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America Urged To Isolate Iran
Latest From Israel
Robert Sklar
Bayh urged the new president and Congress to bring a
sense of urgency to changing the course of events in Iran.
"The clock is ticking and time is not on our side,' he said.
"If events keep going the way they are, some time in the next
ran is the foremost state sponsor of terror today.
four years, it seems to me, Iran will achieve a nuclear capa-
So says U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., who keynoted
bility."
Yeshiva Beth Yehudah's annual community dinner on
He added, "We have had some success in cutting off Iran's
Nov. 2 at Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center Hotel.
access
to global banking systems. This must continue'
Sen. Bayh
"Iran's president calls for destruction of Israel and to envi-
Bayh further suggested travel bans, diplomatic restrictions
sion a world without the United States of America," Bayh told
and disrupting Iran's ability to import gasoline. "Make Iran a
the more than 2,000 dinner guests honoring the 94-year-old
pariah state among the community of nations:' he said.
Southfield-based day school. "The Iranians frequently refer to us as
The senator ended his remarks on an upbeat note.
the Great Satan. They're feverishly seeking nuclear weapons:'
"If you look at all the challenges that we face today:' he said, "there
This scenario threatens not only Israel, but the stability of the
is every reason for people to verge on being pessimistic. But I am not
Middle East. It would set off a nuclear arms race there. "This is some-
one of those people. I am optimistic about the future of our country.
thing we simply cannot allow to happen:' Bayh said.
"I am optimistic about the future of America and the future of
Bayh, 52, was elected to the Senate in 1998 and re-elected in 2004,
Israel because I believe we are exceptional nations placed upon this
after serving as Indiana's governor. He serves on the Senate's intel-
Earth to realize the highest aspirations of mankind. I believe that our
ligence and armed services committees. He spent three weeks on a
two great nations will rank both on the right side of human history
kibbutz while a student at Indiana University.
and the right side of human nature"
Editor
I
❑
Making Advocacy Easy
The Detroit Jewish community now can instantly send e-mail let-
ters to the editors of local newspapers and to elected officials, thanks
to a new "e-advocacy" feature on the Jewish Community Relations
Council's Web site: detroitjcrc.org .
Individuals simply select from a menu of local newspapers or have
the Web site determine the appropriate members of Congress or state
legislators for their letters, based on their home address. E-mails also
can be sent to the president or the governor.
This new "e-advocacy" feature can be accessed through the "What
You Can Do" box on Council's Web site home page. Each message/let-
ter arrives as an e-mail from the sender, rather than from Council's
site.
While Web site visitors can send letters through the system on any
subject they choose, the new feature is particularly valuable for mobi-
lizing grassroots messaging on specific issues. Background informa-
tion, talking points and sample letters will often be provided to letter
writers on the Web site.
In addition to using this feature to support its own policy initia-
tives, Council will make the feature available to its member organiza-
tions for their grassroots efforts.
- Keri Guten Cohen, story development editor
A Safe Place To Play
Kids in Sderot, Israel, soon will have a secure indoor play area without
fear of Hamas-fired missiles. Families last week attended a ceremony
at the colorful facility, being funded and built by the Jewish National
Fund. The 20,000-square-foot facility is being developed in a former
textile factory. The $5 million project, begun in May, should be com-
pleted in January.
"During periods of rocket attacks, there is nowhere for kids to go,
except to school and then back home said JNF President Stanley
Chesley."At a time of uneasy quiet when most Israel Defense Forces
analysts believe that Hamas and other terror groups in the Gaza Strip
are rearming, JNF also is using the time-out to complete this impor-
tant project for the children of Sderot and surrounding communities!'
A10
November 13 • 2008
"The center will benefit the community for recreation, education
and become a source of pride for the children and their families:'
said JNF CEO Russell Robinson. "It will give parents something they
deserve —the laughter of their children"
The play area can accommodate 500 people and is divided into two
areas to separate infants and toddlers from older children. It features
a media and computer center, a climbing wall, a birthday party area
and a cafeteria as well as an enclosed mini soccer field that doubles as
a disco in the evening. Psychologists will be present to serve kids and
parents. Seniors use the facility in the morning for social activities. A
medical station will be available.
The structure is designed with multiple reinforced shelters that also
serve as functional interior areas. The compartmentalized shelters
provide instant protection when alarms warning imminent attack give
a 15-second advance warning.
About 5,000 kids live in Sderot and surrounding communities.
- Robert Sklar, editor
Books About Israel
The Association of Jewish Libraries has released its new "Israel@60"
suggested reading list, with more than 30 titles on Israel for adults
and children. The list includes fiction and non-fiction, and offers a
brief description of each book. Web sites and videos on Israel for
adults and children are listed as well.
The Israel@60 reading list is available in pdf format on the
Association of Jewish Libraries Web site at www.jewishlibraries.org .
"Books about Israel are written from so many points of view, some
friendly, some not:' said Susan Dubin, president of the Association of
Jewish Libraries. "With the 60th birthday of the State of Israel being
celebrated this year, we felt the time was right to showcase books with
a positive view of the country's history and achievements:'
The Israel@60 reading list was compiled by Association of Jewish
Libraries member Andrea Rapp, librarian at the Isaac M. Wise Temple
in Cincinnati, Ohio, and an expert on the topic of Israel.
- Ken Guten Cohen, story development editor
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