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Major Youth Groups Merit Federation Funds

Youth groups are a bedrock of the Detroit Jew-
ish community in that they deepen Jewish
identity during the impressionable teen years.
Laudably, the Jewish Federation of Metro-
politan Detroit has made the community-
based B'nai B'rith Youth Organization a con-
stituent agency, enabling it to receive yearly
allocations. But we believe other significantly
represented youth groups also deserve Federa-
tion funding, even if synagogue based.
That's' because youth groups collectively are
building blocks to Jewish unity during the all-
important years of personal and religious
development between bar/bat mitzvah and
high school graduation. The peer influence
such groups provide is invaluable.
Let's not kid ourselves: There's a narrow
window of opportunity to hook 14-to 18-year-
olds on Jewish spirituality, ritual and tradition.
If we don't commit to an all-out push to reach
young people spiritually — a push that goes
beyond hosting the biennial Teen Mission to
Israel — we may lose them forever. In turn, we
may lose the battle to preserve Jewish continu-
ity from generation to generation.
BBYO's Michigan region, as strong as ever,
boasts more than 1,000 members. It's the
region with the highest percentage of member-
ship in terms of youth population served. Fed-
eration's allocation to BBYO this year totals
$65,000. In contrast, other local youth groups,
lacking Federation funding, will share $50,000
worth of United Jewish Foundation scholar-

Change The Covenant Now

Bill Clinton is back from China, and there are
indications he will shift his administration's
focus from the Far East to the Middle East,
where Israeli and Palestinian negotiators contin-
ue exchanging recriminations instead of ideas
for ending their long and dangerous stalemate.
The administration effort will come not a
moment too soon. Last week's dramatic con-
frontation in Gaza between Israeli and Pales-
tinian forces came frighteningly close to vio-
lence, offering a hint of what could be in store
if active negotiations 'don't resume soon.
Like officials in the Clinton administration
and many American Jewish leaders, we are
mystified about Prime Minister Binyamin
Netanyahu's plans to end this stalemate — or,
indeed, whether he wants to resume a peace
process he campaigned against in 1996.
But Palestinian leader Yassir Arafat is-far
from an innocent bystander. To save the peace
process, U.S. officials must spotlight Arafat's
disruptive role and — even as they seek to
sway Netanyahu back to the table — press
Arafat to live up to his commitments.
Head of the list: Forcefully tell Arafat that
it's time to really change the Palestinian
National covenant, which calls for Israel's total

IN FOCUS

ships (e.g., to attend regional meetings) and
vouchers (e.g., to cover facility and equipment
needs).
Federation laid the groundwork for youth
group funding when it invited BBYO into its
constituent agency family 10 years ago. It's
now time to look with proportionate favor
toward local affiliates of other significantly rep-
resented youth organizations, including
National Federation of Temple Youth
(Reform), United Synagogue Youth (Conserva-
tive), National Council of Synagogue Youth
(Orthodox), North American Federation .
Youth (Humanistic), Habonim Dror North
America (Zionist) and International Partner-
ship of Pluralistic Zionist Youth Movements
(Zionist). These umbrella organizations have
proven their ability to draw program develop-
ment, member recruitment and scholarship
incentives from limited funding.
Federation, in tandem with the UJF, hopes
to partner with synagogues as part _of a $50 2-
million Millennium campaign. Part of the
campaign blueprint calls for a $25-million
endowment to fund a range of Jewish life
experiences, including Jewish education. What
better way to partner than to help fund youth
groups — springboards for the Detroit Jewish
community's leaders of tomorrow?
The same funding-audit criteria that Feder-
ation applies to day schools, and will soon
apply to congregational schools, could apply to
youth groups.

destruction.
Since the first Oslo accord in 1993, the
Palestinian leader has consistently failed to ful-
fill the most noxious parts of the document.
Instead, he offers a dizzying array of excuses.
He has argued that convening the full Palestin-
ian National Council, which must approve
such changes, was impractical, or that a 1996
action by a committee to begin redrafting the
covenant somehow fulfilled Palestinian obliga-
tions. In April, Arafat convened a smaller
group to change the covenant; the results look
like just more smoke and mirrors.
Washington has generally downplayed the
issue. Just over two years ago, the administra-
tion actually indicated that, in its view, the
charter had been changed, although nobody
could explain exactly how.
Passive U.S. and Israeli attitudes may
encourage Arafat to believe he could get away
with shirking obligations.
U.S. efforts will fail unless they include an
aggressive effort to convince Arafat that there
is no longer time for political and diplomatic
games with the charter. Both sides, not just
Israel, must take concrete steps to rebuild
essential trust in one another.

Branching Out

Last weekend marked another reunion of the Steiner-Gross
clan, which originated in Hungary and has since been dispersed
to places as far away as Australia and as close as Detroit. Gloria
Holzman hosted dinner on Friday in her Southfield home. On
Saturday, the group of 73 had dinner at a Hungarian restaurant
in Detroit, and on Sunday, everybody got together to shmooze
and sing old Hungarian songs. Pictured here are the oldest
member of the family, 82-year-old Roy Gross, and the
youngest, 16-month-old Isabelle Post. They are standing with a
family tree that extends back eight generations. The next
reunion is set for the year 2000 in Ohio. ❑

LETTERS

Education Data
Needs Correcting

Thank you for highlighting
Jewish education in a special
article about Jewish Federa-
tion of Metropolitan Detroit
allocations ("Education Gets
A Boost" July 3). However, I
would like to correct a few

errors that occurred in the
article.
First, the number of stu-
dents receiving scholarships in
congregational schools in
1997-98 was 800, not the 80
as reported.
Second, the range of
scholarship was between
$140 and $240.

7/10
1998

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