OTHER VIEWS
Powerful Partnerships For Peace
hey say that even in the
most horrible, hideous
things that happen to us,
there is a gift. The bridges
that are being built with my interfaith
partners are the gift from the tragic
ashes of 9-11.
Detroit Jewish News Editor Robert
Sklar wrote in his July 19 editorial
that I was "chasing miracles" by creat-
ing Partnerships for Peace. Recent
events prove that miracles are happen-
ing. On Sept. 10, Victor Begg from
the Muslim Unity Center in
Bloomfield Hills and I co-chaired our
first Interfaith Partners event, "Joining
Hands to Serve Humanity."
More than 50 Christians, Muslims,
Jews, Hindus, Buddhists and Native
Americans gathered together to pray
for peace and serve a multicultural
dinner to Habitat for Humanity vol-
unteers at a Detroit work site.
"Interfaith Partners chose to mark
the solemn anniversary of 9-11 - by
workina together in the spirit of
b
rebuilding,"
said my partner, Victor
Begg. "We are committed to going
beyond prayer. We want to break
down the barriers and instill trust and
understanding among the members of
T
Brenda Rosenberg of Bloomfield Hills
is a community activist. E-mail:
brendastyle@aol.corn
different religions."
and lay leaders arriving togeth-
Unity and Peace."
What is so exciting is that we are
er to say prayers for peace?
With our Interfaith Partners,
creating a new paradigm for healing
Another powerful partnership
we
will be sharing this ceremo-
and building relationships in our com-
for peace.
ny
at
congregations throughout
munity. We will be working together
metro
Detroit. Another power-
to deepen our relationships by creating
ful
partnership
for peace.
compassionate listening projects, facili-
Ritual Shows Unity
That evening, I had the
tating spiritual dialogue, organizing
The afternoon of Sept. 11, we
honor of presenting a guided
leadership-training programs for con-
BRENDA
returned to Fort Street
meditation for peace at the
flict transformation and reconciliation
NAOMI
Church. The Rev. Mark Keely
Christian
Science Church in
work, and building bridges with an
ROSENBERG
conducted an inspirational
Birmingham
as part of its
interfaith visit to the Middle East.
Community
interfaith service. We shared
interfaith
initiative.
My part-
Each of the partners brings unique
Scriptures, meditations and
Views
ners
at
the
church
are
Rodger
gifts to the group. Interfaith Partners
music from all three faiths. I
and Penny Strelow. Another
are groundbreakers. We have created a
read a prayer for peace from Gates of
powerful partnership for peace.
powerful partnership for peace.
Repentance (the High Holidays prayer
On Sept. 12, I met with Edwina
The next morning, on Sept. 11, I
book of the Reform movement).
Simpson
from Christ Church Dearborn
was at Fort Street Presbyterian Church
What was most exciting for me was
to
plan
our
joint interfaith efforts. It
in Detroit to partake in a day of
collaborating with the reverend, to
was
Interfaith
Partner, the Rev. Dan
remembrance. At 8 a.m., our group of
visually demonstrate unity.
Appleyard,
who
encouraged us to join
religious and lay leaders boarded two
The ritual began with lighting candles
forces. Our work together began on
buses. The Interfaith Caravan of
for unity and peace. Prayers for seeing
Sept. 22 with my sermon, "Creating
Remembrance became a mobile spiri-
God's light were spoken in Greek,
Partnerships." Another powerful part-
tual caravan.
Hebrew and Arabic, then translated into
nership
for peace.
Our focus was on conducting inter-
English. Potter Trish Bode had created
Sept.
13 began with an 8 a.m.
faith services for children. We visited
and donated a beautiful ceramic bowl
meeting
for Campaign Stop Hate at
Herloiig Episcopal Cathedral School
inscribed with God's name in the
the JET Theatre in West Bloomfield.
in Detroit, Hillel Day School of
Hebrew, Greek and Arabic languages.
