Letters Keep Woods' Jewel Huntington Woods is home to the oldest consistently Jewish community in Michigan. Jewish families, whether staying for a lifetime or just starting out, have long been embraced by the com- munity that exists in Huntington Woods. Among the many things creating the unique character of the "Woods" is the green space and recreation provided by its jewel, the Rackham Golf Course ("Digging Tr): Aug. 3, page 23). Federation's recent 2005 Jewish Population Study made it clear the Jewish population in Michigan's southeast region is declining: This is especially true for our young adults. Why would anyone in the Jewish com- munity want to risk changing the character of a town that has been so successful over the years in providing a neighborhood for us? The city leaders and most residents believe that developing Rackham would not be good for the Woods. What's not good for the Woods may also not be good for our Jewish community. Most likely, the developers have only approached this proj- ect from a business perspective; thinking in terms of residential units and not considered the social impact on "community." I hope they can pause for a moment and consider the long- term impact to Jewish families and their neighborhoods. They would be true mentshen by using their knowledge and connections to support the Woods — and help keep the city's jewel and our stable Jewish neighborhood just as it is. Barbara Berger White Huntington Woods Response Heartening The Jewish Gay Network of Michigan (www.jgnmi.org ) ensures that gay and lesbian members of our community feel welcome and included. It was heartening to see the positive responses to the IN same-sex union announcement in July. Thank you to the many people who understood that we are all cre- ated b'tzelem elohim [in the image of God]. Iraq was the strong factor in the elec- tion. Botched American poli- cy has strength- ened Iran and Hezbollah and Sen. Lieberman undermined Israel. The false premise that only President Bush supports Israel refutes fact. Scary false headlines won't work this time. Aiding JNF Thank you for running the Jewish National Fund article written by Amanda Sue Niskar, a Detroit-area native who made aliyah last September, that appeared in the Jewish News ("Bound By A Land And People April 27, page 23). We appreciate Amanda Sue for the positive PR and we are grate- ful to you for printing it. The more JNF exposure the better, especially now when we urgently need help to restore the Jewish National Fund's infrastructure, to replenish the forests that were devastated and to rebuild the security roads that were demolished. JNF is the caretake'r of the land of Israel — the only organization that can rebuild Israel; which is why your coverage is so impor- tant. also disappointed with his sur- face treatment of the issue. Instead of focusing on the technicalities, such as who is and who is not Jewish, he could con- sider the deeper issues at stake: the importance of Jewish people speaking out against the injus- tice and violence perpetrated by the State of Israel against the Palestinian people. My mother is a survivor of the Holocaust, and we have recently made three trips to Poland togeth- er to search for traces of our fam- ily. During those trips, I came to realize that speaking out against the racism that poisons my people in the present is integral to what I must do to honor and remember my ancestors. It does no good for the future of the Jewish people if we are willing to accept racism and injustice just because it is committed against another people. We are still too close to our own tragic past to walk blindly into a future where we are the victimizers. It is groups like the Jewish Voice for Peace that provide alternatives to the image of Jews as only "heavily armed soldiers and bulldozer operators." Instead, we can honestly see ourselves as we should be: human beings who care about the plight of other human beings, citizens of the world, who are participating in creating a more just and peaceful world for all people. Hannan Lis Simone Masson JNF Michigan Region president Oakland, Calif. Judy Lewis, president Judith Martin Jewish Gay Network of Michigan Southfield Bloomfield To wnship More Sponsors I want to acknowledge the miss- ing sponsors of the Lt. Gen. Moshe Ya'alon speech covered in the Jewish News ("The Real War," Aug. 10, page 16). Those missing sponsors from the article are: the Greater Detroit Chapter of Hadassah, Jewish Community Council, B'nai B'rith Great Lakes Region, Temple Beth El, Temple Shir Shalom and StandWithUs-Michigan. Those acknowledged in the article were the Zionist Organization of America, the Jewish Community Center and Aish HaTorah. Thanks to all the sponsors who helped make the event a success. Mark Y. Segel Southfield Democracy In Action U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman was defeated in Connecticut by the electorate of that state. Isn't that how candidates should be cho- sen? Democratic leaders, includ- ing President Clinton, went there to tout for him, but Lieberman's star had begun to wane and had fallen from 80 percent in 2000 to 51 percent in July 2003. Opposition to the war in Farmington Hills Surface Treatment I appreciate that JN Columnist Harry Kirsbaum took the time to attend the Jewish Voices for Peace-Detroit chapter opening event and write about it ("Say No More Aug. 24, page 9). But I am IlLEMET 'cha Don't Know According to some Jewish commentaries, which two biblical monsters will battle each other at the end of time? . 6 August 31 . 2006 siseaq Jo bpi Vowatiaq ay} pue stisg lue0 e JuegietAal ata :JaMsuy Bridge Champion Your profile of bridge cham- pion Rick Kaye ("Memorable Character," Aug. 24, page 34) was outstanding. However, you did not mention his most notable attribute at the card table — his ethics are impeccable! On more than one occasion, he has report- ed scoring errors, which have reduced his final standing. Ron Horwitz Farmington Hills Rick Kaye Ballot Politics I hope those who are still unde- cided about the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative, which would amend the state Constitution to end racial and gender prefer- ences in college admissions and government hiring and contract- ing, will give some thought to the fact that the best the opposition has to offer is to try to keep the initiative off the ballot. Glynette Wolk Farmington Hills Northville Leader I thoroughly enjoyed read- ing your Special Report titled "Outside the Core" (Aug. 17, page 49) about the Jewish migration to Novi-Northville. A noteworthy Northville com- munity Jewish member who wasn't mentioned is my son Ken Roth. He is in his second term on the Northville Board of Education, currently serving as president. He is also liaison for the school board to the Northville Parks and Recreation Department. Rose Roth Bloomfield Hills How to Send Letters We prefer letters relating to JN articles. We reserve the right to edit or reject letters. Letters of 225 words or less are considered first. Longer ones will be subject to trimming. Letter writers are limited in frequency of publication. Letters must be original and contain the name, address and title of the writer and a day phone number. Non-electronic cop- ies must be hand signed. 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