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How awful it has been to learn of the people,
the lives, the souls who decided recently to kill
themselves as a group.
We call Heaven's Gate a cult. But it actually
was a wayfarer station for the spiritually and
intellectually dispossessed.
Don't believe for a minute that the work of
this cult or others like it are "out there some-
where," far away from the presumed safe
lifestyles that lull us in the comfort of our homes.
Never, ever believe that a cult is not some-
thing our own friends, neighbors and, most
painfully, our family members are safe from.
Unfortunately, over the years the percentage
ofJewish membership in cults, both religious
and psychological, has been hugely dispropor-
tionate to the general Jewish population.
It's no secret that Jews are seekers. When
the answers come from an encounter group on
a college campus or a public session in a hotel
meeting room, the seeker probably will not go
to the one source he or she has lived with all
of his life, Judaism. Often there is no connec-
tion to an "emotional" high or an intellectual
religious challenge within their own Jewish
homes.
Cults usually feed on a lack of self-esteem
within the individual. First a person is "bombed"
with love. Then he enters a support system like
nothing he's experienced before. He's told that
he's "somebody." The teachings of the cult leader
make him even more of a somebody.
But for many Jews who enter cults, their re-
ligious memory is of responsive readings and
rather cold post bar-mitzvah experiences in con-
trast to the "spirituality" offered by cults.
Cults and missionary groups such as Mes-
sianic Judaism have often done a better job of
getting their message across with ruach, spir-
it, than our synagogues or our homes.
This we can change. Nothing written in
any self-help book or in any tape cassette
or video contains more about the image of
self than the Torah and Judaism. We need
to show our children that Judaism is joyful,
that the Torah is not a stranger but an impor-
tant part of our lives. We need to keep Jewish
books around the house, we need to take cours-
es from the Midrasha at the Agency for Jewish
Education, or at our synagogues or from our
rabbis.
And we need to make it clear, especially to
our children, that Judaism is not about peo-
ple stopping their lives. It's about love, it's about
self-esteem, it's about growth, both intellectu-
ally and spiritually.
What we need to do, though, is a better job of
showing that joy.
Days of Decision Provide
Opportunity To Give 'Life'
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24
Eighteen bucks.
That's what it cost Federation to pay for 11/2
hours of homemaker services for a homebound
person.
From April 6-9, the Jewish Federation of
Metro Detroit's Allied Jewish Campaign holds
its annual Days of Decision effort. This is the
closeout drive of the 1997 Campaign, a time
when Federation holds telethons, contacting
area Jews who have never given to Campaign
before. This year Days of Decision volunteers
will be asking potential donors to consider
pledges in increments of $18, the Jewish nu-
merical value of chai or life.
$36 — the cost of a day of rehab services for
an adult with disabilities.
This year's Days of Decision, chaired
by Susan Citrin and Oscar Feldman, carries
with it an urgency unlike past Days of Decision.
We've written that federal welfare reform could
threaten Supplemental Security Income and
food stamps to Soviet emigres who have been
here more than five years and have not achieved
citizenship yet. Without the passage of the U.S.
citizenship test, they could automatically lose
some $500 per month per person.
This could affect some 500,000 refugees in
the United States. This summer, benefits will
cease for some 300 Detroit area Jews in 183 sep-
arate families. Some of our new neighbors, es-
pecially the frail and the elderly, could be facing
homelessness.
There is no "could be" to write about here.
Federation, which acts as a safety net for our
population at risk, "will be" facing the fact that
it will have to fill a void left by the federal gov-
ernment. The cost for that void is high.
$72 —A week of Jewish summer camp for a
child in Hungary.
The Eugene and Marcia Applebaum Cam-
paign Challenge will match all new pledges
and any increases in pledges made from last
year.
$180 — pays for 12 weeks of hot lunches for
a new American at a Jewish day school.
You might be called on to work the telephones
or volunteer in some way. Or you might be
asked to consider the number 18.
Because, this time around, it's really about
life.
THE CONTINUING STORY OF JEWISH LIFE IN THE DIASPORA
by Jordan B. Gorfinkel
SO FAR: The chevrah (gang) hangs in Becna & Yael's apartment.
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COMMENTS? SUGGESTIONS ? KVETCHES7E•MAIL US AT >TPL@JEWIS
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Letters
Public Care
For The III
safety net for the most seriously
mentally ill who are unable to care
for themselves.
This includes those who need
I have been disappointed in not long-term care (more than 30
seeing any mention in The Jew- days) or who are slated to go into
ish News of the impending "reor- a public hospital many miles away
ganization" or closure of three from family (Caro, Mich.), making
more public mental hospitals in visitation very difficult if not im-
Michigan. One of these is Clinton possible. This restructuring also
Valley Hospital in Pontiac, serv- precludes a county public hospi-
ing mentally ill people of Oakland tal for emergencies.
County, which has a very high
Professionals vital in providing
population ofJewish people.
for needs of the mentally ill, such
It would be very gratifying if we as social workers, psychologists
did not have many mentally ill and psychiatrists, do not seem to
people among Jews, but the fact is have been included in the devel-
that we have many among us who opment of the present plans of the
do need the services provided by a Community Mental Health Board
public hospital in our county.
nor in the "Transition Team" ap-
Recently, I have attended many pointed to make recommendations
meetings and hearings in the met- for what appears to be a fait ac-
ropolitan area and see very little compli in accord with the gover-
involvement of Jewish organiza- nor's oudget.
tions in this crisis period. There
Gov. Engler has presented a
was-much evidence and testimo- budget for community mental
ny given in these meetings by pa- health to the State House of Rep-
tients, relatives, professionals and resentatives and Senate which
the public at large which should does not include funding for Clin-
be reported on. There are sweep- ton Valley Hospital or another
ing changes in the 'structure and structure to take its place in our
content of the mental-health ser-
vices in our county which leave no PUBLIC CARE page 27