LETTERS We prefer letters that relate to articles in the Jewish News. We reserve the right to edit or reject letters. Brevity is encouraged. Letter writers generally are limited to one letter per 4-6 week period, space permitting. Letters must contain the name, address and title of the writer, and a daytime telephone number. Original copies must be hand signed. Mail to the Jewish News at 29200 Northwestern Hwy, Suite 110, Southfield, MI 48034; fax to (248) 304-8885; or e-mail to: rsklar@thejewishnews.com We prefer let- ters to be e-mailed. More original letters are posted at wwwdetroitjewishnews.com vfsftl e,IVE A Different Perspective Heated Seats, All Wheel Drive, Leather interior, CD Changer, Moonroof *48 Mo/12k miles a year. $0 down $1241 due includes 1st payment, $600 acq. Fee plus tax, title, plate and doc fee. Ends July 28, 2004. CERTIFIED Pre-Owned LARGEST SELECTION of PRE-OWNED '01 GMC JIMMY SLS, 2 dr. $9,995 '00 TOYOTA CAMRY Auto, Fully loaded $9,995 `03 MITSUBISHI GALLANT ES Leather, (3) tr. $10,595 '04 TOYOTA COROLLA Auto, Easy on gas $11,995 '01 TOYOTA CAMRY LE Fully loaded $13,495 `02 TOYOTA AVALON XL Leather, Fully loaded $17,495 `02 SEVILLE SLS - Chrome whls., exc. cond. $18,99 5 . '00 LEXUS RX 300 AWD, Leather, Moon, Shar $19,995 MERCEDES BEN Leather, A Non-Certified Pre-Owned '03 TOYOTA COROLLA Auto, Easy on gas $9,595 4 dr., Auto e $22,4 '00 MERCEDES MUSS AMG Loaded, Navigation $28,995 JCC Revisited . OUR CARS MUST PASS 128 INSPECTION POINTS C USTOM E R tA Faurin raReoR 590 Auto Mail Dr. • Ann Arbor 1.866.645.3987 lexosofannarborcom lexusannarbor@usa.net I feel as if I read weekly about the prais- es of the Holocaust Memorial Center (HMC) in Farmington Hills ("For Future Generations," July 9, page 24). Unfortunately, this emperor has no clothes and someone needs to say it. Allow me to make several points: It is a Jewish fantasy that the HMC (and similar multi-million-dollar institu- tions around the U.S.) will prevent anti- Semitism and another Holocaust. In the typical weak-kneed Jewish approach, we think we can defend ourselves by writ- ing checks instead of really defending ourselves (which we are still fearful of doing 60 years after the Holocaust). Although benefactors are entitled to do what they wish with their charitable dollars, it is a tragedy that there are those who would donate their money to an institution that spends millions on a dead Judaism rather than a living • Judaism. The Detroit Jewish community has a first-class holocaust center but no living, breathing Jewish library (the two that existed in the past — at the Jewish Community Center and the Midrasha) have been mothballed for years). The Detroit Jewish community has a first-class Holocaust center but has never had a viable fleishig (meat) kosher restaurant (communities with Jewish populations far less than Detroit's 100,000 have managed otherwise). The Detroit. Jewish community has a first-class Holocaust center but a Jewish day school in the same town as the HMC charges $12,000-plus for tuition and has raised its tuition well in excess of 10 percent per year for the last three years. Imagine how many Jewish chil- dren could study a living, breathing Judaism for the $18 million spent on the HMC. Although I did not coin the terms, "there's no business like Shoah business" and "out of the ashes come some great careers" are pithy statements of what is wrong with the HMC. David Arm West Bloomfield 11--E>CILJS 11:731 L—Filr1511-111G 5701 Pennsylvania Ave • Lansing 1.800.539.8748 Iexusoflansing.com OPEN MONDAY 9am-9pm a 62460 I was disappointed that your "State Of The JCC" article was totally unbalanced (June 25, page 16). As I read the details, I couldn't believe that nobody questions this. According to statistics, there are 90,000 Jews in our community. The Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit has 4,000 mem- - bers, which, I imagine, means there are 10,000 users at best. The JCC, which_ offers, I believe, luxury services, runs on a budget of $10 million. Only half of the operational costs are covered by fees. Additionally, the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit raised $30 million for JCC renovations. That's a lot of community dollars so that 10,000 peo- ple can get some exercise in a Jewish environment. What is the substantive gain for the community other than a Jewish health club? Wouldn't we save the community millions of dollars each year if we just offered subsidies for lifetime member- ships to Fitness USA? All the other JCC activities can take place at area syna- gogues. Meanwhile, a staggering 80 percent of kids have zero involvement in Jewish educational programs after their bar-bat mitzvah. In the past half century,. the American Jewish community has witnessed the greatest assimilation in history. Don't we need to rethink how we've been doing business?_Shouldn't we be shifting our resources to formal and informal Jewish education for teens, such as those offered by educational youth groups, summer camps and Israel trips and Jewish high schools, all of which have proven effectiveness? I think the Jewish News should be a catalyst for a debate on this issue. Perhaps it would lead to a purposeful change. Rebecca Fried Oak Park Israel Support Bright Thank you for publishing the JTA article by Matthew E. Berger on U.S. Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C. ("Potential Friend," July 9, page 20). It is clear that Israel will have good friends in the White House no matter which ticket wins. Sen. Kerry has a perfect pro-Israel voting record in his 20+ years in- Congress. As the article points out, Senator Edwards is also a strong friend. And President George W Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney have consis- tently supported the policies of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. I believe that a Kerry administration might be more pro-active in attempt- ing to bring the Israelis and Palestinians together, as were Presidents Carter and Clinton. But no matter who wins this election, it is clear that the United States will remain a staunch ally to Israel. Harvey Bronstein Southfield