Letters
How to Send Letters
We prefer letters relating to JN articles. We reserve the right to edit or reject letters. Letters of
225 words or less are considered first. Longer ones will be subject to trimming. Letter writers
are limited in frequency of publication. Letters must be original and contain the name, address
and title of the writer and a day phone number. Non-electronic copies must be hand signed.
Send letters to the JN: 29200 Northwestern Highway, Suite 110, Southfield, MI 48034; fax (248)
304-8885; e-mail, Ietters@the jewishnews.com . We prefer e-mail.
In Pursuit Of Peace
If there is anything to keep in mind in
reading about settlements as a negotiat-
ing item as well as the land-for-peace
nonsense ("Why Can't Settlements Be Part
of Negotiations:' Nov. 6, page 6), it is to
never assume that what seems logical to
many on the center and left here and in
Israel is logical to Palestinians, especially
its leaders. If not the settlements, they
will find other excuses not to do what is
needed.
Many on the left feel both sides want
peace. Even if that were true, which I
doubt, the definition of "peace" is irrec-
oncilable. Detente is the better term since,
to the Palestinian leadership in the West
Bank and Gaza, the last thing they want
is any "peace" that leaves Israel alone and
makes Hamas/Fatah responsible for run-
ning a country. The status quo is fine for
them as long as the United Nations and
Western money keeps flowing to their
Geneva accounts.
If a serious peace is to be pursued, an
interim three-state solution must be the first
step. Putting both Fatah/PLO and Hamas
on the same side of the table will never lead
to anything good for Israel.
Iry Wengrow
Troy
A Friend Of Israel
On Nov. 3, Angela Merkel, chancellor
of Germany, spoke to a joint session of
Congress on the 20th anniversary of the
fall of the Berlin Wall. In the same breath,
she equated the two events that occurred
on Nov. 9— the fall of the Wall in 1989
and Kristallnacht of 1938. She mentioned
the Shoah three times and the six million
Jews killed by the Nazis. She referred to
Israel five times, emphasizing, "The secu-
rity of Israel is non-negotiable now and
forever."
Chancellor Merkel, who also has spoken to
the Israel Knesset, is in the forefront of stand-
ing beside Israel — from her ambassador's
protest of a crass Hitler billboard in Thailand
to the vote in the United Nations against the
Goldstone Report.
Our family has traveled to Germany
several times and our son recently fin-
ished a year teaching in Cologne. The
younger generation in Germany is not
only removed from World War II, but also
from the Cold War. However, under Angela
Merkel's leadership, they learn both con-
trition and Germany's historical and world
responsibilities.
It is time for us to welcome and accept
the fact that Germany is a strong supporter
of Israel and the Jewish people.
Angela Merkel deserves our respect and
admration.
David C. Sloan
Huntington Woods
6 November 12 • 2009
Facts Of Jewish Education
The Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit wishes to address the News &
Views column by Associate Editor Alan
Hitsky, "The Costs of Education" (Nov.
5, page 5). Federation responds to the
critical needs of our community in
so many ways – including emergency
financial assistance, housing assis-
tance, eldercare, and employment pro-
grams and services. Jewish education
has been, and continues to be, among
Federation's highest priorities. We
are proud that our support to Jewish
day and congregational schools is
among the highest allocated by North
American federations.
We continually work with our school
professionals to evaluate how to best
maximize the community's financial
resources to deliver a high-quality
Jewish educational product and to
increase enrollment. The reality is
that the schools need more funding
as a result of increased scholarship
requests.
It should be noted however, the
Federation's annual funding presented
in the chart in the column was not cor-
rect. The accompanying chart reflects
the FY 2009-10 support allocated
through the Federation for Jewish edu-
cation in our community.
The Federation's commitment is to
continue to support Jewish education,
which is critical to the continuity of
our Jewish community and the Jewish
people worldwide.
Nancy Grosfeld, president
Scott Kaufman, chief executive officer
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit
Bloomfield Township
JEWISH FEDERATION OF METROPOLITAN DETROIT
JEWISH EDUCATION ALLOCATIONS
FISCAL YEAR ENDING MAY 31, 2010
Campaign
Day Schools
Akiva Hebrew Day School
Frankel Jewish Academy of Metropolitan Detroit
Hillel Day School
Yeshiva Beth Yehudah
Yeshiva Gedolah
Yeshivas Darchei Torah
Special Needs Allocation
Supplemental School Scholarship Fund
TOTAL
504,448
154,114
685,725
904,716
132,400
244,014
10,000
502,664
$3,138,081
Sakwa/Frankel
Challenge Funds
Other *
Projected
Total
75,000
255,000
251,200
400,000
10,000
75,000
197,948
371,976
547,525
627,413
56,745
182,673
250,000
$1,316,200
$1,984,280
777,396
781,090
1,484,450
1,932,129
199,145
501,687
10,000
752,664
$6,438,561
Notes
* Other includes: Shiffman Family Tuition Assistance Fund grants, grants from the Jewish Education Trust
and projected income distributions from Millennium and other Federation Funds held on behalf of the day schools.
Distributions will be determined over the course of the year based on actual earnings, additions to the funds, and
donor agreements.
Elusive Peace
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu is correct in his stance against
Israel's enemies. His first and main
statement is total acceptance of Israel's
existence by all nations. This will never
happen.
Therefore, there will never be peace
in the Middle East; there is no need in
repeating other conditions because it can-
not happen. This is what the enemies of
Israel want.
Leon I. Schoichit
Farmington Hills
Fawning Over Obama
Your editorial comment ("Obama Groping','
Oct. 29, page 41) that "Obama's insistence
[on an Israeli settlement freeze] just sort of
turned to vapor" only confirms the same
fawning attitude toward Obama that you
exhibited during the election campaign.
Obama's insistence not only has not
vaporized, it also continues to provide
unjustified legitimacy to the Palestinian
demand that a total settlement freeze
must precede any discussions with Israel.
What else could have been anticipated?
From the day it was uttered, this was
obvious to anyone not slavishly committed
to the arrogance of Obama and his crew.
Will it take the destruction of the State
of Israel to get you to clearly criticize
Obama with words more directly focused
than to characterize his statement as "the
politics of illusion and pointless symbol-
ism," a characterization that could equally
be applied to much of the Obama rhetoric?
Haven't you learned anything from the
past nine months?
Robert Epstein
West Bloomfield
Fixing Health Care
Eight years ago this week, I was diagnosed
with cancer. Prior to that, I earned a degree
in economics and master's degrees in pub-
lic health and finance. And I thank God for
the American health care system.
Does the system have flaws? Certainly
— nothing humans create is perfect.
Should we try to make it better? Of course.
Will turning the whole system over to poli-
ticians help? Absolutely not!
Look at what happens when the gov-
ernment gets too involved: Bureaucrats
make decisions that ought to be made by
patients with their doctors. Under-fund-
ing results in longer waiting times, more
restrictions on obtaining needed treat-
ment, less research/innovation to find new
cures and higher mortality rates.
In recent years, the governments in
Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, Tennessee,
and Vermont took over significant parts of
their health care systems. They promised
it would improve service and lower costs.
But they delivered neither. In fact, costs
exploded.
By all means, let's tell our senators and
representatives to address the specific
problems that prevent a very small por-
tion of our population from obtaining
health insurance. A government-controlled
system is bad for our health, bad for the
deficit, and bad for our future.
Kerry Greenhut
West Bloomfield