JNEditorials
Editorials and Letters to the Editor are posted and archived on JN Online:
www.detroitjewishnews.corn
The Soul Of Who We Are
Jr
ewish education has a bright
future locally, thanks to the
Jewish Federation of Metro-
politan Detroit's vigor in
taking aim at the effects of assimila-
tion.
Exactly a year ago, Federation unveiled its
new arm for educational planning and evalua-
tion, the Alliance for Jewish Education, and
new repository for endowments, the Jewish
Life Fund. They were created to supplement
the established Agency for Jewish Education
and Allied Jewish Campaign.
Nov, it's time for Federation — the Detroit
Jewish community's standard-bearer — to take
stock of its growing portfolio to assure the invest-
ments of time, staff and money are reaping a
return. That kind of scrutiny requires schools on
the receiving end to invite public scrutiny.
The recipients are many. In the past year,
Federation has boosted its support of our five
day and 17 congregational and supplemental
schools. Individually, these schools have helped
to shape the Jewish identity of our children
during their most impressionable years.
Examples of Federation's latest outlays to
education include adding the 13-year-old
Yeshivas Darchei Torah to the list of Orthodox
day schools receiving allocations and loaning
$100,000 to Congregation Beth Shalom so the
Conservative synagogue can expand
its afternoon school.
To truly help Jewish education flour-
ish, however, Federation must dare
to look beyond its role as a planner
and funder. It must become a front-
line partner.
Federation's evolving partnership with Akiva
Hebrew Day School is a good start. Two years
ago, Federation kept Akiva on budget via a
combination grant and loan totaling
$100,000. Last year, Federation bought the old
Beth Achim building in Southfield as an alter-
native to Akiva's aging school building in Lath-
rup Village. So far, Akiva has raised $1 million
in a $1.2-million capital campaign to renovate
the former synagogue. The 34-year-old,
Orthodox day school began moving in July 12,
giving it a fresh start on the eve of the new
Jewish year 5760.
Given its impressive tzedaka record through
the years, the Detroit Jewish community clear-
ly has the will to rally behind social and
humanitarian causes. Now we as a community
must rally behind the way we learn Jewishly.
We can't let complacency blind us to Jewish
education's role in binding Jews around the
world to a common homeland, shared ideals
and ancient rituals. In many ways, Jewish edu-
cation is the soul of who we are as a people. fl
Keeping The Beat
Tessa Lewitt, 4, of Bloomfield Hills claps along to the Klezmer
Fusion Band with family friends Ida Rose Newman and her
husband, Harry, of Oak Park during the 21st annual Yiddish
Concert in the Park, held Sunday in Oak Park's Charlotte
Rothstein Park.
LETTERS
The Real Peace Process
fter the hoopla of Ehud Barak's elec-
tion as Israel's prime minister in
mid-May, the Mideast peace process
finally began in earnest this week.
That's because the Palestinian and Israeli lead-
ership decided to stop smiling, shaking hands
and posing for photos. Instead, they got nasty
— at least verbally. But to the surprise of those
eager to cry "here we go again" and "I told you
the Arabs don't want peace," the news is not
so bad. In fact, it just means that the real work
has begun. The Palestinians and the Israelis
have fundamental differences.
The current spat follows these lines: Barak,
with the open backing of Egyptian President
Hosni Mubarak — no soft-liner on Arab
nationalism — last week asked Arafat to take
two weeks to consider his new proposals. At
the center of them is complying with the
remaining provisions of the October 1998
Wye Agreement, including two additional
Israeli withdrawals from West Bank land,
before going into the long-awaited final-status
negotiations. We note that Barak's suggestions
are within Wye's framework. In addition to the
withdrawals — which Barak repeatedly says
will be honored if Arafat does not agree to
reexamine the pact — Wye states, "The two
IN FOCUS
sides will immediately resume permanent sta-
tus negotiations on an accelerated basis." The
peace process went on hold when former
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's
government fell, due to his signing of the Wye
accord, and then in the ensuing four months
because of his claims that Palestinian non-
compliance freed Israel from its obligations.
At first, Arafat said he would consider the
two-week delay. But within a few days, he and
his advisers quickly balked. Arafat accused the
Israelis of attempting to "avoid the accurate
and honest implementation of what has been
agreed upon." Mind you, that would include
the Palestinians reducing their bloated and
overly armed police force, whose Kalishnikov
machine guns are the weapon of choice.
In return, Barak said, "Every attempt to make
this path more difficult or to put up obstacles
bewilders us." Israeli Foreign Minister David
Levy added, "Someone is interested in creating
an atmosphere of crisis and drama."
Shifting the mentalities of two peoples is not
accomplished via one democratic election or
kind words — although that does lay a positive
path for the hard work to come. Indeed, when
the two sides are talking — even angrily — the
hope for peace is alive. Li
Maccabi Games
Factors Considered
As president of the
board of directors
of the Metro
Detroit Maccabi
Club and games
chairman of the
1998 games in
Detroit, I feel com-
pelled to respond
to your recent edi-
torial, "A New
Starting Line" (July
30).
I want to start
by saying that we
have always
enjoyed an excel-
lent relationship
with your publica-
tion. We have
always been happy
to provide informa-
tion and insight
and we have always
felt that we were
given ample opportunity to
do so.
You might have done your
readers a better service by
Baseball Coach Paul Sternberg hits balls to
his Detroit Maccabi players during a prac-
tice in Franklin.
8/6
199',
Detroit Jewish News
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