SPECIAL COMMENTARY

Between Love And Hate

question of what legacy that father
Amsterdam, Holland
left to us, over that we will do almost
was standing facing East in the
anything.
nondenominational room of
Out of my right eye, I saw this
worship at the Amsterdam air-
man praying next to me as a member
port, on a layover on the way
of a people who wants to destroy me
back to Israel after a monthlong visit
and my country Israel. Out of my left
to America. As I prayed, my tefillin,
eye, I saw a member of my family,
wrapped tight around my head and
and felt a sense of wonder-
left arm, reminded me of the
ment and pride to be pray-
binding of Isaac by Abraham.
ing next to him.
Next to me, kneeling on
"Should I love or hate
the floor and also facing East
this man?" I ask myself.
was another man praying, a.
son of Ishmael, Isaac's broth-
Sidewalk Encounter
er. For him, it was Ishmael
I remembered the last
who was bound for sacrifice
Shabbat I had in Israel a
by Abraham rather than
month earlier. It was a Fri-
Isaac.
day night and I was walk-
We, in many ways, sym-
D ARREN
ing with some friends
bolized the religious split
SPIL MAN
through the Old City of
between Jews and Muslims.
Specs al to the
Jerusalem on our way
We were both praying to the
Jewis h News
home from Shabbat din-
East, the area where we
ner. During that day, ten-
believe our respective peoples
sions in the area had given
received a birthright from
way
to
heavy
fighting, so that the
God. We do not argue that we are
quiet
of
the
evening
is especially
brothers, children of the same father,
potent
in
all
of
our
minds.
Abraham; that is certain. Yet, the
- We rounded a corner and came
upon a man whose dog appeared to
Darren Spilman graduated from the
be going to the bathroom, indiscreet-
University of Michigan in 1996, then
ly, on the pedestrian walkway. I saw
went to Israel through the Jewish Feder-
no plastic baggie in the man's hand,
ation of Metropolitan Detroit-sponsored
and so, without really taking a look
Project Otzma. He made aliyah to
at him, I asked if he were planning
Israel a year ago and completed his mili-
on cleaning it up. He threw me a
tary duty in the Israel Defense Forces
vengeful look and swore at me, com-
Spokespersons Unit. His parents are
paring me very harshly to the act in
Geraldine and Murray Spilman of
which his dog was currently engaged.
Orchard Lake.

I

.

Great Man
Great Music

It was a delight to see our dear family
friends Dotty and Mack Pitt profiled
["Jazzman," Jan. 19, page 78].
Mack is an extraordinarily talented
individual as a musician and, inciden-
tally, also as a photographer.
When my wife Carol and I were
married at Congregation B'nai David
23 years ago, we naturally invited
Dotty and Mack as guests. We also
wanted nobody but Mack to provide
the music for our reception, so we
imposed upon him and his group to
be our band. Mack and his band made
the celebration so very, very special.
They were fantastic. Dotty was our
wedding ceremony coordinator.
Diana Lieberman's article was great

to read. Mack's recognition is well
deserved. But Diana left out one impor-
tant thing: That Mack is "one cool cat!"
Mike Havis
Southfield

On Prejudice
And The Election

Reflecting on the articles in the Jew-
ish News during the presidential elec-
tion regarding Sen. Joe Lieberman's
nomination for vice president on the
Democratic ticket, I have to con-
clude that George W. Bush did not
win the election because of the Flori-
da ballot confusion or the U.S.
Supreme Court decision, but the
Democrats and Al Gore lost it by
placing Joe Lieberman on the ticket

I stopped in my tracks, shrugging
off my friend's prodding to keep
moving, and walked directly up to
the man, who, by this time, I had
deduced was not an Israeli. Anger
was seething in my veins, and judg-
ing by his harsh glare back at me, it
was clear that this could go any-
where.
Trying to maintain composure, I
asked him why he spoke to me that
way. He angrily asked me why I
cared about him or what his dog
did. I replied that this is our city
and we walk along these beautiful
streets all day. Why should he leave
something like this in the middle of
the street when_ he could just clean it
up?
I began to feel like this was going
nowhere and turned to leave when he
stopped me and said, "I like some-
thing you said."
As we stared deeply into each
other's eyes, he continued, "I have
lived in this city for 15 years and no
one like you has ever said the words
`our city' to me before. I want to
thank you."
With that, the feelings of hatred
from before departed and a new feel-
ing overcame us. As we talked for the
next couple of minutes, not about
borders or questions of sovereignty,
but about how we both felt the pres-
ence of God in the city, we felt like
brothers.
In the end, he apologized for not
having cleaned up after his dog right

for vice president. ["In The Balance,"
Nov. 10, page 6]
Joe Lieberman is an outstanding man
and a good senator, but he is also a Jew.
Whether we like it or not, 50 per-
cent of the American public is of the
opinion that Jews have too much influ-
ence and power in the economics and
politics of the United States. The Jewish
News itself boasted two years ago that
there is a minyan in the Senate (10 per-
cent of the senators are Jewish).
With modest estimate, if only 4 or
5 percent of the voters did not vote
for the Gore/Lieberman ticket because
they did not want a Jew in the thresh-
old of the White House, it adds up to
3-4 million votes, which would sway
the election to the Democratic ticket
without any dispute.
Racial and religious prejudice,
overtly or covertly, still have deep roots

away and said that he would take care
of it. I told him not to be sorry for
we wouldn't have met if he had.
As we shook hands and said good-
bye, he wished me a Shabbat Shalom,
in those words. My friends who had
overheard the whole thing were as
moved as I was.

Understanding The Force

The line between love and hate,
especially among brothers, is very
thin. Both love and hate are valid
emotions in the Middle East, and
there are visible extremists on both
sides. Too much love could cause
one to give away that which is most
sacred to us, too much hatred could
keep the blood spilling forever.
The name "Israel" was given to us
in honor of our ability to cope with
the struggles that constantly lie
before us. At present, we the Jewish
people are struggling with decisions
regarding the future of our capital
Jerusalem and the Arabs living
among us.
As one more link is fastened in
the long chain of Jewish history, we
must confront this most recent chal-
lenge with dignity. Regardless of
where we stand on the spectrum, as
Jews we must keep one thing in
mind: the great force that returned
us to our land after 2000 years of
exile is the same force that made the
people we struggle with our broth-
ers.

❑

in our society. Unfortunately, they are
here to stay with us for a long time.
Charles Lukacs
Southfield

Transplant Stories
Served A Purpose

Thank you for the meaningful articles
about organ transplantation ["Miracu-
lous Mitzvot," Dec. 22, page 6; "Life-
saving Legacies," Dec. 29, page 6].
As the recipient of two kidney trans-
plants (the first in 1986, the second on
Rosh Hashanah 5760), I can tell you
firsthand how precious a gift is organ
donation. Education and awareness are
the most important commodities!
You did a true mitzvah.
Marilyn Berman
West Bloomfield

1/26

2001

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