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Tough Road Ahead
It is very courageous for Associate Editor
Alan Hitsky to convey his comments in
the News & Views column "The Cost of
Education" (Nov. 5, page 5). Jewish educa-
tion has always been a sacred cow in our
community. We always look at the chil-
dren as our future. Jewish education has
always been a product of home values
and practice as well as teachers, educa-
tors and buildings.
As a person who has volunteered for
many years visiting seniors living in non-
Jewish facilities, many lacking family
connections, we as a community need to
address these individuals as our popula-
tion ages. Many of these seniors survive
strictly through government assistance.
These seniors have a wealth of knowl-
edge of not only life experience, but also
a view of where we are going as a com-
munity.
We will in the very near future, as Mr.
Hitsky points out, have a senior popula-
tion explosion. The tough decisions will
need to be made over how to provide
not only for our children, but also our
parents and elderly. Shared recourses in
education, consolidation in facilities and
education viewed as a chance to bring
communities together all will need to be
addressed.

Robert Kimmel

West Bloomfield

Healing Through Yoga
We read your cover story about yoga
therapy with great interest ("Cutting
Edge Nov 5, page 33). It was truly uplift-
ing to see the success and comfort that so
many people in our community who are
suffering physically are realizing through
the practice of yoga and other movement
therapies.
The Federation Women's Department
will build on this practice by hosting
its second annual Stretch to Help event,
a communitywide fundraising event
designed to give women an outlet to
strengthen and nurture themselves and,
at the same time, to strengthen and uplift
our Detroit Jewish community's most
vulnerable members.
On Sunday, Feb. 7, Jewish women will
stretch their minds, hearts and hands
to help those in need. Classes of all
types will be offered, including yoga and
pilates. Last year, more than a dozen
classes were held throughout the day
around the entire community. We look
forward to welcoming more women to
more and different classes this year.
Through Federation's Annual
Campaign, women can make a difference
in their lives and the lives of others. We

6

November 19 • 2009

realize there is a connection between our
own spiritual and physical wellbeing and
the wellbeing of our community. Visit
jewishdetroit.org/wd for more informa-
tion.
Gail Mondry (248-851-1747) and
Illana Greenberg (248-737-9222) are
2010 Stretch to Help co-chairs.

Marcie Orley, Campaign chair

Federation Women's Department

Bloomfield Township

Recalling A Man
Of Justice, Peace
I would like to thank
Temple Kol Ami, Rabbi
David Nelson and Rabbi
Norman Roman for the
moving and meaningful
eulogies that made up
Rabbi Conrad
the service in memory
of Rabbi Ernst Conrad on Nov. 9.
Rabbi Conrad was a member of
the Interfaith Thanksgiving Service
Committee, on which I was lucky to have
served in the past. He had a lifelong com-
mitment to interfaith justice and peace.
And he was an invaluable member of
the interfaith community ("A Passionate
Voice For Human Rights," Nov. 12, page
76).
At his funeral service were many mem-
bers of the interfaith community — rep-
resentatives from the Muslim community
(the Muslim Unity Center and the Islamic
Center of America), the Sikh Gurdwara in
Plymouth, the Hindu Temple in Troy and
the Archdiocese of Detroit, among others.
As an active member of both the
Jewish community and the interfaith
community (president of WISDOM,
the Women's Interfaith Solutions for
Dialogue and Outreach in Metro Detroit,
www.interfaithwisdom.org ), I was so
proud when the interfaith partners were
recognized from the bimah and asked to
stand and when members of the Muslim
community were invited to join the pall-
bearers as Rabbi Conrad's casket was
escorted out of the sanctuary.
Rabbi Conrad must have been smil-
ing during this service that recognized
his hard work toward making connec-
tions across faith communities in our
wonderfully diverse community of Metro
Detroit!

