OTHER VIEWS
You Can Help
I
ing together as a people. Each
recently returned
of us must ask ourselves: How
from the Hadassah
are
we fulfilling our responsi-
National Convention
bilities
as Jews? Are we doing
in New York City
all we can? Are we volunteer-
where I heard Avraham
ing to help out our communi-
Infeld, interim president
tY?
and international director
Some give money, some give
of Hillel: The Foundation
time
and some give both. It's
for Jewish Campus Life.
not
about
what I do versus
DEE
NA
His words truly resonated.
what
you
do.
It's about what
LOC
KNIAN
He talked about how we, as
Jews, are connected to each Communi Views we do to make our people
healthy, educated and secure.
other.
Jewish continuity depends on all of us
Years ago, Chase Manhattan Bank
had an advertising slogan, "You have a to devote time and resources to our
friend in Chase Manhattan." It was on Jewish community's welfare.
buses, subways — everywhere that
New Yorkers went. It was a slogan
Reach Out
everyone knew. When Bank Leumi
Let me give you some ideas about
from Israel first came to New York, it
what you can do by telling you about
wanted to get everyone's attention. Its
organizations I work with.
campaign was: "You might have a
The Jewish Federation is our
friend in Chase Manhattan, but we
umbrella
organization in the Jewish
are mishpachah."
community.
It is not just a fund-rais-
Bank Leumi's clever advertisements
ing organization, but also a vital
capitalized on something we all know:
Jewish institution that helps hold our
We, the Jewish people, are family. We
community together.
are held together by a common reli-
There are lots of opportunities for
gion, a common history, a common
all
kinds of interests and talents within
culture and a common homeland.
Federation
and its agencies. You can
When we help each other, it is not
help.
just an act of charity; it is fulfilling
The Jewish Women's Foundation
our responsibilities as Jews.
Jewish survival depends on us stand- was started just four years ago. It is an
important source for hands-on partici-
pation
in philanthropy and grant
Deena Lockman is a Birmingham resi-
making
to benefit Jewish women and
dent, an active member of Temple Beth Eh
girls
in
the
Detroit area and in Israel.
on Hadassah's executive committee, a vol-
It
is
a
good
place for people who want
unteer with Federation's planning depart-
to
directly
participate
in learning
ment as well as its Women's Campaign
about
and
helping
fulfill
the needs of
and Education apartment, and a found-
our
community.
You
can
help.
ing trustee of the Jewish Women's
Or
you
can
be
active
in
Hadassah,
Foundation.
the women's Zionist organization.
Hadassah Medical Organization is at
the forefront of medical research and
treatment of trauma victims, regardless
of background or nationality. Youth
Aliyah villages, which originally saved
children escaping Europe, now help
high-risk children from within Israel.
Hadassah Technological College and
Hadassah Counseling Institute help
prepare young people for future
careers. In the United States,
Hadassah promotes Jewish education,
study groups, health initiatives, Israel
advocacy and community service.
Greater Detroit Chapter of
Hadassah has a large variety of oppor-
tunities for women and men to serve
our people. You can help.
Israel And Beyond
Our Jewish community here in
Detroit and in this country stands
together with Israel. If there is no
Israel, our future as Jews is threatened.
We need Israel and Israel needs us.
There are many things that we can
do. We can educate ourselves about
the issues facing the Israeli people. We
can help the Israeli'economy by buy-
ing Israeli products.
Best of all, we have a terrific oppor-
tunity to visit Israel, during
Federation's Michigan Miracle Mission
4, April 18-28, 2004. More than 500
people have already signed .up. It is
our chance to make a personal state-
ment of support.
The Jews in this country represent
less than 3 percent of the population;
that number decreases each year. We
must, therefore, work with others to
build coalitions of support for the
issues that are most meaningful to us.
You can be active in the Race
Relations & Diversity Task Force-
Birmingham Bloomfield Area, a spon-
sored group of the Community
House, or in Seeds of Peace, a camp
program for teens of warring nations,
where conflict discussion and resolu-
tion are taught.
This year, I also had the opportunity
of participating in a program spon-
sored by the Center for Peace and
Conflict Studies at Wayne State
University in Detroit. The program,
Multi-Cultural Experience in
Leadership Development, is made up
of 10 people: Arab, black, American
Indian, white, suburban and urban.
We meet to learn cross-cultural collab-
oration skills. This experience has
taught us to listen and really hear
what others think, even when we
vehemently disagree.
Above all, we can become involved
in our own congregations.
Congregational life is at the core of
our Jewish being. Our synagogues
offer endless opportunities to learn
about our religion and culture as well
as about helping others.
We must become more active in our
Jewish community by giving of our-
selves through two of the most impor-
tant resources we have: time and
money. We must protect the Jewish
people by educating ourselves and by
actively supporting our sisters and
brothers in Israel.
We also have a responsibility to get
to know and hear our neighbors out-
side the Jewish community.
Chase Manhattan is right. You have
friends. But as Bank Leumi said, we
are mishpachah.
❑
Pentagon Jihadis
Philadelphia
he news last week that two
U.S. military personnel who
are Muslim, James Yee and
Ahmad al-Halabi, had been
detained on suspicion of aiding Al
Qaida prisoners at Guantanamo Bay
(with another three Muslim servicemen
under watch) seemed to prompt much
surprise. It should not have.
It has been obvious for months that
Islamists who despise the United States
have penetrated American prisons, law
enforcement and armed forces.
A milestone Wall Street Journal article
T
nr
Daniel Pipes is director of the Middle
East Forum. His e-mail address is
Pipes@MEForum.org
10/ 3
2003
30
•
in February established that imams
who consider Osama bin Laden "a hero
of Allah" dominate the Islamic chap-
laincy in the New York State prison sys-
tem.
I documented in March the case of
FBI Special Agent Gamal Abdel-Hafiz,
an immigrant whose pattern of pro-
Islamist behavior was overlooked and,
instead, he was promoted.
And at least six prior cases of Islamist
servicemen have come to light:
• Ali Mohamed: An Egyptian immi-
grant who after his discharge from the
U.S. Army went to work for Osama
bin Laden. Mohamed pleaded guilty to
helping plan the 1998 bombing sur-
veillance of the U.S. embassy in
Nairobi and now sits in prison serving
his sentence.
American convert and Army
• Semi Osman: An eth-
Reservist, Battle awaits trial in
nic Lebanese immigrant
prison on charges of "enlisting
and non-U.S. citizen who
in the Reserves to receive mili-
served in both the Army
tary training to use against
and the Naval Reserves,
America."
Osman was arrested in
• John Allen Muhammad:
2002 and accused of
An African-American convert
"material support for ter-
and Army veteran,
rorists." He pleaded guilty
Muhammad is suspected of
to a weapons violation and
having thrown a grenade at a
DANI EL PIPES
served his sentence.
fellow soldier in 1991. He awaits
Special
• Abdul Raheem Al Arshad
trial in prison on charges of lead-
Com
mentary ing a 21-day shooting spree in the
Ali: An African-American
convert to Islam and former
Washington, D.C., area in 2002
Marine, he awaits trial in prison for
that killed 10 and wounded three.
allegedly supplying a semiautomatic
• Hasan Akbar: Another African
handgun to Semi Osman.
American convert, Akbar awaits trial in
• Jeffrey Leon Battle. An African-
prison for two counts of premeditated