LETTERS

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LETTERS

from page 5

to the

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or the Young Adult Division or the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit

74444r,

11444-ie

14, 2001

Board Meeting — 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Election & Installation

of Officers & Directors

Presentation of Mark famil y Young Leadership Award

zones, providing precious time to
respond. In a second Yom Kippur
war, the outcome could be in doubt
longer than 48 hours.
As a result, by overlooking the
obvious, by looking for a solution
elsewhere, the real problem is allowed
to fester.
Irving Warshawsky

West Bloomfield

Celebration

—

8 p.m. - midnight

Appetizers, dessert, music and dancin g

Townsend Hotel Ballroom, 100 Townsend Street, Birmingham

$18

at the door • Dressy attire

Youn g Adult Division is a volunteer, charitable and educational or ganization open to single or

married Jewish young adults, ag es

21-36,

in the tn-county area. As a vital part of the Jewish Federation,

YAD is dedicated to the Federation mission of fosterin g and strengthenin g our Jewish community

and its ties to the Jewish people in Israel and throu g hout the world.

I

YAD

YOUNG
ADULT
DIVISION

This is federation

visit us on the Web, www.thisisfederation.org/YAD

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5/18
2001

6

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29585 Telegraph, South of 12 Mile • Southfield

248-353-1300

What Are The
March's Benefits?

The pieces on the March of the Liv-
ing-Detroit Teen Unity Poland/Israel
Experience the past few weeks
(Other Views, April 27, page 28;
May 4, page 32; and May 11, page
38) prompt me to respond as a par-
ent of a child who did not have the
good fortune to go with the group.
First and foremost, we are a reli-
gious family, one, I suppose, that
would be referred to in the secular
media as "ultra-Orthodox."
From this point of view, the Jewish
communities in Western Europe and
North America seem to be in danger
of transforming the destruction of
European Jewry at the hands of the
Nazis into a religion in and of itself.
By this, I mean that any criticism of
Holocaust activities is met with scorn,
derision and censure.
We must remember that we are
Jews, and Judaism is more than the
Holocaust. Judaism has a 4,000-year
history, of which the Holocaust is,
after all, but a small part. Its effects
seem to be overwhelming only
because we live in a time so close in
proximity to the actual events.
We appear to be approaching a
point where it becomes necessary to
think critically about such Holocaust-
related activities as the March of the
Living. The monetary cost per pupil
of this event is roughly $2,000, not to
mention the time spent away from
home, school and family.
Also, the impact of this event on
the children left behind needs to be
assessed. My daughter effectively
missed three weeks of school at this
critical time in her high school career
because 11th- and 12th-grade classes
at Yeshivat Akiva in Southfield were
suspended while her classmates were
on the march.
What exactly are the concrete bene-
fits of the March of the Living to
those lucky enough to make the trip,
and are they worth the costs to the
pupils' families and classmates? Could

the time have been better spent pursu-
ing other activities, like learning Eng-
lish literature, chemistry, Gemara,
Mishnah Berura, or Jewish law and
history? What, if anything, did the
children get out of the experience and
how long will it last? What is the bot-
tom line?
If any data are available to show
that the measurable benefits of the
March of the Living are greater than
the costs both to the attendees and to
those left behind, I will be persuaded
of its utility. Until then, well, I must
reserve judgment.
Jay R. Shayevitz

Oak Park

Teacher Support
Earns Plaudits

I would like to express our apprecia-
tion to the Hermelin and Davidson
families (Hermelin-Davidson Center
for Congregation Excellence) for
showing their confidence and support
for the educators of young Jewish chil-
dren.
For several weeks, we have been
attending classes taught by dedicated
mentors. We have discussed the parts
of the Torah as well as current Jewish
issues. I look forward to these classes
because I always leave with the feeling
that I learned something new about
Judaism.
Recently, more than 100 preschool
teachers flew to New York City (" 'Til
You Sleep," May 18, page 39). We
were treated to a wonderful day of
self-discovery and exposed to hands-
on learning. We visited the Jewish
Museum, rode a ferry to Ellis Island
and enjoyed traveling with our fellow
educators. We walked the path with
our ancestors as they entered Ellis
Island. We could just imagine their
emotions as they passed the Statue of
Liberty.
I am blessed to be a part of the
Jewish Early Education Enhancement
Project (JEEEP) and Congregation
Shaarey Zedek Beth Hayeled nursery.
To me, teaching is an honor and a
blessing. We are entrusted with the
most precious gift — our children. It
is laudable that our community, repre-
sented by the Hermelins and David-
sons, recognize the importance of the
educators of young Jewish children.
My personal joy is seeing the light in a
child's eyes when he/she shows excite-
ment in the discovery of God's world.
Susan Gartenbeq

Bloomfield Hill'

