EDITOrS NOTEBOOK
Cherished Dissent
Jewish state. And by judicious design,
Israel's leaders and supporters from
ecycled garbage of the week:
around the world agree that Israel
"American Jews don't have
belongs to the entire Jewish people,
the right to voice opinions
not just citizens of the land.
that are contrary to Israeli
Most of the Israeli leadership con-
government policy because we do not
curs — at least during the times we
live there, we are not on the front lines,
outspoken American Jews happen to
we don't send our boys out to die for the
agree with their particular
country. We must publicly
points of view.
support the decisions of the
A few years ago, when the
Israeli government and thus,
Likud
was in power, its lead-
let Israelis choose their own
ers
told
American Friends of
fate."
Peace
Now
activists they had
Nonsense.
no right to speak out in pub-
American Jews have every
lic against its peace posture,
right to speak out vociferously
while
at the same time, Labor
about critical issues regarding -
and
Meretz
leaders cheered
Israel — the Jewish state. It is
the
group
on.
Now, the shoe
not only our right; it is our
JA COB
is
on
the
other
foot. Barak
responsibility. If 30 American
SCH REIBER
supporters
and
other Leftists
leaders, who include some of
Spec ial to
are
telling
American
Jewish
the more proactive supporters
the Jew ish News
(shut
up).
shtok
rightists
to
of Israel (if not the current
It's
politics
as
usual;
your
government), felt they needed
stance is harmful because it doesn't jibe
to try to change the course of history by
with mine.
publishing an open letter criticizing
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak's
For All Jews
alleged mishandling of peace negotia-
We would all do well to remember that
tions, then kol hakovod (all the respect)
Israel, according to David Ben-Gurion,
to them for exercising their democratic
the George Washington of the Jewish
right and political consciences — and
state, "belongs to all Jews everywhere"
for caring enough to act (even though I
—
and to every generation of Jews both
don't agree with their views).
past
and present. And so, it is our oblig-
After 2,000 years of longing to
ation
to be actively engaged in this his-
return to our homeland, diaspora Jews
toric
Jewish
enterprise and not forfeit
and Zionist pioneers teamed up to
our
responsibility
as American Jews to
establish, build and strengthen the
act as supporters — as long as we truly
believe our actions are constructive and
Jacob Schreiber is editor of the Atlanta
don't serve our enemies.
Jewish Times, part of the Jewish Renais-
In the end, it will be the Israelis
sance Media group, which' includes the
who
decide their fate because they're
Detroit Jewish News.
Atlanta
Ilt
the ones who vote. But as family, we
must continue to act as advisers and
speak up when we believe that the
actions of our brothers may negatively
affect our Jewish homeland — and
our collective destiny.
Ben-Gurion understood that Israel's
survival and strength would be predi-
cated on a partnership with the dias-
pora. The Israeli's job was to live on,
and defend, the land; the Jewish
world's job was to garner financial and
political support in their home coun-
tries and help solidify the Jewish state's
military and economic infrastructure.
Fifty-two years later, it appears that
we both have admirably lived up to
our sides of the bargain. Israeli resi-
dents have made the desert bloom and
the Galilee high tech — and they have
defended the land they live on with
unparalleled skill and courage.
On this side of the Atlantic, we
Jews have donated generously, at the
Israeli leadership's behest, and helped
fund all facets of the great Zionist
enterprise. More important, we've
mobilized our political clout to insure
that one of the smallest nations in the
world enjoys a strat6gic relationship
with the world's only superpower.
Without the sacrifice, energy and cre-
ativity of the Israelis themselves, the Jew-
ish state would have remained just a
dream. But without the support of
American and world Jewry, Israel would
not be the secure miracle it is ,today.
One of the distinct differences between
Israel's grand success, as opposed to the
relative failure characterizing the hOst of
African and Arab nations established
during the same time period, is that
Israel had Jews helping it in capitals
around the world, while these nations
had to fend for themselves.
We're Partners
We American Jews do not expect to
have an equal say in the State of Isfael.
But our histories and futures have and
always will be bound together —
because we have remained committed
partners, interested in achieving the
same goal: building and maintaining a
strong, successful, vibrant Jewish state.
American Jews stuck in the refrain
that we aren't worthy to publicly
advise Israelis on issues of war and
peace must either suffer from a curi-
ous Jewish inferiority complex, based
on not living in (or dying for) Israel,
or are simply not involved with Israel
enough to know better.
So here's my advice to you. First,
get to know Israelis better. Any visitor
to the streets of our homeland knows
that two people can be arguing over a
private matter and any passerby owns
the inherent right to butt in and give
his opinion. In Israel (and in Hebrew),
there is no such phrase as "mind your
own business." So don't. It's un-Israeli.
Second, get rid of your misplaced
sense of inferiority to the Israeli "who
puts his life on the line" — and
replace it with redoubled activity on
behalf of the Jewish state — no matter
which side of the political spectrum
you support. The more knowledge-
able, concerned and involved you are,
the more likely you are to realize that
you have the right — and obligation
— to help the Jewish state any way
your good conscience demands. El
LETTERS
Frankels Are A
Remarkable Family
Thank you for publishing the cover
articles on the Jean and Samuel
Frankel Traditional School ("A Plural-
istic Approach" and "The Detroit
Connection," June 30, pages 6 - 10).
In 1995, I visited the school and I
was most impressed. Your description
of Barbara Levin reminded me that she
not only gave me a tour of the school,
but also when I mentioned to her that
I had accidentally left my camera with
shots of various sights from all over
Israel in a Jerusalem taxicab, dropped
everything to call the police and the
taxicab company. Unfortunately, I was
7/7
2000
34
unable to retrieve the camera, but I
learned of her caring attitude.
The presentation on all of the work
and philanthropy of the Frankel family,
both in Michigan and in Israel, merely
scratches the surface of a very long list of
endeavors by the Frankels. I hope that
both communities will continue to
receive help from this remarkable family
for many more years to come.
Harvey Bronstein
Southfield
An Antidote
To Hatred
The need for schools like the Jean and
Sam Frankel school in Jerusalem ("A
Pluralistic Approach," June 30, page
6), could not have been dramatized
more than by the article, "The Fire
This Time," which appeared in the
same issue (page 20). Thanks to
visionaries like the Frankels and Bar-
bara Levin, there is a proven antidote
to hatred.
Today, more than 20,000 Israeli
students are studying in TALI schools.
TALI — the Hebrew acronym for
Intensifying Judaica Studies — is
coordinated by the Jewish Theological
Seminary (JTS) in New York City
through our Israeli affiliate, the
Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies.
These schools inspire a Judaism that is
both sacred and sane. More than 450
Israelis are studying currently at the
Schechter Institute to further develop
and expand the 80-plus TALI schools.
Similar to our own Hillel Day
School of Metropolitan Detroit,
which is part of the Conservative
movement's Schechter schools in
North America, TALI is educating
for religious tolerance in an increas-
ingly polarized Israeli society. The
thirst by Israelis of all ideological
persuasions to reclaim their Judaism
is palpable. This fall, an additional
20 schools will be added to the
TALI network. Our growth is limit-
ed only by a lack of resources.
Marty Gene and Alan Kaufman
co-chairmen,
Detroit JTS Board
Bloomfield Township