Editor's Notebook
A 60-Year Love For Zion
The Jewish News' commitment to coverage and support of Israel
hasn't changed since the founder's 1942 platform.
ROBERT A. SKLAR
Editor
A
t the height of Hitler's madness in 1942, an
impassioned journalist left the Detroit ,.
Jewish Chronicle to look for a newspaper job
that paid better. He also wanted a forum to
share his vision for Jewish life in America and a
Jewish state in Palestine.
With the help of backers who provided the capi-
tal, Philip Slomovitz published his first edition of
the Detroit Jewish News on March
27, 1942. Six years later, the out-
spoken Zionist rallied around the
creation of Medinat Yisrael, the
State of Israel.
Today, we publish the Jewish
News' 60th anniversary issue with
the same zeal for the Jewish
homeland that the founding pub-
lisher and editor espoused for
decades.
Philip Slomovitz
We're proud to have published
every Friday for 60 years — even
Feb. 1, the week when a fire
destroyed our Southfield offices. We're equally com-
mitted to coverage and support of Israel. Despite the
intifada (uprising) waged by Palestinian extremists
tied to Yasser Arafat, we pray that Israel will turn 60
on 5 Iyar 5768 (in Spring 2008) stronger than ever.
Slomovitz's 1942 "platform" for the paper includ-
ed "Palestine's reconstruction" into a Jewish state
from the ravages of World War II.
In 1967, he reflected on the Jewish News' first 25
years. He recounted the paper's role as a watchdog,
proponent and fund-raising force for the Jewish
state. "We have had a share in the building of the
prospering community that has welcomed hundreds
of thousands of dispossessed and stateless fellow
Jews," he wrote in an editorial.
"It has been our privilege," he added, "to be living
witnesses of, and participants in, the historic task of
facilitating the treks toward liberty by escapees from
persecutions and of seeing the emergence of a proud
people, which defies further threats to its existence."
More Support
In this commemorative issue marking 60 years for
the paper that Slomovitz, who died in 1993 at age
96, led so dynamically for 42 years, I pray for stabil-
ity in the terror-stricken Middle East. I pray our
beloved homeland turns 60 six years from now with
safe streets, secure borders and an upbeat future.
Detroit is only the 11th largest Jewish community
in America, but we've been one of Israel's most
ardent supporters over the years.
From our variety of missions, to our active part-
nership with the Central Galilee region, to our gen-
We need to stand with Israel, unconditionally, to
repel the terrorism that's effectively wearing it down.
Goals of the Emergency Campaign are to spot-
light Israel's worsening plight and subsidize its
stressed social welfare programs.
"We need to reconnect with the land and its peo-
ple," says Federation President Lawrence Jackier.
And we do. Israel no longer can go it alone.
As for the Annual Campaign, it's our responsibili-
ty as donors to make sure that Federation accounts
for how it awards what we give.
The Emergency Campaign will count down to the
formal end of the 2002 Annual Campaign on April
28. The hope is to bring in $6.4 million: $5 million
to lift the Annual Campaign to $30 million, and
$1.4 million to lift the year-long Emergency
Campaign to $5 million.
The Emergency Campaign of one-time gifts pro-
vides relief to depressed areas or to areas ravaged by
erosity through the Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit's Annual Campaign, we've
been there for this tiny nation built in the shadows
of the Holocaust.
But we must do more as a community to show
our solidarity. Israel is at war, and it's time we
acknowledge that.
"Jews in the diaspora have moved too far away
emotionally from Israel," Robert Aronson, Federation's
chief executive office', told me last Friday.
And he's right.
It's as if we've become
desensitized to the relent-
less suicide bombings
and sniper attacks that
the 18-month-old intifa-
da has wrought
And that's the wrong
response.
Tova Dorfman, who
works in Jerusalem and
directs Federation's Israel
and Overseas
Department, says, "The
terror and carnage wit-
nessed by all Israelis in
recent months have taken
a heavy toll on public
morale."
Israelis are shell-
shocked. They live in
fear, and are dying merci-
lessly, to sustain a Jewish
homeland for Jews every- Jewish News Editor Robert Sklar at work in the newspaper's temporary o ices in
where. Many stay home,
Farmington Hills.
near their cell phone and
the radio, waiting for a
new report from the "war zone."
terrorism. Contributions to it during this 30-day
B'nai mitzvah celebrations, if held, have armed
closing period will go to Israelis victimized by terror.
guards. Shops, cafes and entertainment venues are
We can donate directly to Israeli causes, too.
desperate for patrons. Children have few organized
Beyond giving, we can spur a dialogue.
activities to choose from.
We can call Israelis we know — relatives, friends,
Not helping matters, says Dorfman, "is Israel's tat-
tered image in the international media and the palpable tour guides, shopkeepers. Federation can provide the
names and numbers of people who live in our part-
absence of visitors to the country — be they tourists,
ner region; having our kids call theirs has great
those doing business and, of course, investors."
potential in building new friendships.
We also can write our lawmakers, community
leaders and opinion shapers to register our views —
Don't Waver
and we can buy Israeli products.
I'm often asked what we, Detroit Jewry, can do to
Passover — the holiday that commemorates our
comfort, encourage and help Israelis if we can't go
escape from Egyptian bondage in ancient times,
there, or are too fearful to do so.
and that continues till sundown April 4 — pro-
We can start by supporting Federation's newly
vides
a great backdrop to bond with the land of
announced "Thirty Days of Solidarity Israel
our
forebears.
Emergency Campaign." In the past, I would wonder
As the Jewish News embraces 60 years of service to
if we still needed to allocate so much of what we
Detroit
Jewry, let us, as a community, stand with
raised communally for Israel, which was becoming
Israel
against
terror so that it will resonate with joy,
one of the world's high-tech centers.
not despair, when it reaches its 60th birthday. ❑
The intifada changed my way of thinking for now.
.
ak
3/29
2002
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