Letters Retire HMC Debt But does the HMC have to change its Alan Zekelman, along with his brothers name to the Zekelman Family Holocaust Barry and Clayton, is to be commended Memorial Center? for the enormously generous gift of $10 I understand how it feels to have one's million to the Holocaust Memorial Center loved ones who have perished memorial- in Farmington Hills ("$10 Million Gift," ized. When I see my brother's name in the Jan. 25, page 15). The facility has appropri- Kenny Goldman Basketball League at the ately been renamed the Zekelman Family Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Holocaust Memorial Center. Detroit, I feel that he's still there with us The gift comes at an especially perilous — and hopefully a little part of each child time. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and others have been aggressively fanning the flames of anti-Semitism with their hate-filled rhetoric denying the Holocaust. Globally, anti- Semitism is on the rise. The Zekelmans' gift clearly demonstrates the commitment of the Jewish people to preserving the memory of 6 million Jewish men, women and children who perished Zekelman Family Holocaust Memorial Center during the Holocaust and to ensure that the lessons of history will never be forgotten. who plays basketball. The Zekelmans have set a magnificent But putting any name in front of the example for others to follow. Many in our "Holocaust Memorial Center" feels wrong. community are financially capable of The Holocaust is a horrifying word that making a similar impact. The Holocaust stands alone for the destruction of at least Memorial Center has a remaining debt of 6 million Jews. And the words "Holocaust $2.8 million. If the Zekelmans can donate Memorial" are meaningful because of $10 million as a family, it is entirely rea- the memories they stir of the loss — the sonable that our collective community can unbelievable loss — of so many wondrous retire the debt. lives. The late Simon Wiesenthal once said, Everyone who lost their loved ones are "Survival is a privilege which entails obliga- part of that same loss. tions. I am forever asking myself what I can I simply hope that the simple name, do for those who have not survived." The "Holocaust Memorial Center," will still Zekelman brothers have acted. Can you? remain the same. others so that they know there are treat- ments available, there is hope and that there are always better options to explore for those struggling with similar problems. Our brother suffered from untreated anxiety and depression. Many people do not recognize that these mental illnesses are potentially life-threatening medical conditions. In fact, most people who com- mit suicide suffer from diagnosable and treatable mood disorders and many may have co-existent substance-abuse disorders that may be an attempt at self-treatment. In hindsight, there were many clues lead- ing up to Mark's suicide that family, friends and loved ones missed. We wish that we would have known better what to do. Shocked and saddened by this loss, but seeking solace in knowing that we could help prevent another suicide, we and friends have formed the Mark A. Heller Foundation: ww-w.markahellerfoundation. org. This is a local not-for-profit charitable organization committed to educating the general public regarding mental illness, substance abuse and diseases that can result in suicide, with a focus on the recog- nition of warning signs and education of what friends, family and loved ones should do once warning signs become apparent. If you wish to contribute please make donations payable to: Mark A. Heller Foundation, P.O. Box 201090, Ferndale, MI 48220. There are many good resources available both in print and online. If you or someone that you know is feeling suicidal or show- ing signs that they may be, please take it seriously and take action. Trained counsel- ors are available 24 hours a day to answer any questions on the issue at (800) 273- TALK and information is available online at www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org . Raymond Dubin Arnie Goldman Daniel Heller, Chicago Farmington Hills Farmington Hills Rachel Heller, Ferndale Keep Same Name It was nice to read that the Holocaust Memorial Center received a $10 million gift from the Zekelman family. I'm sure that Rabbi Charles Rosenzveig was both overjoyed and relieved for the reduction of debt for his inspiring institution ("$10 Million Gift," Jan. 25, page 15). Battling Suicide We would like to thank you for your touching, candid obituary about our beloved brother Mark Heller ("He Cared About Others," Jan. 18, page 73). We are pleased that you chose to con- front the difficult issue of suicide in your paper and would like to help to educate Cary Heller, Farmington Hills Reality At WSU As full-time faculty members at Wayne State University for more than 20 years and as proud members of Detroit's Jewish community, the letter by Harriet Drissman ("Anti-Israel Bias At WSU," page 6) and the article by Don Cohen ("Decision At WSU," t4 nurnEr 'cha Don't Know -Goldfein •liewuag pue epebin8 ipueluu :Jamsuy 6 February 8 2007 Allen C. Goodman, professor of economics Janet R. Hankin, professor of sociology Wayne State University Detroit Nevins' Local Legacy During my 15 months in Metro Detroit, I have been most impressed by the pro- found commitment of Rabbi Daniel Nevins of Adat Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills to building bridges between faith communities ("Nevins Named JTS Dean: Feb. 1, page 17). He is leaving behind a legacy of accom- plishment in interfaith work that will con- tinue to challenge and inspire me. Robert Cohen executive director Jewish Community Council of Metropolitan Detroit Bloomfield Township How to Send Letters We prefer letters relating to IN articles. We reserve the right to edit or Can you name the only three countries to refuse the Nazis' request to deport their Jewish citizens during World War II? :','Copyright 2007, Jewish Renaissance Media page 20) in the Feb. 1 issue describe a uni- versity that is foreign to us. Ms. Drissman refers to "unacceptable anti-Semitic and anti-Israel hatreds" that presumably exist on campus. Mr. Cohen implies that outside political pressures were decisive in a law-school hiring deci- sion. He paraphrases a third-year law student who had been "concerned that the campus environment that has been hostile to Jewish and pro-Israel students" would be exacerbated by the hiring of a single professor. As Jewish faculty members who teach students of all colors and religions, we have never encountered the types of hostility implied in the letter and in the article. The letter writers and the Jewish News continue to refer to the complaints of a single group, StandWithUs, to imply a toxic atmosphere at the university. This is simply not the case. Universities are.places for vigorous debates of all kinds of issues; they are also places that cherish academic freedom and free speech, even if the results are intellec- tually uncomfortable to participants. Detroit and the Jewish community are fortunate to have a high-quality university to educate local students and to provide path-breaking research to the world. Let us have heartfelt and vigorous discussions, but let's also turn down the heat. 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. 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