Li:T

imis

I

ortefte r j ecletttleers
ttetlt s a .atBrteelvaitty
e tios ea n r tcicoluestag
inedth. el.:eel:eh; N / )vN
ti te et
t us . gW
eneetreallseyrvaetethliemriitgeldat ttoo
edit p
one letter per 4-6 week period, space permitting.
Letters must contain the name, address and title of the writer, and a daytime
telephone number. Original copies must be hand signed. Mail to the Jewish News
at 29200 Northwestern Highway, Suite 110, Farmington Hills, MI 48034;
Fax to (248) 304-8885; or e-mail to: rsklar@thejewishnews.com

WSU's Syrian
Pact Wrong

ing them more time for civilian life
and lessening costs to the Israeli gov-
ernment.
We worked on a communication
Wayne State University Board of
army base south of Tel Aviv, refur-
Governors member Richard Bernstein bishing communication helmets the
should be applauded for criticizing
soldiers wear in the field. Every hel-
the university's exchange agreement
met we repaired, we pictured an 18-
with Syria's Damascus University
year-old wearing and knew a life
("Beneficial Alliance?," Jan. 17, page
depended on how well we fixed them.
16).
We also spent one day on a base
President Irvin D. Reid's justifica-
that distributes gas masks to civilians.
tion for entering into this agreement,
We took old kits (from the last Gulf
to "keep your friends close and your
War), opened them, replaced the
enemies closer," is irrational. Should
atropine, checked the tubes and
we be setting up similar exchange
reboxed them. They are distributing
programs with Kim Jong II University gas masks to everyone — in all age
in Pyongyang and the University of
brackets. We worked on masks for
Baghdad? By what twisted logic does
children ages 3-8.
one reward improper and immoral
One day we packed cartons of food
acts of state?
for "lonely" soldiers. There are many
It is time for President Reid to rec-
other diversified duties one may be
ognize that Syria is a state-sponsor of
assigned to in this program.
terrorism. Terrorist organizations are
Many of the shops in Israel are
greatly weakened when the coopera-
closing or are closed. Hotels open
tion and safe harbor of a sovereign
have few guests. Buses go nearly
state is removed.
empty. Cranes stand inactive. Cabs
President Bush rightly asserts that
travel the streets empty — at $5 per
states that provide support to terror
gallon of gasoline, one wonders how
groups are tantamount to the terrorist long they can stay afloat. Guides
organizations themselves. Moral
approach and practically beg to give
decency dictates that we should reject you a tour or information so they can
any agreement that rewards and bol-
make a living.
sters the malevolent regime control-
Israelis kept asking what we were
ling Damascus University.
doing in Israel and when told we
Ashley J. Israel came to help, with tears in most of
West Bloomfield their eyes, they thanked and blessed
us for coming to Israel at this diffi-
cult time in their history.
Ruth Vosko
Farmington Hills

Sar-El Volunteers
Aid Israel Army

At this precarious time in Israel's his-
tory, when Israel's economy is at its
lowest ebb and tourism has dropped,
90 percent, we as Americans must
stand up and be counted. Yes, our
money is needed but more than that,
we need to go to Israel.
Forty-four volunteers, ranging in
age from 18-79 from New Zealand,
Australia, South Africa and the
United States, joined together in Tel
Aviv on Dec. 22 to participate in a
three-week program as Sar-EL
Volunteers for Israel, e-mail
WVVVV. vfi-usa.org/home.html
We paid the roundtrip airfare and
lived and worked on an Israel
Defense Forces base with the soldiers.
Technically, we were in the army,
wearing IDF uniforms, sleeping in
army barracks, eating army food and
following army regulations.
Volunteers reduce the military
demands on Israeli reservists, allow-

