LETTERS

SOVEREIGNTY

from page 32

numbers since long before Muslims; it
is where the sacred Babylonian
Talmud was written.
Imagine the world's reaction to
such
Jewish chutzpah! Yet this is
/–
exactly what the Palestinians are doing
in asserting claims to Jerusalem, which
has been the religious and political
capital of the Jewish people for 3,000
years.
There are two fundamental differ-
ences between Palestinians in
Jerusalem and Jews in Arab lands: The
former have civil and religious free-
doms that Jews — and Christians —
in Arab lands can only dream about;
and no one talks about Palestinian
chutzpah in claiming sovereign rights
over Jerusalem.
The current crisis in Palestinian-
Israeli relations is not about Jewish
resettlement in eastern Jerusalem. It's
about Palestinian insistence on press-
ing unjustified claims to Judaism's
holiest city and Israel's determination
not to surrender its historic rights in
the face of violence.

Kenneth C. Gold
West Bloomfield

Those With Need
Are Not Served

I was very disturbed to read recently
in The Jewish News that the Jewish
Community Center was now offering
$100 individual memberships to rab-
bis and executives and 30 percent dis-
counts to all other staff members of
Detroit synagogues and Federation
constituent agencies ("Not A Stretch"
Sept. 12).
What bothers me here is there are
many people in our community
whom we could better serve with
these discounts. Mr. Sorkin, the exec-
utive director of the JCC, states that

Letters Policy

/—

The Jewish News welcomes letters to
the editor on topics of interest to
the Jewish community.
Deadline for consideration is 10
a.m. Tuesday for Friday's edition.
Letters should be typewritten
and double-spaced. They can be
mailed or brought to The Jewish
News at 27676 Franklin Rd.,
Southfield, MI 48034; faxed to
(248) 354-6069; e-mail to
6819228@MCIMAIL.COM ; or on
the Internet:
TheDJN@AOL.COM .

the rabbis and professionals provide
free service and support. Indeed,
many of them do; but isn't that all
part of communal service?
I have no quarrel with promotional
campaigns, one-time complimentary
gifts, etc.; but I think it sets a bad
precedent here, particularly the $100
membership perks. Wouldn't it be
refreshing and thrilling to have some
of these professionals return their dis-
counts?
Everyone in our Jewish community
should support the JCC. Perhaps it is
time to re-evaluate the whole dues
structure.

Sophie Pearlstein
Southfield

COMMUNITY
VIEWS

YABBUTS

from page 32

So, so, so many experts right here
in our midst, dispensing their brilliant
insight about what Israel should do!
Not only politicians but journalists,
rabbis, teachers and men on the street.
What, I want to know, is wrong
with saying, "Terrorism is wrong.
Period. The end."
In our home we have a rule: no hit-
ting. This is inflexible, it is inarguable.
I do not spank or slap my children,
and they are not allowed to express
their anger by smacking each other, no
matter what the circumstances leading
to the conflict.
"But she took my crayon and I had
it first!" my son will say, glaring
through the edges of his eyes at his big
sister.
Soon, we will discuss how to
resolve such differences. But my first
step is to chastise Yitzhak. "We do not
hit, and that is the bottom line," I'll
say. "After you apologize to your sister
and take a 2-minute penalty, we'll talk
about this."
Now I'm not saying Yitzhak loves
going to his room for a penalty, but it
does put an end to his hitting. And
after he has had a few minutes alone
he's more reasonable, and chances are
he and his sister will work things out
in a matter of minutes.
It's not a perfect system but it usu-
ally works — which is a lot more than
I can say for the yabbut technique
being employed by Madeleine
Albright and the rest of the U.S. gov-
ernment when it comes to the Middle
East.

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9/19
1997

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