Celebration Of Learning

Public officials and the community unite to fete Yeshiva's 90th anniversary.

SHELLI LIEBMAN DORFMAN

StaffWriter

D

uring the week prior to the
presidential election, a dais
comprised of Democrats and
Republicans coming together for a pure-
ly apolitical cause was noticeable.
To this mix, add 2,272 guests coming
from varying walks of life and religious
streams to celebrate the. 90th anniversary
of Yeshiva Beth Yehudah.
The dais was a blend of rabbis, teach-
ers, honorees and political figures
including Gov. Jennifer Granholm; U.S.
Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich.; U.S. Reps.
Joe Knollenberg, R-Bloomfield Hills,
Sander Levin, D-Royal Oak, and
Thaddeus McCotter, R-Livonia; Oak
Park Mayor Gerald Naftaly; Southfield
Mayor Brenda Lawrence; Wayne
Above: Members of the
County Executive Robert Ficano;
Yeshiva Boys Choir: David
Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox;
Feldman, 12, Yehuda Gregg,
and keynote speaker for the evening,
12, and Tzvi Ungar, 13, all
President George W. Bush's national
of Oak Park.
security adviser, Dr. Condoleezza.,Rice.
Right: Yeshiva Guardians
The evening was about showing and
Anita and Robert Naftaly of
sharing what the Yeshiva means to its
West Bloomfield hold onto
students and the community.
Guests of the largest Jewish day school their award.
dinner in America, held in the Grand
Ballroom of the Marriott Hotel
Renaissance Center in Detroit, saw a
display of photographs of students at
study and play by Joanne Lorkis of Oak
Peter Alter, president of
Park.
the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
The Yeshiva Boys Choir sang the
Detroit, said, "How fortunate, how
words of "God Bless America" with the
blessed we are in this community to
same sincerity and conviction as songs
have a school such as Yeshiva Beth
about Israel and the Bible.
Yehudah to instill the love of
"The Yeshiva is an institution
learning in our children from
where children are imbued with
the very beginning."
Torah training and secular
Gov. Granholm spoke of the
knowledge, which enables each
school's preparation of "unbe-
child to succeed as citizens who
lievable leaders for the future."
will contribute to the moral
In a time when many had poli-
fiber and well-being of our
tics on their minds, she said, "A
complex and ever-changing
great expression is: A true
Dr. Rice
society," said Yeshiva President
statesman or stateswoman is
Gary Torgow.
more worried about the next
Some on the dais shared sto-
generation than the next elec-
ries of their personal involvement with
tion.' And, as we sit here on the
the Yeshiva as participants of Rabbi Avi
precipice of one of the most historic
Cohen's Partners in Torah program,
elections of our time, what a wonder-
matching community members with
ful opportunity we have here this
learning partners for once-a-week Torah
evening to take a time out," she said.
study.
Awarding its current leaders includ-
These are adults and young adults
ed Detroit-based Federal District
"who devote time and study to the time- Judge Avern Cohn's presentation of
less wisdom and holy words of the
the annual Yeshiva Guardian Award to
Torah," Rabbi Cohen said.

Anita and Robert Naftaly, "individu-
als who have distinguished themselves
as great friends of the Yeshiva," he
said. "And who have set examples of
dedication and commitment to the
highest ideals of Torah, charity and
community."
The Golden Torah Award, the
Yeshiva's highest honor, was presented
to Peter Cummings by Torgow, who
referred to Cummings, his wife, Julie,
and their families as "leading citizens
in the international Jewish communi-
ty. They are, by all measurements, the
gold standard of leadership and phi-
lanthropy" (More on Peter Cummings

next week).
While most of Dr. Rice's talk was
directed at the situation in Israel, she
also spoke in general about her experi-
ences in the White House and of the sit-
uation in Iraq. She maintained that
when Iraqis go to the polls next year,
"their democratic power will be affirmed
because America and her coalition acted
to remove one of the most brutal and

dangerous regimes in the Middle East.
"The promotion of democratic and
political reform, economic growth, open
societies, educational opportunities and
freedom of speech are not at the margins
of human existence; they are at the core
of human existence," she said.
Dr. Rice drew applause when she
added, "They are values and human
rights of dignity that are granted not by
America to humankind but by the
Almighty to humankind."
Dr. Rice credited President Bush as
being a good friend of Israel, saying he is
"the first American president to support
the creation of a Palestinian state" and
the first to say clearly that "the nature of
the Palestinian state is as important as
what its borders are."
Judge Cohn, who was appointed to
the federal bench in 1979 by President
Jimmy Carter, was general chairperson
of the dinner. "I appreciated the fact that
Dr. Rice gave a very institutional
approach to her subject matter," he said.
"She was expressing not the policy of the
administration, but the policy of the
U.S. government."
Dr. Rice described the heart of the
approach to the Arab-Israeli conflict as
"the forward strategy of freedom."
"A Palestinian state must have a just
and democratic government that serves
the true interest of the Jewish people
and that is a true partner with Israel,"
she said.
"A Palestinian state will never be
achieved through terrorism. Israel will
not permit it and the United States will
not permit it."
She said Bush's refusal to meet with
Yasser Arafat "reflects his absolute
determination that people know clearly
America's view.
"Arab states committed to peace must
end incitement to violence in their offi-
cial media and cut off public and pri-
vate funding for terrorists and re-estab-
lish normal relations with Israel," she
said.
She added that Israel, too, must take
concrete steps to support the emer-
gence of a viable Palestinian state.
"As violence subsides, freedom and
movement must be restored, permitting
innocent Palestinians to resume a nor-
mal way of life," she said. "And we
hope Prime Minister Sharon's plan for
disengaging from the Gaza and four
West Bank settlements will advance the
vision of greater peace and security."

❑

10/29
2004

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