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Letters
Campus Alert
I was disturbed by the Editor's
Letter about Wayne State
University in Detroit ("Isolation
Incitement',' Oct. 19, page 5) and
the article on anti-Israel propa-
ganda regarding an anti-Israel rally
at Wayne State ("Anti-Israel propa-
ganda," page 21).
.
The entire Jewish community
must accelerate its vigilance of
the increasing anti-Semitism
appearing on college campuses in
Michigan and elsewhere so that
history does not repeat itself.
Rhonda Miller Solomon
Farmington Hills
Fight Anti-Semitism
Twenty-five of us stood in the
bitter cold for two hours on Oct.
12 at Wayne State University's
Gullen Mall in Detroit ("Isolation
Incitement," Oct. 19, page 5). We
held pro-Israel, anti-divestment
and anti-terror signs prepared
by StandWithUs-Michigan. Our
purpose was to raise awareness in
the community about anti-Israel
speakers and activities at the Israel
divestment conference held at WSU
by unsanctioned, anti-Semitic and
anti-Israel organizations.
A short distance across the mall
from us were about 25 members
of the Anti Racist Action group, a
coalition that does not have uni-
versity standing as an officially rec-
ognized student organization. This
coalition has endlessly bombarded
students at Wayne with a slew of
anti-Israel flyers, sidewalk chalking
and speakers. From their speaker's
bullhorn, we heard anti-American
and anti-Israel invectives while
we peacefully stood with our
signs and sang the "Star Spangled
Banner" and "HaTikvah."
My admiration and congratula-
tions go to Ari Drissman, president
of the WSU Students for Israel, and
to StandWithUs-Michigan's Linda
Stulberg for organizing our coun-
ter-rally. Those WSU students who
work through the daily onslaughts
from the anti-Semitic and anti-
Israel groups at WSU deserve our
thanks and appreciation as well.
Every one of us should use
Drissman's Students for Israel's and
Stulberg's examples of relentlessly
attacking anti-Jewish, anti-Semitic
and anti-American bigotry every-
where and in any way we can. Our
enemies won't let up until we're
destroyed. I don't want that to hap-
pen — do you?
Ed Kohl
West Bloomfield
Kudos, Joel Jacob
The Jewish News published a
most impressive feature on Joel
Jacob, one of our community's
most compassionate and com-
mitted individuals ("Feeding The
World': Sept. 14, page 38). This past
•week, that view was reinforced by a
paid ad by the Gleaners Food Bank
of Southeastern Michigan (Oct. 19,
page 39).
Bar-Ilan University in Ramat
Gan, Israel, has been fortunate to
have benefited from Joel's human-
ity and concern in the area of
education and I want to add my
personal and professional voice to
cite this unique individual.
Israel. He was imprisoned under
extremely difficult conditions and
then released last year only after
the tireless efforts of U.S. Rep. Mark
Kirk, R-Ill., among others, to seek
his freedom.
In recognition of his courage
to speak the truth against Islamic
extremism and his efforts to pro-
mote dialogue between Muslims
and Jews, the national office of the
American Jewish Committee pre-
sented its Moral Courage Award to
Choudhury in May 2006. However,
the Bangladesh government
prevented him from visiting the
United States to receive the honor.
For speaking the truth about
the threat radical Islam poses
in Bangladesh and for seeking
to visit Israel in order to further
Muslim-Jewish understanding,
Choudhury's life now is in jeopardy.
All nations that cherish human
rights should speak out on behalf
of Choudhury. That is the local AJC
delegation's message.
To remain silent has never been
an antidote for egregious human
rights violations.
Todd Mendel
Les Goldstein
chapter vice president
Bar-Ilan University
international relations
Midwest executive director
American Jewish Committee
Bloomfield Township
Bloomfield Township
No Time To Be Silent
Oct. 24 was designated as U.N. Day
in 1948. This year, many took a
moment on that day to reflect on
the state of the world. Leaders from
the Metropolitan Detroit Chapter
of the American Jewish Committee
observed this special day by visit-
ing with local diplomats to discuss
world affairs and issues relating to
the United Nations.
