LETTERS
No Further for the
"Ultimate
Party"
JWV Museum
Worth A Visit
Executive Director David Sorkin's let-
ter regarding finding room at the
Jewish Community Center of
Metropolitan Detroit for the Jewish
War Veterans of the United States of
America Department of Michigan
memorabilia ("The JCC . Responds
About The JWV," Dec. 28, page 5)
brought back fond memories of my
husband's and my visit a few years
back to the JWV museum in
Washington, D.C.
The museum isn't regarded as a
must-see in our nation's capital and is
located in an out-of-the-way place, but
it is worth the extra effort. It is found
in the Washington, D.C., AAA Guide
and this is how we found it.
The JWV museum has regular exhi-
bitions depicting the contribution of
the Jewish soldiers to America's various
wars, as well as special exhibits that
change. At the time of our visit, the
special exhibit was of Jewish women in
American wars, which was especially
interesting to me. I wrote a piece on
this interesting and very enlightening
museum visit to Hadoar, a Hebrew bi-
monthly, with a strong recommenda-
tion to the readers not to miss this
mostly unknown museum.
This unique museum is open every
day except on Shabbat and Jewish holi-
days. Since our visit, we support this
important Jewish organization mostly
by using its very beautiful cards and
labels, which I use with great pride.
Rachel Kapen
Call for directions,
hours & open skating
hours
West Bloomfield
(248) 661-4200
57 00 Drake Rd.
just South of Walnut Lake Rd.
Wedding and Party Specialists
Flowers For All Occasions
S
1/18
2002
6
G
OF NATURE
TATE T
FLOWERS
(248) 559-5424
(888) 202-4466 Fax: (248) 559-5426
29115 Greenfield, Southfield, MI 48076
V
B'nai Mitzvah
Guide Welcomed
Mazel Toy,
Emanu-El
Thank you for you excellent editorial
("Tried And True," Jan. 11, page 19)
and article ("Focused Celebrations," Jan.
11, page 12) on the Michigan Board of
Rabbis' strong suggestion on celebra-
tions in connection with b'nai mitzvah.
As you and Rabbis Daniel Nevins,
Paul Yedwab and E.B. "Bunny"
Freedman express, over the years the
party has become the focus, often at
enormous expense, and the service and
preparation for the service have thus
become peripheral. What has bothered
me most is the impression that we, as
Jews, leave with those of other faiths.
The important life-cycle event often
becomes a reason to show off one's
affluence.
Congratulations to Temple Emanu-El
on 50 years of existence ("Tending
The Roots," Jan. 11, page 41).
We are very glad to learn that Walter
Stark was a founding member of this
highly respected temple. Only a few
people are able to look back to the
roots of such remarkable events. We
are very good friends of Margaret and
Walter Stark, and are proud to know
almost the whole Stark family.
We are also great friends of your
country, the U.S.A. We are trying to
be good ambassadors of America here
in Europe. We also are defending
eagerly your interests among our citi-
zens wherever we can do it.
We wish Temple Emanu-El great
success in all its events throughout the
commemoration year 2002. The
future for this fruitful activity is
secured and firm and with a good spir-
it, as we can learn from this very inter-
esting cover story.
Dr. Enzo Leonardini and Paul Friedli
I am not sure how much these guide-
lines will help, but when 35 rabbis sign
on, it can only be positive.
Why not spend less on the celebration
and give some money to food banks, to
a synagogue and to other charities.
Wouldn't that ultimately set an example
for our children to be good models that
Jews and non-Jews would respect. What
a wonderful example set by Zara
Mogilevsky and her parents, as reported
in that same issue, where they forego
any celebration to donate their money to
the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Harvey S. Bronstein
Southfield
Rabbis' Guide
Right On Target
The Michigan Board of Rabbis is to
be commended for expressing its
views relative to bar/bat mitzvah cel-
ebrations ("Focused Celebrations,"
Jan. 11, page 12).
In many instances, the party is the
announcement that the bar or bat
mitzvah is discontinuing their Jewish
education.
This writer was ritual committee
chairman at Temple Israel for many
years. Over the years, the committee
received many absurd requests from
parents: no pledge that they will con-
tinue after the bar/bat mitzvah; only a
specific rabbi give the sermon; only
their guests be invited to the Kiddush
after services.
Our answer was and, I hope, still is
that the bar/bat mitzvah is only part of
the service, not the reason for it.
Bravo to our rabbis.
Leonard H. Trunsky
West Bloomfield
Solothurn, Switzerland
Temple Emanu-El
Stirs Memories
It's hard to believe that 50 years have
passed since my father, Bert Kaatz, tired
of taking my brother and me to Temple
Beth-El, then in Detroit, on Sunday
mornings and decided the fastest way
out of this commute was to start Temple
Emanu-El, then the Suburban Temple,
in south Oakland County ("Tending
The Roots," Jan. 11, page 41).
At the time, I was in my pre-confir-
mation year and had absolutely no
interest in (a) giving up my city
friends for a suburban temple and (b)
being a "guinea pig" in a confirmation
class of seven.
What was remarkable is that the tem-
ple took root in a community known
best for Father Charles Coughlin in
those post-war days and that, despite a
lot of anti-Semitic skepticism, it thrived.
Founding the temple with Walter
Schmier and others was certainly one of
my dad's crowning achievements, and he
would be so proud today to see it cele-
brate 50 years.
Joan Kaatz Beaubaire
Northbrook, Ill.