Opinion

Dry Bones

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Editorials are posted and archived on JNonline.us .

WE ISLAMISTS ARE
NOT JUST A BUNCH
OF JEW-HATING
TERRORIST
••
KILLERS/

■

Securing Our Region

I

t's great to see the spirit, hope and
interest surrounding a revitalized
and expanded Jewish presence in
the city of Detroit. To capitalize on this,
Federation must hone a compelling vision
for both the Detroit Jewish community
and Southeastern Michigan. That's the
only way to see how the promising urban
initiative, and other key communal causes
such as eldercare, Jewish learning, eco-
nomic hardship and specialized social ser-
vices, fit into a bigger regional picture.
The time is now to capture the energy
created by the Jan. 24 town hall forum —
intended to spark a pulsating urban envi-
ronment and a hub of Jewish life in the
central city. The nearly 300 attendees at
Compuware World Headquarters — rising
stars in the business world, up-and-com-
ing 20- and 30-somethings, rabbis, orga-
nizational leaders, lifelong Detroiters and
other believers in Detroit's potential —
were as eclectic as the wider Jewish com-
munity. Validating the significance of the
evening was the participation of heavy hit-
ters such as Detroit Venture Partners Dan
Gilbert, Josh Linkner and Brian Hermelin
and Federation CEO Scott Kaufman.
As our Feb. 3 story "Destination Detroit"
recounted, "Thanks to smartphones,
laptops, iPads and social media outlets,
the conversation that took place inside
Quicken Loans was immediately shared
with a broader audience via the Internet.

Before, during and after the town ha
meeting, messages were being posted on
Facebook and Twitter, generating buzz and
encouraging others to keep the conversa-
tion going."
We applaud the event hosts, Dan
Gilbert's Quicken Loans, which moved
1,700 workers into the Computerware
building last year (with another 2,000
expected to relocate downtown), and
CommunityNEXT, a year-old initiative
of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit striving to secure a pool of young
Jewish professionals. Together, the co-
hosts laid the groundwork to accomplish
the goal of attracting and retaining young
Jewish talent and driving more people and
businesses downtown.
Gilbert talked about how timely it is to
invest in the city ("to buy low-sell high"),
about reversing the brain drain via a clus-
ter of creative, high-tech firms in a cen-
tral-city location and about various pro-
grams starting to take shape — Moishe
House (a low-rent housing/programming
opportunity for young Jews), Bizdom U
(an incubator he started for young entre-
preneurs) and CommunityNEXT.
The Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue
is but one example of creating a spoke
in pursuit of a central-city hub of Jewish
activity and programs. On the flip side,
several forum goers stood up to cite real-
istic concerns that would make them hesi-

NOT JUST

tant to live in the city:
lack of basic services
such as grocery stores
and dry cleaners; a
broken school system;
the specter of crime.
(In contrast, young
people who live in the
city said they have no
problem shopping for
fresh food at Eastern
Market and elsewhere
and also said they feel
safe).
A Jewish Detroit
task force is being
formed to take action
on the well of ideas
bubbling forth from
the impressive town
hall and other efforts
aimed at staving off a
declining population and shallow develop-
ing-leader pool.
Given this growing momentum and
interest, Federation must commit to prop-
erly funding CommunityNEXT's structure
and initiatives from the Annual Campaign.
Federation also must install the needed lay
and professional oversight to make sure
CommunityNEXT's energy and creativity
continue with the requisite accountability.
Having a vibrant urban core is certainly
important for any long-term plan to make

DryBonesBlog.com

Detroit and all of Southeastern Michigan
more attractive for young adults. There's
a lot of desire and excitement to turn
Detroit around. A lot of smart, innovative
people with money and influence are on
board to help make a difference.
Ultimately, Federation must provide
the necessary — and urgent— timbers
of support to elevate such a difference
through a cogent blueprint that not only
resonates for Detroit Jewry, but also
our relationship with, and obligation to,
Southeastern Michigan.

Israel, You've Got Friends

I

n a world filled with millions of
Facebook friends, it often seems that
Israel has none. Ten European Union
nations have strengthened their ties with
the Palestine Liberation Organization
and five Latin American countries have
formally recognized the state of Palestine
—"free and independent with its 1967
borders."
Helen Thomas may be representative
of much of the world when she tells "Jews
to get the hell out of Palestine." Even Time
magazine has criticized Israel in its recent
article, "Israel's Rightward Lurch Scares
Some Conservatives" (Karl Vick, Time, Jan.
11).
Vick states that Israel's current govern-
ment is "extreme" and quotes historian
Ron Pundak, who calls current Israeli
politics "the ugliest in the nation's history"
"This is reminiscent:' Pundak says, "of the
dark ages of different places in the world
in the 1930s. Maybe not Germany, but
Italy, maybe Argentina later."
When we read Israel being de-legiti-

mized and compared to fascist
countries in the 1930s, it's easy
to wonder if Israel has any
friends left. Yet even during the
Holocaust, there were some
righteous gentiles who gam-
bled with their lives to speak
out against this type of blatant
anti-Semitism.
One of them was a Dutch
reformed pastor who was
actively involved in hiding
Jews. He was imprisoned
several times during World
War II. His son, Willem J.J.
Glashouwer, followed in his footsteps after
undergoing major brain surgery when he
became a minister in Holland and then
full-time president of Christians for Israel
International in 1999.
"Israel is the greatest sign of hope the
world has ever seen:' Glashouwer said on
his website, www.c4israel.org, and its pro-
Israel video on YouTube.
And when I received e-mail petitioning

the United Nations to indict
Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad for the "crime
of incitement to genocide',' it
wasn't from the Anti-Defamation
League or the World Jewish
Congress. It was from another
important supporter of Israel,
the Christians United for Israel
(www.cufi.org .)
CUFI is not only fervently
pro-Israel; its message also is
to "educate Christians across
America about why and how
they must stand up and speak
up for Israel in her time of need."
The mission of CUFI is stated clearly
on its homepage: "We believe that the
Jewish people have a right to live in their
ancient land of Israel, and that the mod-
ern state of Israel is the fulfillment of this
historic pledge. We maintain that there
is no excuse for terrorism against Israel
and that Israel has the same right as every
other nation to defend her citizens from

such violent attacks.
"We pledge to stand with our brothers
and sisters in Israel and to speak out on
their behalf whenever and wherever nec-
essary until the attacks stop and they are
finally living in peace and security with
their neighbors:'
CUFI has a tremendous YouTube video
highlighting its mission. It also focuses
on colleges to develop politically minded
student leaders as "effective advocates for
Israel on their college campuses."
Further, it offers local events around the
country, educating Christians about Israel.
On Jan. 26, CUFI offered a "Standing with
Israel" event at the University of Detroit
Mercy campus, featuring special guest
speaker Irving Roth, a Holocaust survivor
and international educator, talking about
his experiences and promoting a more
accepting and diverse world.
Thankfully, there are hundreds of thou-
sands of Christians who are friends of
Israel, including 4,000 Christian Zionists
who gathered in Washington, D.C., last

Israel on page 20

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