CQntents DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Winner of eight 2003 MPA writing, Mir A 'F MICHIGAN PRESS ASSOCIATION design and advertising awards • WWW.DETROITJEWISHNEWS.COM FRIDAY, N Ews WATcti 16 State Of The JCC TEENS 42 A Rockin' Success Annual meeting looks at lift after the renovations. MusicalAnd-raiser yields large crowd, substantial gift. APPLETREE 21 Song Of Life 47 Rejoicing, Reminiscing A memorable book describes beauty in heart of madness. Beth Shalom marks 50th, with a Jubilee Celebration. COVER STORY 27 Getting The Reading Bug MAZEL Toy! 52 Saluting A Hero Satisfy that itch to read a good book. State-wide recognition for an eighth grader's speech. SPIRITUALITY On The Cover: Art, Barbara Hranilovich Page design, Kelli Johnson JUNE 25, 2004 Alefbet'cha Ann Arbor Business Calendar Candlelighting Community Crossword For Openers 14 68 69 15 10 59 88 10 COLUMNISTS George Cantor Harry Kirsbaum Sy Manello Danny Raskin Robin Schwartz Robert Sklar Gail Zimmerman 11 71 10 40 40 5 48 Letters Marketplace Online Opinion Sports Synagogues The Scene Torah Portion 6 72 12 19 44 50 24 50 OBITUARIES Nathan Soberman Arthur Schultz 93 93 In Last Call Columnist Harry Kirsbaum discusses "The Passion" with Abe Foxman: page 71 wwwww.gramraprorte The Detroit Jewish News CUSPS 275-520) is published every Friday with additional supplements in January, March, May, August, September, November and December at 29200 Northwestern Highway, #110, Southfield, Michigan. Periodical Postage Paid at Southfield, Michigan and additional mailing'offices. Postmaster: send changes to: Detroit Jewish News, 29200 Northwestern Highway, #110, Southfield, MI 48034. News Digest: Bay City Fire Suspicious Bay City — The store near Bay City that served as a pulpit for the anti- - Semitic Christian Identity pastor James P. Wickstrom was gutted in a suspi- cious fire just before 2 a.m. on June 21. Marquiss Quality Furniture in Hampton Township sustained damage to the.front of the one-story building, and three offices in the back sustained water and smoke damage, according to the Bay City Times. No one was injured. "The State Police fire marshals are looking at the particulars," Special Agent Walter Reynolds of the local FBI office, who was part of the initial inves- tigation, told the Detroit Jewish News. "We have to wait for the fire marshals to determine how it was started and that will give us direction." According to a June 22 Times story, an accelerant-sniffing dog discovered numerous spots around the front door, but it was too early to tell if the fire was intentional. Wickstrom would not reply to the Jewish News, but he did tell the Times that the fire was an attempt to deny freedom of religion, assembly and speech, adding, "Terrorism is alive and well in Bay County, isn't it?" Cantor Daniel Gale of Bay City's Temple Israel told the Jewish News that the congregation has been in contact with local law enforcement, which has increased drive-by patrols at the syna- gogue. Temple Israel, located 1 1/2 miles from the furniture store, was the sub- ject of a Jewish News cover story, "Too Close To Home," on June 4. "On a practical level, today we are a More Israel and national news at wvvvv.jewish.com bit more watchful than we were yester- day," said Cantor Gale. "We would never wish to be hateful or generally wish ill on others. We do hope that those who have chosen to be our ene- mies might be turned from their path and pursue a better path of respect and righ teousness." — Harry Kirsbaum, sta f f writer Rebbe's Death Marked New York/JTA —Thousands gathered in New York City to mark the 10th anniversary of the Lubavitcher rebbe's death. Some waited for hours to enter the Queens cemetery where Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson is buried. Rabbi Schneerson is credited with turning Chabad-Lubavitch into one of the most prominent public faces of Judaism worldwide. synagogue caretaker bury a large box near the synagogue shortly after the Nazi invasion of Poland. Charitable Giving Is Up New York/JTA — Americans' charitable giving to public-society benefit groups, including Jewish federations, increased by 2.3 percent in 2003, an annual sur- vey found. Overall, donations from Americans increased by 0.6 percent in 2003, according to the Giving USA survey. Giving to religious organizations increased by 2 percent last year. These groups, which received $87 billion, took in the largest share of donations. Donations to international affairs organizations increased by 12.1 per- cent, but foundation giving decreased by 4.7 percent. For years we've been building a firm foundation on the commitment to compassionate health care. This commitment now supports the newly-renovated state-of-the-art Crittenton Hospital Medical Center. Our expanded facility allows us to provide services that meet the ever-changing needs of the community, including advanced medical procedures. Crittenton's health care professionals have the tools needed to offer the highest quality care. It makes our staff more efficient and offers our doctors more time to spend with their patients. And the best part of this world class health care facility...? It's in your neighborhood. 248-652 1101 W University Drive Rochester, MI 48307 WWW.Crittenton.corn Israel, Kurds Spying? Auschwitz Treasure Found Rome/JTA — Archaeologists unearthed a trove of Jewish ritual objects buried since the Holocaust near the former Auschwitz death camp. The items, including ceremonial candlesticks and Chanukah menorahs, were found during an excavation of the foundations of the destroyed Great Synagogue in Oswiecim, the town in southern Poland near which the camp was built. The synagogue was burned to the ground in 1939 after Nazi forces invaded Poland. Funded by Polish and Israeli sources and the Claims Conference, and filmed for Israeli television, the dig got under way May 31. The only clue where to dig had been the account of an elderly Holocaust survivor who had seen the Ankara/JTA — Turkey cautiously accepted Israel's denial of a report that it is training Kurdish separatists. "Israel has told us it is not true," Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul told reporters, referring to a report in the New Yorker magazine that said Mossad agents have been operating among Kurds in northern Iraq to spy on Iran and Syria. Ankara fears separatism among Kurds in Turkey could be strengthened by the mobilization of their country- men in Iraq. "Everyone knows Turkey's sensitivities on this issue," Gul said. "I hope our trust is not in vain." An Israeli official in Washington and a Kurdish leader both denied the New Yorker report. CRMENTON llosprrArk 3N 6/25 2004 ( arIng ( ommillcd to 1 xt. clicm