OTHER VIEWS

Validating Who We Are As A People

IVIIT Nether a first-time visitor
or a frequent traveler,
every trip to Israel is
meaningful. However,
none was more important to me than
the recent Michigan Unity Mission,
which was a success on many levels.
If the objective was to prove that it
is safe to travel to Jerusalem, dayenu. If
the purpose was to provide encourage-
ment to our hosts that we have not
forgotten them in a particularly turbu-
lent time, dayenu. Above all, if our
presence proved yet again there is
strength in unity, dayenu.
The Jewish News published an
excellent account of our trip in its Jan.
26 issue. In reading the article, I got a
sense that, on the surface, a plane full
of Michiganders came together in sup-
port of Israel. What I discovered, and

al, professional
and social basis. I
was particularly
pleased our group
was composed of
a diverse cross-
section of Jews
from our com-
munity —
Orthodox, Con-
HERBERT
servative and
KAUFMAN
Reform; young
Community
and young-at-
Views
heart; novice and
veteran travelers.
We ate, sang and
prayed together with- ore common
goal. If we couldn't manage that, all
our other efforts would have been
pointless.
Among the various appointments
in the itinerary, our visit to the

gogue in Nazareth Ilit, where we saw
another instance of the constant cycle
of life. We were fortunate to attend
the dedication of a Torah that was sent
many years ago to another congrega-
tion by Rabbi Efry Spectre of Adat
Shalom Synagogue in Farmington
Hills. In a way, this was the beginning
of a new birth —one congregation
sending a Torah to the newborn con-
gregation. This is a wonderful example
of how Judaism continues.
The feeling of religious connection is
always present. On this occasion, I
found it even more profound than usual
at the Western Wall, underscoring our
mission: to validate ourselves, our faith
and our commitment to Israel.
I was pleased to travel with so
many of our clergy, and to room with
Rabbi Joseph Krakoff of Congregation
Shaarey Zedek in Southfield. Here we

organizing a "mission within a mis-
sion."

Upfront Understanding

Despite these signs of encouragement,
we knew the political climate in Israel
and the current state of affairs with
the Palestinians were tenuous; yet we
did not witness any acts that made us
feel unsafe. It may have been unstated,
but a prime reason for coming to
Israel was to speak to as many people,
ask as many questions and seek as
many perspectives as possible, to be as
informed as possible upon our return.
I want to conclude with a story
that illustrates how any group of peo-
ple, so determined, can affect a posi-
tive outcome. One day on our bus, we
became acquainted with a 26-year-old
woman from Ethiopia. It took her
weeks to walk across the country, tray-

A prime reason
for coming to
Israel was to
speak to as many
people, ask as
many questions
and seek as many
perspectives as
possible.

Herbert Kaufman prays at the Western Wall during the recent Michigan Unity Mission.

I hope this was true of everyone who
participated, was that there was a
deeper meaning to our visit.
Although short in duration, our
mission filled every available moment
with significant events — on a person-

Herbert Kaufman, a fineral direc-
tor at the Ira Kaufman Chapel in
Southfield, is a frequent visitor to Israel
and active in Detroit's Jewish commu-
nity.

2/23
2001

28

ORT/Hermelin College of Engineer-
ing in Netanya was a singular high-
light, also for multilayered reasons. It
was not possible to tour this mar-
velous facility without a sense of sad-
ness from David's death, yet there was
an overriding delight to see how this
school will benefit so many, and forev-
er keep David's name vibrant in our
memories, and in Israel.

Jewish Continuity

From there, we visited a new syna-

had two different generations enjoying
Israel together and developing a rela-
tionship. Rabbi Krakoff is new to our
community, but I am sure he came
away from this trip with a greater
appreciation of what binds our specific
group together and how this experi-
ence will fortify the bonds between all
peace-loving people.
Ours is the best Jewish community
in the world and, as always, the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit
and its leadership did a superb job of

eling only at night, to Somalia. Once
there, she, her parents and siblings
joined up with "Operation Moses"
and to freedom in Israel. When she
arrived in Israel at age 8, she had
never had any schooling. Today, she is
studying for her master's.
The more we talked, the more it
became obvious that our group was
making a difference. We each have
returned with our individual and col-
lective stories. We shopped. We saw
relatives. And we returned to places
that held strong memories, and saw
some things we hadn't seen before.
When we touched ground in
Michigan, we realized the most impor-
tant measure of this mission was to
ensure that the momentum we gener-
ated, no matter how small at first,
must continue to move forward.

Dayenu. 0

