Exerpts From Global
Solidarity Broadcast

The solidarity
broadcast, simulcast in
Bloomfield Township,
included a moment of
silence for victims of
terrorism in Israel.

Local and national gatherings support Israels battle against terrorism.

Special to the Jewish News

A

mid the tears and applause, there was
solidarity.
Nearly 200 people rallied at the Max
M. Fisher Federation Building in
Bloomfield Township on Sunday, March 24, to
express their sadness and hopes for peace, and to let
Israel know it is not alone.
"My heart is with the Jewish people and Israel,"
said Shelly Nadiv of Huntington Woods.
Her husband, Yair, and their children, Danniell, 14,
Yohnatan, 12, and Amichai, 5, are in Israel celebrating
Passover with family. She's as hopeful and fearful as
any Israeli mother. "I know that my husband and kids
can't just stay home, and we can't just be afraid. But
still, as a mother, it is really, really hard."
The gathering — under the banner "We Stand
With Israel Now and Forever" — was sponsored by
the Jewish Community Council of Metropolitan
Detroit and joined more than 100 communities in
North America that built events around a satellite
broadcast from New York and Israel.
The broadcast was sponsored by United Jewish
Communities (the Jewish federations of North
America) and the Conference of Presidents of Major
American Jewish Organizations. Featured speakers
from Israel included Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
and a young bombing victim who spoke from his
bed in Hadassah Hospital. New York speakers
included Senators Hillary Clinton and Charles
Schumer, both New York Democrats; Elie Wiesel,
Nobel laureate, spoke from Florida.
"I liked what Elie Wiesel said," said participant
Richard Corson of Farmington Hills. "Jews may not

Ruth Platt of Southfield
signs up to receive a
weekly e-mail newsletter
about Israel.

— Senator Charles Schumer, New York

"Israel is a peace-seeking nation. My gov-
ernment and I are committed to achieving a
lasting, durable peace with security, but our
neighbors must recognize our right to live
peacefully in our homeland."

— Prime Minister Ariel Sharon

Showing Solidarity

DON COHEN

"As Americans we stand with Israel. We are
both victims of terrorism. We both have
families who grieve because members of
their families are no longer with us, having
been slain by terrorists. We are both res-
olute on fighting a war to end terrorism in
every corner of the globe. The war on ter-
rorism binds Americans and Israelis as
nothing has- before. We share your pain, we
admire your strength, and we will never
abandon you."

agree on every Israeli action
or` policy, but this tran-
scends whatever our partic-
ular issues might be. This is
about Jews. We need to
come together in support
of Israel."
"I went on the commu-
nity missions in
September and December
2001 and am going again
on May 19," said Valeri
Sirlin of Bloomfield Hills.
"I think it is so important
to be there that I've been
speaking to groups to get
people to go. It is very
easy to be friends when
things are good, but when
things are bad they need

us, and we need to go."
Dr. Bert Schreiber, JCCouncil board member,
moderated the local program. He read a prayer for
Israel, lit candles and spoke about the need for peo-
ple to take action on their concerns for Israel.
Rabbi Scott Bolton, director of community out-
reach for Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit,
offered spiritual inspiration in remarks that included
a memorial prayer and a prayer for peace.
During the event, information about taking action for
Israel was distributed as well as a prayer for Passover.
Many in the audience signed up for the Council's Israel
Advocacy Network e-mail, IAN@jfmd.org

❑

A Webcast of the New York gathering, including the satel-
lite broadcast from Israel can be viewed at www.ujc.org

"This is a time for us to express our solidar-
ity with the people of Israel and the state of
Israel at a time when they have experienced
staggering losses — losses that did not
occur on some distant battlefield away from
Israel, but in their very homes, on their
buses, in their schools, at their bar mitz-
vahs, in their synagogues, in their discothe-
ques — the details of everyday life."

— Mortimer B. Zuckerman, chairman
of the Conference of Presidents
of Major American Jewish Organizations

"Jerusalem is alive and kicking and is a
dynamic city, and nothing will break the
spirit of the city of Jerusalem. (Jerusalem) is
the heart of our lives, the heart of our exis-
tence and we have to be firm and strong
and not try to avoid or ignore the pain that
we feel. But the pain should not be con-
fused with weakness. We are not weak. We
are strong. We keep going on. We have lives
to lead."

— Ehud Olmert, Mayor of Jerusalem

"[Yasser Arafat] has failed as a leader.... I
hope all of us will do everything we can to
make sure not just the people who are in
this auditorium, but people throughout
North America — Jew and non-Jew alike
— understand that when we stand up for
Israel, we are standing up for fundamental
human beliefs, democracy, freedom and
America." •

Senator Hillary Clinton, New York

When they target our youth it is our future
they seek to destroy.... If we can't eliminate
Israel's solitude, we.must be in solitude with
Israel. The conflict is not about geography;
it is about history.

— Elie Wiesel, Nobel Laureate

3/29

2002

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