News Watch The Big Picture Ann Arbor conference focuses on Israel's attention to human rights. KAREN SCHWARTZ Special to the Jewish News Ann Arbor D oris Miller attended the University of Michigan's 3rd Annual Conference on Israel to hear Ann Arbor's own Amos Guiora — now Lt. Col. Amos Guiora, commandant of the Israel - Defense Forces School of Military Law. Miller, a longtime Ann Arbor resident who remembers watching Guiora grow up, said it was interesting to see the direction his life has taken. She said while she did not leave the conference with more hope for the situation in Israel, she was glad to know people like him are involved in the process. "I found it extraordinarily rewarding to see such a mature and compassionate human being working in such an incredibly frustrating and difficult area, she said. Guiora spoke about international law and military ethics Sunday afternoon. "I thought his answers were mature ... I think they're in a very difficult position but I was very happy to see that Israel is emphasizing enforcing the international codes of military conduct because we do get bad press in the United States." The daylong academic conference, tided "Israel: The Successes, the Setbacks, the Road Ahead," welcomed about 300 community members and ) 3 students to the Michigan League for a day of Israel education focused on the "big picture," said conference co-chair Samantha Woll, 20. "From my perspective, it's important to educate the community about the bigger picture so that in discussions you have a context from which to draw your arguments and speaking points," said Woll, a U-M junior from West Bloomfield. Guiora spoke about the software he developed to teach Israeli soldiers an 11- point code of conduct based on interna- tional law, Israeli law and the Israel Defense Forces' ethical code. Visit Is Special "Obviously, for me, there is something on a very personal level about being back in Ann Arbor, to show and talk about the software with the Ann Arbor and Detroit communities," he said. "I come from here, I am of this place." Guiora, an avid U-M football fan, claims to have the largest collection of Michigan football tapes outside of the United States. His software, which took a year to create, uses clips from Hollywood movies and animation to address codes that relate to the interaction between soldiers and Palestinians. Six scenarios based on real-life events followed by questions also contribute to teaching the Sharing Shabbat Ann Arborites open their homes to Israeli Philharmonic musicians. KAREN SCHWARTZ Special to the Jewish News Ann Arbor 13 X 3/26 2004 34 fight-year-old Jonathan Hamermesh added two new signatures to his Disneyland autograph-book Friday night. Holding out the small blue book, he flipped past pages signed by Goofy and Eeyore and asked Israel Philharmonic Orchestra members Gabriel Vole and Yoram Alperin, guests at the Hamermesh home for Shabbat dinner, to sign their names in both Hebrew and English. "I think it's cool because they're really famous and it's really rare to have famous people in your house," Hamermesh said. Vole and Alperin joined Jonathan and his sister Miriam, 5, their parents Amy and David, and family friends Michele Leshan and Steve Rubenstein for a Shabbat meal as part of an Ann Arbor home hospitality evening organized by Lt. Col. Amos Guiora stands with Doris Miller and Helen Amine; Ann Arbor residents who remember him growing up. 11 codes. "Our hope is this software will serve as another tool in the 'toolbox' for the commander in how he prepares his troops for their responsibilities in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip," he said. While the software was designed as a tool for commanders and soldiers, it was later translated into English and has recently become part of how Israel is presented in the media — Guiora has appeared on the BBC as well as French and Russian television. Articles about the software have been published in Canada and other countries around the world. Guiora said he hopes people came away with knowledge regarding "the great emphasis we place on the twin issues of international law and morality in armed conflict and how it is we go about training our soldiers for this armed conflict, how much we under- stand our soldiers' need to understand." Adam Soclof, 18, a U-M freshman from Ann Arbor, knew he wanted to join the conference planning committee team after attending last year's event. "I was very impressed with the level of pro- fessionalism with which the conference was approached," he said. This year's conference, Soclof said, in addition to presenting Israel as a nation with a diverse population that gives due consideration to human rights issues, had an additional personal pull for him. Guiora graduated from Soclof's high school. "To see someone from the Ann Arbor area move to serve Israel in such a pos- itive way was really inspiring for me," Soclof said. the Jewish Federation of Washtenaw County. The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra visited Ann Arbor as part of a three- week American tour, performing Saturday night at Hill Auditorium. Vole, who plays double bass, and Alperin, a cellist, were among the approximately 40 orchestra members who accepted Shabbat dinner invita- tions. An outpouring of responses to a Federation e-mail generated spots for nearly five times that many, said Federation executive director Jeff Levin. Levin said he was not surprised by the outpouring of invitations. "This is Ann Arbor; I knew people would roll out the red carpet," Levin said. "That's our community ethos, we reach out, we welcome the newcomer — most of us are from somewhere else so we know what it's like to be a stranger in a new place and we respond in kind when we have the opportunity." Vole and Alperin said they recalled opportunities to spend time with local families when they were involved in a youth orchestra, but now they play pro- fessionally and their schedule is more rigorous. Having arrived on Wednesday with a concert Saturday evening, there was more time to relax and enjoy the town, Vole said. Members from the 105-musi- cian orchestra also traveled to the Hebrew Day School of Ann Arbor for three educational concerts. "It was nice watching and being part of lighting the candles and making kid- dush, seeing a young family that raises two children," Vole said. " They speak some Hebrew, they eat kosher — the atmosphere was very pleasant and 33 .