Action Day
To Promote
Unity Mission
Michael Horowitz,
having friends and family
Valleys program in
right, and Marta
come, Nahon said, point-
Nazareth, did what they
ing out that she had missed Rosenthal look at the could to maintain contact
map of Emeg Yizre'el with patients. Staff mem-
an important professional
with Mayor
meeting to come to the
bers in Nazareth Ilk tele-
Eytan Broshi.
small lunch gathering for
phoned their patients in
Rosenthal and Horowitz.
Nazareth. And when the
Nazareth Ilit Mayor Menachem
situation calmed down, kippah-wear-
Ariav briefed the Detroiters on
ing Dr. Amitai Oberman returned to
recent developments in the city, not-
his Nazareth office.
ing that the relationship with neigh-
"We are getting more patients now,"
boring Arabs "has not been the best
Oberman said. "Hopefully, things will
over the years."
quiet down and this will become a
Three Arab residents of Nazareth
bigger project so we can provide addi-
were killed in clashes with Nazareth
tional services to other villages.
Ilit Jews over Yom Kippur; 10 other
"We really appreciate that [the
Arab citizens of Israel were killed in
Detroiters] have come at this period
other villages. The Arabs blame the
when Israel is under a lot of pressure,"
Israeli police for shooting live fire at
he added. "It is important that they
Arab demonstrators.
come and understand that we need, in
"I have no quarrel with the Arab
some way, to achieve peace and for
minority, which sees themselves as
them to see the reality and the poten-
underprivileged in certain aspects of
tial for joint [Arab-Jewish] work here."
their lives. But the question is whether
Also appreciating Horowitz and
they are allowed to take the law into
Rosenthal's visit was Shiffman Home
their own hands," Ariav said. "I'm not
Hospice volunteer Taha Abdel
a prophet and can't say what will hap-
Khalim, who also is mayor of the
pen now, but Jews don't feel so com-
Arab village of Kfar Manda.
fortable going to Arab areas anymore.
"I want them to know that this
People have returned to the shopping
[hospice] project also helps coexistence
malls and to their regular lives, but it
in this state. We want to live in coexis-
isn't like it was before, and it won't
tence and peace and it is good to see
quickly get back that way either."
American Jews also supporting this,"
Khalim said. He extended a personal
invitation to any and all Detroiters, to
Rioting Effects
visit his village and his home.
During the days of rioting, the Arab
Shiffman Home Hospice in the
and Jewish staffers of the Milton and
Valleys, a joint program of Detroiters
Lois Shiffman Home Hospice in the
and Israelis, is named for West
Bloomfield's Lois Shiffinian and her
late husband, Milton, who were the
project's prime benefactors.
Hear t felt Thanks
A Migdal HaEmek mother of a teen
participant on Detroit's Teen Mission
to Israel last summer commented on
the significance of the two Detroiters
being in Israel at this time.
"They have come out of a real con-
nection and solidarity with Israel.
They could have not come, like lots of
other groups and people who were
supposed to come and did not," said
the mother, Shevi Srulevich. "To be
honest, I don't know if I would have
gone to a place like Israel, so I really
appreciate their coming."
Horowitz said what strikes him
most from his visit is that Israelis just
continue to go about their everyday
business despite being in a situation
that "has had its ups and downs" over
the past 50 years.
"It gets frustrating because, intel-
lectually, it is simple [to resolve the
situation]; but, in reality, it is much
more difficult," he said.
For her part, Rosenthal said she
was "overwhelmed" by the mood of
the country, which she described as
‘`emotionally depressed with feelings
of abandonment.
"It's a shame," she said, "that we,
as Jews, are always there in the good
times. I feel strongly that we have to
be there all the time." ❑
"Israel Action Day, an advocacy
program open to everyone, will
provide opportunities to act on
Israel's behalf Sunday, Dec. 3, in
advance of the Michigan Unity
Mission to Israel.
Guest speakers and concurrent
workshops are planned on such
issues as advocacy and working
with the media, along with a
Michigan Unity Mission to Israel
session led by
Israel tour planner
Tzvika Gerstel.
The afternoon
of information and
hands-on activities
will take place
from 1:30 to 4
p.m. at Hillel Day
School of Metropolitan Detroit,
Middlebelt Road, south of 14
Mile, in Farmington Hills. Co-
hosts are the Anti-Defamation
League, American Jewish
Committee, Jewish Community
Council and the Jewish Federation
of Metropolitan Detroit.
A direct charter flight via El Al
is scheduled to carry participants
to and from Detroit on the
Michigan Unity Mission to Israel,
Jan. 14-19. The mission, spon-
sored by the Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit and the
Jewish News, in cooperation with
congregations and organizations
throughout the state, will cost
$999 per-person. It includes hotel
double occupancy, roundtrip air-
fare, all meals and transportation
in Israel. Space is limited. For
information or reservations, con-
tact Federation's Susan Kamin,
(248) 203-1524, or e-mail
kamin@jfmd.org
Participants on the five-day trip
will get Israel's perspective of the
issues and spend a day in the cen-
tral Galilee, Michigan's
Partnership 2000 region. There
will be no solicitation of funds.
Penny Blumenstein, president of
Federation and chair of the mis-
sion, said participants will visit
with Israelis each day, demonstrat-
ing the bond between Israeli Jews
and Michigan Jewry. ❑
Tm :
11/17
2000
11