EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK

Words Of Their Own

liff elissa Heller
knows her desires
as a teenager pale
against the back-
drop of the American Red Cross'
work following the Sept.. 11 ter-
rorist attacks on America.
For the West Bloomfield High
senior, the four hijacked com-
mercial airliners "really put the
world into perspective.2'
"My trifle and material wants,
Melissa Heller
needs and aspirations are nothing
compared to what you do in one
day's work," Heller wrote in a letter expressing admira-
tion for the Red Cross staff and volunteers toiling nobly
on the heels of the worst acts of terrorism in U.S. histo-
ry.
She has no pretenses about being able "to imagine the
different emotions" that these relief workers surely must
experience "each and every day."
"You have experienced more in the past month and a
half than I have in all my 17 years of existence," she
wrote. "But now, you can look in your-
self and see all the people you've helped,
all the heroism that others see in you."
Heller was among 190 teenagers who
wrote "thank you" letters to the American
Red Cross during the B'nai B'rith Youth
Organization/Michigan Region's fall con-
clave at Camp Maas in Ortonville. She's a
member of Achayot Chapter.
ROBERT A.
The teens took the letter-writing idea
SKLAR
of Arnie Weiner, their senior executive
Editor
director, and ran with it. BBYO
spokesperson Shari Cohen of Bloomfield
Hills sent me a batch of letters because
she" was impressed with their warmth and sensitivity."
I was, too. At the same time, I wonder what lasting
impact the handwritten letters will have on the psyches
of the Red Cross folks in Detroit and New York City,
the intended recipients. Still, writing the letters proved a
valuable exercise for the BBYO teens.
It got them thinking about their good fortune living
here in metro Detroit and what it means to be a hero.
And it reinforced how much they appreciated the relief
efforts of people they didn't even know, but who,
through their selflessness, helped make us proud to be
Americans.

Moving Messages

Ian Cohen, 17, also a West
Bloomfield senior, wrote that
his regard for the Red Cross
rose dramatically after Sept. 11.
"I was surprised that in the
hours following the attacks,
there were already blood drives
and donations set up, thanks in
part to you, the workers of the
Red Cross."

In their deeds, Cohen, a Kishon Chapter member,
found the inspiration to devote more time to communi-
ty service. "I feel that I should do more, especially in
light of what has occurred because of people like you,
he wrote.
Here's a sampler of what others had to say:
• North Farmington High freshman Melissa Morof,
14, Savage Chapter: "I thought a good way of helping
out is to tell you how much I appreciate the help you
have given our country."
• Berkley High freshman Lisa Roberts, 14, Genesis
Chapter: "I'm only 14 years old, which makes me too
young to donate blood. Instead of doing that, my
friends and I had a small candle ceremony and I'm writ-
ing this letter."
• West Bloomfield High sophomore Michael Feldman,
15, Kitzoni Chapter: "Thank you for working your
hearts out for the red, white and blue of America."
• West Bloomfield High sophomore Brandi Goodman,
15, Achayot Chapter: "Without you, many people
would not have their lives."
• North Farmington High junior Eric Shapiro, 16,
Shapiro Chapter: "You are the heart and soul of this
nation."
• North Farmington High junior Brian Rosenbaum:
16, Jolson Chapter: "Pride toward my country means a
lot to me, and your loyalty to America should be used as
an example to mankind."

"

Shedding Light

I felt a special burst of pride in tomorrow's leaders when
reading Ahavah Chapter member Julie Swerdlow's letter.
"It's at the darkest hours that
America needs heroes the most,"
the 16-year-old North
Farmington High junior wrote.
"Unfortunately, it is also at
times like these that many freeze
up and depend on others to do
the hard . work that comes with
rebuilding our nation. That is
why I, and so many others, feel
so strongly about the work you
do.
"Oftentimes, I feel that words
Julie Swerdlow
trivialize the gratitude and love
that fill my heart when I attempt
to thank you for all that you have
done for our country. It is truly the work of people like
you that made our nation strong in the beginning. And I
am confident that your actions are helping to ensure that
our future is just as strong. Keep up the good work. We
need you.
We truly do.
-
U.S. soldiers and professional emergency workers are
unquestioned heroes. But the cataclysmic air assaults
that shook the national conscience six days before Rosh
Hashanah erased any doubt volunteers can be heroes,
too.

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J11

11/30
2001

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