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Thanks, Mahmoud
My wife and I recently returned from
a trip to Israel and Egypt. The trip was
memorable for the reasons that you
might expect: the Golan, Masada, pyra-
mids of Giza, etc. What was most mem-
orable, however, was an encounter with
a Muslim merchant from Jerusalem's
Arab marketplace.
We had just returned from a visit to
the Western Wall at Shabbat, traveling
through the Arab market on our way
back to our hotel. At about 7 p.m., the
phone rang in our hotel room as we
were dressing for Shabbat dinner. The
hotel clerk was calling to tell us that he
had on the line, a merchant from the
Arab marketplace, who claimed to have
my wife's wallet. We checked the purse
and the wallet was, in fact, missing. The
clerk said that the merchant wanted
to speak to me. I asked the clerk to
stay on the line. I asked the merchant
(Mahmoud) how I might get the wallet
back. Mahmoud said that he had just
closed his shop and would be at the
hotel, with the wallet, in 30 minutes. I
went to the front desk, nervously await-
ing Mahmoud.
In about 40 minutes, a man
approached me asking if I was Mr.
Kaplan. When I identified myself, he
handed me the wallet. It still contained
the nearly $400 American as well as
every credit card. I was both astounded
and relieved. I offered Mahmoud
$50 as both recompense and thanks.
Mahmoud refused the money, telling
me that he was already enriched by
having done this for us. He then shook
my hand, wishing me Shabbat Shalom
turned and left.
When friends ask what was most
memorable about our trip, I always tell
them about Mahmoud.

Jerry Kaplan

West Bloomfield

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I just wanted to tell you that I found

IN's coverage of the Mumbai trag-
edy excellent, especially Robert
Sklar's Editor's Letter "Extraordinary
Emissaries" (Dec. 4, page A5), which
was both sensitive and eloquent. As

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Rug Care Centers

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December 11 - 2008

you mentioned, the events of Mumbai
struck at the hearts of our people at
every point of the Jewish spectrum. You
have, once again, done a real service for
Klal Yisrael (the Nation of Israel).

Pessie Busel Novick

Oak Park

Black-Jewish Gap
I read with great interest the Community
View written by Berl Falbaum ("Black-
Jewish Alliance," Dec. 4, page A28). I
understand the clash between blacks and
Jews for I am a black female. Most blacks
have no knowledge of Judaism.
The fact that Jews don't believe Jesus
was the Messiah is an abomination in
the black society. If you don't believe in
Jesus, you are sentenced to a fiery eter-
nity in hell, which is a very scary real
place for many blacks. Jews, instead of
the Romans, are held responsible for
the death of Jesus who, according to
the Christian Doctrine, had to die for
the sins of man. The fact that Jesus was
a Jewish teacher and lived his life as a
Jew is not stressed in the teachings.
Many blacks don't understand the
role Jews played in the civil rights
movement and the foundation of the
NAACP. We have no black leaders edu-
cating them. Blacks fail to understand
that the same groups who hate Jews
also hate blacks. What they see is the
white skin color of the Jews in this
country. Therefore, you are white. Your
skin color represents the continued
oppression of blacks in this country.
I can speak from experience since I
grew up in the black church and con-
verted to Judaism over two years ago. I
have been treated with dignity, fairness
and respect within the Jewish com-
munity. I have never been happier or
felt so free. My daughter and husband
converted and feel the same. Temple
Israel in West Bloomfield hosted a
Passover seder, lead by Rabbi Joshua
Bennett, with Hope United Methodist
Church this year. For many blacks, it
was their first social contact with Jews
and first time entering a shul.
Education is the key and I hope to
play a part in it.

Camille F. McMillan

West Bloomfield

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