Editor's Letter

Corning Of Age

L

aura Nicole Walker is a 27-year-old Michigan native
facing the challenges of working as a business pro-
fessional and synagogue teacher. Astute as she is,
the West Bloomfield resident feels incredibly naive. She can't
imagine what a bad day is like for her
Darfur peers living amid a deadly civil
war between the Sudan government
and rebel forces.
Well, neither can I.
Torture is prevalent in the war-torn
African nation of Sudan. The harsh
reality is that at least 400,000 people
have been killed in Darfur in western
Sudan over the past three years. The
fighting has forced 2 million civilians
to flee their homes. They now live in
displaced-persons camps in Sudan or
refugee camps in neighboring Chad.
The "Save Darfur" Web site (www.savedarfur.org ) leaves
nothing to the imagination: "Not since the Rwandan genocide
of 1994 has the world seen such a calculated campaign of dis-
placement, starvation, rape and mass slaughter."
International relief has provided lifelines for 3.5 million
Sudanese of all ages. Sudan President Omar al-Bashir has
agreed to a ceasefire in hopes of spurring renewed peace
talks, but it's fragile at best. Hunger, homelessness and despair
remain pervasive.
Walker grew up in the Lansing area and worshipped at
Congregation Shaarey Zedek in East Lansing. Today, she is an
account manager for an Oakland County publishing company.
She also is a music teacher for sixth- and seventh-graders at
Adat Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills.

What Stirred Her

Walker isn't a news junkie so didn't learn about the Darfur
crisis until last spring. She was so shocked by the Sudanese
killing fields that, on the spur of the moment, she joined the
Detroit2Darfur Coalition that was headed to the Save Darfur
Rally To Stop Genocide on April 29 in Washington. She felt an
intense feeling to help in any way that she could.
"What most disturbs me is closing my eyes and trying to
imagine the noise that must go on in a refugee camp:' Walker
told me last week.
"I picture images of young children picking up guns, des-
peration — people not wanting to fall asleep for fear of what
the night might bring. A nauseating consciousness of not
knowing where their family and friends are is very realit's
just not a tolerable thing to grasp in 2007, when we have so
many ways to reach out to each other."
The Washington rally convinced her to try to do more
outreach on behalf of the survivors in Darfur. Since 2003, the
people of Darfur have been caught in the crossfire pitting
Sudanese armed forces and the Sudanese government-backed
militia Janjaweed against two rebel groups, the Sudanese
Liberation Army/Movement and the Justice and Equality
Movement. The rebels supposedly want Sudanese leaders to
solve the riddle of underdevelopment and the political mar-
ginalization of the region.
A post-rally handout from the Jewish Community Council
of Metropolitan Detroit asking "What can you do in your
community to help?" prompted months of soul searching by
Walker.

"The whole Darfur situation just
haunted me:' she said. "I knew I wanted
to do something, and it's really easy to
talk yourself out of things when you won-
der if it will really matte

Making A Difference

Walker stood firm and decided to host
High Tea at the Townsend as a fundraiser
Laura Walker
for the Sudanese people struck by the
blows of civil unrest. The event, themed
Raise Your Glass To Freedom!, is her first
attempt at organized humanitarianism.
She hopes to attract 50 participants will-
ing to make a minimum donation of $75.
"I would like to help people who can-
not help themselves:' Walker said. "At the
same time, I hope to contribute to our
community's awareness, even if it is as
Rabbi Tisdale
simple as a conversation or presentation
about what is happening in Sudan."
Walker will tag proceeds from the tea
for shelter, food and medical care for the
displaced Sudanese.
Ultimately, thoughtful execution nur-
tures grassroots activism far more than
just good ideas. Jewish leadership doesn't
always have to arise from communal
organizations. Agents of social change
also may sprout from a profoundly trans-
P.J. Cherrin
forming experience such as what Walker
described.
Says the JCCouncil's P.J. Cherrin, who has inspired Walker:
"Jewish leadership means recognizing an opportunity to
shape the hearts and minds of others, then standing up and
taking action:"
That's, of course, what Walker is doing. And we need more
people, especially young people, doing the same.
Rabbi Jennifer Tisdale of Temple Israel in West Bloomfield
also took part in the Save Darfur Rally last April. She doesn't
know Walker, but admires her through their common interest
in the Sudanese cause. "We need people who use their voice
and their talents to benefit those who have no voice;' Rabbi
Tisdale said.
As Jews, we are commanded to pursue both justice and
righteousness — and to protect others who cannot protect
themselves. As Rabbi Tisdale so eloquently put it: "We value
life above everything else. As we are taught, if you save one
life, it is as though you are saving the entire world:'

High Tea at the Townsend will be held from noon to 3 p.m. on

Sunday, Feb. 25, at the Townsend Hotel, 100 Townsend St.,

Birmingham. The program includes luncheon, tea, a silent auction

and a speaker. Direct queries to Laura Nicole Walker at

walkax3@gmail.com.

!C) : How much do you know about the plight
W of Sudanese civilians?

z z
50
et.

Have you ever been motivated to host a
community fundraiser?

271 WEST MAPLE
DOWNTOWN BIRMINGHAM
248.258.0212

SUNDAY 12-5
MONDAY-SATURDAY 10-6
THURSDAY 10-9

February 8 2007

5