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COMMUNITY VIEWS

We Are A Remarkable People!

projects and were
being taught by a pro-
fessional art teacher.
There
is a sense of
here is an old woman in St.
pride
that
gives new
Petersburg, Russia, who
meaning
to
the words
lives on the fourth floor of
.
from
genera-
dor
l'dor,
a rundown, crumbling
tion
to
generation.
apartment building.
This same concern
Twenty years ago, she broke her
for the future, and the
hip. Because there is no elevator in her
importance of nurtur-
buildinab because she cannot negotiate
ing those who come
the stairs, because she has no family
after
us, is the driving
living nearby, she has not left her
force
behind the Paul
home in all that time, yet she is not
Zuckerman
Campaign
forgotten. She is a Jew, and other Jews
Leadership
Series.
take care of her.
Established with fore-
There are students in St. Petersburg
thought and vision by
and in Kiev who only learned that
Helen and the late
they are Jewish three or four years ago.
Paul Zuckerman
They are learning the Hebrew lan-
through an endow-
guage, running kabbalat Shabbat ser-
ment, this group
vices and training to be leaders of
ensures that the
their communities. They, too, are con-
Allied Jewish Cam-
nected to the larger Jewish world and
paign in Detroit will
do not feel neglected.
have quality leader-
There are Jewish war veterans in
ship in the future.
the former Soviet Union who helped
The Zuckerman
start an arts and crafts center that
group
has been in
serves as a center for Jewish expres-
existence
for four
sion. As we sat listening to one of the
years.
It
is
the only
former soldiers telling us his story, the
one like it in the country and is wide-
back of the room was full of young
ly viewed by other federations as the
Jewish children working on various art
model for leadership training pro-
grams.
It is my great privilege and that of
Marta Rosenthal of Franklin is a
my husband, Ben, to be participants
member of the Paul Zuckerman Cam-
and members of "Zuckerman" and to
paign Leadership Series and immediate
past president of the National Council of have traveled with this wonderful

MARTA ROSENTHAL
Special to The Jewish. News

T

,

Tom Klein, Kelly and
David Victor and Linda
and Paul Zlotoff.
Traveling with us
were Charles Hoffman,
our scholar-in-residence
from the Joint Distribu-
tion Committee in Rus-
sia, and Dr. Aliza Shen-
har, former Israeli
ambassador to Russia,
and her husband, Dr.
Gideon Airoy. Dr. Shen-
har is now president of
Emek Yezreel College in
Detroit's Partnership
2000 region in Israel.
What we found in
Russia and Ukraine both
saddened and uplifted
our hearts. There is
Marta Rosenthal, right,
nothing
short of a total
on a home visit with a
Jewish
rebirth
going on
client of the Chesad
in
these
regions.
Every
Avot Welfare Center in
aspect
of
Jewish
life
is
Kiev, Ukraine.
receiving attention from
remarkably dedicated
Detroiters Linda
Zlotolf left, and Robert local Jewish agencies and
personaliti -s, aided by the
Citrin, center, at the
Joint Distribution Com-
Chesad Avot Welfare
mittee and -).her groups.
Center in Kiev,
But the extreme poverty
Ukraine.
group in November. We
of the region forces many
experienced firsthand the
Jews to live in hovels, crumb ling
work being done by the Joint Distrib-
apartments and rundown communi-
ution Committee in Russia and
ties. Older Jews bear the burn of
Ukraine. Participants included Susie
years of neglect by the former Soviet
and Robert Citrin, Mark Davidoff and
Union. Despite all of this, young Jews
Margie Dunn, Doug Etkin, Allan Gel-
are enthusiastic about the revival of Jew-
fond, Barbara and Michael Horowitz,
Eleanor and Larry Jackier, Linda and
REBUILDING on page 27

Jewish Women.

LETTERS from page 22

well bring back some of the station's
private financial support.
Jerome S. Kaufman

Bloomfield Hills

Ecumenical
Volunteers

I read with great interest the thought-
ful article ("Independent Courses" Jan.
22) that focused on ecumenism in
Detroit.
I wanted to remind you that groups
like the American Jewish Committee,
which are made up of volunteers
(non-clergy), commit time, money
and effort to promote ecumenism.
This past fall, the Detroit chapter
facilitated and co-hosted two major
programs with the Catholic archdio-
cese. Rabbi Dannel Schwartz of Tern-

2/12
1999

24 Detroit Jewish News

ple Shir Shalom and Bishop John
Neinstadt of the Detroit Archdiocese
were the speakers; the audiences were
from churches, parishes, the AJC
board and the community at large.
After each event, audience members
exchanged comments and enjoyed
each other's company.
Since 1989, the Detroit chapter has
hosted two annual inter-religious
Passover seders. Representatives from
AJC's board and members of various
faith groups, including Islam, have
attended. The seders number some 40
guests each night, providing again
opportunities for people to engage in
thoughtful conversation and to
become acquainted.
This past summer, the Detroit Par-
liament of Religions (hosted by Oak-
land University and convened by a
group of volunteers representing diverse

religious groups) enjoyed two-and-a-
half days of exchange and education.
Again, many Jews were part of the
planning and execution of the event.
Members of the Jewish community
interested in volunteering in ecumeni-
cal work can call the Michigan office
of the American Jewish Committee
(248-646-7686) and join an organiza-
tion that is committed to this area of
intergroup relations.
Sharona Shapiro

Michigan area director
American Jewish Committee

Jewish Experience
At Other Camps

After reading Dr. David L. Harold's
letter about Tamarack Camps ("Jewish
Life Strong At Camp" Jan. 29), I felt

compelled to write.
For eight years, my children attend-
ed Tamarack Camps as "staff kids" as
well as campers. Many wonderful
experiences were had, and lasting
friendships were made. After our affili-
ation with Tamarack Camps ended,
we looked into other camps for our
children to attend.
Our temple recommended camps
they are affiliated with, UAHC
(Union of American Hebrew Congre-
gations) camps. After some hesitation
on my children's part, they decided to
try. What an experience!
At KUTZ leadership camp, grades
9-12, alongside everyday camp activi-
ties, Jewish programming abounds.
Choices of these programs range from
Jewish song leading, social action and
Jewish ethics to Hebrew-school
teacher training, Hebrew, God and