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LETTERS

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composed by the rab-
bis at the birth of this
nation in 1948. Then
comes the prayer for
TzahaL the Israel
Defense Forces. And
then the memorial
Remembrance readings were part of the Yom
prayer for the fallen
HaZikaron observance at West Bloomfeild JCC. soldiers.
This is followed by
Israelis Remember
the 1,000-year-old memorial
prayer written at the time of the
Raanana is a Tel Aviv suburb like
First Crusade, mourning our per-
Skokie is to Chicago. The sun is
ished, sacrificed people slain by
setting on Yom HaZikaron,
the Christian sword and the 6
Israel's Memorial Day for Fallen
million
burned by the Germans
Soldiers and Terror Victims. The
more
recently.
shul is bedecked in the blue and
Finally we sing the Ani Mamim,
white flags with Stars of David.
sung
by our people as they were
All sing together as one people.
It feels like Kol Nidre. We recite thrown into the chambers of
death by German oppressors.
the traditional prayers of rejoicing
All these centuries wound
written thousands of years ago to
together.
celebrate other great miracles.
The crowd has overflowed the
Now it is our generation that has
sanctuary.
As your eyes scan the
witnessed a miracle.
crowd,
you
see all of the Jewish
As these special evening prayers
people — from the black kaftans
proceed to their conclusion, we
of the Chassidim to the trim
see, hear and feel the tightly
white
and blue modern dress of
woven tapestry, from the ancient
the
Modern
Orthodox.
Hallel psalms we proceed to read
Michael Traison
the Prayer for the State of Israel

A Rational Base

It defies logic that after 12 years of a
failed peace process, which has reward-
ed terrorists with land, weapons and
legitimacy, Israel plans to relinquish
more territory. The Oslo Accords was
not the first time Israelis embarked on
what will be remembered as one of the
failed 20th-century political experi-
ments, known as land for peace.
The fact is that the more often Israel
cedes territory the easier and more
likely it will be for future administra-
tions to cede more land.
Successive Israeli governments con-
tinue to make territorial concessions
and other "confidence building meas-
ures" in order to fulfill a utopian
enlightenment-era dream. In the
process, Israel has become more vul-
nerable and her enemies have become
emboldened by the knowledge that
they can dismember Israel piecemeal.
Israelis need to start putting self-
defense front and center and reject any
suggestion that territorial concessions
will enhance Israel's security by
improving its international standing,
however short lived.
By rejecting the modern Jewish
obsession with "perfecting the world,"
Jews in Israel and the diaspora would
start the process of returning Judaism
to a rational foundation, which would
ensure Israel's continued existence.

Marc Baker
Birmingham

Melton, So Positive

'TN

5/19

2005

6

I am responding to the Editor's
Notebook "Commit to Learning"
(April 21, page 5).
Second-year Florence Melton Mini-
School student Marilyn Krainen so
eloquently described what it's like to
participate in this wonderful Metro
Detroit program. I am now complet-
ing my fourth year as a Melton "grad-
uate" student. It was so timely seeing
this article.
It was just days before at a board
meeting at Temple Israel that we were
asked what, if any, was a profound
Jewish moment in our lives. My turn
came, and, without hesitation, I
described my midlife journey to the
Melton program and how it has made
an impact on my Jewish identity. It

has been a positive and rewarding
learning experience; I plan on contin-
uing it for a long time.
Lisa Berman

Farmington Hills

Memorable Moment

Last week's moving Yom HaZikaron
observance at the Jewish Community
Center [see page 22] brought me back
to my very emotional experience at
Camp Chasa, in Israel, during my
Volunteers for Israel service in April
2004.
We stood side by side with active
Israeli soldiers as the memorial lamp
was lit. We took turns standing guard,
individually, by the lamp alongside
soldiers, heard the prime minister and
military officers speak, and heard the
wail of the siren. We sang and cried.
Later, we left the base for Tel Aviv to
celebrate Yom HaAtzmaut with huge
crowds, joy and fireworks.
I'm looking forward to another
Volunteers for Israel service next
spring.

Ed Kohl

West Bloomfield

Weak Incentives

Regarding your article about Jewish
and Palestinian Americans forming a
unique joint venture to spur peace and
economic development in the West
Bank and Gaza ("Historic
Partnership," May 5, page 25), while I
believe in peaceful coexistence, I am
extremely disappointed that the Jewish
problem-solving skills that Eugene
Driker is proud of did not extend to
having the foresight that economic
initiatives are not going to be success-
ful in the occupied Palestinian territo-
ries — regardless of how well-inten-
tioned the Michigan participants of
this latest venture are.
Can someone explain to me how the
initiatives are supposed to work when
there's no freedom to travel?
There's a saying that "You can put
perfume on a pig, but it's still a pig."
The same goes for occupation.
What's on the agenda for the next
trip to "Occupied Palestine"?
Beautifying Israel's West Bank wall
with the artistry of Palestinan and
Israeli painters so that it can represent
harmony and be prettier to look at?

Detroit

Maybe arrangements can even be
made with the Israel Defense Forces
to allow contests offering cash prizes
designed to re-name the wall;
Palestinians have plenty of time as
they are waiting at long checkpoints.
There's just no limit to the econom-
ic incentives if we really want to think
about it!
Sherri Muzher

Mason

Help Fight Hunger

Thank you for bringing the issue of
hunger to our attention in your
Editor's Notebook ("Hunger And
You," May 12, page 5). Each day,
many individuals make a difference by
fighting hunger. We need more people
to join in this effort.
June 7 is National Hunger
Awareness Day with activities taking
place in communities across America
(www.hungerday.org). By volunteer-
ing, donating food and money, and
advocacy for those who do not have a
voice, we can make a difference in
ending hunger. There is nothing as
good as a home-cooked meal or as
painful as an empty stomach.
Joel Jacob

West Bloomfield

Corrections

• In "Super Seniors" (May 12, page
27), several statements about Abe
Pasternak need clarification. Pasternak
is a former member of Congregation
B'nai Moshe, but studies Talmud
through the Daf Yomi program at
Congregation Shomrey Emunah.
After being drafted into the U.S.
Army, Pasternak served in the United
States, not post-war Germany.

• In "5 Elected At MSU
(May
2, page 48), Jennifer Bloom is the
daughter of Pam and Ken Bloom of
West Bloomfield.

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