Letters
Fighting Campus Hatred
Kudos to the IN for continuing to cover
the important issue of campus anti-
Semitism, most recently in special writer
Don Cohen's April 5 article "An American
Problem" (page 14) and in Robert Sklar's
April 12 Editor's Letter "Worsening
Campus Ferment" (page 5).
How should this issue be dealt with?
One possibility is for the university to
create a seminar program requiring the
participation of students engaged in anti-
Semitic acts. Participation by them would
be mandatory as a requirement for grad-
uation. The program would be headed by
a professor who is a good teacher.
How would it work? The instruc-
tor would identify topics for classroom
debate, related to the Arab-Israeli con-
flict. To satisfy the requirement, the anti-
Semitic student would have to take part
in a number of classroom debates, adopt-
ing a pro-Israeli position. The student's
performance would be graded as follows:
zero for unsatisfactory; one for satisfac-
tory; two for superior.
After earning say 10 points, the pro-
gram-requirement would be met.
Who would be this student's adversary?
Ideally, it would be a pro-Israeli student
taking a pro-Arab position in a debate.
This student's participation would be vol-
untary but necessary.
By undertaking such a program, Wayne
State University in Detroit would be tak-
ing a step forward in becoming the kind
of university President Irvin D. Reid envi-
sions in his April 12 letter ("Freedom,
Tolerance, Respect:' page 6) and one
which Jewish students would want to
apply for admission.
Irving Warshawsky
West Bloomfield
Applause To Pelosi
In the JN editorial "Pelosi's Peace" (April
19, page 31), your indication that U.S.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's constitu-
tional role is "not to engage in foreign
policy" parallels the 1950s mentality that
women should stay in the house and "not
engage in the outside workplace."
Since the Bush administration has
abrogated its responsibilities with
its failed policies in Iraq, Iran, Latin
America, Korea and
the Middle East,
Congress, under
the leadership of
the speaker, must
engage in oversight.
Lack of transpar-
ency requires
Congress to oversee
and examine its
policy and repre-
Nancy Pelosi
sent the American
people. To follow
this administration, as you would prefer,
would be tantamount to directing more
ships in the Titanic's wake.
I applaud the speaker in her efforts to
engage in these public policy discussions.
David C. Sloan
Huntington Woods
Amazing Education
I found myself reading Helene Brody's
Community View numerous times
("Hillel Day School's Expance," April 5,
page 26). The article expressed what we
see daily as Hillel parents. Her passion
and accurate portrayal of Hillel is truly
and wholeheartedly what has led us to
transfer our two oldest children from the
public school system three years ago.
Our children are very happy for vari-
ous reasons. They enjoy the small class-
room setting, which enables them to get
the individual attention each student
deserves. They love the dynamics of the
open discussions during their classes.
This has allowed them to become inde-
pendent thinkers in which their opinions
are not only heard but also appreci-
ated. This style of teaching and learn-
ing enables them to aspire to think and
develop on a higher level.
The Judaic curriculum has been spe-
cial to their experience as well. Learning
about our people and the history of
Judaism is imperative. But just as impor-
tant, to ascertain what being a Jew means
today and how being part of a com-
munity is crucial to our existence. What
more could a parent want than a solid
foundation for their children academi-
cally, culturally and socially?
Our only regret is that we had not
considered Hillel when our oldest was
entering kindergarten. There was a mis-
conception that our personal level of
religiousness and lifestyle didn't "qualify"
our child to become a Hillel student.
It was mere ignorance and a sense of
intimidation on our part. We should have
inquired and taken the small amount of
time to investigate our choices for educa-
tion.
We hope that our children, along with
all Hillel students and graduates enter
into adulthood with the realization of
how fortunate and privileged they were
to receive such an amazing education
while being part of a wonderful, loving
community.
Farmington Hills
This Month In History:
The Holocaust Remembered
April 29, 1945: American soldiers
liberated the Dachau concentration
camp in Bavaria. Dachau was the first
of SS-organized concentration camps,
created to incarcerate "enemies of
the regime," trade unionists and polit-
ical opponents. Jews were a distinct
minority of the prisoners at Dachau.
Advancing on Dachau, American
troops interrupted a death march of
prisoners led by fleeing Nazis. Upon
reaching the camp, they found 30
coal cars filled with bodies, all in an
advanced state of decomposition. The
Americans tried 40 of the concentra-
April 19, 1950: The Ghetto Fighters'
House (Belt Lohamei ha-Getta'ot)
was established at Kibbutz Lohamei
ha-Getta'ot in Israel by a group of
former ghetto fighters and partisans.
The house serves as a memorial and
research and documentation cen-
ter on the Holocaust period and on
Jewish resistance under Nazi rule in
Europe.
Taken from Encyclopaedia Judaica, 2nd Edition, 2007,
wymencyclopaediajudiaca.com . 0 2007, Thomson Gale
How to Send Letters
We prefer letters relating to JN articles. We reserve the right to edit or
-Goldfein
in3pauuo0lo uewiaqan aor •ues pueluownA to siepues pieweg -dad :Jemsuy
April 26 2007
tion camp officials; 36 were sentenced
to death. Of the other war criminals,
260 were sentenced to death, and
498 to imprisonment.
MN*
There are two members of Congress whose party identity is independent.
Both are Jewish. Can you name them?
6
Donna and Maddy Wise
Amy and Eric Grosinger
SLEMET 'cha Don't Know
OCopyright 2007, Jewish Renaissance Media
Correction
An April 19 story, "Book Power" (page
35), incorrectly identified a local school.
It was Pine Lake Elementary where
Donna and Maddy Wise, pictured below,
watched "Uncle Marc" Friedman's presen-
tation on building a school in Mali, West
Africa.
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