Opii
B'nai B'rith
Priorities
I
vantage
ow prices on
NITE
60 different
colors to
choose from
FLOORS
KEEGO HARBOR, MICHIGAN 48320
248.681.6460
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS
FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED SINCE 1971
22
December 24
2009
feel fortunate that, early on in my
life, I found a cause to be pas-
sionate about — the good works
of B'nai B'rith International.
I have been an active member for
nearly 45 years; and now, as a newly
elected senior vice president of the
,
international organization,
I have an added respon-
sibility to the Jewish and
global communities.
New leadership offers
any organization an amaz-
ing opportunity to zero
in on priorities and goals.
There is much to do as
B'nai B'rith International
enters its 167th year of
service and advocacy.
Iran, the world's leading
state sponsor of terrorism,
poses a very real threat to
Israel and the rest of the
world. As the very nucleus of instabil-
ity in the world today, Iran must be at
the top of our priority list. How seri-
ously do we need to take the threat
from Iran? The regime is led by a
president who vows to wipe Israel off
the map, who denies the Holocaust
and who foments unrest around the
world. And now, with Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad's growing influence
across Latin America — our back
door — the threat is even more
pressing.
Iran repeatedly defies the United
Nations and continues to pursue
nuclear weapons, in the open and in
secret. Ahmadinejad just announced
plans to build 10 more nuclear
enrichment facilities. If that's what
he's doing publicly, it's chilling to
think what he's still keeping secret.
The international community,
through the United Nations Security
Council (the United States, China,
France, Russia, the United Kingdom,
plus Germany), has offered Iran
incredibly favorable terms — none of
them accepted — during recent nego-
tiations over its uranium enrichment
program. Tehran's dithering, dodging
and dawdling on negotiations and
agreements clearly demonstrates it has
no intention of living up to any treaty
or to accept any international obliga-
tions for non-proliferation.
And, in the midst of efforts to
appease Tehran, Iran continues to
inch ever closer to creating nuclear
weapons.
The international community must
be united and vigilant in impos-
ing harsh, restrictive sanctions that
isolate Iran. B'nai B'rith presses this
message in meetings with
world leaders and U.S. law-
makers; with White House
officials; and at the United
Nations. We will work to
ensure Iran is also at the
top of the world's agenda.
Domestically, issues
such as senior housing
and Medicare are at the
forefront of B'nai B'rith's
efforts.
B'nai B'rith International
is the largest national
Jewish sponsor of hous-
ing for lower-income older
Americans. Ensuring that seniors of
limited means have access to safe
housing is a commitment we meet
every day. But the housing we spon-
sor (more than 4,500 apartments
in 26 cities in the United States, not
to mention what we host in other
nations) gives our residents more
than a place to live. These buildings
become a home, a family and a sup-
port system for our residents.
Within the next 20 years, about
one-quarter of all Americans will
be older than 65. The magnitude
of issues seniors face will increase
drastically as the senior popula-
tion expands. As life spans increase,
economic concerns become more
pressing. And as people live longer,
ensuring they can live safely in their
own homes takes on added signifi-
cance. Building upon our successful,
long history in this arena, B'nai B'rith
works on these issues every day.
These two issues are just a small
part of a vast portfolio of good works
that propelled me into B'nai B'rith
some four decades ago. As I begin
my term as senior vice president, I
recognize that our work is cut out for
us. But we are ready for the challenge.
Visit us at www.bnaibrith.org . Fl
Stephen B. Zorn is a West Bloomfield
resident.