Insight
Remember
When • •
`A Right War'
From the pages of the Jewish News for
this week 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60-
years ago.
Bar-Ilan doctoral student tells offenin combat as army reservist.
DON COHEN
Special to the Jewish News
A _
voice of optimism and confidence from Israel
buoyed the spirits of those attending the Food
& Thought luncheon of the Detroit Friends of
Bar-Ilan University on July 23.
Yaron Cohen, a 29-year-old doctoral student in chem-
istry at Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan, spoke about
serving with a medical unit that accompanied soldiers who
entered the Jenin refugee camp as part of Operation
Defensive Shield last April.
He was one of more than 20,000 reservists called up to
their units after more than 100 Israelis were killed in ter-
rorist attacks during March, including the massacre in
Netanya, where 29 people
were killed at a Passover
seder in a seaside hotel.
Unlike previous call-ups,
"this time everyone
showed up," he said.
His medical unit was
assigned to treat soldiers
clearing the Jenin refugee
camp of weapons and
explosives labs; they also
made arrests to under-
mine the terrorists' abili-
ty to strike.
Cohen was sure that
before Israel could take
action, the U.S. would
"close the window of chances" to take military action, so
he told his mother not to worry. But when terrorists struck
in Haifa and Jerusalem, he was certain the army would go
into Jenin, known as "the capital of the suicide bombers."
"There was lots of adrenaline and an atmosphere of war.
We knew it was a right war," Cohen told the group of
about 60. "We didn't have another choice. Everyone came
with a lot of motivation."
The Israelis expected a fight from those who remained in
the camp because they knew the Israelis were coming.
"They used the time to put explosives everywhere — the
entrances to the camp, and the doors and windows of the
buildings," Cohen said. "We knew it was very dangerous.
Our movements were very slow and very careful" through
the camp's narrow passageways.
Cohen understood the decision not to immediately call
in the artillery to wipe out the resistance because there were
children and elderly and sick civilians remaining but, after
four days of fighting, he was certain the airplanes would
come to wipe out the camp.
But it didn't happen and that very day, Cohen recalled,
"a platoon came into an ambush in a small alley ... explo-
sives and covering fire prevented evacuation of the wound-
7/26
2002
32
ed, and 13 soldiers died." He described the Israeli soldiers'
acts of heroism and compassion he witnessed.
Through it all, Cohen maintained his motivation and
confidence.
"Maybe you think it looks very black in Israel," he said,
accurately gauging the mood of the audience. "But we are
not afraid. We live in a very difficult situation, we are very
aware, but we have to live with it.
"We know the government and the IDF [Israel
Defense Forces] will do everything necessary to finish the
situation. I do not hesitate to travel or go to a cafe. The
strength of Israeli society supports us ... after two years
of attacks they thought we would be weakened but we
have been strengthened."
Les Goldstein, director of the Midwest Bar-Ilan office
"Maybe you think it looks very black
in Israel, but we are not afraid. We
live in a very difficult situation, we
are very aware, but we have to live
with it ... after two years of attacks
they thought we would be weakened,
but we have been strengthened.
1
The Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit arranges a
second plane for its spring Miracle
Mission to Israel to satisfy an over-
whelming community response.
Israeli,President Chaim Herzog
visits the Neve Shalom Synagogue
in Istanbul, where 22 worshippers
were killed 60 years ago.
1982
Clothier Max Pincus buys the
London Chop House, a prestigious
Detroit restaurant.
Michigan businessman Irving L.
Goldman of Franklin establishes
the Frances Grabow Goldman
Memorial Fellowship, in memory
of his late wife, for women attend-
ing Hebrew Union College-Jewish
Institute of Religion in Cincinnati.
The Israel Museum in Jerusalem
mounts a special exhibit around the
newly found personal seal of the
great Jewish scholar Ramban, also
called Maimonides, who lived in
Spain 700 years ago.
"
— Yaron Cohen, Bar-Ilan University student
based in Detroit, concluded the program by reminding
the audience there would be no major fund-raising event
this year because "it isn't right to have an evening of cele-
bration and entertainment when our colleagues are liter-
ally under fire."
But fund-raising continues in other forms as Israel's secu-
rity and economic situation has led to a reduction of $34
million in government funding for the university.
Dr. Mark Diem of Bloomfield Hills benefited from the
upbeat ending. "He told us Israel is OK, life goes on, we'll
get through this," Dr. Diem said, also noting Cohen's sen-
sitivity to human life on both sides of the conflict.
Naomi Levine of Farmington Hills came to her first Bar-
Ilan event to hear the presentation. "We didn't know what
to believe in the press about what went on in the camps,"
she said. "What these people [the Israelis] have to live
through is incomprehensible."
Beverly Baker of Bloomfield Hills also was impressed
with Cohen's optimism. "When the reservists were called
up, 100 percent-plus reported to serve. Some people were
trying to say that Israelis had lost their will, but this in
itself puts the lie to that lie," she said. El
A Veterans of Foreign Wars group
acts in time to stop an anti-Semitic
rally in Georgia.
The first citation awarded in
Michigan for outstanding leader-
ship in the State of Israel Bond
Drive is presented to Mrs.
Theodore Bargman. She chairs the
Women's Division of the Detroit
Israel Bond Committee.
A total of 300,000 Bibles published
by the Jewish Publication Society
will be distributed among Jews
serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.
The Michigan Synagogue
Conference will be held this week
at Congregation Beth Abraham in
Detroit.
— Compiled by Holly Teasdle,
archivist, the Leo M. Franklin
Archives, Temple Beth El