COMMUNITY VIEWS
Helping Shape Our Children's Future
ver the past weeks of terror
Today, as adults participating in our
and tension in our nation's
community, we understand a little
schools, can there be a parent
more about the sacrifices that "some-
anywhere who hasn't won-
one" made to create those opportuni-
dered, Am I doing things right?
ties for us kids. "Someone" enabled
Jewish grandparents wonder, too.
the Jewish Federation and the United
And so do Jew-
Jewish Foundation
ish communities.
to make the plans
Our back-
and raise the
grounds are totally
money and build
different, but we
the communal
share Jewish mem-
institutions that
ories that shaped
we enjoy with our
our lives. For Susie,
families today.
growing up in Oak
Now it's our
Park, there were
turn.
great times at the
As volunteers,
SUSAN CITRIN
Jewish Community
we appreciate what
AND IRWIN ALTERMAN
Center and with
Federation's annual
Special to the Jewish News
B'nai B'rith Girls.
Allied Jewish Cam-
For Irwin, living in
paign does for our
a small New Jersey town, there was
own community and our fellow Jews
the synagogue and AZA, the B'nai
overseas. Each year, with compassion
B'rith young men's group.
and generosity; Campaign donors enable
As kids, neither of us had to reflect
our agencies and other beneficiaries to
on the frightening issues that young-
provide an amazing array of services.
sters and their parents must deal with
The time has come for us to endow
today. All we knew was a feeling of
an equally bright future for our chil-
security and comfort in being part of a
dren and grandchildren. Bob Slatkin
group — a Jewish group. Someone
likes to call it our legacy.
had passed on this protective Jewish
Bob, president of the United Jewish
environment to us — a community
Foundation, invited us to take part in
center, a Jewish teen organization —
his vision of that future with its joyful
and we were happy to reap the bene-
expressions of Jewish life ...
fits without even knowing who "some-
• when every child, regardless of
one" was.
was.
financial means, will be ensured a Jew-
ish education and get to participate in
Susan Citrin and Irwin Alterman co-
a mission to Israel
chair the Jewish Life Fund.
0
.
The Jewish Life Fund
How can you participate in the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit's
new Jewish Life Fund?
First, decide which one of these six areas of need you would like to sup-
port: (1) Israel experiences for young people, (2) day-school tuition assis-
tance for families of modest means, (3) family education programs, (4)
Partnership 2000 people-to-people projects with Israel, (5) programs for
college students, or (6) congregation/Federation initiatives for young peo-
ple and families.
Second, call the Jewish Community Endowment Fund to set up -your
named fund for $3,000 (tax-deductible), payable over three years. You may
add to this sum later on appropriate occasions — in memoriam for a loved
one, in honor of a special event, or just for yourself and your family.
Every donor will receive a tzedaka box and be eligible for recognition in
the Book of Life "family album."
For information about the Jewish Life Fund, call Matt Engelbert in the
Jewish Community Endowment Fund office, (248) 203-1453.
Each of us will be able to partici-
pate in an affordable way by selecting
and supporting one of six areas relat-
ing to the above. There are lots of per-
sonal benefits — not the least of
which is seeing your name associated
with something important to you and
knowing that it will last long after
you're gone.
Maybe it's more than that. Maybe
it's a matter of leaving the community
better than you found it. Or, as our
sages put it, "My fathers planted for
me before I was born; so do I plant
for those who will come after me."
Our kids deserve to be cherished
and nourished. For those we love
today and those who will carry on our
dreams tomorrow, please join us in the
Jewish Life Fund. fl
position that high-profile Jews who
advocate gun control somehow per-
petuate a stereotype that Jews are
timid people, too squeamish to defend
themselves. As a Jew, police officer and
attorney, I unequivocally favor nation-
al gun control legislation. Despite the
neurosis that leads some men to
equate their guns with their manhood,
it is evident that most Americans favor
tougher gun laws. There are more
homicides per capita in Washington,
D.C. (57 per 100,000) than people
who have died in the Kosovo conflict.
The correlation between homicides
and casual access to guns is indis-
putable. All of the Western democra-
cies and Japan have strong national
gun control legislation and far fewer
murders than America.
However, neither the conservative
nor the liberal agenda offers any work-
able legislative solutions. When the
conservatives represent the majority;
when they have to do something
about crime, they merely offer slogans
like, "Guns don't kill people; people
kill people." The liberal response to
crime is to make believe it doesn't
exist. This group is frequently a para-
digm of elitism. They live in pur-
chased suburban safety and argue that
any mention of crime is a code for
getting the votes of bigots.
The
- •
Columbine High School tragedy in
Littleton, Colo., demonstrates that the
suburbs and rural settings do not insu-
late from senseless acts of violence.
One final comment to those who
insist that the Constitution gives indi-
viduals the right to bear arms: I would
remind you that the only personal
Our kids deserve
to be cherished
and nourished.
• when families will gain strength
from Jewish activities and camping
experiences
• when creativity and opportunities
for spiritual growth will flourish through
a host of new congregational programs.
LETTERS
dialogue, which starts in the education
system of both peoples, lasting peace
will continue to be only a pipe
dream." Why then, when there is a
grassroots dialogue proposed and done
at the classroom level by means of let-
ters, did you immediately shoot it
down, as well as a local group that is
doing something about a very crucial
situation?
I was also dismayed by the negativi-
ty expressed as attributed to the stu-
dents about their letter-writing activi-
ty, whether it came from the students
themselves or from the questioning of
the press. How do you know that the
letter writing won't be influential until
you have tried it and experienced the
results?
There is a saying, "Evil triumphs
when good men do nothing." Well,
6/18
we have people doing something valid,
educationally sound and you are not
supporting it.
When it comes to fixing the world,
we have an obligation to not throw
verbal/printed pipe bombs at those
who are doing tikkun olam (healing
the world).
Edith Ellen Williams
West Bloomfield
Stereotypes
And Gun Control
This letter is in response to a letter to
the editor ("Guns Do Have A Pur-
poseful Role," June 4) espousing the
benefits of increased gun ownership.
I take exception with the author's