Middle East

Sta ff photos By Ang ie Baa n

ON THE COVER

Harry Kirsbaum
Staff Writer

Grassroot
Rally

Jewish community support
for Israel intensifies.

12

August 10 • 2006

iN

W

ith large Israeli and American
flags billowing from his Chevrolet
Corvette, Herb Goodwin showed
his support for Israel as he drove into the
Temple Shir Shalom parking lot.
"I'm trying to do my part and support
Israel," said Goodwin of West Bloomfield.
He suffers from a spinal condition and
couldn't take part in the Israel Solidarity
Walk on Sunday, Aug. 6. "So I'm going to
drive up and down the road',' he said.
Some 1,000 supporters of Israel met at
the grassroots rally wearing blue and white
as part of the Detroit Jewish News' Blue &
White Sundays initiative, carrying home-
made signs and waving at passing cars
honking in support on Orchard Lake Road,
between Walnut Lake and Maple roads.
The purpose was three-pronged, said
Mark Segel, community activist and the
march organizer: to show support for Israel,
to call for release of Israel's three cap-
tured soldiers and to pray for victory over
Hezbollah.

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,

About 350 people showed up at a similar-
ly organized Israel Independence Walk on
May 7; but the almost three-fold increase at
this event delighted Segel, who began plan-
ning the event two weeks ago.
"Hopefully; this will get the community
to feel that they can show solidarity," he
said. "We're the good guys!'
Joseph Savin of Zionist Organization of
America's Michigan Region, an event spon-
sor, has noticed outstanding attendance at
recent Israel-related events. "I think it's the
sort of thing that Jews should participate in
for Israel;' he said. "People are united!'
Carol Kravetz was one of many new
faces in the crowd on Sunday. She decided
to attend because "if you value democracy,
you value Israel.
"Above the politics, above everything
else, Israel is fighting for its survival:' said
Kravetz, of West Bloomfield. "Hezbollah is
just another name for Nazi."
Rebecca Bloom, 9, marched with three
other generations of her family: her mother,
Aileen of West Bloomfield; her grandmoth-
er, Sharon LeiChtman of West Bloomfield,
her aunt, Saree Hantler of Farmington Hills,