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. 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