Editorials

Some New Additions
To Our News Coverage

Since Sept:12, the date of the beginning of
The Jewish News redesign, we've listened to
your phone calls, read your letters and heard
your "community talk." The response has been
favorable and responsible, pointing out to us
areas of concern and improvement. We're striv-
ing to make your JN an easier and better read.
It is something we work on constantly.
While we have done a thorough job of
reflecting the local Jewish community, readers
are telling us that they still want to see more in
terms of national and international news.
Throughout the summer and early fall, you
have seen stories picked up from New York's
Jewish Week. The hub of Jewish life in this
country New York Jewish news more often
than not has national significance. What hap-
pens in New York is often talked about across
the country.

There's another tool that we'll be adding to
our options list on international coverage. In
the upcoming issues, you'll start seeing news
from the Jerusalem Post. It's Israel's premier
English-language publication. It presents an
array of articles, features and columnists that
will now be appearing from time to time in
The Jewish News. Also, it presents a balanced
approach - in its opinion writing, with writers
representing views from the left wing and the
right wing.
The use of the Jerusalem Post will give us the
opportunity to increase and improve the cover-
age we currently receive from our Israel corre-
spondents.
We're looking forward to your response.
Again, we can be reached by phone at (248)
354-6060, ext. 258. Or we can be reached on
the internet at TheDJN@aol.com .

' 1 "Nirks ,

❑

Some Optimistic Signs
On The Peace Front

Many people bitterly disappointed by the ago-
dangerous. And as we have seen, going too
nizing Mideast peace process forget that the
slow is just as problematic. Reaching and
Israelis and Palestinians have never signed a
maintaining the right speed is essential.
peace treaty. The two Oslo accords Yitzhak
Netanyahu and Arafat together, not alone, can
Rabin and Yassir Arafat signed in 1993 and
make this work. Both have made mistakes, but
1994 outlined the preliminary and mid-range
still have the credibility to muster support for
measures needed to set the stage for final status well-crafted, meaningfulsteps.
Photo by AP/Doug Mills
negotiations. But they
Ultimately, even a
were not peace agree-
cold peace, always
ments.
preferable to a cold war,
Thus, the peace
will bring huge divi-
between the Israelis and
dends — domestic and
Palestinians hasn't
international dividends
failed. That's because it
— for them and their
has yet to happen.
people.
While the seeming con-
As is well known,
tinual string of suicide
Netanyahu and Arafat
bombings and threats
are far from close
made by some Islamic
friends. In fact, they at
fundamentalist leaders
Arafat and Netanyahu: They need each other.
times seem to despise
are cause for the highest
one another. Yet, they
levels of concern, they should not lead to a
are slowly realizing how much they need one
relinquishing of the desires and attempts to
another. They are beginning to realize that by
push the peace process forward. Such are our
weakening the other side they are ultimately
thoughts a week after a surprise and relatively
weakening themselves, creating a vacuum for
positive meeting between Israel Prime Minister
deadly forces to gain in their stead.
Binyamin Netanyahu and Arafat. With it, the
We hope and pray that both leaders are
peace process seems to have regained some
again ready to make the steady, behind-the-
positive momentum. There have been accom-
scenes progress needed„ This will cool tempers
panying reports of renewed Israeli and
and allow for a lasting agreement to be ham-
Palestinian security cooperation.
mered out — regardless of how many months
Hopes are rekindled, although admittedly
and even years it takes.
not reignited. The peace process, with U.S.
Are we too optimistic? Maybe, but we'd
prodding, should develop at its own special, if
much rather push for peace than the alterna-
sometimes frustrating, pace. Going too fast is
tive. ❑

10/17
1997

40

Laborers at a site on the West Bank a day after Israel agreed to
consider a "time out" in Jewish settlement construction.

LETTERS

Newspaper
Caused Hurt

On Friday, Oct. 10, The Jewish
News printed an obituary for
my mother, Lillian Spolen
Hyman. In printing the letter
we submitted, mistakes were
made. The names of several
siblings, Mrs. Hyman's chil-
dren, were misspelled. In addi-
tion, you described our father
as "the late" Allen Hyman; he
is very much alive.
When a loved one dies,
their survivors are left in pain
and vulnerable. These seem-
ingly careless mistakes hurt
deeply.
In the original obituary, we
described our mother as "the
loving bubbie of ..." You
changed the word bubbie to
grandmother. This was the
most disturbing of the alter-
ations you made. Fourteen

years ago, my mother became
a bubbie for the first time.
When she died she was bubbie
to seven grandchildren.
My mother was as a second
generation American and a
modem woman in every way.
She worked outside the home
and organized and chaired
many worthwhile causes.
However, her role as bubbie
was the one she took most
seriously.
While many women her
age preferred to be referred to
as grandmother, she wanted
her grandchildren to think of
her as she had thought of her
own bubbie: a Jewish woman
who would not only love and
nurture her grandchildren, but
give them a sense of the Jewish
history and culture that was
theirs. My mother cooked tra-
ditional Jewish foods for her
grandchildren and taught
them many of the Yiddish
words and songs that her own
bubbie had taught her. She
HURT on page 43