inion

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A Righteous Soul

la

e was a teacher, a mentor and a friend,
but most of all, he was among the lamed
vav tzadikim, the 36 righteous people of
his generation.
The world exists and endures thanks to
the deeds of these righteous souls, accord-
ing to Jewish legend.
So it was no surprise that 900 people
came to Southfield on Sunday to pay tribute to
Rabbi Yitschak Meir Kagan, of blessed memory, the
longtime associate director of the Lubavitch
Foundation of Michigan.
He died at age 59 in a May 13 car wreck in New
York City after doing what delighted him — sharing
Torah's teachings with those eager to learn and visit-
ing the resting place of the Lubavitcher Rebbe,
Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson.
Rabbi Kagan led by example and embodied the
spirit of the beloved Rebbe.
"It was so sudden, so tragic. We all feel the pain
and we all feel the loss," said Rabbi Kasriel Shemtov,
of The Shul in West Bloomfield, in raising the cur-
tain on a glorious tribute to one of Detroit Jewry's
giants.
Rabbi Kagan kindled and sustained Jewish sparks
in a loving, peaceful way. He worked hard to unite,
not drive a wedge between, Jews of all backgrounds.
He rejoiced in helping Jews stir their neshamah,
their soul's inner chamber, as well as develop a deep-
er appreciation for Jewish histor. , heritage and holi-
days.
U.S. District Judge Avern Cohn beautifully cap-
tured the essence of Rabbi Kagan: "To him, every
Jew had value and was to be accepted as an equal."

A a441

Scholarly and sophisticated, Rabbi
IT'S
Kagan recently published the first of a
series of English translations of the
Rebbe's analysis of Rashi, an
FARE
llth-century biblical and tal-
mudic commentator. But
Rabbi Kagan also was hum-
ble. He didn't ridicule lack of
Jewish knowledge and, despite the
demands on his time, was always there
for any legitimate need.
A child of wartime London, Rabbi
Kagan grew up in a house exuding
kindness, patience and understanding.
Childhood instilled in young Yitschak
the rudiments for winning over skep-
tics.
For 35 years with the Lubavitch
Foundation of Michigan, Rabbi Kagan
spread goodness and good will, no mat-
ter how rugged the journey. His flock
included immigrants, prisoners, even
people who had lost faith in God.
The rabbi's imprint adorns Chabad
houses in metro Detroit, Ann Arbor,
Flint and Grand Rapids. He was a
founder of the West Bloomfield-based
Friendship Circle, a counseling center
for teenagers and adults and a service
agency for children with special needs.
He died weeks before the summer
groundbreaking for the Synagogue
and Jewish study.
Campus of Living Judaism in West Bloomfield, 10
Rabbi Yitschak Meir Kagan was a blessing to Jews
years in the making and dear to his heart.
everywhere. Detroit Jewry was privileged to have
As a community, we can respect his legacy best
him walk among us. ❑
through a higher commitment to kindness, mitzvot

DDL6 eAs-r

EDITO RIAL

Related coverage: page 18

Dry Bones

A Humanitarian

CEASE

tAX "CEASE"

.

Retaliate Or Wait?

n the aftermath of last Friday's vicious bomb-
ing of Tel Aviv's Dolphin Disco, Palestinian
Authority leader Yasser Arafat has told his
security services publicly, and in Arabic, that
the violence must stop.
But should Israel think he is sincere?
Should it continue to withhold a military
response to the barbarism of Hamas and
Islamic Jihad? Having branded the
Palestinian Authority a terrorist , ,rganiza-
tion, as the cabinet did in its emergency Shabbat
session, doesn't Israel have a duty to attack the PA
itself as quickly as possible?
Frankly, we don't believe Arafat for one
minute. He has repeatedly failed to live up to past
promises, has pretended that the militant organi-
zations are out of his control — even while let-
ting their leaders out of prison so they could

resume their awful work.
As far as we are concerned, he is only talking
about a cessation of terrorist operations now
because he fears Israeli Prime Minister Ariel
Sharon has the will to put him and his govern-
ment structures in the IDF crosshairs. And yet,
we believe that Israel is right to stay its
hand a little while longer.
The crucial factor lies in the interna-
tional community's reaction to the 20
disco deaths. Somehow, earlier suicidal bombings
that killed innocents -- at least six incidents in
1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997, where such attacks
killed a dozen or. more Israeli civilians — never
seemed to faze world opinion as this latest atrocity
has. This time, the world may actually have been
horrified into considering what has long been obvi-
ous to us — that the Palestinians have once again
Gone too far.
For too long, many other nations have stopped
short of accepting the brutal reality Israelis face

EDIT ORIAL

Related coverage: page 24

every day in dealing with the Palestinians, instead
clinging to Arab propaganda that says the violence is
the result of Israeli aggression against a Palestinian
population armed only with sticks and stones. As
the horror of Friday's attack sinks in, the world, we
hope, may finally be acknowledging the truth.
Waiting to strike back gives Israel a chance to see
if Arafat will act decisively to rein in the terrorists.
The single best sign would be the re-arrest of terror-
ist leaders and the silencing of the virulent anti-
Semitism of the PA-controlled media. He can also
use the many external channels, such as the
American or European envoys to the Mideast, to
signal his sincerity in seeking peace.
We mourn the deaths of those 20 young people
lined up outside the discotheque. We want to
believe that their deaths might somehow signal the
beginning of the end of that inhuman horror. And
we want Israel to know that if, when and how it
decides to retaliate, it has our full support.

❑

6/8
2001

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