' T

E Of

Inspiring Israel Journey

Judi Schram

Community View

I

f you will it, it is no dream." This
oft-used Theodore Herzl quote took
on new meaning during my recent
trip to Israel.
Although I had been to Israel twice
before, this was my first Hadassah jour-
ney as part of a national board mission.
Although the days were filled with very
reality-based tours and fascinating,
informational speakers and panels, the
overall experience took on a very dream-
like quality. Upon seeing many of the
buildings and projects for the very first
time, it was a dream come true.
Just as Herzl envisioned, the State of
Israel rose from the desert as a home-
land for the Jewish people, and just as
Henrietta Szold, Hadassah's founder,
decreed, "We are an organization of
Jewish women who believe in the healing
of the soul of the Jewish people as much
as its body." I now fully comprehend how
the projects that we have built and sus-
tain serve to fulfill this mission and are
so integrally intertwined in our home-
land's social and economic viability.
As our delegation of 200 national
board members wended our way through

the country to visit our installations
and historic sites, Hadassah women
were greeted like old friends yet treated
like dignitaries. At the Knesset, Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert addressed our
delegation and was quite sincere as he
intoned: "Hadassah has always been an
integral part of the pride of Jerusalem
across the world. Everyone who comes
to visit from every corner of the world
knows that modern-time Jerusalem is
proud to have one of the most academic,
sophisticated and compassionate health
care centers in the whole world. Thank
you on behalf of Israel."
One could not help but burst with
pride. Better yet, one entire section of
the auditorium seating was filled with
Hadassah's Young Judaeans on Year
Course. As June Walker, our national
president acknowledged, they represent
the future of the Jewish people.

More Experiences
Some other highlights of the mission
(organized by national Hadassah's mis-
sion chair, Metro Detroit's own Annette
Meskin) include:
• Celebrating our arrival at Hadassah
College Jerusalem, Jerusalem's most
highly ranked college that boasts a 100-

percent employ-
ability rate for its
top-notch gradu-
ates. After tour-
ing the different
departments, we
were treated to a
delicious meal pre-
pared by the School
of Culinary Arts.
Although Jerusalem
can be quite chilly
at this time of year,
we were bathed in
the warmth of good
food, dancing and
camaraderie.
Shown at the dedication of the fire truck donated to the Jewish
• Dedicating a
National Fund are Sue Luria of Bloomfield Hills, Judi Schram of
highly specialized
West Bloomfield and Annette Meskin of Sylvan Lake.
fire truck that we
donated to the
Jewish National Fund with funds raised
of state-of-the art facilities that deliver
during our Israel Emergency Solidarity
the finest health care in the region with
Campaign. The need for this innovative
compassionate care.
vehicle was made abundantly clear dur-
• Dedicating the new sports track at
ing the recent Lebanon War as firefight-
Hadassah Neurim Youth Village, designed
ers tried to save the trees of the Biryat
for the Olympic hopefuls that train at
Forest in the north.
Neurim, just one example of the educa-
• Touring the two Hadassah hospital
tion and programming provided to the
sites where we saw how the fruits of our
disadvantaged youth that have been liter-
labors have become realities in the form
ally rescued from countries like Russia,

Building Constructive Dialogue

A

s much as it is often a challenge,
it is necessary to promote inter-
faith understanding among our
faith communities.
Imagine a Detroit-area mosque Web site
calling for boycott with Jews. Then imag-
ine a local Muslim publication promoting
unrealistic preconditions to dialogue with
Jews. Such words will be labeled anti-
Semitic.
For me and many in the Muslim com-
munity, your Editor's Letter "Making
Dialogue Matter" (Feb. 16, page 5), and
calls on the Temple Emanu-El Web site
for suspending dialogue with Muslims,
are perceived as borderline Islamophobic
— and are detrimental to creating the
much-needed dialogue between our com-
munities.
Those of us engaged in building rela-
tions with our cousins, as we Muslim
interfaith partners fondly refer to our
Jewish partners, are sorry to hear Oak
Park Rabbi Joseph Klein's deductions. We
agree with Rabbi Klein when he says that
deep, direct dialogue won't occur unless
each side appreciates and trusts the other.

24

march I

2007

Therefore, refus-
ing conversations
is hardly a recipe to
building that trust or
understanding the
other.
Rabbi Klein is
absolutely correct
when he says Islam
defines itself as the
Victor Ghalib
final expression of
Begg
God's historical mes-
Community.
sage to humanity but
View
the Qur'an (Koran)
also says: "That those that follow the
Jewish scriptures and the Christians, any
who believe in God and work righteous-
ness, shall achieve salvation." (2:62) But
then there are critical verses in the Qur'an,
as they are in all scriptures, that warn
of those who are wrong doers whether
they call themselves Jews, Christians or
Muslims.
Scriptures should be studied as a whole
— not taking individual passages out of
context. We can learn much from each
other. As Muslims, we want to share with

the Jewish community our teachings and
beliefs.
We want you to know that Muslims
who claim for themselves the right to
pass judgment violate the tenets of their
faith — they are then assuming the
Divine role. The Holy Qur'an clearly states,
"Let there be no compulsion in religion"
(2:256), requiring Muslims to believe in
all the Prophets — "Say ye: We believe in
God, and the revelation given to us, and
to Abraham, Ismall, Isaac, Jacob and the
Tribes, and that given to Moses and Jesus,
and that given to (all) prophets from their
Lord: We make no difference between one
and another of them: And we bow to God
(in Islam)."
Islam clearly acknowledges "mutually
authentic religious systems" through the
essential message of either the Bible or
the Torah. It is a religion that has built-in
ecumenism as no other faith. The Qur'an
clearly commands believers: "And dis-
pute ye not with the People of the Book
(Christians and Jews) except with means
better (than mere disputation). We believe
in the Revelation which has come down to

us and in that which came down to you."
(29:26)
Authentic interfaith communications
should not be defined in terms of the
Middle East peace process, as much as
what happens in the Middle East has its
effect on our two faith communities here.
We need to have the difficult conversations
on how both sides are deeply affected by
hateful rhetoric, physical destruction and
loss of precious lives. It is our common
obligation and our collective responsibility
to embrace our rich diversity and uphold
respect for one another, especially during
difficult and challenging times. Muslims
and Jews now live side by side in America.
It is important that our religious and com-
munity leaders take on the challenge of
constructive mutual engagement. If we do
that, especially in Metro Detroit, we can
then hope for peace in the Holy Land ...
with Israel and Palestine prospering side
by side. Li

Victor Ghalib Begg of Bloomfield Hills is

chair of the Detroit-based Council of Islamic

Organizations of Michigan.