The AJC is urging world lead-
ers to press Bangladesh to end
its persecution of Salah Uddin
Shoaib Choudhury, a Bangladeshi
journalist on trial for sedition.
Choudhury, the editor of Blitz,
the largest tabloid English-lan-
guage weekly in Bangladesh, was
arrested in November 2003 when
he tried to attend a conference in
Helping Beit Kodesh
I want to thank Staff Writer Shelli
Dorfman for the timely article
about Congregation Beit Kodesh,
the Conservative shul in Livonia
("A New Beginning': Sept. 21, page
82).
The article accurately portrayed
the predicament in which this
small congregation finds itself. Beit
Kodesh has much potential with its
warm, friendly and caring mem-
bership, and it is centrally located
in an area with many unaffiliated
Jews; however, it lacks the neces-
sary financial resources to survive
on its own.
As the article demonstrated,
there is a cadre of dedicated lead-
ers who work tirelessly to keep the
synagogue's doors open, ensure
there is a minyan for prayer
services, and maintain a small
religious school for the children.
These congregants will not be able
to shoulder this responsibility for-
ever, but in order for new leaders to
emerge the congregation will need
to recruit and retain new members.
It is incumbent on the Detroit
Jewish community to step up and
secure the continuity of this con-
gregation for future generations.
It would be a shame for this com-
munity to allow a synagogue to die
while it could have done something
to prevent it.
As our tradition teaches, kol
Yisrael arevim zeh bazeh we
are all responsible for each other.
—
Rabbi Jason A. Miller
Columbus, Ohio
(former Beit Kodesh rabbinic adviser)
Send contributions to: Beit
Kodesh, Attn. Jeffrey Kirsch, 31840
Seven Mile, Livonia MI 48152.
Vote Affirmatively
As a Jew who has been a victim
of bigotry, even while serving
his country, I oppose Proposal
2 as a non-civil rights initiative
and as an act of prejudice ("Keep
Preferences,""End Preferences:'
Oct. 5, page 29).
Those who think of affirmative
action as unjustified "preferential
treatment" are emptying their
minds of the, to be kind, unfair
treatment that has been meted. out
to those who now require prefer-
ence. Basically and bluntly, black
students are the subject. And the
victims. They are the victims of
more than this proposal.
Most have been victimized
by the poorest of schools in the
poorest of neighborhoods, with
little community effort to demand
legislative help. Black sports mil-
lionaires offer little meaningful
assistance. Many students receive
neither help nor encouragement at
home, where parents attended sim-
ilar schools, as did their parents.
Federal and state programs for
non-moguls have been almost
vaporized by Iraq and the moguls'
tax gifts, leaving affirmative action
as a hope to correct the disad-
vantage faced by so many black
students.
One day, I hope the miracle of
equality for all will happen, but
let's not lose our minds. So let's
do something Affirmative action
should continue to be something.
Al Best
Farmington Hills
Kadima Successes
I want to thank you for the cover
story "Coloring Their World" about
Kadima (Sept. 28, page 35).
The article, written by Story
Development Editor Keri Guten
Cohen, comes on the heels of our
very successful annual fundraiser
held on Sept. 26 at the Max. In
addition, Kadima received accredi-
tation with an exemplary rating by
the Commission on Accreditation
for Rehabilitation Facilities on Aug.
4.
Thank you for assisting Kadima
to "move forward" with its work to
help those suffering with psychiat-
ric disabilities.
Janette Shallal
executive director
Kadima
Southfield
Corrections
• An incorrect number was listed
with Oct. 19 cover story, "ZAP!
POW! BAM!" (page 49). Those
interested in participating in
the cooking class with Mimi
Markofsky or the film festival-
comic book exhibit for adults
should call 1 (877) SHALOM-3 to
register.
• In "Shitck's A Draw" (Oct. 19,
page 40), one of the couples
attending Kadima's Sept. 26
fundraiser should have been
identified as Evelyn and Harold
Goodman.
MER' 'Oa Don't Know
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ce) Copyright 2006. _Jewish Renaissance Media
6 October 26 2006
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