In keeping with tradition,
the graduates presented the
annual Award for Excellence in
Ann Arbor
Jewish Communal Service to a
he Sol Drachler Program in Jewish
local Jewish professional. The
Communal Leadership at the University of
honoree this year was Leslie
Michigan recently celebrated the graduation Bash, executive director of the
of its nine 2005 graduates: Alyssa Cohen of
Jewish Community
Chicago; Rachel Conroy of Nashville,
Center of Washtenaw
Tenn.; Meredith Einsohn of Dallas; Siegal
County.
Eli-Gers of South Bend, Ind.; Jennifer
Some graduates
U-M Drachler grads Rachel Conroy, Siegal Eli-Gers, Alyssa Cohen, Danielle
Noparstak of Chicago; Janna Rogat of
already have accepted
Steinhart,
Jennifer Noparstak, Glenda Wucher, Meredith Einsohn, Janna
Cleveland; Rachel Rosenthal of Franklin;
positions. Conroy will
Rogat
and
Rachel Rosenthal.
Danielle Steinhart of Orlando, Fla.; and
be a campaign associate
Glenda Wucher of Huntington, W.V.
at the Jewish Federation
Rogat will serve as a planning associate at the Jewish
The Drachler Program graduates were
of Greater Atlanta; Einsohn will serve as
Community Federation of Cleveland; Steinhart will
awarded a master of social work degree and
director of the Women's Alliance at the
be youth director at Temple Beth Orr in Coral
Leslie Bash
a certificate in Jewish communal service
Jewish Federation of Rhode Island;
Springs, Fla; and Wucher will be assistant director of
and Judaic studies, which are jointly conferred
Noparstak will be a campaign associate at
Hillel at the University of Maryland.
by the U-M School of Social Work and the Frankel
the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit;
Center for Judaic Studies.

Drachler Graduates 2005

T

Israel--Church Relations

"Lunch With A Legend"

While speaking of churches whose members are considering divestment
from Israel, Moshe Aumann, a foreign affairs minister in Jerusalem and
expert in Christian-Jewish relations, noticed a paradox.
Citing efforts from Catholic, Lutheran and other churches to apologize
for the inactive roles they played as 6 million Jews were slaughtered, he
said, "It's remarkable how some of the churches that have been most
forthright and honest and painstaking in their efforts at reconciliation
with Judaism and the Jewish people, would at the same time maintain
that kind of residual hostility toward the State of Israel."
Aumann, author of Conflict Connection:
The Jewish-Christian-Israel Triangle (Gefen,
2003), spoke to a group of 60 at Congregation
Adat Shalom on June 7.
Perhaps when the Jews returned to the Israeli
homeland, it "compelled these churches to
revise their theologies to something they partic-
ularly didn't like to do, but they had to do it
because they couldn't square what was happen-
ing on the ground with their own teachings
and preachings," he said.

Bloomfield Hills philanthropist and shopping center
magnate A. Alfred Taubman spoke of business, philan-
thropy and his best friend of more than 50 years, the
late Detroit philanthropist and Jewish leader Max
Fisher, at the "Lunch With a Legend," at the Jewish
Community Center in Oak Park, on June 8.
"I met Max Fisher about two years after I started my
business," Taubman said to the group of about 15
potential donors at the event sponsored by the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. "We became
friends, and he encouraged me to get involved in phil-
Al Taubman
anthropic activities.
"He was not a very . good solicitor," Taubman joked.
"He went to the easiest mark and put it to him. Either do it or he'd kill 'ern."
Taubman said he doesn't like the term "giving back" to describe philanthropy.
"If you take from the community, then you should give back," he said. "But
you don't have to take from the community."
He said that giving money to a cause is only one of three ways that a person
can give to a cause. Getting involved "gives once;" giving your name to it "gives
twice."
"And if you give money, which you should to start with, that gives three
times," he said.

Moshe Aumann

— Harry Kirsbaum, staff writer

— Harry Kirsbaum, sta f f writer

Quotable

Comfortable Clues

Time is short for the RSVP, but you can s-t-r-e-t-c-h out next weekend.
The Impact Michigan young adult unit of B'nai B'rith is hosting a lim-
ousine road rally 10:15 p.m. Saturday, June 25. Of course, the details are
a secret, but you can find out more by e-mailing impactmi@yahoo.com
by Monday, June 20. The cost of $20 per person includes snacks, alco-
holic beverages and teams of 12 in each limo navigating their way around
town.

— Alan Hitsky, associate editor

"Mr. President, the United States and the international community
applaud your rejection of terrorism. All who engage in terror are the
enemies of a Palestinian state and must be held to account. We will stand
with you as you combat corruption, reform the Palestinian security
services and your justice system, and revive your economy."

— President George W Bush to Palestinian Authority
President Mahmoud Abbas at their May talks in Washington.

LEFT 'cha Don't Know

Many U.S. presidents have been friends of the Jewish people. President
Richard Nixon sent arms to Israel in 1973; President George H.W. Bush
helped rescue Ethiopiari Jews in 1991. Which U.S. president was the first to
publicly help Jews outside of the United States?

—Goldfein

-Epics u! wo.T..9od E Aq paualvanii smaf Jo jfelpq
tr! (uaing u-eA upJETAI luapIsald :Jamstry
uo pauaA.Talu!

6/16

2005

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