This Week
Show
Of
Concern
HARRY KI RS BAUM
Staff Writer
Oren Goldenberg, 17,
Woodi,
of
and Lisa Roho, 19, of
Berkley, embrace during
the memorial service.
8/17
2001
14
idespread support for Israel was evi-
dent among the 450 people who
attended what had been scheduled to
be a festive occasion at Charlotte
Rothstein Park in Oak Park on Sunday night.
A suicide bombing in Jerusalem on Aug. 9 left 15
people dead and nearly 100 injured. It prompted the
Jewish Community Council of Metropolitan Detroit to
hold a memorial service before a Jewish Community
Center-sponsored concert performance of the Israeli-
Scout Friendship Caravan, which is on a U.S. tour.
"The Jewish community of Detroit stands behind
our brethren in Israel. We shall endure," said
Hannan Lis, JCC vice president.
The service — including a candlelighting ceremo-
ny, a prayer sung by Oak Park Cantor David
Gutman and a speech by an Israeli man whose fami-
ly was tragically affected by the latest Palestinian
intifada (uprising) — prompted vocal support from
members of the crowd.
"Israel needs to maintain its strength, and show
force where need be and respond as they're doing,"
said David Jacobson of Birmingham. "Peace is get-
ting further away. The chance for true peace may not
be possible without the force that they're showing —
to stay strong and do what they need to do to hang
on to their country."
Michael Schuman of Farmington Hills said he
supported Israel's takeover of the Orient House, the
unofficial headquarters of the Palestine Authority in
east Jerusalem.
"I can understand the measures Israel has taken,
and I think the best thing they did was take over all
the Palestinian offices in east Jerusalem without
harming anybody," said Schuman, who has relatives
living in Israel. "The best retaliation is to take back
some of the territory that they relinquished, and
maybe the Palestinians will get the message."
Schuman's wife, Florence, believes Palestinian
Authority leader Yasser Arafat is a weak leader.