LETTERS

LETTERS from page 5

sponsored IsraelNow & Forever
Solidarity Mission that this trip took
on an entirely new meaning.
On other trips, we toured all the
usual sites from north to south, but
this trip was not about being a
tourist. We immediately recognized
we were there to share the struggle of
the Israelis.
Our trip was summed up on the
very first stop following our arrival at
Ben-Gurion Airport, when we visited
and read poems and lit candles at the
Dolphinarium, the disco that was
bombed and where 21 teenagers died
in June. The entire six-day trip was
underscored by the memorial in front
of the fallen disco; it read, "You will
never stop our dancing." That is the
struggle we were there to better
understand and support.
Federation leaders understand the
importance to share with us this mes-
sage and reasons to go to Israel, and
it's not just to visit the typical sites.
We visited the neighborhoods of Gilo,
where we saw the results of daily
shelling and the true terror in which
its residents live. We were over-
whelmed and amazed at the progress
and development of Detroit Jewry's
Partnership 2000 region in the
Central Galilee.
Daily, the various speakers shared
with us the perspective of this frus-
trating and challenging world.
Yes, we were there to offer our
unity and solidarity, and, yes, they
cried with us over the events of Sept.
11. But the message we left with, and
the message for all Jews worldwide, is
to join with our Israeli brothers and
sisters by visiting Israel and showing
the world that none of us will ever be
stopped from our dancing.

Nancy Schostak
Franklin

Doublethink
Strikes Again

Seventeen years late, we have finally
reached the world of doublethink pre-
dicted in George Orwell's novel 1984.
Having just witnessed the U.N.
conference against racism, which
espoused the most virulent expres-
sions of racism seen since the fall of
the Third Reich, we are now treated
to a potential "Coalition Against
Terrorism" made up of most of the
terrorist states and entities in the
world. This includes Yassir Arafat's
Palestinian Authority, Syria, Sudan

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2001

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and Iran ("Small Steps Forward,"
Sept. 28, page 24).
Israel, the country that has suffered
more from terrorism than any other,
is ostracized, lest the sensibilities of
the Muslim states be offended.
Needless to say, the original attack
that brought this coalition into being
was from a Muslim entity — maybe
even a Muslim state — perhaps even
one of the coalition against terrorism.

H. L. Schlussel
Southfield

Jewels Enriched
Day Of Learning

I attended the Women's Day of
Learning at the Jewish Community
Center ("Awakening The Soul," Sept.
28, page 54). I also sat in on a couple
of the planning meetings, so was able
to see the way the staff worked to put
that remarkable day together.
There was such creativity, positive
energy, efficiency and willingness to
take responsibility in that room that it
was a privilege to witness it.
The professionals primarily
involved in the Women's Day of
Learning were Harlene Appelman and
Dale Rubin of the Jewish Federation
of Metropolitan Detroit's Alliance for
Jewish Education, Aviva Panush of
the Federation's Agency for Jewish
Education, Nancy Kaplan of Eilu v'
Eilu and Tom Wexelberg-Clouser of
the Jewish Theological Seminary of
America, and, of course, their support
staffs.
The Jewish community should be
reminded of these jewels in our midst.
We are incredibly lucky to have such
a stunning team serving our commu-
nity.

Arlene Victor
Bloomfield Hills

Sharon Holds
Key To Peace

The recent tragic events continue to
cause all to be concerned about the
terrorism that tragically now engulfs
the United States and continues to
plague Israel ("What Kind Of
Coalition," Sept. 21, page 23).
I listened carefully as President
George W Bush told all of us that he
had stated conditions in his ultima-
tum to the Taliban. He said there

would not be any negotiations con-
cerning his stated conditions. He did
not state that he was going to send
Secretary of State Colin Powell to
meet with Osama bin Laden.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
has not stated his conditions for peace
and security in an ultimatum to
Palestinian Authority leader Yassir
Arafat. He has not stated that the
security and peace conditions were
non-negotiable. He remains under the
controlled persuasion of Nobel Peace
Prize-et Shimon Peres, now Israeli
foreign minister.
The recent events in Israel struck
hard and close to me. The victim of
the ceaseless fire, Sarit Amrani, was a
neighbor of my daughter, a founder
of Nkodim (El David), who still
resides there. Sarit Amrani and a later
victim of the ceaseless fire, Salit
Sheetrit, were both known to a neigh-
bor of mine whose children reside in
Kiryat Arba.
Shimon Peres will not stop the
ceaseless fire by meeting with Arafat.
It is possible that there may be pause
in the ceaseless fire if Arafat believes
that this will win him favors from the
United States via Colin Powell. But
the ceaseless fire against Israel will
continue in the future when the ter-
rorist Arafat decides it is time to
resume terrorist activity.
Sharon must now exert leadership
with influences from Peres. Now is
the time for him to state Israel's con-
ditions for security and peace in an
ultimatum leaving no room for nego-
tiations or meetings with Arafat rela-
tive to the conditions.

Dr. William Simkovitz
Clawson

Legacy Of
Abe Selesny

Thank you for publishing Susan
Tawil's article on the late Abraham
Selesny ("A Compassionate Life,"
Sept. 28, page 119).
I knew Abe for 50 years. While we
were not close friends, we were good
friends for the last 26 years.
During the 1970s and 1980s, Abe
taught and lectured frequently at
Oakland Community College, where
I heard his wonderful lectures,
although I did hear the same jokes
repeated to different classes many
times.

Abe was instrumental in the devel-
opment and growth of the Young
Israel of Southfield, where he would
devote 20-30 hours a week to make
sure that the synagogue would suc-
ceed. He served as president for 9 1 /7
years, served on every board and com-
mittee, helped raise the necessary
funds; most importantly, he would
greet every visitor or new member.
Everyone was made to feel wel-
come. Abe would spend close to an
hour every week during services for
about 15 years making certain that
each person was comfortable.
Abe's humor was constant. I always
said he could make you laugh at a
funeral. That was the nature of his
personality. He was always encourag-
ing and noticed everything. He would
often tease me and everyone else, but
we were never insulted.
I will miss him and, sadly, he will
never be replaced.

Harvey Bronstein
Southfield

We Must Avoid
Another Vietnam

When our nation was hit at Pearl
Harbor, we knew who our enemy was
so we could fight back. The culprits
behind the recent terrorist acts on the
United States are not proud of what
they do; they hide, making it difficult
to find out who they are ("Carrot and
Stick," Sept. 28, page 23).
We must be cautious of what we do
to retaliate; to just jump into a fight
against Afghanistan and its people
could only bring us more hatred
among Afghanistan's people them-
selves.
After all, a land-based nation like
Russia, with their hardened, experi-
enced troops, lost thousands and
finally gave up trying to conquer
Afghanistan.
We don't want another Vietnam,
losing 58,000 American boys and, in
the end, being pushed out of the
country.
Let us hope we can weed our
Osama bin Laden and his henchmen,
and the money that supports theses
heinous atrocities, with minimum
involvement.

Irving Handelman
Oak Park

