Marjorie and Saul Saulson of
Franklin and Arnold Michlin of
Waterford.
Former institute board president
Elaine Sturman of Bloomfield
Township praised Marjorie and Sol
Saulson as "inspirational friends of
the institute." The couple planned
the institute's first trip to Israel, and
Marjorie produced "Echoes of the
Past," a 13-week cable television
series on Rev. Lyon's work. Rev.
Lyons died in 1998.
Several guests offered their
thoughts about Michlin, who is past
president of the board and one of
first members of its speakers' bureau.
"Arnold is one of the most under-
stated people I know; his actions
speak volumes. He's an incredible
soul," said Mark Segal of West
Bloomfield, who co-chaired the
Dove dinner with Brian Renaud of
Rochester Hills.
Honorary co-chairs were Joyce and
David Cornwell of Farmington
Hills, Libby and Leo Sklar of West
Bloomfield, and Barbara Yuhas of
Farmington Hills, institute program
chairman.
"Arnold is my teacher, my mentor,
my friend, my support," Blewett
said.
Bishop Leonard Blair of the
Archdiocese of Detroit, a past Dove
awardee, said, "Arnold's one of the
most dedicated and passionate
believers in bringing people of vari-
ous communities together."
Before and after the award celebra-
tion, a warm buzz filled the hall,
highlighting the deepening relation-
ships among the institute members.
Several commented on the impor-
tance of this connection to help
understand difficult events like Sept.
11 and the war in Israel.
"An important result of the insti-
tute's work is understanding what's
going on in the Middle East, which is
very complex," said Rev. John West,
interfaith adviser to Cardinal Maida,
Archbishop of Detroit. "Now we're
friends [the Jewish and Christian
members], which gives us an open
door to be very honest and ask ques-
tions. ... We know who to call; we
know how to pray together."
Said Barbara Smith of Bloomfield
Hills, who participated in a women's
dialogue group on Jewish-Christian
relationships: "To touch the faith of
another person is a powerful experi-
ence." ❑

In Memoriam

On Yom HaShoah, Akiva remembers the victims of
Arab terrorism — as well as the Holocaust.

DIANA LIEBERMAN

Copy Editor/Education Writer

41

eula Chen, 45, pulled from
her car at a gas station near
her home of Givat Ze'ev;
Avi Boaz, 71, noted
Jerusalem architect, kidnapped at a
roadblock near Bethlehem; Michal
Mor, 25, caught in a sniper attack on
her hometown of Afula — these are
only three of the hundreds of Israeli
civilians killed in recent months by
Arab terrorists.
To students of Yeshivat Akiva, these
deaths are a chilling reminder that the
anti-Semitism that fueled the
Holocaust still exists. For this reason,
the school's annual commemoration of
Yom HaShoah (Holocaust
Remembrance Day) began with a
somber recitation of the names of those
Jews who have died in the current
Palestinian intifada (uprising), followed
by the chanting of prayers and biblical
verses.
Outside Akiva's Palman chapel,
where the April 9 ceremony took place,
the walls were lined with photographs
of the Israeli dead. Inside were photo-
graphs from the Holocaust, accompa-
nied by gruesome excerpts from the
memoirs of survivors.
The first speaker was Rabbi Yigal
Tsaidi, principal of the Southfield day
school. His face pale and drawn, with-
out its usual smile, he told the upper-
school students that the war against the
Jews is still going on.
"Many people hate us," he said.
"They don't want to see the existence
of the Jewish people."
Rabbi Tsaidi, an Israeli citizen, spoke
of his own recent loss, the death of a
cousin and former student named
Einan Sharabi. Sharabi, who had corn-
pleted his duty in the Israeli army, was
recalled into active duty and was killed
almost immediately, on the final day of
Passover.
Despite the gravity of the situation,
the Israeli army has been instructed to
pursue only the terrorists and not
Palestinian civilians, he said. "That is
the moral way. That is derech eretz."

Never Forget

Related editorial: page 31

4/19
2002

36

Holocaust survivor Alex Kuhn of

Southfield paraphrased the
Ari Teger, 17, of
Talya Schostak,
Passover Haggadah: "In
Southfield remembered
Shira Schreiber
every generation, there's a
"the fields of blackness,"
and Sonya
monster who rises up
while Helene Lefkowitz,
Brystowski,
against Israel," he said.
17, of Southfield said the
seniors at Yeshivat
"Eventually, with the help
trip forced her to think of
of HaShem [God], we'll be
Akiva, organized
the Holocaust not as the
the school's
victorious."
death of six million Jews,
Yom HaShoah
Kuhn went to Poland
but as the annihilation of
commemoration.
and Israel with local
six million individuals with
teenagers — including 17
families, friends, hopes and
from Akiva — on last year's
dreams like her own.
March of the Living. "That
"I walked in the footsteps
was the second time I was in
of tortured souls," she said, "and began
Auschwitz. The first was in 1944," he
to feel their pain and tears."
told the students at the ceremony.
The Yom HaShoah event was
"There's a great difference between 60
planned and directed by Akiva stu-
years ago and today: Today, we have an
dents, under the supervision of teacher
army; today, we can fight back. I'm too
Tali Sobol. Sobol came to the school
old to pick up a gun. But I will do
through Kollel MiTzion, a group of
what I can."
young Israeli teachers who spend sever-
After speaking at Akiva, Kuhn partic- al years working with students and
ipated in Yom HaShoah ceremonies at
communities in the diaspora.
Hillel Day School of Metropolitan
Heading the student committee were
Detroit and the Jewish Academy of
Schostak, Sonya Brystowski, 18, of
Metropolitan Detroit.
Oak Park and Shira Schreiber, 17, of
The Akiva ceremony concluded with
Oak Park. After the ceremony,
readings by several students who had
Schreiber, who plans to study at
gone on the March of the Living.
Jerusalem's Midreshet HaRova next
Scenes from the concentration camps
year, said that working on the event
they had visited flickered on a small tel- made her comprehend the chilling par-
evision set, while a plaintive violin
allels between the Holocaust and the
theme played softly in the background.
agony now being endured in Israel.
"At these sites, are there enough
"Today, there are different numbers,
words to eulogize thousands? Can we
different ways of hating us. It's the
memorialize millions?" said Talya
same thing that has been going on
Schostak, 17, of Southfield, who spoke
since the Egyptians," Schreiber said.
of her anguish at the killing grounds of "But we will live; we will prosper; we
Poland.
will go on." ❑

