Taking the fear out of Hospice:
a Jewish Perspective
Sentenced
White supremacist
gets life term.
Los Angeles/JTA
ictims of a 1999 racist shooting
spree expressed grief and anger
this week as a white supremacist was
given two life sentences for killinab a
Filipino American postman after
wounding five people at a Jewish com-
munity center.
Buford Furrow Jr. fired 70 bullets in
the North Valley Jewish Community
Center in Grenada Hills, Calif, injur-
ing three boys, a teenage girl and a
woman.
Judge Nora Ivianella ordered Furrow
to pay $690,294 in restitution, in case
he makes any money by selling book
or movie rights.
Furrow, 39, was spared a possible
death sentence due to a history of
mental illness. He appeared pale and
docile as he read a statement that said,
"I think about what happened every
day, and I will grieve for it every day
for the rest of my life."
Before Furrow was given the life
sentences — which came without
hope of parole, release or appeal — his
victims and their relatives vented their
grief during
b an 80-minute court ses-
s i 0 n.
"I feel deep inside that" Furrow
"knows the difference between right
and wrong," said the postal worker's
mother, Lillian Hero. "When he killed
my son, he also killed parr of me."
Mindy Finkelstein was a 16-year-old
counselor at the JCC on Aug. 10,
1999, when Furrow shot and wound-
ed her. Through sobs, Finkelstein told
Furrow that he had sent her to "hell
and back."
"Buford Furrow tried to kill me and
he failed," she said. "But in a way he
succeeded." Finkelstein said she has
been in and out of hospitals and
dropped out of college because of the
psychological aftereffects.
"This will be with me for the rest of
my life," she said.
Donna Finkelstein, Mindy's mother,
told Furrow, "You stole my daughter's
innocence just because she's Jewish,
but you didn't take away her bravery
or her ethnic pride."
David Lehrer, a regional director for
the Anti-Defamation Leauge, said that
"justice has been served. A clear message
has been sent that the commission of
hate crimes will result in conviction and
a severe penalty." ril
V
14*
A panel discussion
moderated by
Arthur Horwitz,
owner and publisher,
Detroit Jewish News
Thursday, April 19, 7:15 pm
Adat Shalom Synagogue, Farmington Hills
Complimentary admission
In the spirit of living life fully until the end, we
invite you to come and learn about hospice care
that respects Jewish cultural and spiritual traditions.
A distinguished panel of experts will discuss end-of-life
issues, such as pain management, providing care at
home, hospice care in nursing homes and other
facilities, dietary considerations and advance directives.
Moderated by Arthur Horwitz, owner and publisher,
Detroit Jewish News.
A dessert buffet will follow the discussion
Sponsored by Hospice of Michigan,
For more information visit www.hom.org
Detroit Jewish News, Greater Detroit Hadassah,
National Council of Jewish Women,
The Sinai Guild, Women's American ORT
RSVP: 248-443-5900
3/30
2001
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