Letters

Robert C. Levine, M.D.

Speaking Out

Desecrating the religious texts of any
religion should be anathema to all peo-
ple of good will and particularly the
Jewish community because of our histo-
ry. Your article entitled "United Voice"
(June 16, page 25) and the report of the
rally at which Executive Director David
Gad-Harf spoke out, on behalf of the
Jewish community, against such acts, is a
testament to the work of the Jewish
Community Council of Metropolitan
Detroit in building bridges in our com-
munity.
While reports of such acts now appear
to have been significantly exaggerated, it
is certainly not behavior we should con-
done. It takes courage to speak out in
such circumstances and hopefully Mr.
Gad-Harf doing so for our community
will cause ethers to do so when Jews are
the victims of inappropriate acts as well.

Howard I. Wallach

Southfield

A Troubling Appearance

As a member of the Jewish Community
Council of Metropolitan Detroit board, I
am incensed that our executive director
overstepped his authority to take a lead
role at the Dearborn rally to condemn
alleged Koran abuse ("United Voice,"
June 16, page 25).
David Gad-Harf acted unilaterally in
speaking out at the protest as the "voice
of the Jewish community" without prior
board consultation or approval. This is
particularly troubling given that Council
recently rejected a motion to publicly
condemn all acts of terrorism against
Israel — a motion that had to be sub-
mitted several months in advance to the
executive committee for screening to
determine its appropriateness. Once it
passed this review, the motion was
brought before the entire board for
robust discussion and vote. These same
stringent policies and procedures govern-
ing Council action should apply as well
to the executive director, especially when
he appropriates our community's seal of
approval to make a high-profile public
stand.
Seeing that Mr. Gad-Harf had no
compunction about bypassing internal
policies and board input to publicly rep-
resent his own agenda at a major media
event, I feel I have a responsibility to
come forward on behalf of the Jewish
community to make sure that our inter-
ests our well served.
Who polled our community to ascer-
tain whether this is the consensus posi-

tion? Where was due diligence to assure
our community that the agenda of the
Dearborn rally is one that merits our
support and is consistent with
Federation's pro-Israel mission? Did
Federation, which funds Council,
authorize Mr. Gad-Hart to make this a
priority issue for our community? Is this
the message Federation wants to stake its
capital on for public broadcast?
At a rally billed to preach the "mes-
sage" of respect, civility and love for
American values," where was the collec-
tive outcry to denounce the slaughter of
innocents by terrorists? When Council
endorses such platforms without the pre-
requisite that our interfaith brethren
publicly and vigorously condemn the
siege of terror against Israel, we cheapen
Jewish blood as less sacred than the reli-
gious sensibilities of others. Inter-com-
munal dialogue should be predicated on
a mutual acceptance of values and a
mutual willingness to speak out on
behalf of those values.
The executive director of Council
needs to be answerable to the Council
board. Council, itself, acting as the voice
of our community, must faithfully repre-
sent the mandate of Federation.
Federation, in turn, must be able to
guarantee that its member agencies and
affiliates do nothing to undermine
Jewish welfare.

411

Linda Stulberg

'eL)"

Farmington Hills

Too Little, Too Late

Three jeers for the conscience choir!
("United Voice," June 16, page 25).
Where were their interfaith rallies to
condemn the savage decapitations of
Americans Daniel Pearl /rid Nick Berg?
To deplore car bombings against U.S.
servicemen in Iraq? Or the murder of
Iraqi aid and election workers? To rail
against a depraved culture that glorifies
suicide bombings of innocent Israeli
teenagers in discos and at pizzerias?
Did they join forces to decry the eth-
nic deansing of Lebanese Christians? Or
the genocide by the Muslim Sudanese
against the black Christians of Darfur?
And what of the longstanding
Muslim silence when American flags
and effigies of our president are routine-
ly torched in the Mideast or when
incendiary broadcasts financed by terror
organizations scream that 'America
owes blood to all of humanity" and
openly incite violence against U.S.
forces? Where was their outrage when

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