Letters Gaining Young Families Arthur Horwitz's Publisher Notebook "The Elephant In The Room: Our Dwindling Demographics" highlights the differences in two congregations in Metro Detroit (July 29, page 5). In the same week that his corn- ments were printed, the front page of the Detroit News presented an article detailing how Young Israel of Southfield is building up its commu- nity and not running away. The demo- graphics do speak for themselves; but if we, as a community, do not provide schools, shuts and diverse com- munities for young married couples to return to, we will have "a Detroit Jewish community that is slowly dying in front of our eyes:' If our synagogues do not have the moral leadership that is needed to guide its members to do the right thing, we'll all be doomed. We must attract and retain the talented young Jewish families by our actions and commitments to our communities. 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Answering Israel's Critics The Charge Some critics of Israel unfairly paint the Jewish state in absolute terms, such as "an evil wrongdoer." Conversely, the Palestinians are painted as "innocent victims." Meet Al and Evelyn Jacobs. Dancers. Performers. Really Living since 2009. The Answer Andrew Silow-Carroll, editor of the New Jersey Jewish News, says the above are two examples of when anti-Israel charges become anti- Semitic by ignoring any evidence or perspective that suggests empa- thy for Israel's motivations and by absolving the Palestinians of any responsibility for the conflict. For Al and Evelyn, really living means pursuing their passion for the theater, not letting financial worries steal the show. Their beautiful apartment home is completely free from maintenance and repairs. Now, the Jacobs enjoy stable, predictable expenses and a worry-free way of life. Thanks to Erickson LivineAl and Evelyn leave the drama on stage—exactly where it belongs. LIVING Fox Run © Jewish Renaissance Media • August 12, 2010 Novi I EricksonLiving.com 1612550 August 12 m 2010 JN Correction • "United By Cancer" (July 29, page 39) should have stated that the Suz Cruise team raised $13,000 in 2008 from wedding gifts. - Allan Gale Add more Living to your Life" 8 Harry Onickel Ferndale Jewish Community Relations Council of Metropolitan Detroit Take your next step toward really living. Call 1-800-397-6519 for your free Guide to Erickson Living at Fox Run and discover how beautiful and affordable your retirement can be. eri;4401. J Street's Narrative According to their special corn- mentary, "Denial In Israel Advocacy" (Aug. 5, page 32) by Jeremy Ben-Ami and Debra DeLee, we who advocate for Israel are living in denial because we do not put the entire onus for peace on Israel. We have been deceiv- ing ourselves by reciting a "comfort- able narrative" in which Israeli peace offers are consistently rebuffed by the Palestinians. Actually, they don't put all the onus on Israel. There is a sentence in their piece (and a lengthy sentence at that) suggesting that "Palestinians and the broader Arab world" do bear a tiny bit of responsibility for "the present state of affairs:' Even so, according to the writers, with their list of anti- Israel generalities, I'm still using a psychological defense mechanism to avoid facing their reality. In my own defense, some of what has been feeding my "narrative" in the years since 1967 are things I've picked up from various news sources. For example, there have been recent reports of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Israel's alleged partner for peace, who recently lionized Mohammad Oudeh, mastermind of the massacre of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics, refusing direct talks with Israel. Abbas has also refused to rec- ognize Israel as a Jewish state. Speaking of denial, nowhere in the commentary is llamas, which rules Gaza, mentioned. Why? Was painting llamas as a peace partner too unbe- lievable for even J Street? Endorsement Policy The IN will not publish letters that endorse candidates seeking election on Nov. 2, but we invite readers to share their preferences and why at thejewishnews.com/community in our Community Forum. Readers wishing to place endorsement ads in the IN should contact our advertising director, Keith Farber, at kfarber@thejewishnews.com or (248) 354-6060.