Letters
To A Jewish Future
We were pleased to read your
cover story about the Israeli
camper program, a partnership
between the Jewish Federation
of Metropolitan Detroit and
Fresh Air Society are helping
create a Jewish future for our
kids.
Jonah Geller
executive director
Brian Kepes
president
Staff photo by Armando Rios
Fresh Air Society & Tamarack Camps
Ortonville
A Rich Story
Israeli Scouts Adi Har-Tzvi and
Daya Yeffet, both 14, talk to Andrea
Goldstein, 11, of West Bloomfield.
Tamarack Camps ("Camper
Connection," July 6, page 33). It
is programs like this that make
Tamarack the premier place
for Jewish campers. Not only
do campers experience their
Jewishness in the many activi-
ties at camp, but they also get
to become friends with some of
their peers from Israel. Helping
children strengthen their Jewish
identity is a prime goal of
Tamarack Camps and the Israeli
camper program does that for
Israelis and Americans alike.
The Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit and the
Fresh Air Society continue
to show forward thinking in
providing for this program as
well as for the several hundred
Detroit-area youngsters who
attend Tamarack on scholarship.
Those who support Federation's
annual campaign as well as the
Israeli Camper program through
Federation and the Send a Kid
to Tamarack campaign through
t4k MENET
A little personal experience with
Larry Rich, administrator of Emek
Medical Center in Israel high-
lighted in the JN (Odyssey Of The
Soul," June 15, page 26):
A year of my time in Israel
was spent fulfilling my military
obligation. Here I am, 26 years old,
a good Jewish boy raised in Oak
Park, just drafted, in the middle
of nowhere, leaving my new bride
alone in Ramat Gan, trying to get
used to three hours of sleep night-
ly and the "joys" of basic training,
and it turns out that the guy in the
next cot is from — Oak Park!
This "guy" was Larry Rich.
There's only one privilege in the
Israel Defense Forces' basic train-
ing — the privilege of leader-
ship; and Larry was the natural
leader of our group from the first
day. Our officers and non-corn-
missions weren't shy in their
demands, but any shirker's great-
est fear wasn't them, but Larry.
Larry finished his service with
distinction, saw many difficult
days in the reserves and as a
civilian became a genuine asset
and credit to Israel. Throughout
his professional career, Larry has
demonstrated quality leadership
by example so difficult to find
and so dearly valuable. We have
maintained our personal contact
for 30 years, and I remain inspired
by him.
Les Goldstein
West Bloomfield
A Purposeful Academy
In response to recent articles,
announcements and letters in
the JN about the Jewish Academy
of Metropolitan Detroit ("Gifts
Of Learning," July 6, page 26), we
want to acknowledge how blessed
we feel. The Jean and Samuel
Frankel family and the larger
Jewish community have enabled
our school to build a new and
expanded home. We continue
to attract students from a wide
variety of Jewish backgrounds.
Enrollment has reached new
heights.
We could never have accom-
plished so much in so little time
if it were not for the generos-
ity and support of the larger
community. We are deeply grateful
that the wide spectrum of Jews in
Detroit has put their trust in us.
The mission of the Jewish
Academy is to develop students
with strong intellectual and lead-
ership skills, and who contribute
to the world around them and are
knowledgeable about and com-
mitted to leading a meaningful
Jewish life. In this way, we hope to
ensure the continuity of the Jewish
people and the State of Israel.
Furthermore, as a nonde-
nominational Jewish day high
school, we want to make sure that
students understand their own
movement and that of others.
Admittedly, this is a challenge, but
one that we embrace with enthu-
siasm.
At the core of our program,
we strive to imbue among our
students a love for Jews regardless
of denominational affiliation or
educational background. We take
pride in JAMD's respectful educa-
tional environment that enables
us to accomplish these goals and
thereby empower our students
to become builders of a vibrant
Where is the oldest continuous Jewish community in the world?
—Goldfein
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6
July 13 • 2006
Rabbi Lee Buckman
head of school
Dr. Marc Borovoy
president
Jewish Academy of Metropolitan
Detroit
West Bloomfield
The Frankel Gifts
Thank you for the wonderful
editorial "Gifts Of Learning" (July
6, page 26). The Jewish Academy,
under the direction of Rabbi Lee
Buckman and his staff, has creat-
ed an outstanding and successful
Jewish high school. As an active
board member of the United
Jewish Foundation, I have watched
the academy grow and deliver.
The gift from Jean and Sam
Frankel to the Academy, along
with the establishment of the
Frankel Judaic Studies and the
Frankel Institute for Advanced
Judaic Studies at the University
of Michigan, the Frankel School
in Jerusalem and all of the other
projects sponsored by Jean and
Sam — they are breathtaking. We
have been extremely fortunate
to have the Frankels in our com-
munity.
I, along with countless others,
have had the privilege of being
mentored by Sam Frankel for
many years. He has taught us well.
Harvey Bronstein
Particularly in difficult econom-
ic times, funding for the arts often
falls low on priority scale. This is
particularly true when there are
so many important causes in need
of support. The commitment of
Congregation Shaarey Zedek of
Oakland County and of these fam-
ilies to presenting this important
piece of music in a fitting setting
was a tremendous gift to all of us.
These families, along with many
other generous patrons, recog-
nized the importance of bringing
this piece to the community at
large. The musical and social
importance of Liberation was
highlighted by the venue. It was
a delight to sit at Orchestra Hall
(endowed a by great Jewish phi-
lanthropist) to hear Jewish music
played by the Detroit Symphony
Orchestra, sung by a 150-voice
choir, crooned by a jazz-blues trio,
harmonized by world-class can-
tors, narrated by a multicultural
group of religious leaders and
conducted by an eminent Jewish
conductor.
The concert was a triumph in
many ways. This we would not
have been able to enjoy without
the generous primary under-
writing of Henrietta and Alvin
Weisberg and the Laker families.
I applaud and appreciate their
sponsorship and the example they
and all the other sponsors set for
others.
Southfield
liana Ben-Ze'ev
Huntington Woods
Wonderful Concert
I would like to publicly thank
Henrietta and Alvin Weisberg
and the Laker families for pro-
viding substantial funding for
the recent production of Cantor
Meir Finkelstein's cantata,
Liberation ("Freedom Sings,"
June 22, page 37).
Correction
The Community View piece
"Where Is OPEC's Palestinian
Aid?" (July 6, page 28) mis-
spelled the Straits of Tiran at
the Gulf of Aqaba.
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