Gail Katz

West Bloomfield

3 Powerful Words
Three Islamic words are ignored by J
Street ("J Street Debate Nov. 5, page 20):
• Waqf, Islamic endowment, believes
that all the land of Palestine is Islamic
land, Waqf, and no Muslim can renounce

it or part of it, or abandon it. Nobody has
the right to sell any Waqf land to a non-
Muslim. It is also the duty of Muslims
to recover Waqf land from the hands
of non-Muslims, infidels. The Hamas
Covenant says, "Land of Palestine is an
Islamic Waqf consecrated for future
Moslem generations."
• Al Takeyya is understanding that
Muslims are permitted to lie to prevent
anticipated harm to one's self or fellow
Muslims. Muslims have the liberty to lie
under circumstances that they perceive
threatening. Muslim leaders can absolve
from any permanent commitment if
they think it may be harmful to Muslims.
What Muslim activists say may not
always be the whole truth. The truth is
what they feel in their heart.
• Hudna is used as a tactic to trick an
enemy into lowering his guard by declar-
ing cease-fire, which allows Muslim
forces to regroup. When Hudna expires, it
will find the Islamic forces stronger and
the enemy weaker.
J Street has to be familiar with estab-
lished concepts that prevail in the Middle
East before taking positions about Israel.
There were always three concepts that
Israel stressed: Recognition of Israel
as a Jewish state (Israel is not waqf);
Accepting already agreed upon contracts
between the Palestinian Authority and
Israel (no al talceyya); cease-fire has to be
permanent without terror activity against
Israel.
It is unfortunate that J Street, in the
comfort and security of Washington,
expresses opinion to residents of Sderot
in Israel while ignoring the power of
three words: Waqf, Takeyya and Hudna.

Isaac Barr, M.D.

Bloomfield Hills

Beit Kodesh Memories
Mazel tov to Congregation Beit Kodesh
on the occasion of its 50th anniversary
("50 Years Of Family," Nov 5, page 53). My
parents, Stanley and Jeanette Finkelstein,
were among the first members to join the
Livonia Jewish Congregation in 1959 or
1960. We were neighbors of Helen Bayles,
now a past president, when we lived in
Livonia.
My father was a president of the con-
gregation in the 1960s and created the
Star of David that adorns the front of the
building. My mother was very active in
the sisterhood and served as an adviser
to the youth group. After her sudden
death in 1966, the shul took up a collec-
tion and dedicated the religious school's
library in her memory in 1978.
I attended Hebrew school from 1963-
66 at the shul's present location when

it was the Cohn branch of the United
Hebrew Schools.
I celebrated my bar mitzvah at the Six
Mile Road location in August 1968, which
was officiated by Rabbi Marti Gordon.
I recall fondly attending Shabbat and
Simchat Torah services and carnivals
at the old farmhouse (at the corner of
Osmus and Seven Mile Road, near the
shul's present location).
The article neglects to mention the
first cantor's name (Cantor Blank) and
the fact that prior to purchasing the
church building on Six Mile Road, High
Holiday services were held at Carpenter's
Hall on Grand River in Redford Township
in addition to the Botsford Inn in
Farmington Hills.

Alan Finkelstein

Cherry Hill, N. J.

Council Thrift Shops!
Your Platinum article "Recessionista
Fashionistas" (Nov, 5, page P10) was
wonderful. Only one thing was missing .
.. our stores! This year, National Council
of Jewish Women, Greater Detroit Section
is celebrating the 75th anniversary of
our Council Thrift Shops — 75 years of
selling high-quality, secondhand clothes,
accessories and household items at
incredible prices.
In the same week that we were omitted
from your article, the Detroit Free Press
featured its Make It Work contest winner
wearing a "$6 silver blouse from Council
Thrift in Berkley" when meeting Fashion
Runway's Tim Gunn.
Our stores are truly a win-win for the
community: customers find high-fash-
ion bargains while donors receive tax
deductions for their donations and the
satisfaction of knowing they have helped
fund NCJW/GDS's many community ser-
vice projects. Projects like our backpack
project, which, last August, donated 500
new backpacks filled with new school
supplies to homeless students in Oakland
County, or our kosher Meals on Wheels
program, which delivers 39,000 kosher
meals each year to elderly and home-
bound individuals, or our Wrapped in
Love project, which provides hundreds of
handmade fleece blankets each year for
children removed from their homes by
Protective Services.
I encourage everyone to visit our
Berkley store at 3297 12 Mile and our
Royal Oak store at 1221 Lincoln. Drop
off your donations, volunteer or come to
shop; you won't be disappointed!

Cathy Cantor, president

National Council of Jewish Women, Greater

Detroit Section

Southfield