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Many Groups,
One Agenda

Local youths unite to make
a difference together.

Dan Mickelson, 17, of West Bloomfield carries Israel and American flags.

SHELLI LIEBMAN DORFMAN

SteWriter

T

J14

4/26
2002

100

he social chatter of 200 teens
changed into a focused,
intense rendition of
"Hatikvah" as an April 18
Israel Teen Rally came to a start.
Gathered in an area outside the future
site of the Holocaust Memorial Center
on Orchard Lake Road near 12 Mile in
Farmington Hills, the group listened to
emotional descriptions of Israeli terror
victims compiled by one of the program's
planners, Monica Won, 17, of
Bloomfield Hills.

"We were speaking about Israelis who
lost their lives doing everyday tasks," says
Deborah Anstandig, 17, of West
Bloomfield. She spearheaded the rally
with Jewish Academy of Metropolitan
Detroit classmate Jeremy Baruch, 16, of
West Bloomfield.
"The purpose of that part of the pro-
gram was to elicit some sort of response
— a recognition that life in Israel is tense
when people are just trying to live."
The teens, joined by some of their par-
ents, teachers and rabbis, held signs and
wore shirts with such messages as: "Jews
being murdered is a mistake we can't
afford to repeat" and "The land of Israel:

God's gift to the Jews. Source: The
Bible."
The pro-Israel, pro-peace gathering
was a collaborative effort of members
from local youth groups of Orthodox,
Conservative, Reform, unaffiliated and
Zionist movements. It was organized
after Baruch told Anstandig of his wish
to create an event to support Israel.
"Jeremy and I basically called people
we knew who represented different
groups and asked if they would join in a
meeting," Anstandig says. "We realized
we could create something amazing if we
worked together."
Alana Kuhn, 16, of West Bloomfield

said: "Everyone had a job. We all worked
together leaving organizations aside.
Kuhn's task was to prepare and distrib-
ute Israel advocacy materials. Rally par-
ticipants flocked to sign petitions she
brought with her.
One, addressed to President George
W. Bush, asked him to see that Israel and
America have the same agenda in con-
demning terrorism and supporting Israel.
Kuhn also shared an International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
petition that has been circulated
throughout the United States by

"

AGENDA

on page 102