jnonline L
) Ingathering Of Exiles
Hillel Day School students cele-
brate Israel Independence Day
with an "ingathering of the
exiles."
vvvvw.detroitjewishnews.corn
) Mission Returns
The Michigan Miracle Mission
participants have returned home,
but the latest "Mission
Moments" from Bob Sklar and
Sharon Luckerman and new
photographs from Debbie Hill
appear on
www.detroitjevvishnews.corn
jewis h.com
) Who Can Define 'Jew'?
Google flap over JewWatch.com
shows challenge of the digital age.
Read about it on wvvw.jewish.com
) All Or Nothing
There is a golden rule of diploma-
cy, concludes Micah Halpern in his
Jewish.corn column. When you
want it all, you end up with noth-
ing. The United States knows this
well. Israel has learned the lesson.
The Palestinians and the Israeli
right wing - not yet, maybe never.
Read about it on www.jewish.com
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Gay Agenda Opposed
The very valid question has been
raised ("Gay Marriage Stance
Hurtful," April 9, page 6) why the
Council of Orthodox Rabbis issued
a statement that same-sex marriage
is an attack on the basic fabric of
Judaism ("Same-Sex Marriage Is
Wrong," March 19, page 6), while it
has not seen fit to do so recrardinc,
other issues such as the desecration
of the Sabbath of the laws of
kashrut.
The answer is really quite simple.
All of these — Shabbos violation,
eating non-kosher foods and same-
sex marriage — are transgressions of
the most fundamental laws of Torah.
However, no one has (yet) mounted
a concerted campaign to validate
driving on Shabbat or eating ham.
However, the proponents of same-
sex marriage have a different agenda.
Not only do they want to do their
own thing, but they want it to be
acknowledged and legitimized. As
Orthodox rabbis, we cannot stand
by when the government of the
United States is being pressured to
issue an official stamp of approval
.on conduct that the Torah clearly
states is abhorrent. It is in this spirit
that we take a stand against same-
sex marriage.
Rabbi Elimelech Silberberg,
Rabbi Shaill Zachariash
Council of Orthodox Rabbis of
Greater Detroit, Southfield
To answer, click on
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right now?
65% said yes
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powerful tools. Your child is getting
first-hand view of their Judaic back-
ground, including such scared places
as a sanctuary and chapel.
Of course, their classroom in this
setting is of utmost importance, too,
bringing them closer to Judaism's
love of learning, whether learning
about Jewish holidays, Hebrew lan-
guage or socialization and sharing.
Our children, our future Judaic
leaders, play a dynamic role in the
continuity of our heritage. We, the
Jewish educators ; and you, the par-
ents, are laying the bricks of the very
foundation of our Jewish legacy. We
are building together. Where do I
begin my child's education? Right
here in a Judaic environment that is
filled with love, laughter and Jewish
teaching.
Nancy Rosenthal
assistant director;
Samantha Erin Rosen Nursery School,
Congregation Beth Ahm, West
Bloomfield
Mission On Web Lauded
The reflections articles [on Michigan
Miracle Mission 4] on the Web are
great! ("Mission Moments"
www.detroitjewishnews.com )
Although we're going [to Israel] in
August and thus did not come on
the mission, reading fellow
Detroiters' thoughts makes us feel
like we're there!
Allen Olender
West Bloomfield
Early Learning Is Key
I enjoyed your day camp story April
23 ("Ready, Set Go?" AppleTree,
page 33).
Many times when parents are con-
sidering where to begin their child's
earliest education, questions arise as
to location. Do I start my child off
in the closest location to my home?
Do I follow what my friends are
doing? What is the "rule to thumb"
for my choices?
As a teacher and staff member of a
Jewish preschool environment, I
cannot expound the virtues of the
setting enough. You might ask what
difference it makes where my child
is learning. My answer is, "more
than you realize."
Your child is experiencing the
beginnings if a Jewish environment,
which will be their foundation for
life. Not only are the teachings of
Judaism constantly present, but the
sights, sounds and memories are
Knitting-Is Not New
I thoroughly enjoyed the April 9
article on knitting ("Yarn-It," April
9, page 26). The knitting phenome-
non is not a new one to the Detroit
area. Anyone over the age of 60 will
vividly remember Mrs. Spitzer's knit
shop, Exquisite Knit Shop, on
Wyoming and later on Greenfield.
I have warm memories of going
with my mother, Lillian Levin, to
get instructions. It was just like a
fashion show. Mrs. Spitzer was a
soft-spoken, extremely talented arti-
san. She•could take any picture
brought to her, from any magazine,
and convert it to a made-to-fit pat-
tern.
Thank you for writing about knit-
ting now, but I would hope you
could also publish some pictures of
Mrs. Spitzer and her knit shop. I'm
sure many of us would get such a
kick out of it, and you would
shed light on the fact that this is
not entirely a new phenomenon.
Carol R. Wiseman
West Bloomfield
Effective Against Hate
On behalf of the Holocaust
Education Coalition, I would like
to thank you for your recent arti-
cle on the curriculum Life
Unworthy of Life ("Handbook
Against hate," April 16, page 34).
The Holocaust Education
Coalition is composed of 14
Jewish and non-Jewish organiza-
tions whose mission is to promote
education focusing on the
Holocaust and its lessons.
One of our central tools, from
our beginnings in 1991, has been
the Life Unworthy of Lift curricu-
lum; and, in that effort, our past
president Betty Rotberg Ellias has
been a tireless champion. Through
her work; and the fund-raising
efforts of CHAIM, our Second
Generation partners, and others,
we have distributed over 500 cur-
riculum sets to educational insti-
tutions in Michigan. The majori-
ty of these sets were contributed
free of charge to these schools, in
the name of generous donors.
Thanks to Betty Rotberg Ellias
and Professor Sidney Bolkosky for
the creation of such an important
educational tool, especially need-
ed in these difficult times. We see
using Life Unworthy of Life as a
way to combat the seeds of anti-
Semitism among our youth and
to promote understanding and
tolerance.
Thank you for your timely article.
Rene Lichtman
president,
Holocaust Education Coalition
Correction
In a photograph last week featur-
ing Sam Offen of West Bloomfield
in front of a train-car Holocaust
memorial ("Detroiter's Paper
Clips," page 12), the woman .piC-
tured is an unknown bystander
and should not have been identi-
fied as Offen's wife, Hyla.