LINGER! with Obama because of his past or the color of his skin, but politics and interests are a different story:' he said. "Don't exaggerate hopes nor give people high expectations so that no one is disappointed or makes miscal- culations." Israel Russia Travel Up Moscow/JTA — Air travel between Moscow and Tel Aviv increased more than threefold since the two countries began a visa-free regime, Russia's ambassador to Israel said. The visa- free flow of Russians to Israel has caused few problems since it began in September. The Israeli government expects the number of Russian visi- tors to increase fivefold next year. The increased passenger load has led to a bottleneck in charter and international flights. Israeli officials said it would be difficult to allow more flights from Russia if Russia does not allow Israeli companies to conduct charter flights. - Gore Chief Joins Biden Washington/JTA — The chief of staff for Vice President Al Gore will assume the same role for Joe Biden. Ron Klain accepted the post for the vice president-elect on Wednesday, Politico. com reported. He becomes the second Jewish Clinton administration veteran to serve in a top executive position for President-elect Barack Obama. U.S. Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., will serve as White House chief of staff. Klain, who helped coordinate Gore's claims in the 2000 presidential recount, later returned to a law practice. Olmert Gives G.A. Address Jerusalem/JTA — Peace with Israel's neighbors is "within reach;' Ehud Olmert said in what was most likely his final official speech before a major North American audience. Olmert, speaking Sunday night at the open- ing plenary of the United Jewish Communities' General Assembly in Jerusalem, said he will continue to push for peace with the Palestinians and Syria in his remaining days as prime minister. Israel holds general elections Feb. 10. "Peace with our neighbors we leave to our children," he said. "It is within reach:' Before 3,000 to 4,000 lay and profes- sional leaders of the North American Jewish federation system gathered at the International Convention Center, Olmert lauded some of his accomplish- ments as prime minister and stressed the importance of a positive relation- ship between Israel and the diaspora. Celebrating 62 Years in Business 65 S. Old Woodward • Birmingham Wiese! Meets French Youth Paris/JTA — Elie Wiesel answered questions from French high school- ers in honor of his 80th birthday. "All this is a surprise, all this touches me a lot," the Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize winner told a crowd of students Nov. 13 who wished him a belated happy birthday before talking about Holocaust com- memoration. Wiesel, who was born Sept. 30, 1928, in Romania, spent the first 10 years after World War II in France. The event organized by Oeuvre de Secours aux Enfants, or OSE, was co-run by the City Council as part of an annual program to teach youth about the Holocaust through visits to former concentration camps. "You are now witnesses," Wiesel said, "because whoever listens to a witness becomes one in turn:' His candor and eloquence visibly captivat- ed the religiously mixed crowd, mostly from neighboring Paris suburbs. Pierre Marie Gandillot, 17, said that hearing Wiesel speak would help him talk to "extremists" who might be offensive about the Holocaust. "What they say will have be like an echo now of what we talked about here he said. Gandillot also noted that even at 80, "You can feel he's still got all his energy" The OSE housed Wiesel at 16 in France after he was liberated from the Buchenwald concentration camp in 1945. 248-642-2555 Hours: Mon-Sat 9:30-6:W Ostudio36.com OUR NVOITORY THE JIN! Located inside the JN headquarters at 29200 Northwestern Highway, Suite 110, Southfield (Next to Fishbones) LIMITED TIME! ALL INVENTORY 0/0 Answering Israel's Critics OFF* *While supplies last. Valid thru 12/24/08 The Charge The Iranian news media last week criticized Israel's sanctions against the terrorist-controlled Gaza strip, saying that there is a severe short- age of medicine and hospital sup- plies there. sTudio36.com • 866.583.2422 KOH' CRKORyNow until The Answer While maintaining strict sanctions in order to put pressure on the Hamas leadership to renounce terrorism, Israel permits nearly 100 trucks car- rying humanitarian aid, including food and medicines, to cross from Israel into Gaza every day. — Allan Gale, Jewish Community Relations Council of Metropolitan Detroit © Nov. 20, 2008, Jewish Renaissance Media Thanksgiving! S O. OFF I any purchase over $100.00. Sale merchandise included! Limit one transaction per I customer. Prior Sales, special orders and layaways excluded. I 6525 Telegraph Rd @ Maple Hours: Mon. — Fri. 10 am. — 6 p.m.' Sat. 10 a.m. — 5:30 p.m. 248 203-905U November 20 • 2008 A31