Operation Cast Lead

17

Israel!

Detroit Jews demonstrate unity for beleaguered Jewish state.

Congressional View

Newly sworn in U.S. Rep. Gary Peters,
D-Bloomfield Hills, whose Ninth
Congressional District represents much
of southern Oakland County, issued this
statement the day of the
local rally:
"Israel has been under
attack; and like any sover-
eign nation, it has the right
to defend itself. Israel is
America's friend and ally and
I support its pursuit of secu- Rep. Peters
rity and acts of self-defense
in the face of continued
attacks on the existence of the Jewish
state. Israel's current objective in Gaza
is to provide security for its citizens, and
that is a goal that must be achieved.
"In 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew
its soldiers and settlements from the
Gaza Strip in a move designed to set
the stage for a future peace agreement
between the Israelis and Palestinians.
Unfortunately, since Israel's withdrawal,
Hamas has used Gaza as a launching pad,
firing over 6,000 rockets into southern
Israel.
"Hamas is a terrorist organization
dedicated to the destruction of the state
of Israel. The U.S. should do everything it
can to help reach a resolution that begins
with an immediate end to Hamas rocket
fire and provides for Israel's continued
security."

I Shelli Liebman Dorfman
I Senior Writer

N

o matter what else Ben
Chudnow of West Bloomfield
expected from the Detroit
Jewish community's Solidarity Rally for
Israel on Jan. 8, he had no doubt it would
be well-attended. "When our Jewish com-
munity does something, we always do
it big:' he said. "We should be proud of
the solidarity shown at the rally. A lot of
people spread the word, in a short amount
of time."
A teacher for the David B. Hermelin
ORT Resource Center, Chudnow, 23, dis-
missed his adult education class at the
West Bloomfield JCC a little early so he
could arrive at the rally on time, hoping
his students would follow.
He joined an overflow crowd of 1,500
who trickled from the mammoth sanc-
tuary at Congregation Shaarey Zedek's
Southfield building, to standing space
in the back of the room and into a foyer
equipped with audio speakers.
Enthusiastic applause and even a
few standing ovations honored the
program's speakers, who included Lauren
Bienenstock, a representative from the
Michigan Friends of the Israel Defense
Forces and Ken Gold, the American Jewish
Committee/Metro Detroit chapter presi-
dent, who just returned from Israel. (See

Al2

January 15 • 2009

Edward Chudnow of West Bloomfield displays a large Israeli flag during the program.

related stories: Bienenstock: page A5; Gold,
page A27.)
The evening's keynote address was given
by Gershon Kedar, the Chicago-based
deputy consul general to the Consulate
of Israel, a primary spokesperson for the
State of Israel in the American Midwest
during the current Israel-Hamas conflict.
He shared insight into life in Israel and
expressed gratitude for the support of
Metro Detroiters (Kedar on Hamas: see
page A16).
Rev. Kenneth Flowers of Greater New
Mt. Moriah Baptist Church of Detroit,
a recipient of the Jewish Community
Relations Council of Metropolitan Detroit's

first Martin Luther King Jr. Israel Award,
also spoke. The crowd stood and cheered
as he announced his full support of Israel
and his Jewish brothers and sisters. "I am
not for Israel for political reasons, but for
spiritual reasons:' Flowers said.
In between the brief speeches, the crowd
waved Israeli flags and held signs with
slogans like, "Stand with Israel,""Stop the
Rockets! Stop Hamas!" and "Israel Wants
Peace." Outside, the building area was
calm, with security personnel reporting no
anti-rally protesters present.

Yes, Israel! on page A14

Rally sponsors and coordinators
included: Jewish Community Relations
Council of Metropolitan Detroit, Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit,
American Jewish Committee-Metro
Detroit Chapter, Anti-Defamation
League-Michigan Region, B'nai
B'rith-Great Lakes Region, Zionist
Organization of America-Michigan
Region, B'nai B'rith Youth Organization,
National Council of Jewish Women-
Greater Detroit Section, StandWithUs-
Michigan, American Israel Public
Affairs Committee, Hadassah-Greater
Detroit Chapter, Yeshivat Akiva-
Southfield, State of Israel Bonds and
the Detroit Chapter of American
Technion Society, whose President
Scott Leemaster encouraged participa-
tion "as we stand with the people of,
and the state of, Israel in the struggle
against terrorism and the pursuit of
peace."