SHAFRAN from page 74 KLEIN from page 73 that came earlier. It is as old a story as the adoration of the golden calf, to which Jewish commentaries — with all due respect to Cecil B. De Mille — ascribe sublime and idealistic motives, no less. Imagining that one's personal convic- tions reflect Judaism is a sign of a Jewish soul that cherishes its religious heritage. But imaginings are not always borne out by facts and can even be sorely mis- guided mistakings of wrong for right. The abortion issue is a case in point. There is, in fact, a pertinent choice here. It comes not, though, from the book of liberalism but rather from the book of Deuteronomy. "I have placed before you," the Creator informs us through Moses, "life and death, the blessing and the curse." "Choose life," the verse continues, "so that you and your seed will live." ❑ The assembly within which that rebuilding will happen is MOSES. It is a congregation-centered, faith- based community organization reflecting the religious, racial and ethnic diversity of both urban and suburban metropolitan Detroit. MOSES is the vehicle by which our combined congregations might become advocates for social change, and through which the metro Detroit faith community will improve the quality of life through- out the region. Organized as a mutually depend- ent coalition of congregations, MOSES is more than 100 Protestant and Catholic, black and white, city and suburb churches, whose only Jewish partner is Temple Emanu-El. With our prophetic mandate of social trans- formation, we are rebuilding the coalitions that once brought Christians and Jews, black and white Americans, together. Though our Jewish tradition tells us that tikkun olam is the right thing to do because it's "the right thing to do," our efforts to repair the world through a repair of our inter-religious and inter-racial rela- tionships is in our own self-interest. Only if ours is a community-wide chorus, backed by a large and dedi- cated block of votes, will we be heard by our elected leaders. The three-county mosaic of MOSES is that voice and promise. We will be heard next week when Gov. Jennifer Granholm is our guest at our regular MOSES Clergy Caucus. We will be heard on Sept. 26 when MOSES will bring 7,000 together with a unified purpose and political presence in preparation for national and state elections. I am proud that Temple Emanu- El has chosen to join that ,chorus. We know that our back yard is all three metro counties, and that it is in our own self-interest to create a strong coalition of congregations. I am waiting for our sister syna- gogues to join us. ❑ During the day, I found my younger cousin, who resides in D.C., and her sis- ter, who had come by bus with 50 other students from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. As we shared a family hug, I thought that this must be the way — from person to person, from generation to generation, we will make our voices heard, we will protect our rights and the rights of our children. I look forward to the day when my chil- dren are old enough to join me in a march on Washington. On a spring Sunday in April, eight Michigan moms chose to spend their day peacefully demonstrating with a million others for the lives of women everywhere and particularly for their right to control their own bodies. As our T-shirts that day said, "In Michigan, Choosy Mothers Choose Choice." ❑ SATAWA from page 74 "I'm marching so that the younger gen- eration will never forget that choice is ours only because the women who came before us fought for it," she said. I still cannot adequately describe my emotions about that day. I have always had strong feelings about the preserva- tion of women's rights, especially women's reproductive rights. The march intensified those feelings because I learned that day how the current admin- istration continues to jeopardize those rights. Where there's a jelly You'll find a jam. Where there's a Kelly You'll find a Sam. O00000000000. I CALL TOP BUNK SALE %OFF EVERYTHING FOR CAMP JUST MENTION COUPON CODE: "Bug Juice at Moosejaw" SALE ENDS 6120104 TEM ISSUE /IMMIX, TEE ISSUE Although news headlines usually focus on the current violent conflict between Israel and its PaleStinian neighbors, taking a broader look shows Israel in a strong position on many fronts. Tel Aviv University analyst Dr. Shai Feldman noted recently that there has been no major Arab-Israeli war for more than 30 years as well as a slowed arms race in the region. Israel s Arab foes are not unified, even having difficulty agreeing on a summit agenda. Iraq and Libya- are much less of a threat to Israel.. And Israel is supreme militarily, economically and technologically in comparison to its neighbors. Mooseitila") moosejaw.corn — Allan Gale, Jewish Community Council of Aletropolitan Detroit Birmingham East Lansing Grosse Pointe Rochester 5/21 2004 75