LETTERS
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Head Of School
Makes Difference
continue to be stressed, but now there is
a lighter side to learning that is both
engaging and creative.
Mark Smiley, Hillel's former headmas-
ter, was a dedicated educator committed
to instilling to all Hillel families the
importance of Jewish continuity and the
preservation of the Conservative move-
ment's values and halachic guidelines.
Steve Freedman, the current headmas-
ter, has brought a fresh new spirit to the
school inspiring all of us at Hillel. I wish
that I could jump backwards in time
and relive my early elementary years and
attend school at Hillel. It looks like fun!
Sharon Shapiro
I really enjoyed, reading the article about
Steve Freedman, new head of school at
Hillel Day School of Metropolitan
Detroit ("FreshXision," Nov. 14, page
33). I am a parent of a first-grader. I
have been amazed at the positive influ-
ence Mr. Freedman has made in just
three short months at Hillel.
When I walk into the school, I feel
the excitement in not only the students
and teachers but also in the other par-
ents who are there, too.
(speaking for the Shapiro-Lerner family)
Mr. Freedman has made Hillel Day
West Bloomfield
School a wonderful place to be, from his
at
the
front
door
smile and " Boker Tozr
in the morning to the upbeat morning
music in the hallways, programs sup-
porting the mentsh-like activities and
even the extra "quiet time" in the hall-
ways at the end of the day.
I applaud Hillel's administration for
As a reluctant dropout from
finding such a positive role model for
Conservative Judaism, I will tell you it's
our students. I look forward to the other one thing to foster an atmosphere where
great ideas Mr. Freedman plans to
minimally observant-people can feel
implement in the future.
comfortable. It's quite another to let
As a second-year parent, I am pleas-
these people take over and remake the
antly surprised at what my daughter has
shul in their own image, so that obser-
learned at Hillel Day School. Not only
vant people feel totally out of place
is she excelling in English and math, but
("Feeling The Squeeze," Nov. 14, page
she brings home lovely art projects and
21).
sings new songs she has learned.
There are only so many times when
To top it all off, she can even carry on
you feel like dodging the parking lot
a simple conversation in fluent Hebrew
traffic when youwalk to shul on
I am also happy with the cultural arts
Shabbos. Or so many times you want to
and drama enrichment programs that I
listen to shul officials mischievously tell
didn't event know were available when
you about their favorite treif dishes or
she started at Hillel.
the interesting ways they violate
I look forward to another child enter-
Shabbos, And so on.
ing kindergarten next September
It all gets very tired. So, like many
because I believe we are in for some
others, I voted with my feet.
great years to come at Hillel Day
David Schey
School.
Huntington Woods
Michelle Jacobson
Feeling Very
Uncomfortable
Bloomfield Hills
I read with great interest your recent
article introducing Hillel Day School's
new head of school, Steve Freedman
("Fresh Vision," Nov. 14, page 33).
Our family is about half way through
our Hillel journey with two graduates,
one currently attending and one almost
there. It is truly an exciting time at
Hillel because in between blue and
white dress-up days and kite-flying holi-
days, Torah debates and spelling match-
es, there is a philosophical transforma-
tion in the works. Academics at Hillel
11/28
2003
6
Zionist Organization of America,
Michigan Region
Southfield
Settlements
Serve Purpose
George Soros
Blatantly Wrong
A quote in the article "Settlements
Hinder Peace" (Nov. 14, page 36), by
Rabbi Eric Yoffie, claimed: "Not all set-
tlers are extremists, but their leaders are
trying to impose an endless war on
Israel and the Jewish people."
Because the very legitimacy of the set-
tlements is being questioned, it is
important to make the following com-
ments:
1) Just as 1 million Arabs live in
Israel, it seems that Israelis should have
the same right to settle in Judea and
Samaria. If the Palestinian Arabs live in
Jewish billionaire George Soros' answer
to the resurgence of anti-Semitism in
Europe is that the policies of the Bush
administration and the Sharon adminis-
tration need to change ("Unwelfcome
Remarks," Nov. 21, page 29).
Soros joins the ranks of the anti-
Semites and the self-hating Jews who
question the legitimacy of Israel and the
rights of Jews to live free and have a
state.
Does Soros really think that if Israeli
policies change direction, then anti-
Semitism will diminish? With 3,000
years of Jewish experience with move-
.
New Headmaster
Inspires- Hillel
peace and relative prosperity as voting
citizens, why can't Israelis have the same
opportunity in Arab-occupied
"Palestine"? Even given the possible sce-
nario that a peace is consummated,
what would be the consequences?
Would this foreclose the same access to
religious sites for Jews that Arab
Muslims have, for instance, to the
Temple Mount?
2) Imagine, if you will, what would
happen without the settlements, which
currently serve the useful purpose of
being an outpost of defense for Israel.
To a large extent, the settlements, by
their existence, limit much of the terror-
ist activity to outside of Israel's borders.
3) We might also ask if the abandon-
ment of the settlers would mitigate ter-
rorist attacks.. Past history indicates the
Arab terrorists would merely look upon
this as a sign of weakness. It can be safe-
ly predicted that a unilateral abandon-
ment of the settlements, in a grand ges-
ture, would only lead to intensive terror-
ist activity.
4) Israel's history is all about the
Jewish heritage, religiously, historically
and culturally. There was a land where
Jews lived and worked. There were kings
and queens, governmental bodies and a
thriving economy. Compare this to the
Palestinian claims of nationality. Who
were the kings and queens? What
nationality did they inherit? Clearly,
there has never been an Arab Palestinian
national government. Their claims of
ascendancy to the land of Palestine
(including they claim Israel) ring hollow
when confronted with the facts of histo-
ry (without denying Arab Muslims have
a right to live in "Palestine"); the Jewish
claims to Eretz Yisrael are overwhelming-
ly more convincing.
Joseph E Savin, president
ments of assimilation, conversion,
returns to piety and Zionism under our
belts, can a man capable of earning bil-
lions of dollars really think there's anoth-
er policy out there that will do the trick?
Jews have nothing to gain by hiding
from their identity. Israel has nothing to
lose by acting like the sovereign state
that it is, Soros' apologies notwithstand-
ing.
That George Soros, by virtue of being
a Jewish billionaire, was even given a
platform to tell the Jewish Funders
Network that Jews and Israel deserve to
be hated is biThrre. The Detroit Jewish
News need not waste additional space
and ink on people like George Soros.
A Pogo cartoon in the 1970s coined
the phrase, "We have met the enemy,
and he is us." I don't generally subscribe
to the Pogo view, but in Mr. Soros' case,
I'll make an exception.
Stuart Weiss
West Bloomfield
L
ast week's Jewish.com sur-
vey question asked:
Will you be spending
the Thanksgiving
holiday with out-of-
town family?
Of 67 respondents, 31 percent said
yes and 69 percent said no.
Next week's question: Do you
think same-sex marriage should be
legalized? To answer, click on
Jewish.com
— Illana Greenberg
Correction
In "Voice Like An Angel" (page 72,
Nov. 21), Barbara Goldsmith was
inadvertently identified as shammas
(synagogue caretaker) at the Fountains
of Franklin. Dorothy Goldberg is the
shammas.