Annie Jacobson, 11, of West
Aaron and Fran Martin of West
Bloomfield
Bloomfield
Jack Ginsburg and Malka of West
BI
field
and her great-grandmother, Ida Goldenberg
of Oak Park.
"We've got to keep Israel and we've got
to have peace there said Goldenberg, who
lived in Israel for 21/2 years as a child.
. Aileen Bloom tries to attend all Israel
events. "Its very important to show that
we're supporting Israel and we stand as
one she said.
• "And we love them," added Rebecca.
Debbie Chutz marched with her friend
Sherry Lipin of West Bloomfield.
"It's very important to show sup-
port, especially right now:' said Chutz,
of Bloomfield Hills. "The United States
has been very good in supporting what's
going on. We're trying to rid the world of
Hezbollah."
Karen Lovinger of Farmington Hills
walked with her daughter, Alyssa Aguilar
of Farmington, and granddaughter, Sarah.
Lovinger has been talking to her cousin in
Haifa every day and offered to visit Israel to
show support.
"She said,`Don't come" said Lovinger.`"You
can do more good by telling people in the
United States that what we're doing is right:"
.
"They don't see our news, they see
European news:' Lovinger said.
Aguilar and her 14-month-old daughter,
Sarah, wore matching "Wherever I stand, I
stand with Israel" T-shirts, but Sarah was
waving an Israeli flag from a stroller.
"I haven't come to many of these said
Aguilar, "but it's about time that everyone
did. It's important. Everyone in Israel needs
our support and the world needs to know
that Israel's not alone."
Emotions Flow
Leora Bar-Levav of Franklin marched with
her husband, Gary Edelson, and their sons,
Daniel, 5, and Jacob, 7. She carried an Israeli
flag given to her by Edward Bronfrnan of
the World Jewish Congress as a gift to the
Bar-Levav Family Foundation.
"Jewish Detroit and friends of Israel
must maintain a prolonged and steady pub-
lic presence to make it clear that we stand
behind and we're supportive of Israel;' she
said. "We shouldn't mind coming out on a
frequent basis. Israelis do their best to sup-
port the soldiers. The diaspora must do that
as well."
Adi Smorgonski, 13, of West Bloomfield
said, "I came out today to help rally to
end.the war with victory for Israel and the
Jewish people. "We're walking so the Israelis
can soon live in peace added the Hillel Day
School eighth-grader.
Her 13-year-old friend, Liz Levine, a
ninth-grader at West Bloomfield High
School, said, "It's so amazing to be here
united as one community — to come
together for one cause. I hope and think
we can have a huge effect on the peace
process:'
Keren Stiebel of Bloomfield Hills
marched with the family of Rabbi Boruch
Cohen of the Birmingham-Bloomfield Chai
Center."I'm hear-to show my support to
Israeli families and soldiers on behalf of the
American people and the Michigan com-
munity — emotionally, spiritually as well
as financially:' she said. "Israelis are unify-
ing and praying for the soldiers. It's just as
important that we do, toe
She added, "Even if we just unify the
Jewish people of Detroit, this march will
have been effective."
Cookie Koblin of West Bloomfield was
'supposed to be in Israel On Wednesday
volunteering for Sar-El, but she broke her
kneecap. She wasn't allowed to fly to Israel
so she decided to walk for Israel, with
the help of crutches and a full leg brace.
Daughter Melanie Cohn and grandson
Corey, 6, also of West Bloomfield, joined her.
"Our cousins are in the front lines. I
would love to see a ceasefire so nobody's
hurt on either side, but they have to have a
buffer zone Coblin said. "I want my family
there to survive; I want my family in the
United States to survive and I'm just scared
of radical Islam. Israel is the front line for
the Western world."
Teen Activists
Amy Neistein, the Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit's associate director
in the Israel & Overseas Department, said
the marchers included many from this
summer's Teen Mission. As a follow-up
initiative, the teens are enlisting the sup-
port of 100 Jewish families in-Metro Detroit
to pair with 100 Israeli families from the
Partnership 2000 region in the Central
Rally on page 14
August 10 • 2006
13
.