LETTERS

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lars will be spent in support of charita-
Israel and domestic legislation, which
ble endeavors ranging from medical
they think might have an immediate,
research, to education, to culture and
direct impact on Federation agency
the arts, and job training. In like man-
budgets.
ner, Ford Motor has invested heavily in
We
Jews
are
fond
of
quoting
Hillel:
I'd like to update you regarding the
a number of Jewish causes, both locally
"If
I
am
not
for
myself,
who
will
be
for
conditions of Dr. Shmuel Yurfost and
and nationally.
me?" But he also said, as quoted in the
Hadar Gitlin, who were both seriously
In a truly selfless manner, Ford
"If
I
am
same passage of Pirkei Avot,
injured in the suicide attack at the
Motor
has time and again provided
only
for
myself,
what
am
I?"
shopping mall in Afula ("Strength
critical
funds to support worthwhile
Jewish
communal
leaders
who
have
Amid Tears," May 19, page 5).
causes
indifferent
to its own economic
been
unwilling
to
criticize
George
W.
Dr. Yurfost, one of our senior sur-
position.
Many
other
companies can-
Bush
on
domestic
policy
because
they
geons at HaFmek Medical Center,
Kol hakavod to the Rabbinical
not
say
the
same
as
Ford
Motor is truly
fear
antagonizing
him
when
it
comes
affiliated with the Rappaport Faculty of
Assembly, which recently sent 30
unique
in
its
commitment
to the
to Israel need to take another look and
Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of
Conservative rabbis to Capitol Hill to
broader
community.
teshuvah.
start doing some serious
Technology, Haifa, Israel, has, in fact,
seek extension of the new child tax
The company founded by Henry.
Nancy F Kaplan
lost one of his eyes and has just now
credit to low-income families — a pro-
Ford
is now one of the nation's greatest
West
Bloomfield
begun to see slightly from his second
vision that the Senate had included in
practitioners
of tikkun olam (the Jewish
eye. He is able to see vague images and
the recent $350 billion tax-cut bill but
obligation
of
repairing the world
light and the prognosis is cautious opti-
the House Republicans removed in
around
us).
May
it continue for anoth-
mism. Shrapnel is still embedded in his
conference ("Tax-Cut Clergy," June 20,
er
century!
remaining eye, and our beloved doctor
page 24).
Bryce A. Sandler
must undergo further operations.
To my knowledge, the appearance of
Royal Oak
Hadar Gitlin, the 21-year old female
these rabbis in the halls of Congress
Old
Henry
[Ford]
was
the
classic
ideo-
security guard who blocked the suicide
marked the first time that representa-
logical anti-Semite, having been
bomber's path with her body, is still
tives of the organized Jewish communi-
exposed to The Merchant, Protocols, etc.
hospitalized. She was critically wound-
ty have raised their voices in protest
("Still Puzzling," June 20, page 14).
ed; our physicians fought an epic battle
against the Bush tax cuts and the dra-
But he was truthfully able to declare
to save her life and her legs.
conian cutbacks in services that are
Your June 27 cover boldly proclaims.
that "some of my good friends are
Miraculously, she has taken her first
resulting from this policy, all across the
"Affirmative Action Ruling Pleases
Jews," as indeed even Nazis were insist-
steps. She still has a long road to full
country
Most Jews."
ing.
recovery, but the prognosis for this
Our American Jewish community
Two points:
His ideological anti-Semitism did
brave woman is very good.
has stood silent for too long in the face
• How do you know? What survey
not interfere with his pragmatic busi-
I visited Hadar together with a cou-
of this administration's manifestly
or
poll did you commission or review
ness sense, choosing the best architect
ple on a goodwill trip here from the
unjust and unwise right-wing domestic
in
the
days following the recent U.S.
— Albert Kahn — and other business
United States. They asked Hadar if she
agenda.
Supreme Court decision to reach this
associates who were Jews and with
was angry and what she felt now. Her
A notable exception has been the
conclusion? Is it possible that this state-
whom
he had cordial relations. He did
answer was, "I'm not angry at anyone.
National Council of Jewish Women,
ment merely reflects your own liberal
not discriminate against Jews in hiring
I'm just very grateful that I was able to
which has been waging a lonely fight
bias and projection on the subject?
policy. So there really isn't anything
stop the terrorist from killing more
against President Bush's effort to pack
• In reality, if most Jews fully knew
puzzling in Henry's enigmatic attitude
people."
the federal courts with judges who do
and understood. the implications of the
toward Jews.
I will be happy to forward any good-
not support reproductive rights or the
Supreme Court's decision and its sug-
This is quite a common phenome-
will messages you would like to express:
separation of church and state and who
gestion of group versus individual
non.
rich_l@dalit.org.il
give short shrift to civil liberties.
Jack Adler rights (a concept found nowhere in our
Larry Rich
Tax-cut crusader Grover Norquist
Oak Park Constitution) they would or should
Development and gloated in a recent op-ed in the
reject affirmative action, as it is cur-
Public Relations O f fice,
Washington Post that the Bush strategy
rently practiced in the U.S., outright.
HaEmek Medical Center is well on its way to destroying our
The implications of the "group rights"
Afula, Israel progressive tax system, shifting the bur-
concept for a minority of 2 percent are
den of taxation from the wealthy to the
devastating.
While the Ford Motor Company
working poor and middle class while
In this respect, it might interest you
founder's anti-Semitic activities should
shrinking the federal budget to the
and your readers to know that when I
never be forgotten, at least equal atten-
point where it no longer can provide a
was a student at the University of
tion should be paid to what Ford
social safety net. Can anyone doubt
Michigan Law School in Ann Arbor
Motor Company does by way of sup-
that Bush is seeking to undo the great
and engaged in a discussion of affirma-
porting charitable activity today ("Still
work of FDR and the social compact
tive action with a professor at the law
Puzzling," June 20, page 14).
of the New Deal?
school (who later became dean of the
I was visiting Detroit last week and
In 2001, the Ford Fund (Ford
Shame on the Conference of
law school at a nationally prominent
read the Jewish News.
Motor's philanthropic division) gave
Presidents of Major American Jewish
university), his comment to me was
I was stunned that your Editor's
away $113 million to dozens of worthy that if we went simply by merit, half of
Organizations, United Jewish
Notebook piece ("Solving the Riddle,"
causes with particular emphasis to
Communities, Anti-Defamation
the law school at Michigan would be
June 20, page 5) lacked even a word
charities in Michigan. That figure set a
Jewish (a possibility that did not sit
about the deep divisions within Israeli
Leag ue and other national Jewish
national record for such corporate
organizations that have elected to stand
society when it comes to Prime
well with him).
community involvement.
mutely on the sidelines while all this is
Still like "affirmative action" versus
Minister Ariel Sharon's policies.
Even this year, when Ford Motor
taking place. They have taken a narrow,
More than 1,200 Israeli soldiers and
merit?
faces one of its most economically chal-
David Arm
self-interested approach, confining
reservists are refusing to serve in the
lenging times, tens of millions of dol-
their
lobbying
to
issues
that
involve
West Bloomfield
occupied territories. For us as

Share Thoughts
Of Good Will

Americans to get an idea of the magni-
tude of this protest, we would have to
imagine 60,000 U.S. Marines refusing
to serve.
Charlie Varon
San Francisco

Jewish Community
Needs To Be Heard

Old Henry Was Fair
With Hiring Policy

Court Ruling
Ignores Reality

Note Ford's
Current Efforts

Sharon Policies
Divide Israel

7/ 4

2003

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