Opinion OTHER VIEWS Rallying Behind Israel W . e recently returned from Israel on the National Federation Solidarity Mission. While our trip was short, it had more impact on us than any other time we have been to Israel. Each interaction we had with our Israeli. brothers and sisters touched our souls in a way we have not previously perceived. Our national mission chair, Jane Sherman (who has lived in Israel), stated that she felt the same way she did on her first visit to Israel, as if she were see- ing it for the first time. What we witnessed was the oneness of the Jewish people, totally supportive of the need to protect our recently penetrated democratic nation. Previous sep- aration between observant and secular Jews, between "peace- niks" and the religious right was not perceptible. While most Israelis always thank their American counter- parts for visiting Eretz Yisrael, our hearts were equally pen- etrated by each other with the realization that we stand together in this fight as one people. Like most, we began our mis- sion being welcomed by our guide. He let us know that he has three sons in the Israel Defense Forces and one just entered southern Lebanon. His anguish at admitting this was notice- able, but balanced with an inner strength and commitment to educate us. We quickly learned that approximately 1.5 million Israelis are affected by the Katyushas falling in the north, with the majority living in bomb shelters. When crisis-hits, it is the vulner- able who suffer the most. This is a harsh reality facing many Israeli children, elderly, new immigrants and families without the means to leave the region. Special Bonding While our hearts were bur- dened with this news, they were warmed while witnessing 500 teenagers from central and southern Israel who volunteered to pack thousands of boxes of food and games, paid for by our Israel Emergency Fund dollars, to improve the spirits of so many who could not leave these shel- ters. This volunteerism spoke loudly to the Israeli spirit and positive future of Israel. We also visited with 90 chil- dren at Ben Yakir, a youth village that provides residential educa- tion during the regular school year and is now being used as a summer campsite to keep these children out of harm's way. This program, one of many in central Israel, provides a total of 12,000 children between the ages of 10 and 17 years old a safe environ- ment and a wonderful summer camp experience. This program alone costs $350 per child per week..Our emer- gency funds are already at work keeping these young people out of bomb shelters. We met with Miri Eisen, for- eign press adviser to the prime minister and the most highly decorated woman in IDF history. As a forMer American who made aliyah, and a mother, she brings a soft, warm approach to her position and has a mastery of the English language. She educated us on the difficulties of trying to tell the Israeli story in a media world where pictures sell and truth doesn't matter. • We were introduced to Karnit Goldwasser the wife of Ehud, the IDF soldier who was kidnapped by the Hezbollah. She talked about Ehud being a student who Ben Yakir Youth Village near Tel Aviv. Federation dollars are relo- cating hundreds of young Israelis, including new immigrants from Ethiopia, moving them out of harm's way to safer areas and camp- ing programs in central and southern Israel. On the mission: Metro Detroit delegates Karen Alpiner; Marc Borovoy; Jane Sherman, national mission chair; and Stacey Crane, Federation director of endowment. obtained two master's degrees, loved photography and loved to travel. She spoke about their court- ship and the fact that they were newlyweds. She spoke about first hearing the news about his abduction. To hear her story and see her anguish tugged at our hearts. She told us that our pres- ence gave her strength, but to witness her inner.strength served only to reinforce ours. We met with Prime Minister- Ehud Olmert shortly after he met with U.S. Secretary of State being. Add a bit of alcoholic "veritas" serum to the mix, and you're left with an anti-Semite in Armani — and rather an ugly one at that. A sober Gibson, in both meanings of the term, has offered an apology in which he condemned his own behavior. His explanation? He was "under the influence" and out of control. Bear in mind, however, that alcohol does not create hatred; it exposes that which already exists, that which the individ- ual, when sober, knows better than to reveal in polite society. Knowing what is in Gibson's not-so-brave heart, despite his protestations to the contrary is not a bad thing. Furthermore, having one's suspicions confirmed is a decid- edly good one. • Not surprisingly, Gibson's project on the Holocaust — a hollow attempt to placate Jewish sensibilities — was scratched. Time and deeds will tell whether his profuse apolo- gies stem from that place in his heart best reached by alcohol. In the meantime, perhaps the actor should confine himself to the area of cinematic art that he knows so well. Anyone up for Lethal Weapon 5? ri Hatred: Deeply Rooted T he Romans had a say- ing, "In vino veritas," or as our rabbis put it, [Eruvin: 65a] "Enter wine, exit secrets." Both expressions come to mind in the wake of Mel Gibson's recent arrest for driving while intoxicated. While struggling with arrest- ing officers, Gibson spewed vile, racist epithets, mounting obscenity upon obscenity. That these epithets modified the word Jew was, to Gibson's mind, the greatest insult he could heap upon the officers. ,That, perhaps, is the most flagrant obscenity of all. A few years back, when Gibson's movie The Passion of the Christ was the subject of 30 August 10 2006 heated debate regard- ing what many viewed as its blatantly anti- Pessie Busel Semitic Novick content, Community View the actor- turned- producer-turned-religious spokesperson for pre-Vatican II Catholicism, protested (some thought too much) that this was the furthest thing from his mind. When the press exposed Gibson's father as a Holocaust JN denier, angry disclaimers were published and retractions demanded. Mel Gibson, pur- veyor of such "quality" enter- tainment as Lethal Weapon to Lethal Weapon 4 and so forth had moved into new realms with this serious offering and demanded respect. Yet, many critics pointed out that anti-Semitic invective to the side, the movie was clearly a vehicle for more blood and guts, Braveheart on a cross, if you would. Well, if you take a hand- some anti-Semite, dress him in Armani, and feed him the right lines, you will have a very pre- sentable, not unconvincing sem- blance of an intelligent human Pessie Busel Novick of Oak Park is a teacher in the upper school at Yeshivat Akiva in Southfield.