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Jim Hiller A Mentsh
We know that you have received
numerous letters praising Jim Hiller's
policies on Israeli products. We also
know that he is being honored by the
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
for his commitment to their cause [and
also will be given the Friend of Israel
Award by Yeshivat Akiva]. He deserves
-
all this praise and more.
What you may not know is that he
helps people with special needs in our
community through his business,
Hiller's Markets. We have a daughter
who is developmentally disabled and
was having a difficult time finding a
job. He gave her a chance to be trained
as a cashier and has employed her since
December. We recently sent him an e-
mail to thank him and his response was
astonishing. He said, "We are all in this
life boat together."
We would publicly like to thank him
for navigating the lifeboat for our
daughter and others like her. Our com-
munity is lucky to have such a wonder-
ful role model as Jim Hiller. -
Donna and Allan Apple
West Bloomfield
It Began With BBYO
Twenty-five years ago, two very young
BBYO-ers were introduced by a mutual .
friend at the then-current BBYO hang-
out, the Point After Deli.
The following weekend was the Rose
AZA dance, on March 31, 1979. When
these two active BBYO leaders danced
there for the first time, neither of them
knew it would be the first of many
dances the two would share over the
next 25 years.
Luckily for them, the guy was the
council big brother to Rose AZA and
the girl was the president of Glazer
BBG because in the old days, Glazer
and Rose did everything together (and
not just because Jan.and Mickey Rosner
were the respective advisers). The next
year was filled with BBYO parties,
installations, etc. (where the two of
them were always late to meals) and
general aggravation to and from Arnie
Weiner!
BBYO paved the road for many years
of leadership for Dr. Marlene Reid and
Dr. Larry Kosova, both becoming sur-
geons of the foot and ankle and leaders
in their professional community.
BBYO teaches our youth responsibili-
ty, respect and dedication. Michigan
Region BBYO has been teaching Detroit
metro teens that there is a place for
everyone and a project for everyone. For
4/23
2004 •
6
many, it is their initial exposure to
Judaism.
When we think back on the past 25
years, we remember the early years with
such fond memories. The BBYO experi-
ence gave us confidence and leadership
skills that would carry with us though
college and into our professional lives.
The friendships that developed were
built on fun and challenging experiences
and both difficult and really great times!
There are a few other "25-lifer" cou-
ples out there. On behalf of them and
ourselves, we want to thank BBYO for
providing us with the building blocks
for our marriage, our relationship and
our "real life." We hope that our chil-
dren, Ilyssa and Matthew, are lucky
enough to find a youth group in
Chicago that teaches them what BBYO
has taught us.
Marlene and Larry Kosova
Chicago
lows the old Negro view of a merciful
Lord: Express deep soulful prayer and
melody; many congregants become
totally transfixed during the service and
believe that they become one with God.
Whether in the bowels of a
deplorable slave ship crossing the
Atlantic or enduring bestiality in a
neighboring African country, the wish is
the same: free at last, whether through
death or physical liberty.
Desperate circumstances call for des-
perate measures. It may be that some-
one in Detroit will become so spiritual-
ly inspired as a result of communal
prayer that he/she will be transformed
into a beacon of such hope and sanctity
that society will follow en masse in
seeking personal redemption.
Albert Rosen
Farmington Hills
The Path To Peace
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's proposed
unilateral withdrawal from Palestinian
Sisterhood Knitters
territories is reasonable and realistic.
Sharon's plan offers more land and hope
Regarding "Yarn-It" (April 9, page 26),
to the Palestinian people than anything
Congregation Beth Shalom Sisterhood
their leadership has delivered.
members have been knitting and cro-
While Palestinian leadership has
cheting lap blankets for Jewish patients
waged war against innocent Israeli civil-
for many, many years.
ians, in fact, most of the ensuing hard-
These have been. delivered and ITery
ship has fallen onto the Palestinian peo-
well received at various nursing and
health care centers in the Oakland
ple.
Although Palestinian leaders continue
County area as well as Beaumont
to convince their people to fight for the
Hospital.
right to return, they fully understand
Hilda Bloom of West Bloomfield is
that Israel will never allow it, knoWing
our chairperson.
Helene Robbins that the Palestinian charter and inten-
Beth Shalom Sisterhood tion is to destroy the State of Israel.
Oak Park Theoretically, allowing Palestinians the
right to return would effectively be a
death sentence for Israel.
Power Of Spirituality
In this post 9-11 era, the Palestinians
should understand that terrorism will
Reality Check Columnist George
only perpetuate their hardship. Suicide
Cantor's column "Detroit Turns To
bombers not only kill innocent Israelis,
Prayer" (April 16, page 10) was interest-
but also destroy the hopes of the
ing as usual, but neglected to mention
Palestinians. The Palestinian people
the why and how of prayer in the black
need leaders who recognize that terror-
experience.
ism will not lead them anywhere but
Negro spirituals have been part and
down the same disastrous and futile
parcel of black culture long before
road they have been traveling.
American slavery. And its purpose was
Raymond Dubin
to appeal to a merciful deity to amelio-
Farmington Hill
rate the human condition which blacks
were experiencing — and were not con-
cerned with altering human behavior
Observations On Mideast
per se. War, pestilence, slave traders,
etc., were viewed as beyond human
I am a fairly neutral observer of Mideast
concern. And so spirituals, embodying
events, decrying the bloodshed and
torment of the soul, sought succor from
hoping for a genuine peace. However, I
heaven: It was an abstraction evolving
really have observed the following:
into reality of the flesh.
• Israel is fighting not for diplomatic
Detroit's day of prayer, acknowledg-
gain, but for its simple physical exis-
ing modern murder and mayhem, fol-
tence.
. • The Palestinians don't seem to be
fighting for a fair, negotiated Palestinian
state only, as Israel has accepted this
principle since 1948.
• I'm beginning to wonder if the
term "occupied territories" refers- only
to the areas captured by Israel in 1967
— with which most Israelis indeed
agree — or to Israel in its entirety. If it
is genuinely the first, then negotiations
would have been successfully concluded
in 2000, as my understanding is that
Israel was negotiating on this basis.
• Of course, the Palestinian refugee
problem -must be resolved. But it can't
be by Israel - because of what I perceive
to be the following reason: If Israel
were to accept the Palestinian demand
for the refugees' right of return- to their
former homes (an internationally
unprecedented demand), she would
face the arrival of 3-4 million
Palestinians. Israel's Jewish population
today is 5.2 million, with 1.3 addition-
al citizens of Palestinian nationality, so -
this quickly would create a Palestinian
majority. As Israel is a democracy, it
would end Jewish sovereignty.
It seems to me that a negotiated
Palestinian state would resolve this
pressing human concern to the satisfac-
tion of all.
Les Goldstein
West Bloomfield
only
1 Week
to go!
OK, procrastinators! There are
only seven days left before the
deadline for subnlissions to
our May 17 Cap & Gown
section honoring Michigan
Jewish high school seniors
with a 3.60 or higher grade
point average.
Go to our Web site and fol-
low Cap & Gown instructions
in the upper right corner:
www detroitj ewishnevvs . corn
And if you want to place an
ad honoring your favorite
graduate, call (248) 351-5100
or see the advertisement on
page 31 in this issue.
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