Staff Notebook Far left: The new Cyrano boat. Left: Brenda Rosenberg with Arab friends. Birthday Adventure la ost 21-year-olds head off to the bar to cele- brate their coming of age. Justin Hiller's dad has a better idea. Jim Hiller of Franklin, owner of Hiller's Markets, and eldest son, Justin, will celebrate Justin's Dec. 15 birthday with a month-long sailing adventure off the coast of Mexico. The two will leave from southern California in a custom-built, 28-foot, Jim Hiller- designed sailboat. Cyrano, the new boat, is based on a 150-year-old Bristol Channel cutter, which can withstand severe storms at sea. A VHF radio will allow communication when close to shore, but father and son plan to rely on the sun, moon and stars to determine their location at sea. — Alan Hitsky Support EMU's Jews T he community needs to stand with Eastern Michigan University's Jewish students, staff and faculty at this pivotal time for our institution and for our people," says EMU polit- ical science professor Jeffrey Bernstein. And a lecture Wednesday, Dec. 4, by Zvi Gitelman, a University of Michigan political science and Judaic studies professor, is just the time to do it, Bernstein says. EMU often is overlooked when Jews discuss Michigan universities, but the 24,000-student school was hit hard by the spillover from the anti- Israel "divestment conference" held October 12-14 at neighboring U-M. For example, students earned extra credit for attending a reception where EMU honored Israeli anti-Zionist activist Prof. Ilan Pappe of Haifa University. Pappe was introduced by the chairman of the EMU History Department as a mainstream Israeli voice for peace. As Aaron Kaufman, campus director at the EMU Hillel, has written, Pappe "made inaccurate and inflam- matory statements about the conflict in the Middle ii 11/29 2002 14 East [and] overt acts ofanti-Semitism have occurred on campus as a direct result of the Pappe lecture." Kaufman urges the community to "please stand strong with EMU's Jewish students, faculty and staff by attending" when Gitelman, a first-rate academic, addresses the topic, "Can There Be Peace Between Israelis and Palestinians?" It is important, Kaufman says, to let the EMU administration know of com- munity concern about the way Israel is portrayed on campus and about the safety of Jewish students. The program . will begin 4 p.m. Dec. 4 in the audi- torium of EMU's Bruce T. Halle Library in Ypsilanti. For information, contact Kaufman, (734) 487-0456. — Don Cohen Volunteers Needed ecause of the situation in Iraq, Israel's Civil Defense Authority needs volunteers to pre- pare gas masks for the population, and seeks American Jews to help. About 80 volunteers a day will be needed in the next four months, said Larry Ritter, New Jersey coordinator for Sar-El, the National Project for Volunteers in Israel. "At present, we are sending them the maximum number we can, only 25, as there remains a need for work on other bases," he said. Volunteers should expect to live in spartan condi- tions on army bases throughout Israel during their three-week stay, said Ed Kohl, Sar-El coordinator from West Bloomfield Township. For information, contact Kohl at (248) 788-0551 or e-mail sekohl@earthlink.net — Harry Kirsbaum B Bring Your Chanukiah he importance of oil to the holiday of Chanukah was brought home to Congregation Chaye Olam Religious School this week during a Chanukah celebration. "The students' families each brought part of a meal when we got together to have dinner and T make latkes," says Cantor Stephen Dubov. "But we couldn't start on time because we couldn't cook until the person with the oil arrived!" In celebration of Chanukah, Chaye Olam will also host a Tot Shabbat service 6:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6, followed by a 7:30 p.m. Chaye Olam Youth Choir performance. Participants are invited to bring their own family Chanukah menorahs to light. It all takes place at Green Elementary School, 4500 Walnut Lake Road in West Bloomfield. For information, call Cantor Dubov, (248) 752-6669. — Shelli Liebman Dorfman Sacred Connections n an attempt to share a voice of moderation, Brenda Rosenberg of Bloomfield Hills told 200 worshippers at the Islamic House of Wisdom that peace is possible only if people connect to God, to themselves and to other people. "The great religions of Islam, Christianity and Judaism can be a powerful force for good — a force so powerful that it can heal our wounds," said Rosenberg, during the Dearborn Heights mosque's evening service on Nov. 22. "With God as our partner, we can create the sacred connections that will help us heal and create - peace," she said. After the services, Rosenberg, the first Jewish woman ever to speak at the mosque, was warmly received during a question-and-answer session, said Noor Abdallah of the House of Wisdom. While those who attended weren't heads of state or influential in number, they still have the "ability to plant seeds," Abdallah said. As Rosenberg "speaks in our community about Christianity, Judaism and Islam in a very peaceful way, then people have a positive impression about Jewish people. That helps to build bridges and have more understanding and dialogue between the commu- nities of faith. "The message gets carried on." — Harry Kirsbatim I