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God's Tears

The Detroit contingent on the March of the Living
marks Yom Hashoah in Auschwitz-Birkenau.

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JILL DAVIDSON SKLAR STAFF WRITER

apping an intense week of learn-
ing about and visiting the sites of
historic Polish Jewry, 59 local teen-
agers, their madrichim, rabbis and
chaperons represented Detroit on Holo-
caust Remembrance Day (Yom
Hashoah), Sunday, May 4, on the Inter-
national March of the Living.
The march was one of several stops on
/– ,
the first week of a two-week mission to
Poland and Israel. One goal is uniting
the Orthodox, Conservative and Reform
teens on the trip.
"I think educationally and emotional-
ly this experience has given the kids a
context in terms of who they are and
what their legacy is — really the raison
d'etre for Jews in the 20th century," said
Rabbi Steven Weil ofYoung Israel of Oak
\--) Park, who is accom-
panying the teens.
With narration pro-
vided by University of
Michigan Professor
Zvi Gitelman, the par-
ticipants visited the
site of the Warsaw
Ghetto, toured the
Majdanek death
camp, learned about
is several synagogues
and Jewish cemeter-
ies, walked through-
out Poland's two
largest cities and cele-
brated Shabbat in a
synagogue that still
smelled of smoke due
to a fire bombing three
months ago.
Throughout, partic-
,_ ipants bombarded the
rabbis — Paul Yed-
wab of Temple Israel,
Leonardo Bitran. of
Congregation Shaarey
Zedek and Young Is-
rael's Steven Weil —
The ruins of
with questions.
Auschwitz serve as
"The questions were a memorial to the
about specific issues in millions killed by
the movements, like the Nazis.
life after death and
Halachah," Rabbi Yedwab said. "They
came from the kids in all of the move-
ments."
The trip was not without incidents of
Polish anti-Semitism. From the moment
of arrival, some Poles gaped at some of
the teens who wore kippot and tzitzit.
Others became more violent. On the
first day in Poland, May 1, three Israeli
\_nteens were attacked by skinheads, sus-
,-- taining minor injuries. Tour buses and
walking groups were pelted with rocks.
On the way to pray Shabbat morning,

—

GOD'S TEARS page 26

A Survivor Returns

Elias Calla revisits the horror
that took the lives of his first wife and child.

JILL DAVIDSON SKLAR STAFF WRITER

F

fifty-two years ago,
Elias Calla was liber-
ated from death
camps, where he was
imprisoned and tortured for
being a Jew. On Monday, he
went back as a free man.

death and labor camps in
Poland and then to Israel.
Mr. Calla and Dr. Reinitz
joined the group for the
Poland leg of the trip
and then spent two days
touring Mr. Calla's home-
town. They returned
home Thursday.
Mr. Calla, a retired
furniture store own-
er from Cleveland
and the only survivor
in a family of five chil-
dren, survived seven
labor and death
camps before he was
liberated in May
1945. His wife, Edith,
the sole survivor in
her family, died two
years ago.
Ariel said having
his mother and
grandfather on the
trip lent greater
depth to, the experi-
ence.
"I am very happy
that they are here
with me. This is
something we want-
ed to do together," he
said.
Dr. Reinitz, a resi-
RNS PHOTWAP/WIDE WORLD
dent of Southfield
Mr. Calla; his daughter, said she wanted to learn

Dr. Deborah Reinitz; and about her family's history
his grandson, Ariel Reinitz, and to gain a better under-
marched the mile between standing of the Holocaust.
Auschwitz and Birkenau as "I didn't grow up with
part of the Detroit contin- aunts, uncles, cousins. I
gent on the International didn't have grandparents,"
March of the Living. she said. "I want to under
The family first heard of stand. I know it is incon
the program when Ariel, a ceivable why it happened,
student at Akiva Hebrew but I want to try to under-
Day School, was offered the stand how it happened."
chance to attend. His fami- Although Mr. Calla had
ly requested that Ariel's never been imprisoned at
grandfather and mother ac- Majdanek, the first concen-
company the trip, which has tration camp on the itiner-
taken 59 area Jewish teen- ary, he recalled that the
agers to the sites of four RETURN page 26

Exodus From The Dome

The ranks of Jewish state lawmakers are thinning.
Does it matter?

JULIE EDGAR SENIOR WRITER

B

y late next year, the state
Legislature could all but be
emptied out of Jewish law-
makers.
Term limits enacted in 1992
have cut short the considerable
careers of Rep. David Gubow and

at the same time I think there
should be that kind of diversity.
It adds to the strength of our
state." Rep. Gubow chairs the in-
surance committee.
Former state Sen. David
Honigman, the first and only
Rep. Burton Leland, who have col- Jewish Republican to serve in
lectively served 32 years
the Legislature, said the
in the state House. That
Reps. Burton
shrinking presence of
leaves Ann Arbor Rep. Leland and David Jewish lawmakers in
Gubow share a
Liz Brater, whose final
Lansing is not a good de-
lighthearted
term is up in 2000.
velopment.
That no oth-
moment on the
Neither Democrat is
er
Republican
Jew has
House floor.
happy about leaving, but
succeeded him bothers
both have reasons be-
him, too.
yond the personal for disliking
"It was a benefit, definitely, to
term limits. Losing Jews in the have a Jewish voice in the House
Legislature is just one more blow or the Senate or in either political
to truly representative govern- party. I think it makes the Jew-
ment, they say.
ish community feel it has a voice,
"If the Jewish community is go- a presence, especially given the
ing to have a voice, it needs to be history of persecution of the Jews.
represented," said Rep. Gubow. I can see why it would instill some
`That's not to say somebody ought fears.
to get elected because [he or she
"For example, there was the

is] a certain race or religion, but

THE DOME page 30

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