prison.

what we have done to harm so-
ciety, but I must question his
choice of issues as well as his
commitment to Judaism.
Why did he not become en-
raged over the opening state-
ment of the article comparing
Michigan's prisons to the most
infamous of death camps? This
comparison was presumably
done for its shock value since
I, as a prisoner and a serious stu-
MISPLACED page 24

