Detroit Turns to Prayer DOER PROFIL ROBERTROSS City: Bloomfield Hills Kudos: Healing Hearts Dr Ross led a team of 21 medical professionals on a mis- sion to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, suc- cessfully treating 27 children ages 4-16 with life-threaten- ing illnesses. Dr Ross is a cardiologist at Children's Hospital of Michigan in Detroit and teaches at Wayne State University Medical School. Why the Dominican Republic? Dr. Robert Ross with Grace, a young heart patient. It has one of the highest infant mor- tality rates in the world — almost 38 percent; a very poor country. Most patients were born with heart defects. The country had also hosted other teams there, so we had an infrastruc- ture and could move in quickly. Who went? What did you do? We had to bring everything for surgery. We spent almost a year collecting supplies and donations from companies and charitable organizations and shipping them down ahead of time. We spent eight days there last November and quickly screened 40 patients to come up with a surgical list of children with holes or blockages in their hearts. Some were blue. It was heartwarming seeing the parents, tears filling their eyes, after their child had surgery and had pink fingers and lips for the first time. You feel gratification from the families but also from the people who work at the hospital. Even those who cleaned up stayed overnight to help us. How did the experience effect you? It's incredible. When I go down there, I get to prac- tice medicine the way I thought it was going to be when I entered med school. It's a refreshing experience that re-energized me. I'm gearing up to return with 25 people this fall. — Sharon Luckerman, sta writer etroit's city officials and police command- ers held a day of prayer last week to seek help for the city's recent wave of violent crime. This is beyond sad. It is almost beyond satire. GEORGE At the same time that atheists are trying to get the U.S. CANTOR Supreme Court to remove the Reality words "under God" from the Check Pledge of Allegiance as an intoler- able insertion of religion in pub- lic life, here is an American city officially asking for divine intervention. Detroit's actions are cer- tainly in keeping with this country's Protestant tradi- tion. Days of community fasting and prayer were a . part of life in colonial New England and remained a fixture in the Southern and Midwestern Bible Belt well into the 20th century. But they were usually held to seek deliverance from forces that seemed beyond human control — drought, disease, locusts. They were not done to plead with God to change human behavior. Those who commit the acts that have appalled this entire community are well beyond a prayerful entreaty to change their ways. These are people to whom the Sixth Commandment is a minimal inconven- ience. More than that, it is almost an admission that its elected officials don't know how to run the city. Instead, the city has run away. Governing Detroit is not an easy proposition in the best of times. But with a Council wholly George. Cantor's e-mail address is gcantor@thejewishnews.com preoccupied with battles over turf and a mayor who seems to be in over his head, it may well be hopeless. What makes it even worse is that there are signs of renewed vigor. For the first time in 15 years or more, suburban residents are regularly visiting the city for entertainment. Not to shop and certainly not to live. But they are going back. I had dinner a few weeks ago, for example, at the Atlas Global Bistro, a restaurant on an espe- cially dismal part of Woodward Avenue, north of downtown. It was packed. I saw many people I knew from Oakland County and, even more sur- prising, many of them were older than I am. I point that out because it used to be only younger people I saw when I went into the city. That is changing, and it comes under the heading of good news. The people we were with, although not terribly fond of conditions in Detroit, nonetheless had made recent trips to the Courthouse Brasserie, Sweet Georgia Brown, the Foxtown Grille, the Gem Theatre — taking advan- tage of the city. But I still get the feeling that this is a fragile phe- nomenon. That one highly publicized act of violence could turn it around. That it still doesn't extend to more than a few narrow strips and neighborhoods. That the city's inexplicable indifference, even hostility towards outside investors still exists; and that its bureaucrats feel they are doing someone a favor by "allowing" him to spend a few million dollars in Detroit. I don't know whether it can ever be a "cool" city. I don't know that it ever was. But with a few breaks, it may become livable again. Wouldn't that be something? Prayer is fine, but I'm sure that a little serious effort would help out the Almighty, too. ❑ ❑ For more information, call Rebecca Palmer at Variety Children's Lifeline, the main sponsor of the mission, at (858) 509-9445. REPORT A DOER... Know a Doer — someone of any age doing interest- ing, meaningful things in their life outside of their job? Share suggestions with Keri Guten Cohen, story development editor, at (248) 351-5144 or e-mail: kcohen@thejewishnews.com 4/16 2004 10 Shabbat Candlelighting "When I light Shabbos candles, I feel like I can ask for everything I need, both for my family and for the world." — Tova Shkedi, Oak Park, nurse in training Candlelighting Friday, April 16, 7:58 p.m. Candlelighting Friday, April 23, 8:06 p.m. Shabbat Ends Shabbat Ends Saturday, April 17, 9:02 p.m. Saturday, April 24, 9:11 p.m. To submit a candlelighting message, call. Miriam Amzalak of the Luhavitch Women's Organization at (248) 548-6771 or e-mail: marnzalak@juno.com