Letters
Jewish Home Needed
Please allow me to take issue with some
of the statements made as well as make
an addition in your article about Jewish
Home and Aging Services, which is doing
an excellent job in the areas that it now
serves ("A Century Of Senior Care July 5,
page 26).
First, the addition; no mention was
made of the Oak Park facilities for the
aged, which existed long before the devel-
opment of the Detroit Jewish community's
West Bloomfield campus.
Following the announcement of the
local closings of Borman Hall and Prentis
Manor, my husband and I spent many
hours meeting with those in charge in an
effort to keep a Jewish owned and run,
nonprofit skilled nursing home in our
area. Our efforts failed.
Many locals believe that Danto Health
Care Center in West Bloomfield and
Menorah House in Southfield replaced
Borman and Prentis as the "Jewish
nursing homes." Not so; they are both
privately owned, for-profit facilities that
serve all races and religions. Danto has
a long-term lease on the Eugene and
Marcia Applebaum Jewish Community
Campus and a noncompete agreement
with Federation. Both homes have a lim-
ited number of Medicaid beds that are
assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.
Years ago an ill, elderly uncle with very
limited resources entered Borman Hall.
When his funds were depleted, there was
no issue of his being allowed to remain
and was well taken care of until his death.
That was the way it was done when
Borman was owned and run by Federation.
Turning the clock forward to recent
years, I am personally aware of two
instances of patients having to leave
Danto because there were no Medicaid
beds available when their ability to pay
ended. One was able to be placed at
Menorah, but the other had to go to a non-
Jewish Medicaid facility. This would not
have happened when Borman existed.
In many cases, it does make fiscal sense
to privatize a service. Taking care of our
ill Jewish poor should not be a matter of
dollars and cents, but our obligation as a
community. They should not have to live
No Easy Solution
Thank you, Arthur Horwitz and the
Jewish News for supporting the
Publisher's Letter charge to "Reinvigorate
Jewish Detroit!" (July 12, page 5). As a
relative newcomer to Ann Arbor, I find
your suggestions for Detroit's Jewish com-
munity on target. The shock of Pfizer's
departure leaves no doubt that Ann Arbor
cannot afford to be isolated from Detroit.
I encourage members of Federation's
task force to consider recommendations
emphasizing arts and culture. These are
vehicles to engage young entrepreneurs
Debbie lwrey
with innovative gusto to establish the next
West Bloomfield
ePrize, Telemus or Great Lakes Electronics.
The University of Michigan's Frankel
Wrong Comparison
Center for Judaic Studies and new Frankel
I was quite surprised to read Rabbi Yehuda Institute for Advanced Judaic Studies are
Burnham's Community View, "The Power
poised to bolster such efforts. The Frankel
of Tisha B'Av" (July 19, page 26). Rabbi
Center's annual lectures, films and exhib-
Burnham includes the exodus from Gaza
its nourish inquisitive minds and foster
by Israel with all of the unspeakable
creativity in the emerging generation.
tragedies that have devastated the Jewish
Judaic studies students are the best
people over the past 2,000 years.
equipped to serve Jewish communal orga-
The movement out of Gaza did not
nizations through inventive internships
begin on Tisha b'Av, but rather the elected and educational partnerships. Each year,
Israeli government under Prime Minister
the Frankel Institute will draw visiting
Ariel Sharon waited until after Tish b'Av to scholars from Europe, Israel and across
begin the exit. This decision was carried
the Americas, providing a dynamic envi-
out with approval from both the Israeli
ronment connecting students and young
cabinet and the Knesset, and it was done
people to the global community.
to reduce danger to our brothers and sis-
I do not think that there is a "one-
ters in Israel.
switch" simple answer to our region's
Israel could not longer control 1.5-mil-
problems. But, as Horwitz explained, this
lion impoverished people who would
region has more to celebrate than we give
ultimately have had to be granted voting
it credit for and recognizing assets is criti-
power in Israeli elections. Although not
cal to any solution.
everyone agreed with the move at the
Deborah Dash Moore
time, and violence into the remainder of
director, Frankel Center for Judaic Studies
Israel has not been entirely curbed, the
University of Michigan
situation in Gaza was to become uncon-
Ann Arbor
trollable, and the financial cost of the con-
tinued occupation was overwhelming.
A Vibrant Hillel
Surely, this unilateral decision should
In the wake of the firing of top administra-
not be compared to the destruction of the
tors at Eastern Michigan University after
Temple and the other horrific occurrences the tragic death of a student, the university
that actually did fall on Tisha b'Av.
is undergoing intensive self-examination
Harvey Bronstein
and will undoubtedly become stronger and
Southfield
more amenable to its students and faculty.
There are approximately 1,000 Jewish
college students on the campus from all
branches of Judaism — affiliated and
unaffiliated, secular to religious.
in Medicaid homes in the inner city iso-
lated from family, friends and the Jewish
community.
Other metropolitan areas with smaller
Jewish populations than ours have Jewish
owned and run, nonprofit homes for the
aged. Check out the following Web site and
its links for a multitude of information
about Jewish homes for the aged in North
America www.ajas.org/jar/Search.aspx.
Our baby boomers are growing older
and the need for nursing home care can
only increase. Planning for the future must
start now.
Merle Schwartz, president
Clara Silver, director
Hillel at Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti
Follow The Flame
The Jewish News has delivered to the local
community a one-two punch. First, its
publisher challenged the business, finan-
cial and professional worlds to invigorate
Jewish young people with the view and
spirit of opportunity (Publisher's Letter,
"Reinvigorate Jewish Detroit!" July 12,
page 5). The next week, its editor noted the
efforts that must be coordinated by Jewish
educators and organizations in order to
encourage 'the younger generation to
return home" (Editor's Letter, "Grappling
With Continuity," July 19, page 5).
An emergency task force should be
established from each and every Jewish
area. However, the lead should come from
our independent business leaders and
entrepeneurs! The Federation cannot do
it all alone. The Jewish News has started a
fire among us. Now, let's keep it going.
Mort Horwitz
West Bloomfield
riumEr 'cha Don't Know
How to Send Letters
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lqqed laN3 eta :Ja ► suy
©Copyright 2007, Jewish Renaissance Media
6
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ing and future students and their parents
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Our very active Hillel house is an envi-
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Hillel at Eastern Michigan University
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to enriching the lives of Jewish students so
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July 26 = 2007