Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit

Join us for a
Great Personality

MITCH
ALBOM

all of the flowers and all of the years
she has longed for the comfort of a
piece of earth that holds her past."

their extraordinary humanitarian
deeds.
With the advent of democracy in
1991,
almost all of Albania's Jews emi-
— Linda Bachrack
grated to Israel, and it was there that
Sarner learned of their heroic rescue.
Suzanne Stern's jewelry is exhibit-
In 1992 in Israel, Sarner arranged a
ed at Ariana Gallery, 119 S. Main
reunion between the Albanian Jews
Street, Royal Oak.
and their rescuers (the Albanian
Righteous). He also sponsored an
Albanian-Muslim, Ledio Veseli, to
THE RIGHTEOUS ONES
attend a university in the United
For Van Christo, president of the
States.
Frosina Foundation, an organization
But he didn't stop there. Sarner was
dedicated to the needs of Albanian-
so impressed by the obvious warmth
between seemingly dis-
parate peoples that he
was compelled to write a
chronicle, Rescue In Alba-
nia (Brunswick Press;
$15).
During ceremonies
unveiling the names of
Albanian protectors on
its "Rescuer's Wall" at
the U.S. Holocaust
Museum in Washington,
D.C., Museum Director
Miles Lerman declared,
"Albania was the only
country in Europe which
had a larger Jewish pop-
ulation at the end of the
war than before it."
Why did the Albani-
ans risk their lives for
the Jews? Sarner says, "It
was their moral code,
the Code of Leke Duk-
agjini, which is not
based on religion. It's
based on the golden rule
Author Harvey Sarner ont row middli, in sunglasses) that you die first before
tours Israel with his guests, the Albanian Righteous.
you hand over your
houseguest. All of the
people knew that Jews were being
Americans, a casual comment led to
hidden, but not one told the Ger-
extensive research of Albanian history.
mans about them.
In 1975, Christo hosted a National
"For them, it was their duty," he
Public Radio program, titled "The .
says.
"In fact, after the war, the Alba-
Albanians." A panelist on the show
nians sought out the Jews to give
remarked that "Albania saved its Jews
them back their valuables and prop-
during World War II."
erty. ”
"It was an astonishing statement,"
Sarner's book is dedicated to the
says Christo, "but details were rather
memory
of Josef Jakoel, the head of
sketchy because of the uncommunica-
the
Jewish
community in Albania
tive posture of the Albanian Commu-
whom
he
calls
"a 20th-century Moses
nist government."
who
took
his
people
to the Promised
Christo subsequently met Ameri-
Land."
can author and attorney Harvey
Sarner, who had written a booklet
— Linda Bachrack
titled The Jews of Albania. After find-
ing out that Albanian Muslims and
Christians risked their own lives to
shelter Jews during Nazi German
'Sina Foun
occupation of Albania, Sarner made
Boston, (617) 482-2002 or
it his life's work to know more about
http://www.frosina.org.

Author of New York Times Bestseller

Tuesdays with Morrie

Tuesday, April 21, 1998
7:30 p.m.

D. Dan & Betty Kahn Building

$5 JCC Members / 57 Non-Members

Tuesdays with Morrie will be available
for sale and Mr. Albom will be
signing books after his talk.

Refreshments will be served.
Enjoy the Israeli Art Expressions exhibit and sale
in the West Bloomfield lobby, April 19-26.

Call (248) 661-7649 for tickets.

SPONSORED BY:

JEWISH
FAMILY
SERVICE

DaTitorr $11111/31121111N1,11

MONT

BLANC

THE ART OF WRITING