Detroit Jewry rallies against terrorism
and memorializes its victims.

HARRY KIRS BAUM
Staff Writer

S

ixt-y candles rimmed the bimah, each rep-
resenting 100 lives taken in the terrorist
attacks on the World Trade Center, the
Pentagon and the Pennsylvania country-
side on Sept. 11. Each also represented 150 lives
lost to terrorism in Israel.
They were symbolic reminders to the 1,100 peo-
ple gathered on a beautiful Sunday afternoon at
Adat Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills.
The Sept. 30 memorial and rally against terror-
ism, sponsored by the Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit and its public affairs voice,
the Jewish Community Council, included a
keynote address by U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-
Mich., as well as prayers, tears and song.
Federation President Lawrence Jackier set the
tone by saying it's crucial for the Jewish community
to gather together to show solidarity.
"It's important for us as a community to shake off
our malaise, the paralysis, when an event like this
occurs; and to move forward together as one com-
munity," he said.
Our Jewish community is "one" with the rescuers
in New York City, with our armed forces, our gov-
ernment and the State of Israel, said Jackier, who
became the president of the Federation five days
earlier.
Israel "stands as the lone beacon in the Middle
East, the sole democracy there, and is on the front
line of dealing with terrorism every day of every
week of every year," he said.
Although the rally was subdued, Stabenow got
the loudest response when she spoke of maintaining
solidarity with Israel, even as the United States is
forming a coalition to fight terrorism that includes
Arab governing units.
"As we put together the coalition to fight the ter-
rorists and the nations that harbor them, we must
also remember that Israel has been the victim of ter-
rorism as well," she said. "Any coalition must know
that we stand firmly behind Israel and will not
trade its security for a coalition."
The rally also included a color guard from the
Jewish War Veterans of the USA/Department of
Michigan, a children's choir from Hillel Day School

of Metropolitan Detroit and Yeshivat Akiva, and a
video message of support from the Detroit
Federation's Partnership 2000 region in the Central
Galilee. The video featured images of shocked
Detroiters who were in Israel on Sept. 11 on the
Federation-sponsored IsraelNow and Forever
Solidarity Mission, and words of support and hope
from teachers, schoolchildren and residents of the
partnership region.

Left: Federation President Lawrence Jackier
addresses the crowd.

Right: Children's choir made up of students from
Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit and
Yeshivat Akiva help usher in the program.

Opposite page: Keren Stiebel of Bloomfield
Hills shows her patriotism.

Support And Emotion

Herb Isner of Oak Park, a World War II veteran
and part of the ceremonial color guard, said he felt
pretty good about the show of support from the
flag-waving crowd.
A confident Isner said, "Our troops are ready. No
one knows how well we're trained."
Keren Stiebel of Bloomfield Hills, with an
American flag draped over her shoulders, is a stu-
dent at the Jewish Academy of Metropolitan
Detroit. She appreciated the way her West
Bloomfield-based school has been helping students
deal with the attacks.
"I think it's really important to show our support
for America," she said. "As Jews in such a small
community, its really important to come together."
Linda Goodman of West Bloomfield was on the

SUPPORT on page 16

Jewish-based relief efforts in the wake, of
the Sept. 11 terrorist attack on the World
Trade Center, the Pentagon and an air-
borne plane in Pennsylvania include:

• United Jewish Communities
Emergency Relief Fund, 111 Eighth Ave,
Suite 11-E, New York, NY 10011. (UJC
is the umbrella organization for North
A.merican federations.)

• B'nai B'rith Disaster Relief Fund,
B'nai B'rith Great Lakes Region Disaster
Relief Fund, 6735 Telegraph Road,
Suite 304, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301.

10/5

2001

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