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Where To Look For
Saddam's Weapons

Where, oh where, have the weapons of
mass destruction gone?
Either our government is stupid or it
thinks we American people are. Here is
my answer to the mystery: Saddam
Hussein, knowing that President Bush
was determined to see a regime change,
was well aware that he could not defeat
America in battle. He devised a scheme
to use the United Nations to save his
neck.
He sent the weapons to a brother
Arabian country and then invited the
inspectors back to prove he had no
weapons. He also knew that Russia,
France and Germany had financial rea-
sons to try to prevent a war in Iraq.
Hussein thought that the U.N. and
world opinion would prevent America
from going to war. He underestimated
President Bush's resolve.
So where are the weapons? History
can give us a clue. In the first Gulf War,
Hussein sent his planes to Iran to keep
them from being destroyed. My guess is
that the weapons are being hidden in
Syria. Syria seems a logical choice since
they border Iraq and they have a com-
mon bond. Both countries desire the
destruction of Israel: Iraq because Israel
destroyed their nuclear ambitions and
Syria because Israel captured the Golan
Heights in the 1967 war.
If we could get a search warrant, we
would probably find the missing
weapons in Syria. Yeah, right — good
luck!
Robert Leaf

Farmington Hills

Kiosk No Way
To Show Photos

Upon visiting the permanent exhibit of
our Jewish war heroes at the Jewish
Community Center in West
Bloomfield, I was deeply saddened and
disappointed by the way the pictures
were filed in a kiosk, rather than each
picture being displayed individually as
they were in the Jewish War Veterans of
the United States of America-
Department of Michigan Memorial
Home in Southfield ("We Were There,"
June 6, page 12).
For years, when one visited that spe-
cial memorial room, you were able to
see at a glance and to study each indi-
vidual picture and to reflect on the
meaning of their extreme sacrifice for
future generations.
Many of these young men were hus-

6/27

2003

6

their resources), food deliveries, kinder-
gartens and service briefings.
We socialized with terrific Hillel stu-
dents, who are excited about their newly
discovered, post-Soviet Jewish heritage.
These teens and early 20-year-olds
deliver food, educate others about
Jewish traditions and are playing a key
role as social workers to meet the enor-
mous needs in the post-Soviet Jewish
Novi community.
We toured Auschwitz-Birkenau and
gained a greater perspective on the
atrocities of World War II, where
Poland's Jews and non-Jews were terror-
ized and murdered by the Nazis, only to
We want to welcome back Jerry
be taken over post-war by the Soviets.
Glassman from his vacation. With great
Poland is a surprisingly beautiful place,
anticipation, seniors are happy to see
yet the Jewish community is a fragment
him. He is a great inspiration to us. His
of its former greatness.
programs are great.
I leave you with one main thought:
He brings Sam Bennett and his musi-
Federation is saving lives in these places.
cians. Jerry is a delightful host. He sings
We met numbers of service recipients
and dances with the seniors. He is a
who wouldn't be alive today were it not
showman and a great pleasure to watch,
for their JDC lifeline of food, medicine,
and always comes with gifts and pro-
and source of caring. We have given
vides desserts and drinks for all.
thousands of young Jews pride and
The affairs are usually held at the
knowledge in their heritage. I am confi-
Jewish Community Center in Oak Park
dent they will continue to lead their
or at the JCC in West Bloomfield.
communities in the spirit of tzedakah,
He is a great benefactor. God bless
gemilut chasadin2 and tikkun olam
him and his family.
(righteousness, acts of kindness and
Sonia Pittman
improving
the world).
Oak Park

bands and fathers and there was no
mention of that in their biographies.
Since I was a widow with a 2-year-old
daughter, I felt cheated having to search
for my husband's picture on the kiosk.
My husband was Sgt. Jerome H.
Greenberg. He fought in the Battle of
the Bulge and died in Germany in
1945.
Anne Radner

Seniors Laud
Jerry Glassman

Journey Uplifts
Young Leaders

I spent a week this month in Ukraine
and Poland with 17 future leaders of
Detroit's Jewish community as part of
the Grosfeld II Leadership Program.
This trip to Kiev, Warsaw and Krakow
was the culmination of an educational
series that will place these handpicked
folks in leadership activities throughout
the Federation, our agencies and our
synagogues.
The trip was supported by a generous
gift from Jim and Nancy Grosfeld to
the Jewish Federation's Millennium
Campaign for Detroit's Jewish Future.
Trip participants were Jonathan Aaron,
Jeff Camiener, Dana Cohen, Craig
Erlich, Darren Findling, Rob Galperin,
Lee Hurwitz, David Jaffe, Jason Katz,
Scott Kaufman, Jon Klein, Brian
Kolender, Steve Krasnick, Jeffrey Levine,
Carin Rockind, Steven Susser and Chad
Zamler.
We participated in American Jewish
Joint Distribution Committee (JDC)
chesed avot (day centers for the elderly),
warm homes (gathering places for strug-
gling pensioners to socialize and pool

David Contorer
director, donor development
Jewish Federation
of Metropolitan Detroit
Bloomfield Tozvnship

Parents Hold
Ultimate Key

As a public school teacher, your article
on commanding respect at b'nai mitz-
vah services struck a nerve ("Command-
ing Respect," June 13, page 44).
Recently, I have been present at two
b'nai mitzvah at two different shuls.
Both events left me appalled at the
behavior of the young people in atten-
dance.
At one bat mitzvah, the teens in the
audience chewed gum and talked inces-
santly throughout the service. One
young man cracked his gum intention-
ally during the Kedusha and other quiet
times. The bat mitzvah parents laughed
at this, thinking it was funny as they
were also chewing gum.
The other bat mitzvah had so many
teenagers I actually felt sorry for the
ushers desperately trying to quiet them.
I watched as these children smart-talked
the adults in charge and refused to

cooperate.
As I read your article, I could only
feel how the approaches listed by the
various commentators were outdated.
To arbitrarily assess blame on the par-
ents of these children is only one
answer. It is everyone's responsibility to
educate young people wherever the
challenge may arise. Hillel Day School,
Yeshivat Akiva and the various after-
school programs must instruct teens
how to act, when it is appropriate to
leave the service and when to stay.
Consequences must be enforced for
bad behavior. Perhaps the answer is to
hold the parents of the b'nai mitzvah
responsible for the behavior of the
guests they invite. If their child has
friends who cannot act responsibly, they
should be left at home. Also, limit the
number of teens in attendance and cut
the chances of disruption in half.
Barbara L. Maxwell

Novi

Business Profile
Hits The Mark

Thank you for recognizing the hard
work that Meadowbrook Associates
have put in ("Into The Black," June 13,
page 25). The feedback we have
received has been gratifying.
As you know, the Jewish News has
high credibility in the community. We
are all proud to have this article to show
to our friends and families.
Mert Segal

board chairman,
Meadowbrook Insurance Group
Southfield

Hillel Honoree
Gives Due Credit

Thank you for the wonderful article by
Diana Lieberman ("A Woman Of
.Valor" June 20, page 32).
Two matters need to be clarified.
I was not the founding chair of the
Hillel Day School tuition allowance
committee. This committee has been in
existence for over 25 years and was
chaired by many able parents including
my husband, Henri.
Further, - the bar-bat mitzvah clothing
exchange was the brainchild of the very
creative mind of Marcy Feldman. We
were happy to provide a neutral, non-
Hillel parent family home for it.

Anaruth Bernard

Southfield