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EDITOR'S WATCH

A Pluralistic Touch Helped Make
Yeshiva Dinner A Huge Success

ew York
City
Mayor
Rudolph
Giuliani gave the
keynote address.
Detroit Mayor
Dennis Archer's
ROBERT
unexpected arrival
A. SKLAR
sent a buzz through
the ballroom. And
Editor
two couples who
are pillars of Detroit Jewry were hon-
ored.
But the Boys Choir stole the show at
Yeshiva Beth Yehudah's 84th annual
dinner Sunday at the Westin Hotel in
Detroit's Renaissance Center. The
$180-a-plate dinner is the major fund-
raiser for the 750-student Jewish day
school that anchors the Orthodox com-
munities in Southfield and Oak Park.
The dinner, refreshingly fast-paced
thanks to Yeshiva executive director
Rabbi Eli Mayerfeld and master of cer-
emonies Robert Schostak, raised about
5500,000 toward the school's $3.5-mil-
lion operating budget.
When seventh grader Yedida Ben-
jamin moved from his spot in the
choir to a center-stage microphone,
the 2,253 guests collectively seemed to
beam with pride when he said with an
air of confidence that belied his age:
"The song we are about to sing is
entitled 'Unity,' which is truly a
description of what we have here
tonight — the entire Detroit commu-
nity opening their hearts to help create

the congressional mandate of the
Jerusalem Embassy Act, which Con-
gress passed in 1985. It proclaimed
that Jerusalem remain undivided and
the capital of the State of Israel, stipu-
lating that the United States begin
working toward the construction of a
U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem and assign-
ing a completion date of May 31,
1999. The monies for such a building
have been set aside but, to date, Presi-
dent Clinton has refused to allow this
mandate to be carried out.
Lillian Rosenberg Hurwitz

Franklin

Famous Alums
Need Noting

A Sigma Alpha Mu alumnus reading
your article titled "Leaving On A Jet

a stronger and better tomorrow for all

r

or us.

A highlight of the evening was
when Diane and Emery Klein, former
winners of the Yeshiva's highest honor,
The Golden Torah Award, became
Yeshiva Guardians. Their latest honor
was for their "setting examples of ded-
ication and commitment to the high-
est ideals of Torah, charity and com-
munity."
Calling the Kleins
"quiet heroes," dinner
tribute co-chair Alan May
said:
"They work diligently,
and with great care, to
ensure that the Yeshiva
has increasing success and
greater strength. And like
everything else they do in
their lives, it is done not
for the honor, but for the
success of the cause."
"Beth Yehudah is truly an institu-
tion that strives to reach out to open-
ing new vistas of Torah experience to
anyone who wishes to taste of its deep
wellsprings," said Emery Klein, a din-
ner co-chair.
During the Boys Choir's uplifting
performance under the direction of
Rabbi Rocky Stewart, fifth grader
Shauli Baum approached the mike.
He thanked, and dedicated a song to,
Anita and Robert Naftaly "for their
special friendship, dedication and sup-
port of our Yeshiva."
Later, Bob Naftaly, as caring a per-
son as you'll ever meet, received the

Plane ... For ZBT" (AppleTree Nov. 6)
was upset that Sigma Alpha Mu and
its "famous" alumni were omitted.
Sigma Alpha Mu is a historically
Jewish fraterntiy founded at the City
College . of New York in 1909. Found-
ing chapters have been established on
139 campuses in the United States
and Canada. Today, Sigma Alpha Mu
has 3,000 undergraduate members
and 52,000 total initiates.
A few of our notable alumni are: Les
Wexner, chairman/founder of The
Limited (Victoria's Secret, Structure);
Dan Glickman, U.S. Secretary of Agri-
culture; David Stern, National Basket-
ball Association commissioner; Phillip
Roth, author; Leslie Moonves, CBS
president; Terry Semel, Warner Broth-
ers co-chairman; Leonard Goldenson,
former ABC chairman; Edward Snider,
Philadelphia Flyers owner; Robert

Above: Seventh grader Yedida Benjamin and the Yeshiva Boys Choir
under the direction of Rabbi Rocky Stewart.

Left: Robert and Anita Naftaly

Below: Diane and Emery Klein

1998 Golden
Torah Award.
He earned it
"for his dedi-
cated service
to the Jewish
people and the general Detroit com-
munity."
Immediate past president of the
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit and now chairman of Federa-
tion's fledgling Alliance for Jewish
Education, Naftaly never passes up the
chance to champion Jewish education
as the keystone to assuring Jewish con-
tinuity from generation to generation.
"He hassa unique way of bringing

Strauss, former DNC chairman; Steve
Wynn, Mirage Resorts, Las Vegas.
Detroit alumni include Joel D.
Tauber; Eugene Applebaum, Arbor
Drugs; and U.S. District Judge Avern
Cohen.
Aaron M. Girson

Executive director
Sigma Alpha Mu

A Baby,
A Blessing

Regarding "A New Blessing" (Nov. 6):
Mazel toy to Andy, Erika and Noah
Beletskiy; what a miracle and joy a
new baby brings.
Our daughter, Emily, is 14 months
old; she is truly a miracle and joy
every second of every day. I am con-
stantly beaming because of my daugh-

the Jewish education agenda
forward to the community,"
said Robert Schostak in an
understatement.
Anita Naftaly shares her
husband's fervor for promot-
ing the study of Torah and
Talmud. In helping create the
Agency for Jewish Education
of Metropolitan Detroit's
Opening the Doors program,
a partnership with day schools and
congregational schools for children
with learning disabilities, she has
instilled "in our special children a love
for Jewish learning," Bob said.
Bob is long-serving national trea-
surer of the Anti-Defamation League.
In the Blanchard administration, he
served as state budget director. By day,
he's chief financial officer of Blue
PLURALISTIC TOUCH on page 35

ter.
Until someone has a child, one can
never explain or know this wonderful
feeling. Continue to enjoy Noah; if
you think it's great now, wait till he
starts smiling and cooing and laughing
and hugging and more. It is, by far,
the best thing in the whole world. I
hope every day for every parent is as
wonderful as life with Emily is.
Linda Rosberg

West Bloomfield

Terminology
In Question

In the Oct. 30 issue of The Jewish
News, Elliott Shevin's story on chil-
dren's Hebrew names was well written
•
and entertaining.
However, he wrote, "We live in a

11/20

1995

Detroit Jewish News

31