\s1 ' , , (1 \ Stall photo by Harry K irsbaum LETTERS "474 1 , 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. We prefer letters that relate to articles in the IN We reserve the right to edit or reject let- ters. Brevity is encouraged. Letter writers are limited in frequency of publication. Letters must contain the name, address and title of the writer, and a daytime tele- phone number. Original copies must be hand signed. 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