LETTERS

Letters are posted
and archived on JN Online:
www.detroitjewishnews.com

Proud To Be
From Detroit

I read with interest-your Editor's
Notebook about Jewish Detroit
("Proud To Be A Detroiter," Dec. 21,
page 5). I am a former Detroiter living
in the Boston area (Wellesley) and have
been a subscriber to the Detroit Jewish
News for years.
I was born in Boston, moved to
Detroit when I was 3 and moved back
to Boston to attend college. I met my
husband (a Bostonian) in 1968, mar-
ried in 1969 and have lived here ever
since. I love Boston, have raised my
children here and have had a wonder-
ful life.
I find Boston culturally stimulating,
interesting and cosmopolitan. We have
a fine Jewish community in which we
are active; however, the Jewish commu-
nity pales in comparison to Detroit's.
The one thing that I really miss about
Detroit is that Detroiters have a sense
of Yiddichkeit that I have found
nowhere else in all of my travels.
So I agree with you, Detroit is a
great place to be Jewish — and I am
proud to be a former Detroiter!

Gail (Foster) Rosenberg
Wellesley, Mass.

Let's Create A
Memorial Room

Congratulations to you and your staff
for the fine article and accompanying
editorial ("Waiting For A Room," Dec.
21, page 29; "The Photos Are Qurs,"
Dec. 21, page 31) on the Jewish War
Veterans of the United States of
America Department of Michigan's dif-
ficulty in finding a home for its
Memorial Room.
Isn't it strange that the Jewish com-
munity can find acres of space for
health clubs, in-line skating and God
knows what other non-Jewish activi-
ties, but cannot find a small space to
honor those Jews who gave their lives
for our country and to help defeat
Hitler before he could finish his
destruction of European Jewry?
How disgusting that our self-styled
Jewish leaders want a $250,000 dona-
tion made to the Jewish Community
Center of Metropolitan Detroit to put
the memorial materials on permanent
display in a Memorial Room there, or
that they haven't taken prompt action
to save the materials.
I would ask that you review the vari-
ous budgets to see how much of raised

funds go for non-Jewish activities, such
as "outreach" to the non-Jewish com-
munity.
Are our Jewish leaders more con-
cerned with blending into the commu-
nity than in being Jewish? Are they
happy tossing around money to show
how nice they are to non-Jews, but do
not hesitate to shake down the Jewish
War Veterans, who want to memorial-
ize our honored dead?
Bernard H. Zaffern
Southfield

Memorial Room
A Revered Place

Thank you for the timely article and
editorial regarding the Jewish War
Veterans of the United States of
America Department of Michigan
Memorial Room ("Waiting For A
Room," Dec. 21, page 29; "The
Photos Are Ours," Dec. 21, page 31).
As one of those who worked for five
years gathering the portraits arid biog-
raphies of the 300 young Jewish men
from Michigan who were killed in
World War II and Korea, I can attest
to the reverence and sanctity with
which this room is held.
Working closely with the Gold Star
Parents was a traumatic and uplifting
experience. Their losses could never be
alleviated, but their desire to enshrine
the memories of their beloved sons
would be testimony to the sacrifices
made to rid the world of an inhuman
tyrant. In the Memorial Room is the
inscription: "Their gift was life — their
legacy, freedom."
At the dedication of the Golden
Book, Rabbi Morris Adler ended his
eloquent message with the following
words: "We dedicate this Golden Book
as a shrine from which will ever go
forth inspiration and consecration, and
we vow that it shall always remain a
living force and influence in our com-
munity ... to remind us that the chal-
lenge to liberty is unending."
It is fitting at a time when, once
again, freedom is being threatened that
the Jewish community maintain a
place of honor for those war veterans.

Lillian Bernstein
past president, JWV Memorial Home
Southfield

Don't Ignore The
Younger Members

This is in regard to your article
("Waiting For A Room," Dec. 21, page
29) about the Jewish War Veterans of
the United States of America

Department of Michigan waiting for a
place to put their memorabilia from
the Memorial Room in the Memorial
Home in Southfield.
It would help if you would check
your facts. It is upsetting when you
state, undoubtedly told by Robert
Feldman, that he is the youngest mem-
ber of the JWV Department of
Michigan at 70 years of age.
I, at 58, along with the following
members of the Shapiro Post No. 510
JWV Department of Michigan, are all
younger than Mr. Feldman: Gerald
Corlin, Zachary Davies, Marvin
Delidow, Bernard Feldman, Robert
Feldman (no relation to the previous
mentioned Robert), Paul Gatien,
Sigmund Glaser, Allen Gonte, Carl
Gonte, Irving Kane, Harold Lempert,
Sidney Lifion, Gerald Lubin, Louis
Polant, Samuel Raab, Fred Ring,
Barbara Seldon, Edward Skulsky,
Richard Walker, James Weiskopf,
Ronald White and, of course, our
youngest member at 53, Larry
Taitlebaum.
It is very upsetting to ignore the ages
of our younger members.

Gerald L. Order
Novi

Remember
Our War Dead

This letter is being written on my
return from the Battle Creek Veterans
Facility, when 40 people from the
Jewish War Veterans of the United
States of America Department of
Michigan and the Ladies Auxiliary
spent Christmas Day with patients.
This is our way of letting the hospi-
talized patients and their families know
that we do not forget our veterans,
whatever their beliefs.
Many veterans are worried about
what will happen to the memorabilia,
including the photographs of the 300
young men and women who gave their
lives for this wonderful country. Will
they find their way to some basement
or trash bin because the community
will not see fit to give this memorabilia
a permanent home?
The JWV have contacted (with no
response) the Holocaust Memorial
Center in West Bloomfield, which per-
haps is a fitting place for this memora-
bilia. These men gave their lives to lib-
erate our brothers and sisters in the
concentration camps. Perhaps this
would be an appropriate place to dis-
play these 300 photographs of our
Jewish heroes.

Monday-Saturday 10-6
Thursday 10-9

„„.• ,

- ,

1/4
2002

5