OTHER VIEWS Excited To Be Jewish our common purpose in life? ing could have compared to see the help she receives from the local 11 ho could have imagined There are no easy answers, the reality of being there in Chesed, which is being partially spon- that Jewish people still but as my father would say, person. sored by the Jewish Federation of live in the Ukraine? A you have to jump in with Being a real estate developer, Metropolitan Detroit. corrupt government, a both feet. So, that exactly I was fascinated by the sheer She was so appreciative of us taking "second world" economy without the what I intend to do. size of Birkenau, over 360 the time out of our busy schedule to pleasantries that we take for granted The Grosfeld Leadership acres of developed land. As I meet with her. Quite frankly, it was every day, direct religious persecution Program renewed my Jewish stood in this camp, I kept just the opposite — I was so apprecia- LEE A. and a small Jewish community. identity and sense of commu- thinking of the mass of devas- tive to spend those moments with her. HURWITZ Given these facts, one might dismiss nity. I hope that I may make tation that Community the diamonds in the rough. The as big of an impact in another occurred Views Grosfeld Leadership Program that was young Jewish person's life as under my prepared for us during our visit May Jim and Nancy Grosfeld have feet. 31 to June 8 allowed us to see these for mine. In parting, what I hidden gems. . will take from this I was able to meet with young experience is simplis- Jewish students, who for the most part tic. As Jews, we have were discovering their Jewish identity. been persecuted for This is an excerpt of a letter Lee A. What was more interesting was the years, yet we must Hurwitz sent to the Grosfelds, cheseds who serviced the elderly. What never stop fighting for Bloomfield Hills-based donors to was clear to me is that no matter our identity, our cul- Federation's Millennium Campaign where you are in the world, Jews are ture and our place for Detroit's Jewish Future. The Jews. The sense of identity, the fight within society no Grosfeld Leadership Program pre- for education, the strength of commu- matter the cost. pares young adults ages 30-40 to nity and the call for philanthropy is For the first time in take part in missions to Jewish what we are about. many years, I am communities in Eastern Europe. A few days later, we drove to a shtetl excited to be Jewish. I Mission II was May 31 to June in Zhitomir, where I met with Bella, shared with my wife 8 with pre-mission workshops an 80-year-old woman living in a one- Chad Zamler, left, and Steven Susser, right, participated the desire to rekindle starting last January. Co-chairs bedroom flat with her bathroom out- the Friday-night in a visit in Korostyshev, Ukraine, with a 91-year-old were Scott Kaufman and Craig side. She had fled the atrocities of Babi American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee client who Shabbat candles, and Erlich. David Contorer, director, Yar, migrated around the country until survived the Holocaust. my interest to become donor development, after World War II and resettled in more involved with Other participants were Jonathan Zhtomir. the activities at Temple Israel and the Aaron, Jeff Camiener, Dana Cohen, It reminded me that my struggles in After spending 20 minutes with her, concern for my son's Jewish identity Darren Findling, Robert Galperin, life were hardly a fraction of the ones I began to realize that the bond to her and education. David Jaffe, Jason Katz, Jon Klein, she endured during the past 60 years. Jewish identity was the reason for her My mind is racing with ideas and Brian Kolender, Steven Krasnick, The final experience came during very existence today. It was amazing to ways to make a difference in the com- Jeffrey Levine, Carin Rockind, our visit to Auschwitz and Birkenau. munity. How can I share my experi- Steven Susser and Chad Zamler. After researching the atrocities that Lee A. Hurwitz, 31, is a Huntington ence so that it may rub off on anoth- occurred at these Nazi Germany death Woods resident. He and his wife, Jill, er? How can I continue to perpetuate camps in many different books, noth- 1111 ❑ Mission Notes have a 1-year-old son. Saving El Al Haifa fter some years of hesitation, the Israeli government has finally decided to sell off another of its assets, El Al, the Israel national airline. There are many convincing reasons for the decision. For one thing, the airline has con- sistently been operating at a loss and has been a drain on the national budget. Further, with a growing deficit of its own, the government is eager to obtain cash, to be derived A Carl Alpert is a U.S. native who made aliyah in 1952. He is former head of he Zionist Organization of America's education department. His e-mail address is alpert@techunix.technion.ac.il 7/11 2003 26 from sale of such assets as El Al, gov- ernment-owned banks, the Israel Electric Corporation, the Bezeq phone company and other nationally owned companies. As a first step, 15 percent of the company's shares were offered for sale on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange and brought in an income of some 64 million shekels. During the coming year, additional blocs of shares will be made available. Until more than 50 percent of the stock is sold, the government will continue to control the company. The present management put on a good face and expressed satisfaction with the initial sale, but experts in the financial markets termed the first sale More Flights? a great disappointment and As a government operation, had no optimistic predictions. subject to government restric- However, when the now tions and political influences, privately held shares were El Al is forbidden to fly on offered for resale, there was a the Sabbath and on Jewish sudden enormous demand for holidays. This means that it them; prices almost doubled. CARL operates only 572days a week, This was apparently an ALP ERT with commensurate loss of indication that one or more Spe cial income, while its overhead groups may be seeking con- Com n tentaiy expenses remain practically trol of the company. Such 100 percent. competition could well result As a privately owned company, it in a much greater income for will no longer be subject to that the government in forthcoming restriction; the new owners will offerings. undoubtedly be desirous of utilizing Sideline observers and financial the planes to the maximum. Such a commentators are once again review- step, however, is bound to incur the ing the several complicated factors. They deserve attention and thought. wrath of the haredim, the ultra-