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American-Born from page A48
Complete kitchen and bathroom remodeling as well as furniture
design and installations including granite, wood and other materials.
up-and-down place far exceeds the size
of the country
We still hold our breath when we
hear the five short beeps announcing
the half-hour news updates. We need to
know the country is still functioning,
like touching a hip pocket to make sure
the wallet is still there. All the while, we
are cutting each other off on the roads,
jumping queues in the bank, letting
our laundry drip onto our downstairs
neighbor's balcony and a thousand
other in-your-face behaviors that irri-
tate and annoy.
There are reasons, I tell myself: sur-
vival against overwhelming odds, six
decades and seven wars in which we
Lois Haron Allied Member ASID 248.851.6989
p,MAT
`4\
In 1925•
Your grandmothers dreamed of a Jewish homeland.
They formed Yiddish speaking dubs called Pioneer
Women—Golda came and organized English speaking
dubs...Your mothers joined and carried on the dream.
•
Along the way, Pioneer Women became NA'AMAT
USA... Now, we need you, the next generation to
continue the dream to make a better life a reality for
women, children, and families in Israel...
JOIN NA'AMAT USA
WE SALUTE ISRAEL ON THEIR 60TH ANNIVERSARY.
We haven't lost our pioneering spirit. We just changed our name.
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
NAME:
ADDRESS:
PHONE:
Annual Dues: $36/Life Membership $250
Send to NA'AMAT - Greater Detroit Council
25900 Greenfield Rd., Suite 205D
Oak Park, MI 48237
248-967-4750 • 248-967-4751
FREE *s *A C A*A ni
bicz*thola6 * JA R * ecIFT
TO CELEBRATE ISRAEL'S 60TH
(248) 932-0800 • 6646 Telegraph Road at Maple
BLOOMFIELD PLAZA
www.stevesdeli.com
A50
may 15 • 2008
Yitzhak Rabin and King Hussein of
Jordan making peace in 1994.
were outnumbered, endless skirmishes,
Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, only two peace
treaties, dozens of terror attacks, more
than 1 million new immigrants.
And yet, though constantly under
siege from all sides and seemingly
without hope, this small country, the
Middle East's only democracy, forged
from 2,000 years of aspirations and the
ashes of the 6 million, remains a mod-
ern miracle. Most peoples facing the
adversities we've faced would have long
ago packed it in and moved to Miami
or Uganda.
Maybe we are moving too fast. I am
still grateful and amazed when hot
water comes out of the tap and the ATM
machine works.
Moving Forward
As an American Israeli, I remember
how 30 years ago you had to book an
appointment at the central post office to
place a phone call overseas. In just three
decades, Israel has become a leader
in telecommunications and everyone
knows Israelis love their cell phones
— loudly.
Israel continues its lead in the
multi-million dollar high-tech indus-
try because it takes the same kind of
chutzpah it took to create a Jewish
state: innovation, flexibility, creativ-
ity, determination and the willingness
to take risks — all crucial whether
you are building a country or a better
microchip.
Last year's domestic growth of more
than 5 percent was larger than that
of the U.S. and the country's gross
national product exceeded that of many
European nations. Exports from Israel,
this small country with few resources,
total billions of dollars for the country's
farmers, high-tech companies biotech
and more.
As an American Israeli, I know it's
getting crowded here no matter which
borders you look at. Israel's population
has exploded from 600,000 in 1948 to
well over 7 million. Housing is in short
supply, but building is everywhere.
Citrus groves are sadly giving way
to urban sprawl. Kibbutzim are selling
off their lands to hungry real estate
developers, who are mostly creating
upscale projects for wealthy diaspora
Jews who are never going to live here.
The only middle-income building
going on is in what are referred to as
the disputed West Bank territories of
Maaleh Adumim and Beitar Elite, seen
as obstacles to the peace process.
As an American Israeli, I remember
how 30 years ago, one would board a
dusty Egged bus with open windows
and make the three-hour trip between
Jerusalem and Tel Aviv along the wind-
ing single-lane road. Now, our expan-
sive network of highways is clogged
with single drivers sitting in air-con-
ditioned Mazdas and SUVs, crawling
along at a snail's pace.
As an American Israeli, I approach
the country's 61st year with pride and
with trepidation. We are a tiny country
with huge problems. We are far from
peace and secure borders. We swing
between the heroic and the horrific. We
don't always like what happens here, but
we love our feisty, brave country despite
the flaws and shortcomings.
So did this American Israeli celebrate
on Independence Day? Damn right!
First, we mourned those who have
fallen in defense of this country and
then, as the flag is returned to full mast,
we rejoiced. We fired up the barbecue,
poured a glass of Israeli wine, put some
Israeli tunes on the CD player, and
toasted the 60-year-old young miracle.
There is a reason we were brought
back to our homeland, and we haven't
lost our hope. ❑
Idele Ross Slepkov grew up in Livonia. She
is a senior broadcast journalist with Israel
Radio's English news service. She also is a
freelance writer and translator. She is proud
that she is known as "the Motown queen"
of Jerusalem.