Editorials
It's Time To
Return To The
Maccabi Games
Many of us still remember the voice of corn-
munity leader and Maccabi master of cere-
monies David Hermelin welcoming athletes
from around the world during the colorful
opening at the Palace of Auburn Hills.
That was in August of 1990. Some 2,200
athletes and hundreds of coaches came to
Detroit for a spectacle that is still talked about
nationally as the standard for these games. The
Detroit Jewish community, known for so
much in the area of volunteerism and philan-
thropy, lived up to its reputation. Hundreds of
our neighbors opened their homes to house
the athletes, officiate at games, serve food or
volunteer in any way asked.
Now we have an opportunity to raise the
bar again. In August of 1998, the Maccabi
Games return to Detroit. Only this time, some
3,300 athletes are expected. This time, it's
going to take 1,000 volunteers and 1,300
homes. By comparison, the 1994 Winter
Olympic Games in Lillehammer, Norway,
hosted 1,800-2,000 athletes. Detroit will have
50 to 60 delegations from the U.S., three to
five from Canada and others from Israel,
Australia, Great Britain and South America.
We can tell you now, in September 1997,
that the committee putting this event together
needs your help. Whether it is opening your
home or volunteering on a committee, we urge
you to participate whether or not you have a
child competing. It is such a wonderful experi-
ence to get to meet the athletes and coaches
from around the country and the world. By
hosting an athlete, you are giving another
Jewish family in another state or country peace
of mind that their child is safe and in familiar
territory.
We urge you to call Games Director Beth
Kellman at (248) 661-7722.
Arafat Has A Price
To Pay If He Really
Wants Peace
If Yassir Arafat is "the man," then U.S.
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright hopeful-
ly made it clear to the Palestinian "leader" that
he's going to have to pay the price for peace.
Enough public displays of affection with
Hamas. Enough running around the world
talking peace, then shouting in Gaza, the West
Bank and the rest of the Arab world about
Palestinian entitlement, namely Jerusalem and
Israel.
Yes, the Middle East is a bubbling cauldron.
And Israel is a victim of this in so many ways.
There's an easy observation: Close the borders,
seal them and there are no wounded, there are
no dead. Open the borders and Israelis die.
The public relations view has it that when
the borders are closed, it's Israel's fault that
Palestinians are unemployed and hungry. And
that unemployment and hunger is then
blamed for the terrorism. It's as if the
Palestinians are pointing their fingers at the
Israelis, after another cowardly terrorist takes
himself and innocents with him, saying, "We
regret this had to happen, but it's your fault
anyway."
What happened to all of the money for pro-
grams that were supposed to build up the
Palestinian infrastructure? Instead, it seems the
only infrastructure we see are weapons in the
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mnasts warm up for the Maccabi Games.
LETTERS
Yassir Arafat: War or peace?
hands of the so-called Palestinian police.
No, it won't be enough if Madeleine
Albright makes it clear to Arafat that the
killings must stop. She also has to make it clear
to Syria, Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan.
Peace process?
What peace process? Maybe it's time to
revisit the final status talks instead of dragging
out this ever-failing "peace process."
It's something that Prime Minister
Netanyahu should expedite with Albright and
Arafat on board.
We'd settle for a day in which an Israeli
teenager isn't buried in a cemetery. That's
where our expectation level is now.
If it's got to be Arafat, and if he's the
"leader," then he should be made to imple-
ment programs for the betterment of his peo-
ple, without the destruction of ours.
We believe in the process of dialogue and
negotiations because we fear what might come
if the remnant of that structure is gone. But
we equally believe that Arafat needs to be pres-
sured for more than his predictable rhetoric.
Participation
Deserves Praise
I read with interest the article
which appeared in The Jewish
News on Aug. 29: "Ladies In
Orange - senior citizens help
Oak Park police nab parking
criminals." In the article it
states that some judges are
not in favor of this program
because it utilizes unarmed
citizens in place of officers
doing police work.
This is a double-sided pic-
ture. On the one side, I am
looking forward to participat-
ing in this program as a con-
cerned citizen making sure
this important law, to protect
those handicapped individu-
als' accessible parking spaces,
is enforced. On the other
side, it allows our police offi-
cers the time they need to do
more pressing things related
to crime prevention in
our community.
I think this is a wonderful
volunteer opportunity that
brings added value and com-
mitment to our community. I
do hope that the judges as
well as the rest of the commu-
nity will be pleasantly sur-
prised with the results because
of the positive impact.
Sylvia Haliburton
Oak Park
Paper's Role
In Question
A number of years ago, I
complimented a woman on
the fact that she and her hus-
band raised four caring people
and committed Jews. She
smiled and said, "Thank you.
But it is not as simple as
that."
The woman told me that
one can dedicate one's life to
imbuing children with the
values and characteristics that
are important, and one person
QUESTION on page 42