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Anti-War Activists
Helped Bring War

Heartfelt Thanks
For Aiding Israel

Now that the war in Iraq has ended
Thank you for your coverage on the
and the necessary rehabilitation of
Israel Heart delegation visit to the
the torn country has started, we
Detroit area ("Heart To Heart,"
have to look at the "No-War" move-
April 18, page 30).
ment. The worry that we will have
Your readers should also know
thousands of dead soldiers as in
that the visit was jointly coordinated
Vietnam and also the killing of
with the Jewish Federation of
thousands of civilians simply did
Metropolitan Detroit, and that it
not happen.
would not have been possible with-
The No-War activists were well
out the home hospitality provided
organized and aimed not only at
to delegation members by the
preventing the war, but also creating
Harvey and Marion Bronstein,
anarchy in accordance with the anti-
Leonard and Sharon Rosen, and
globalization movement. The target
George and Ann Mandelbaum-
was the U.S. government. One
Mann families.
thing is clear: there was no shortage
Allan Gale
of money to organize these demon-
associate director,
Jewish Community Council of
strations.
The second issue I have is the lack
Metropolitan Detroit
of understanding by the demonstra-
Bloomfield Township
tors, who included several celebri-
ties. One can only imagine their
motivation. Some in the news media
emphasized the negative while all
but ignoring the vast achievements
of our soldiers:
On college campuses, meanwhile,
there was a continuous attack on the
U.S.A. from professors as well as
According to the Jewish News
professional agitators.
("Rained Out" and "Trailing
In talking with leaders of the No-
Downward,"
April 18, pages 12-13),
War movement, it's clear nothing
will persuade them that all we want- the Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit has a $6.2 mil-
ed to be in Ir,iq were "liberators"
lion shortfall in the General Fund.
from tyranny. It was not oil for
Reductions are needed.
blood. It was liberty and justice for
Two items caught my eye. There is
all.
a
$1.8
million decrease for Israel and
The No-War movement gave
overseas
allocations, yet ongoing
Iraq's Saddam Hussein the illusion
capital improvements for the Jewish
that time was on his side. He knew
Community Center of Metropolitan
without an air force, he had no
Detroit Health Club. When the rac-
chance. But he gambled that the
quetball-squash courts were closed
No-War movement would reduce
and at least 100 members left the
the resolve of our president.
.
health club, they took with them
If the world — including the
yearly
dues. Many canceled their
European Union, the Arab states
pledges to Federation, directing
and, individually, France, Germany,
funds to other charities. Some had
Russia and China — would have
the JCC in their estate plans.
stood shoulder-to-shoulder and told
A controversial outlay of $2.5 mil-
Saddam to surrender power, he most
lion [over five years] from reserves is
likely would have done so.
This No-War scenario parallels the earmarked to finish capital upgrades
for the health club to boost new
No-War movement against Israel.
membership in what is now a non-
Israel and the Palestinians will find
denominational health club.
the way to peace, but not through
The question is do we wish our
the No-War, or "peace," movement.
charity dollars used for new lockers,
If anything, the No-War demon-
strators agairist Israel have interfered a few more exercise machines and an
in the peace process in the same way upgraded fitness program, or for the
benefit of our brothers and sisters in
they, in effect, helped cause the war
Israel?
in Iraq.
Rudy Keller
Isaac Barr, M.D.

Don't Reduce
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Southfield

Bloomfield Hills

Education Secretary
Should Be Replaced

Your editorial on Secretary of
Education Rod Paige ("Values Worth
Preferring," April 18, page 31) was
right to the point, but could have had
a little sharper point.
When a cabinet minister states his
position publicly and so clearly, he is
unlikely to change it. What needs to
happen is to change the secretary.
However honest and sincere he may
be (we have assurance he is both), he
is not facing the separation of church
and state principle that all our citizens
have to be prepared to face head-on.
We have been preparing for this time
for more than 200 years. The world is
getting ready to test us, to see if we
really mean it.
We cannot have the head education
officer in the United States tamper
with the principle in any way at all.
Arnold Michlin

Waterford

B'nai Israel Needs
Fall By Wayside

Regarding the April 11 letter on the
contract of Rabbi Leonardo Bitran
of Congregation Shaarey Zedek,
B'nai Israel Center ("Shaarey Zedek
Bypassed Needs," April 11, page 6):
Coming from an original founding
family of Congregation B'nai Israel
in Pontiac and being a member for
-more than 43 years, I feel it is obvi-
ous that Shaarey Zedek has failed to
recognize the needs of those senior
members left and their relationship
to B'nai Israel and Rabbi Bitran.
Over the years, it has been obvi-
ous, too, that since Shaarey Zedek
obtained a foothold in West
Bloomfield, B'nai Israel congregants
have been treated, more or less, in
many aspects of spiritual life, as sec-
ond-class citizens. What if the situa-
tion had been reversed with the
Southfield building?
In order to promote a cohesive
sharing of community and spiritual
functioning, there is the need to
hold on to senior members as well as
young families. Unfortunately,
Shaarey Zedek leadership, by its
actions, has once again added to the
losses and precipitated some of its
members to start looking in other
directions.
Shia Eilender

Bloomfield Hills