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 tide 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: rsldar@thejewishnews.com We prefer letters to be e-mailed. More original letters are posted at wwvv.cletroitjewishnews.com Church Action Wrong A Two-State Solution The Presbyterian Church (USA) General Assembly has decided that none of its investment funds should go to companies that do business with Israel. This divestment singles out only one country, Israel, the only real democracy in the Middle East ("Presbyterians Renounce Hezbollah Talk," Nov. 5, page 12). The Assembly passed no resolution when the Sudanese Arabs were slaugh- tering their southern black Christians, when the Rwandan genocide was occur- ring or when the Egyptian Christians (Copts) came pleading for international aid against suppression by Egypt. In 1973, when Arab states attacked Israel, the National Council of Churches (umbrella for the mainline denominations) promptly called for an arms embargo against Israel. In 1980, when this council affirmed the "moral imperative" of giving the PLO a state, it also discussed "whether Israel should continue to exist." This divestment does not represent the opinion of the majority of Presbyterians, who do not have a vote. They do not want their church to be used as a platform to support terrorism. The divestment from Israel sends a message to the PLO and to terrorist net- works throughout the world, that terror- ism works, and is even rewarded. Anti- Semitism? Definitely! Matilda Post Haslett America has financed with $2 billion the U.N.-sponsored Arab refugee camps, some the centers of terrorism faced by Israel. It is those U.N. camps west of the Jordan River, two in Jerusalem, where explosives and weapons are stored and where the suicide mass killers of Jews are recruited. America also indirectly finances the Palestine Liberation Organization schoolbooks, and the PLO radio and TV broadcasts that incite hatred and violence toward Jews. It doesn't have to be that way. There can be a peace that gives Israel a good chance to survive and provide a much better life for Arabs. Start by honestly facing that an independent Arab Palestine already exists — the kingdom of Jordan. Creating another Arab Palestinian state in the 40 miles of the Jewish homeland is putting the people at the mercy of their mortal enemies. What has been done must be undone. Stop bringing more and more Arabs into the Jewish land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. Start moving them across the Jordan to their Arab Palestinian Jordan. The United States should help. American should stop financing the U.N. Arab refugee camps. More than half the Arabs in Gaza and in Judea- Samaria (West Bank) are living in those camps, unemployed their whole lives. Those Arabs can become self-supporting GREAT PRICES O N or NEW & USED GAMES!! •Pinballs •Air Hockey •Pool Tables •Domed Hockey •Golden Tee Golf •Ms Pacman/Galaga • Dance Dance Revolution GatIA •Electronic Darts •Juke Boxes joy NI% • Video Games & More ta‘s cte•A 1 ,3 0. cos‘oos our 27th year of business 744 17-` rtn e i r ' 900 OFF a r ANY GAME Purchase or Rental Limit I per customer expires 0 I /3 I /05 11/26 2004 6 4 a B t e m www.alpha-amusements.com , 914020 74111 580 Ajax Drive Madison Heights S 1/ 2 mile N. of 12 Mile 248.583.1000 by development of agriculture, industry and tourism in Arab Palestine Jordan with American and Israeli help. That will complete the two-state solu- tion when Arab Palestinian Jordan was created in 1946. That will complete the population exchange started in 1949 when Jews were evicted from Arab lands where Jews had been for centuries. Hymie Cutler Detroit though he had already started the year in a public school. Bryan has never showed so much enthusiasm and inter- est in school as what we have seen dur- ing his first month at Hillel. With this new approach toward lateral enrollment, the doors to Jewish educa- tion have been opened wide. As other parents step inside and discover what we have, we're sure Hillel will experience a surge in enrollment. Howard and Debbie Rabotnick West Bloomfield Kudos To Kaplan I would like to thank the many friends and volunteers who worked tirelessly on my husband's campaign for judge of the 48th District Court. I am proud of my husband, Steve Kaplan, for having the fortitude to run for office. I respect and admire his efforts, integrity and desire to serve as judge. Although he lost the elec- tion, he is a total winner in my view. He will continue to serve the community as he has for many years. Lisa Kaplan West Bloomfield The Hillel Experience In response to your Oct. 8 article on Hillel Day School of Metropolian Detroit ("One Year Later," page 19): While Hillel's new lateral entry program was designed for sixth grade, the under- lying change in thinking has allowed students to enter at all levels. We enrolled our daughter Jamie this fall at the eighth-grade level —certainly not the norm for Hillel in the past. We started looking into Jewish Academy of Metropolitan Detroit as a high school option and ultimately decided that her last year of middle school at Hillel would better prepare her socially and academically than that of the public school. Most of all, since she just com- pleted her bat mitzvah, we wanted to continue to reinforce and strengthen her Jewish learning and identity — at a time when many children her age consider b'nai mitzvah as the "pinnacle" of their Jewish learning experience. We were concerned that she would be behind other students, especially in Hebrew and Jewish studies. As we talked to other parents, we found those in the Hillel community to be very sup- portive and assuring of such a decision. We took every action we could to pre- pare her by enrolling her in tutoring throughout the summer and into the present. To our delight, the experience has been incredible. Due in great part to the reception Jamie received, we recently decided to enroll our fifth-grade son Bryan, even Connections Needed I read through AppleTree Editor Elizabeth Applebaum's thoughts about bringing Israel to young people with great interest ("How To Bring More Israel Into Your Children's Lives," JN Online, detroit.jewish.com/modules.php?name =News&file=artide&sid=1366) Given the situation here, many of her recommendations are good for Israeli children. For better or for worse, the State of Israel is one of the more pros- perous countries. The games, the books, and the history tend to melt away with the immediate connection to the rest of the world. It takes a lot of effort to get the average Israeli teenager to get inter- ested in "his own" corner of the world when everything else is more interesting. A recent report stated that 40 percent of Israeli households are hooked up to Internet, and those who don't have access at home go to libraries and schools around the country. Chatting is one of the important ways that Israeli young people communicate with each other on various homegrown Web sites. Anyone who can do a Google search will discover the Israeli sites available in Hebrew and in English for young peo- ple. That, together with Ms. Applebaum's suggestions, provides a way to connect to Israel, sharing information and ideas between Jews here and there in real time. Zev Davis Nazareth Illit, Israel (In Michigan Jewry Partnership 2000 region) Corrections • The Chris Van Asllsburg appearance at Book Beat, mentioned in today's Out & About (page 47), has been cancelled. • An incorrect phone number was given for the Jewish Federation of Washtenaw County in a story about Starbucks chairman Howard Schultz ("Coffee Talk," Nov. 19, page 13), who will speak in at 7 p.m. at the JCC in Ann Arbor Nov. 29. The correct number is (734) 677-0100.