Staff Notebook
Contemporary Message
West Bloomfield High School and Hillel Day
School of Metropolitan Detroit graduate
spoke on behalf of the students at the
University of Michigan's winter commencement.
Jacob Roth, son of Lori and Dr. Steven Roth,
referred in his speech of hope and youth and educa-
tion to figures such as Henry Ford, Tom Cruise, Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr., Julia Roberts and Led
Zeppelin, who made a difference in the world when
they were still in their 20s.
Roth stressed their achievements and creativity
during that time in their lives.
"Welcome to your 20s," he told fellow graduates.
"I entice you to dream and to keep dreaming, to
learn and to keep learning."
Roth received a bachelor's degree in English and
philosophy from the U-M
Honors College at commence-
ment exercises Dec. 15 at Crisler
Arena.
In his address, he stressed the
importance of parental support.
"In our quest to learn and
mature," he said, "we have neg-
lected to appreciate our parents.
So today, we thank each of our
own dear ones who have watched Jacob Roth
us come along."
He challenged his peers, say-
ing, "Cherish your thoughts. Hold fast to your
soul."
In a Michigan Daily story before commencement,
Roth said it was "an honor to be representing the
student body, at least for five minutes."
Roth graduated from West Bloomfield High in
1998 and from Hillel Day School in 1994.
At U-M, he took part in student government and
mentored young swimmers through the Wolverine
Aquatics Program.
In 2002, he spent spring break volunteering in the
Southern Appalachian Labor School in West
Virginia, rebuilding flood-damaged homes in rural
communities.
English Professor Richard Cureton was on the fac-
ulty committee that chose the student speaker at
commencement. He told the Michigan Daily that
Roth was selected because his speech "had some seri-
ous moments, but it also used a contemporary
idiom. It used song lyrics and made reference to pop-
ular culture and different issues of student life —
things that students might engage with immediately."
A
Jihad terrorist organization. He was arrested and
denied bail on charges that he conspired to fund
and otherwise aid suicide bombings in Israel and
the Palestinian territories. Seven others in the
United States and abroad also were indicted on a
variety of charges.
"They are 'material supporters' of foreign terror-
ist organizations. They finance, extol and assist acts
of terror," said U.S. Attorney General John
Ashcroft as he released the 50-count indictment of
Al-Arian and the others.
Justice Department spokesmen said that recent
changes in the law that allowed greater sharing of
information between law enforcement agencies was
a factor in bringing about the charges after a six-
year investigation.
Rick Dorfman and Adi Neuman, MSZ leaders,
issued a press release commending the FBI and say-
ing, "We would like to reiterate our appreciation to
the authorities for proving what we've been saying
all along: Dr. Al-Arian is a threat to society."
At the time of the conference, Dorfman and
Neuman had filed a lawsuit to compel U-M to bar
Al-Arian from campus. After a judge dismissed the
lawsuit, the MSZ held a large demonstration on
campus as well as a teach-in where they showed
videos and shared writings of Al-Arian to docu-
ment his anti-American, anti--Israel, anti-Jewish
and pro-terrorist activities.
Don Cohen
Soldiers' Shabbat
fter seven years of reaching out to unaffili-
ated and marginally affiliated Jews, this
year's Shabbat Across America project has
increased the focus of its outreach to military per-
sonnel.
Seven-hundred sponsoring synagogues in North
America will continue the project's tradition this
year by hosting a Friday-night beginners service
and Shabbat dinner. They also will be joined by
servicepersons on American military bases.
"Since Sept. 11, participation in all our pro-
grams has increased," said Rabbi Ephraim
Buchwald, founder and executive director of the
National Jewish Outreach Program in New York,
which sponsors Shabbat Across America. "The
people of the United States are under tremendous
stress right now (and) Shabbat and faith can be a
real antidote."
At the time the Jewish News went to press,
Michigan hosts of the Friday, March 7, Shabbat
— Robert A. Sklar Across America program included Ahavas Israel in
Grand Rapids, Congregation Kehillat Israel in
Lansing, Nisim Haim in Oak Park, Congregation
Shaarey Zedek in East Lansing, Congregation
Shaarey Zedek in Southfield and Temple Beth
I is a big "I told you so" from the Michigan
Emeth in Ann Arbor.
Student Zionists (MSZ) whose challenges to
"Having counseled servicemen and women of all
last October's "Palestinian Solidarity
religions, belief in a 'Higher Power' and the sense of
Conference" at the University of Michigan in Ann
community can be as important as military training
Arbor highlighted the participation of Sami Al-
in maintaining focus, confidence and hope while on
Arian.
active
duty," said Rabbi Kalman Dubov, a major
Al-Arian, a suspended computer engineer profes-
and
chaplain
at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska,
sor at the University of South Florida, was indicted
a
project
participant.
"I know firsthand the rewards
last week by the U.S. Department of Justice as the
of
observing
the
Sabbath
and it is important to
North American leader of the Palestinian Islamic
Al-Arian's Arrest
2/28
2003
20
A
.
offer our servicemen and women the opportunity to
experience it, explore their faith, expand their spiri-
tuality and develop communal ties to strengthen
them for what lies ahead."
To determine if a specific synagogue is participat-
ing in Shabbat Across America, call NJOP at
(646) 871-4444, or access the Web site at: njop.org
Survivors' Problems
fter 40 years of treating Holocaust sur-
vivors, Dr. Henry Krystal, professor emeri-
tus of psychiatry at Michigan State
University in East Lansing, and a survivor himself
said, "As a group, we have done amazingly well."
Speaking to an audience of 25 at a Zionist
Organization of America-Michigan Region lunch-
eon on Feb. 20, he said the
Holocaust Claims Conference
wasn't doing enough to assist
the 36,000 Holocaust sur-
vivors in North America who
are near or below the poverty
level.
He also cited a range of psy-
chological issues that most
survivors deal with now that
they are elderly.
"Problems of chronic
Dr. Henry Krystal
depression, masochistic life
patterns, chronic anxiety prob-
lems and psychosomatic diseases continue," said
Dr. Krystal, who survived a number of concentra-
tion camps. "With retirement and the imposed re-
examination of one's life, many dormant problems
are reactivated and produce exquisite pain.
"Old age poses a question of diminishing gratifi-
cations, which in view of the historically common
anhedonia (an inability to experience pleasure in
normally pleasurable acts) in this population poses
a special challenge," he said.
Testimony programs that document survivor's
stories have helped those who had been totally
clammed up for many years to be able to start
retelling their experiences of the persecutions, and
allow them to grieve, he said.
"We need to keep in mind there is an absolute
limit to how much a person is able to grieve suc-
cessfully and process the memories to something
more approximating normal remembering, recall-
ing and retelling."
— Harry Kirsbaum
Correction
In the Feb. 21 "Jewish Stars" sports column,
(page 78), the JN highlighted a local tennis
player, James Elsman. The JN had received a
press release that noted Elsman's tennis accom-
plishments and his participation in some pro-
Israel organizations, and mistakenly assumed
that he is Jewish. In fact, he is neither Jewish
nor did he represent himself as being Jewish.
His Web site identifies him as being a lifelong
Christian. We apologize for this mistake.