,k tia • ,filt atio Custom notlitrr "I have always been for the memori- al," said student Daniel Tretter, 25. But other countries should also think about what happened. There were many helpers" in the genocide, he said. "It disturbs me that it took so long, and that the decision might have been made now under pressure," said stu- dent Swenya Maass, 23, who was 12 years old when the memorial was first proposed. She and friend Matthias Temme, 23, had paused at the site during a bike ride. "But in principle, I think it is a good idea." "Perhaps it is best that it is gigan- tic, to show the dimensions of the persecution," said Temme. "The Eisenman design is not the most beautiful, but maybe the memorial should not be beautiful." While Maass said many younger people are seeking information about the history of the Holocaust, Temme thought more-are disinter- ested or even hostile. "There is so much hatred of for- eigners," he said. An older couple, who preferred not to give their names, said the memorial will anger younger Germans. "They say, 'We never killed a Jew and neither did my parents. Why should we be ashamed or sad?'" said the man. The woman said the memorial would attract dogs and vandalism. "And we feel bad that it is only for the Jews. 'What about the other victims?" The parliamentary debate was one of the parliament's last official acts in Bonn before its move to Berlin's newly refurbished Reichstag. The vote mirrored the struggle to come to terms with the past. "Fifty-four years had to go by before our country had the courage to find a common form of remember- ing," said one of the youngest legisla- tors, Michael Roth, 28, of the Social Democratic Party. "Why only now?" "We're not building this memorial for the Jews or for other victims," said the president of Parliament, Wolfgang Thierse, also a Social Democrat. "We're building it for us. With this memorial, there can be no more denial or indifference." Can such a monument ever be a suf- ficient response to what happened dur- ing the war? "Can any response — aes- thetic, religious, social, political — ever be adequate to Holocaust memory?" asked James Young, American scholar and expert on memorials, who has been a consultant on the Berlin project. "Probably not, but we continue to respond nonetheless, adequately or not." Fl Taul Ciccitini or L.•14en Suits • Sportcoats Tuxedos • Slacks • Shirts Topcoats • Raincoats Shoes • Sweaters • Socks Ties • Cuff Links Custom Buttons 4 e167-.1'1 See What Everyone is Talking- About! Our Fabulous Treasures From Europe Have Just ArrhTed. Itirgatu 3riuritv ESTATE & ANTIQUE JEWELRY Ask for Sheila Blum- Fashion Consultant 32800 Franklin Road (at 14 Mile Road) Downtown Franklin Taut Ciccititti 3or (Women ∎Arednesdav thru Saturday I1 a.m. to 5 p.m. 248.626.1885 Skirt Suits • Pants Suits Blazers • Slacks • Shirts Topcoats • Accessories PERSONALIZED SERVICE IN YOUR HOME, OFFICE OR IN OUR SHOWROOM ENGINE COMPUTER DIAGNOSTICS BY APPOINTMENT 4, Mufflers • Brakes • Shocks Alignment nme-Ups s Maintenance r r AC CHECK & EXHAUST SYSTEM-1 CHARGE starting at 271 MERRILL BIRMINGHAM • 48009 BRAKES starting at (248) 646-0535 DETROIT JEWISH NEWS L $5995 $34.95 $79. 95 • L + Refrigerant Most American Cars L OPEN MONDAY - SATURDAY 32661 NORTHWESTERN HWY. FARAIINGTON HILLS • 851-3883 **THE STAR IS BACK!!** Paul Milgrim - Star Sales Consultant * Personal Service * Over 20 Years Experience INTERNATIONAL NEWS PLUS 372 Oullette Avenue Windsor, Canada Largest Inventory In the Midwest Mercedes-Benz ESTATE MOTORS • 36600 Woodward A Bloomfield Hills (248) 644 -8400 '2) • .71•1•32.3..K.12:14n114,60.17.••••NCeaelfICISIII...12V Detroit Jewish News 7/16 1999 27