Professional Ballet Classes
With
Analysis & Commentary
Classical/ Balanchine Ballerina
Joanne Danto
"...fia-wless litre of a major ballerina."
-Arlene Croce '[I II NEW 'YORKER
"...A Magnificent dancer..."
The Intifada
And Detroit
I
arrived in Detroit
at the height of
Intifada I in
1988. After a couple
years, the Palestinian
violence subsided and
Saddam Hussein's
Iraqi invasion of
DAVID
Kuwait grabbed the
GAD-HARF world's attention.
Special to the What followed was a
Jewish News period of negotiations
between Israel and its
neighbors, a peace agreement with
Jordan and a few years of relative quiet.
Our Jewish community's agenda turned
away from defending Israel and to the
issues of Jewish identity, intermarriage
and assimilation.
During this period, while Israeli lead-
ers were preparing their people for
peaceful coexistence with the
Palestinians, Palestinian factions were
arming themselves, engaging in terrorist
acts and recruiting young people to
their cause. As we entered the new mil-
lennium, even as Israel was preparing to
make the boldest sacrifices for peace,
Palestinian society was on the verge of
exploding into armed conflict with
Israel.
While others in this newspaper and
elsewhere have analyzed the impact of
Intifada II on America and the world, I
will address how it has affected the
Detroit Jewish community during the
past four years. As we look back at the
Detroit Jewish community in 2000 and
today, we can observe many ways in
which our attitudes, behavior and rela-
tionships have been molded by the
ongoing attack on Israel.
Attitudes
During the 1990s, there was a vigorous
debate, with an array of different per-
spectives, on the proper shape of a peace
agreement with the Palestinians. Where
has that debate gone?
It seems that the center of gravity in
local opinion has taken a marked shift
to a more hard-line position, one that
encompasses probably 80-90 percent of
David Gad - Harf is executive director
of the Bloomfield Township-based
Jewish Community Council of
Metropolitan Detroit.
our community. Combined with the
aftershock of 9-11 and our revulsion
from anti-Semitism in Europe and else-
where, the current intifada has focused
our community on survival issues. For
many decades, the Detroit Jewish com-
munity has been among the most pro-
Israel Jewish communities. When ter-
rorism strikes Israel, we feel as though
our own community has been attacked.
I sense an overwhelming level of sup-
port here for steps taken by Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon to protect the
Israeli citizenry. As in Israel itself, the
decisions to build an anti-terrorist secu-
rity barrier and to withdraw from the
Gaza Strip, are seen by most Detroit -
Jews as necessary, albeit regrettable, steps
that will save Israeli lives.
-('litre Barnes NEW
"She can shape and phrase
with such physical N et- u thy and
profound dynamic sense that she comes
across like deliberately moving sculpture."
4,,i); Tobias DANCE NIA(; VINE
"...one of the best Balanchine dancers to be seen
a nywhere-which is to say one of the
-
hest dancers...
DaN id ‘aughan DkNCL LAG:1ZENE
Mid-dadclasses open to advanced students,
teachers, and professionals
At Geiger Ballet / Piano accompaniment
jdanto4 (c.) ahoo.com / 238.530.371 I
Benjamin Moore.
Paints
Teknicolor Paints, Inc.
A Paint Store and More!
AND
Great Products
Great Service
TIME TO PAINT THE INTERIOR OR EXTERIOR
OF YOUR HOUSE?
Behavior
For the first two years of the intifada,
Detroit Jews gathered to mourn the loss
of Israeli lives to terrorism. Very large
rallies and vigils brought together every
segment of the local Jewish community
as well as elected officials. Over time,
with one horrible terrorist act after
another, we realized that we needed to
convert our worries into advocacy.
I'm proud of the hundreds, perhaps
thousands, of Detroit Jews who shared
their views with their members of
Congress, wrote persuasive letters to the
editor, sharpened their knowledge and
advocacy skills, and supported VIP trips
to Israel for elected officials and mem-
bers of the news media. Detroit Jews
have also turned to creative methods of
demonstrating support for Israel,
through Israeli art fairs, congregational
Israel days and promoting Israeli food
products.
Unfortunately, the intifada had a dis-
astrous effect on Jewish travel to Israel.
As in every Jewish community across
the world, individual and group trips
were canceled. A cohort of high school
students and college students, whose
lives would have been forever changed
due to an Israel experience, lost that
opportunity.
Nevertheless, the Detroit Jewish com-
munity led the way in sending several
solidarity missions to Israel, brought
hundreds of Israeli teens to Detroit to
build friendships with local teens, and
INTIFIDA on page 44
voRK Tows
Teknicolors specializes in custom color matching for the
Do It Yourselfer as well as for the Pros.
We have 2 certified Paint Consultants on staff at each location!
Call or stop in for our
FREE Faux Finish Workshop!
Teknicolors, the name you can trust and the service you deserve!!
FARMINGTON HILLS
27849 Orchard Lake Rd.
Birmingham
33422 Woodward Ave. • 248-646-5924
Pontiac
51616 Woodward Ave. • 248-745-0003
248-994-1300
Visit us at www.teknicolors.com or at 1 of our 3 convenient locations
886980
FREE DESIGN
SERVICE
Save Up to S5,000
DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION
With Signed Contract
"From Planning to Completion"
•
•
•
•
Additions & Remodels
Kitchens & Baths
Finish Basements
Custom Garages
Expires 10/31/04
Michael & Theresa
(Licensed Builders)
Fully Licensed and Insured
248-669-4740
871370
ARNIN
•••••••.••••7,
Clinical Teaching
....... Testing/Evaluation
.
• i • •
DISADILITIE
LYNNE MASTER, M. ED
CLINIC
Owner, Director
Acce&ted by the North Central Assodation of Colleges and Schools
First fully accredited
Education Clinic in the
United States to receive
North Central Accreditation.
(248) 545-6677
(248) 433-3323
Oak Park
Bloomfield Hills
www.Idclinic.com
vain
10/ 8
2004
43