This Week Local professionals want to PLACE: Sunrise Assisted Living of West Bloomfield offer their FREE EXPERTISE to solve your eldercare needs. White House Invitation Please attend 5 -rvia2e-- avoi 9 o2 SENIOR LIVING. Rabbi Daniel Nevins meets with president. WHERE: 7005 Pontiac Trail West Bloomfield, MI 48307 SHELL' LIEBMAN DORFMAN Staffriter WH Sunda 2:00 P.M. Featured Speakers: Dorothy McMahon, CSA Long Term Insurance Expert Josh Barron, J.D. Founder of JMB Financial Services Group News Digest RESERVATIONS REQUIRED! SPACE IS LIMITED! 248-706-3663 Tina Rowley, RN Home Instead Senior Care Franchise Owner ENIOR CARE teaci.com - iiuth Oakland 763750 EXERCISE IS MEDICINE If you're serious about fitness, we can help you be the best you can be Our friendly fitness programs are personalized to help you reach your realistic fitness goals. CHANGE YOUR LIFE BY CHANGING YOUR LIFESTYLE Call today for information on Personal Training, Yoga, Mates, Cardio Cycling, Our 12 Week Fat Loss Program, Group Exercise Classes, Massage, and Nutritional Counselling. We have programs for everyone and every fitness level. Call for your FREE CONSULTATION. PETER NIELSEN Host of Peter's Principles TV and Radio Show International Physique Champion NIELSEN'S TOWN CENTER HEALTH CLUB 3000 Town Center Atrium Mezzanine Southfield 248-358.4200 PERSONAL TRAINING CLUB 4119 Orchard Lake Rd. West Bloomfield 248-855-0345 HEM TH CLUB PERSONAL TRAINING CLUB www.peternielsen.com p resident George W. Bush marked the Jewish New Year by telling a roomful of rabbis about his faith and how it helped make him a better man. Rabbi Daniel Nevins of Adat Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills was among 15 rabbis who spent an hour at the White House Monday discussing topics that included Iraq, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, poverty and faith-based initiatives. Quite a few of the rabbis were observing Tzom Gedaliah (a fast commemorating the murder of Gedaliah ben Achikam, gov- ernor of Judah in the time of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia). Before offering time for questions, Rabbi Nevins said the president spoke, "giving - an overview of his thoughts on the war on terror, the need to succeed in Iraq, his love of freedom and his faith in the American people." Rabbi Steven Pruzanski of Teaneck, N.J., said President Bush twice became emotion- al. Once was while discussing Nevins his recent trip to the site of the Auschwitz death camp in Poland; the other time when he talked about how people pray for him. The president spoke openly about his drinking problem of years past, telling the rabbis that faith played a role in his , quitting. "No one questioned him on the tax cuts for the rich, but several rabbis, Reform to Orthodox, went out of their way to thank him for the faith-based charities initiatives and for making reli- .gion a respectable part of American dis- course without imposing any particular dogma," Rabbi Nevins said. "He acknowledged that the economy has been weak and unemployment high and stated that he understood that headlines like 'The March to War' were not conducive to investment and opti- mism." Israel Connection "I was so impressed by the candor of the president," said Rabbi Irving Elson, a chaplain and commander in the U.S. 10/ 3 2003 12 • :;.110 . Navy. "He exuded confidence in his love of America." Rabbi Elson said he told President Bush that Jewish servicemen support his efforts in Iraq. "The message I was asked to bring was 'Stay the course,'" he said. "Bush spoke very touchingly about his love and admiration for the Israeli people," Rabbi Nevins said. "He described waking up in his hotel room in Jerusalem and watching the sun rise over the Old City and calling Laura to put in her contacts and come see. He also recalled the famous helicopter ride he had with Ariel Sharon as his tour guide in 1998 and his appreciation for the dilemma faced by Israel. "He said that he considers Ariel Sharon to be a friend of peace and a personal friend, but that he didn't mind privately dis- agreeing with him," Rabbi Nevins said. "As an example, he criticized the Israeli place- ment of a tank pointed at [Palestinian President Yasser] Arafat's headquarters two years ago, which he felt gave Arafat the opportunity to garner sympathy and sup- port." Rabbi Nevins said the president emphasized that he would not meet with Arafat, consider- ing him to be an unreconstructed ter- rorist, also commenting on his disap- pointment that Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas failed so -- quickly. The president told the rabbis that a new Palestinian leadership would be judged on the "simple formula" of its ability to dismantle terrorist organiza- tions and fight terrorism. Until then, he said, "everything's on hold." President Bush reportedly made no mention of the road-map peace plan, co-authored by the United States, United Nations, European Union and Russia and which he has pushed for more than a year. He also said he supported the security fence Israel is erecting in the West Bank, which the Palestinians have called a land grab. But he said the fence's route should not preclude later territori- al negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.