COURTYARD
BY MARRIOTT

FARMINGTON HILLS
MICHIGAN

The Courtyard by Marriott
Farmington Hills, Michigan
would like to be your hotel of choice for
all your special occasions.

and community centers. And we had
the privilege of meeting Gilan Erdan of
the Likud party and the youngest
member of the Knesset, who reiterated
the importance of needing a secure
Israel to ensure peace in the Middle
East.
We paid our respects and prayed at a
bus-bombing site in Jerusalem. Even
amid the remnants of carnage and ter-
ror, our spirits were buoyed by
reminders of kindness and places that
heal, not, hurt the innocent.
We visited the JDC-Brookdale
Institute, Israel's leading center for
applied research on human services,
and toured the Hadassah Medical
Center on Mt. Scopus. We heard from
a 14-year-old girl, a bombing victim,
who will have to undergo multiple sur-
gical procedures, all paid for by
Hadassah. We also visited a home for
teenage girls funded by the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit,
which has given many young women a
second chance for success.
From Michigan to Israel, our com-
mitment and challenges bond and
unite us.
With limited time to visit the count-
less sites of interest, we felt it our duty
and obligation to go to Yad Vashem. It
was obvious by the pain in my col-
leagues' eyes that they were deeply
moved, as they honored those who
perished and paid tribute to the sur-
vivors. Upon leaving, Sen. Thomas
commented how much greater the
world would be if it had the benefit of
the contributions from those who per-
ished. By planting trees in a forest
funded by the Jewish National Fund,
our sense of despair changed to hope.
A night in Tel Aviv, a swim in the
Mediterranean Sea and a helicopter
ride over the Port of Haifa and Mt.
Carmel, in addition to everything else
we saw and the people we met, made
us truly appreciate the beauty of our
land and the need for peace, preserva-
tion and perseverance.
Everywhere we went, Israelis would
tell us to please tell our friends, Jewish
and non-Jewish, to "come over...we
need you." In fact, we need each
other. Israel's economy continues to
struggle, so many lives have been lost
and the effects of terrorism hurt pros-
perity.

Common Bond

With an anemic world economy, ter-
rorism further magnifies misery by
freezing economic growth and stunting
attempts to raise the standard of living
for working families. As Americans still
healing from Sept. 11, 2001, we again
share a common bond in our unyield-
ing fortitude and unending mission of
bringing justice to those who kill the
innocent.
How ironic that those who kill and
justify it, also hurt the very people,
cause and religion they falsely claim to
represent.
As we waited for our flight home, I
could not help but reflect on the then-
upcoming 10th anniversary of the
Oslo agreement. That agreement, at
one time, represented a momentous
occasion of hope and promise for the
future of this region and the people
who call it home. Referred to by
Anthony Lewis of the New York Times
as ingeniously built and stunning at
the time, Israel is once again entering a
phase of uncertainty.
A road map designed to implement
the peace initiative by President
George W. Bush is teetering on the
brink of collapse. A map is only good
if those on the journey stay on course
and are led by principle, not those who
pursue self-interest nor those who
allow others to deviate on a venture of
hate and violence.
I came home believing that Israel
must maintain defensible borders to
meet the growing lethality of the
Palestinian threat. It is up to us to
ensure that Israel remains a homeland
by visiting there — and urging others
to do the same. No brochure, no news
report can replace a firsthand account
of the struggles of Israelis, the beauty
of the land, the history of this holy
place or the need for all Jewish people
to insist on living together in peace.
Partnership 2000 has been instru-
mental in helping foster connections
between the people of Michigan and
Israel. Our trip was one small step in
accomplishing this mission. I thank
my colleagues for noting the impor-
tance of our goals, and I thank the
people of Israel for their friendship and
their sacrifice.
May God bring peace to walk in our
footsteps. 111

• Banquet Facility up to 175
• Business Center with Complimentary
High-Speed Internet
• Indoor Pool and Whirlpool
• Fitness Center on-site
• Guest Laundry

Special weekend rates 169.00*

31525 W. 12 Mile
Farmington Hills

248 553 0000

Aarnott

Mention this a
and receive i 0% Off
your next special even

*King/2 Double Beds

THE BLOOMFIELD HILLS

SH

Unique contemporary & antique jewelry
Saturday, October 18th
9:00arn-4Mpin
ROSS
OF
CHRIST
LUTHERAN CHURC
•
1100 Lone Pine Rd., Bloomfield Hills

NAV. corner ofTelegraph and Lone Pine Rd.

Presented by: IV Sc Sihomotioo4,
for more informatton cofl 248-988-0924

Admission; $4 * Kkis *Wet 12 free

ELECT COUNCILMAN BARRY BRICKNER

FARMINGTON HILLS CITY COUNCIL

On November 4th, vote for leadership and experience:

Councilmember, Former Mayor Pro Tem and Planning
Commissioner, V.P. 8 Mile Blvd. Assocation., Attorney 27 yrs.

Member of Adat Shalom Synagogue.

Paid for by: Barry Brickner for 47th District Court Judge Committee.
29271 Glencastle Court, Farmington Hills, MI 48336

765470

CALLTOOP FOR A SUBSCRIPTION

248.351.5174

10/1C

2003

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