COMMUNITY VIEWS
Students Promote Spiritual Harmony
s part of this year's fifth
annual Dove Award dinner
hosted by the Ecumenical
Institute for Jewish-Chris-
tian Studies, three student essay con-
test winners were honored.
Their theme was the theme of this
year's dinner: "From Vision to Reali-
ty. ”
A
The Institute is dedicated to help-
ing children and adults learn more
about each other's spirituality and to
respect each other's beliefs.
The contest was part of the Insti-
tute's "Ambassadors of Good Will"
for students in grades 5-12. This
year's contest drew 75 entries. "A
contribution from the Ambassadors
program was made to the church or
synagogue youth group of each win-
ner," said Barbara Yuhas, the Insti-
tute's program director. "We also
invited the winners and their
parents to the Dove Dinner as our
guests."
"Remember the challenge these
young people have set before us,"
said Rabbi Amy Brodsky, the Insti-
tute's assistant director, in addressing
the dinner audience.
The Ambassadors program began
five years ago in the West Bloomfield
School District to honor Dr. Gary
Faber, a West Bloomfield educator.
—Robert A. Sklar, Editor
The winners and their essays are as
follows.
Joining Hands
For Understanding
I strongly believe that
the only way the
Christian community
can get along better
with the Jewish com-
munity is to learn
more about each
other's beliefs and
SEAN CLYNE practices. Even taking
Special to The a couple of classes
about each other's
Jewish News
faith isn't enough to
really further our understanding of each
other. First of all, we must start with the
children.
Last year, my class and I went to visit
a synagogue. I learned so much about
the Jewish faith that I had never known
before. I also had an opportunity to
participate in a seder. While this was all
very interesting, it was hardly enough.
One more field trip won't be enough
either.
We need more chances to learn
about each other's faith. It would be
good if we also could study Judaism as
part of our religion class. Our religion
book, This Is Our Faith, has hardly any-
thing in it about Jews. We could start
by adding a little at a time.
I recently had a chance to visit the
Holocaust Museum in Washington,
D.C., with-my family. There I realized
that there was so much more to be
learned about what the Jews have expe-
rienced. It certainly made me want to
learn more. I intend to start by reading
Daniels Story, a 14-year-old's experience
during the Holocaust.
So far, I have looked at ways of
increasing a Christian's understanding
of Judaism. We also need to find ways
for the Jewish community to have more
opportunities to develop a greater
appreciation of our beliefs and practices.
Perhaps we could try to get our youth
groups together. This seems like a good
place to start. ❑
Sean Clyne, 12, attends St. Paul
Catholic Parish in Grosse Pointe Farms.
From Vision To Reality:
Looking At Diversities
How do people live
with one another
today? The truth is,
we don't.
We fight over land,
color and religion.
We kill each other
because we don't
agree. How can
SARA HENIG peace be achieved
Special to The when there are so
Jewish News
many people who
hate each other? I'll
tell you: one person at a time.
Everybody knows someone who
hates others because they are different.
Their skin color might be different, or
they might just wear different clothes.
What if we were all blind and had to
find our friends without seeing them?
What if we had to talk to people and
find out what was inside without
knowing what was outside? It's like
taking candy out of a chocolate box
and just hoping that you like what is
inside. You'd have to do that all of the
time if you couldn't see who was sit-
ting next to you.
So, we have to learn one person at a
time. We must explain to each other
why we have to get along, why we
need to understand each other. If we
don't, we'll destroy each other. ❑
Sara Henig, 13, is a member of Temple
Kol Ami, West Bloomfield.
Cooperation Of People
Essential To Survival
We will not cooper-
ate with each other,
Christians and Jews,
simply because we
want to. We will not
work together
because someone
tells us to or because
ELIZABETH we each need what (--\
the others have.
NELLUMS
All the religions
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and the peoples of
Jewish News
the world must get
along. It is neither a choice nor an
option. We share a planet. We share
homes and neighborhoods, schools and
offices. What would happen if a belief
got in the way?
HARMONY on page 43
LETTERS
they feel he is fit to govern. America
seems to have lost its moral compass.
Recently, an indecent run took
place in Ann Arbor didt, according to
news accounts, boasted 400 runners
and 10,000 spectators. What is even
more disturbing than the actual event
is the deafening silence of parents and
spiritual leaders in the face of such
wholesale depravity. Ten thousand
people is hardly a fringe group.
I believe that the perception that
most Americans have of Mr. Clinton's
personal behavior has contributed to
the moral slide of America today. We
have reached a point when it is even
embarrassing to listen to the evening
news with children around.
As God's chosen people, we cannot
afford to be apathetic toward immorali-
ty. Many Americans believe that even if
the allegations against the president are
5/8
1998
30
true, the country cannot afford the fall-
out of impeachment proceedings.
There may well be some merit to this
position, but we must, nevertheless,
express outrage when powerful figures
are found guilty of immoral acts. Moral
behavior certainly should be a major
consideration in our choice of public
and communal leaders.
At a time when many Jews are con-
cerned about maintaining a division
between church and state, we cannot
forget our divinely ordained obligation
to do all that is possible to foster the
observance of the seven Noahide Laws
among the nations of the world. These
laws include the prohibition against
violence, adultery, homosexuality,
abortion, etc. (Maimonides Hilchos
Melachim, Chapter 8:10).
It is through these efforts that we
fulfill our mission of being a "light
unto nations" of the world, a mission
which will culminate in global
redemption through the righteous
Moshiach.
Rabbi Elimelech Sliberberg
West Bloomfield
Moral Leadership
A Prerequisite
I read with shock the article that inap-
propriately appeared under the heading
Community Views, titled "We Must
Be Alert When Democracy Is Threat-
ened" (The Jewish News, April 24).
The author suggests our govern-
ment leaders must solely be judged by
their political and economic views and
policies. Indeed to do otherwise, it is
implied, is to open up our democracy
to those misguided citizens who
believe that our leaders, by voluntarily
soliciting and accepting the powerful
leadership roles they occupy, accept
the responsibility to be role models to
those they serve, as well as the remain- c
der of the world.
Who among us is willing to suggest
that the common denominator of
acceptable behavioral standards be set
at such a level, that our leaders, during
their time in office, are not subject to
standards of behavior we expect of a
13-year-old child? The fact is we have a
president who, while in office, has
shown himself to be bankrupt of moral
leadership; a qualification, I would sug-
gest, essential to occupying the post for
which he solicited and was elected.
The author's suggestion that the
current president's lack of ethics hard-
ly equates with the shortcomings of
President Nixon is utter nonsense.