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LETTERS
LETTERS from page 40
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to Jewish history and identity for
more than 3,000 years. They have
ignored the 19-year period after
Israel's independence in 1948, when
Jews were denied any access to their
holiest-places and the revered Western
Wall was nothing more than an alley-
way strewn with refuse.
In total contrast, Israel has always
recognized the sacred Islamic tie to
the Temple Mount, allowing, since
1967, Muslim control of the two
mosques while making every effort to
assure free access for all faiths to their
holy places throughout Jerusalem.
Arafat's uncompromising stance on
Jerusalem has revealed the Palestini-
ans' deep desire to return to those
days of exclusive Islamic control over
the cornerstone of Judaism, the Tem-
ple Mount and the Western Wall, and
once again raised profound concerns
about longer-term Arab and Palestin-
ian goals as well.
Jerusalem, as well as the other issues
on the table for a permanent agree-
ment, can be resolved, but not through
incendiary rhetoric and the calculated
use of violence to regain international
sympathy and put pressure on Israel for
still further compromise.
Sharona Shapiro
Michigan area director,
American Jewish Committee
Bloomfield Township
Outreach Need
And Relocation
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11/10
2000
42
I am writing in response to the article
written by Jay Korelitz ("Caring For
Our Innocent Lambs," Oct. 13, page
40). He is an outstanding volunteer
who willingly gives of his time to our
program and many others.
The. issue that Mr. Korelitz address-
es, the isolation of Jewish older adults
living in care facilities not under Jew-
ish auspices, is one we are keenly
aware of.
There are a number of reasons
individuals are placed in the facility of
their choice. It may be a placement
close to where a family member lives.
Or, the resident's care needs may
require a level of care only available in
certain nursing homes and/or financial
restrictions. In our experience, the
majority of the individuals living in
these facilities are not interested in
relocating at this time in their lives.
Our community has identified the
need to provide outreach services to
frail Jewish older adults living in the
tri-county area. There are two pro-
grams funded through the Jewish Fed-
eration of Metropolitan Detroit that
provide outreach services to isolated
frail, Jewish older adults living in
Wayne County.
Rabbis Dovid Polter and A. Irving
Schnipper are chaplains of the Jewish
Home & Aging Services' Jewish Com-
munity Chaplaincy Program. These
two rabbis make 75 facility visits
monthly to nursing homes and assist-
ed living facilities throughout the
Detroit area. In their travels, they pro-
vide religious services, make individ-
ual visits and recite the Vidui (confes-
sional prayer) when necessary. Shirley
Jarcaig, the program coordinator,
works with synagogue groups and
schools, day schools and volunteers to
bring these groups and programs to
the Jewish older adults living in facili-
ties.
The Jewish Vocational Service's
Project Outreach provides advocacy
and outreach for isolated, often men-
tally ill, Jewish elderly living in
Detroit and Wayne County (see next
letter).
For individuals satisfied with the
facility of their choice, the Jewish
Community Chaplaincy Program is
seeking to enrich their lives through
the recruitment of volunteers willing
to visit these Jewish older adults living
in care facilities.
Sheyna Wexelberg-Clouser
director of community outreach,
Jewish Home & Aging Services
West Bloomfield
JVS Cares
)
For 'Forgotten
We commend Jay Korelitz for his con-
cern and for bringing this to the
attention of the broader community
("Caring For Our Innocent Lambs,"
Oct. 13, page 40).
We at Jewish Vocational Service
have been caring for these "innocent
lambs" for more than 20 years, since
the inception of Project Outreach.
JVS provides the following services
to these community members, many
of whom have chronic mental illness
or developmental disabilities:
• Advocacy for Detroit's center city
Jewish residents who are elderly, frail,
isolated and mentally ill or develop-
mentally disabled, assuring that their
physical, mental, social and religious
needs are being met.
• Planning monthly Jewish cultural