1/31

2003

6

We Must Deal
With Saddam

Saddam Hussein is, like Hitler, a psy-
chopathic personality with ideas of
grandeur. His crimes against humani-
ty are many.
•
Twelve yearS of deception, anti-
American covert activity, support of
terrorist organizations and systemati-
cally killing dissidents are not of con-
cern to the Jewish peace activists
("Anti-War, Anti-Israel," Jan. 17,
page 28).
A sadistic killer is walking free,
endorsing homicide bombers and
rewarding their families with $25,000
for their acts against women, children
and babies who are killed just because
they are Israeli Jews. Saddam's sup-
port for Hamas, Islamic Jihad and
Hezbollah are well established, too.
He may even have been involved with

Al Qaida and the 9-11 catastrophe.
Propagation of anti-Semitism is
carried by radical Islamists who are
joined by pious, yet hypocritical,
Europeans who would like to see the
elimination of Israel only to secure
markets for the European Union and
the Arab world. These are the part-
ners of the anti-war Jewish students
who suffer from poor knowledge of
history coupled by profound naivete
about a ruthless dictator who never
played by the rules.
Saddam is not your next-door
neighbor. He is a serial killer and
must be treated as such. Those who
are nostalgic about the peace move-
ment against the war in Vietnam,
with its symbols and songs, should
talk with those who lived through it..
The old Roman dictum says, "If
you want peace, prepare for war."
Our young Jewish anti-war activists
should learn history, geography and a
lot of Bible before embarking on
demonstrations.
Isaac Barr, M.D.
Southfield

Dr., Lichter Still
Active At -U-M

I wish to commend Special Writer
Suzanne Chessler for the excellent
article about the University of -
Michigan Fellowship for Israeli doc-
tors to be trained in radiation oncolo-
gy ("U-M Connection," Jan. 24, page
93) The impact that we have seen to
date has been tremendous.
It is our hope that, over time, every
Israeli citizen who requires treatment
for cancer will be able to receive •
state-of-the-art care without having
to leave the country.
This important program was initi-
ated by Allen Lichter, M.D., who
remains the Newman Family
Professor of Radiation Oncology and
is dean of the University of Michigan
Medical School. It was his vision for
better care in Israel that motivated
our department to create this training
opportunity.
Wording in the article may have
left some. with the impression that
Dr. Lichter is no longer involved in
the program. He continues to be an
active participant.
Marc Halman
director of administration,
Department of Radiation Oncology
U-M Health System
Ann Arbor

Volunteers Stoke
JCCouncil Program

Thanks go to Editor Robert Sklar for
his account of the Jewish Community
Council-organized Martin Luther
King holiday event
("Legacy Worth
Remembering," Jan.
24, page 5), held
annually in the Max
M. Fisher building
under the auspices of
the Jewish
Federation of
Dr. King
Metropolitan
Detroit.
The volunteer committee of Fisher
building employees works hard to
present an event that will be mean-
ingful to the diverse workforce in
Federation's headquarters. We strive
to make the Jewish Community
Council program in the spirit of Dr:
King's universal call for racial toler-
ance and cooperation and appreciate
the Jewish News' recognition.
David Gad-Harf
executive director, Jewish Community
Council ofMetropolitan Detroit
Bloomfield Township

Sephardic Shul
A Milestone

Thank you for your informative and
complimentary article regarding
Keter Torah, the Sephardic communi-
ty ("Sephardic Pride," Dec. 13, page
62).
As a 15-year board member and
grandson of the founders Jake and
Judith Chicorel, I am very proud of
what we have accomplished in the
short period since we made the deci-
sion to build our first synagogue. •
It is true our organization is 87
years old. Strange as it may seem, we
still have one original member with
us, my uncle; Albert "Chico"
Chicorel was born during that first
year and is still an active member.
Also, Mary Papo was the secretary
of our organization for 65 years from
1935 until 2000 when I succeeded
her.
We welcome all members of the
greater Jewish community to visit our
shul, feel the flavor, and share a
prayer with your Sephardic cousins.
Ricky Behar
Farmington Hills