I Letters

Israel Advocacy

The Jewish Community Council
wholeheartedly agrees that the
Jewish community needs to
respond, support and defend
Israel ("Urging A Communal
Response," Dec.15, page 52). To
assist the community in doing
that, Council provides news,
information and suggestions for
individual advocacy through our
Israel Advocacy Network (IAN).
Armed with information and a
computer, Jewish community
members can quickly and effec-
tively respond by communicating
pro-Israel views to members of
Congress, request fair and bal-
anced coverage of Israel from the
media and share pro-Israel views
with neighbors, friends and co-
workers. We encourage everyone
to subscribe to this weekly Israel
e-mail by sending your name
and e-mail address to
council@jfmd.org .

Wendy Wagenheim, president
Jewish Community Council of
Metropolitan Detroit
Bloomfield Township

Act Against Bias

The plea of two Jewish students
("We Need Community Support,"
Dec.-1, page 56) and Linda
Stulberg's Community Perspective
article ("Urging a Communal
Response," Dec.15, page 52) have
made me aware that strong anti-
Israel bias on the University of
Michigan campus is even more
prevalent than it was 16 years ago
when my daughter was a U-M
student.
Back then, she had just returned
from a semester at Hebrew
University in Jerusalem; U-M had
a study abroad program in Israel
at that time. She had enrolled in a
political science class taught,
unbeknown to her, by a virulently

anti-Israel professor.
Based on her own experiences
and knowledge of Israeli history,
she stood up in class and chal-
lenged the veracity of his state-
ments regarding Israel, after which
he called her a "Judeo-Nazi:'
In response, a petition that I
wrote deploring this incident was
signed by many local U-M alumni
and sent to the political science
department, the U-M president
and the board of regents. The inci-
dent was publicized in the student
newspaper. Fortunately, the pro-
fessor left for another position not
long after this controversy.
Now it is time for Michigan
alumni to once again join to peti-
tion for more objectivity and truth
in and out of the classroom. Those
who are interested in taking
action, please e-mail me at
hmgardner@aol.com .
Resources are available to
empower our Jewish students to
stand up to anti-Israel and anti-
Semitic bias on campus. Let us be
part of those resources.

Margot Gardner
Bloomfield Hills

A Wake-Up Call

Linda Stulberg's guest editorial
("Urging A Communal Response,'
Dec. 15, page 52) was very good,
but I would like to state things a
little differently.
Today reminds me of the 1930s,
with the anti-Semites preaching
their hatred loudly and often, with
no embarrassment and with the
support of Europe. Their cry is
unequivocal, to wipe us out.
What surprises me is the reac-
tion of the majority of Jews. Just
like the ill-fated British Prime
Minister Neville Chamberlain,
they want a peace treaty with the
anti-Semites.
But wait: There is a difference.

From out of nowhere, the head of
the free world lands troops in
Babylon right in the middle of the
Arab world, topples the statue
with its finger pointing to
Jerusalem and perseveres against
the enemy and our allies and half
of our citizens.
What is the Jewish reaction?
Opposition? How can that be?
The Holocaust chorus is still
crying "Never Again:' but is blind
to the reality. The leadership is
stuck in the sixties: "All you need
is love ..." The Jew on the street
just wants to be a good liberal.
Which of the children of Abraham
really has the death wish?
Wake up, Jews!

Joel K. Letyin

Mentors Lauded

The Mentor Connection Advisory
Board and staff would like to
wish all of our program partici-
pants, community partners and
donors a happy Chanukah. We
would like to thank all of our
mentors for giving so unselfishly
by befriending a child in need of
additional adult support.You are
truly making a positive impact in
the lives of the children you
mentor.
We would also like to thank
our community partners and
donors for supporting Mentor
Connection. Our program
depends on our community's
schools, youth serving agencies,
religious groups, local businesses
and individual donors for suc-
cess. We are grateful to you for
your support and collaborative
efforts in serving our communi-
ty's youth through mentoring.
We especially would like to
thank the Jewish News for doing
a wonderful cover story about

dotCOM SURVEY
Do you see the U.S. economy
improving in 2006?

Last Week's Results
Will Prime Minister Ariel
Sharon's stroke affect the Israeli
elections and the peace process?

Read about it on Jewish.com.

To vote, click on
TNOnline.com/Ovinion

50% said yes
50% said no

December 29 - 2005

Richard Cherkasky and
Susie Leemaster

West Bloomfield

Jewish.com
A new Jewish baseball set of 55
cards contains cards for six
Jews who have broken into the
big leagues recently, six old-
time Jewish ballplayers recently
unearthed and four women
who played in the wartime girls'
baseball league.

6

our program in June. The article
continues to bring in new men-
tors and youth, literally to this
day!
Mentor Connection continues
to grow in our community and
four school programs. The need
for mentors in Oakland County
is great. We are thankful to those
of you who have already stepped
up to the plate by becoming a
mentor and to our partners and
donors who have joined in our
mission. We hope many others
will join with you this year.
Wishing good things to you
and your families in 2006!

advisory board co-chairs
Mentor Connection
Jewish Family Service
West Bloomfield

Autism Aid

Contributing Editor Elizabeth
Applebaum's cover story on Zev
Loeffler ("The Power of Love,"
Dec. 15, page 16) was another
fine example of the Jewish News'
commitment to highlighting
achievements of people in our
community, including those with
disabilities and their families.
Having a child with a disabili-
ty changes a family profoundly
and forever. The Loefflers are a
wonderful example of the growth
and change that can evolve in a
child with autism, even when
such accomplishments seem
impossible at times.
I would like to add JARC to the
list of autism resources that
accompanied the article. JARC
serves people on the full autism
spectrum in our Frankel and
Shetzer residential service divi-
sions in both group and individ-
ual settings. In our Harris
Children and Family Division, we
provide respite care, grants for

therapy and equipment, inclusive
day school and recreation services
as well as a wide range of infor-
mation and advocacy for children
with autism and their families.
No family should feel alone.
JARC is proud to be part of a
community that works to ensure
that all its members are part of
that community throughout their
lives.,Any family with a child
with autism, or any disability or
special need, can receive assis-
tance by calling (248) 538-6610,
ext. 332.

Joyce Keller

executive director
JARC
Farmington Hills

Must Reading

I would like to take this opportu-
nity to express my condolences
to the families of Jarett Ross
Ettinger ("A Terrible Tragedy,"
page 107) and Jason Marc Heller
("People Saw His Sweetness,"
page 106), whose obituaries were
in the Jewish News on Dec. 15.
I commend the dignity and
bravery of these families in shar-
ing some of the intimate details
of the struggles of their sons. I
am the parent of two teenagers
and a member of the Greater
West Bloomfield Community
Coalition for Youth. Drug preven-
tion is important for our entire
community. I hope that everyone
will take a moment to honor the
memory of these boys by requir-
ing their teenagers to read their
obituary notices.
Please consider making a tax-
deductible donation to the GWB
Coalition for Youth, which pro-
motes programming for a drug-
and alcohol-free community. See
the Web site at www.gwbcoali-
tion.org for information.

. Cindy Goldman
West Bloomfield

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