CDITOR'S NOTEBOOK
Answering The Madness
T
he resilience of Detroit Jewry never
ceases to amaze me.
As America fell under siege
Tuesday, the Detroit Jewish commu-
nity quickly mobilized, trying to understand the
madness, maintain calm and affirm our unity.
The best of who we are resonated — from a 2
p.m. meeting of communal leaders at the Max
M. Fisher Federation Building in Bloomfield
Township, to a 7:30 p.m. prayer service at Young
Israel of Oak Park, to a student
assembly the next morning at
the Jewish Academy of
Metropolitan Detroit in West
Bloomfield.
In the aftermath of a catastro-
phe, we didn't lose our resolve,
Sarah Apt of Oak Park attended the memorial service at
just as we haven't since we were
Young Israel of Oak Park.
slaves in Egypt more than 3,000
ROBERT A.
years ago.
SKLAR
Buildings can be rebuilt, but
Editor
lives — office workers, airline passengers
For example:
and rescuers alike — can't be replaced. A
• Rabbi Norman Roman of Temple Kol Ami urged that
bit of each of us died in the ruins of the World Trade
Jews donate blood to the American Red Cross.
Center, the rubble of the Pentagon and on that
• Rabbi Joshua Bennett of Temple Israel urged that this
Shabbat serve as a rallying point for us to speak with a unit-
Pennsylvania mountainside.
As Americans, we lost our innocence, our belief that it
ed voice against hatred and bigotry.
couldn't happen here, that somehow, unlike our brethren in
• Rabbi Daniel Syme of Temple Beth El and Rabbi
Israel, our ancestral homeland, we were insulated from acts
Herbert Yoskowitz of Adat Shalom Synagogue urged that
our response have an interfaith thrust.
of terrorism.
Others spoke of the need to pray together, give blood,
But there we were Tuesday, anxious about the fate of
evaluate our sudden vulnerability and invigorate our corn-
loved ones, coping with a day of horrific images, careful
about what we would say at the dinner table for fear of
mitment to tikkun olam, to making the world a better place.
confusing, scaring or inciting our school-
Tuesday night, hundreds of people packed Young Israel of
Oak Park at a community vigil hosted by the Vaad
children.
There we were Tuesday, coming togeth-
Harabonim, the Council of Orthodox Rabbis of Greater
er, stunned by the death toll and the
Detroit. "We felt that it was important during such a criti-
breakdown of our aviation system. We
cal time, both for the Jewish people and the American peo-
were drawn by the Jewish tradition of ral-
ple, to pray on behalf of all of us," Rabbi Reuven Spolter of
lying no matter how strong the threat
Young Israel said.
against us.
Wednesday morning, Rabbi Lee
At the midday gathering of communal
Bucl_man led Jewish Academy of
leaders, Penny Blumenstein, Detroit
Metropolitan Detroit students in pausing
Penny
Jewry's lay leader as president of the Jewish
and recognizing "that while our first
Blumenstein
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, put it
instinct may be revenge, it should be jus-
well. "One of the strengths of the Jewish
tice" and pausing "to understand the sanc-
world," she said, "is our connection with each other, our
tity of every human life, let alone tens of
working in concert with one another."
thousands of lives."
By that morning, Academy students,
In the shadows of darkness, we do unite in purpose and
Erwin Posner
and those at many of our day and public
hope.
Detroit Jewry's highest-ranking communal professional,
schools, had already lit memorial candles
Robert Aronson, challenged the gathered leaders. "We're
and organized some sort of relief effort.
As we celebrate Rosh Hashanah at sundown Sept. 17, I'm
entering the High Holidays, we're about to conclude our
annual campaign and we have an unbelievable agenda as a
touched by how Detroit Jews, however Torah observant we
community," said the Federation's chief executive officer.
are individually, not only have come together, but also have
reached out to our friends of different religions to strike a
"So we have a special responsibility to help the community
move forward."
universal chord.
As Southfield's Erwin Posner told me Wednesday, "We're
not distinct from one another in times of terrible devasta-
Joining Forces
tion. We're just people."
And go upward and onward we did, beginning at that
Ken yehi ratzon.
moment.
May this be God's will. E
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9/14
2001
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