°Wishing drour ejewisli resents, tkeirfiienek andfitintfy a verb Mid*, M.appy nrcer Xar. degree of violent crime in general. But Jewish leaders and most of the district's Jews vehemently deny the gang-violence argument, often heard after 17-year-old Rudy Haddad was attacked on June 21. Haddad ended up in a coma at the time. Prosecutors in that case are charg- ing two young men with "attempted murder and group violence aggravated by their anti-Semitic character." For his part, Thierry is exasperated by the notion that the incidents stem from gang violence. "These gangs don't exist — all that is just a media circus:' he said. He cited a French TV report quoting the secretary of the National Police Union as saying the Sept. 6 incident "might not be anti-Semitic but just a settling of scores between gangs." Gang Warfare? Yet despite such reports, in the first days following the crime, many offi- cials and the French media suggested the attack appeared different from the one on Rudy Haddad, mainly because the victims — one in law school and all in rigorous academic programs — did not appear involved in inter- ethnic skirmishes. Thierry's son Dan said a stone was thrown at his group of friends, ages 17 and 18, as they walked to one of their homes between Sabbath services. The encounter quickly turned violent, he said, involving at least one set of brass knuckles, when one of the three Jewish teens approached the stone throwers — boys they recognized from the neighborhood — and then refused to fight. The Jews went to the hospital with JFS Continuing Education West Bloomfield-based Jewish Family Service has scheduled the next ses- sion of its Continuing Professional Education Series for social workers and nursing home administrators, 1-4 p.m Thursday, Oct. 16, at the Jewish Community Center in West Bloomfield. "The Changing Face of Long Term Care" will be led by Stephen A. Moses, president, Center for Long-Term Care Reform in Seattle, Wash. The program has been approved by the Michigan Continuing Education Collaborative and will provide 3.0 contact hours for Licensed Social Workers (LMSW or LBSW). The Michigan Board of Nursing Home Administrators has approved the con- minor fractures. Dan's left cheek was fractured and his lip was cut. Richard Prasquier, the president of the Jewish umbrella group CRIF, said the fact that one of the alleged suspects may have been Jewish "com- plicated" the affair but still did not negate the anti-Jewish nature of the crime. "The police say it's not anti-Semitic if a Jew is involved; but for me, if you throw a stone at a youth wear- ing a kipah, it's anti-Semitic:' he said. "There was an anti-Semitic nature to this attack!" Though the National Bureau of Vigilance Against Anti-Semitism said such crime is down across France this year, in the 19th district it has doubled from 14 to 28 incidents. Meanwhile, the families targeted by the latest violence are left to cope with the trauma. "I told him what I've always told him," a visibly distraught Thierry said. "I tell him that we live in France and so, unfortunately, these things are common. I tell him, `You're Jewish, be careful, but I can't stop him from living!' Thierry, whose family immigrated to France from Algeria, said he would never ask his son to hide his religious identity and has no plans to leave the neighborhood, though many of his Jewish neighbors have "had enough" and have moved to safer areas. His father's explanation hasn't made it any easier for Dan, who started the school year in an optometry program, to understand why wearing a kipah was such a crime. "I'm proud of putting my kipah on:' said Dan. "Why that's a provocation I don't understand. It's my religion!' ❑ tinuing education program for three credit hours. Contact hours for nursing are pending. Content is also appropri- ate for CPAs. Moses is an expert and innovator in long-term care. The Center for Long Term-Care Reform is a private, non- partisan think tank and public policy organization dedicated to ensuring quality long-term care. There is a charge. Course materials are included. Reservations are required by Oct. 10, to Stephanie Appel, (248) 592-2667, or e-mail Sappel@jfsdetroit. org for more information. For information about licensure and credentialing for social work in Michigan, contact Robin Mingus, (517) 487-1548 x107 or mingus@ nasw-michigan.org . Wi invite tie 054-avid senior community tojoin us nextyearfor many "QTArry-ee" kofiatays. Erickson® Novi, MI 4837 Retirement Communities ince 1983 , Jasori, Feld West Bloomfield Township Treasurer Most Experienced •16 years Financial Experience •Corporate Controller at The Farbman Group Most Knowledgeable •Master in Accounting, Walsh College •Bachelor of Business Administration, Western Michigan University Most Trusted •Retiring Treasurer, Denise D. Hammond, endorses Feld as her successor •And hundreds more endorsements • Jason married Franci Lopatin at Adat Shalom in .1995 • Father of three • Recent Maccabi Host Family • Member of ZOA EXPERIENCE YOU CAN COUNT ON www.votefeld.com (248) 302-3377 Paid for by the Committee to Elect Jason Feld 5577 Abington, W. Bloomfield, Nil 48322 JIM September 25 2008 A55