A group of like-minded civic leaders
Metropolitan Detroit in Farmington
We planted seeds of unity and peace in
from diverse organizations came
Hills and Islamic Center of America's
the bowl using soil taken from the three
together
to exchange information on
young Muslim academy in Dearborn.
school sites we visited that morning.
how
we
can
unite in our efforts to
We brought with us more than
Pouring water into the bowl, we recited
combat
prejudice,
hatred and violence
prayers. We brought the powerful mes-
prayers to open our hearts to the won-
in
our
communities.
Stop Hate
sage of unity. Imagine the impact of
ders of God's creations. The ritual ended
Partners
is
looking
to
become an
seeing such a diverse group of religious
in a responsive reading of "Prayer for
informational hub, communicating
Can Great Music Transcend Politics?
Philadelphia
or one day, according to the
New York Times, music truly
trumped politics. In a story
headlined "Moon-light, and
Mendelssohn in the West Bank,"
Times correspondent Serge
Schememann reported this month
that an audience of 200 Palestinian
Arab students "froze in delight" as
world-famous conductor and pianist
Daniel Barenboim played Beethoven's
Moon-light Sonata.
Barenboim had journeyed through
Israeli roadblocks to visit the head-
quarters of the Palestinian Authority
to do something more than play
Beethoven on an out-of-tune piano.
He was playing to more than the
audience present at a Quaker-affiliated
school. The numerous television cam-
eras and reporters who accompanied
him were there to document his
r
Jonathan S. Tobin is executive cell tor of
the Jewish Exponent in Philadelphia. E-
mail: jtobin@jewishexponent.com
9/27
2002
30
appearance as a statement against
Israel's policies.
The naivete of the statement is
almost touching. Does Barenboim
really think a piano-recital will break
down the anti-Jewish hatred that is
fed daily to the Palestinian students he
.charmed? His answer is "yes." .
"Each one of us has a responsibility
to do what is right, and not to wait
for others to do it," Barenboim told
the students. "My way is music.
Maybe this way, in a very small way,
for these few movements, we are able
to build down the hatred that is so
much in the region."
Barenboim, an Israeli citizen, had
actually defied the Israeli military to tray - .
el to what is, for all intents and purposes,
enemy territory, and used a German
embassy car to travel to Ramallah.
It was a gesture for which the
Palestinian Authority, desperate for
legitimacy after two years of waging a
vicious terrorist war that has cost the
lives of hundreds of Jews and even
more Arabs, was grateful.
But for many Israelis, this
his German-born parents had
was just another outrageous
fled from Hitler) at the age of
publicity stunt for an interna-
10 in 1952, he was one of a
tional superstar who seems to
few Israeli superstar classical
understand his own people
music performers that helped
even less than he does the
boost the country's self-image
Palestinians. The idea of a
as a bastion of high culture.
major Israeli artist performing
Jews everywhere cheered as
JONATHA N
in Ramallah this year struck
he romanced fellow musical
S. TOBI N
most Israelis as outlandish and
star Jacqueline du Pre, an
inappropriate.
Special
English cellist who converted
Imagine a young Leonard
Commenta ry to Judaism, and then married
Bernstein or an Arturo
Barenboim at the Western
Toscanini journeying to Berlin in
Wall soon after Israel's victory in the
1944 to "build bridges" with the
Six-Day War.
German people and you quickly
He eventually evolved from being
understand the ridiculous nature of
merely a renowned piano recitalist
Barenboim's odyssey.
into one of the most admired conduc-
Considering that this incident fol-
tors of the era, eventually taking on
lows on the heels of his attempt last
the leadership of the legendary
year to force the music of anti-Semitic
Chicago Symphony Orchestra and
composer Richard Wagner on Israel,
serving as music director for Berlin's
Barenboim seems to have developed a.
prestigious State Opera.
knack for controversy.
Barenboim's personal image took a
hit after the film Hillary and Jackie
detailed his less-than-exemplary _
An Israeli Superstar
behavior as a husband after du Pre
Once upon a time, Barenboim was the
was stricken - with multiple sclerosis
darling of
Having immigrated
(she died in 1987 and Barenboiin
to the country from Argentina (where
subsequently remarried), but his status